False Regret: Pikorua - Book 1 (2 page)

I
jumped when Camo-man ran his hands down my chest, caressing my nipples through
my sports bra with his bruising thumbs. Revulsion and fresh waves of panic
jolted through my body like a lightning storm.

“Hmm,”
he said, “not huge tits, but pretty good size for how small she is, and they
are firm—there’s nothing quite like natural firm tits. I think when Dacks gets
what he wants from you; you and I will go on a little date. What do you think
there, girlie?” He put his hand under my crotch and wiggled his fingers on my
private areas. I couldn’t take anymore. Anger and fear overrode common sense,
and I stood from the chair, knocking it over. Nearly losing my balance from the
tipped chair, I stumbled around but, through a small miracle, remained on both
feet.

“Don’t
touch me, you disgusting pig!” I screamed at him, the panic hanging on me like
a stalker. The Camo-man laughed as the other man took my shoulders and sat me
back down in the seat he had righted.

“Leave
her alone,” Man-in-black said to Camo-man, a tone of threat in his voice. I
felt mildly reassured that somehow this abductor might protect me if the other
got too violent.

“Fuck
off!” He laughed. “If you’re a good boy, I will let you have a piece when I am
done with her.”

“That’s
not why she’s here. When Dacks get what he wants, she gets to go back to her
life. That’s the deal, asshole. Touch her like that again, and I will break
your fucking hands.” Man-in-black sounded controlled but furious.

“Who
do you think you are talking to, boy?” Camo-man had moved closer.

I
hoped the two would fight, distracting them from me. Maybe I could get free if
they got caught up in their own drama. I pulled and tugged at the ropes,
testing the strength of my confinement. Man-in-black had the rope loose enough
to allow blood flow but tight enough to restrict my escape.

Camo-man
continued, “You got hired on because you somehow convinced Dacks that you could
help him get what he wants. I don’t trust you, though, boy. One word from me,
and Dacks will give the order to put a bullet in your brain; and that will be
that. I suggest you shut the fuck up and do what you are told. Stay out of my
business. If I want to fuck this little trick, I will … if I tell you to fuck
her too, you will.  Are we clear, boy?”

Man-in-black
didn’t respond right away. Under the darkness of my hood, I pictured them
having a visual standoff. “Answer me, kid.”

“Fine,”
he responded. Devastation filled my soul. It was clear he wouldn’t offer any
protection if it meant he’d get in trouble with their boss. I shivered at the
thought of their hands on me.  The two men were quiet after that. One of them
clanked around the kitchen and poured something. In the small room, the smell
of whisky assailed my nostrils, and it became stronger when Camo-man came back
to sit near me.

“Want
a little drink, honey?” he asked, with a laugh. He lifted the hood just enough
to expose my trembling lips. He rammed the glass to my mouth, colliding with my
front teeth. Pain shot through my maxilla bone, and I wondered if my front
teeth had chipped. I ran my tongue along the surface, reassuring myself they
remained intact.

Camo-man
poured the foul liquid down my throat, causing me to choke from the burn. I
spit it out, the amber fluid like poison on my palate. He found it amusing and gave
a belly laugh. “Trust me, by the end of the night, you will wish you had drunk
it, sweetheart.”

His
threatening tone and subsequent chuckling sent a chill through me.  A knock at
the door ended Camo-man’s assault with the whiskey. He dropped my hood and went
to answer the beckoning whack. I sensed the Man-in-black had moved to stand
behind me.

“Let’s
get this over,” said a winded new voice. Another set of footsteps joined the
wheezy man’s. I was sure that brought the total to four men in the cabin with
me. My heart continued its wild thumping and acrobatics inside my chest, making
me wonder how long it would be before it gave out altogether.

“If
you don’t want her seeing your faces boys, put your masks back in place. I want
the hood off of her. I need to see her when I talk to her. The truth is in the
eyes, boys.” The man chuckled, and I guessed by the sound, he was overweight. I
winced as a hand yanked the cloth from my head, ripping out strands of my long blonde
hair with it. I wasn’t wrong, the man before me weighed well over the two-fifty
mark. No one but the Man-in-black was wearing a mask anymore, and that had to
be a bad sign. Camo-man grinned at me, standing so close I could smell the whiskey
and cigarettes on his breath.  His dark, blue orbs held nothing but icy menace,
and I almost wished I could retreat inside the stinky sack to hide from his ogling.

