Defenseless (23 page)

A
steady rhythm of water dripped into a metal pail. Its constant pinging sound echoed loudly throughout the otherwise quiet room to penetrate through Dwayne's unconsciousness.

Dwayne's eyes blinked behind his closed lids in time with the falling water until they finally fluttered open, but only darkness greeted him. His nostrils immediately protested from the musky mildew stench around him. His labored breathing seeming boisterously loud, which made his throbbing headache strengthen in power.
What happened?

He couldn't remember what happened, so he felt unsure of his memory. When he tried to move, he found his hands were restrained behind his back. Sitting uncomfortably on a hard floor, he waited for something or someone to explain this predicament.

A rattling sound coming from the opposite direction drew his attention just as the door was flung back and a flood of light hurt his eyes.

“Welcome back among the living, Mr. Hamilton,” a deep voice said.

Dwayne forced himself to squint against the light to see who had entered the room. He could make out only a large shadow that dominated the doorway. Nothing he saw or heard seemed familiar.

The man stepped farther into the room. His heavy footsteps drummed against the cement floor. Dwayne immediately prepared himself for the worst.

A stranger reached above his head and pulled a silver chain. A bright lightbulb clicked on, causing Dwayne to turn away. The man's sinister laughter forced Dwayne's attention back to the stranger.

Dwayne found his captor's dark features hauntingly familiar. His black skin looked as rich as coal, but his eyes seemed darker than that. His haggard-looking beard looked awkward, as did his short hair.
Where have I seen this man before?

Dwayne searched his memory but couldn't come up with any answers. The man's wicked smile drew the most attention. He possessed the brightest set of white teeth.

Dwayne wished he could pull himself up from the floor to confront this man one-on-one, but his bound legs prevented that simple liberty.

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” Dwayne replied, never wavering his piercing gaze.

“And I plan to keep it that way,” his captor retorted. “Don't worry, you're not in any danger as of yet. I guess that will all depend on your girlfriend.”

Anger replaced Dwayne's anxieties. His concern for his safety shifted to Sonya's. He lunged at the man unexpectedly, pushing himself with his knees.

The man made a surprised yelp when Dwayne's body slammed against him. It didn't take long before his captor recovered from his attack and began throwing punches solidly across Dwayne's unprotected face and body. Dwayne grunted in pain when one punch after another landed on him. He could taste his blood trickling from his busted lip.

Only when Dwayne felt himself hanging on the brink of unconsciousness did the stranger end his violent assault. Dwayne rolled away and began coughing and sputtering blood.
That was a foolish thing to do.

His attacker spoke in a heavy tone, trying to catch his breath. “I suggest you try to be more cooperative, Mr. Hamilton. It will be much easier on yourself if you do.”

Dwayne squeezed his eyes shut against the persistent throbbing in every inch of his body. The stranger turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Dwayne wallowed in silent misery.

A few minutes later, the door was flung open again, and two men rushed into the room, grabbing him from the floor. Dwayne tried to fight against the awkward position they held him in. His struggles proved to be useless, as the men carried him from one room and into another.

In the next motion, he felt his body hurtling through the air like a paper sack. When he hit the floor, he fought to suppress the urge to cry out in pain. The door slammed behind him, yet this time he wasn't left alone.

 

“What do you mean, you lost her?” Frank yelled into the phone. He could feel his temperature rising again. He couldn't believe the level of incompetence of his men.

“Some lady picked her up in front of the bank,” Samuel stuttered.

Frank couldn't help the full minute of offensive curses he shouted into the phone. This latest screwup could very well blow his cover. For every apology Samuel offered, his anger rose.

Frank pulled open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a brown prescription bottle: his blood pressure pills. What would he do without them? He took a quick moment to calm himself down before returning to his conversation with Samuel.

“Who picked her up?” he asked in a calm voice that camouflaged his rage.

“She drove a red Toyota Camry. I got the license number.”

Frank scrambled to retrieve paper and pen. “Give me the number.” Frank nodded as he scribbled down the number. “JRT477, got it. I'll call you back with the name and address.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Samuel?”

“Yes?”

“Don't screw up.” The threat was his final warning.

“Yes, boss,” Samuel responded with a shaky, fear-filled voice.

Frank slammed down the phone, muttering more curses. He swore he wouldn't tolerate another foul-up from his men.

