by Alexa Davis
"Huh?" I said startled by the response. I looked around trying to figure out where the voice was coming from as I asked, "Who are you? Where am I? Why are you holding me?"
"Like I said, sweetheart," the voice warned. "Shut the hell up or I'll put you out again. I'm here to keep an eye on you, but I don't want to have to listen to you yammer."
I carefully weighed my options and decided that another blow to my head probably wasn't a good idea, so I went silent as I began to take in the details and commit them to memory. If he wasn't going to let me up, then at some point either someone was going to find me or I was going to figure out how to escape. I wasn't counting on the former, so I began plotting a way to create an opportunity for the latter.
I turned my head to the left and noticed that the far wall was lined with cabinets that were covered with glass. It looked like some kind of medical set up. The shelves were filled with some type of supplies, but I couldn't tell what they were from this angle in the low light. However, as I stared at the cabinet directly to my left, I realized that if I tilted my head a little, I could see the entire room reflected in the glass. It wasn't easy, but I slowly scanned the length of the cabinet trying to get a sense of where I was being held.
The room was long. How long, I couldn't tell because I couldn't lift my head to see how far the cabinets stretched down the wall. I tried to count the ceiling tiles, but couldn't lift my head high enough off the counter to follow them past my feet. I tilted my head up and realized that the glow that was coming from behind me was most likely a computer screen. I saw a shadowy figure sitting in front of it, but the light obscured the man's face and body making it impossible to identify him.
I felt my cell phone vibrating in the front pocket of my shorts, and sent up a quick prayer of thanks to whoever might be listening that I'd forgotten to take it out of silent mode and one of hope that the vibration wouldn't be noticed. After a few seconds, it stopped and I was simultaneously happy and dismayed. I hoped that whoever had called me would be concerned enough to start looking for me soon, and that when they did, they'd figure out how to find me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ryan
"Mando said a couple of customers saw two goons hauling Echo into a dark colored van!" Cece shouted as she burst through the door. "They said there was some twisty white design on the side, but they didn't recognize it."
"Why the hell didn't they say anything?" I shouted.
"Believe me, I wanted to know the same damn thing," Cece said. "They said they though it was a movie scene because the guys looked so stereotypically Jersey. They didn't believe that guys like that exist anywhere other than the movies. Can you believe that?"
"That's bullshit!" I fumed. "They could have stopped the whole thing! Now we have no way of finding her!"
"Whoa, easy does it, Seal," Cece said as she grabbed my arm and shoved her phone in front of my face. "One of the guys snapped a photo and I had him forward it to me."
I grabbed her phone and stared at the picture of two huge guys wearing dark colored tracksuits. From the back all I could see was that they were holding on to Echo as they dragged her limp form toward a van at the curb. The logo and the company name on the side was obscured by one of the goons, but the front of side passenger door had a picture of twisted strands of what looked like DNA.
"We need to figure out who owns that van," I said as I enlarged the picture trying to get a clearer view of the door.
"Already on it, Seal," Cece said as she took the phone back and began rapidly tapping on the screen. "I've got my guys on the lookout for vans in the area with those markings."
"And how in the world are your vast array of boyfriends going to find a single van in the middle of Manhattan," I asked as I picked up my phone and wondered if I should call Commander Donnelly. It wasn't that I thought the Navy would come to Echo's rescue, but I did think that having the input of a man used to calling the shots in intense situations might help me focus on what I needed to do to get Echo back safely.
"I'll have you know I am an equal opportunity dater," Cece shot back as she continued tapping. "I'm putting out the 911 to everyone I know and some of those guys are in law enforcement."
"No! Don't get the police involved!" I said. "If you do, then we're going to have to explain the situation with my father's lab and Julian will know that there's information he's not supposed to have."
"I'm concerned, but not stupid, Seal," Cece said shooting me a look that told me not to question her again.
"I didn't say you were stupid," I replied. "I just said..."
"You told me not to do something I already knew not to do, Captain Obvious," she huffed. "Just let me do what I do best and call in some favors. You figure out how we're going to get into your dad's office and find those keys and then figure out how we're going to get into that lab if we can't find the keys."
"Fine," I said grudgingly as I pulled up the map of the TriCorp building and started plotting out our moves. It wasn't going to be easy, but the more I learned about Cece, the more I felt like she was someone I could trust to have my back. "Hey Cece, what's the deal with the lab?"
"When Echo and I were in the office, she had me looking for keys that your dad said he left," she said as she finished tapping out yet another message and then put the phone down. "She said he'd left a clue telling her where the lab keys were and that if she didn't find the keys she'd have to code her way in because trying to blow it up would seal the door permanently."
"Great, so the c-4 was a waste of time," I said with a weak laugh.
"Oh, I think we might have other uses for that, my friend," Cece said as her phone began frantically buzzing. She picked it up and her eyes widened as she read the screen.
"What?" I asked.
"Someone has a lead on the van, I think," she said as her eyes flicked back and forth. "They said they saw a dark van with the twisty white design on the door headed into a parking garage on 19th Street. That's where TriCorp is!"
