Screaming in the Silence (7 page)

I shrugged my shoulders. Time was not taking sides in this case. The longer I stayed here, the more degradation I was subjected to, and the less his chance of not getting caught. Kaden reached for my arm but I pushed past him, stomping up the stairs and into the living room.

Ray sat at the table with the crumpled newspaper in front of him. He looked up when he heard me coming and stood, towering over me even from across the room. His dark eyes glared at me and his round face was red with frustration.

"How well did you know this girl?"

What girl?
I signed. Kaden acted as as translator.

"This girl!" Ray picked up the paper and pointed to the picture at the bottom of the page. "This dead girl!"

The one you killed? I only knew her for a few weeks.

I watched as Kaden translated only the last part of my answer.

"How many people saw you together?"

An old man gave us a ride from
Tennessee
to
Greenville
. We were picked up by a van full of college aged kids and dropped at the beach.

"How many?"

Three, two boys and a girl.

"And that's it?"

Them and the couple hundred people we passed on the beach that day.

I waited for Kaden to translate and watched Ray's face turn even redder.

"Fuck!" Ray threw the paper to the ground. "We've got to get rid of her, Kaden. This is serious now."

Kaden turned to face Ray, his back to me so I couldn't see what he was saying. Marshal sat on the couch, watching us like an episode from a TV drama. He saw me looking at him and signed 'hello' with a quick flip of his hand so his brother wouldn't notice. I shot him a small grin before resuming my frown.

Ray took a few steps toward Kaden and my attention returned to them.

"How much?" Ray looked like he was forcing himself to stay calm.

Kaden shrugged his shoulders and Ray glanced at me. His eyes danced over my body and face and a sudden understanding passed through his eyes. He took a few steps forward, pushing Kaden out of the way and staring at me like I was a piece of meat.

"I need you to tell me how much money is in your bank account."

Behind him, Kaden eyed me cautiously. Ray pulled my chin up.

"Don't look at him, look at me. Tell me how much is in your bank account?"

I froze. Did Kaden tell him the true amount or did he lie? And if he lied, by how much? What would happen if Ray found out that Kaden or I had lied to him? He would probably take my money and then kill me for spite.

I held up my right hand.
1 - 5.

"Fifteen?"

I nodded my head.

"Thousand?"

I nodded again.

Ray's massive body turned back to face Kaden.

Kaden shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. "No, I didn't know."

Suddenly, Ray twirled me into his arms and pressed his chest against my back, his massive arms coiled around my body, holding me in place. I twitched and squirmed, trying to free myself, knowing I was helpless. Ray's arms squeezed me so tightly I felt my lungs being compressed against my ribs.

"I think we can get more. Just let her go."

Ray's fingers wrapped around my arms and crushed them.

"Because if we have her, we might as well try…You don't need that." Kaden looked like he desperately wanted to intervene but something held him back.

Ray's let go of my arm and reached for something out of the corner of my eye. Marshal handed him an object and I felt a cold blade pressed against my cheek. I closed my eyes and began to cry. The tip of the blade, sharp and menacing, made its way down my cheek and to my neck. My eyes flew open as it pressed into my skin.

"I could care less about her, but killing her will only get us thrown in jail." Kaden was pleading with Ray now but still not trying to physically stop him. I glanced at Marshal without moving my head. His hands were on the cushions, ready to push his body off the couch at a moment's notice if necessary, but his face was turned away.

"I know we can't half-ass anything now. If it doesn't work we'll take her to a bank, empty the account and you can kill her on the way to Mexico if you want."

The blade pushed a little harder and I felt a warm trickle of blood ooze down my neck. I took a deep breath, attempting to prevent myself from hyperventilaing. The pain was nothing compared to my fear. Ray was going to kill me if Kaden didn't tell him something he wanted to hear. I could do nothing to stop him. I couldn't see Ray's questions and I couldn't defend myself. I was completely in Kaden's hands.

"A phone call? Are you fucking serious? They'll trace that in minutes."

Who the hell did Ray want to call?

"Have her write a letter."

