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  Glen peeled off and walked away with Skeeve scuttling on not far behind him. Rushe stayed talking to the Kid until Skeeve and Glen were out of sight. Then the Kid ran off in the opposite direction from the other two. Rushe stood with his back to the truck, waiting it seemed for nothing. But eventually he turned and came back to the vehicle. He opened the back door and gestured for her to exit.

  ‘You got the money?’ he asked. Flick nodded. That morning he’d tucked it into her sock and made her hide it under her jeans. ‘Go through that door.’

  He pointed in a third direction. ‘Ok.’

  ‘Walk through the store, go out the west entrance, it’s the cosmetics department. Directly outside there’s a cab line. Get in; tell them to take you home, that’s it.’

  ‘Straight home?’

  ‘Change cabs a couple of times if it makes you feel better, but no one will come looking for you.’

  Rushe closed the truck door at her back. ‘No one?’ she asked, touching her fingertips to his abs.

  Flick heard the hope in her voice, and she cringed knowing that Rushe would hear it too.

  ‘Do me a favour, Kitten,’ he said. ‘Do what you’re told. I won’t be around to pull you out the next time.’

  Flick nodded again and swiped tears from her cheeks. ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘Good girl... now go away.’

  Flick hooked her hands into his jeans pockets, and pushed up as he lowered to her. While he accepted her kiss he didn’t allow her to prolong it, and all too soon he straightened.

  ‘Thank you, Rushe.’

  ‘Get,’ he mumbled without moving his lips.

  Everything in Flick wanted to stay at his side, but time was running short and he wouldn’t be able to keep looking after her. No matter how much he denied it Flick knew that he cared about her. But in his profession having any weakness could leave him open to manipulation.

  Touching the stubble on his cheek, Flick smiled. ‘You’re a good guy, Rushe. I owe you my life... goodbye.’

  This really was goodbye. The finality of having to walk away made more tears fall. Following his instructions thus far had kept Flick out of trouble – or if she’d followed them they would have. So she walked past the truck, across the alley, and toward the brown door he’d pointed out. Flick might have told herself not to look back but she was always going to.

  In the shadows of the surrounding buildings, the truck was decipherable but his silhouette was harder to define. Flick knew he was still there. Just like on that very first night. His form eluded her but she could hear him, though today he said nothing at all.

  This would be the last moment in time that they would share. So with fresh tears in her eyes, and a weight around her neck, Flick turned away and followed his instructions.

  Chapter Six

  The funny thing about getting back to her life was that it was exactly the same; except she wasn’t.

  All through her trip home, Flick expected something to happen. An accident, being run off the road by a crazy-eyed Skeeve, or a vengeful Shiv. At one point, she imagined the driver pulling over and demanding to see her breasts – he didn’t.

  Her time in that shack had trailed her through so many emotions that her head still spun from the ordeal. Never had Flick experienced so many extreme emotions in such a short time. From her initial terror, to the trust she built with Rushe, through to the panic at being caught naked in the shower, all of it whirled in her mind like a melancholy mirage.

  The things she had done with Rushe, the sex, the union of their bodies wasn’t one she’d thought herself capable of. Through all the dates she’d been on in her life not one man had brought her to ecstasy with words and actions in the way Rushe did. Flick was glad that she’d stepped out of her comfort zone and consented to have sex with him. All of the misgivings she had about being with him, about her own shortcomings, had been dashed by Rushe’s confidence. Flick had pleasured him, she had been a part of him, and he had desired her.

  Something inside her was different. The stirrings of her connection with Rushe had awoken it. But getting through the ordeal had changed her. Flick felt stronger, more sure of herself. For all the negatives, the fear and the anger, she was still here. Despite being unsuccessful at her escape she had tried to free herself. Though that poor woman had perished Flick’s intention was to help. Skeeve had pulled the trigger, which he likely would’ve done when he was finished with the woman anyway.

