“Disneyland, obviously.” Ryker grins when my jaw drops. “Just kidding.”
“We have a house on the beach in Malibu.” Hunter grins, too, since this little piece of news has my jaw still hanging open. “We made arrangements for it a long time ago, back when we were still inside.”
“We knew we’d need a place to go once we were free, somewhere we could disappear. It’s waiting for us out there.”
I lick my lips, which have suddenly gone dry. “So why didn’t you go straight there? What, were you afraid I wouldn’t be able to track you down if you went all the way out to the West Coast?”
Another look between them, and this time it’s obvious they’re both fighting to keep a straight face. “Come on,” Ryker finally says, pulling me to my feet when I don’t move. “We have something to show you.”
“You’re taking me someplace?” My heart pounds at the thought. Sure, they came back with breakfast, but was that all a way of getting me to let my guard down? No matter what, it’s still hard to trust. I wish I could, but I can’t help feeling wary.
“Hey, Sugar.” Ryker hooks a finger under my chin before lifting it so our eyes meet. “You can trust me. You can trust both of us. If we wanted to hurt you or get rid of you, we could’ve done that way before now. I didn’t have to leave you alive in that bunker. I wanted you to find me, to find us. And not because of some game I’m playing. I’ve never been more serious. Okay?”
There’s something in his eyes and the tone of his voice that convinces me. Maybe this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s not the first dumb thing, either. “Okay.” I get my bag and follow them from the room, then take the back steps to avoid the elevator and the lobby. So, they’re still being careful, even now.
More careful because of me, I bet.
And dammit, I’m glad they are. Even though I know this is wrong, deep down inside, I’m glad they’re one step ahead of anybody who might be after them.
There’s a nondescript black truck with the engine running in an alley behind the hotel. Hunter gets behind the wheel while Ryker helps me into the passenger seat since it’s sort of a climb. “I can handle this,” I tell him with a smile when he tries to strap me in.
“You can’t be too careful with something as important as you are.” I think it’s the way he says it, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, that makes my nose and my eyes sting like I might burst into tears. It’s just that I’ve never had anybody besides Mom care so much about me before, and it’s been a long time since I lost her.
It amazes me, honestly, that they drive around town like half the law enforcement in the country isn’t after them. They’re even laughing and joking as Hunter drives us out of the commercial district and into an area slightly seedier. I’ve seen my share of seedy areas during the search for my missing bracelet, but this qualifies as one of the worst.
We’re at the riverside, where a row of crumbling warehouses sits. It’s impossible to imagine a time when this area might’ve been bustling, full of workers loading up ships to sail around the world.
Now, it’s obvious from the used needles and condoms littering the broken concrete what people come down here to do. It’s daytime, so we’re the only living creatures around except for birds and rodents and a skinny dog that runs at the sight of us.
“If you were trying to make me feel better, this is probably the last place you should’ve brought me.” I manage a thin little laugh, but even I can tell how pathetic it sounds.
“Relax, Sugar. You’re in for a treat, trust me.” Ryker sounds almost happy as Hunter pulls to a stop in front of a graffiti covered brick building. The broken windows remind me of a mouth with missing teeth.
And they think it’s funny I’m nervous. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to understand them.
“Come on. We’re going in.” There’s no arguing with them, since Ryker is out of the truck and opening my door before I know it. He reaches over me to unlock the belt, then gives my arm a tug. “I can’t wait for you to see. I’m actually getting a little hard right now.”
“I hope you understand that none of this makes any sense.” My eyes dart this way and that, my mind racing as I try to come up with ways to escape if needed. Here I am again, wondering how I can get away from them.
Right now, there’s no chance of that, since Ryker won’t let go of my arm. I’m sure it’s better for me to play along for the moment, rather than trying to fight my way out of this.
It smells like rotting wood in here, and it’s easy to see why once my eyes adjust to the semi-darkness. Water drips from what looks like a hundred places in the broken roof, where there’s a gaping hole. When I look up, I can see the sky.
“Come on, down here.” Hunter leads the way to a set of metal stairs leading down to a basement that I can only imagine is like something out of a nightmare. What choice do I have but to play along? Even if I can’t help but imagine how long it would take anybody to find my body here? And even if they did, I don’t have any ID on me.
Then again, nobody would care, anyway. Sure, the Sherriff’s office might be glad to know I’m gone, but that’s it. It was always going to turn out this way, wasn’t it? I got a six-month reprieve, is all.
It’s darker down here, with only a few holes in the floor above us to let in enough light for us to see. My blood runs cold when a rat scurries past, only inches from my feet. I cringe and grab Ryker’s arm, but he only laughs. “After everything you’ve been through, a rat scares you?”
“It disgusts me. Big difference.”
It’s not completely open down here the way it is on the main floor. There are doors everywhere, narrow passageways between them. This is probably where the offices were located. I shudder with revulsion at the thought of what’s in them now.
Hunter stops in front of one of those doors. “You ready to see what we put together for you?”
It’s not easy to talk with my heart in my throat. I can only nod my head and hope that whatever it is, it’s over with quickly.
The door swings open with a squeak that makes chills run down my spine like nails on a chalkboard. Inside the room are a bunch of battery-operated lanterns giving off an eerie, greenish blue glow.
And a chair in the center of the room.
There’s somebody in it.
My eyes take in the scene rapidly, moving from one thing to another. The rope, coils and coils of it, holding the person in place on the bare wooden chair. The way their head hangs forward with duct tape over their mouth. It’s a man. A man who stinks. A man whose sweat has soaked his hair and clothes.
“Surprise!” Ryker goes to him, takes a handful of his hair, and jerks his head up so I can see his face.
And suddenly, it’s clear. All of it.
Because I’m looking into the face of my long-lost stepfather.