Page 17 of Another Girl Lost

Della fished a twenty-dollar bill out of her pocket. “Do you have change?”

“No, sorry.”

“Come with me to my van. I have my wallet under the seat.”

I glanced at my flapping sheets of art and then carefully collected them. I knew enough that if I left them behind, they’d get swiped.

When we rounded the corner onto the shadowed side street, I saw the open van door but didn’t think twice about it. I didn’t see it as a gateway or a portal to the underworld. It was just a door, opened to an empty space.

When I reached the door, I glanced past Della to the interior. It was a metal box with blacked-out windows, no seats or carpet. The interior smelled of urine, blood, and sweat-soaked bodies. I recoiled. In that split second, my instincts screamed,This is wrong!

Della’s smile didn’t falter as she climbed in the van’s cab. “Come on. My wallet is right here.”

Common sense flickered to red alert. Who leaves a van door open with a wallet inside in the city? A part of me needed to believe her. Della was nice, and she wanted to buy my art. I didn’t scream or run. I followed willingly.

As I hesitated, strong hands shoved me into the van. I stumbled forward, and Della threw her body on mine. A needle pricked my arm.A scream gurgled in my throat and then faded as invading drugs captured and silenced my voice. My vision blurred. The van door slammed closed.

As handcuffs clinked around my wrists, I looked up into dark eyes looming inches from my face. Confusion mingled with terror. I recognized the man, and at first, I was oddly relieved. He’d waved to me yesterday and smiled. Tanner. I’d been charmed. He was so nice. And hot.

I believed for a split second that I’d been saved. Close call. As my vision deteriorated, I still believed hell would have to wait.

But the eyes that once stared at me with so much warmth had cooled with the cruel amusement of a hunter trapping prey.

“Why?” I asked.

Tanner was already climbing behind the wheel as Della sat beside me.

She stroked my hair. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

A scream lodged in my throat, but when it escaped, it sounded like a sad moan. “Noooo.”

As Tanner angled the van and shifted gears into higher speeds, Della nestled closer. “Shh. It’ll be fine. You’re not going to die.”

The vehicle rumbled down the potholed side street. The drugs mingled with the hum of the engine, paralyzing me in a twilight. Awake, but unable to move or speak.

My head spun, my hands grew numb, and the metal van floor rubbed my bony spine. My pants grew damp, and color rose in my face when I realized I’d peed. I was humiliated.

The van kept driving for what felt like hours. Where were we going? Was he driving in circles? The constant rocking of the van made my stomach so uneasy. Bile rose in my throat. When the van finally stopped, I had no idea how long we’d been traveling. The side door opened. Fresh air rushed the cab. Stars glistened through trees.

Della hopped out as Tanner came around the side of the van. Her expectant smile faltered as she met his gaze.

He hauled me out of the van and hefted me on his shoulder. As I looked up, I saw Della slam the van door. Boots climbed three old wooden steps. Through the haze I saw an old gray farmhouse. We were in the country. How far were we from Norfolk? At least thirty or forty miles.

Tanner kissed Della on her cheek. “Good girl. You’ve earned a burger.”

“You’re going to let her go, right?”

“Sure, baby. Sure.”

Later, when the drugs faded, and the trapped cries escaped, Tanner didn’t let me go. And I screamed until my throat was raw.

Chapter Five

SCARLETT

Thursday, July 11, 2024

6:00 p.m.

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