Equity (Balance Sheet #3) Read online

  Staring at the ceiling, my vision adjusted to the lowlight. I took that time to inventory myself. I was still wearing my dress. I could also feel my underclothing. My shoes, however, were gone, leaving my feet in socks, which combatted the faint chill in the air. The fact that I hadn’t been undressed gave me some solace.

  I wondered what my next move, or rather no move, would be. My heart ached at the thought of not seeing Kalen, Turner, my parents, my siblings or Lizzie. Had all this happened because I had made a mistake last night? If I had turned Turner away, would I have been outside lost in my thoughts, making myself vulnerable to my captors?

  None of that mattered. There was no turning back. I replayed the voice of my other captor in my head. I was pretty sure I knew who that person was. The realization scared me.

  The door to the bathroom opened, spilling light into the darkened room. My vision was temporarily blurred as my irises adjusted to the sudden light.

  Just as quickly, the female captor stepped into the room, switching the light back off. She stalked towards me and I had a moment to think she might be the greater threat of the two. I closed my eyes to no avail.

  “Playing dead won’t save you now. You should’ve thought of that before you meddled in business not your own.”

  The bed dipped as she sat next to me. I tried not to cringe but my heart raced, betraying my fear. I said nothing and my masked captor decided to continue with her monologue.

  “When the Master gets back, Kitty will get to play with mouse. Pretty mouse.”

  She stroked my face with her satin gloved hands. One-handed she squeezed my cheeks until my lips puckered. She dipped her head as if she planned to kiss me. The door opened. Captured I was unable to move my head to get a view of the person who entered. In fact, her face was so close to mine, I could see nothing but her pupils peeking through the tiny eyeholes.

  “Pretty mouse is awake. Master must disguise himself.”

  She didn’t let go of my face. I couldn’t see beyond her, could only hear movement. Master must have put something down. I heard the bathroom door close before she let go. When she stepped away headed in the same direction, I got a good look at what Master had set down. It was a tripod with a video camera attached. Trepidation crawled over my skin. Based on Kitty’s words and actions, I didn’t think they would be taping me for a ransom video.

  FIVE

  Many things came together in a short period of time. After inspecting the cage and stepping out of the makeshift jail, we were intercepted by a member of the community. A young woman with a sling about her frantically spoke to Turner.

  “Beth didn’t show up to morning chores. Father fears she’s missing just like Bailey.”

  Turner glanced at me and then to Matt before he spoke to the young woman. “Mary, I think Beth may have let Mike out.”

  “What? No, she wouldn’t do that.”

  His look held sympathy. Gently he said what we all knew. “He couldn’t have gotten out on his own.”

  He let that sink in and waited until she accepted the truth. It was easy to tell when that happened. She sort of crumpled in on herself. The sling began to wail. It took me a moment to realize that a baby was inside. She pulled the bundle out and cradled it to her breasts.

  “It’s possible they may have taken your sister.” Turner watched for her reaction and so did I.

  She whimpered. “No,” she declared emphatically. “That’s not true. He must have tricked Beth. Has to be.”

  I waited for her to ask about her sister, but she didn’t. Turner didn’t seem to be surprised, or at least he didn’t show it. Mary stomped off in the direction she’d come without another word. Matt, Turner and I traded glances just before my satellite phone rang.

  “Glenn.”

  “We’ve got something,” the voice on the other line said.

  “We’re on our way.” I ended the call. I didn’t have to say anything to the other guys about what was said. They caught my meaning and we headed off. There were too many questions and maybe now we had some answers. We made it back to the truck in record time.

  “What have you got?” I said to the man who met us outside.

  He waved us in. “We think we’ve got a location on the car.”

  Matt looked impressed but didn’t say anything. Inside the truck, we strode past a row of monitors where a part of my new security team was hard at work on various tasks.

  My efficient team leader, a balding man with a stern but likable face, began with bad news.

  “The bad news is the tread matches tires made for many economy models.” Inwardly I groaned. This couldn’t be good if we were looking for a needle in a haystack. “The other bad news is in a small town like this, there aren’t many traffic cameras.”

  Matt spoke up. “What about security cameras on convenience stores and banks?”

  My team leader nodded. He looked thoughtful and not at all resentful that Matt’s suggestion made it sound like they didn’t know what they were doing. Good to know. This guy wasn’t a hot head or egomaniac. I’d have to find out just where he was in the organization chart and keep an eye on him for future promotions.

  “Yes, we thought of that. And that’s the good news. About a mile and a half down the road there is a national bank. Although it’s a small branch, it has big city-like security. There are two cameras on the building, each pointing in opposite directions. We were able to get footage and a two-hour window of when we think the victim was taken.”

  Matt sighed. “Should I even ask how you got access to that footage?”

  My rising star shook his head and said, “There was not a lot of traffic early this morning. We were able to quickly analyze the license plates of the twenty or so vehicles that passed by that bank. Although there are a couple of crossroads between here and the bank, this is the main road that leads to the highway a few miles down.”

  “You found something,” I said hopefully.

