Slow… steady.
I moved my wrists slowly, back and forth, until I felt my skin begin to tear against the rope. I stopped and rested for a few minutes before trying again… and again… and again. After what felt like forever, I finally started to feel the rope give around my wrists. Blood trickled down my hands as I twisted them back and forth, making them slippery. It was just enough for me to pull one hand through the rope, letting it fall free around my other hand. I quickly lifted my hand and removed the blindfold and the tape from my mouth. I laid back and took a long, deep breath, letting my eyes adjust to the dark surroundings. I was no better off without the blindfold; I still couldn’t see a thing.
I tried to lift myself up, but the stabbing pain in my head forced me back down. I reached up along the back of my neck, searching for the source of pain. I carefully ran my hand over the large knot on the back of my head, and blood covered my fingertips. I was bleeding, but it wasn’t bad enough to keep me down. I had to get the hell out. I had to get to Wyatt. I felt along the curved edges of the wall, and I quickly determined that I was indeed in the trunk of a car. Now, I just needed to find a way out.
Chapter 20
Stitch
?
As soon as we pulled into Clearwater, I pulled over and gave Gonzalez a call. “What’s the word?”
“I got ’em,” Gonzalez told me over the phone. “Got lucky when the prick stopped for gas. Added a little agua to his tank when he went in to buy a pack of cigarettes,” he laughed.
“Where is he now?” I asked.
“Guess they figured it was gonna take ’em a while to fix his car, so they gave him one of their rentals. Followed him to the hotel down on Lumbar Street. It’s gonna take ’em a few hours to fix his car, maybe longer if Dan isn’t working in the garage today. His son, Billy, don’t know shit about engines. It could take him forever to figure out it was just water in the tank,” Gonzalez laughed.
“Did you see who he had with him?” I asked.
“Yeah. Had a kid in the backseat.”
“You didn’t see a woman with them?” I asked.
“Nah, just the kid from what I could tell,” he answered.
“I’ll be there in five. Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere,” I demanded.
“Sitting right outside his room, brother. This guy ain’t going nowhere. He’s been in there cussing and screaming for the past fifteen minutes. Just came out to the car and grabbed himself a fifth of bourbon, so it won’t be long ’till he’ll settles down,” he chuckled.
I didn’t like the sound of that, not one fucking bit. I knew very well what Michael was capable of, and I hated the thought of Wyatt and Wren in the room alone with him.
“If he starts in again, distract him,” I ordered.
“You got it,” he chuckled.
Wren should’ve been in that car and not knowing where she was gave me a sick feeling in my gut. When I couldn’t shake the feeling, I made a call to Cotton. As soon as he answered, I asked, “Need eyes on the warehouse. Gonzalez didn’t see Wren with Michael.”
“We’re here now,” Cotton confirmed.
“Have you seen any sign of her?” I asked anxiously.
“Not yet. Only one of the cameras is still working, and there has been no sign of anyone coming or going since last night. We’re securing the perimeters before we go in,” Cotton explained.
“Fuck,” I roared. “We need to get in there. See if she’s there!”
“We’ve gotta be careful with this Stitch. Don’t know how many guys they’ve got with them,” Cotton started.
“There’s no time to be careful. They might have Wren!” I let out a deep breath and said, “You just gotta see where I’m coming from here, Cotton.”
“I know damn well where you’re coming from, but you need to reign that shit in, brother. We’re playing this thing smart. Period,” he answered.
“I’m claiming her, Cotton,” I told him. “I can’t lose her.”
“And you won’t. If she’s there, we’ll get her,” he assured me. “First, we get eyes on them… see what we’re up against. Then, we’ll make our move.”