Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime) (9 page)

Chapter 20

D
erry slowly stood upright.

“You okay, son?” The man from the booth stepped out into the isle.

Derry rubbed his belly. “I’ll live.”

“What happened? Do you know those men?”

Derry needed to hurry, to save Sara. Without answering, he ducked out of the tent. He scanned the crowd in both directions. The mass of people was thick.

Spotting two dark suits moving away from him, he cut through the masses to catch up. Trailing a few feet behind, he watched for an opportunity to help Sara. The men held her tightly by the arms as they forced her to a picnic table. Two other men were waiting. The bigger of her captors shoved her to sit beside one of the seated men before he sat on the other side of her. The second aggressor took a seat on the opposite side of the table. She was hemmed in on all sides.

The odds of saving Sara went from slight to zero. Four men surrounded her. What could he do? Against one, he could find a way to help. Two, maybe. Four, with one of them as big as Lamar? No way.

Lamar
!

Derry slid his phone out. He could call Lamar.

He stopped. Even if Lamar rushed up here as fast as he could, it would take too long. The north end of Denver was over an hour away. He started to put his phone away but stopped. Phones did more than make phone calls.

Holding his phone at his side, he walked past the table. With the noise of the multitude around him, no one could hear his phone taking pictures. He took several photos, hoping that at least one would be good enough to identify the men.

As he walked by, he tried to hear their conversation, but the same noise that masked his phone made it impossible to hear what was said.

Derry positioned himself at the edge of the food court. There he watched and waited, determined not to lose sight of her again. He didn’t wait long. The four men and Sara rose as one. The one who’d been doing the talking led the group, and the other three surrounded Sara. With the four men covering her, it was next to impossible to even see her, much less rescue her.

The formation maneuvered through the mass of Scottish Highlander spectators toward the exit. Once outside, one of Sara’s captors peeled off only to return minutes later with a black stretch limo. Sara and two of the men slid into the back. The other climbed into the passenger seat.

His time was up. If he hoped to save Sara, he had to act now. Derry hurried toward the vehicle. Before he reached it, the driver punched the gas, leaving Derry in a cloud of dust.

The limo headed up the hill, not down toward US36 and Denver. Where could it be going? Wheeling around, Derry dashed back to the gate. “Where’s that road go?”

The young girl at the ticket booth followed Derry’s finger. “Up the hill.”

Obvious
. “Does it leave Estes?”

The girl paused before answering. “Not directly. But you can get to Highway 7 that way. Or circle back around and get on 34 or 36.”

“Where does Highway 7 go?”

“Same place as 36, it’s just longer, but they both end up in Lyons.”

Pivoting around, Derry ran to his car. He had to catch up with that limo.

***

Sara sat facing Levy in the back of the car. He gazed out the window.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To your death.”

“For wanting to spend the day at the Scottish Highland—”

His glare snapped toward her. “For trying to run.”

“What? Who told you that?”

“You did. With every word and action. You know the punishment for running.” Levy’s voice was calm, even, and cold.

“I just came up here to spend a day in the mountains.” How much did Levy really know?

“You spent two hours this morning trying to lose my boys. You’re running.”

“Why would I run when the project is so close to completion? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Because you know your usefulness is coming to an end.” His deep blue glare bore into her.

She needed to think, to find a way to save herself. But she couldn’t.

He peered out the side window.

Sara followed Levy’s gaze. “So, I’m going to get the same treatment as Steve? Your chair?”

“No, I think not. I made a promise to Mike, and I always keep my promises.”

“What about your promise to let me go once I finished the credit card program? What about my freedom?”

“I never promised you anything—that was your assumption.” Raising his voice a little, he added, “Jarred, take the next side road. Find a place deep in the woods.”

“For what?” She knew the answer, but hope made her ask. She had only minutes to live.

His ice-cold stare sent a chill down her spine.

Chapter 21

D
erry blitzed toward his car and brought up the GPS program on his phone. The connection was slow. Taking a seat behind the wheel, he checked the map again. It had loaded, but had not pinpointed his location. He couldn’t wait. He started the car, and hoped the program would find his current position soon.

He turned onto the road taken by the limo. The traffic was thick, slowed by the mass of people headed in and out of the fair. Blasting his horn only earned him dirty looks. He glanced down at the phone. The map program finally showed his location on the road. As his car inched along and his fears grew, he planned a path to Highway 7 and Sara.

As Derry moved past the fairgrounds, the traffic thinned out. He glanced at the clock on the dash, and his hopes of catching the limo withered. The last mile and a half had taken him twenty minutes.

Exceeding the speed limit, he hoped the cops were all busy at the fair. He twisted his neck, looking for the black limo at each road and parking area he passed. He covered fifteen miles without spotting the limo or any sign of Sara.

A blaring siren and flashing lights demolished the last sliver of hope. He glanced down at his speedometer. Seventy-five. He pulled over, and waited for the sheriff.