  But Flick still felt the burden of guilt over how things had happened. Standing up to Skeeve despite the situation showed Flick that she had a courage in herself that she hadn’t had to access in the past, but now she knew it was there.

  Who in their life had been assaulted and kidnapped? How many people were held against their will and then found themselves in the clinch of passion with the man who had kept them safe? People didn’t know what was in them until they faced it.

  Flick tried to escape, she tried to stop Skeeve from causing harm, and she had held her head up. Most people never got to see what was inside them, what they were capable of. But Flick had seen it and she was proud that she’d come through it, although she did admit to herself that Rushe was the one who had given her the chance to see those things, he’d kept her alive in the first place.

  The journey home ended up being uneventful. After a brief conversation with her building superintendent, he let her into her apartment, and she requested a copy key. Flick hadn’t seen her purse since the night she walked into Dell’s.

  When she found herself alone in her own home, Flick didn’t know what to do with herself. There were no rules to follow, no men to fear, no one to have sex with. But it all seemed hollow. This normality now felt surreal, which Flick knew contradicted traditional notions much like being unable to sleep without a criminal to lie on.

  Flick went through the motions of cancelling cards, then dunked herself in her bathtub. Everything was the same, everything but her.

  Flick had been tempted not to go back to work at all, because she didn’t know what to say in explanation for her absence. Much as she loved working with information, and finding out new things, a lot of the personnel left Flick cold.

  But the following morning she got up and went in to face the music. Geoffrey gave her a dressing down, and Tamara certainly delighted in watching Flick get bundled into the office.

  Using the excuse of being unwell and unable to get to a phone was farfetched even to her own ears, especially in this day and age. But Geoffrey eventually accepted it. Then again, short of outright calling her a liar he had little choice.

  She couldn’t have used the truth even if Flick had wanted to, because there was no proof of it. No police came looking for her. The only messages on her home voicemail were from Geoffrey and from Hayden. The latter had called about the date she’d stood him up for, on the night her cab broke down, leading her to walk into Dell’s, and set all events in motion. Flick had almost forgotten about Hayden entirely.

  But no one had noticed she’d been missing. There had been no official reports made – just as Flick had told Rushe there wouldn’t be.

  Tamara spent the rest of Wednesday filling Flick in on the latest gossip, but at the National Library there wasn’t much to miss; it was hardly a buzzing social hub. Her time in the research department had given Flick an insight into a variety of subjects. Students, professors, journalists, and writers made up most of their traffic. Law enforcement were also regular customers, but more at the state and federal level than the local guys.

  By the following Friday Flick hadn’t found her groove again. She wondered where Rushe was, what he was doing, and whom he was doing it with. By releasing her Flick hoped he hadn’t increased his chances of getting hurt, because the danger in his life was very real. But just like he’d said no one had come after her.

  ‘You’re away in one of your dreams again,’ Tamara said, propping herself against the front desk of the research department that Flick was currently manning.

  �
�What?’ Flick asked the tall blonde.

  ‘You’ve been all over the place this week, what’s up?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Flick said, doubting the sincerity of Tamara’s interest.

  ‘Do you know what would help?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  Tamara carried on regardless. ‘Double date tomorrow night. I’ve been seeing this guy, well we haven’t actually been on a date yet but he has a roommate, and he said if I could come up with a friend for his friend... you know.’

  Flick had never considered Tamara a friend. Maybe giving her colleague a chance could prove positive. Rushe had been the one to point out that he wouldn’t be around if anything bad happened in the future. So it could be wise to incorporate some people into her life who would notice if she went missing.

  Although given what she had just been through, Flick imagined the statistical chances of finding herself exposed to that situation in the near future were astronomical. Then again she’d had her purse snatched twice, but these things tended to come in threes.

  ‘What’s he like?’ Flick asked.

  Tamara pushed away from the desk with a widening smile; someone had caught her eye. Flick recognised the flirtatious aura and so went back to work, knowing that she’d get nothing out of her co-worker until the male was out of her crosshairs.