The
fat guy who I assumed was Dacks, stood just behind Camo-man, his eyes a beady
darkness nestled in plump cheeks.  He wore a suit and a large gun strapped to
his hefty waist. Just behind him, stood another man in a similar ensemble, but
he was younger than Dacks and Camo-man. The same steely gaze landed on me,
though, and I wondered if that was a requirement to work for Dacks. The Man-in-black
was off to my right, leaning against the refrigerator, watching the scene
unfold. He looked relaxed but alert.

“Well,
aren’t you just a pretty little thing,” said Dacks, pulling up a chair and
sitting in front of me. “Do you know who I am, honey? Do you understand why my
men brought you here?” I shook my head but made no verbal response, afraid if I
said something wrong, Camo-man would strike me again.

“I
see. Well, sugar, I would have thought your daddy would be a little more
forthcoming, knowing we would come after his family. Maybe he doesn’t care
about you as much as he does the money. Sad--so sad, but it doesn’t matter. What
we require from you is your help to locate him, and then you can be on your way
to sort out your troubles with daddy on your own. For now, we need to find him.”

The
question confused me. My father was a police officer, a Deputy Chief, and he had
not been present in my life much since I was a kid. When he was promoted to
detective, my parents’ marriage ended. He often brought his work home, leaving
him unavailable to his wife and kids. The job changed my dad, and not in a good
way. He turned mean and critical, nothing we did was ever right. We became the
whipping post for his career frustrations, and my mother eventually grew fed up
with the abuse. She moved us from the crime-filled motor city, to a small
northern town when I was in fourth grade. After that, my brother, Sam, and I
spent sporadic weekends, and an occasional week or two in the summers with our
dad, but even that dwindled as we got older. He did help me through a rough stretch
when I was in my late teens, but once I got better, he dropped out again. I had
not seen him in months, and I had only recently spoken to him on the phone.

“Do
you understand what I am asking you?” asked the fat man.

“You
want me to tell you where my dad is?” I repeated, still very confused. “Why?”

“The
‘why’ is not your concern, sweetheart, but let’s just say we have a debt to
settle. It seems he has conveniently taken an extended vacation and neglected
to inform me of his whereabouts. You need to tell us, dear child, where your
daddy has gone.”

I
became irritated by the condescending tone, and fear gave way to anger. He was
talking to a grown woman, not a five-year-old. “Firstly, Mr. Dacks, if that is
your name, I am not a child, so please stop addressing me as such. Secondly, as
far as I know, my father is in Detroit where he has always been.” Dacks shot Camo-man
a glare.

“Is
that the story you want to stick with, Ellia? We have proof you talked to your
father just two days ago. We also know you were packing to go somewhere, and
you secured a passport. Planning a trip with daddy?” He looked angry.

“To
reiterate, I don’t have a clue where my father is, Mr. Dacks. You are right, I did
recently speak with him, but he never mentioned a vacation or anything else. He
called from his cell phone, and I guess I assumed he was home. He gave me no
reason to think otherwise. My personal plans are none of your business, sir,
but I will confirm they had nothing to with my father. Why do you want him?
What is going on?” Despite the twisted feelings I carried for my dad, I feared
for his safety. They left no doubt their intentions were hostile. I had the
burden of conviction on my shoulders, and his life depended on it. I really had
no idea where he might be, but I would’ve lied to protect him if I had known.
Most likely, these guys were connected to a bust my dad had made, or was now working.
It wouldn’t be the first time someone had hatched a revenge plot against a cop.
In our case, it had never escalated to us, his family, though. My mind went to Matt,
my boyfriend. I hoped the apparent vendetta had not extended to him, as well. He
had never even met my dad. We’d been together less than a year, not nearly long
enough to introduce him to my absent father. If the thugs had come after me
just one week later, I’d have been in Canada with Matt, instead of jogging
alone in a park at dusk. I was pretty sure Matt planned to use the guise of a
Canadian cabin get-away to propose. My heart ached for him. I wasn’t ready for
marriage, but I loved him enough to entertain the idea in the future. Knowing
he could be in danger strangled me with fear, yet I was afraid to utter his
name. If they didn’t know about him, then I needed to keep my mouth shut.

