Chapter 5
FIVE
CAL
When we pull up, it’s much like Google Maps had shown us—a wooded area in the middle of nowhere with enough dense trees to hide pretty much anything.
I make the mistake of stopping the vehicle to see if we can take note of anything, which gives Felix an excuse to jerk at the door handle.
“Oh no… Copper needs to potty,” Felix says as he pops out.
“Copper just went right before we left,” I remind him.
“I meant Brigs,” he says, and there he is, snapping the leash on the pig and the harness on Copper.
“Which part of this seems like a good idea?” I ask. “The part where you lead the most conspicuous animal in the world through trees or the part where you don’t listen to me? Like we all know that if you need to run, that pig isn’t running anywhere.”
“They’re both gone,” Antonio says, and I look over to see that they are indeed very gone, taking the dog and pig with them.
“Fuck,” I whine.
“I mean… if they want to get abducted, let them get abducted. Why should we stomp on their desires?” Antonio asks.
“You know what? You’re right,” I say as I settle in. “Maybe Felix will annoy Grayson so much he’ll leave me alone out of fear of having to deal with Felix again.”
“Or maybe someone will hold them at gunpoint and wave for us to get out of the car,” Antonio says with a forced laugh. It’s so forced, in fact, that it makes me question if it wasn’t even a joke.
My head snaps around as I watch four men come out of the trees, two of them holding Lane and Felix at gunpoint and doing a very good job keeping guns pressed against their heads.
Even if I could shoot them, it’s apparent they’re being extremely careful as they keep their vitals tucked behind the bodies of our two.
“Out of the vehicle,” the one holding Lane snaps. I can tell from the irritated look on Lane’s face that he’s pissed, and Felix has to keep reassuring Copper that attacking the gunmen isn’t a good idea at this moment. I know he’s afraid Copper will get shot again trying to protect them.
“I really thought I was joking when I said that stuff about them getting abducted,” Antonio says. “I swear they’re like magnets! Trouble rushes to them, and I’m dragged along with it.”
I kind of want to mention to him that he really shouldn’t be hanging around these two if he doesn’t want to be dragged into it, but look at me… doing the exact same thing. At least my excuse is that I’m an absolute mess.
Not knowing what else to do, I reach for the door handle while debating whether I should bring my gun or not. I doubt they’re going to give me an opening while the others grab us, but if they do and I don’t have a weapon…
The man is already waiting outside of my door, gun trained on me. If I lift my gun at this point, he’ll see it. So I push the door open before lifting my hands, leaving my guns where they are for now.
Why did I come here? Why didn’t I just go home? Why did I stick my nose into something like this? How did I fuck up so much?
I’m confident I can get out of this situation, but can I get three others out of it as well? I know Lane can fight, but how well can he fight when his vision has been taken from him?
“What do you want with us?” I ask.
“Shut up,” the man orders, swinging his gun at my head. I duck the hit, which seems to piss him off more as he kicks me hard, pushing me forward. Copper starts growling, not pleased with anyone hurting his people.
“Can I just put the dog in the car? Please? He did nothing wrong,” Felix asks, clearly more worried about Copper getting hurt than using him for protection.
I’m led away from the vehicle as the men seem to have some silent discussion before one nods. “Put him in there. Any funny business and I’ll shoot you in the head, got it?”
They must have decided that the scary-looking dog would be best removed from the equation. So Felix keeps his hands up while the man opens the door of the SUV and Felix tells Copper to get in. Copper has absolutely no interest in leaving us, even as Felix waves him in.
“Copper, come on now, go on. Get in.”
Copper plants his feet, and Felix looks at the man holding the gun on him.
“Can I pick him up and put him in?”
“Quickly.”
Felix picks the dog up and shoves him into the SUV before the man slams the door shut, making Felix jerk back. “Fuck, you nearly slammed my hand in the door!”
“Shut up,” he says as he pulls a bag over Felix’s head.
I realize I’m about to get the same treatment and hate that they’re doing their best to have complete control over the situation.
They first put a bag over my head, causing my glasses to jab into my face a bit, and then jerk my arms behind my back as they use duct tape to keep me from using them.
“I have money,” Antonio says. “I’ll pay you guys to just let us go.”
