Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime) (21 page)

Chapter 44

S
ara couldn’t watch, yet she did. With each blow her body tensed. With each muffled cry, Derry’s pain shot through Sara’s body. She wanted to run in there. Give herself up. But the only thing keeping Derry alive was Mike’s need to find her. She had to hold out, and find a way to save Derry.

Taking a quick look at Mike, she saw a slight smile on his face. He enjoyed inflicting pain. Her hatred for Mike grew as Derry’s agony increased. Someday, she would make him pay, but first she had to find a way to save Derry. She needed help. She needed Lamar. But she didn’t have his phone number.

Sara shifted her attention to Ben reentering the room. He said something to Mike about looking outside, but she could barely make it out. She needed to get away—now. Glancing back at Derry one last time, she noticed his cell phone on the floor beside his bed, nearly hidden.

Mike stepped toward the window. Sara jumped back, out of view. He told the other two to go outside. She’d come back for the phone later.

She tore along the fence toward the rear gate, making it through the fence just as she heard a door open behind her.

“Did you see that?”

“See what?”

Sara hesitated on the other side of the fence, just out of their sight, and listened.

“Looked like something ran past the gate.”

“Could have been a dog.”

“Nope, it was too big. That was Sara.”

She heard them rushing toward the gate, and quickly surveyed the alley. It was dark. No light from the street made it back here. Other than a few nooks where some of the fences didn’t line up, there was no place to hide. She ran, hoping to make it to the street before her pursuers made it out of the yard. It was a long shot.

Running past the guesthouse, she noticed a narrow slit between it and the Knights’ fence. It wasn’t more than six inches wide, but it was enough.

Swiveling toward the opening, she lost her footing and slipped to the ground. Her hand found a few small rocks. She grabbed them as she sprang back to her feet. Rushing toward the crack, she spun her body sidewise and worked to conceal herself between the rough wooden fence and the
forty-year-old unpainted siding.

Her first adversary came through the gate before she was fully cloaked.

She froze. His head turned toward her. Could he see her in the unlit alley? He looked in the other direction.

She tossed the rocks across the alley, hitting the fence and a plastic trashcan on the other side. Jarred tore across the pathway, and was over the fence in one leap. She heard Ben approaching the gate. She only had a couple of seconds to finish concealing herself.

Making her torso as flat as she could, she pushed her way in between the fence and the building, scraping both sides of her body. Some of the weeds she pushed over were as tall as she was. Fighting her fear of snakes, rats, and spiders, she pushed into
the narrow
chasm until she was d
eep enough to be hidden from anyone trolling the alley in search of her.

Jarred jumped back over the fence.

“Well, was it her?” It was Ben.

“Maybe. If it was, she’s fast.”

Through the narrow opening, she could see Jarred turn around in the alley.

“You go that way.” He pointed up the alley. “I’ll head this way. Make sure she’s not hiding along here somewhere.”

She started to move deeper but discontinued at the sound of the weeds crunching beneath her feet. As Jarred moved past her, she recognized her folly. If spotted, she had no escape. Her movement was so restricted, her pursuers would have both ends blocked off before she could make it halfway out.

***

“Well, where is she?” Mike had torn up Derry’s sheets and was leaning over him, applying a strip to his wounded shoulder. His hands and feet were bound.

“I saw her run past the gate. She jumped a fence in the alley. I went after her, but I lost her.”

Mike glared at Ben. “And where were you?”

“I was right behind him. She’s fast. We searched the alley, too. She’s gone.”

Mike righted himself. “So she was back there, and neither of you saw her when you came in. How’s that possible?”

Jarred gave Ben a hard look. “Ben must have missed her.”

“Both of you did.”

Jarred took a half step forward, positioning himself partway in front of Ben. “She lives out back.”

“Out back? In that shack?”

Jarred glanced over his shoulder once more before continuing. “The inside is fixed up. It looks new, like this guy Derry’s been planning this for a while. She even has her computer out there. She must have been out there while we were in here looking for her.”

Mike took a step toward Ben. “You said no one came out the back of the house. What were you doing? Sleeping?”

“She—”

Mike’s fist found Ben’s jaw. He flew back, falling into the hall. Mike glanced out the window, then at Derry. Ben worked his way back to an upright position.

“Hey, I couldn’t see all of the yard where I was. I was told—”

“Shut up before I hit you again.”

Derry started moaning.

Mike paced around the bedroom. “Ben, go get the car. Drive it around to the alley behind the house. Grab Sara’s computer and any drives or CDs you see, and put them in the trunk.” Mike tossed him the key before shifting attention to Jarred. “Grab his feet.”

Derry opened his eyes. Mike leaned over him. “After Vance gets a hold of you, you’ll talk—or die.”

Mike and Jarred lifted Derry. He tried to protest, but was too weak to have any real effect. They carried him across the backyard and dumped him in the backseat of the car while Ben set Sara’s computer in the trunk. Mike joined Ben and Jarred at the rear of the car.

Speaking softly, he gave them their orders. “You said she jumped the fence back there.” Mike nodded toward the backyard. “Search through every yard on this block.”

“We did,” Ben interjected.

“Check them again. Then check the streets a couple of blocks around the house, but make it fast. You had better find her, if you want to live.”

Ben was dumb enough to ask Mike why. If she was gone, it wasn’t their fault.

“I told Levy we found her. If you lose her now, he’ll kill all of us.”

“We’ll find her.” Jarred grabbed Ben by the shoulder and told him to come along. “I have some ideas.”

The two of them headed down the alley as Mike jumped into the car.

