Chapter 3
H eather curled up on the couch, reading her book, with a pot of tea she’d had delivered sitting cold beside her. One of the things she was allowed was a digital reader and eBooks, as long as they were fiction. She wasn’t allowed to read nonfiction books or anything else that might in any way improve her mind.
She snorted at that. She’d been reading business books since she was twelve. She’d taken an interest in the family business right from the beginning, and yet here Faheed was doing whatever he could to ensure she didn’t have any input into her own damn company. But the reality was, no matter where her eyes were focused, her mind was scurrying through the options to escape.
She figured she always had a guard on her door, so, on a whim, she stood and opened the door. Yes, a guard was standing there, looking at her inquiringly. She asked if she could wander around the hotel and get a breath of fresh air, and he stated that he could take her up to the rooftop deck, if she liked, but that was the only place he was allowed to escort her to. That pissed her off. “I guess I can’t go without an escort, can I?”
When he looked at her askance, she smiled. “Just kidding.”
She walked back inside and closed the door. At least if she went up on the rooftop deck, it would give her a chance to get out and maybe see the lay of the hotel, yet likely the same as every other hotel she’d seen in the last few months. It just seemed pointless.
While her sister was alive, it hadn’t seemed to be such a prison. Heather had had every avenue available to talk to Hannah, plus the freedom to fly back and forth. Heather had been a free spirit back then. Only after her sister’s passing did things go bad. Heather didn’t know how long Faheed would keep this up, but, so far, he wasn’t doing a bad job of keeping her under lock and key.
It just drove her crazy that she didn’t have the skills to know how to get out of this scenario. She’d always trusted herself to get out of messes on her own and to learn from experience. Should she go up on the rooftop deck now? She found it frustrating and unbearable to sit here and do nothing. She got up and wandered over to the window and stared out at the streets below.
The windows were open, but they weren’t open in such a way that she could stick her head out. These windows opened at the top, and Heather would have to be ten feet tall to get that breath of fresh air. She understood it was probably more of a security thing here, but, for her, it just made her situation even more frustrating. She could see off to one of the other wings, where the window washers were.
She wondered if that could be an avenue of escape. If they were coming her way, perhaps she could talk to them. At least, it would be somebody to talk to that the guard couldn’t scare off. Still, her lovely guard, knowing that window washers were nearby, might come inside her room soon to ensure she didn’t talk to anyone. She groaned at that thought.
She wasn’t good prisoner material, whereas her sister had taken to it just fine. Hannah didn’t want to make any decisions in the world, didn’t want to do anything but look pretty and set up nail appointments. Heather loved Hannah, but, even at that thought, she winced because it wasn’t fair to her sister. They were just very different people. And now with her sister gone, any disparaging comment about Hannah made Heather feel even worse, even if it was just a thought in her head.
Her sister had been a very lovely, gentle soul, something that had attracted Faheed. Hannah had been very much the epitome of a good, obedient wife, whereas Heather herself, well, that was a whole different story. She didn’t do obedience well. As her family had found out, she’d gotten herself involved in the business very early on, even if they didn’t want her to.
Her father had laughed and just noted that she was a chip off the old block. The deaths of her parents had been crippling for her. Although Heather was sure Hannah was affected by their parents’ deaths too, that loss wasn’t the same thing for her sister. Hannah seemed to be more into her social circles, while Heather had been at work, alongside her father. And that was what? Six years ago.… Six years, yes. It echoed in her mind, and Heather could remember it as if it were yesterday.
She’d immediately stepped into the CEO slot, took over the business, and ran it for both herself and her sister, who had signed over all voting rights because, well,… Hannah didn’t want anything to do with it. She’d done that transfer before she had married, without Faheed’s knowledge.
Heather didn’t think Faheed had any idea that Hannah even had those kinds of voting rights to sign over. Heather, on the other hand, had been relentless in not giving up any votes she controlled or influenced, and she’d kept the company flourishing. She knew that her father would be smiling with joy and pride if he knew just how successful she had been, as she optimized several of the factories, kept up with some traditional methods, yet had modernized what could be modernized.
She’d also opened up brand-new marketing programs to get their product out into the whole world, and two years ago they’d won the first set of awards, winning two more the following two years as well. Last year was by far the most productive year they had ever had. Heather knew she was doing a hell of a good job, and the thought that anybody would apply pressure to take that away from her just made her want to scream with fury. Her ending up captive to a man like Faheed drove her even more crazy.
Yet here she was. Imprisoned. Her freedoms stripped from her.
That little-woman syndrome stuck in her craw, as she again stared out at the window washers, wondering if she could post something on the window. If she got caught, Faheed’s response would likely be traumatic, and she would probably not see the light of day for a long time.
As she turned to frown at the couch and her e-reader, an odd noise caught her attention. She pivoted to see a man dropped in front of her. He flashed past, and she wondered if he was part of the window washers or something completely different because of his panther-like movements.