None of them say a single thing as I’m pushed forward, and I have to assume the others are too.
If they’re so anxious about us even being near this location, they’re going to want to move the vehicle too. Anyone would find an SUV suspicious that had a dog barking inside and no humans around. I just have to hope they don’t hurt Copper to make that happen.
I need them to fuck up. I need them to make a mistake so I can regain control of the situation.
I stumble on purpose just so I can determine how close the man pushing me along is, and the man grinds his gun into my back, like he thinks that’ll keep me from tripping over shit I can’t see.
My mind is racing out of control while I try to think of every opportunity I have to gain control of the situation.
Can I snap the binds? If I do, can I grab the gun, remove the bag, and shoot four men before they realize it?
The one behind me would be the easiest. I simply need to flip the gun and fire. He’s about my height, so with a bit of an angle, it’d hit something vital. Felix is on my left. I can tell by the stumbling stride and the way the pig is following him. That pig will always choose Felix to follow.
Antonio and Lane are on my right. Lane is resisting some as he walks and I can tell it’s irritating the man leading him, but they sound far from me.
Realistically, the chance that I could take control and not end up with at least one of us shot is very slim.
But are these only four of many? Will our chances of escape diminish the closer we get?
I’m afraid I’m going to have to find out because the risk is too high.
“You know, if you’d have just let us take a piss in the woods like we’d planned, we really wouldn’t have even noticed you here,” Felix says.
“It’s not my fault you four were over there crowded in a circle having a party that we weren’t invited to.
Rather boring party, honestly. Like… what kind of party requires you to carry duct tape and bags?
It’s almost like you were looking for someone to abduct.
Gasp… do you have a fortune teller who knew we were coming?
If they did, I hope they know that I like chocolate and have some waiting for me. Ow! Why are you pulling so hard on me?”
“I want you to shut up.”
“You never said that! You think I’m supposed to read your mind? Lane, this guy thinks I can read minds.”
“Felix, please, just be careful,” Lane says.
“Will you carry me? This is a lot of walking and I’m not really meant for walking. Lane usually carries me. Can Lane carry me? I promise we won’t do anything suspicious. You can just plop me on his back and call it a day.”
“Shut up and keep walking.”
“I’m weak, man. I have teeny legs and you guys are over here taking mountainous steps.”
I hear more people, but most of them are quiet.
For some reason, they don’t want us to know what they’re doing here…
so then why would they bring us here? But Felix is right.
They had shit like they were prepared for us…
though who is just prepared to capture four random people who’d pulled over?
If they’d just told Felix they were hunters or walking the trails, no one would have thought much about it. So… who do they think we are?
The ground changes from uneven to smooth, telling me we’re no longer in the trees. We’re probably a mile or so from the road, if I judge how far we’ve walked.
An odd smell hits me, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s marijuana. It doesn’t smell like someone is smoking; instead, it smells like the plant… or more accurately, a lot of plants all in one place.
Are they growing it and think we’ve moved in on their space?
I mean… they have to assume we at least know of this setup to willingly lead us right to it.
They’re obviously not hiding what they’re doing, just want to hide the route we’ve been taken on.
We have to have been mistaken for someone else.
And what do they plan to do with those we’ve been mistaken for?
Do they plan to kill them once they get out of them what they want?
Fuck.
I hear a door opening, but it’s a strange style of door that sounds metallic, and when we’re crammed inside, the area feels stuffy.
It makes me question if it’s not a building at all but maybe a metal container of some kind—possibly used for transportation or for temporary setup like an outpost during construction.
I’m forced down, and at first, I’m unsure if he’s putting me on the ground until my legs bump into the chair that I’m then bound to with tape.
“What the fuck’s with the pig?” one of the men asks.
“Fuck if I know,” another answers.
“That’s Brigadier Oinksalot,” Felix offers. “He’s a super-rare micro pig.”
“The only thing micro on that thing is its creepy eyes,” the first guy says.
“How dare you diss the pig?” Felix growls as the door slams shut. Evidently, they don’t care, but at least we’re given a moment alone.
I shake my head hard and rub it on my shoulder until the bag begins to give and eventually falls off, leaving my glasses slightly askew. I really should have put my contacts in before this whole mess.