  ‘Hello,’ Tamara drawled. ‘How can we help you today?’

  Flick kept typing away, giving the pair an illusion of privacy. ‘You are one beautiful woman,’ the man said. Flick fixated on the keyboard.

  ‘Why thank you,’ Tamara said with false modesty. ‘You’re a very handsome man yourself. How can I help you? Tell me all of your research needs.’

  ‘I need some information,’ he said.

  ‘You came to the right place.’

  ‘I work for a man named Victor.’

  Flick’s fingers stopped and hovered over the keys. Though she didn’t lift her head Flick knew the stranger’s eyes were on her. Trying to figure out what to do, Flick’s mind raced for a clue as to how to proceed, how she should deal with this unexpected development.

  ‘That’s nice to know,’ Tamara said with no idea what was going on. ‘But what can—‘

  ‘I’ve got this,’ Flick said.

  ‘Uh no, I’m already—‘

  ‘Toddle on beautiful,’ the man said, and with a clueless air Tamara walked away.

  ‘What do you want?’ Flick whispered trying to draw on the confidence and detachment that she knew she should use to deal with this situation.

  ‘You need to come with me.’

  Flick looked at him now, right into his ice-blue eyes. ‘Do you think I’m going to get up and walk out with you?’

  ‘I think that’s your only option,’ he said. ‘Victor wants you...’

  ‘For what?’ How Flick craved Rushe’s counsel now.

  ‘I’m not telling you that.’

  ‘I really don’t want to screw your boss.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s what he wants,’ the stranger said. ‘I walked in here because I thought we could be civilised. If you’d rather be snatched off the street—‘

  ‘This has nothing to do with me,’ she said. ‘I haven’t called the police. I’m no threat.’

  ‘Rushe is in trouble. Come with me and there might be something you can do about that.’

  ‘Why should I believe you? If I walk back into that and you’re lying—‘

  ‘Why would I be lying?’ he asked. ‘I want you to come with me, and I’m going to take you to Victor. Don’t you think I’d have come up with a better lie than that to convince you if my motives were sinister?’

  ‘Why didn’t Rushe come?’

  ‘Like I said, he’s in trouble.’

  Flick couldn’t believe that this man was telling her the truth, but wriggling out of going with him would be tough.

  ‘I think if I show up I’m going to be in trouble,’ she said.

  ‘Victor won’t hesitate to hurt Rushe.’

  ‘Do you think he’s afraid?’ Flick said with a smirk that Rushe would be proud of. ‘You can come here and threaten me all you like. You can threaten Rushe. You can try to strong arm him, but he’s never going to fear you, or your boss.’

  ‘He’s not invincible,’ the man said. ‘And neither are you.’

  Flick had told Rushe she would be a liability, and he’d agreed with her. It wouldn’t matter that Rushe’s feelings for her didn’t run deep; Flick was under no illusion about that. But convincing this stranger would be tough. This guy was here to complete one task, and she doubted he concerned himself to look at any reasoning beyond that.

  ‘He won’t care if you hold me for ransom.’

  ‘But will you care if we hold him?’

  And that was the kicker, because Flick did care if they hurt him, especially if she could in any way prevent his pain.

  ‘What is it you want?’ she asked. ‘Is this about money?’

  ‘I’m here to pick you up,’ he said. ‘My sole responsibility is to get you to Victor.’

  ‘And if I refuse?’

  ‘You’re my sole responsibility,’ he said again. ‘If I have to drag you out of here kicking and screaming I will.’

  ‘My colleagues will call the cops.’

  ‘And by the time they get here we’ll be long gone.’

  Kicking and screaming could lead to others getting hurt. ‘Are you alone?’

  ‘Do you think you can take me?’ he smiled.

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘Call me John.’

  ‘That’s imaginative,’ Flick said.

  ‘I’ll tell my mother you said so. Now get up, we’re leaving.’

  Rushe would kill her for complying, but Flick didn’t want him being held for ransom just like this John guy had said.

