Chapter 20 Lincoln
J.C. set up a fake meeting at Bennett Park. She posted it on an under ground website hoping that if Charlie was out there somewhere, she would see it. It was a long shot, but at this point we had nothing to lose. I would be strapped with my gun, in case anyone else happened to be brave enough to approach us. J.C. was confident it wasn’t monitored by police radar, but I was ready for anything.
I could tell J.C. was still shaken up by what happened at the apartment. She was more jumpy than normal and didn’t want to be left alone. She rented a hotel room for a few nights while we worked out the plans. I couldn’t risk it being at the apartment. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Sarai had told me. It was invading every silent moment in my brain. Thinking of Laynie hanging there suffering was almost too much to bear. I didn’t sleep last night. My brain kept returning to the scene Sarai had painted for me. I know Alek probably has security cameras in his club, so he knows it was me who killed his men and took Sarai. I had a hoodie over my head the whole time in case he wanted to turn it over to the police. However, I don’t think Alek is the type to send an enemy to NYPD rather than take care of it himself. I had risked everything with the thought that Laynie was down there, and now I put everyone at risk, but Laynie the most. Alek would probably take it out on her, I was sure of it. I didn’t have time to waste, and I needed to find Charlie, with the three of us working together it would be easier to locate Laynie.
I looked at my phone to study the picture of Charlie once more. Her dark hair and tattoos would be easily identifiable. I read the article again. Laynie’s mom, Kathryn had supplied the police station with this picture of Charlie because her parents were not available for comment. What the fuck kind of shit is that? I know Laynie told me Charlie’s history briefly, but her own parents, not even caring she had gone missing, tells me a lot. Charlie is a survivor. I know she is out there somewhere.
“Okay, J.C., are you sure you can do this?”
J.C. looked up from her laptop. “I can do this.” Her voice quivered a bit, and I wasn’t sure if I believed her.
“Wear your hoodie over your head so Charlie can’t identify you from far away. She is more likely to approach if she can’t get a good visual.”
She gave me a thumbs up and turned back to her screen. “I don’t think Charlie is going to be an easy one to reel in. She is probably extremely wary, given the history.”
“I know.” I looked outside the window into the dark. “But it’s the only hope we have. I can only try to explain, if she lets me.”
J.C. nodded and spun around in the hotel chair. “So here’s the plan. I figured she is probably using identifiers and keywords to pull up any relevant information about Laynie. I posted some VERY identifying information that if she is out there looking, she will find it. I made her believe Laynie will be at the park at 11 PM tonight for an exchange or sale. Let’s go see if she bites.”
“Let’s do it,” I said.
* * *
The park was quiet, with a few people walking their dogs on the outer sidewalks. This wasn’t the safest park to be in after dark, so I figured we would be relatively alone. I could see my breath through the air as I zipped up my jacket and placed the hood over my head. J.C. was wearing jeans and a hoodie to conceal her real identity. Obviously there was only the two of us, so we needed to make it appear as if we were waiting for a buyer, whom wouldn’t show. I parked my car 1/2 a mile away to avoid bumping into her too soon.
The sky was black but illuminated by the city lights. I hoped this worked. Finding Charlie meant we were one step closer to finding Laynie. She was an extension of her, and part of me already felt an overwhelming need to protect Charlie. I could see how much she loved and missed her friend and it tore me apart thinking how much Laynie blamed herself for the night they were taken. Fear often paralyzes people, especially when they have never experienced trauma. My traumatic experiences started when I was much younger. I had always been a quiet kid growing up, facing my own demons alone. I always felt the need to protect my mother, but the men she dated were powerful, in more ways than one. Alek reminded me of those men, and it left a foul taste in my mouth every time I was in his presence. My father was also one of those men: controlling, manipulating and prideful. He beat my mother more times than I could count and when he finally left, I thought we would be happier, that things would be different. It wasn’t even 6 months later and my mother had already found a man just like my father, to replace him. I realized that something must be wrong with my mother, that she had her own demons haunting her for her to keep seeking toxic relationships. She liked to be with powerful men, and I think she enjoyed the power they flexed over her. She wanted to be taken care of by wealth and power, but the trade off for that was something I didn’t understand and still don’t. I vowed to never be like my father or any of the men my mother dated, but occasionally, those demons slipped in.
Walking to the park, J.C. said nothing other than noting the cold. She was nervous, I could tell. I tried to keep my eyes out for anyone who could be Charlie, but I knew she would hide in the shadows. When we arrived at the park, I pulled J.C. by her arm as she kept her head down. I went to the back of the park and waited quietly. If Charlie wanted to see, she would need to venture farther back here, and that would be a clear sign of her. We waited this way for an hour. J.C. was leaning against a tree trunk while I stood in front of her, looking out. No one came. No one ventured back into this part of the park and I thought our plan failed.
“15 more minutes,” I said.
J.C. nodded.
15 minutes crept by and still nothing. We both started making our way out of the park when I heard a twig break behind me. I looked back and saw someone in a black hoodie and black combat boots walking towards us. They had a gun aiming right at my head. I spun around and pulled J.C. behind me. If this was Charlie, I didn’t want to scare her off, but I also had to protect myself and J.C. I pulled my gun from my waist and held it at the ground. Observing me, she tilted her head to the side but I couldn’t see anything inside the black hoodie she was wearing.
“What do you want?” I called.
No reply. She didn’t move or inch forward.
