Broken Road (33 page)

“But she d-d…she doesn’t know me. She won’t go. I just s-spoke with her once and…and I d-don’t think…she liked me. She won’t go.”

“Make her,” she said forcefully. “It’s for her own good. You’re going to have to take her by force. You have no choice. No one in her right mind would voluntarily take off with a stranger. You have to wear a disguise so you aren’t recognized by anyone, and so no one could give an accurate description of you if you’re seen. She’ll be scared in the beginning, but she’ll get over it once she realizes you won’t hurt her. The important thing is to get her away from her boyfriend as soon as possible.”

“Where? I c-c-can’t bring her…here,” he said, glancing around.

“No. You’re right. You definitely can’t do that. I’ll figure something out. I’ll find somewhere for you to take her. Once I do, I’ll give you all the information. You just have to get her and take her there.”

“I…I…I’m not s-s-sure.”

Hesitation. Not good. Morgan grabbed him forcefully by the arms and said, “Benjamin. Do you care for her or not? He might kill her the next time.”

“I c-care.”

“Then do this for her, Benjamin. She needs you. You can’t abandon her now.” Oh, where were those damn tweezers when you needed them? She was putting on her best performance to date, but still couldn’t seem to force a tear or two out.

“D-d-do whatever you need to do. I have to protect her…f-from him.” He pulled out another strand of hair. If he kept this up, he’d be bald by the end of the night.

“You’re doing the right thing,” she said, and then she walked away. Once she was in her room, she closed the door and took in a deep breath. It felt like the first breath she’d taken since she started her conversation with Benjamin. All she needed to do was have him take Angelise away for a few days and then release her. She would go running home to her precious mommy and daddy in Bradenton, and Jarrod would remain in Gainesville. Eventually, in good time, he would forget about all about her. He was looking gorgeous. More so now than a year ago.
All that working out brought out muscles on top of muscles, and he was looking mighty fine
, she thought.

She had work to do. She needed to find a place where Benjamin could keep her hidden for a few days. But where? Perhaps a hotel room somewhere. But then he would have to keep her tied up and gagged. If she were to scream, she would alert the other guests or staff. If he kept her untied, she would try to escape. As much as she hated Angelise for her betrayal, she wasn’t comfortable with her being gagged and tied. But what choice did she have? It would only be for a few days anyway. All she wanted was for Angelise to be scared enough to leave for good. She needed her out of the way.

What about Benjamin, though? He’d likely be caught and sent to jail if Angelise were able to identify him after her release. And if that were the case, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw Morgan under the bus. Benjamin would have to continue wearing a disguise while he kept Angelise captive. Either that, or he would have to keep her blindfolded the entire time.

She would also have to follow Angelise closely for the next few days. Not close enough to be seen, but just enough to keep tabs on her. Morgan already knew her schedule, and if she didn’t skip any classes on Friday, more than likely she would be leaving with Jarrod after three o’clock when her last class was done. But what if she wasn’t planning on going with Jarrod? Of course she was. Those two were practically inseparable. It made her sick to think she used to have to beg and plead for Jarrod to take her out somewhere. All he ever wanted to do was play baseball or sit in her house and watch television. And even when he did do that, which wasn’t all that often, he was constantly glancing down at his watch in anticipation of his departure.

What if it wasn’t this weekend they were planning on leaving? Her mother hadn’t been sure. The more she thought of it, the more she believed Benjamin should take Angel on Thursday evening. It wouldn’t be smart to grab her in the middle of the day, with hundreds of students milling about. No matter. The sooner it happened, the sooner Angelise would be out of her life, and Jarrod’s as well. Yes, there was much work to be done. She’d better get a move on it. Thursday was right around the corner.

Chapter Thirty-Two

B
y Thursday morning Morgan had made all the necessary arrangements. She had checked in for them using the cash her mother had sent and booked the room for Thursday night through Tuesday morning at an offbeat “no-tell motel” south of Archer Road. The main office was a small building separate from the jerry-built, jury-rigged, long, dilapidated building of connecting rooms. With only two levels, there was no elevator, just stairways connecting the ground level to the second.

The tottering building was painted a dull gray and appeared to not have seen a paintbrush in years. The paint was faded and peeling, and the three or four rooms that had air conditioning units dangling from the windows had rusty water stains below from the constant water drip. The motel was perfect for what they needed it for. Unostentatious and distasteful in appearance only meant that the clientele would not be of the highest caliber. Plus, after meeting the proprietor at check-in, she got the distinct impression he would ask no questions. He was overweight, grungy, and sported a curled handlebar mustache, in a look reminiscent of Dudley Do-Right’s arch-nemesis, the evil Snidely Whiplash. His outdated and faded red and white Mauna Loa shirt was covered in stains, while his jeans rode so low on his hips that when he bent down to retrieve a pen that had fallen, Morgan’s eyes practically popped out of their sockets at the unsightly view.

Even more repulsive was the large gap in his smile caused by a missing tooth. Resourcefully, the man used it to hold secure his lit cigarette, which he would drag hard on every thirty seconds or so. He coughed incessantly and rather than cover his mouth when doing so, he would turn his head slightly, releasing a spray of spittle with every hack. Surprisingly, what threw Morgan for a loop was that he spoke with a British accent. Who knew England had bumpkin hicks? She almost wanted to laugh at the thought.

