Rescue Me

by Mia Ford

  I felt ill. I felt nauseous – I felt like my heart was going to explode in my chest and my stomach was going to lock up and fall right out of my body. As I ran out of the beautiful Spanish restaurant, I realized that I’d never felt more humiliated. This was worse than anything I’d endured – even worse than when I thought I’d been fired from P.S.151.

  “June! June, wait!”

  When I heard Thomas’s voice behind me, I didn’t even think to stop. If anything, hearing him just spurned me on. No , I thought angrily. I’m not going to stick around and let you scream at me for no reason! Tears dripped from my face, blinding my vision as I ran out onto the street and turned.

  “June! Wait, June, I need to talk to you!”

  This time, Thomas’s voice was fainter. I shivered as I ran. A hot wave of nausea rolled over my body and I paused for a minute, resting my hand against a grimy lamppost as I prayed that I wouldn’t vomit.

  “June!”

  Hearing Thomas’s voice made me break out into a fast run once again. I stumbled into the street and narrowly missed a speeding car that passed in a haze of honking and screaming. I barely even heard the rude words directed my way – all I cared about was getting far, far away from Thomas.

  What had changed? What had I done to make him no longer want me? And why couldn’t he have been enough of a man to tell me himself?

  I ran until I could feel snot running down my face. A painful, sharp stitch formed in my side and I gasped in agony before darting into an alley and leaning against the scratchy brick. In a way, the prickly surface felt good – like something I deserved, like something that had been coming to me for a long time.

  I was a fool to trust him , I thought sadly as I buried my face in my cold hands and sobbed. The night was a chill one – winter in New York City was definitely coming on strong – but I didn’t feel cold. I felt hot and angry and embarrassed. I hated Thomas March. I’d chased after him like a stupid schoolgirl, and this was what I got in return.

  I deserve this , I thought, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

  I don’t know how long I stayed in that alley, sobbing my eyes out. Thomas March’s handsome, leonine face kept flashing before my eyes and I cried bitterly until my lungs were wracked with pain and I could cry no more. My sinuses were filled with a hot, liquid snot that felt as heavy as cement. I wished I could blow my nose, but I didn’t even have a tissue on me.

  Blinking unsteadily, I began the slow, long walk from where I stood to the nearest subway station. Even though it was Friday night, Manhattan seemed unusually quiet. The only sounds that filled my ears were the sounds of my heels tapping on the concrete ground. In the distance, I could hear groups of people laughing. I envied them.

  Stupid people , I thought bitterly. One of my heels tripped over a crack in the cement and I came crashing painfully down to my hands and my knees. Crying out, I gasped as I made full contact with the ground. My knees were stinging by the time I hauled myself into a standing position and I winced as I wiped the bloody scrapes free of gravel.

  A car pulled up beside me, then slowed on the sidewalk. I narrowed my eyes. Was someone actually going to try to help me? Did I look as pathetic as I felt?

  I watched nervously as the back doors opened and two men stepped out. When I realized I didn’t know them, I sighed with relief.

  “Stop staring,” I called, brushing my bloody palms off on my dress. It was new, but it didn’t matter – it wasn’t like I’d be going on any more dates with Thomas.

  The men advanced on me, leering at me.

  “It’s rude,” I called in a shaky voice. Swallowing nervously, I turned on my heel and began stalking away from the two men. Their feet began to slap the pavement and I broke out into a run. In a matter of seconds, I felt four strong hands wrap around my arms and hold me in place.

  “Leave me alone!” I shrieked loudly. “Help! Help! Somebody help me!”

  “Shut up, bitch,” one of the men hissed. “We’re armed, and we’re not afraid to shoot you.”

  “Help!” I shrieked once more. A sharp elbow to my gut made me cry out in pain and before I knew it, my eyes were rolling back in my head. Something wet and foul-smelling was pressed to my face and suddenly, everything went black.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Thomas

  “June!” I screamed. “June, where the hell did you go?”

  My voice echoed off walls and buildings. The crowds of well-dressed people around me eyed me with pity, like they felt sorry for me.

  “Stop staring, assholes,” I muttered under my breath. “You want to keep looking at Thomas March, you’d better take a fucking picture.”

  I couldn’t believe it. I’d been chasing after June for blocks, and I still hadn’t managed to catch her. I had no idea how she was managing to run so quickly – especially in heels. When we’d gone out before, she’d barely been able to walk.

  But somehow, I was starting to guess that my June was a fast learner.

  Finally, in complete frustration, I turned around and went running back to Aguilar, the Spanish restaurant where we’d started a disastrous evening. I knew that it had been wrong to shut June out, but I couldn’t have possibly told her the truth without ruining her evening, too.

  Now I felt like a fool. I should’ve been honest with her from the beginning, and told her what was bothering me. Now, I worried that I’d ruined a lot more than dinner. I’d acted like a complete fool – how the hell was I supposed to apologize for that? I just needed to find June and talk to her in person…I was sure she’d listen to what I had to say.

