Bounty's End (Bounty for Hire) (11 page)

“Fine, I’m turning your way. Give me ten,” Anthony snarled into the phone.

Okay, he had ten minutes. Walking back into the living room, Thomas noticed that Keylee had a tea set on the coffee table, pouring Mrs. Snow tea while Mr. Snow had a glass in his hands that held dark liquid. The poor man probably needed it.

“Okay, Detective Phillips is on his way over. Can I get you guys anything while we wait?”

They both shook their heads as they were seated on his couch holding hands waiting. That was all they could do—wait.

Thomas turned back to the kitchen and saw that Keylee was waving him over.

“Here’s Jefferson; talk to him.”

“Hey.”

“Keylee is saying that Wen is missing?”

“Her parents think so and I have to say I’m starting to think so. She left work at five, I know, because I got a text from her then stating she was leaving. It’s close to seven now. Her parents said she wasn’t answering her phone. Hell, I tried calling and get nothing but voicemail. Fuck! Jefferson, I talked to her at three and everything was fine, I talked to you at two and everything was fine.

All right, listen man, let me swing by the store and see if there’s something there might give us clues. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.”

Thomas disconnected his phone and turned to look at the Snows, who each held sadness in their eyes.

“My brother is heading to your store to look around.”

“I don’t know what good that will do. We just came from there,” Mr. Snow bellowed.

“Sir,” Thomas started and then stopped at the shout.

“James,” Mrs. Snow gasped.

“Well, Andrea, I’m simply stating a fact here to the boy.”

Thomas could see that the man needed this, so as much as he wanted to interject, he said nothing and allowed the man to yell. “You’re right, sir,” Thomas volunteered.

Thomas watched as the man looked at him and then hung his shoulders, sitting back down with his wife. “I’m sorry, son, it’s just that with everything that has happened, I feel so useless and defenseless to protect my own child.”

Thomas knew that feeling all too well.

“Sir—”

“Don’t you think you can call me James now, son? I can see by the look in your eyes that you care for my daughter. I would assume that she means something to you?”

Thomas’s footsteps faltered just a bit before he righted himself.

“Yes, sir…I mean, James,” Thomas stuttered out. He was beside himself, waiting for Anthony to get to his house. The sun continued to go down and darkness started to coat the sky. Damn, he should have been there with her. Keylee would have been fine at the house by herself. He knew that, but instead he chose to stay home with this sister than go out and protect the woman he loved. Months, days, minutes did not matter to him. He loved her and damn it to hell, he needed to tell her. She needed to hear him say the words.

“
Hang on, Wen, I’m coming for you
, he said silently, hoping and praying the words somehow were carried to her, wrapping her in the warmth of his love.

He’d loved her from the moment she asked him to help move her furniture. For six months, he loved her from afar, although only getting to know her through Keylee. He knew in his heart that she was the one and he was ready to go to war with whoever the fuck had her.

He was beside himself pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room waiting for Anthony to arrive. As he paced, he called Eva to see if she could get information from any security cameras in the area.

Anthony finally arrived and they talked about what they needed to do and what could actually be done. None of the possibilities were helping Thomas calm down any. Especially as he watched the minutes tick by. Anthony promised to return after he was off duty and let him know if anything came up during the night.

Damn, he really wanted to beat his head against the wall or punch something. The only thing that kept him from punching something was the mere fact that Wen’s parents were in his house, and he wasn’t going to show them his anger. As the night rolled on, Thomas asked James and Andrea to stay with him. He could tell that they didn’t want to, but at the same time, they were too physically and emotionally exhausted to drive home.

Chapter 15

Wen wasn’t sure if it was still night or day. There were no windows and ‘Mr. Smooth’ talked nonstop, asking her about her current projects, anything that she found, what she’d informed the police of. Every hour though, she had been released to use the bathroom. Regardless of needing to use it or not, she took the break to stretch her legs, wash her face in the sink and rinse her mouth out.

