by Reid, Angela
“The trial is scheduled for next month, and I’ll be in Detroit for a while. Will you be there for my testimony?”
“Of course I will be there, and we’ll have Cayden back by then, too.”
“I hope so,” I said. I wanted to tell him I was afraid for our son to come home while danger still lurked around me, but that would validate Willow’s reason for taking him.
Cade pressed his lips to mine and devoured me with passionate hunger. “I want to make love to you,” he whispered in my ear as his tongue trailed my neck. “It’s too soon, I know, but I need you so much.”
“I want you too,” I said, rolling him over on his back and laying on top of him. He grabbed my bottom and pressed my hips down on him while kissing me with abandon. I ground into him feeling every inch of his manhood beneath me. My lips traveled down his body, and I yanked his sweatpants down along the way. When I took him in my mouth, he moaned and grabbed my hair.
***
Cade spent most of the evening in his office talking to his coworkers on the phone and then playing his guitar for a while. I watched the sunset alone on the deck, and my mother retired early, leaving the house to us. It wasn’t necessary, though, Cade was in his own world, and I was in mine. When it got late, I went to get him, but he was already asleep on the couch. I covered him with a blanket and got in my empty bed, already missing him.
I awoke in the night, screaming from one of my usual nightmares, and found Cade right next to me, offering comfort.
“Are you having bad dreams every night again?” he asked, brushing strands of hair from my face.
“Most nights,” I said, already dreading waking up alone once he left.
“I’ve had a few myself, as of late.” He stared into my eyes. “Why does God hate me so much, El?”
His question surprised me because it’s the same one I’d asked myself a million times. He kept talking. “I understand that I deserve his wrath for the things I’ve done as an adult, but my hell started long before, back when I was just an idealistic kid with a dream.”
“I wish I could answer that, but I can’t. You have no idea how many times I’ve felt the same way. It’s as if we are being punished over and over again, but I can’t fathom why.”
He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his cross. We stayed quiet, neither of us having any soothing words to explain our tumultuous lives. He reached over and shut out the light, and we fell back to sleep.
When I woke the next morning, my arm was numb and tingling--asleep. We had not moved from the position we’d molded into after the nightmare. With careful purpose, so as not to wake him, I pulled myself out from under him, but he awoke anyway. “Where are you going?” he asked, letting me free my deadened limb but not allowing me to get up from the bed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I rubbed my hand to get the circulation going.
He took my arm in his hands and massaged it. “I’m leaving this morning, El, to meet Roberts in Florida. There was a tip that came in late last night.” He glanced at the blue numbers on the digital clock. “My flight leaves in about two hours.”
“What did they tell you?” I asked sitting up, feeling hopeful.
“A lady in a restaurant thought she recognized a woman with a baby from the news. A team interviewed her, and the feds have been combing the area. I need to go, just in case. You understand, don’t you?” He reached up and touched my face.
“Of course,” I said, and laid back down next to him, putting my head on his chest. “I pray it means something this time.” My voice wavered.
He grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “El, we’ll get him back. Even if it’s after the trial, Willow will return him, I know it.”
I bit my lip, not wanting to argue with him anymore. Not for one second did I believe that witch would ever bring him home of her own doing. Cayden was a tie to Cade, and she’d keep him for that very reason. Besides, prison awaited her whether she got caught or turned him in on her own. She’d maintain her sovereignty as long as possible.
I kissed Cade goodbye at the door, his hair damp from a shower, and my eyes wet with tears. My mother hugged him, and I watched him drive away, taking my heart with him.
***
Two nights after Cade’s departure, my phone woke me, buzzing around the nightstand. I looked at caller ID but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“Is this Ellia Meyers?” asked a woman’s voice, but it was not Willow.
“Yes, this is she. Who is this?”
“That doesn’t matter, but if you want to see your son, you need to listen with careful consideration.” I sprang out of the bed, my hands already shaking, as I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil out of the nightstand.
“I am listening,” I said, trying my best to be calm.