“I’m not who you think I am, but I know who you are,” I said.
Nothing.
“I’m here to help you.”
The gun clicked.
J.C. heard the click and jumped forward. “Stop!” she cried out.
She lowered the gun when she saw J.C.
“I’m a friend of Laynie’s. Please, we want to help you find her. I swear.” J.C. held up her hands as if saying she had nothing to hide.
She finally removed her hood and I could see Charlie beneath the low glow of the city skyscrapers.
“Charlie,” J.C. whispered.
Charlie still didn’t speak. She stood still with her gun aimed at the ground now. I knew she was wondering if this was a trap, but part of her was probably hoping that it was true, so she stuck around to find out.
It was better for J.C. to talk than me. She was less intimidating and wouldn’t trigger Charlie’s fight or flight.
“Charlie, I know Laynie is in an awful place. We need to find her. Will you just talk to us?”
I put my gun back in my waist to show her I had no intentions of hurting her.
“We’re not one of them,” J.C. said.
“How do I know you’re not lying?” Her voice was icy. It has the same accent as Laynie’s, which sent immediate pain to my chest. Hearing her reminded me so much of Laynie that I almost couldn’t take it.
“She loves Broadway, she’s horrible at video games, she likes strawberry ice cream and caramel machiattos from Starbucks. She likes pizza, and she blames herself every day for what happened to the two of you.”
Charlie stood for a second, taking in what I had said. I saw her shoulders drop, and the gun hit the ground next to her. A sob escaped her chest and as she fell to her knees.
J.C. slowly approached her and bent down, wrapping her in a tight embrace. I stood close, looking out around us.
“We need to go. This isn’t safe.” Something unsettling came over me, and it felt like we were being watched.
“Come with us, to somewhere safe,” J.C. said as she helped Charlie to her feet. Charlie hesitated a moment while looking around. I handed her the gun that fell and she slipped it back into her waistband.
We walked back to the car, taking a different route than before in case we were being followed. Charlie hung back a few steps and I could feel the tension radiating off her. It was clear that she was questioning her decision to go with us, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life. I wanted to reassure and tell her I wouldn’t hurt her, but I felt my words would fall on deaf ears, so I refrained. I didn’t want to scare her anymore than she already was. The only reason she was following us right now was because of the details I shared about Laynie. She knew I wouldn’t know those details if I was abusing her.
We arrived at the hotel, and I saw her hesitation. I knew what hotels probably reminded her of.
“We can’t go to my apartment because they will find us.”
She nodded, and J.C. touched her arm with reassurance.
Once inside the room, Charlie wanted to stay near the door. She wanted to be able to escape quickly. I sat on the bed and J.C. sat at the tiny little desk that was in front of the bed.
I explained to Charlie who I was and how I got connected with Laynie. Apart from being a drug dealer, I explained everything else. I could see the tears in her eyes forming, but she used her fingers to wipe them away before they fell.
“Do you know Eddie?” I asked.
“Unfortunately.”
I explained to her what he had done when he took her back with him.
She cleared her throat before she spoke, as if she was trying to collect her emotions. “I see your intentions were good, but you have made her a target now. Eddie is vengeful and any disrespect will cause weeks of punishment. Trust me, I know. We have to find her. We have to find her now.” She moved closer to the bed and sat down with a sigh.
“Laynie is strong,” I said, trying to reassure her she would make it out.
“Laynie was never built for this. She is the good girl, the innocent one. The girl who tries to see the good in everyone. The girl who will inconvenience herself to avoid confrontation. I know that girl is gone now, but I want to get a piece of her back.”
The way she described Laynie made me smile with sadness. “She’s still in there, Charlie. We are going to put those pieces back together for her.”
She didn’t respond.
“Have you spoken to her parents, anyone?” I asked.
“No, of course not. I don’t need Alek to move her deeper into hiding. I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“I’m just trying to understand what we are dealing with,” I said.
“What you’re dealing with is the most powerful men in NYC trafficking. My best friend is being treated like some kind of farm animal to be bought and sold. Meanwhile, we are sitting in a nice comfy hotel room while she is being tortured because of you!”
I understood her anger, and I knew she was underestimating me and J.C. but we hadn’t given her much information to go on. “Lets all get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow. We aren’t any good, tired and frustrated.”
“Do you have a place? Where are you living?” J.C. asked.
“I just sleep in parks or on the train for now. I have to keep moving. It’s not safe for me to be in one spot too long.”
We both nodded with understanding.
“Are you cool sharing a bed with me?” J.C. asked. I can share the other bed with my brother if it makes you uncomfortable.
“It’s fine,” Charlie said.
“If you want to take a shower, go ahead. I have all my stuff in there and I have an extra shirt and shorts.” J.C. didn’t wait for her response, but reached into her bag and laid the clothes next to Charlie.
“Thank you,” Charlie said.
Charlie took a while in the shower. I would not sleep tonight until both girls were asleep and comfortable. While scrolling through my phone, I looked for any online information about Alek. I checked the property appraiser and couldn’t find a property listed in his name.
Charlie finally came out wearing J.C’s clothes. She was covered in tattoos like me. Her hair was dark brown and straight. Laynie told me her hair was always dyed black, so I assume this is her natural color. She saw me staring at her and cut me with her eyes.
“If you touch me, I’ll kill you.”
“I won’t hurt you,” I said.
She eyed me and climbed into the bed next to J.C, who was already asleep.