Derry smacked his hand against the steering wheel as the officer asked him to get out of the car and take a sobriety test. Then, to top it off, he had Derry open his trunk for an inspection. After the officer completed his search, he gave Derry a ticket and told him to slow down before he killed someone.

By his actions, the cop may have just killed Sara. Should Derry tell him the situation? What would he say? That a girl he didn’t really know willingly got into a nice black limo so the men she was with could kill her? The cop would haul Derry in for drug testing.

He thanked the officer and waited for him to return to his car. Tossing the crumpled ticket into the passenger seat, Derry pulled out onto the road.

Should he keep searching? Was there any chance of finding her? Was she even still alive?

***

“Don’t worry, I’ll take my time with you.” Mike’s smile was more lopsided than normal.

Think, Sara, think. Anything, something. “What makes you so sure I’m running? Are you sure enough to kill the only person who could create the program you wanted? The only one who can fix it?”

Levy picked something very small off his pant leg and dropped it on the floor. “What information were you after in my office the other night?”

He had found out. She had to play innocent if she hoped to live.

“What are you talking about?”

Levy lunged forward and grabbed Sara around the throat, twisting her neck as he flung her to the floor of the car. “Don’t play stupid with me. You broke into my office Friday morning, and downloaded data off my hard drive. Data that you will never be able to use.”

She clasped her neck, gasping for air. Staying on the floor, she tried to remain out of Levy’s reach.

“Get up.”

She didn’t move.

Mike kicked her in the side of the head. A sharp pain shot through her skull.

“He said get up.”

She pushed herself into a sitting position and climbed into the seat. One trembling hand protected her throat, and the other felt the growing bump on the top of her head. “It doesn’t matter.” The words tumbled out.

No one responded, so she continued.

“In the end, I’ll still get the last laugh. It may be from my grave, but it will be enough to ruin your life.”

“You’re making things up, hoping to stay alive.” Mike leaned in. His stupid crooked grin spread across his face.

“You’ll be caught soon anyway.”

“More lies. You’re so weak.” Levy stared at her. “You’ll say and do anything for one more day. One more hour. One more gasp of life.”

“You’re right, I’m just trying to buy time.” For the first time in a long time, she was completely honest with Levy.

The driver pulled the car onto a bumpy dirt road and started up the mountainside. The jarring ride aggravated Sara’s throbbing neck and head. As the car passed the pine trees, she looked out at the last images she would ever see.

“Why will
I
be caught?” Levy’s question brought Sara back to this world.

“I thought you didn’t believe me.” She shifted her gaze to meet his. Could he see the hatred she felt for him?

“I don’t. But resigning yourself to your coming death will only remove enjoyment for Mike. For a person who has given up hope, death is more of a service. Not what I promised him. So, tell me, and perhaps I’ll let you live.”

This was by far the cruelest man Sara had ever seen. Shifting her gaze, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “You rushed me. I had to take shortcuts. That’s why I’m running. When this thing goes into full swing, the program won’t be able to handle the volume. The whole system will come crashing down, and it will open a path for the cops to find you and your money. I didn’t want to be around. And I guess I won’t be.”

Levy looked out the window.

“And I suppose you’re willing to fix it for me if I let you live a few more days?”

Sara was trying her hardest to sound honest, believable. “A few days? I’ll fix it if you promise to let me go after I’m done.”

“Promise?”

“You said you always keep your promises.”

“What guarantee do I have that there
is
a problem? Or that you’ll fix it?”

Sara looked past Levy, out the back window. The car was followed by a plume of dust. “None. None but time. If I am lying, you’ll be able to steal money as long as you want. If not, you’ll end up in jail.”

Levy smiled. “One problem with your argument.”

“What’s that?”

“I know you. Maybe better than you know yourself. I picked you for a reason. You would never put out a bad product, not when it comes to your programming. You have a history of flawless work. There is no bug in your code.”

“Whatever you want to believe is fine. It won’t change the truth.”

The car hit a large hole, bringing it to a stop. “This is far enough. I can’t have you destroying my car to kill one small rat.”

Ben and Jarred got out of the front and came around, opening Sara’s door. Ben grabbed her by the arm and yanked her from the car. As Mike started to get out the other side, Levy called him back.

Sara’s legs were weak and wobbly. This was the end. Everything—Jarred, Ben, the trees—became surreal.

Ben looped one arm under hers, and Jarred did the same from the other side. The two dragged her up a hill and behind a large rock formation. Mike followed, making crude comments about her short future.

The rocks, pine trees, and fresh clean air turned gray. This was her gravesite. The secluded, peaceful, untouched beauty only meant Levy was right. No one would find her until her flesh had rotted off or was eaten by animals.

Jarred and Ben shoved her against a large boulder, pinning her. Mike selected a three-inch diameter branch from the ground. He held it like a baseball bat. “I would say I’m sorry about this, but you’d know that’s a lie. The truth is, I’m going to enjoy this.”