 

Samuel received the call from Frank within ten minutes. He knew from the directness in his boss's voice that if he didn't succeed, it would cost him his life.

He arrived at Royal Walk Luxury Apartments in Decatur in thirty minutes. He drove slowly, trying to locate the familiar red Camry. When he saw it, he parked in the parking lot across from his targeted building.
This is it.
He switched off the engine and retrieved his gun from the glove compartment.
This shouldn't take long.

 

Carmen paced across the champagne-colored carpet. Now and then she would glance at the unconscious Sonya with frustration.
What's wrong with her?
She had tried for more than an hour to wake her, but Sonya would only roll her head from side to side.

She had tried for the past hour to reach Dwayne to let him know what was going on. He wasn't at home or in the car. When she tried the hospital, Sharon said that he received an urgent call and had left.

Frustrated, she slammed the phone down.
Maybe I should try to get her to a doctor.
She didn't know. So far it seemed that Sonya was only sleeping. As much as she wanted to hate Sonya right now, she knew she needed to help her. But this whole situation had her on edge.

Just then, a loud knock sounded at her door. She jumped. She dashed for her purse and removed her gun.

The knock sounded again.

I need to get her out of sight.

Placing the gun on a nearby coffee table, Carmen tried to pull Sonya from the sofa but her dead weight made her to stumble. Carmen dropped Sonya on the floor. The knock sounded again, this time more persistent.

“Coming,” she called out. She suddenly wished she could cut out her own tongue.
Why on earth did I say that?
Filled with a sense of urgency, she scooped up Sonya from underneath her arms and pulled her into the back bedroom.

Sonya moaned.

“Please be quiet, Sonya.”

When Sonya fell silent again, Carmen felt certain that she would remain in her condition long enough for her to get rid of whoever was at the door.

 

Samuel heard footsteps approaching the door. He gave a quick glance around the empty hallway. When the lock clicked, Samuel pulled out the gun from his jacket and waited patiently for the door to open.

D
wayne shifted his weight, then pressed his body upright to see who occupied the room with him. Shock riveted across his features the moment he recognized Laura. He looked beside her to see Malik. Both were strapped securely in separate chairs.

“I don't believe it,” he whispered.

Dwayne met Laura's unblinking gaze with curiosity. He searched her face for any sign of recognition. She gave none. Her expression remained void of emotion. She appeared older, perhaps jaded, he thought. He tried to imagine the horror she must have experienced the past few weeks, but he just couldn't.

“Laura?” He hoped to draw her out of her deep trance.

Laura glanced at the door, then shook her head. He understood her meaning. Someone was listening.

Dwayne looked to Malik. He must have encountered the same abusive punishment. His face had numerous cuts and bruises—some still bleeding. But behind his bruised face, Dwayne saw life flickering in his eyes. Dwayne knew whoever tangled with Malik endured far worse treatment. Dwayne nodded toward him, and Malik returned the gesture.

Dwayne tried to understand what was going on. The stranger wanted Sonya. But why? Apparently this wild case wasn't over Laura. They already had her. Nothing made sense anymore. Why did they want Sonya? At times she could be a little rough around the edges, but he refused to believe that she could have such vicious enemies. He looked around anxiously, trying to figure out a way to escape. He had to get to Sonya. Her life was in danger.

 

“I want her found. I have everyone here except the one I want!”

The men watched C.J. roar. The men looked among themselves as if searching for someone to place the blame on. Time was running out, and they all knew it. They all had as much at stake as their boss.

The door to their small meeting room burst open. C.J. looked at Matt, his anxious employee, who entered the room. C.J. signaled him over.

“Samuel's moving,” Matt said in a rushed voice. C.J. turned and motioned for two men, Jack and Benjamin, to follow him. Once outside the room, he spoke in a harsh whisper. “I want you two on Samuel's trail like white on rice. You understand me?”

The men nodded.

“I want to know what Frank knows and if he has what I want. I want you to make sure his plans are destroyed. Do I make myself clear?”

Again the men nodded.

“Good. Now get on it. And don't report back to me unless you have good news,” C.J. warned.

C.J. watched them leave with troubled eyes. He couldn't afford another screwup. A buyer wanted the merchandise in two weeks. It meant his life if he couldn't deliver this time. The way he saw it, if he went down, he was taking everyone down with him, including Miss Walters and everyone she held dear.