"They took her to the building?" I said. "Nah, they aren't that stupid, are they?"
"Apparently they are," Cece said as she read the text. "Saw the van pulling into the garage under big green glass building on 19th. Looked like a cleaning crew to me. IDK."
"We need to get into that building," I said as I picked up the pistols and handed one to Cece. "You okay with this?"
"Yeah, I'm good, Seal," she smiled as she took a magazine from me and slammed it in place. "I got this one."
"All right, let's go over the plan one more time," I said looking at my watch. It hadn't felt like it, but hours had passed and it was almost time for Cece's guys to drop off the van. We discussed how we were going to get inside and what we'd do if we got caught. It was a risky plan, but it seemed like the only way we were going to be able to get what we needed to negotiate Echo's release.
"Inside, get the keys, up to the seventeenth floor and open the lab, find the cypher and then get the hell out," she repeated as her phone buzzed again. "Hey, the guys are downstairs, let's go."
I pulled on a dark hoodie over my t-shirt before grabbing the bag and heading out the door. As we ran down the stairs, I said a little prayer to the spirit of Opie Morgan and asked him to watch over us on this mission.
"C'mon, Seal!" Cece hollered as she hit the front door and turned to look at me with a grin. "What do I have to do to motivate your ass to get moving?"
"Hooyah, I'm moving!" I bellowed as I grinned back.
"Hooyah? That's what we have to yell?" she said. "Huh, interesting. Okay, Hooyah!"
"I hate to break it to you, cupcake, but you haven't earned the right to holler hooyah," I said.
"Right, gotcha," Cece said as she shot me a fiercely disapproving look. We walked quickly through Nemo's toward the back alley slowing only when Mando demanded to know where we were headed. Cece shot him a second look that rendered him silent until the three of us were out in the alley.
"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on
?" Mando demanded.
"We're on a mission," Cece said as she checked the van and gave her friend's workers a thumbs up before telling them to make themselves scarce. "We need to pick up a few things."
"Are you going to tell me what this mission is about?" he said grabbing her arm and spinning her around.
"No, I am not going to tell you, my brother," she said sweetly. "Because it's none of your fuckin' business."
"Nice, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" he said wavering between irritated and worried. He looked to me, but all I did was shrug. Cece was running this part of the show and I wasn't about to alienate my only ally. "Cece, tell me what's going on or I'm coming with you."
"You cannot come with us," she said starting at him. "Absolutely out of the question. What if Echo calls Nemo's and needs to get a message through? What then? You're my point person, stay alert and pay attention. That's what I need you to do. Got it?"
"You're such a bossy bitch," Mando said shaking his head. "Fine, I'll be here, but you'd better text or call the minute you know something. I don't like being left in the dark."
"Don't sweat it," I said slapping him on the back. "When Cece runs the show we're all a little bit in the dark."
"You got that, bro!" Mando laughed as he grabbed his sister and hugged her tightly before she pulled away and shook it off.
"Don't get all mushy on me," she said. "I'm gonna go find Echo and be back in time for breakfast. Got it?"
"Vayan con Dios," Mando said as Cece motioned for me to get up into the passenger seat.
"Oh please, give me a break," Cece said as she rolled her eyes, flipped her hair over her shoulder and then fired up the van. "I've got a SEAL with me, what the hell else could I possibly need?"
Mando shook his head as she put the van into drive and headed down the alley toward the street. I looked at her and hoped that her faith in me wasn't misplaced.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Echo
I had no idea how long I'd been laying on the cold metal surface trying to figure out how I could loosen the straps that held my arms down. Every time I wriggled, the guard cleared his throat as if to warn me against moving around. I had just shifted my attention to trying to figure where I was and how to escape when I heard the sound of a door opening. I listened carefully and heard the sound of footsteps coming toward me on the tile floor as I craned my neck to try and catch a glimpse of the person crossing the room. The person was dressed in all black from head to toe making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman. Ignoring me, the person went straight for the area behind me quickly moving out of my view.
"Hello?" I called. "Excuse me, I think you've got the wrong person."
"Shut the hell up, missy," the goon who'd been guarding me growled. "I'm not gonna tell you again."
"This is all a mistake," I said trying to regulate my breathing so that I didn't sound as panicked as I felt. There was something that told me I might be able to appeal to the new guy by reasoning with him. "I didn't do anything, and I have no idea why I'm being held prisoner here. Can you at least tell me why I'm here?"
"Lady, I'm not going to tell you again," came the response from the guard. "Shut your fuckin' mouth or I will shut it for you!"
I weighed my options and decided that being quiet was probably the best choice at this point. So, I lay absolutely still and listened for any sounds coming from the two men behind me. I could hear low whispering, but I couldn't make out any distinct words. It was maddening not to understand what was going on or why they were holding me. And then, out of the low murmuring, I heard two things. Lab. Hard drive.
I inhaled sharply and held my breath as I listened for more words, but they'd stopped talking. The man in the dark clothing walked toward me, then stopped somewhere behind me out of my sight line. I tried to tip my head and get a look at him, but he was smart enough to say out of my sight.