The first blow came hard and fast, hitting Sara in the stomach. The air was ejected from her body as she tried to double over. Ben and Jarred kept her upright.

“Where’s that smart mouth of yours now?” Another hit, this one to the upper legs.

More blows followed, too many to count. With each hit, Sara
thought the pain couldn’t get any worse, and each time she was wrong. Cracked ribs and continuous blows caused air to become a distant memory. As her world grew dark, she welcomed the end. Finally, she could no longer feel the strikes to her body. The deep dark abyss besought her, and she went, willingly and thankfully.

It was over.

***

Dejectedly, Derry headed down Highway 7. He drove along, much slower, his mind lost in thoughts of Sara. She was somewhere out there, but where? He needed to get off the road and think. Someplace away from crowds and cops.

Seeing a nameless dirt road ahead, he hoped it wasn’t just a long driveway. He veered off the highway, and wound his way back about a mile into the sparse woods. Coming to a fork, he examined the two different routes. The lower one looked less traveled.
Lower it is
. He was only able to advance another three hundred yards before the road died in a small circle.

Turning the car around, Derry parked at the edge of the loop. As far as he could see, the area was deserted. Perfect.

Derry opened the door and slid out. He started to lock the door out of habit but stopped. Why bother?

Pacing aimlessly in the vicinity of his car, Derry reviewed all he knew about Sara. He came to two conclusions. First, Jasper would likely know something about the men who grabbed her. And second, Sara was probably a crook, and these men are just more crooks coming after her.

So, why am I trying so hard to save her? She’s just getting what she deserves.

***

“What’s wrong? Why are we pulling over?” Levy was in a hurry to get back to Denver. Too much of the day had been used up dealing with Sara.

“Oil light came on. I just need to make sure everything’s okay.” Jarred popped the hood, opened the car door, and stepped out. Two minutes later, he was back. “We have a problem, sir. It looks like we hit a rock. The oil pan has a hole in it.”

“You hit a rock? Of all the stupid things”— Levy threw his door open. Stepping out, he slammed it behind him. Mike followed out the other side.

“Check it.” Levy barked at Mike.

Mike pulled out the dipstick, then laid it aside and looked under the car. “He’s right.” He stood, and stuck his head around the hood. “Ben, check the trunk for more oil.”

“It won’t do any good. She’s dry. We’d need several quarts just to make it a few more miles.” Jarred was the one in charge of maintenance on the cars.

Ben went to the trunk, then stepped back into view a minute later. “Only found one quart.” He handed it to Jarred, who set it on the radiator.

“We could head back to Estes and get my car,” Ben offered.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Levy pulled out his cell phone. No signal.

“You calling a tow truck?” Jarred asked.

Levy wondered about Jarred’s intelligence.

“If I had my way”— Mike mumbled.

“That’s not for you to decide.” Levy turned to walk down the road, monitoring the reception on his phone as he went. The other three followed.

A hundred yards from his car, he found a sweet spot where phone reception popped up to two bars. Levy pushed the number five on his speed dial.

After two rings, Vance answered. “Yes, sir?”

Levy told him where they were, and ordered him to get up there as soon as possible.

“Would you like me to call a tow truck for you?”

“If I had wanted a tow truck, I could’ve called it myself. I want you up here immediately.” Levy hung up.

***

A loud thump followed by a bang shook Sara awake. Every part of her body screamed in agony. She slowly opened her eyes. Darkness. Where was she? She could hear voices, but not make out what they said. They were too far off.

Was it night? Had they left her alive for the animals to finish off?

She heard a pop. A narrow slit of light stung her eyes. She quickly squeezed them shut. A voice grew louder. They were coming back for her. She kept her eyes closed, and played dead. Not far from the truth.

Light burst in through her eyelids, and someone shoved her around. Each thrust brought a new round of pain. She battled the urge to scream out. She wanted to open her eyes and see who it was, but that would mean death. After a forever minute, the torture stopped. All the voices moved away.

Slowly opening her eyes, Sara recognized a car trunk. Must be Levy’s limo. She had to get out.

Biting her lip against the pain, she pushed herself up. The area behind the car was clear. She rolled out, and landed on the hard, merciless ground. Clenching her teeth as tears squeezed past her eyelids, she waged war against her pain. No matter how much it hurt, she would not make a sound.

Waiting for her head to clear enough to walk, she rolled to a kneeling position and surveyed her surroundings. She was still in the mountains. The woods were five feet away.

Gritting her teeth, she propelled herself away from the car and into the woods.

Made it.

Using the trees for support, she worked her way deeper in to the woods and down a hill. As the slope grew steeper, her footing slipped away. She lunged toward a small tree. Grabbing a low branch, she held on, and waited to catch her breath and regain some strength.

Voices drew near. She let go of the tree, and allowed gravity to carry her faster and faster down the hill.

The pine needles slipped under her feet as the hillside began to resemble a cliff. Sara slid off the short drop, landed with a thud, then slid toward the bottom of the hill.