Casey is now in the van with the doors closed. She won’t be able to see or hear much.
Andy knocks on the driver-side window of the car. When the bodyguard lowers the window, Andy pulls out his handgun and shoots. The bodyguard’s body lurches to the passenger side from the force of the shot. Andy reaches in and turns off the engine.
After Andy returns, he says, “Vu’s at the BART station. I’ll pick him up and dispose of the bodyguard.”
I get out of the car.
“Have fun,” Andy says.
I walk to the van and get into the passenger seat. Tao is at the wheel and starts the van. I glance into the back and see that Casey is sitting on the floor with the hood over her head and a gag in her mouth, her hands tied behind her back and her ankles bound together with rope. Her purse and phone, which Antonne has already turned off, lay next to her
Tao drives toward the freeway. Casey makes a half-ass attempt to get out of her bonds while protesting through her gag. My men are quiet on the drive toward Tahoe. About thirty minutes in, Casey appears to get anxious. Her struggles intensify. She starts kicking.
“Hey!” Antonne barks. “None of that or we hurt you bad, bitch.”
She stops. I wonder if she’s scared now. The drive to the north end of Lake Tahoe takes more than two and a half hours. Halfway there, she tries to talk through the gag. It sounds like she’s asking for me. I consider pulling off the side of the road to have some fun, but I don’t want some CHP pulling up to check on us.
Casey gets more desperate, trying harder to free herself from the bonds.
“Behave yourself,” I tell her.
The sound of my voice seems to settle her. For the rest of the ride, she remains still and quiet. We arrive at a three-story cabin nestled in a densely wooded area in Nevada County, the entire population of which is less than half the City of Oakland. There’s no one within miles, though the town of Truckee and the ski resorts aren’t too far.
Casey tries to talk. I nod to Jay, who removes the gag.
“Finally!” she exclaims. “That was a hella long drive. Where the fuck are we?”
“That’s not important,” Jay replies.
Tao gets out of the driver seat and into the back of the van.
“Jack?” Casey asks.
“Let’s see what’s under the coat,” Tao says, reaching for the tie at the waist.
She shirks away when she feels the tug, but Jay grabs her, keeping her in place. Tao successfully loosens the tie and undoes the buttons.
“Jack!” she tries again.
I could probably reassure her, but she might have more fun being scared.
“Damn, look at this,” Tao says after he’s pulled open her coat to reveal a red plaid skirt and a cropped white top with a cropped sweater vest.
“Sexy schoolgirl,” Jay remarks.
“You mean a school-slut,” Antonne corrects. “I bet she doesn’t even have panties under that short little skirt.”
He lifts up her skirt. She does have panties. Lacy red ones. He rubs her through the fabric.
“Did Jack say you could touch me?” she demands.
“Jack said we could do whatever we wanted with you, cupcake.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“You prefer ‘whore’ instead?”
“No.”