 

Sharon sat next to Bridget's bed, thumbing through one of the books Shock-something-or-other had brought over for her niece to read. The more she read, the more interested Sharon became. The pictures of rare coins fascinated her. She read page after page of intriguing information of lost cities and unique histories.

Finally she turned to a page Bridget had marked off. Sharon stared at the eight-by-eleven picture of a beautiful Aztec coin. Her eyes widened at one beautiful coin called Amaceo; it had an estimated value of…“Twenty million dollars!” she exclaimed, standing up from the chair.

Bridget's eyes fluttered open.

“Oh, I'm sorry, Bridget. I didn't mean to wake you. I guess I had gotten caught up in these books.”

“What are you reading?” Bridget asked, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes.

“A book on lost coins and their histories.”

Bridget smiled. “Fascinating, aren't they?”

Sharon returned her smile. “I believe I owe you an apology. I was wrong to criticize your dream of being a coin dealer. This stuff is great.” Sharon continued to shake her head.

“Did you see the one that looks like Sonya's?” Bridget asked excitedly.

“Sonya's?” Sharon opened the book again. This time she looked closer, and a slow smile creased her lips. “Well, I'll be damned.”

“If it's the same coin, it's worth a fortune,” Bridget continued saying.

“I see. Do you think this is Sonya's coin?”

“I'm almost positive.”

“Sonya wouldn't casually wear a twenty-million-dollar coin around her neck.” Sharon's lips twisted into a half frown. “I wonder…”

James entered the room, carrying two Cokes. Sharon grabbed her purse and kissed Bridget's forehead.

“I'll be back,” she said, heading toward the door.

“Where are you going?” James asked in bewilderment.

“Down to the police station to find Sonya,” she answered and slipped out the door.

James turned and looked at Bridget, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

 

Sharon jumped into her silver Mercedes and started the engine. Something felt out of place. During the drive to the police department, Sharon tried to remember when Sonya received that coin necklace.

It took a while before the memory of Sonya's last birthday came to mind. Three months ago, Laura gave her a necklace. Was it the same necklace? She couldn't remember. Sonya owned plenty of jewelry. She couldn't be sure of when she received anything. But twenty million was a hefty price tag. Too big a price tag for Sonya to casually wear around her neck daily.

Sharon parked her car outside the police station and rushed into the building. She hoped she hadn't missed Sonya. Once inside, an officer pointed her in the direction of Sergeant Freeman's office. She couldn't believe the difference in the police station between night and day. Today there were so many officers crowding the hallways, she hardly recognized the place.

When she approached Freeman's office, she heard the sergeant apologizing profusely to someone. She paused before knocking on the cracked door.

“I'm sorry for the delay,” he was saying. “I'll have that coin for you by this afternoon as promised.”

Sharon felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. She prayed she wasn't hearing the sergeant clearly.

“Yes, sir,” she heard him say. “Will do. I guarantee you there will be no more problems. The Amaceo coin will be in your hands tonight.”

Sharon backed away from the door in horror. The expression on her face must have conveyed her thoughts as an officer tapped her on her shoulder. She squealed as she jumped.

“Are you all right, ma'am?” a young officer asked with concern.

“Yes, I'm fine, thank you,” she lied, backing up from the officer as if he'd burned her. She turned and bumped solidly into another officer. “Excuse me,” she said, then stepped around him and rushed out of the station as fast as she could.

Dear God, what should I do?
She made it to her car, visibly shaken from what she had discovered. This whole thing was over the Amaceo coin—and the police department was involved. Sharon fumbled through her purse, trying to retrieve her keys. She finally clutched them, then tried to unlock her car door, but her shaking hands caused her to drop them. She quickly scooped them up, then stood again only to come face-to-face with Sergeant Freeman.

 

Sonya moaned and clutched her head. Its heavy pounding held her at its mercy. She struggled to open her eyes despite the pain. She felt ill. Her stomach threatened to heave its contents. She quickly covered her mouth to prevent the inevitable.

Her stomach delivered on its promise. Once done, she felt better. She tilted her head up toward the ceiling, thankful for the welcome relief.

Sonya pulled herself up on her wobbly legs and felt another wave of nausea threaten. A loud thud drew her attention toward the closed door.
What was that?
Until that moment, Sonya hadn't wondered about her surroundings. She looked around, puzzled. She reached for the door, but something warned her against it. She heard someone searching through nearby rooms.

