by Mia Ford
I looked around me, but it was so dark. Immediately, fear flew through my body. The adrenaline was gone, and I was absolutely terrified. I screamed loudly, but I knew the metal doors of the trunk muffled the sound. I kicked at the trunk, but it was no use. It was not going to budge. So that was it. I had made it so close to fulfilling what the mob wanted, but they caught me before I could make it. I was in some serious trouble, and no one knew where I was.
29
Blaine
I opened my eyes and looked out the window, laying there for a second, just taking in the fact that I felt so much better. I had really needed a good night’s sleep, and between the fact that I hadn’t slept in days and knowing there was security watching the house, I felt comfortable enough to drift off. It had been amazing to wake up feeling strong and ready to face the day. I rolled over in bed to kiss Josie good morning, but she wasn’t lying next to me. I sat up quickly, startled by the emptiness I felt in the room. It was early, even earlier than my alarm was supposed to go off, and I knew there was no way she was awake yet.
I jumped from the bed and threw on my slippers, peeking in the bathroom to see if she was in there, but the lights were off and it was empty. Her clothes were no longer folded and sitting on the dresser, and fear started to creep over me. I walked out into the house and checked every area I could, hoping she had just found something to keep her mind busy. The kitchen was empty, the living room was empty, and there was no one in the spare bedrooms. I walked out of the hallway and over to my table, picking up the folders and searching for the keys to the car. They were gone.
I grabbed my phone from the charger and dialed Anderson at work. I wasn’t surprised that he was already there since he kept earlier hours than even my father did when he was alive. I waited as the phone rang and let out a breath when he answered the phone.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“Josie is gone,” I said, slightly panicked.
“What?”
“I woke up this morning, and she was gone, along with my car,” I said. “Can you send out one of the investigators to look for her? I’m going to go searching as well.”
“Yes, I’ll call them right away,” he said, sounding more awake.
“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything,” I said before hanging up the phone.
I jogged back to my room and pulled clothes out the drawers, throwing them on and brushing my teeth really fast. I pulled on a pair of sneakers and grabbed the keys to the SUV I barely ever drove. I went into the garage, uncovered it, and jumped inside, turning it on and taking in a deep breath. I couldn’t believe she was gone, and I had no idea she even left. How did I sleep through her getting dressed and taking the car? The thing definitely wasn’t quiet.
I headed over to her house, but it was still empty. I then drove over to the school, but no one had heard from her or seen her anywhere near the grounds. I drove around to different cafés and then over to the beach, thinking maybe she just needed to be alone. The security at home said my car was gone after they came back from switching shifts, so she snuck out between the guards’ watch. I was so frustrated, and I had no idea what to do. I pulled back in front of her house and put the car in park, trying to think of where she could possibly be. She wasn’t anywhere she normally would go, and it was the first time since everything happened that I felt like I wished I knew her a little better. Then, maybe I would have an idea of where she would hide out.
I sat there staring at her house, thinking about the night before and everything that had gone on. If she had gone to the police, I would have gotten a call, being that I was her attorney, but I had heard nothing. She hadn’t answered her phone when I called her, and she didn’t send any texts back to me, either. She couldn’t be mad at me. I hadn’t done anything, and I knew she wasn’t reckless enough to leave angry anyway. I looked down at my phone as it began to buzz and saw the police department’s number on the screen. Instantly, I could feel butterflies in my stomach, and I was almost afraid to pick up the phone. Slowly, I clicked it on and brought it to my ear.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi, this is Deputy Parsons with the West Palm Police Department, trying to get ahold of Mr. Blaine Andrews,” he said.
“This is he,” I said.
“Mr. Andrews, we found your car on the corner of Trade and Carson, just two blocks from the precinct at about four in the morning,” he said. “There was another car there, and it looked like the other car hit your car and rolled it in the intersection.”
“Oh my God,” I said, immediately scared. “Is everyone okay?”
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said. “No one was in either car. They just disappeared.”
