Page 67 of Knot Innocent

Cle’s question gives me pause. “It has to be considered. We’ve ruled out this being a revenge plot from a previous or even potential target. I know I sound crazy, basing my theory on something that happened fifteen years ago.”

The approaching wail of sirens signifies our time is up, and Knot begins wrapping up our conjecture. “Look, the reasons of the bastard don’t matter. Finding him does. Laurent, you deal with the cops. Cle and I will do everything we can on our end. Get your ass back here as soon as you’re cut loose.”

The call ends, and I shove my phone in my pocket and rush inside. A pair of uniforms are just walking in when I reach the front. I approach the lead, wanting to get things moving fast. “The kidnapped woman is a civilian asset to Detective Cooper. Her kidnapping is related to the work they do. He needs to get here.”

The lead cop takes in my Knot uniform and my explanation. Deciding I must be credible, he points to the other officer and orders, “Get his statement.”

As the lead walks away, I listen to him contacting dispatch and asking for Cooper.

“Sir... Sir?” the younger officer says to get my attention.

I recite for him everything that happened since Birdie and I arrived, as well as my role here. The first cop has since rejoined us and asks a few of his own questions when I’m done. Additional officers arrive during that exchange and are sent to question the staff individually.

Meanwhile, I keep checking my watch, needing to be looking for Birdie. The only reason I’m not tearing shit up is because I know Knot has called down the lightning. He’s likely already deployed every resource in his arsenal and probably drafted several others.

Cooper walks in at the twenty-five-minute mark and comes straight to me. “What do we know?”

After hearing my report and other witness statements, he issues orders to the cops waiting around. “Search every inch of the premises. And no one leaves.” He tosses his thumb in my direction. “Except this guy.”

Cooper demands Dr. Lee show him to the room where he left Birdie, and I follow, dropping to my knees as soon as I clear the door frame. I move chairs and side tables, looking for anything that might lead me to Birdie.

Beneath the farthest reclining seat, I find her phone. I slide the chair out of the way and tap the screen with a pen, waking up the device that displays a panic button front and center. Since Knot found out through me that Birdie was taken, she never got to hit the alarm. Someone caught her by surprise.

I move the chair to the side for Cooper to get close and wait until he notices the safety feature. “She never had a chance,” he says, mirroring my thoughts.

Cooper shakes his head and pulls a plastic bag from his pocket. Though I’d wanted to take the phone, I get that he’ll need to check it for prints in case the suspect touched it.

“Her purse isn’t here,” he reports. “That means he took it. There’s nothing else I can do here.”

Pushing off the floor, I lean close to Cooper to keep the conversation private. “The only people other than me and one more in Knot’s organization knew Birdie would be here are in this building. You have protocols and shit, but Knot will turn these guys’ lives inside out. If we find who took her, we won’t wait for you.”

Birdie

Stripes of bright light assail my eyes through my closed lids, making a bitch of a headache a whole lot worse. I breathe through the pain and nausea, trying to figure out where I am. I’m not at work. The dorms don’t have windows. This isn’t my house, either. Wherever this is, it’s cold and musty.

Opening my eyes slowly, I study my surroundings, which consist of aging wood slat walls. This looks to be a barn or some other type of outbuilding. Besides the light coming in between the wallboards, everything else is dark. And blurry. I don’t have my glasses.

The bed I’m lying on is unexpectedly fresh and comfortable. I raise my hands to roll over carefully, considering my pounding head, but get tangled up in a chain attached to my left ankle. Shit. Shielding my eyes from the intrusive light shining on my face, I look down to see how securely I’m anchored.

The chain is attached to this old iron bed, which sits on a wood plank floor. I’m convinced now that it’s a barn, but I can’t see well enough to know for sure. On a positive note—now, that’s a stupid thought—at least I’m still fully dressed.

Wanting to make sure it stays that way, I gingerly sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed, tugging at the bar of the footboard where the chain is attached. The metal bar doesn’t budge. Picking up my foot, I inspect the heavy iron cuff and the padlock keeping it closed. Unlike the bed and barn, those look new. “Don’t panic, Birdie,” I whisper.

Yeah. You’re way past the point of panic, I think bleakly. I stand up, testing my legs and finding them only slightly unsteady. Stepping a few paces away from the bed, I grab the chain and yank as hard as I can. Again, nothing.

At this point, I give up removing the chain. I’ll take the damned bed apart and drag the footboard behind me if I have to. I shove the thick mattress off the frame to expose an old-fashioned spring base. It fits into the headboard and footboard through cone-shaped connectors. That’s it. The bed comes apart in three pieces.

I try to lift the spring base, but it doesn’t budge. The damned thing is probably rusted in place. Maybe a good solid impact will knock it loose. Banking on that theory, I kick at one of the legs, but the heavy bed doesn’t move at all. That’s not possible.

Dropping to the old plank surface, I check the feet and let out a sob. The bed has been bolted to the floor. I’d need a saw or an ax to bust out of here.

“Seems pretty hopeless, doesn’t it?” a voice from the dark asks.

I jump back up, turning in the direction of the sound. “Stay away from me!”

“I can’t do that. I’ve waited for this moment far too long.”

A figure steps out of the shadows, blurry until closing to within six feet of the bed. The face that comes into focus isn’t that of a monster but is still out of place for such a rustic environment.

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