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Winifred flinches.
“You’re a good person.” I spit the words because his current actions clearly don’t align with that phrase.
“Don’t bother lying to my face. I can never be free. Bolton called the cops on me. If I stay here, I go to jail. If I get money from Bolton, I get a ticket to the Virgin Islands. The choice is easy. I’m not letting you go.”
The duct tape screeches loudly as he winds it around my hands.
“I’m not trying to ruin whatever you have going on here,” I speak fast. “Just tell me where my mother is. Tell me if she’s okay.”
Winifred’s eyes dart to his partner.
The guy scowls. “Hurry it up back there.”
He grabs my legs and ties the tape around my ankles.
“Winifred,” I whisper urgently, “we did charity work together. You helped a little girl find her teddy bear. Remember that?”
His hands go still.
“Please,” I beg, my eyes imploring. “Please just tell me.”
Winifred licks his lips and frantically pats at the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.
“If you’re done, let’s go!” His partner spits. “Unless you want everyone to know what we’re doing here.”
“Coming.” Winifred withdraws from me.
Worry gnaws at my gut and I start to reach for him before I remember that my hands are bound.
Winifred suddenly pauses. His face tightens in contemplation before he leans toward me.
“What are you doing?” Snarly Mouth barks.
“Let me duct tape her mouth. She could scream.”
“Make it quick.”
The duct tape snaps again as Winifred rolls out another piece. Leaning in close, he tapes my mouth and whispers, “We don’t have your mother.”
Relief explodes in my chest.
“But,” he adds, “that doesn’t mean we won’t hurt you if you try anything stupid.” The threat is accompanied by a hard stare and I know better than to push my luck.
Winifred climbs into the front seat and the car moves off. I roll backward, falling into the empty cavern of the van. The chairs were removed and my shoulder bangs hard against the metal floor.
Pain explodes up my shoulder, but I know I don’t have a right to cry out. The very thing Cody tried to protect me from is happening.
And there’s no one coming to save me.
* * *
The men drivefor what feels like hours. I try to keep my eyes on the terrain rolling past my window in case I can get to my phone and describe my location to the police, but I have no idea where we are.
Trees press in close and there seems to be no one around. We’re far from any possible help. I doubt there’s even reception this far out.
The van door opens with a metallic whir and Snarly Mouth jerks me up. My shoulder throbs painfully. I realize that, for all his kidnapping and criminal behavior, Winifred treated me a lot more gently than his partner did.
It’s a dark, moonless night. My shoes crunch against loose rocks and grass pushing through what was once a concrete driveway. Winifred rolls up a shutter and his partner shoves me inside.