  On my way down the block, I pulled out my phone and dialed June. Predictably, it went straight to voicemail.

  “June, this is me – Thomas. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I swear that I’m not angry with you at all. Something really bad—“

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  Looking down in frustration, I groaned when I saw that Marlene was calling. I hit ‘ignore’ but by the time I got back to June’s voicemail, the inbox was full and I couldn’t leave another message.

  “God damn it!” I screamed. For a moment, I was tempted to smash my phone on the sidewalk. But then I realized that if June got my message, she wouldn’t be able to call me back. Breaking into a run, I darted across the street and into Aguilar.

  “Yes?” the maître d looked up at me. “Forget something?”

  “Did she come back?” I asked breathlessly.

  “Who, sir?” He narrowed his eyes. “Who are you talking about?”

  “The girl with black hair, the one I was sitting with,” I said quickly.

  “No, sir, I have not seen her.”

  “Fuck!” I balled my hand into a fist and slammed it down on the table. The maître d looked perturbed.

  “Sir, if I may help you, please let me know. Otherwise, I am very sorry, but I will have to ask you to leave.”

  “Whatever,” I mumbled. “Thanks for nothing.”

  Outside, I climbed in a cab and gave the driver June’s Brooklyn address. I figured that she must have gone home – aside from Angela, I didn’t think she had any friends. The cab ride felt long – too long – and I was sweating bullets the whole time. Why had I been such an asshole? June was the woman in my life, the woman I was falling in love with! And I’d treated her like nothing, like garbage, just because I’d gotten some very bad news.

  When the cab pulled up in front of June’s building, I paid the driver and then leapt out. Bolting up the stairs, I pounded on the door.

  Angela opened it, looking surprised.

  “Is June here?” I barged in, pushing her to the side. “June,” I yelled loudly. “June, it’s me! We need to talk! June!”

  “She’s not here,” Angela said suspiciously. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed me. “What’s going on?”

  “I fucked up.” I started pacing back and forth in June’s living room, tangling my hands in my hair and pulling until my scalp ached. “I fucked up so bad
ly, I scared her off. I really hurt her, Angela!”

  Angela gave me a sour look. “Well, she’s not here,” she said firmly. “And I’m not lying – although if June had asked me to lie to you for her, I would.”

  “You’re a big help,” I said sarcastically. “Thanks for nothing.”

  “No, wait,” Angela said. “What happened?”

  I told her the whole story, groaning at my juvenile, shitty behavior. When I was finished, Angela looked sick.

  “You treated her like shit and now you’re surprised that she ran out on you?” Angela clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Look, I don’t even think you deserve another chance.”

  “It’s not that,” I said quickly. “I was a huge asshole, but she didn’t understand. I couldn’t tell her why – at least, not in public.”

  “What happened?”

  I sighed. “I’m a fucking moron,” I said. “I ran a background check on Hannah, because I’m sure that she’s trying to get to me through my son,” I added.

  “And?”

  “Long story short, she’s not who she says she is,” I said quickly. “There isn’t really time to explain it now, but she’s incredibly dangerous and I’m really worried about June’s safety.”

  For the first time since I’d arrived, Angela looked scared.

  “What are you gonna do,” Angela asked nervously. “If June left…” She glanced down at her watch. “Thomas, that was almost two hours ago! What if something happened to her?”

  “Is there anywhere you can think of where June could have gone?” I stared at Angela. I could feel the desperation leaking out of my body, like sweat, and drying up in the air.

  “No,” Angela said. She bit her lip. “June’s a real homebody, you know. She’s really introverted. She doesn’t really like going out. She normally just takes a long bath.”

  “And you’re absolutely sure she’s not here?”

  Angela nodded. Her face looked pale and frightened. “I know,” she said. “I tried calling her a bunch of times when I got home – she didn’t leave a note, but I wasn’t that worried because I figured she was with you.”

  I groaned. “Fucking hell,” I said under my breath. “We have to find her, Angela. We have to find her before someone else does.”

  Angela licked her lips and looked up at me. “Someone like…Hannah?”

  I nodded. My heart sank in my chest. “Yes,” I said. “Someone like Hannah.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  June

  God, what a horrible dream , I thought. I can’t believe I thought I was kidnapped! I mean, it was a terrible night, but wow.

  “Hey,” a familiar voice said. “You up?”

  My head was aching and there was something making a lot of noise in the background – whining, whirring noise, like the kind of thing you’d hear on a construction site. As I struggled to open my eyes, I realized that I couldn’t move. Suddenly, my heart began to pound and a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Oh, crap , I thought. Someone really DID kidnap me!

  As I opened my eyes, the memory of the previous night came rushing back. The two men in the car, who had grabbed me and given me something to make me pass out. What had they done? And where were they now?