It had to have been morning, because she had a crick in neck from obviously sleeping. Her hands were not in handcuffs behind her back. When that happened she wasn’t sure, because of the numb feeling she had coursing from her shoulders to her fingers.

After the last round of questioning, she finally caved and made up a story about finding drugs in a desk she was working on in her basement. Her only hope was that Thomas would be home and would be able to help her, because as pissed as this guy was now, he was about to get reach nuclear when he discovered she made up a story just to get out of the hell hole he was keeping her in.

The only reason she finally caved was because Mr. Smooth announced he hated killing women, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t to get what he wanted or needed.

Wen wanted to cry and ask
why me
, but she understood that none of that would help her. She needed to get out of this. Her only hope was that her family and Thomas were out there looking for her.

Oh god, what if they didn’t know she was gone? Wen didn’t have her purse or cell on her. The rat bastard could have easily made it look like she just left.

Shit
.

“No,” she uttered into the darkness that surrounded her. Her parents, as well as Thomas, would be looking. She didn’t know how, but inside, she knew that he was trying to find her right now.

“ ‘No’ what, Ms. Snow?”

His voice caught her off guard and made her jump in the chair.

“I did not mean to frighten you.”

Yeah, right
.

“My men went to your house during the middle of the night.”

“Please tell me that they didn’t break any more of my windows,” Wen murmured.

“No, Ms. Snow, we are not common thieves. There is a thing called class.”

“Class? There is class when it comes to breaking into houses?”

She knew it was the wrong thing to say, especially when he took a step closer to her. They might not be touching, but holy cow, she could feel the heat emitting from him.

“Ms. Snow I do not appreciate your attitude or your defiance.”

“Seriously, this is not attitude or defiance. This is me being kidnapped and held against my will. This is me waking up to some smelly god-forsaken place, and this is me wondering how the hell you got into my fucking house!” The screamed reply was long enough to make Wen out of breath. Panting, as she watched his eyes shift left and right. Sometimes she was really stupid.

“It does not matter how my boys got into your house, lady. What matters, is they got in without any detection, even though your cul-de-sac was surrounded by cops.”

Wen felt the breath she was holding leave her body. Oh god, if they got in and out without the cops seeing, how was anyone supposed to find her?

“Now, Ms. Snow, do you want to explain about your fucking basement one more time?”

Wen heard the venom in his words. Oh god, he was pissed. Why was he pissed?

“I-I-I told you everything.”

Stay strong, stay strong
.

“Would you believe, Ms. Snow, that they did not find anything in your basement other than an old table and some other antiques? They called and woke me up from a great, wonderful dream, just to tell me there was nothing there. Well, let’s just say class went out the window, and my boys smashed every piece of china that was in your basement looking for my shit.” His last words were screamed at her.

Wen could feel her heart rate picking up. She didn’t understand.

“I-I don’t un-understand,” she stuttered out. Of course, she didn’t understand why he would send his men. Oh god, she meant for him not to do that. She wanted him to take her with him to get out of this place.

“You. Don’t. Understand? Do you think I am a stupid man, Ms. Snow?” His words were spewed through gritted teeth, making her flinch.

Wen didn’t answer, for she figured that this was just a rhetorical question on his part. As much as she wanted to put her face down to keep away from his stare, she held her head high. He could stare her down all he wanted.

“I can see that you understand that I am not a stupid man. I like to consider myself a very diplomatic man. I swore that if you gave me the drugs, I would let you go. Now, I find that you lied to me, so our previous agreement has been rescinded.”

“I didn’t lie!” She shouted at him, straining to get closer to him. This playing demure shit was for the birds. She was tired, sore, hungry, pissed and by god, she needed to pee. “Listen, buddy, I told you that I found drugs in the desk.” She made her voice sound strong.

“Yes, in your basement,” Mr. Smooth interjected, and for the first time since she had been taken, he stepped into the light. He pushed is face just mere inches from hers.