Sonya turned toward the window and contemplated an exit route. Suddenly a man's voice rang out in the apartment.

“Who in the hell are you?” she heard the man ask in a thunderous voice.

“Friend of C.J.'s,” another voice answered.

Sonya covered her mouth when she heard what sounded like muffled shots.

 

“Is he dead?” Jack asked, waiting for Benjamin to check the body.

“As a doornail,” Benjamin replied, shaking his head. “So is the chick. It's a shame, though—she's some looker.”

“It's a shame that he tried to work with both C.J. and Frank. He should have known that was dangerous. Search the apartment. That broad has to be here somewhere.”

Both men split up and went to search every room.

“She's not here,” Benjamin yelled.

“Damn! The boss isn't going to like this one bit,” he said, shaking his head.

“He said not to call him unless we have good news. I suggest we try to find her. I'm not about to call him and tell him we came up empty-handed.”

“Good point. Let's go. She can't be far.”

 

Malik grew restless, sitting in the wooden chair. No one spoke as they waited in anticipation. He noticed Dwayne trying to loosen his tied hands. Malik watched Laura drift off to sleep. He had watched her saddened expression for most of the day. He read the mistrust in her eyes. She refused to speak to him or Dwayne.

As she slept, she looked much like a lost angel. He remembered her from the old neighborhood. She was a scrawny little thing, just a shadow of her sister's beauty. He remembered her being a quiet girl, never having too many friends surrounding her. Who knew she would turn out to be such a beauty?

Of course her face was smudged with dirt, and her clothes were filthy, but there was more there. He could see it, feel it. He continued to watch her soft breathing pattern in pure fascination.

The door rattled, and everyone became alert, including Laura. Two men entered the room and headed for Laura.

Laura's eyes widened as she pushed her chair away from them, a futile act that didn't prevent them from grabbing her shoulder painfully. Laura cried out.

Malik tried to come out of his chair in an attempt to protect her. The two men jumped away from Malik, fear visible in their expressions. One of the men tried to reach for Laura again but was cut off by Malik thrusting his chair between them.

“Come on, man. I don't want to have to hurt you,” one of the men dared to threaten.

“Give it your best shot,” Malik challenged. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Dwayne had finally snapped his hands free from the ropes. A wicked grin covered his lips as Dwayne jumped to his feet and landed an elbow punch to the back of one man's head.

Malik rocked to his feet and swung around to hit the other man with his chair. He then proceeded to kick the man solidly in his chest and back. He also dealt a quick blow to the man's head, knocking him out cold. He turned back to Laura and saw Dwayne untying her hands.

When he finished, Dwayne proceeded to untie him, too. But when he looked at Laura, she seemed to cower away from him as if she feared him.

“Come on. We have to get out of here,” Dwayne commanded.

Laura raced behind Dwayne while Malik took up the rear. When they stepped out of the small room and into a dark hallway, Malik heard Laura gasp. He reached out and took her hand, trying to calm her down, but she snatched her hand away almost in fear.

“Shh…” Dwayne whispered.

Malik didn't press the issue. Laura was afraid of him, that much he was sure of.

A light switch clicked on, and the threesome turned toward the source.

“Hey!” a man cried from behind them.

“Go!” Malik shouted, pointing down the opposite hallway.

“The prisoners are getting away!” the man shouted.

Malik raced behind them, glancing over his shoulder. More men filtered through the hallway for the chase. Laura stumbled but Malik grabbed her before she hit the floor.

“Keep moving, sweetheart,” he urged her on.

Dwayne stopped.

“What's wrong?” Laura asked frantically.

“It's a dead end,” Dwayne said, looking around.

“What are we going to do now?” she asked when she saw the men gaining on them.

“This way.” Malik pointed down another hallway.

Dwayne and Laura wasted no time, but that hallway was another dead end. Laura spotted a small window about seven feet up. Malik followed her gaze.

“Do you think you can fit through there?” Malik asked.

Laura nodded. In the next moment, Malik and Dwayne propelled her up to reach the window. She struggled to pry it open.

“You can do it, sweetheart,” Malik encouraged.

The footsteps drew closer just as Laura pushed open the window and pulled herself through.