Chapter Forty-four
Audrey hovered as Maggie settled into her favorite chair by the fireplace, a thick quilt draped over her legs.
The moment they’d arrived home from the hospital, Cord and Sandy had started buzzing around her like nervous bees, fetching her pillows, adjusting the lighting, making sure she was comfortable.
“You two are worse than a pair of mother hens,” Maggie grumbled, batting Cord’s hand away as he attempted to fluff her pillow for the third time. “I appreciate the attention, but I’m not an invalid.”
“We just want to make sure you’re okay, Nana,” Audrey said, setting a cup of tea on the side table.
“I’ll be better once you all stop smothering me,” Maggie huffed. “Cord, Sandy, go check your lobster traps, do something useful.”
Cord checked his phone. “Too foggy today, anyway. Forecast says it’ll be better in the morning.”
Maggie let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But if you’re going to slack off today, at least do it at the tavern where I don’t have to watch you watching me.”
Cord and Sandy exchanged a look before grinning.
“She’s kicking us out,” Sandy said.
Cord smirked. “Four o’clock is close enough to happy hour, I guess.”
“Go,” Maggie said, waving a hand dismissively. “Drink your terrible beer and tell your fishing stories. Just leave me in peace.”
Audrey watched her uncles amble out the door, chuckling to themselves.
“I don’t need a babysitter, you know,” Maggie said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Audrey.
“I’m not leaving you alone,” Audrey said firmly.
Maggie huffed but didn’t argue. “Fine. But if you’re staying, I’m putting you to work. I need my prescription picked up.”
Audrey grabbed her coat. “I’ll go right now.”
“And grab some groceries while you’re out,” Maggie added. “You might as well cook me a nice dinner.”
Audrey smirked, grabbed the keys, and headed out.
By the time she stepped out of the pharmacy, a thick fog had settled over town, rolling in from the harbor like a heavy wool blanket. The streetlights glowed eerily through the mist, elongated shadows stretching across the pavement.
Audrey hugged her coat tighter around her as she walked to her car, balancing a grocery bag in one hand, Maggie’s prescription in the other.
That’s when it happened.
That prickle at the back of her neck.
The sensation that someone was watching her.
She froze, glancing around the parking lot.
No one.
Only the fog shifting through the dimly lit lot, swallowing the outlines of parked cars.
Audrey shook her head, forcing herself to breathe.
You’re being paranoid.
She reached for the car door.
A strong arm suddenly grabbed her from behind.
A damp cloth clamped over her nose and mouth.
Chloroform.
She kicked, struggled, but the world around her blurred.
Then, everything went dark.
Audrey drifted in and out of consciousness, her head throbbing like a drumbeat.
The world around her was cold, metal, and suffocatingly small.
It took her a few seconds to realize she was moving—the steady hum of an engine vibrating beneath her. Her body shifted and jostled with every bump in the road.
A car.
She was in a trunk.
Panic flooded her chest.
She tried to move, but her arms and legs felt heavy, sluggish, like her body wasn’t fully cooperating. The chloroform still had its cloying grip on her senses.
Breathe, Audrey.
Think.
She pressed her hands against the cool metal walls, feeling for seams, a latch, anything.
Nothing.
She was locked in.
The car slowed, took a turn, then picked up speed again.
Audrey forced herself to listen—the rhythm of the tires on the road, the occasional splash of water from puddles, the faint sound of rain tapping against the roof.
Then she heard something else.
A police siren.
The car screeched to a halt.
Audrey’s heart pounded. Was this her chance?
Muffled voices.
A radio crackling.
She started kicking the trunk lid with her feet.
Desperate to make enough noise to be heard.
A moment later, the car lurched forward again.
Faster now.
Reckless.
Audrey bit her lip, frustration rising.
Must have been a roadblock.
The cops were out looking for him.
But Bradley had somehow gotten through.
She scrambled for her phone in her back pocket, but it had no signal.
The car weaved back and forth, twisting through side streets. He was taking back roads.
Avoiding checkpoints.
Her breath came faster, the trunk feeling smaller, tighter.
She tried to keep her fear in check, but the reality of her situation pressed in on her from all sides.
Then, the car slowed again.
Came to a stop.
A door opened.
Boots crunched against gravel.
Then, the trunk popped open.
Bradley Comstock’s face hovered above her, his expression eerily calm, but his eyes blazing with something darker.
“Rise and shine,” he murmured.
Audrey glared up at him, forcing steel into her voice.
“Kidnapping now? That part of your grand plan?”
