by J. L. Drake
“Please…?” The word barely got past my lips. He tapped the button again and turned it off right as the truck driver pulled up.
“I’m sorry I did that, Emily.”
Like hell, you are!
“But you need to understand that this ‘sting op’ is too risky. Do you think you can handle being in a room with him so close he could reach out and touch you? Smell his breath, feel his skin on you while you try to get him to say something incriminating?
“This guy beat his neighbor nearly to death, then threatened her so badly she dropped all the charges. He is unstable; he’s a psychopath. I encourage your bravery, but this is too dangerous. Leave this to the professionals. We will find him.”
I felt my tears come. God, I hated how they were always ready to spill at the drop of a hat.
“You know,” I scrambled to find my voice, but it was weak and shaky, “I haven’t slept a solid night since that attack. Every time I close my eyes, he’s there waiting for me. Even in my dreams he’s stalking me, screwing with my head.” I felt my stomach turn. “I can’t live like this. I’m scared to be in my own house. I’m scared when I’m at school. Hell, I’m scared to be in my own skin.” I put my hands over my eyes and took a moment to catch my breath.
Michaels’s chair squeaked again, and it made me jump. He opened his top drawer and pulled out a card. “Give me some time, Emily, but most of all, have faith that we’ll find him. For now,” he handed me the card, “please think about contacting this guy. He’s a friend of mine. He’s good at what he does, and I think he could help you.”
Mark Adams, Therapist. “A shrink?”
“You may feel like you’re handling this well, but you’re not.” I went to speak, but he shook his head. “Look, you’re willing to put yourself in danger, you’re not sleeping and not eating either, from the looks of it.” I shot him a dirty look. “If not for yourself, then do it for Connors and O’Brian. They look like shit and are so worried about you that it’s affecting their performance.” He sighed then noticed my face, which I caught sight of in his reflective picture frame. I was white as a sheet. “Are you all right? You’re kind of pale.”
I moved to stand on shaky legs. I guessed I’d known the ‘me being bait’ thing wasn’t really going to happen, but I felt guilty because he was right. I see couldn’t that man again. Even the mere thought of his touch made me want to vomit right there on the tan carpet. “I should go.” I struggled to collect myself.
He nodded but still watched me. “Oh, and Emily.” I stopped and grasped the door handle. “No more solo trips out of town. I’m going to get you an officer, someone who will stay with you full time.” I nodded once without looking at him and left.
I needed a distraction, something to shake this horrible feeling. I couldn’t believe the detective had made me live out my worst nightmare. I found Seth still at a desk, waist deep in reports. He was on his feet before I reached him. “Is there somewhere we can go?” I asked.
“Jesus, Em, you look like hell.”
“Seth, is there somewhere we can go?” I repeated. Without missing a beat, he took my hand and walked swiftly through a door and down some stairs into the locker rooms, which luckily were empty. He opened a door that led into a little room. Off to the side was a sink, a large counter, and a little bed. He pulled me in and locked the door behind us.
“Tell me what happened,” he demanded. As I started to undo my blouse, his brows came together. I reached over and undid his belt. “Em?” he said softly.
I looked right in his eyes as I undid his button. “You really want to talk?” My fingers found his zipper, and I pulled it down.
He knew I needed this; I needed some sense of release as well as closeness to him. He suddenly reached down and grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the counter. He wrapped his hand around my neck, kissing me as he took over my mouth with his tongue.
I moaned. I loved it when he took control. It was the one time I didn’t have to think, just feel, because I knew I was safe.
His other hand ran up my leg and pulled my thong down. I shifted and tried to help him. I pulled his tie loose and pushed back his shirt. I rested my hands flat on his vest and started to kiss his chest, then up to his neck. I lightly bit his ear, and he lost it. He reached down and grabbed himself as he moved into me. I tensed around him, hungry for every bit of him.
“You were ready for me,” he whispered through his kisses.
I leaned back and let out a moan. “Always.” I squeezed my legs around his waist to pull him in deeper.
He pulled out and lifted me off the counter. Then he spun me around and leaned me forward so I could brace my arms around the sink. He held onto my shoulder and my waist as he slid back into me slowly. “God, you feel good.” He shuddered.
“Seth, please,” I begged. I wanted him to take me hard. I wanted to feel Seth take me over without any thoughts of Lasko.
“You want this, baby?”
“Yes,” I panted. “Please.” I thought I was going to explode from the slow friction.
He slid almost out and then fixed his grip on me and plowed inward. I almost lost my hold.
“Again,” I begged.
He repeated it. I held on tighter this time. My knees nearly gave out from the impact, but Seth’s grip told me he had me. He kept thrusting over and over until I felt that knot in my stomach release and a quivery sensation started to grow. I was close when I heard Seth’s breathing pick up. “Seth,” I pleaded. It took everything in me not to scream.
Right then we both let go and felt the release we both wanted and so desperately needed. I took a moment to relish my bliss. It was short-lived once I let my brain go back to reality.
He leaned in and started to kiss my shoulder. “This should be a daily thing.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
I was dressed and ready in a matter of minutes. I looked in the mirror at my hair. Could it be any more obvious what we’d just done? My fingers ran quick paths through the disheveled strands.
