Missy's Gentle Giant (10 page)

Gonzalo glanced at his brothers and
raked his fingers through his hair.  “Look lady, I—I smell a trap.”

Wanda stood with a flare of anger in
her eyes.  “Well, to hell with you then.”  She glared.  “I just
came out to this dump because Ben told me to warn you.  If you don’t want
to listen, well then who gives a—”

“Maybe we better check it
out.”  Marco finally pulled his eyes away from Wanda.

“Yeah, I guess it won’t
hurt.”  Gonzalo glared.  “Is Ben going to be there?”

“Don’t be silly.  Ben’s
waiting for me.  In fact, I was dressed special for him, but some guy
called him out for a while.  Ben called me and told me to warn you and
then go get him.”

“Yeah, well I think it might be
nice if you give me a ride over to the shop—unless you have some
objection?”  Gonzalo glared.

“Suit yourself.”  She
shrugged.

“Should I wake the others to go
too, in case it’s a trap?”  Marco asked.

“Yeah, and you guys can follow the
lady and me.  But don’t wake up Pop.  We need to keep someone here
with Missy.”

“How about Tony?”

“Don’t bother to call him.  No
point scaring Marie.”

“Okay I’ll get the others.” 
Marco quietly went upstairs.

Wanda watched as four more men in various
stages of dress sleepily came downstairs.

“Take a couple of cars.” 
Gonzalo never took his eyes off Wanda, but he wasn’t looking at her body as the
others were.  She disgusted him, at least thoughts of the way she and Ben
had carried on disgusted him.  “Follow the lady’s car, not too close
though.  I want her to get out and walk around the place before you drive
up.”

Wanda audibly sighed with an “Oh
men are all so stupid” sigh and went to the car.  She looked in the
rearview mirror and saw the nose of a pickup sticking out at the corner waiting
for her to leave, and she hoped all the guys could be seen.  At least she
got eight of them out.

“Is this your car?”  Gonzalo
sat stiffly in the new Porsche.

“No, it’s Ben’s.”  She smiled
at Gonzalo.  “But if I’m extra nice to him and let him do some of the
things he likes most, he lets me drive it around.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” 
Gonzalo looked out the window in disgust.  He could well imagine Ben’s
sexual tastes and felt his stomach turn.

As soon as the Porsche and two
Sanchez cars drove off, the quietest pickup in the world pulled up in the dark
and stopped in front of the neighbor’s house.  Slowly Ben pulled himself
out of the still running truck and half shut the door without latching
it.  Carefully he took each step on the porch and was relieved to find the
front door unlocked.  Either they never locked it or someone had
forgotten.

Ben tested each step as he stole
his way upstairs.  Now to find the right damn room.  He twisted the
door knob at one, saw the room was empty and went on.  Before he even
touched the knob of the second door, he heard loud snores and moved on to the
next room.  Slowly be opened the door so as not to wake anyone.  His
breath caught when he saw the moon shine across Missy revealing her beautiful
body.  He tensed at his arousal, stifled a groan and stepped over to her
bed.  Swiftly his hand covered her mouth, and he felt her instantly awaken
and double up in fear.

“Missy, Missy, Missy—”  He
whispered in her ear as he held her against him and reached for a floundering
hand.  “It’s Ben.”  His hand told her.  “You’re in danger here,
and I have to get you away.  I’m Ben, and I won’t hurt you.”  His
fingers flew.  “Nod, to tell me you understand.  I’m Ben, and I won’t
hurt you, I promise.”  Shaking, she struggled against him.  “You’re
in danger here, and I have to get you away.  I’m Ben, and I won’t hurt
you, I promise.” He held her tightly while his fingers flew in her hand. 
“I’m Ben, and I won’t hurt you; I promise.  Nod to tell me you understand.” 
He felt relief when she finally nodded even though her shaking didn’t
stop.  “I have to get you to safety.  Trust me Missy.”

While his hand flew telling her who
he was, he whispered Missy over and over in her ear.  She nodded again,
but she was still shaking when Ben dropped the note on her bed, picked her up
and carried her downstairs with his hand still covering her mouth.