Bradley sighed theatrically. “Not my first choice, believe me. But I ran out of options thanks to your mother and her merry band of idiots.” He leaned against the car, rolling his shoulders. “Had to dodge roadblocks. They’re looking for me everywhere.”
Audrey’s stomach clenched.
He really was running out of time.
Bradley shook his head, as if disappointed by the entire situation. “I had a nice, quiet exit planned. But no … now I’m forced to improvise.”
Audrey held her breath slightly.
She was not going to die here.
Bradley exhaled sharply. “So, change of plans.” His lips curved into a slow, smug smile. “Since the roads are no good … I figured I’d take the scenic route.”
Audrey’s whole body quivered.
She knew what that meant.
The boats.
Bradley grabbed her arm, yanking her up roughly.
Audrey dug her heels into the trunk’s lining, twisting to try and break free, but Bradley’s grip was like iron.
“Easy now,” he warned. “I’d rather not have to knock you out again.”
Audrey glared. “My brothers are out lobstering. You won’t find a boat to steal.”
Bradley chuckled, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Nice try, sweetheart. I already know the fleet’s docked.” He shoved her forward, stepping aside to let her stumble out of the trunk.
The moment her feet hit the ground, the trunk slammed shut behind her.
Audrey flinched, the sound reverberating through the quiet, foggy night.
She stared at the closed trunk, a sense of hopelessness creeping in.
No one knew where she was.
She was at Bradley’s mercy.
And if he got her on a boat …
She wasn’t coming back.
Audrey’s pulse pounded in her ears as she stumbled toward the dock, Bradley’s vise-like grip digging into her arm.
The fog had thickened, clinging to the air like a suffocating blanket, muting every sound except for the rhythmic slap of water against the pilings.
The docks were nearly empty this time of night—no fishermen unloading the day’s catch, no workers securing lines or stacking crates.
Just darkness, the eerie glow of the harbor lights, and her captor, marching her straight toward the boats.
Think, Audrey. Think.
Bradley nudged her forward with a gun, his breath warm against the back of her neck. “Keep moving,” he ordered, voice eerily calm. “No sudden moves, or I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in you.”
Audrey gritted her teeth, her mind racing. She had to get out of this.
They reached the dock where her family’s boats were moored, their names painted in bold script on the sides. If she got on one of those boats, she was dead.
Bradley shoved her forward.
Audrey took a deep breath.
She had only one shot.
At the last possible second, she threw herself sideways, kicking out as hard as she could, striking Bradley’s wrist.
The gun clattered to the dock, spinning away.
Bradley cursed, momentarily stunned, and Audrey didn’t waste a second. She spun on her heel, slammed both hands into his chest, and shoved him with everything she had.
Bradley staggered backward.
His foot slipped on the wet dock.
His eyes went wide with shock.
Then—with a sickening splash—he toppled over the edge and into the freezing water below.
Audrey didn’t stop to watch him struggle.
She ran.
Her lungs burned as she tore down the dock, her boots pounding against the wooden planks. The fog was so thick she could barely see, but she knew these docks better than anyone. If she could just make it to Main Street, she had a chance.
Just keep running.
Don’t look back.
She darted between stacks of lobster traps, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She risked a glance behind her, but there was no sign of Bradley.
For a brief, flickering moment, she thought she was in the clear.
Then, a hand shot out of the darkness and yanked her backward.
Audrey let out a strangled gasp as a strong arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her into the shadows of an alley between two buildings. A hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Then, a voice—low, urgent—whispered in her ear.
“Shhh. It’s me.”
Audrey’s body went rigid.
Jimmy.
She twisted, trying to get a better look at him, relief flooding through her.
“Jimmy,” she gasped, voice muffled against his palm.
He slowly loosened his grip, and she whirled to face him, her breath coming fast. “Bradley kidnapped me. I need help. He’s—”
“I know,” Jimmy interrupted, eyes darting around the foggy street. “He’s looking for you. We don’t have much time.”
Audrey clutched his arm. “You have to help me get to the police. My mom—”
Jimmy hesitated.
Audrey froze, suddenly realizing something was off.
His expression wasn’t right. There was no urgency, no real concern.
His gaze flicked past her—not at her, but over her shoulder, toward the docks.
And that’s when Audrey felt it—the slow, creeping dread curling in her stomach.
No.
She took a tiny step back, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You knew.”
Jimmy sighed. “I didn’t want it to come to this.”
Audrey’s breath hitched.
He wasn’t here to help her.
He was here to give her back.
Bradley’s mystery accomplice.
Of all the people in town …
Jimmy?