She was afraid of alerting her guard if she called out to the mystery man, so she just waved frantically, trying get his attention. Meanwhile she wondered what he was doing. Then suddenly he reappeared, slowly climbing back to face her. She stared at him in shock, as he climbed higher to where the window was opened. “What are you doing?” she whispered.
He poked his head into the room, flashing a grin at her. “Don’t suppose you’re Heather, are you?”
Shocked, she nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s me. Please tell me that you’re here to help me.”
“I am here to help you,” he confirmed, “but I can’t get you out this window. Yet, no matter what, I will get to you. Understand?”
She looked up and nodded. Yet she also knew she was on the twenty-first floor. The windows were ten feet high, and they opened from the ceiling, and she had no way to get up there. She glanced around frantically.
He spoke to her in a soothing tone. “Just stay calm. Now that I know you’re here, I’ll find another way to get to you.” He smiled and added, “By the way, my name is Royce.”
“Heather,” she whispered. “Please, please help me. There’s a guard at my door.”
At the word guard , he frowned and nodded. “Good to know. I’m heading to the roof now and will find a way to get to you inside.”
“I can get to the roof,” she cried out in a hoarse whisper.
He looked at her in surprise. Then nodded. “Do so now if you can.” And, with that, he was gone.
With determination, she walked quickly to the front door and gave the guard a sweet smile. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would love to get out and see the deck, the rooftop deck as you mentioned before, please.”
He nodded. “Of course, ma’am.”
She cast one last glance back at the door as he closed and locked it to ensure it was secure, and then he said, “Follow me.”
“Thank you very much.” With a smile, she walked up to the rooftop deck with him. For the first time, hope and excitement filled her. Now to keep it all dampened so as to not alert the guard.
*
Royce made it back up to the roof and phoned Rick. “I found her, and I spoke to her through the window.”
“What?” he asked in astonishment. “Already?”
“Yes, she’s being held on the twenty-first floor.” Then he gave him the room number, describing what he’d seen about her location. “She told me a guard is at her entrance.”
“Of course there is,” Rick muttered. “Faheed has to keep his… valuables protected.”
“Right. She did ask for help, and I gave her my name and told her that we were on it and to just calm down, as I would find a way to get to her.”
“You’ve located her, so that’s something.”
“Yeah, she’s fine and looks to be in good health but obviously scared and wants out.”
“Of course she does. Anybody would,” he muttered. “Where are you now?”
“I’m up on the service roof,” he replied. “There is a rooftop deck below, with a running track and some seating areas. She told me that she could get to the roof, so I’m staying put to see if she manages that.”
“And, if not, can you retrieve her the same way you found her?”
“No. I wasn’t prepared for those windows. If I could have accessed her that way, I would have snagged her right then and taken her out of the room.”
“That would have been good too,” he admitted, “if your cables were rated for that level of added weight, that is.”
“I would have taken the chance anyway. Even if we fell at a slow rate,” he explained, “it would have been fine. As it is, the windows are completely inaccessible because of the way they’re built.”
“Okay, so that’s a no-go.”
“Yes, but now at least she knows that somebody is here. Hopefully that will help her to calm down somewhat,” he shared. “So now it’s just a matter of making a plan.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear you got that far.” Rick asked, “Did you see anything?”
Knowing what he was asking about, Royce replied, “Nothing unusual. Her energy is excited and worried, but she’s healthy. Apart from some bits and pieces of other people’s energy attached to her, she looked normal.”
“Well, that’s something. What about her energy?”
“You mean her abilities?” he asked drily. “Nothing out of the ordinary. However, there is a hot spot on her hip. Intuitively I would say those were her tarot cards. They are closely affiliated to her, matched to her energy. I doubt they would work for anyone else. Her abilities drive the answers she receives.” Hearing noises, he whispered, “I have to go. Somebody’s coming up here.”
“Hey, wait. Somebody’s coming up to your level?”
“Up to the roof, or they could be down a level.”
“It could be her.”
“Only if the guard is bringing her.”
“And yet, if she had that kind of access, maybe that was her own doing.”
“I’ll find out in a minute,” he whispered. “She didn’t exactly look or sound like somebody who would wait for life to happen.”
“No, according to her file, she’s quite the go-getter.”
“Complete antithesis to her sister, I gather.”
“Yes, that’s what we’re hearing. Be careful,” Rick reminded him. “Those guards are paid well, and failure is not an option for the one assigned to her.”
“No, it won’t be,” Royce agreed. “Sounds as if somebody’s on the deck where the chairs are.”
“Which would make sense, but go carefully.”
“Yep, will do. I’m out.” And, with that, he disconnected. He was on the very top of the service roof, which was a different level of roof than the other decks where guests were allowed, fairly common in these big hotels. As he walked up and around the top tier, he had a chance to peek over the edges. Sure enough, it was her. She had a guard with her, and she walked to the edge and stared out into the city streets below.
The guard cautioned her, “Not too close.”
She smiled at him. “I’m not interested in committing suicide.”