“Number one rule is that you cannot, I repeat, cannot, talk to the police, or the FBI, or your mother, and especially not Cade Cantrell. This is between us alone, or I will hang up right now. This is a disposable phone and cannot be traced. Do you understand me?” she asked.
“Yes, I won’t tell anyone. I just want my son,” I responded, feeling the bile in my throat as my heart performed flips in my chest.
“We have taken the liberty to book a flight for you to Tampa via Delta airlines. You will depart at nine in the morning from Detroit Metro. Someone will meet you in Tampa at the Delta terminal and give you further instruction. If any law enforcement are present, the deal is off, and you won’t get your son back in the near future. Do you understand, Ellia, it is imperative you comply.” The woman was stern, but not unkind.
“Yes, I understand, and I’ll do exactly what you say. My only goal is getting Cayden back.” I said with honesty.
“Good, then we shall see you tomorrow.” The lady disconnected, leaving a deathly silence in the phone. Terror held my hand, and my instinct was to call Cade; but that was not an option. My only other friend was also a federal agent, and I refused to involve my mom. I had to do this, even if it was a complete ruse and something more was afoot. There was no choice, and I was alone in my dilemma.
At once, I got out of bed and packed a small carry-on bag. I scribbled a note to my mother, saying I went to meet up with Cade for a day or two and would phone her later. The lie would only last until Cade called. I hoped he was in one of his incommunicado modes, leaving me time to get Cayden home before I caused them any worry. Cade wouldn’t hesitate to deceive me or withhold information if it meant getting our son back, and that lessened my guilt.
The fear of being tricked, plagued me. Camerson had to know about my child’s abduction, and he might be using it to lure me away from FBI protection, but I was willing to take the chance. A cab seemed the best way to slip the agents guarding the house. I had the taxi park down the road, and I slipped out my bedroom window like a teenager sneaking out to meet her lover. A car rental company met me with a set of keys and a small sedan, at a gas station miles from the house. I drove through the night and reached Detroit Metro with an hour to spare. I was so nervous, I could barely breathe, but I kept a handle on my angst by remembering how Cayden felt in my arms.
When I landed in Tampa, I waited in the Delta Airlines terminal, as requested. Soon, a tall woman with long, black hair, which hung past her bottom, approached me. It was thick and shiny as polished Onyx, covered by a white floppy hat. She wore over-sized sun glasses and stylish clothes. She had the air of money about her, which made me even more nervous, thinking she belonged to Camerson.
“Ellia?” she whispered, scanning the area to look for suspicious activity.
“Yes,” I replied. She nodded and linked her arm through mine as if we were old friends. She led me to a cab parked outside the airport. I got in, asking no questions at first, trying to take in every detail of the situation. We drove until we reached the outskirts of the city where the cab pulled into a shopping center, and the woman paid the driver. She motioned for me to follow her. A white Lexus sat waiting
for us. She unlocked the car and opened the passenger side door for me. We still had not spoken since the initial meeting.
“Where is Cayden?” I asked, finally breaking the silence, my nerves frayed. We had been driving south for almost an hour. “When can I have him?”
She reached over and patted my knee with long fingers ending in a red manicure. “Not much longer. I can only imagine how anxious you must be. This has been a horrible experience for you—no doubt. I apologize for these theatrics and precautions, but I will reveal all to you when we arrive.” She looked at me and smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. “You don’t have to be afraid; no one will hurt you or the baby ever again.”
I wasn’t sure whether to put any faith in that statement, but it didn’t matter at that point. I was in her custody and at her mercy. No choice remained but to push through to the end. I’d do whatever it took to get my son back. We drove on through the day, the woman stopping once for gourmet coffee. I declined her offer for a fancy beverage, and we continued on our way. Finally, we arrived at an old warehouse, the windows mostly missing. It was very desolate, and I noted not a soul would hear me scream. My heart went into immediate overdrive. Outside, two vehicles sat parked. The beautiful woman in white, exited the car first, and then I followed her like a moth to a flame. The door to the building was missing, leaving a black hole like a missing tooth. It was hot in southern Florida, and I was perspiring heavily from the heat and my nerves. I wiped my forehead with my hand and rubbed it on my pants leg. Once through the entryway, the interior seemed cool by comparison, and goose bumps broke out on my damp skin as my pulse raced at an alarming pace.
