by Kim Briggs
My pink, manicured nails curl into my fists as I narrow my eyes. This emotion I latch onto. This emotion will get me through anything. “Anytime you’re ready.”
“Ladies...,” Treadwell warns. “No fighting before the meeting. After? Well, we can entertain that option on the ride home. Jessica, your grandfather has no idea why I scheduled this meeting. I thought it best to keep it vague with anticipation of a higher payout. I’ll discuss my proposed terms with him and if all goes well, you’ll be with your grandparents within two days. If the transaction doesn’t go well, I’ve told you about my training plans...,” he says, letting himself trail off as he opens the door. “Either way I will be a happy man.”
I watch my grandfather get out of a classic black limo. Kenneth aka Brawny and another guy, probably a former recruit, flank him. I watch the exchange between Treadwell and Grandfather. I can’t help myself. It’s like those horror movies that you don’t want to watch because you know the person’s going to get sliced open and miles of intestines will fall out, so you cover your eyes with your hands and peek through the cracks in your fingers because however terrifying and disgusting, you can’t look away.
Initially, there’s happiness on Grandfather’s face, or as close to happiness as he allows himself, but it’s quickly replaced with pure, unadulterated rage. Beet red face, pulsing veins in the neck, glary eyes. A heated discussion ensues. A gladiator battle. A fight to the death with one winner. Finally, after what I can only assume was the death blow, my grandfather’s shoulders stoop. I’ve never seen him defeated. That fact alarms me, for if my grandfather with all his money and power can’t fight Treadwell. How can I?
Treadwell walks back to the SUV with his chest puffed out and a sashay to his step. A coming-of-age lion licking his chops after devouring an unsuspecting older competitor. He opens the rear passenger door. “Jessica, lean forward and smile nice.”
He doesn’t really believe I’ll obey him. And if my grandfather agreed to the terms, he can’t do anything to me.
“Starr,” Jude hisses beside me, “please cooperate.”
If Jude thinks I’m going to listen to him, he’s more of an idiot than I was for trusting him.
Treadwell nods at Jude. Jude wraps his arm around me. I stiffen at this unexpected and unwanted closeness. He forces me forward.
Grandfather glances at Kenneth and his other goon. Not a word is exchanged but there’s a command that passes between them. He doesn’t trust Treadwell either, especially after being setup. Little does he know, if Treadwell ordered them to, they’d push him in right alongside me. He cautiously leans into the doorway. “Jessica?”
I don’t react. I am not Jessica.
“Jessica, answer your grandfather. Let’s not make him angry,” Treadwell says. I know exactly who will be angry and it’s not my grandfather. I cross my arms and raise my chin.
“Mr. Chamberlain, if you could step back for a moment and allow them some room. Jessica is not the most cooperative. Jude, Thomas,” he says.
Uncooperative? Treadwell hasn’t seen anything yet.
“Starr, come on,” Jude pleads. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Thomas, on the other hand, has no problem muscling me out of the vehicle. My arm feels like he’s twisting it out of the socket. So long swimming scholarship.
Jude bear-hugs me around the waist and lifts me. Once he gets out, he sets me down. I quickly assess my surroundings. With two new recruits—and I’m not including Samantha and Jodi Lynn in that category—Treadwell, and two older, possibly former trainees, my chances of kicking off my heels and sprinting away diminish considerably. As if reading my mind, Jude keeps his hands firmly locked on my arms. I can feel his hot, minty breath on my ear. He’s probably enjoying this necessary closeness. The damn bastard.
“Jessica?” Grandfather says. I glare at him.
“Trust me sir, it’s her. Remember I’ve been observing her preparation for the Organization for years. It’s only been recently that I became aware that you and I were after the same girl,” Treadwell says, assessing me as if I’m a prize calf at a cattle auction. Kenneth makes no indication that he had anything to do with solving the Starr/Jessica riddle.