  “She’s awake,” Hannah’s voice said quietly. “You really knocked her out!”

  “The bitch wouldn’t stop moving,” Andy replied. “I didn’t want to hit her, but she didn’t really give me a choice.” I winced – he didn’t sound like he was sorry at all.

  “Well, what are we gonna do now?”

  “This is the fun part,” Andy said.

  My mouth felt like it was full of cotton and I felt dizzy. Even after I opened my eyes and tried to adjust to the semi-darkness, I still felt like I was spinning around in crazy circles. My head ached and my wrists were bound so tightly that my fingers and hands were numb. I was sitting on a hard wooden chair. My ankles were bound to the chair legs, and my hands were tied snugly behind me with what felt like zip ties.

  “Andy?” I whimpered. “What are you doing? Please let me go,” I said softly. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but please, just let me go and I won’t tell anyone.”

  Hannah burst out laughing. She walked closer and my heart sank when I realized that she was made up to look fancy, like she was going out for a night on the town.

  “You were out for a few hours,” Hannah said softly. She licked her lips. “I was starting to think that you wouldn’t wake up.”

  “My head is killing me,” I mumbled. My heart was thudding slowly in my chest. “Can I have some water?”

  “Can I have some water?” Hannah simpered, mimicking my tired, grumpy voice. “Andy, she thinks we’re actually going to help her,” she said. “Isn’t that sweet?”

  Andy chuckled. “It’s something, all right,” he said. He stepped forward and I saw that he was sneering. “June, shut up,” he added.

  I closed my eyes. The pain in my head was so bad that even closing my eyes didn’t help. My world was a vibrating void of red and black pain, so sharp that I felt like I was going to throw up. Moving hurt. Breathing hurt. Everything on my body hurt – even my hair hurt.

  “She woke up too soon,” Andy grumbled. “How much of that shit did have those guys give her, anyway?”

  Hannah smirked. “I wasn’t counting,” she said. “I just splashed it on a rag and handed off the bottle.” She shrugged. “I think they were probably a little rough.” She laughed – it was a musical sound, like the tinkling of bells. “I mean, they were hired bodyguards.”

  “What?” My voice came out as weak and unsteady as a newborn kitten. “What are you talking about?”

  Hannah stepped closer and grinned. “Well, June, I couldn’t exactly grab you myself.” She made a little pouty face. “I’m not very strong, I certainly couldn’t have wrangled a big girl like you down to the pavement alone.”

  My eyes stung with tears. “You…you paid someone to kidnap me?”

  Hannah ignored me. She turned to Andy, looking annoyed. “She’s stupid,” Hannah said. “I can’t figure out why you like her so much.”

  Andy chuckled. “Thanks for getting her,” he said. “Now I just have to wait for that shit to wear off and we can start to play.”

  Panic cut through me like a knife through tender meat. I let out a scream. Screaming made my head ache even more than it was already hurting, and I whimpered and whined, closing my eyes as a torrential downpour of red-hot pain washed over me.

  “Shut up, June,” Andy said in disgust. “We weren’t talking to you.”

  I opened my eyes and tried to stare at him. He was moving around, swaying. That was when I realized that Andy wasn’t moving at all – somehow the drugs were making me think that there was more than one of him.

  “You’re gonna be fine, June,” Andy said. “Trust me. I’m used to dealing with little bitches like you.”

  I swallowed. My throat ached, too. There was a raw pain between my legs that was telling me that I had to pee, and I shifted uncomfortably on the chair.

  “Can I use the bathroom, please?”

  Hannah snickered. “Can you walk there?”

  I stared at her. “What?”

  “Bitch, I asked if you could fucking walk!” Hannah came closer. She shook her head and glared down at me. “You really are stupid,” she said. “I can’t believe Thomas fell for someone like you.” She tossed her blonde hair. “Normally he only goes for smart women.” She paused, laughing. “Although normally, smart women don’t care too much about Thomas. Most girls only like him because he’s so hot.”

  Andy laughed. “Yeah, I know.” He eyed Hannah. “You girls are a bunch of right cunts when it comes down to it, aren’t you?”

  She snickered. “We can be,” Hannah said. She cocked her head to the side. “What do you think we should do with her first?”

  I watched in horror as they studied each other. I still wasn’t sure what the hell I was doing tied up in Hannah’s apartment. Did the
y want me as some kind of prop for some sick sex game? Or did Hannah have darker plans, plans with Thomas? I shuddered. I should’ve known better than to trust her, but I couldn’t help it. My naivete and trusting personality had gotten me into trouble before.

  Unfortunately, this time it didn’t seem like I’d be able to get myself out of trouble.

  “June’s a little slut,” Hannah said. She stamped her foot on the ground in anger, her blonde hair swinging. “I can’t believe Thomas actually wanted her instead of me!”