***

Sara heard noises on the other side of the wall. They were in her home. All they would find was her reformatted computer. It would take them awhile to get anything useful off it, but Kai was resourceful, and would eventually retrieve everything that had ever been stored on the hard drive. Kai’s efforts wouldn’t matter though. Sara’s new account number and password were never saved on that hard drive.

Hearing noises from the alley, she focused her attention between the building and the fence. She could see nothing.

Mike was talking, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She willed them to leave. Her body itched all over. Pollen from the weeds was up her nose, forcing her to stifle one sneeze after another. Bugs and who knows what else were crawling all over her. They were working their way inside her clothes. She
hated
bugs.

Hearing a car drive off, she figured it had to be Mike. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to leave while he stayed behind. Hearing more noises in the alley, she caught a glimpse of Ben. She checked her breathing when he paused at the slit to her prison. He was looking down at the weeds. He tried to wedge his shoulder in. He was too fat. He pulled his arm out, and put his face up to the opening. Sara’s pulse raced.

Ben pulled his head back. Picking up a rock, he threw it into the slot. It hit the siding before landing close to her feet. Ben picked up a second stone.

“You got something there?” It was Jarred.

Ben tossed the projectile higher this time, hitting her arm. It hurt. She remained still and silent.

“These weeds have been pushed in.”

Jarred joined Ben to examine her footwork. Sara held her breath. Could she push herself up and over the fence? As tight as she was clamped in, not likely.

“Not even Sara’s that skinny. Must have been made by a dog or something.”

The two moved off. Sara’s heart continued to race.

She waited for the alley to become quiet. They were taking their time. She squeezed her eyes shut to resist the overwhelming desire to squeal each time something ran across her foot or climbed up her pant leg.

After several minutes of silence, she started the trek out. At the end of her personal canyon, she stopped and peeked out. Someone was at the far end of the alley; the other direction was clear. Sara pulled her head back into the slot and slowly counted to ten. She surveyed the alley a second time. It was lifeless.

She slithered out. Staying as close to the garage door as possible, Sara worked her way over to the gate. Although the night was chilly, her body was covered with sweat.

Once inside the yard, she dropped down on one knee to scan the area in front of her. She quietly brushed off her neck and face. It didn’t help. Her skin itched all over. She still felt like something was crawling down her neck and up her arms.

A light was on in Derry’s bedroom, but the house appeared void of assailants. She worked her way around the yard once again. Approaching the bedroom window, she peeked in to spy out the phone’s location. It was right where it had fallen. She dropped to all fours and crawled along the house to the back sliding door. Pushing it open, she slipped inside and closed it behind her. Gazing back out, she paused. Nothing. She rose, and maneuvered to Derry’s bedroom. Dropping down once more, she retrieved his phone before relocating to the living room.

Lamar’s name showed up at the top of the list of contacts. She pushed call.

“What’s going on, buddy? Is everything okay?” He sounded sleepy.

“Lamar, it’s Sara.” She spoke in a soft, quick whisper. Her throat was dry.

There was a pause before Lamar came back. “Is everything okay? You in trouble? Where’s Derry?”

“Some men grabbed him. They’re after me now.” Sara swallowed, trying to get the gruffness out of her voice.

“Are these the same men as before?”

Lamar would learn everything soon enough, but she needed his help now. “Yes, I used to work for them. They want me because I stole their money. I was in the guesthouse when they showed up. I escaped, but they grabbed Derry. They shot him. They’re going to kill him if you don’t help.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m in Derry’s house.”

“I’ll call for backup, and be there as soon as I can. Go to the Knights’ house and wait for me there.”

“No! Don’t call the police. He’ll have someone monitoring their radios. If he knows the police are involved, he’ll kill Derry immediately.”
“Who’ll be monitoring the radios?”

“Ulrich Levy.”

A short pause. “Ok, I won’t use the police radios. I’ll be there in fifteen. That’s as fast as I can make it. Go to the Knights’ house now.”

“I will. Just hurry.”

The line went dead. Sara slid the phone into her pocket, moved toward the back door, and slid it open.

***

As the car bounced along, Derry drifted in and out of consciousness. They’d thrown him into the car on his wounded shoulder. After several sharp bumps, he twisted his body, hoping to save his shoulder more abuse. This action brought its own round of self-inflicted pain.

“Where are you taking me?” A dumb question maybe, but he wanted to know.

Mike glanced back at Derry. “You’re still alive and up for more questioning. Good.”

Not the answer he had hoped for. “What do you want with me? I already told you I don’t know where she is.”

Mike kept his head pointed forward. “If you want to live, you’d better come up with an answer.”

“I’m dead anyway. What does it matter?” Derry worked to sit up.

Mike backhanded him across the mouth. “Stay down.”

Derry dropped back out of Mike’s view. He peeked out the side window. From this poor vantage point, he observed the tops of some older buildings. That narrowed his location down to half of Denver. Not much help.

The car slowed, and turned onto a side road. Derry ran different scenarios through his head, trying to think of a way to get free. His chances of escape diminished once he was taken into a building. If he hoped to liberate himself, he had to do it outside. But how? His feet and hands were bound.

The car pulled up alongside a brick building. Mike turned off the engine and stepped out. Opening the rear door at Derry’s feet, Mike grabbed his legs by the cloth tied around them and yanked his body partway out.

“Ouch!”

He pulled Derry the rest of the way out and hoisted him up. Derry let his legs give out beneath him.

Mike grabbed him before he hit the ground. “Stand up.”

He acted weak and wobbly, more than he felt. “I can’t. My legs are crossed. I can’t get them straight.”