His whole body was covered with
sweat by the time he carefully pulled the pickup door open, folded Missy up on
the seat beside him and started the truck rolling.  He didn’t close the
door tightly, and he didn’t let go of her mouth or turn on lights.  The
truck silently slid down the block and around the corner before he released his
hold on her mouth and reached for her hand as he drove.  In the dark his
hand flew and kept telling her he wouldn’t hurt her.  Tears of fear
spilled while she desperately felt what his fingers kept telling her.

He drove half a mile and pulled up
behind his big rig.  Turning off the engine he turned and faced her. 
Since they were in some light, she could see his face.

“Gonzalo has an enemy who wants to
get him Melissa, and they told him they were going to get you because getting
you would hurt him most.  I’m taking you somewhere safe so no one can hurt
you.  Do you understand?”

Tears spilled down Missy’s
cheeks.  “Ye—yes.”  She still shook.  She didn’t know why, but
she believed what Ben said.

“I promise, oh how I promise I
won’t hurt you.”  Ben fought tears too.  “I’m doing this as a last
resort, and I promise I won’t ever hurt you.  Will you believe me?”

“Ye—yes.”  She tried to stop
shaking but her teeth chattered.

He tugged at her to follow
him.  “We have to get in my truck.  Still shaking, Missy allowed him
to carry her to the big rig and stood until he climbed up and pulled her up to
him.  She was barefoot and in a cotton nightgown which revealed her
perfect body underneath.  Fighting the way his own body reacted, he
started the engine.

She’d already moved over to the far
right side, but he reached out for her hand, pulled her back to the middle and
started talking with his hand again between shifting gears.

“In a few minutes when I see your
brothers coming home, I’m going to signal them to tell them you’re all
right.  You’ll know it Missy.”

“Ben I’m not Missy, she—” She
looked away.

He pulled her chin around to face
him.  “I want you to trust me.  I promise I won’t hurt you. 
I’ll show you, okay?”

“Y—yes.”  Missy leaned back
feeling confused and tried to fight the shaking going on inside her.  Her
teeth chattered, but when she clamped them tight, her whole body shook more.

Ben swallowed hard, worried and
watched until he saw the two cars with angry drivers zoom down the
freeway.  As he’d hoped, the drivers were so furious they didn’t see his
truck parked near the freeway entrance.  Within seconds Ben pulled
out.  There was no light in the cab of the truck now, so he alternately
used his right hand to shift gears to gain speed and told Missy how he’d show
her she’d be safe.  He was going nearly ninety when Marco, driving the
first car with Gonzalo in it, saw the truck looming behind them.  Ben
swung out in the left lane as he approached the last car.  With a wide
grin he glanced at Missy as he reached for the horn and flew past two cars honking
all the way.  At first she jumped at the sound and then looked up with a
small tear filled smile.

“Do you believe me now?”  His
fingers asked, seeing the tears in her eyes.

“Yes, I—I be—believe you.” 
She nodded.  She’d recognized her brothers’ cars.

He reached up and wiped away her
tears.  Still she shook.  “Now I’m going to take you someplace safe
until Gonzalo’s out of trouble.”

“Y—yes, I—I know.”

“You trust me?”

She nodded and clamped her teeth
shut to stop their chattering.  Again she shook all over.

Ben picked up his phone and ordered
someone to be ready for him.  As he drove he kept a worried eye on her and
saw she hadn’t calmed.  Thinking she might be cold, he reached over in the
sleeper and pulled a blanket down for her to use.  Still she shook, and
then he understood it was all fear.  As often as he could he reached for
her hand to reassure her she was safe.

Spotting the proper exit, he pulled
off the freeway and swung the truck into a rich residential section of a
neighboring town.  He slowed the truck as he went through the streets and
stopped in front of a gate.  A waiting man opened it, so Ben could go
through.  Missy still shook while Ben waited for the guy to jump up on the
truck, and he then drove to what looked like a huge warehouse.  Doors were
wide open waiting for him.  Inside Missy saw another big rig, several
expensive cars and a helicopter.  As soon as the truck stopped inside, she
closed her eyes and shook more.

 Ben opened his door when his
outside passenger jumped off.  Gently he pulled Missy over and handed her
to the man.  Then Ben jumped from the truck and took Missy into his
arms.  He carried her outside and across a patio.  Once inside the
house, he took her upstairs and placed her gently on a huge bed.

“You’ll be safe now.”  He
smiled.  “No one will hurt you here.”  Sitting beside her on the bed,
he held her hand and tried to quiet her shaking, but it was useless.  He
reached for the phone on the nightstand and punched a number.  “Susan will
you come up?”