“No, that can’t be right,” I said, shaking my head. “My girlfriend was in the car.”
That was when it hit me like a freight train. I dropped the phone and put the SUV in drive, pulling out from the house and heading over to the office. The worst had finally happened. Josie must have been on her way to the station to turn herself in, but the mob got to her first. They must have taken her from the scene and dragged her off somewhere. God, why was she so stupid? She should have stayed with me where it was safe. She was all alone, trying to do what she thought was best for everyone, and the mob had gotten to her. They didn’t have patience for someone who didn’t do what they were told, and I knew her life was now in grave danger.
I pulled into the firm’s parking lot and jumped out of the car, running for the door. Anderson looked up as I entered the office and quickly stood, seeing how frantic I was. I ran into his office and shut the door, telling him to sit down. I took a second to catch my breath before starting.
“I just got a call from the cops,” I began. “They found my car flipped and another car that had hit it, but there was no one at the scene from either vehicle.”
“Shit,” Anderson said. “That means—”
“That the mob got her,” I said, finishing his sentence. “We have to do something.”
“Blaine, I know she didn’t want it, but I think it’s time we go to the FBI,” he said. “Her father is dead now, so he is no longer in trouble. They have an organized crime unit that is very familiar with these guys. They can help us.”
“You’re right,” I said, sighing. “And really, we should have gone a long time ago.”
We got our stuff together and headed out of the office. Anderson called one of his contacts at the FBI and let him know we were on the way and we had information on one of their cases. They met us at the doors when we arrived and took us straight upstairs. I sat there nervous as the agents stood around, waiting for the agent in charge. Apparently, the information we gave them was a big deal, and this wasn’t the first time they had heard of the Giorntino family.
“We are pretty sure, and we have some witnesses, that Josie is being stashed in the back of Ricardo Deli off the main strip,” Roger, the head agent said. “But this is where it gets tricky. I can’t waste years of work, years of Intel, and blow our cover. We have Paulie on the run, and he knows there is something going on. If we send in agents now, we might as well pack it up, because they will be gone, and Josie will be an afterthought.”
“Okay, use me,” I said, watching Roger shake his head. “Look, I’ll go there, and if I’m wrong, you haven’t blown your cover. If I’m right, I'll be wearing a wire, and you can sit on the place until you hear confirmation that they have Josie held hostage. Then you can bust into the place and arrest them. It’s a win-win for you.”
“But not for you,” Roger said. “If you are wrong, they could put out a hit on you. If you are right, they could either shoot you where you stand or discover the wire and then shoot you where you stand.”
“I don’t care about that,” I said. “I am not going to just leave Josie there to die. You can’t ethically do that, either.”
“This meeting was off the record,” Roger said, standing up. “We can do whatever is necessary.”
“God damn it,” I shouted, bangin
g my hands on the desk and catching his attention. “I don’t think you get it, Roger. I am going to the place, with or without you. If you know what’s good for your investigation, you will go with me. Otherwise, when I walk in there, I am going to tell every motherfucking mobster in the joint about your little operation. I’ll use it as leverage to get Josie back. Either way, I’m going there now. It’s your choice.”
Roger stopped and turned around to look at me, studying my face. He took a deep breath and sat back down in front of me. He tapped his pen on the table before speaking.
“You know this is an arrestable offense,” he said. “Telling the mob about an official FBI investigation. You could get our inside men killed.”
“And you know I don’t give two fucks, as long as Josie gets out of there alive,” I said quietly but sternly.
“You’ll have to sign some paperwork,” he said.
“I’ll sign any waiver you put in front of me if you want, but I am doing this,” I said.
Roger sat there for several moments staring at me, thoughts obviously running through his head. He motioned for the guy behind him to step forward and then whispered into his ear. Turning back to me, he put his hands on the table and laced his fingers together.
“Fine,” he said. “But you are going to do this our way, and we are not liable for your safety in any way. This is not an official bust until we have the mob in our grasp, so if you die, no one will ever know the real reason. You understand?”