“Right. In my basement…”

“Yes, and…”

“In…in my basement is where two kids broke into my house looking for drugs, so you know I hid it…” A lie with a truth. She might just be able to get out of this after all.

“Why didn’t you just tell me where you hid it?” The words were whispered into the air.

Keeping her eyes focused on him, she stated, “Because, asshole, I’m not inclined to give way vital information when I’m strapped down to a chair. You might say you will let me go, but until my body is out of this god-forsaken place, you only get minimal information. If you want your shit, get me the fuck out of here
now
!” she threatened.

Without another word, Mr. Smooth left her and walked up what she presumed to be basement stairs. She didn’t have to wait long before he returned.

“All right, Ms. Snow. First, let’s get you to the bathroom and then some food. It seems as though you and I need to have a conversation. If you can be good, I will even let you keep the cuffs off your wrists.”

Wen took care of all her needs and then was escorted up the basement stairs. This was bad, she thought to herself. If she was seeing the light, then she was going to die. It was official, she was going to die. She hadn’t gotten to talk to Thomas or her parents.

Hitching back a sob, Wen took one step at a time. Ready to face her doom.

Chapter 16

Wen was exhausted emotionally and physically. Through the sheer black mask that she wore, she could see the clock with bright red numbers read just after seven o’clock in the morning. Well, if her calculations were correct, she was only gone a night. A single night that her family and Thomas had to worry. If she was a kick-ass woman like Keylee, Wen planned to break off Mr. Smooth’s balls as soon as she could. Granted, it was currently just a fantasy in her mind. But still, it was nice to think about crippling the guy who kidnapped her, bound her, and scared her.

After Mr. Smooth’s earlier anger, he made some calls and now here she was in the back of a car with a mask over her head. Why the mask, she was not sure; maybe to keep her from seeing where she left from. Trying to think like a criminal was hard work. Work she didn’t understand, nor did she want to.

“It’s for the best, dear,” he said to her as he’d placed it over her eyes.

Not that she believed him, because seriously, she was dead one way or another if her plan didn’t work out.

Please be home, Thomas, please be home
.

“Tell me again what took place at your house, Ms. Snow.”

“I told you already, two kids broke into my house looking for drugs they had stashed in some pieces that my parents bought at an auction. What I know is the kids are locked up and I have a freaking mask on my face,” she screamed at him. Pissing him off further probably was not a smart thing, but her patience was running thin and she was not about to give the kid up.

“There is no need to get snippy, my dear. I am taking you to your house, am I not? I have not hurt you, have I?

You kidnapped me, you douche bag
, she wanted to say, but held silent as he paused before continuing.

“Then there is no reason for your attitude. Soon this will be all over.”

Yeah it would; she would be dead or he would—either way, it was going to be over.

* * *

The morning brought more worry and concern for Thomas as well as for James and Andrea Snow. Thomas watched the older couple walk into the kitchen from the living room. They looked rumbled, tired and scared.

He and Keylee were up early talking to Anthony who came over to the house after he got off duty. Thomas called Eva back and all she could report was that she could see a man get in Wen’s car around 4 p.m. and never left it. Just after 5 p.m., Wen got in her car and drove off in the direction of home.

However, she was able to let him know that Wen’s car did drive five blocks in the direction of her house, only to pull into an abandoned gas station. From there, a tall white male in a black shirt and black pants got out of the backseat and moved into the driver’s seat. After that, she lost them, but planned on getting on his trail. When Eva disconnected, Thomas didn’t know whether to be happy that Eva found something out or be worried because she didn’t see Wen get out of the vehicle.

His worries would have to take a backseat for a moment as the Snows came into the kitchen. Thomas offered up coffee and tea to both of them. The silence that filled his house was overwhelming. So, to give them some info about their daughter, he told them about how her car was seen driving five blocks, only to stop and a guy climbed out of the back and into the front driver’s seat.