Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
My fist hits his chin with a thud. I went easy on him, and still he’s on the floor.
I sit down at his desk.
“Sir, I can’t let you—”
“Shut the fuck up.”
It’s been a while, but I know my way around security software. I tap on the computer, move some things around and—
There it is.
Security footage from all cameras for the last couple hours.
“You son of a bitch,” I say.
Jake rises slowly into a sitting position, rubbing his chin. “I had to. I was supposed to erase them, but you…” He rubs his forehead, tears glistening in his eyes. “He threatened my family.”
“Yeah? Well he’s got my family. Who is it? Who threatened you?”
“I don’t know. It all came by phone. He said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what he said. You can tell it to the cops. Right now I need to find the relevant footage.” Thank God I got to him before he erased the footage. I scan through the alternate doors first, thinking he wouldn’t go out the front door.
Nothing.
How the hell did he get out of here? With Kelly?
I pull up the footage for the main door.
Nothing.
Nothing unusual at all. No Kelly. And no suitcase or satchel big enough for her to be in.
Which means…
The threat to the security tech was a ruse. With no footage, we’d assume they left the building, and all the while…
I turn back to the manager. “They’re still here,” I say through gritted teeth. “You’re going to need to lock down this place.”
“We’re at seventy-five percent capacity right now, sir,” she says. “I can’t.”
“Most of them are probably already in their beds,” I say. “Lock it down.”
“I can’t do that on your authority.” She narrows her eyes. “Who are you anyway?”
In a flash, my gun is out of my ankle holster and trained on her. “I’m the person with a gun to your head. Now do as I say and lock this fucking place down.”
She gulps. The security computer tech is still on the floor rubbing his jaw. When he sees the gun, he yells.
“Just lock it down. Someone has my girlfriend. Someone’s been after her. Whoever it is already killed another. A young girl. Murdered her in cold blood, and he’s after my girlfriend, Kelly Taylor. Please. For the love of God. I don’t like doing this, but you’ve got to lock this place down.”
She nods, trembling. Then she pulls out her phone and taps on it. “Nesbitt, it’s Lenore. We’ve got a missing woman. We need to lock down.”
Pause.
“What do you mean on whose orders? On my orders.”
Pause.
“Yeah, the police are here. They’re up on ten, investigating the same situation.”
Pause.
“No footage of anybody leaving, so we’re locking down. We’re going to have to check all the rooms.”
Pause.
“Right. I’m on it.” She ends the call. Then to me, “Nesbitt, my head of security, says to call in the SWAT team.” She motions to another employee.
I’ll find you, Kelly.
I promised I would protect you, and I will.
33
KELLY
That’s it, precious. Time to wake up now.
Words.
Words make it into my head.
Come on. You can do it.
My neck hurts. Something poked me. That’s nothing compared to the pounding inside my head. As if two hatchets have sliced my head open, right between the ears.
I see things. Are my eyes open?
I flutter my eyelids. Images. Blurred images.
A person. Two people.
There you go, baby. Wake up like a good girl.
Baby? Only Leif has ever called me baby, but this is not his voice. Leif… He was coming to check on me… I heard him open the door, and then—
I don’t remember anything after that.
Where am I?
My heart… I think it wants to beat… I think it wants to beat like crazy…
But my body is limp. Can’t seem to move.
That should scare me, but I don’t feel scared.
Drugs.
Must be drugs.
Is this what drugs feel like? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never used them. The only other time…
After throwing up the tainted chocolate at work, and I woke up in a concrete room. Drugs. It felt different that time, but it had to be drugs.
She’s awake.
Are you sure?
Her eyes are open. Sort of.
Does she act like she hears you?
No, but it’ll take a little while for the shot to wear off.
All right. Ramsey will know by now that she’s gone. We need to lie low until it’s safe.
Ramsey?
Leif?
Leif doesn’t know I’m here?
I open my mouth to yell, but my lips don’t move. My voice doesn’t work.
I flutter my eyes again. Try to get a better look at the men who have me.
I should be scared. Angry and scared. And I am…
But I can’t feel it.
I can’t fucking feel it.
What should we do with her now?
We can’t leave her until she’s fully conscious.
You think she’s going to go willingly?
She will. She’s not going to have a choice.
No, I have a choice.
But I can’t say it. Can’t move.