“Perfect,” I said.
“You can’t just walk in there blind, so go across the hall,” he said. “We will brief you on the building and set up a plan for your entrance. And good luck. These guys are the real thing.”
I nodded my head and shook Roger’s hand. He walked out of the office. I looked over at Anderson, who had wide eyes. He’d never seen me assert myself like this. He chuckled as we stood up and were escorted across the hall where they were already busy at work, getting prepared for the operation. I didn’t want it to take all day, so I jumped right in, letting them know what my intentions were. Despite Roger’s resistance to the idea, the other guys were more than happy to help me save Josie’s life. Many of the young guys had seen more death than most elderly people, and a chance to save someone’s life was really exciting to them.
As we prepared, I thought about Josie and wondered what she was going through. I was going to get her out of there. There was no question in my mind, even if I had to kill every single one of those bastards on my way. I was tired of laying down and letting them walk all over us. Their time was now.
30
Josie
I rolled my neck, trying to get the cramps to go away. Being tied to a chair was not a comfortable situation at all, and that was exactly what had happened to me when I got there. The car had been pulled around the back of a deli of some sort, and Harry had grabbed me out of the trunk, dragging me inside with her hand over my mouth. They took me through the meat lockers and into a small room off of the office where they tied me to a chair and tied my arms around my back. The place smelled terrible, like rotting meat and old food, which was making my stomach turn. It didn’t help that my arms and legs had gone numb, and the ropes were tied especially tight. There was literally no way that I was going to get out of that chair, and even if I did, with the way my legs were feeling, I would hit the ground before I could take two steps. The panic in my chest was gone for the moment, but I knew that eventually, it would return.
They had all ignored me so far, walking past me without even so much as a glance. Harry had come in and given me some water, but before I could swallow, she shoved my chair hard, sending me toppling over. She picked me back up and laughed before leaving the room again. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came back in. They were waiting for someone, and I could only assume it was Paulie. I hated that guy with a passion, and I spent the long hours thinking about what I would do to him if I had the chance. He had taken everything from me, and now, he had me right where he wanted me.
By now, I assumed that Blaine had caught on to the fact that I wasn’t home. I knew that he would come looking for me, going to any lengths necessary to find me, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I left to keep him safe, and the last thing I wanted was for him to walk straight into the fire. I figured it was going to be difficult to find me, but being who he was, he had a lot of contacts. But I loved him so much, and I didn’t want to see anything happen to him, even if it meant that I met my end at the hands of the mob. He was stubborn, though, and I knew that eventually he would track me down. I just hoped he didn’t come alone. No one could take on the mob on their own, especially not the kind-hearted man that Blaine was. I was sure his partner, Anderson, would let him know that, but that didn’t mean Blaine would actually listen to him.
I sat there for a bit longer before hearing voices out in the front. I recognized the new one immediately as Paulie, and I shifted in my chair as much as I could, knowing he was coming for me. As the door to the room flung open, I squinted my eyes, the light blinding me after sitting in the dark space for so long. Standing in the doorway was Paulie, wearing an extremely evil grin and rubbing his hands together in front of himself. He was dressed just like I thought a sleazy gangster would, with a nice suit and slicked back, black hair. Harry was standing behind him, a grin covering her face. There was that fear again, creeping slowly back into my chest.
“I don’t appreciate your little stunt earlier, trying to escape,” he said, walking into the room. “What? You think because Daddy is dead, that gets you off the hook? No, we collect debts whether the guy is dead or alive. And you, my dear, are the next in line. We set this all up pretty and perfect, and you are making it very difficult for us. We don’t like that and neither does my father.”
I shook the chair, pulling hard on my arms as Paulie watched and laughed. I gritted my teeth and took in a deep breath, trying to be careful of what I was going to say next. I needed him to get pissed, but not so pissed he put a bullet in my head.
“I was going to turn myself in,” I said. “But you stopped me.”