“Her face certainly looks the same. My wife would be able to identify her. Kenneth, what do you think?”
Kenneth in his usual gregarious manner says, “It’s her.”
“There you have it,” Treadwell says. “We will deliver her to you the day after tomorrow provided you meet our terms, along with her four personal bodyguards.”
Four bodyguards make my escape a bit more complicated to maneuver, but not impossible, especially when there are tunnels all through the mansion.
“That was not part of the negotiation. She’ll be in no danger from us,” Grandfather snaps.
“No sir, it’s to keep her at your place. She has an exquisite talent for escape,” Treadwell replies, almost smiling at me.
“Jerry White will not be pleased about you blackmailing me,” Grandfather says, glaring at Treadwell. He’s the only person—other than me—I’ve ever seen do that. I find consolation in that fact that I’ve found one admirable quality in my biological grandfather, but I’m not planning to stick around long enough to discover any more.
“Who do you think came up with the terms?” Treadwell says.
Grandfather takes two steps back. “He would never.”
“He did. He wanted to come to this little reunion. I think he’s curious to meet the girl who caused so much trouble for both you and the Organization. I also think he wants to make certain that the money is placed in the correct accounts. You know what expensive tastes his son has.”
Grandfather’s face turns an alarming shade of red. “Make sure Jessica is at the house the day after tomorrow.”
I watch him disappear back into his limo without a parting glance.
Love you too Gramps.
***
Di
“Was that Starr’s grandfather?” Frank asks.
“Why? Not the warm and fuzzy pappy you thought he’d be?” I ask as the giant black SUV zooms past us. The van wobbles from the suction.
“Well no,” he says. “I knew he was a dick. My god, the Organization was his idea, but I don’t know....” He pauses, scratching his arm. “I thought maybe he’d look like Starr a little.”
“They are using her,” Rebecca says, her voices shaking. “We must do something. We need to save her.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Ben says.
“We must try harder,” she says. “Let’s go pick up Christian and Coda.”
“We’re not leaving Starr,” I reply.
“They are going back to the ranch. We need to come up with a plan. We need to see and hear what is going on at all times.”
Frank and I share a long look.
“How do you suggest we do that?” Frank finally asks.
“That is what I am here for. It is the ‘Rattlesnake on the Mountain’ story.”
“Yeah,” Ben gasps. “Why didn’t I think of that!”
I raise my eyebrows at Frank. “A fairytale isn’t going to save Starr. Neither is a snake.”
Rebecca turns around. “Never underestimate the snake.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Starr
Any hope of a meticulously planned escape I held onto bleeds out onto the leather car seat and seeps into the carpet. In less than thirty-six hours, I will be returned to the very grandparents my mother tried to protect me from.
And the silence...the silence of the ride back to the ranch causes me immeasurable pain.
At least when I was on the run from the Organization, my team, my new family, distracted me with their laughter and conversation, their singing, their sense of purpose, and the knowledge that everyone in that van had each other’s back.
There is no laughter or conversation today. There is no music blasting, and certainly no singing. There is a team. There is a sense of purpose—guard Jessica at al
l costs, but there is no one I can trust. There is no family here. It is as if all the light and goodness in the world was sucked out in one giant vortex of betrayal.
The driver slows at the new guard booth. His heavy boots crunch over to the vehicle. Treadwell rolls down his window. “Afternoon General,” he says.
“Afternoon,” Treadwell nods. I don’t think I’d slice his neck. I think I would shove a dagger into the hollow of his throat. “Any activity?”
“We had one van with a bunch of Native Americans looking for the reservation.” Could it...? I keep my face blank. “I gave them directions, then sent them on their way.”
“What time did this occur?”
“Before you left.”
Treadwell stiffens. “Why didn’t you inform me of this situation?”
The guard pales. “I didn’t,” he glances at the other guard, “we didn’t perceive them as a threat.”
Treadwell’s knuckles turn white.
I really enjoy watching him get angry.