When the door opened, he looked up
with a smile; Missy glanced up too and saw a beautiful woman about thirty.

“Problems Ben?  You need me?”

“Not me.  I’ve got a very tiny
and frightened little girl here though.  I just had to kidnap her, and
it’s happened to her before.  The last time she was hurt very badly. 
I’ve tried to reassure her, but she’s still not sure.  I think I’m causing
her fear.  Stay here okay?”  Ben looked down at Missy.  “Susan’s
a doctor, and she’s going to stay with you.  I promise, no one’s going to
hurt you.  She won’t let anyone hurt you.  Okay?  I’ve got to go
downstairs and check on some things to be sure Gonzalo’s all right, but I’ll be
right back.  Okay?”  Ben watched for Missy to nod her understanding
before he rose and started for the-door.

“Hello Missy.” Susan smiled.

“I—it’s Melissa.  Missy
insisted.  “Mis--Missy died.”  Fear still showed in her eyes and she
shook uncontrollably.

“Yes of course, Melissa.” 
Susan smiled.

Ben was facing the doorway, but he
heard the exchange.  “She’s psychologically deaf Susan, and lip
reads.  She was severely hurt when they kidnapped her before, so she wants
the teen age victim dead.  Sometimes I think she’s still the seventeen
year old she was when it happened.  Take care of her for me; will
you?”  He braced himself to control the pain waving through him.

“Melissa, no one’s going to hurt
you here.”  Susan pretended not to hear him.  “Ben won’t allow anyone
to hurt you.  Do you understand?”

“Y—yes—B—Ben’s b—been g—good to
me.”

“You can rest now and sleep if you
like.  Here, I’ll sit with you and hold your hand.”  Out of the
corner of her eye, Susan saw Ben finally leave the room.  She brushed back
Missy’s hair. “Everything’s going to be all right now Melissa.  Ben’s
taking care of everything.”

Chapter Six

Ben paced in the library waiting
for the phone.  One of the agents would call any minute since he’d
blatantly signaled Gonzalo he had Missy.  But Missy, upstairs shaking like
a leaf, was what really worried him.  Being forced to kidnap her could
only hurt her more psychologically.  He sure as hell hoped Susan could get
through to her and help her believe she was safe.  Deep in painful thought
Ben was staring into a glass of scotch when Wanda came into the library. 
He looked up curious about her silly grin.

“Man the things you ask me to
do.  That Gonzalo guy was suspicious as hell.  He made me drive him
to his shop and walk around before he or his brothers got out of the car. 
What the hell’s going on?  I mean besides my being a decoy while you
kidnap their kid sister?  You don’t usually get so uptight”

“He and I have a personal score to
settle as soon as all this crap is cleared up.”

“Over his sister?”

“Yeah, over his sister.”  Ben
dropped his glass on the table.  “Look Wanda, you need to be dressed sexy
tomorrow morning and pick me up at nine.”

“Sure boss, no problem.”

He smiled as he watched Wanda
leave.  Damn she had no idea how she was going to help him set up
everything.  His nerves were so shot, when the phone rang, he
jumped.  “Yeah?”

“What the hell are you doing
kidnapping girls?”  Davis yelled.

“Had to for her own good.”

“Yeah, well her brother called the
office and said he was going to kill you.”

“Nothing more?”

“Yes, but it’s one of the nicer
things he said.  Does this have something to do with the coke they’ve been
carrying?”

“Yeah.”

“He thinks you took her to get back
at him.  Sure you’re not letting personal things control you?”

“No way!  I’ll know she’s safe
this way.”  Ben rubbed the back of his neck.  “One of the people
we’re after has reasons for wanting this girl besides getting back at the
family.”

“Well, I sure hope you know what
you’re doing.  Her brother’s threatening charges.”

“Let him.  It might even
help.  Just don’t let anyone know where I am.  Look, let’s get
started on this as soon as possible now.”

“Tomorrow all right?”

“No the day after.  I’ve got
to set up something.”

“Then you’ll get back to me?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you.  First,
call her brother and get him to change drivers.”  Ben smiled a little at
this unexpected break.  “Having to look for their sister and me will give
them plenty of reason to let someone else drive their trucks.”

“And you’re still planning on being
the fifth man?”