Seth stood behind me as he buttoned up his pants and snapped his belt back into place. “So he told you about Lasko?” I shot him a look. He raised his hands innocently. “Michaels held a meeting this morning. I wanted to tell you, but he wanted to talk to you himself.”
I nodded and let out a long sigh.
“What?” I looked away. He came up closer. “Emily.” His tone made me look up, and we locked eyes in the mirror. He waited for me to speak.
“He won’t use me as bait.”
Seth couldn’t hide the relief that danced across his face. “The fact of the matter is that even if there was a chance, I don’t think I could do it anyway.”
“No one expected you to, baby.”
“I know.” I wanted to show my braver side, show that I had the guts to face the man who wanted to hurt me.
“What else?” Seth’s voice changed slightly. I could tell he saw it in my eyes.
“He showed me the video...you know, of that night? I wanted to puke. I almost did puke,” I confessed.
He pulled me into a hug and rested his mouth behind my ear. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t think you should have had to see that tape, but he probably felt it was the one thing that would convince you not to keep pushing for your ‘sting’ idea.”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Seth walked me to the front. “Thanks, Lou, have a good day.” I handed him back my ID badge.
“You too, Emily.”
“You sure you want to go back to school?” Seth asked, fist-bumping Lou to say hello.
“Yeah, I need to focus on something.”
“How are you getting back to school?”
I pulled out my phone. “Vince said he’d wait, even though I told him to leave.” I started to dial, but there was no answer. “It’s fine. I’ll take a cab back.” Seth looked at me. “Okay, I’ll call Erin or something.”
He waved down Johnnie. “I’ll get Johnnie to drive you home.”
“I’d rather it be you.”
He leaned in and gave my hand a little squeeze. “You have no idea.”
My phone buzzed.
Vince: I’m here, right outside.
“Never mind, I got a ride,” I said as I held it up to show Seth the text message. He rolled his eyes. I knew he’d prefer Johnnie, but I hated to put the guys out if I didn’t have to. Seth pulled me in and kissed me once more. “See you tonight.”
***
Seth
I felt someone come up next to me. “How do you let that walk away from you?” Davis said, watching Emily go out the front door.
“It’s not easy.”
“Missed a button.” Davis winked at me.
I elbowed him while I fixed my shirt.
“Can I steal a moment of your time?” Davis asked.
“Sure thing. Just let me make a quick call.” My call ran long, and I saw Davis pace a few feet away. I stepped into Michael’s office to concentrate better.
Afterward, I joined Davis in the conference room. Before I could say anything, he handed me a file.
“Is it not strange to you that that we only know about Jimmy Lasko since 2004? I feel like someone has gone to great lengths to cover his tracks. I ran his fingerprints in two different databases and nothing’s coming up. It’s like he just popped up on the map out of nowhere.”
“Birth certificate?”
“Not that I can find.”
Garrett swung the door open. “I need to show you something now.”
I turned to Davis. “Keep looking, okay? There’s got to be something somewhere.”
“Okay.” Davis sounded dubious.
I turned to Garrett. “What’s up?”
Garrett tossed me his phone; I caught it and slid it open. It was a picture of Emily studying at the library.
Unknown Number: Who can get to her first?
Garrett flinched. “You think it’s a trick?”
I hurried over to my desk and snatched my keys from my top drawer. “I don’t wanna chance it.” I ran out to the car while I madly called Emily’s phone; it went to voicemail. I texted her.
Seth: Call me asap!
My phone buzzed. Thank God. But it was only Garrett.
Garrett: I tracked her phone. She’s still at the library.
I turned a corner, nearly taking out a woman who was crossing the street. I could see the school looming in front of me. So close. I pulled up to the curb, barely putting the car in park. Everyone was staring as I jumped out and raced up the stairs of the library like a bat out of hell.
***
Emily
I hated how the tension at the table was growing. Scott and Vince had been at it ever since we got back from the station. I was hardly in the mood for it. I found it hard to study when they were acting like children.
“What’s your next class?” Vince asked me as he glanced at Scott.
“Law,” Scott answered before I could.
“Yes. Law.”
Vince nodded. “I think she’d have handled that question by herself.” He took the edge out of his voice with a laugh. Scott didn’t look impressed. “Anyway,” he said as he moved the attention back on me, “you want to get a coffee or something?”
I could tell he was bored. I closed my book. “Sure, let’s go.”
Scott stood up. “She—we need to study.” He looked at me. “Emily, we have a lot to get through before tomorrow.”
“Scott, a coffee isn’t going to take too long, and besides, I could use an upper.” I pulled a twenty from my wallet as we headed toward the stairs.
Vince chuckled. “He’s an interesting fellow.”
I felt like I was in the middle of a National Geographic documentary where the two male lions fought over a female. Only this female wasn’t interested in either of them. This one felt like rolling over and taking a nap in a warm, grassy meadow.