“Did you ask for identification? Our prisoner had several working for her.”
They weren’t working for me. They were working with me. There’s a difference.
“No need sir. A female was with them.”
A female. Maybe it was Rebecca back in Asheville. Maybe Christian really did send her.
“If the van returns, impound the vehicle and everyone in it. Send out a call to increase patrols in the area,” Treadwell barks before rolling back up the window.
The guard kicks himself upright and throws his hand to his head. “Yes, sir.”
The gate slides open, and we drive through. It’s one of those gates that only opens wide enough for a vehicle to pass through before it closes. This fact may not be of interest to most people, and it may not seem like that big of a deal, unless of course, you’re looking for a way to escape. Swing gates provide opportunities for a second vehicle to sneak through if it follows closely behind the entering or exiting vehicle. It’s impossible to shut the gate completely between cars, thereby unwanted guests can enter or exit if the need arises. In addition, the pivot hinge between the gate and the fence is another weak point. If a vehicle smashes against it at a high speed—the gate can pop open allowing someone to force their way in or out, whichever the case may be.
The slide gate eliminates these forced entry/exit opportunities unless you possess an armored tank. Unfortunately, I haven’t come across one of those at the ranch.
And if the fifteen-foot metal slide gate isn’t obtrusive enough, there’s barbed wire strung along the top of it. Climbing over the top of the gate or the fence would be a feat in acrobatics I don’t have an interest in participating in. If I had succeeded in sneaking out the window last night, the fence and the gate would have stopped me.
Thank god, the guard booth wasn’t here the night of his kidnapping. If so, our outcome would have been much different. Treadwell may never have made the connection between Starr and Jessica. I would never be trained as an assassin or serve as a bargaining tool, and Christian would most likely be dead. My chest squeezes uncomfortably at the thought of Christian being dead.
My heart might be broken, he may have broken his vow, but if something, anything happened to him, I don’t know if I could continue to exist without him breathing the same air as me.
This realization almost breaks me. These people cannot—will not—know the other side of me. I take a deep breath and concentrate on the woods in the distance. Again, I see a shadow, an outline of the boy, the man I once loved, the man I love still. I know it must be a trick of light—wishful thinking of another life, but maybe it is a life worth remembering.
Jude and Thomas flank me as I follow Treadwell down the hallway to my room. The same hallway I chased Demon. Little did I know that one of these rooms would become my prison cell.
Treadwell grabs my arm and squeezes. “If you leave, if you try to run away, I will hunt down the members of your team and I will kill them but not before I make them wish they never joined your little crusade.” His fingers dig into my arm, reminiscent of that afternoon all those weeks ago when he warned me not to escape. At the time, it was only my life at stake; now it’s my team, my family. My freedom for their life. That’s not even a contest.
***
Di
“Bear, Ice Cold. Report for extraction. Over.”
Nothing but radio silence follows. For five minutes, nothing but radio silence. I’m not worried. I’m damn terrified.
“Try again,” Rebecca says.
I try to squeeze the walkie-talkie but I can’t seem to hold and squeeze at the same time. My hand won’t stay still. The Organization got them. They’re torturing them.
“May I?” she asks. The moment her hand touches mine, the terror gripping my throat softens. She brings a calmness to the team we didn’t know we were missing until she became a member.
“Repeat. Bear, Ice Cold. Report for extraction. Over.”
Crackle. Crackle.
“Ben, pull forward one hundred yards,” she says.
He follows her order without hesitation.
“Repeat. Bear, Ice Cold. Report for extraction. Over.”
“This is Ice Cold, that’s a negative. I’m staying. Over.”
“Ice Cold, we have information to report. Over.”
“Bear will report. Over.”
“This is Bear. On my way. Over.”
“10-4.”
She turns to us. “Christian is a stubborn one, isn’t he?”
Ben grips the steering wheel. “When it comes to Starr.”