She led me to what appeared to be a shipping office. “Wait here, Ellia,” she said, motioning for me to have a seat in a tattered swivel chair behind a rusty desk. “I will be right back.” The woman hurried from the room, and I checked my phone. Two missed calls from my mother, and three from Cade glared back at me. The voice mails and texts were flooding in, but I ignored them all. The jig was up, but I refused to consider them at the moment. I would contact Cade as soon as I had Cayden. Shoving the cell in my pocket, I waited, full of anxiety, for whatever came next. The Floridian landscape was foreign to me, and I had no idea where we were. I heard someone enter the room, and I turned, expecting to see the woman-in-white, but it wasn’t her. My heart sank and fear seized me when Basti Lischka stood in the doorway--Salt-and-pepper. I leapt from the chair and backed myself far into the corner. Flashes of him ripping out my fingernails and ramming his man part into me, filled my brain. I fought my mind as it tried to flee, and tears fell from my frozen face.
“Come with me,” he said in his German accent, sending waves of fear rolling through me. I couldn’t move. The trepidation immobilized me.
Woman-in-white appeared behind him. “Go back downstairs Mr. Lischka. I shall bring her.” The man smiled in his wickedness and seemed disappointed that his terrorizing would have to wait. She looked at me with compassion. “I am so sorry for what you’ve suffered, Ellia. Don’t be afraid of him. I swear on my life he will never hurt you again. You are safe, but you have to trust me. We can’t have any mistakes.” She held out her hand, but my trembling form still would not budge. She beckoned with her fingers. “Come now, sweet girl, walk with me. We will go retrieve your son.”
Fueled only by the wish to retrieve Cayden, I grasped her hand like a life preserver. I couldn’t fail him. We went down a set of industrial metal stairs that led into a basement. A place where no one would ever find my body, I imagined.
Once in the musty recesses of the abandoned structure, I gasped when I saw Willow chained to a chair. Her battered face stared at me as I noted her swollen eye and bruised cheeks. Blood dripped from her split lips.
“As you can see, we have Agent Mendiola, which also means we have your beautiful little boy. We have a bit of business to attend to before we bring him in though.”
Here was the hook, I thought. Now things will get ugly for me. Just then a door opened, and my father walked into the room, looking fresh and tan, as if he’d never suffered a day in his life. He didn’t give me time to react before he crossed the room and hugged me hard. I stood like a statue, too afraid to move or even breathe.
“Ellia,” he said into my hair. “Honey, I am so sorry for everything that happened, especially about Sam.” He looked into my tear filled eyes, but I didn’t respond. I would never forgive him for what he’d done to us. “I did what I had to do to protect my small sons. You and Samuel were adults’, baby, and my boys were just two and four years old. They could not have withstood what you did. Sam didn’t make it, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. But sweetheart, my other boys are just children.”
“I don’t care about any of that, Bradley. I don’t give a shit about you, or your wife, or your kids, or your apologies. I want my son back.” My voice failed me as the sobs took hold.
“I know, honey, and you will see him soon. First, we need to avenge the wrongs done to you. Last night, I put Camerson down like a filthy dog. You won’t need to stand trial, baby girl, and you’ll never need fear him again.” My mind barely had time to react to the statement as events unfolded. He stepped away from me. “Basti,” he yelled, “could you please come in here?”
Salt-and-pepper entered the room, and I physically shrank again. My father watched me. “It’s all right, he won’t hurt you. Basti works for me now, and he will make up for his transgressions.” My dad regarded his own mutilated fingers, and I couldn’t read the expression that found his face.