A letter? Was Kaden joking or was he getting desperate? But the blade moved from my neck and I relaxed slightly in Ray's arms. I felt his feet move behind mine as he pushed me toward the table and into a chair. I fell into the seat, my head spinning with confusion. Ray sat across from me. I wiped the blood from my neck with the back of my hand.

"You want to leave here, right?" Ray looked at me and set the kitchen knife on the table.

I blinked. Then nodded. What a thick question.

"Do you have any rich grandparents or uncles?"

I nodded again.

"I want you to write to one of them, whoever can get me the most money in the least amount of time. And make sure they can be discreet."

What do you want me to say?

Ray didn't even need Kaden to translate. Marshal set the paper and pen in front of me.

"Write whatever will get you out of here the fastest so I don't have to look at your fucking ugly face anymore! Tell them to wait for my instructions and if they say anything to anyone, I'll kill you." He pushed away from the table and stood up, leaving me to write my own ransom note.

Christopher,

I'm writing to beg your immediate help. The men who have taken me will be contacting you soon with instructions. Please give them whatever they want and don't ask questions or tell anyone what you are doing. I'm afraid they'll kill me. I'm afraid of never seeing you again.

Raleigh

I folded the letter, the blood from my fingers staining the edges of the paper. It was swiped from my hand and I turned to see Ray opening it and assessing my work. Kaden was reading over his shoulder and his eyes darted to mine as soon as he read the first name.

"Fine," Ray decided. "Give me the address and I'll drop it off tomorrow."

"Not from here, you won't." Kaden said behind him.

Ray spun around and pushed Kaden's shoulders, challenging him to question him again.

"You send that from around here and they'll be all over us. We need to drive it somewhere else, write our own letter, with our demands, and mail it from some random location."

If only Ray knew how much trouble he would get in if he actually sent that letter. His fingerprints were already all over it and his saliva would most likely be on the envelope. But the letter didn't matter. Kaden would never allow it to be sent, that much I knew. He was too smart and this was just a way of stalling.

I stood up to leave, ready to be away from the madness and Ray's anger. Kaden had been right, Ray didn't think, he only reacted. I prayed that he wouldn't stop to think before I was gone. I stepped around the two men, still arguing about something, when I felt Ray's rough fingers grab my arm. I turned to face him, ready to see whatever it was he had to say to me, but he didn't speak. His spare hand flew through the air and hit me across my cheek, knocking me to the ground with one blow.

My head spun and my vision blurred. I stayed on the ground for what seemed like minutes, trying to regain my focus. No hands came to help me to my feet, no arms wrapped around me protectively. I didn't know what I had done to deserve that, nor did I care. As the tears started to pour from my eyes, I finally stood up and staggered to the basement door.

For the first time since I had been in this house, my mattress and sheets were a welcoming sight. I climbed under their caring shield, turned onto my side, curling my legs to my chest and closing my eyes. The tears fell freely onto my pillow.

Hours passed and I didn't move. My bed offered the only comfort I had left and I was growing accustomed to its hard and scratchy embrace. But something disturbed my peace. I felt the mattress tremble as someone climbed on behind me and I opened my eyes, only partly wanting to see who it was. The lights had been turned off but as soon as he touched me, I knew and was not afraid. The sheets were pulled up and away from me as I felt Kaden's body slide behind mine. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me as close as I would go, and then rested around my ribs. The other hand was softly stroking my hair onto the mattress and his lips left a single kiss on the back of my neck.

I closed my eyes again and fell asleep.

I woke up to the dull light of the basement. My head throbbed. Did Kaden really come to my bed or had it been a dream? It had seemed real. I turned over and inhaled deeply, hoping his scent still lingered. I wasn't disappointed. The mattress still held the subtle aroma of soap and cinnamon. I hadn't figured out why he smelled of cinnamon, but I loved that scent. It reminded me of my mother and the holidays we spent in London.