I smiled at the thought of leisurely walking around. Maybe I would paw at the grass and then flop down and stare up at the clouds as they floated by. My only concern would be the catch of my next meal, and really that wouldn’t be so hard because I had two irritating guys next to me I could sauté up, add a little salt and pepper for taste, and not have to hunt for the next two weeks. Yes, the life of a lioness did sound appealing.
I jolted out of my daydream. There was no line for the coffee cart, which was a first, because this place was great. “Two coffees, please.”
Vince’s phone started to ring. A woman behind a desk peered over her glasses and gave him a dirty look. He quickly answered it. “Wait, what? I can’t hear you. Who did you say this was?” He looked at me and pointed to the door. I nodded.
I balanced the two coffees and started back up the stairs.
“Excuse me, miss, but could you help me?”
I carefully turned and saw an older man two steps below me. He had a cane and wore a button-up sweater. His clothes looked old, and he smelled faintly like mothballs. He had a wide, gummy smile. “I seem to have lost my way, and my eyesight isn’t so good anymore. I’m meeting my daughter at a place called The Duck…or was it The Hen?” He rubbed his chin as he wracked his memory.
“The Goose?” I tried to hold back my smile.
“Ah, yes, that was it. The Goose. Would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction?”
I looked out the door. I couldn’t see Vince. The old man waited patiently for me to answer.
“Yes, I think I could do that.” I put on a smile and rested the coffees on the counter and asked the girl to hold them for me until I got back. I took the old man by the arm and walked him outside. I stopped a few feet from the curb, turned, and pointed. “You see that brick building right next to the green building? It’s right there.”
He squinted and looked over. “Thank you, dear.” He patted my hand. His fingers felt cold.
***
Seth
I whipped through the rows of books and clipped a girl in the shoulder. She fell over as she gripped a table for balance. “I’m sorry,” I yelled over my shoulder. I didn’t have time to stop. “Scott!” I yelled when I spotted him at a nearby table. Finally!
Scott jumped up and looked at me. Everyone around us stared and whispered. “Dude, what the hell? You scared me half to death—”
“Where’s Emily?” I interrupted. I didn’t have time for his feelings right now.
Scott pointed down the stairs. “She and Vince went to get a coffee, like, ten minutes ago.” I looked at her things and then ran. I saw Vince standing by the coffee cart.
“Vince, where’s Emily?” I shouted.
Vince stared at me, confused. “Um, I don’t know. She was here a minute ago.”
The girl from the coffee cart leaned over. “You mean the blonde girl he was with? She just walked out with an old man. He needed directions…”
My heart sank. I charged out the library doors. I looked all around and finally saw her. She was walking with the man toward The Goose.
Shit, baby, no!
I full-out sprinted toward her. “Emily!” I shouted. She was so damn close. She didn’t hear me, so I shouted again, louder.
***
Emily
I slowed my pace when something caught my attention. “What’s wrong, dear?” the old man asked.
“I thought I heard my name.”
He pulled on my arm. “You’re such a sweet girl for walking a poor man to his family.”
I smiled, and we kept our pace. I saw a green car pull in a few yards away from us. The man’s grip got a bit tighter on my arm, and I started to get a strange sensation in my gut.
“Emily!”
Okay, this time I heard it. Something caught the corner of my eye. It was Seth in a full-out sprint toward me. The old man pulled on my hand to keep going.
“Wait!” I said, confused by Seth’s body language and by the old man’s persistence.
His eyes went from old to youthful.
“If you know what’s good for y
ou, my dear, you’ll keep moving.”
I heard his words, but my brain was in stuck in a spin. It was almost as if I knew what was about to happen and my brain just didn’t want to accept it. The old man’s voice was different, and his face was different—what the hell? I stepped back and saw the green car as it rolled toward us. The man’s eyes were locked on mine. “You’re going to anger him, Emily.” His voice was calm, but his words were rushed.
Fear instantly replaced the calm as my free hand flew over my mouth.
The man looked at Seth, who was pretty close now, and then back at me. He was trying to decide what to do. I saw a glimpse of panic as he lunged for my arm and started to drag me toward the car.
My braver side screamed at me to fight, but it took me a moment to let the scenario kick in. Then I twisted my body and elbowed the man in the face. I was actually aiming for his chest, but who the hell cared? The sound of squealing tires told me I’d scared off his help.
The son of a bitch stepped back and let me go. He cursed as his hand covered his bloody cheek. A second later, Seth slammed him to the ground, football-style. Seth was punching the man’s face. By about the fifth blow, I began to realize he wasn’t going to stop. Shit.
“Seth!” I screamed to get his attention. “Stop! We need him alive!”
Seth’s fist stopped midair. His breaths were heavy and his chest was heaving rapidly. His face was that of a man about to commit murder. The man’s limp body didn’t move as Seth hovered over him, and I could tell he was in a debate whether or not to continue. Seth took a good look at the guy and realized he wasn’t Lasko. Who the hell was this man?
Garrett and Davis caught my eye as they ran toward us. Their mouths moved as if they were shouting something at Seth. Everything had turned into a slow-motion, silent film. My ears started to ring. Everything tilted slightly as I gradually slumped to the ground.