"We want that hard drive," the voice whispered. It sounded vaguely familiar, but the whispering and something else masked the identifiers. "Give us the hard drive and we let you go."
"I know what you're talking about," I replied recalling Dr. Powell's instance that the files find their way to the right people. Instinctively, I knew that these were definitely not the people he had mentioned. "I don't have anything! I was fired from my job, so I don't even have access to anything."
"Don't lie to us," the voice rasped. "We know you have the hard drive. Give it to us."
"You're asking for the impossible," I said as I twisted in my restraints as I tried to get a look at my captor. "I don't know what you want!"
"Don't play stupid with me, little girl," the voice said in my ear the person wrapped a hand around my throat and squeezed hard enough to make my eyes bulge as he cut off my air supply. "I'm not kidding when I say that I want what it is you have. I know you have it, and unless you give it to me, I'm going to deny you air."
I was thrashing in my restraints as I tried to get my hands loose so I could claw his fingers from my throat, but it was to no avail. He was demonstrating that he had all the power and I had none.
"I...I...I..." I gasped trying to form words in the absence of air. Easing the grip on my throat, the captor allowed a small stream of oxygen trickled into my lungs before cutting it off again. I choked out, "I don't...have...drive...still...looking..."
"You don't know where it is?" the voice whispered inches from my left ear while loosening the grip a bit. I struggled to draw air into my lungs and form words.
"No," I gasped as I felt a tiny flow of air entering my lungs. Something about the voice was oddly familiar, but my primary goal was to ensure that I kept breathing, "Didn't locate it."
"You are going to need to find it," the voice hissed. "What do you need to find it?'
"Computer," I gasped as he suddenly let go of my throat and backed away. "I need a computer! And server access!"
My brain was spinning from the lack of oxygen and the understanding that I was going to have to bluff my way out of the restraints if I had any hope of escaping these goons. I knew that the files were safely stored off the server on a hard drive I had tucked away in a safe place in my apartment, but they didn't. And since I had no idea where the hard drive that continued the rest of Dr. Powell's files was, I was going to have to figure out a way to fool them into thinking I was giving them what they wanted. I wasn't sure how I was going to do that, but I decided to take each thing step by step; first the restraints, then I'd worry about everything else as it came.
There was still a small part of me that hoped Ryan or Cece would figure out where I was before things got really bad and that they would swoop in and rescue me at the eleventh hour. However, I also knew that counting on that to happen was pure foolishness, so I began formulating my backup plan.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Ryan
"Here, you're in charge of this until we get there," Cece said tossing me her phone as she headed toward TriCorp. "I can't afford to get pulled over, but I need to know what's going on."
Her phone was buzzing like crazy with messages from people who wanted things and men who were offering things that she'd obviously indicated she needed. I shook my head as I watched the messages scroll by without stopping.
"How in the hell do you keep up with this thing?" I asked as I tried to identify any messages that had to do with our mission.
"It's not hard once you decide to let the technology work for you rather than you working for it," she said as she made a right onto Broadway. "There's a lot that I don't pay attention to, honestly."
"It's overwhelming, but it looks like you have a lot of ardent admirers," I laughed as I read a message from someone who was offering to do things that made me look away. "Holy shit, Cece! This guy just..."
"Yeah, ignore him," she said shaking her head. "He talks a great game, but there's no follow through."
Her phone continued to vibrate as we drove through the streets of Manhattan on our way to try and find what we needed to resc
ue Echo. Halfway there, Cece snapped her fingers and looked over at me with a gleam in her eyes.
"Call Echo!" she shouted.
"What?"
"Call Echo!" she repeated. "Do it! Now!"
I pulled up Echo's contact info in Cece's phone and punched the dial button. The number rang and rang until the call went to voice mail. I looked over at her confused until it dawned on me that it was possible that Echo still had her phone on her.
"Holy shit! We can locate her phone!" I yelled as I pulled mine out and called Echo's number again. The phone rang many times before being dumped into voicemail again. This time I waited for the beep and said, "We're coming for you, Echo. Don't loose hope. We're going to find you and bring you home."
"What the—," Cece started before a grin spread across her face. "Good thinking! Either she hears it and knows we're looking for her or the bastards who took her hear it and know we know she's being held."
"I'm going to see if she's got the Find My Phone app set up," I said as I reached in back and pulled out Echo's computer. I turned it on and began typing in the information. "Are we almost there?"
"Just a few blocks," Cece replied as she turned left on to 16th and hung a right on 6th Avenue. "We're almost there. You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I said a holding out my hand. "Keys, Echo, lab, cypher."
"Keys, Echo, lab, cypher," she repeated and slapped my palm. "Let's roll, Seal!"
We exited the van and quickly walked up 19th and headed down the back alley to a door that led to the building's generator. Cece stopped and aimed her spray paint can at the camera pointed out into the alley and quickly covered it with silver paint before picking the lock on the door. I pushed through and led the way to the back stairs. Cece hit each camera with a shot of paint as we made our way up to the fifth floor where we snuck into the records offices and hit the elevator up button.