I climbed out of bed, my head feeling as if it had been left in a vice overnight. My feet dragged as I slumped over to my clothes. Kaden still expected me to wear his oversized shirts every day. I had collected half a dozen or so which I kept folded next to my bed. I washed them in the sink along with my underwear. Needless to say, I had grown accustomed to wearing stiff undergarments and t-shirts. My jeans were another story completely. By now, they were starting to get baggy and fell below my hip bones. Soon I would have to start rolling them at the waist to keep them up.

But none of this really bothered me. I was rarely hungry anymore and was actually grateful I had some place to wash my belongings. I dressed as quickly as my head would allow, stripping off my t-shirt before clasping my bra and choosing a clean top. My hair was pushed from my eyes and twirled to one shoulder.

Once dressed, I peered up the stairs. The door had been left open and I could see bright sunlight streaming in from the windows. The term cabin-fever had never been of much use in my vocabulary until now. Climbing the stairs, I could see Kaden in the living room waiting for me. His green eyes looked gentle in the bright light and his fingers were casually hooked through his belt loops, instead of crossed in front of his chest in his usual defensive stance.

He watched me climb the last of the stairs and waited until I was standing in front of him to speak. "How's your head?" He reached up and brushed a stray curl behind my ear.

"It hurts."

Kaden nodded, his hand lingering near my jaw. "Have some breakfast, it should help." He motioned for me to sit at the table and I obeyed, cradling my head in my hands as I slumped into the chair. His kindness was doing little to help my headache. His mood swings kept me wondering what he was really thinking and I was beginning to believe he was mentally unstable. Or just possibly very conflicted. Conflicted over what was the true mystery. In my mind, the decision was simple: take the money that was offered and get the hell out of the States. But Kaden had said he needed more time, which meant he was planning something larger.

He set a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me and then took a seat across the table. I stared at the food, enjoying the familiar yet nearly forgotten scent, and slowly reached for the fork which was teetering on the edge of the plate. Casually, I glanced up at Kaden, an unwanted smile starting to creep over my face as my gratitude forged its way through my wall of defense. Tears flooded my eyes. It felt as if I had been given the best gift of my life.

"Are you about to cry over eggs?" Kaden grinned at me.

A slight sob escaped in the form of a laugh as I tried to blink back the tears. "Yes," I answered, unashamed of my emotions.

"I'm not that bad of a cook, I promise."

I laughed again and dug my fork into the fluffy scramble. After that first taste, my stomach ached for more. But I took my time, savoring each bite. Kaden watched me eat, a smile on his face the entire time. But half way through, I was finished, unable to stomach anymore. I gently set my fork back on my plate and sat back in my chair, perfectly satisfied for the first time in over a month.

Kaden stood up and picked up my half empty plate. His free hand gently turned my face up to his. "I want you to be ready in ten minutes."

"For what?"

His fingers spread over my jaw and fanned down my neck; his eyes swept over my body. But he didn't speak. I gulped as he turned away toward the kitchen.

"For what?" I repeated, but he didn't answer.

Even though I was happy to stay in my chair and linger in my new found contentment, yesterday's interaction with Kaden still had me scared. I didn't want to push him to such extremes again, but as I walked up the stairs to the bathroom and stripped off my clothes for a quick shower, I found myself wondering what it would be like to make love to Kaden; to have him gently and caringly take his time with me, exploring and learning my body, instead of using me and throwing me aside.

When I returned downstairs, my hair still damp from the shower, Kaden was waiting for me at the front door. The door stood wide open, allowing the warm October breeze to flow through the living room. I stopped in my tracks, afraid of what awaited outside. Freedom was unlikely, death a higher possibility. Even though I was rarely comfortable inside the house, the outside was now unknown - and the unknown scared me.

Kaden could see my trepidation and raised his hand, gesturing for me to come closer. "Come on. We're just going for a walk."

"Why?" My defensive question caused his lips to twitch at the corners.

"Because I thought you would enjoy it."

I looked at the brilliant light of the outdoors. I could smell the trees and the clean fragrance of nature. But then I glanced at the basement door. I could walk down those stairs and be alone, away from Kaden and his viciously inconsistent behavior. I remembered how yellow my skin had looked in the mirror just a few moments before. My hair had lost its shine, dark circles had formed under my eyes.