She had brought cold cuts packed in a cooler, canned food, soda and water, paper plates, plastic utensils, and one of those small electric stoves that had only one burner to it. She also brought Angelise a toothbrush, hairbrush, toiletries, clean underwear, and two days worth of clothing.
As far as kidnappings go, this one earns a five-star rating
, Morgan thought. She had also bought a man’s wig, baseball cap, fake mustache, and dark sunglasses for Benjamin that she had already given him the night before. She had spoken to Benjamin about the plans, informing him of all the arrangements. She had also supplied him with precise directions to the hotel, the key to room 241, a roll of duct tape, rope, and a blindfold, instructing him to keep it on her at all times. He was also never, ever to mention her name in front of Angelise.

She imagined Benjamin was as nervous as a cow in a slaughterhouse. Hell, she was nervous. She decided to call him to make sure he hadn’t had second thoughts and wanted to back out. She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. When he did, she simply said, “It’s me. Are we all set for tonight?”

“Yes,” he said diffidently.

“Are you sure? You have to be sure. Once you start it, you’ll have to go through with it all the way. No going back.”

“I’m sure. The only thing I’m w-w-wondering about is w-why only for a few days?”

“Because we want to scare her enough to leave Gainesville and go home. Her boyfriend won’t follow her there.”

“How d-do you know…he won’t f-f-follow her?”

“He’d follow her if he thought she was leaving because of him and he’d try to win her heart back. In this case, she would be leaving out of fear for what happened to her. She won’t feel safe here anymore and will go where she is safe. Back home to her mom and dad.”

“B-but if…if…she leaves, how will she and I ever g-g-get together? I love her.”

Love? This man believed he was in love with Angelise. “All in due time. First let’s concentrate on getting her away from the abusive boyfriend, and then we’ll work on getting the two of you together.” That was close. She was getting better at lying than she thought she would. Maybe she should consider a career in acting. She was definitely getting good at it.

“D-do…do I…just untie her and…l-l-let her go?” he stammered.

“No. God, we went over this last night.” She needed to calm down and be patient with him; otherwise he would become fearful and nervous and possibly back out. Taking a deep breath, she said, “In a few days you need to release her, but it needs to be done at night when you won’t be seen so easily. Drive her somewhere near campus, but not quite there. Untie her hands and tell her to count to fifty before she takes off the blindfold. Make sure to wear the disguise in case she doesn’t listen, and get the hell out of there as quickly as you can so that you’re gone by the time she gets the blindfold off. Always make sure she thinks you have a gun. This way she won’t get all cocky and brave. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“If you have questions, leave the hotel room and call me from your cell. Remember, never ever mention my name in front of her. That’s important.”

“Okay.”

“Well then, I guess that’s it until we speak later. Call me when you’re at the hotel. Not in front of her. Remember that, okay?”

“Morgan?”

“Yes?”

“One m-more thing.”

“What is it?” she asked, annoyed.

“I may not want to give her up,” he said without stammering, and then he hung up.

Damn. Damn. Damn. She hadn’t thought of that. She tried calling him back numerous times, but he wouldn’t answer. He had to let her go. Him keeping her was not an option. She didn’t want Angelise to be hurt. Damn him for making things complicated.
This is what I get for dealing with a mentally disturbed, psychotic lunatic who should be strapped in a straightjacket and locked up in a padded room
, she thought.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“W
ill you call me when you get to Bradenton?” Jarrod asked. “No matter what time you get in?”

“Yes,” Angel said.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Kiss me,” Jarrod whispered. As they stood just inside the doorway of her room, she leaned up and gave him one final kiss. This kiss would have to hold them both until they saw each other again on Monday, so she had to make it spectacular. She molded her body into his as she tortuously traced his lips lightly with her tongue. A soft groan escaped from deep within his throat. He inserted his tongue into her mouth, where she welcomed him with her own. She could feel his need for her growing insistent as he pressed his body tightly to hers. She broke the kiss and whispered, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I miss you already. I love you.”

“I love you more,” and then he kissed her again with urgent need.

A clearing of the throat with a follow-up “Excuse me” startled them both back to reality. “If you’re going to go at it like rabbits, how about taking it somewhere else?”

“Sorry,” said Angel to Ava. “We sort of got caught up in the moment.”

“Whatever,” she said, smiling. “Will you two lovebirds let me by so I can get in?”

They both moved out of the way to let Ava pass and then Jarrod said, “I guess I should be going. Don’t forget to call me, okay?”

“I won’t. I’ll call as soon as I get there.”

They gave each other a quick peck on the lips, and then Jarrod was off. She watched him walk away, feeling a sudden burst of sadness and loneliness. She turned and walked back into the room. As she closed the door to the room, Ava said, “You’re not crying, are you?”

“No,” Angel said, although it was obvious she was close to doing so.

“It’s only for a few days,” Ava said sympathetically.

“I know.” She sat down on the edge of her bed and lowered her head. Tears began to well up in her eyes. To stop the flow, she jumped up and said, “I think I’ll go take a shower now.”

“Good for you. I’m going to sleep. I’m exhausted tonight.”