My dad approached Basti, as if to say something in his ear, instead, he shot Lischka point blank between the eyes. His cold blue orbs took on a look of understanding as his dead body hit the floor. My father looked at me. “I waited to kill him so you could stand witness. Just so you understand, I made a deal with him back in Detroit so he would help me escape, and he’s worked for me since then. Gaining his trust was a challenge, but I am good at what I do. The plan was always to murder that bastard when the time was right, and now it has arrived. That was for you, Ellia, and Sam, and your mom. The scum bag will never hurt another living soul. You’ll be forever free from him. I can’t undo what he did to you, but I hope it gives you peace.”
Shock strummed my sanity as I watched Salt-and-pepper’s brain leak out on the stained concrete. I turned and vomited all over the floor, gasping for air. The brutal act was further evidence the man had lost his mind. Woman-in-white crossed the room and gave me a little hug as she handed me a monogrammed hankie to wipe my mouth.
“Now,” my father said, “onto our little kidnapping agent.” He swung the weapon around to Willow.
“Please don’t,” she begged. “Ellia, please don’t let him kill me. I’m sorry I took Cayden, but it was only to protect him. Please don’t let him do this!” I found no time to react as my father lifted the gun and shot Agent Mendiola through the eye socket. Her chair flew backwards with the force, and I screamed while covering my eyes. I could not believe this demon was my father. Willow deserved to be arrested, but not murdered at the hands of my maniac father.
Woman-in-white stood beside me, and she placed her hand on my back. “This is justice honey, the kind most law men would not dole out. You are safe, now, and so is your beautiful little boy.”
“This is my wife, Ellia.” My father stood in front of me. “Her name is Marisha. I wish you’d met her under different circumstances.”
“Let’s go upstairs and get your sweet baby,” Marisha said, taking me by the hand and leading me away from the fallen bodies. Once again, she left me in the office while my dad stood in the doorway.
“She will be right in with him, honey. Calm down so you don’t upset your baby. He really is a handsome child, you should be proud.” He touched my trembling hand, but I pulled away from him.
“Remember, I did this for you, Ellia,” he said, using a tissue to wipe blood spatter from the backs of his hands and forearms. “I love you very much. When I saw the
kidnapping on the news, I knew I had to intervene. The FBI doesn’t have the same connections I do. My people found that bitch and brought her and the baby to me and Marisha. This is the only way I could show you how remorseful I am for what you suffered. All I ask now is that you go home and raise your son. Enjoy a good life and forget about me. It’s all I ever wanted for you.” I didn’t know what to say or how to respond. Marisha appeared with a bundle in her arms. I rushed to her and took my baby, cuddling him close as my tears drained on his face. I snuggled him and talked to him, forgetting that my murderous father and his beautiful wife were in the room at all.
Marisha spoke. “The FBI is looking for you, Ellia, and I am sure they are tracking your phone. We need to go. The keys are in the Lexus, which is yours to keep. It is already in your name, and you can leave when you are ready.”
“Live well,” said my father, kissing my other cheek. “There is a surprise in the trunk for Cade … to thank him for how well he has taken of you. Don’t open it. Let him do it. I don’t want to spoil the fun.” The two of them walked hand in hand out of the building, and I heard the squeal of tires as they sped away. Once outside, the heat hit me like a wall, and I went to the Lexus. A baby seat was already in the backseat. I hated to put him down, but I needed to call Cade. When I dialed him, he answered on the first ring.
“Ellia!” he yelled. “What the hell are you doing? Where the fuck are you?”
“I am in Florida, and I have Cayden,” I said, the sobs returning. “He is okay. He is better than okay.” There was silence for a moment. “I’ll explain it all when I see you. Where are you?”
“Are you alone?” he asked, ignoring my question and the news.
“Yes, I’m at an old warehouse or something in the middle of nowhere.”
“I want you to stay right there. Do not touch anything. We have a team tracking your phone, and they are close. I will be there as soon as I can.” He hung up on me, not seeming the least pleased I’d saved our son without him.