  “Yes. One of the vehicles came back as a rental procured yesterday. Lucky for us, the rental companies have GPS tracking on their vehicles in case of theft.”

  Turner jumped in, looking buoyant. “You found the vehicle.”

  “Yes.”

  With that one word, a plan was formed.

  Chapter Six

  All my worst nightmares were coming true. My other captor came out of the bathroom bare chested, wearing a similar black mask sans the cat ears. His pants appeared to be black leather, but that didn’t matter so much. It was his words that chilled me.

  “For all you cost me, I will pay you back and reap the rewards.” He tapped the camera. “Do you know how many outlets will pay for fetish videos of bondage and pain? … Coupled with sex of course.”

  “No,” I growled out. It didn’t matter that my words wouldn’t stop them. They had to be said.

  “Great. I love the abject horror on your face. This plays into our storyline. Go ahead, scream, cry and call us names. Your fans will think you the greatest porn actress to ever live.”

  His words sank into me. He was right. If he set it up like some B movie, or in this case porn, I would just look more convincing. There was no way, however, I could say nothing. My cries and pleas could be used as evidence against these two later.

  Somewhere deep inside me, the idea of being raped and unable to fight it in any way, broke me. Tears welled in my eyes like overflowing drains. I didn’t cry out with sound but let my tears speak my fear and frustration.

  I yanked futilely at my binds, ignoring the pain in my limbs. Maybe, just maybe, if I tugged hard enough, one would come free and give me something to fight back with.

  “You may play, Kitty,” the Master commanded.

  She landed on the bed much like a cat might, light on her feet. When she pushed the dress from my ankles to slide up my calves, I jerked at my bonds.

  “Anyone watching this, I didn’t agree to this. This isn’t faked. I’m being held captive,” I blustered. The cat-like woman leaped up to straddle my che
st. Her strike was hard and sure. I registered a moment of pain before the lights left my eyes.

  When I came to, it didn’t take me long to remember where I was. My head throbbed. On instinct, I tried to reach up and touch my face only to be reminded that I was unable to. It was too late to stop my movement. I hadn’t wanted my captors to know I was awake in case I could get any more information.

  I turned my head but found no one. The camera was still perched at the corner of the bed. Had they left me to die? Not hearing any movement for a minute or two, I began in earnest to try and free myself. The rope was not the conventional kind. It was more like twine, white and plastic that didn’t tear. The only thing that tore was my skin. The more I pulled, the more it bit in my skin. But I didn’t give up.

  By the time the hotel door opened, I’d used up all my energy on a losing battle. That had been a mistake. It felt like I had nothing left to give if I somehow found my way free.

  “I need to pee,” I blurted before they’d made it all the way in the room.

  Not masked, they wore oversized sunglasses and hats. The blonde was still a blonde. And the guy’s hair was totally covered by a hoodie with the brim of a baseball cap jutting out.

  “Free her. And be careful. Instruct her in what to do with this.” He held out a bag to his companion.

  She set the bag down and I thought about my next move. I could kick or punch her with my freed limbs at a certain point after I was unbound. I just needed to play nice until a moment presented itself.

  Those thoughts were squashed when the guy pulled a gun from his back and pointed it at me.

  “No funny business or we end this now.”

  I thought for a moment. Wouldn’t I rather be dead than raped and the video leaked to the public? But dead was dead. And until that time, there was a possibility that I could figure something out, or possibly that I could be found.

  Kitty, as I started to think of her in my head, freed me. She took the bag and emptied the contents in my hand. “While you’re in there, take care of your face.”

  My hand was full of makeup. It was such déjà vu. If I’d just listened to Kalen and gone with him when he asked, I wouldn’t be in this mess. I stared in the mirror at the shiner I had. Maybe I could have been honest with Turner despite the pain I might have caused him and taken a chance with Kalen.

  Shoulders slumped and head hung, I knew what was done was done. I took care of business first because I did have to pee. The bathroom looked run down but clean. The rusted out drain didn’t bode well for the tap, but my mouth was dry. I cupped water and drank deep, not having a clue how long I’d been tied up.

  “Hurry up in there,” the cagey voice of Kitty rattled through the walls.

  I went to work with the makeup. I did a half ass job. I hoped with the dim light they wouldn’t notice I left some of the bruising exposed. Again, the camera might pick it up and give a clear explanation of what went on here. Before I left the bathroom, I took one more gulp of water. My stomach rumbled, wanting food. I had no intentions of asking for any, knowing that was a lost cause.

  Into the darkened room I stepped and was immediately accosted by the woman. She was fairly strong and taller than me. I could put up a fight, but the other tormentor was there with a gun aimed at my chest. I wasn’t sure I was fast enough to beat a speeding bullet.

  My indecision over life or death in the face of rape was enough to get me tied back down onto the bed. I would endure the shame and pain. I would put up a fight with words. And maybe get more time for them to make a mistake.

  With Kitty between my legs, she began to shove my dress up to my knees. I opened my mouth to begin another verbal assault. Frankly, I was surprised they hadn’t gagged me. But then the Master of this plan held out pointy scissors to Kitty, which she took.