“All
right, Ellia, I will tell you what your scumbag father did, and then you will
tell us where he is, or things are going to get very intense for you.” The
promise in his eyes made my shivering pick up a notch, causing my teeth to
chatter despite the oppressive heat. He continued speaking. “You may or may not
know this, but your father is not interested in upholding the law, regardless
what his job title might infer. His interests are far reaching, and his
position in the force has always allowed him a certain advantage of which he’s
used to the full extent.  I have worked for your father, and a few other men
like him, for many years. We had a lucrative relationship that kept your
daddy’s hands clean. Recently, he found himself involved in a large business
transaction, involving millions of dollars and several powerful men. Your
greedy father absconded with every last cent, leaving his partners in the
lurch. If they do not get paid, my dear, I do not get paid. When my services
are not reimbursed, I get angry, and when I get angry, I get even. So let’s
just settle this and move on, shall we? As long as your father provides what is
owed, we won’t harm him, so fear not, little one. Speak now, and we can all
move on from this unpleasantness. All you need to do is tell us where he is so
we can settle up our accounts. It’s very simple, and no one has to be harmed.
It’s your choice, dear.”

“Bullshit,”
I spat, finding my spine. “My dad may not have been much of a father, but he is
a good cop. I don’t believe you. This is nothing more than revenge, a hate
campaign. Did he arrest one of your punk-ass thugs, or is he holding
information on you?  I don’t accept for a second he would be involved in
anything illegal with scumbags like you. I am not so naïve as to believe that
you wouldn’t harm him if you found him. Do you think I am stupid?”

The
fat man laughed. “Sassy little girl, aren’t you? Well, I guess we need a little
persuasion. Mr. Gordon, would you like to convince Ellia that honesty is always
the best policy here.” 

Dacks
got up from his seat and slid it underneath the table. The scraping noise of
wood on concrete was loud in the suddenly quiet cabin. Dacks stepped away, and Camo-man
positioned himself in front of me. A smirk appeared on his nearly lipless jaw
as he slapped me hard across the face, sending my head flying sideways and
rocking my chair. The sting was harsh on my bruised cheek and tears sprang to
my eyes. I held back the urge to kick him in the groin. The logical part of my
senses warned me not to give into gut reactions. My life depended on being
smart, not reactionary.

“Next
time, it’s gonna be a fist, bitch. Tell us what we want to know. It’s not a
hard question, even for a blonde.” Camo-man, also known as Gordon, chuckled in
his smoker’s voice, cracked his knuckles, and waited for me to answer. I
glanced over at Man-in-black. He stood erect with arms at his side, hands
fisted. I begged him with my eyes, but he didn’t look at me. His focus sat
squarely with Gordon. “Where is your dad, girl?” Gordon snapped again.

Fury
filled me, and I looked him in the eye. “I swear to you--I do not know where he
is. As I said, when I spoke to him on his phone, he never mentioned being
anywhere or going anywhere. This is the last time I am going to tell you; it’s
not my fault you are too stupid to understand English.” The punch came swiftly
and knocked me off the chair completely. He nailed me in the eye-socket, and it
began to swell, at once. Gordon dug his fingers into my arms as he picked me up
and sat me back in my seat.

“I
can do this all night, sweet thing. Where is your dad?” he asked again. By then
I was crying, knowing Gordon would take delight in beating me to death. I had
no idea what to say. I could lie, but to what avail? They might hold me to
verify my story, and when they found out I’d fibbed, they’d kill me for sure.
No good choice presented itself.  He didn’t give me time to ponder options for
long. He raised his hand again. I cowered and braced for the impact. “Wait …” He
looked over at Man-in-black.  “Get over here, Donny.  Time to prove your worth,
boy. You boasted you could get her to talk, so do it.” He stepped back, holding
out his arm, extending the invitation to Man-in-black, AKA Donny. He approached
with reluctance and stood in front of me. Our eyes locked and that fleeting
sense of familiarity raced through me again.