“He loves her,” she says. “Love makes you travel for endless miles until it is regained.”
“I hope he has new treads on his sneakers,” Frank says.
I furrow my brow. “Huh?”
“He’s going to need to put a lot of miles on those soles to gain back Starr’s trust.”
“He’s wearing his Doc Martens. That won’t be a problem.”
“I meant that metaphorically,” he says.
“So did I.”
Suddenly, the van door slides open and Coda jumps in. “Drive!” he shouts. “I think I was followed.”
I sling my arm around him. I’ve never been so happy to see someone in my life. “What about Christian?”
“There’s no time. They won’t find him anyway.”
“How do you know this?” Rebecca says.
“He’s gone rogue. He covered his face and clothing with mud, then rolled on the ground so leaves and sticks clung to him. Afterward, he climbed fifteen feet up into a tree about twenty feet away from the fence.”
“What about food? Isn’t he hungry?” Ben asks.
“He snuck a backpack filled with granola bars and water. Evidently, he was planning to stay all along.”
“Do you think he’ll try to sneak in?” Frank asks.
Coda shakes his head back and forth. “Negative. There’s a fifteen-foot fence around the entire perimeter, ringed with barbed wire. It’s also electrified,” he says rubbing his left elbow. “I found that out the hard way.”
She reaches for his arm and squeezes. “Oh Coda, I am sorry.”
He pulls away from her, but not before she grabs hold. Once she makes contact, she closes her eyes, murmurs something, and releases him.
“I didn’t know you were studying healing,” he says.
“There is much I don’t reveal about myself.”
“Really? Because you talk a lot,” Coda says. I punch him in his newly repaired arm.
“I only talk a lot with Christian around. He used to make me nervous.”
“He... he doesn’t anymore?” Ben says, staring out the windshield. The tips of his ears turn bright red.
“No, his love with Starr is unbreakable. They form a bond that is never-ending,” she says swirling her hand in the air.
“The infinity symbol,” I whisper. “Yes, that is their love.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Starr
I
rip off the wig and collapse into the chair next to the window.
Soon after, Alex enters with a late lunch. Food might not be on my mind, but the opportunity to add Alex as an ally fills me with possibility, especially when Thomas whispers in his ear, then leaves the room, leaving Alex and me alone. Well, Samantha and Jody Lynn are lurking in the corner, but I don’t count them. I can handle whatever maneuver they might try to pull. “So you’ve been up to a little mischief, haven’t you?” he says, handing me my tray.
I shrug my shoulders. “Just needed a change.”
“I like it. Very modern. You totally pull it off.”
“Uh, thanks?” Not exactly what I was going for, but whatever.
“So how long will you be here?”
“It depends.”
“On what?” he says, his voice eager. I plan to use this to my advantage.
“My grandparents, the Chamberlains. You are familiar with Chamberlain Chocolates, aren’t you?”
“Of course,” he says. “I’m from the South.”
“I wonder if you could send them a message for me.”
He shrugs. “I don’t see why not.”
“Great, I’ll write them a note and give it to you at dinner.” I reach for his hand and squeeze. “Thank you for your help.”
He grins back at me. “It’s my pleasure.”
Upon Thomas’s return, Alex winks at me and leaves. Samantha narrows her eyes. I continue eating my sandwich, pretending I don’t have a care in the world, but we all know that’s not true. She gets up and winks at me with that smile that indicates she’s about to win a first place prize ribbon. She murmurs something to Thomas, he nods, and she disappears out the door. No good will come of this.
***
Di
“Anyone in pursuit?” Ben asks.
“Nope, I think we’re good,” I reply. “Although Frank’s going to wind up with a broken arm if he doesn’t keep his hands off my ass.”
His hands slide back over my butt and around my waist. “I’m just making sure you don’t fall backward if Ben makes a sudden stop.”
“Yeah, suuurrre you are,” Coda says. “Don’t forget she packs a mean Taser.”