“Yeah, right,” Paulie said, laughing and looking back at Harry. “You were gonna go in there and sing like a canary. I am not as stupid as you think I am, little lady.”
I watched as he began to move toward me, his shiny leather shoes tapping on the concrete floor. I looked around the room for the first time since I had gotten there and realized this wasn’t some stock room. By the looks of the stains on the floors and the fact that I was sitting right on top of a drain, this room had a less savory purpose that I really didn’t want to find out about. He stopped and smiled as I continued to smile.
“You should calm down,” he said, laughing. “I’ve got plans for you.”
I wriggled a bit more in the chair and watched as he waited for me to stop. I wasn’t going to go down like that. It wasn’t in my plans. I had a lot of goals, but being murdered by a gangster was not one of them. He stepped forward a bit more so the light was shining on his face. He reached his foot up and slammed it in my lap. I groaned and stopped moving, looking up at him in anger.
“You’re going to kill yourself,” he said. “Too distraught over the life that you took, you felt so ashamed and terrible that you just couldn’t go on anymore.”
“I’ll never write a letter like that,” I yelled out defiantly.
“Oh, you will,” Paulie said, laughing. “And it will be the most poetic letter you’ve ever written. And if you don’t, I’m going to make sure that when they find your body, they have to put you back together like a fucking puzzle. And I like to take the non-vital parts first.”
“Screw you,” I said.
Paulie and Harry laughed, standing in the light coming from the office. I cringed as he barked loudly at me, my natural instincts telling me to hide. I picked my head back up and stared at him angrily as he got really close to me. He ran his finger down my cheek, down my neck, and across my chest, stopping at the buttons to my blo
use. Slowly, he began to unbutton my top, one at a time. I squirmed, trying to make it harder for him to get to me. I could smell his disgusting breath and bad cologne, and it was almost choking me. He laughed loudly as I rocked the chair back and forth, desperate to keep his hands off of me. Just the thought of that man touching my skin made me want to vomit. He leaned his head back and laughed loudly, signaling to Harry to come over and hold me down. She put her hands on my shoulders and held me firmly in place as he leaned back down. I gathered all the spit in my mouth and spat on him, right in the face.
I watched as he reared back, wiping away the saliva that was running down his cheek. He shook his head, laughing, an angry face shining between smiles. I looked up at him, gritting my teeth, and watched as he reared back and slapped me hard across the cheek with the back of his hand. Before I could lift my head back up, he had shoved his hand down my shirt and started fondling my breasts. I struggled to get free, but Harry had me pinned down. I screamed out, tears filling my eyes.
“Stop,” I cried. “Get your fucking hands off me you disgusting pig.”
Before I knew it, he was slapping me again. Only this time, he didn’t stop after one. Over and over, I felt his hands alternating sides, colliding with my face and sending spit and blood spewing from my mouth. Every time I picked my head back up and faced him angrily, he hit me, and every time, he hit me just a little harder until I could no longer speak. My brain became fuzzy, and I felt his hands on my body, but I was unable to do or say anything. My face was throbbing, and I could feel my lip bleeding, the warm blood running down my chin. I groaned slightly but stopped, knowing I couldn’t take much more of the abuse. As my vision cleared a bit, I leaned my head backward and sighed, looking up at Harry.
All she did was just stand there, looking in the other direction as Paulie sexually assaulted me. I didn’t know how far this would go, but I knew if I spoke up, he would continue to beat me. I could taste the blood in my mouth, and I swallowed, almost ready to spit on him again. The pain was unbearable though, and I told myself that it wasn’t a surprise. I knew this was coming the entire way to the deli in the trunk of that car. I knew that I was going to face some hard things, but I also knew I had to be tough. In all likelihood, I would be dead by the end of this, but that didn’t mean that I was going to go out without a fight. Paulie was a sick fuck with a fetish for molesting his prisoners, and if I could have, I would have gotten out of that chair and cut his dick off just for spite, but that wasn’t an option. I was faced with the decision to either fight and be in pain before I died, or accept my fate and take whatever was coming my way.
