Chapter 4 #2
After opening the back door, I help her up onto the seat. “Buckle up and don’t come out. Got it?” I order, before slamming the door and turning back to the crash.
Ariki has stopped directly in front of the Honda, standing in the headlights, arms crossed, and watching the kid struggle to locate something on the passenger side floor.
“What do you want to bet he dropped the gun?” Ariki asks, as I stroll up to his side.
“Oh, one hundred percent,” I agree, unconcerned. “He’s not magica.”
“No. And by the looks of it, he’s no career criminal. I’m going to bet this was his first kidnapping.” We both tilt our heads while we watch him scramble in the passenger seat.
“Well, you ready to scare the shit out of him?” I ask in a bored tone.
“Yep.” Ariki struts over to the driver’s door and throws it open.
I’m close behind while he hauls the kid out by the collar of his shirt, lifting him a solid foot in the air.
“What were you trying to do to her?”
The kid struggles, scraping his nails down Ariki’s wrists and kicking his legs in the air, resembling a frightened chihuahua trying to swim while her owners hold her above a bath.
“N-n-n-nothing,” he stammers, glancing around the abandoned street.
“Oh, come on now.” I meet the kid’s eyes over Ariki’s shoulder.
“Where and to whom were you taking her?” I pick invisible lint from the arm of my suit jacket.
“Answer me, or I will leave it up to the gentleman here to extract that information from you in a much more entertaining way.” I tilt my chin toward Ariki, who growls, playing along.
“I don’t know anything. She’s my friend’s girl. I was just taking her to a party,” he whines.
“Alright then”—I clap Ariki on the shoulder—“he’s all yours.
” Ready to move this night along, I make my way back to the SUV as the kid starts to whimper.
He is just one arm twist away from breaking.
Ariki will have no problem getting him to talk, and I plan to use this unexpected—but in some ways fortunate—turn of events to complete the collection of Miss Solis.
There are two likely possibilities of who sent the kid after Vladlena: the Dark Suns, or someone from the Cross-Kingdom Council trying to make a similar play as us.
While such an amateurish attempt at kidnapping doesn’t exactly fill me with fear, I’d really rather not deal with this tonight.
After climbing into the passenger seat, I turn to face Vladlena in the back. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” she confirms. “Yes, I am. Thanks.” Her dress is torn from the crash, stretched out on the shoulder, seams ripped at her thighs.
“You’re bleeding.” I gesture to her leg where a cut sticks out from beneath her dress.
“Oh yeah, I think it’s fine.” She uses the fabric at the hem of her dress to wipe the blood. “It’s not deep. Doesn’t hurt. And this”—she points to a wet spot on her stomach—“is Luke’s. It looked like his arm got banged up.”
Doesn’t hurt? That sounds like a girl who is in shock from having a gun pointed at her, enduring a car crash, and escaping a nearly successful kidnapping.
“Who is that kid—Luke?” I ask softly.
“He’s a friend of a friend.” She sighs. “Or, well, I thought he was. Honestly, I have no freaking idea. It’s been a long night. Can you drop me off at my car?”
If she goes home, her kidnappers are just going to make another attempt. Better for her to disappear right now.
“Does Luke know where you live?” I prompt, hoping she will come to the conclusion I already have about where this night will have to end. Luke likely reported where she lives, and any other relationships she has, to whomever orchestrated this; there is no way that amateur is in charge.
She huffs out a breath of frustration. “Balls! Yes.” She rubs her temples, like she has a headache. “I have to leave.”
“Miss Solis, if you have decided to accept our offer, your car won’t be necessary. We can go right now.”
“No!” She startles. “I’m not agreeing to anything. I meant ‘leave’ as in go somewhere else. Not leave with you.”
“I don’t think Luke’s attempt will be the last one.
” Now that Vladlena Solis has been found, they won’t stop coming.
“I think it’s best if you consider our offer.
” Leaving any trail at this point would be dangerous.
If she’d run a few weeks ago, she might have been able to evade those who are after her.
But now? After the events of this evening? She’s run out of luck.
“Who won’t stop coming?” Her eyes shine with irritation. “Who else is after me?”
She jumps as Ariki opens the door.
“Well, that kid knows shit.” He slides into his seat.
“Said he was hired by some nameless guy to get close to Lena, report on her movements, and bring her to a drop about a mile up the street. They texted through a burner phone.” Ariki taps a lump in his pocket that I assume is said phone.
Ahead, lights of emergency vehicles blaze while sirens blare in the distance.
“We need to get going,” I proclaim. “We can send a recon team.”
Teariki dips his chin in agreement and pulls back into the street. Just then, I’m confronted with the pungent smell of urine.
I scrunch up my face. “Ariki, you smell like piss.”
“Yeah. I told you stakeouts were fun!” He flashes me a playful grin.
I think we have two very different definitions of fun. I, for one, will be satisfied if I never have to endure another stakeout again. I text Petra our change of plans so she can make the proper arrangements.
“Is Luke alright?” Vladlena speaks up from the back.
Ariki glances in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, he’s fine. I didn’t even need to knock him around. I just growled, and he wet himself and then sang like a Willow Flycatcher.”
I give Teariki a skeptical sideways glance.
“What?” he asks under his breath. “I actually listen when Callum talks.” Then, a little louder, he adds so Vladlena can hear, “He has nothing to fear from us now. I gave him a pretty stern talking to. Who hired him, though? I don’t know.”
“Miss Solis, I really think it’s best if you take us up on our offer,” I reiterate. “And for everyone’s safety”—mainly hers—“we should leave right away.”
I have the distinct feeling that if she were given the chance, she would hit the road, and we would be forced to chase her to who knows where. I’m keen not to see that happen. Frankly, I don’t perform well in Middle America.