  “If she says the wrong thing again, impale her pretty parts with this.”

  It didn’t take a genius to know what he was implying. I clamped my mouth shut. I’d missed my opportunity. Death by gunshot was far better than sadistic words from my captor.

  When Kitty began to cut my dress off me straight down the center, I let my tears spill in earnest. This was really going to happen, and I’d lost my opportunity to stop it.

  SEVEN

  My car, probably the only one of its kind for miles, stood out like an albatross in the parking lot across the street from the shit motel in Virginia we’d tracked Bailey to. Nerves shot, I hoped like hell she was here and this wasn’t a wild goose chase.

  Turner sat in my passenger seat and appeared just as frayed around the edges as I felt. We hadn’t spoken much during the three-hour drive. I was grateful I’d made the choice to drive my own car from New York to Pennsylvania giving me access to make the drive to Virginia. With the threat against her, I wanted to be able to get her out without being easily tracked. I didn’t think I could be stuck in the security company’s truck the way I was currently feeling.

  Matt opted to ride with the team in case he could help further. He’d glanced between us when he announced his decision. It was like he wanted to create an intervention between us. I had nothing against Turner. Rationally, I knew he hadn’t known about Bailey and me. And I couldn’t blame him for wanting her.

  “Do you think she’s in there?” Turner asked after clearing his throat.

  I shifted in my seat to look at him while he stared ahead. “A part of me hopes not. The things the bastard could do to her in a hotel room…” I trailed off not wanting to think about it.

  “Motel, you mean.”

  I waved off his correction and got out of the car. It was a stupid comment. But he was as scared shitless as I was at what could be happening to her.

  I reconnoitered at the back of the truck, sure Turner would follow. When I heard the car door close, I lifted up my key fob and hit the lock button. The area we were in held several boarded up one-story buildings, a liquor store closed for the night and this ramshackle motel. I could afford another car if mine got stolen, but I didn’t have the time to bother with those details.

  We entered the back of the truck with people continuing to work at computer stations. Matt was huddled with my top security guy around a girl with head phones on. She gave a thumbs up and then James, my team lead, looked up. “We have confirmation. She’s in there.”

  I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or sad considering the look on the woman’s face as she continued to listen in to whatever was going on in there.

  “Time to move,” James said.

  Turner shifted around and asked, “How can they hear what’s going on inside there?”

  Once we stepped outside, I pointed to what looked like a satellite dish on the roof of the truck. “Top-of-the-line equipment,” I said by way of explanation.

  Then I took off across the street, not bothering to wait for anyone to follow. When I got closer to the lone car in the lot, I heard screams. Not sure of my next move, I looked back to see five guys flagging me down. That’s when I heard her pleas. I couldn’t wait for whatever plan they had. I followed the noise to a door marked eight.

  With proper positioning and force of will, my well-placed kick at the sweet spot of the door made the wood around the lock splinter. It wasn’t my first time kicking a door down to get at someone I cared about inside. I ignored the memory that wanted to swallow me.

  Directly in front of me was a guy not wearing a shirt who held a camera positioned towards the bed. In my periphery, Bailey appeared tied down. My concern for her speared my rage at that man who dared to steal something more precious than money from me.

  I couldn’t see the man’s face for the fetish-type mask that covered it. What I did see was red. And through that haze in my vision, I could tell the man was stunned by his posture. He stood there as I made my quick approach to him.

  He still hadn’t moved by the time I grabbed the back of his neck and made him eat that camera. Maybe I was moving faster than the slow motion of the events in my vision suggested. I heard teeth break
ing as I tried to shove the video device down his throat. I let go of his neck and let his head clatter to the ground. I turned to go help Bailey, which probably should have been my first move. The team, however, had made it through in those few precious seconds. Matt had the other person flat on their stomach, hands bound in zip ties in between the bed and the wall leading to what I assumed was the bathroom.

  One of my team slowly walked over to me towards the guy on the ground. He met my eye, probably nervous I would take my fury out on him if he took over to secure the prisoner. I got up and looked away. Another team member was cutting Bailey’s bonds. Turner sat next to her, caressing her face. His lips moved, but I heard nothing but the rush of adrenaline in my blood. She didn’t need me.

  Out into the night, a swell of emotions in my chest threatened to show. As soon as I took in a deep breath of the cool air, I was able to tamp them down. With nothing left to do, I headed back across the street towards the truck and my car. It was late enough that not many cars had passed by.

  Inside the truck, I let my remaining team give me a report. One of the key things I was told was that they’d checked to make sure there weren’t any nearby security cameras that would have caught our rescue mission.

  When Matt came into the truck nearly an hour later, I understood the importance of that statement.

  “This goes against everything I stand for,” Matt began. I didn’t like his tone and how he started this conversation. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say. “But if we call the cops and they investigate how we found Bailey, it could be used against us. All the evidence we’ve found could be dismissed. Those two could get off on a technicality.”

  “No…” I barked.

  Matt held up a hand. “I know. It’s bullshit. That’s why I’m going to stay out of this and let your team handle it.”