Even from where he sat, Royce could see the guard flush. Rick was correct. The guard himself, if he were to lose Heather in any fashion, that would make his life almost impossible. Failure was not an option, particularly if it was a woman who you were guarding for Faheed. Royce felt sorry for him, yet this world the guard had gotten himself into was harsh. So Royce had only so much sympathy for the guard. Royce was a little short on that right now.
As he watched, Heather walked around, as if checking out the area. Royce was grateful he was close enough to hear the conversation between her and her guard. The guard was clearly uncomfortable and kept very close to her. Finally she sat down on one of the chairs and just took several deep breaths. “It’s beautiful up here,” she murmured.
The guard hesitated. “I would feel better if you were back in your room.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Why? Nothing can happen to me up here, can it?”
He just looked around uneasily, and that was his instincts at work, the instincts of a man who could sense Royce’s presence. Royce smiled because it still wouldn’t be enough to stop him from getting her.
She just smiled at the guard. “You worry too much. You made the offer, so I took you up on it. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying the fresh air. Do you have any idea what it’s like when you don’t have five minutes to yourself outside of that room?” she murmured. “It’s tough. I understand that it’s a gilded cage and all that, but it’s not a cage that I chose.” He looked at her in surprise. She nodded. “Or did you not know that I’m a prisoner.”
The guard frowned at that, not liking to hear anything obviously.
Royce could only hear so much from where he was, but, if she was attempting to convince the guard to let her go, it wouldn’t go well by the looks of it. The guard couldn’t afford to make a mistake, not on this.
She sat there happily, staring up at the sky, and Royce wondered whether she was just trying to show him where she was or to give him an opportunity to get down there. He looked around, then realized it was possible. He quickly shifted roofs, jumped across to another one, silently coming up behind them. As Royce moved closer, she stared up at the sky and smiled.
“Tell me something about yourself. I’m dying for a normal conversation.”
He shrugged. “Nothing to say.”
She nodded. “Right. Of course you’re just being friendly because it’s part of the job.” He looked at her and frowned again, as she shrugged now. “I get it. Kidnapping women is part of the job. God, what kind of a life do you guys all live?” she murmured. “I feel almost sorry—”
“It’s time to go back,” he interrupted briskly.
He didn’t like hearing her words. That was obvious. She sighed. “Why? It’s beautiful up here, and it’s not as if I’m going anywhere, and nobody else could possibly get up here,” she muttered.
“I don’t care,” he replied. “I don’t like anything about this.”
She stared at him in surprise, and Royce knew he had to act. He made a wide jump, coming down behind the guard. As he turned around, Royce clocked him one and dropped him. He looked over at her and smiled. “Hi, this time we get to meet in person,” he stated, with a grin. “As I said, I’m Royce.”
“Heather,” she replied. “Please get me out of here, and we better make it fast.”
He nodded. “The question is how, and how long before this guy is found?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Is there any place to hide him?” He looked around, took off the man’s belt, and quickly used it to secure him. “We’ll have to move fast.” His phone buzzed just then. He glanced down at it and shared, “It looks as if your entourage is on its way back. They’re just coming in through the front of the hotel.”
She stared at him in shock and started to shake.
He quickly picked up the guard, dumped him behind the ventilation shafts, and whispered, “Come on.” He held out a hand, and she placed hers in his without a question. “Now we have to run.”
And rather than go back inside the hotel, he took her down a fire escape to an empty window-washing scaffolding and down onto the rooftop garage parking. By that time, he pulled out his phone and called Rick. “Hey, I’ve got her. We’re in the garage on the rooftop. I’ll grab some wheels, and we’ll need a safe house.”
Rick replied, “I’ll clean out our rooms and be on my way.”
“Find us a safe house,” he repeated.
“Yeah, working on it,” he muttered. “Keep her safe, keep her out of sight. They’re here, and, once they figure out she’s not in her room, all hell will break loose. I’m texting you an address and will meet you there.”
And, with that, an address came through very quickly. Royce looked over at her and said, “I’ll hijack a vehicle. Once they find out you’re missing…”
She nodded. “Hurry, hurry, hurry.”
He smiled. “Your wish is my command.”
He walked over to the nearest vehicle, managed to unlock it, and quickly fired it up. She got in beside him, and he looked back at her. “You need to duck down and stay down, until I tell you otherwise. I wish you had a blanket or something.”
“Me too,” she muttered, “but we don’t.”
And, with that, he drove down to the ground floor, noting he would likely have a toll to pay. He at least hoped it was an automated exit, not a manned one. As he approached, the fencing opened automatically, and he smiled. “Look at that,” he muttered. “This must be an employee’s vehicle, and their bills are probably sent to them automatically.”
“I’m sorry for them then,” she said, “because I don’t think anybody who works here is paid anywhere nearly enough.”
“Particularly not your guard,” he pointed out. “He’ll have a hell of a headache.”
“But that’s all?” she asked anxiously.
“That’s all,” he said, and, within seconds, they were back out on the street and driving away from the hotel.