  ‘Ok,’ Flick said while she rose from her seat. ‘I have to speak to my boss and—‘

  ‘No,’ John said losing all good humour. ‘You’re gonna come out from back there and walk out with me, now.’

  ‘But—‘

  John’s hand came up still in his pocket, and she noticed the suspicious slope of a gun. ‘You don’t want anyone to get hurt, do you Flick? Where did your pretty colleague go? I could shout her over, she’d come running. How many people have to die before you do what you’re told?’

  Flick glanced past him at the group of smiling college kids coming through the front entrance. John followed her line of sight.

  ‘They’re young,’ John said. ‘How many of them do you want me to take out? You’re going to do it anyway, one way or another I’ll get you to Victor.’

  It appeared she’d used all of her turns. Maybe that wasn’t a gun his pocket. But knowing what she did about Victor’s men Flick wouldn’t want to take the risk.

  Without her purse or personal effects, Flick rounded the front desk with little choice of doing anything else. John immediately caught hold of her arm, jerking her to his side, and with the gun now prodding her ribs they began to move toward the exit.

  ‘We’re gonna walk out of here nice and slow,’ he mumbled. ‘If you get any ideas about running just remember it’s Rushe’s life you’re gambling with.’

  Flick hadn’t forgotten, and she wouldn’t. Rushe had risked his safety for hers, and so it was only right that she return the gesture. Still, when John pushed her head down to force her into the once white Ford idling at the roadside Flick knew one thing – Rushe was going to be absolutely furious with her.

  John got in next to the driver who got the car moving before all of the doors were properly closed. Bringing her attention to the man at her side Flick gasped; it was Skeeve.

  ‘Hey little girl,’ he drooled, grabbing for her thigh.

  In an odd reflex, her fist came up and she punched him full force in the nose, sending blood flying everywhere. Commotion in the front joined Skeeve’s cursing.

  ‘You fucking bitch!’ he roared, bringing his own fist up to her jaw but Flick managed to duck sideways so th
e blow only glanced her.

  ‘Calm down!’ John shouted.

  ‘This little bitch has been asking for it since I met her!’ Skeeve shoved his pelvis forward and grabbed for her hair.

  ‘You think about putting anything anywhere near my mouth and I’ll bite it off. I swear to it, Skeeve.’

  John and the driver laughed, but Skeeve fumed. ‘You’ve got nothing to worry about,’ John said. ‘Victor’s orders are that you be untouched... sexually anyway. We all know what Skeeve can be like.’

  ‘You smug sonofabitch,’ Skeeve sneered.

  ‘Do your job,’ John snapped.

  Rushe apparently wasn’t the only one to have short patience with Skeeve.

  ‘Here for the scut work,’ Flick muttered while turning her eyes to the side window.

  ‘We get her to the boss,’ John said. ‘You know what you’ve got to do.’

  Skeeve’s hands swooped around her and fabric was pulled over her eyes. After tightening the blindfold, another length of the thick material came over her mouth. Being blindfolded and gagged evidently wasn’t enough, because next he stole her hands and tied her wrists. Fighting the bonds would get her nowhere, but she resented Skeeve’s silent victory.

  Now Flick was unable to ask questions, though she doubted her abductors would pay much heed to them anyway. Certainly, the length of the journey didn’t matter because they wouldn’t tell her where they were going, so all she could do was wait.

  Whatever was going on it was clear they used her feelings for Rushe to coerce her, but the reasons why mystified her. Yes, Flick believed that Rushe cared for her, but that care wouldn’t sway him. Whatever he was, or wasn’t, doing wouldn’t change by her mere presence.

  The trip was mostly quiet. The men jeered each other and the radio was switched on and off a few times. But after listening without contributing for a number of hours, Flick rested her head against the window and tried to sleep.

  By now Flick knew she’d have lost her job for good. But with no idea what was ahead, or when she’d get the chance to relax again, employment was the least of her worries.