Page 54 of Good and Gone

Hailey fires at another target. Her eyes are wide, but she looks fucking good, a little dangerous. "Not bad," Tristan says.

“Great. Are we done?” she asks. Tyler and Tristan are all smiles, but Hailey is tense, her eyes constantly scanning the area for danger. I know what she’s looking for.

Me.

"Almost," that idiot husband of hers says. He and the loser in leather move the targets so she can try again. I watch her pull the trigger, her body tenses as her hand squeezes it. She fires another round. Close, but not close enough.

Tyler tells her to hold the gun a little lower, to breathe and aim. He shows her again how to line up the sight. They blow through a few more rounds. Hailey sucks at reloading, but I don’t laugh. She's trying hard, and she gets the job done, eventually. It’s probably not going to save her life, but not bad for an internet whore with no talent.

They switch guns, and she fires the nine-mil. She hits the bullseye. Tyler smiles and Hailey just shrugs, looking a little dazed.

I recognize the look on her face. The one that says this whole thing is too much. She wants to run.

She may not see me, but she senses I’m here, and that makes me happy.

Finally, Tyler shakes Tristan's hand. "Thanks for the lesson."

“No problem.” He gives Hailey a nod. She nods back half-heartedly.

I watch Hailey and Tyler get in the car and drive away. I don't have to rush off after them because I've air-tagged the car. Maybe I'll sit in the car and warm up, or maybe I’ll stay and pay the old man a visit. Either way, all I can think about is getting her alone. I know it's risky, but I appreciate a challenge.

Later, I get a notification. It's such a pleasing sound because I know it's the bedroom, and just like that, I am inside that house. Hailey walks into her bedroom and sits on her bed. She pulls off her shoes, then her jeans, then her shirt. My eyes are trained on my phone. But I make sure I’m aware of my surroundings. The wife could walk in on me at any moment. Somehow it’s okay for her to spend hours watching his woman on social media, but when I do it, it’s a different story.

Women. I guess it’s time to put the fear of God in her again. Whatever I gotta do to get her off my back. She's been all jumpy lately too, completely insecure. It’s the pregnancy. She’s changed, and if she’s not careful, I’m going to change, too.

I’m trying to take deep breaths, but the air is thick. It's like I can't get enough.

I watch as Hailey slips on a pair of yoga pants and a tight tank top. She turns the light off and crawls under the covers. Her hair is wet from the shower and clings to her face. She glows as she curls up and falls asleep. I want to touch her. I want to pull her close. I want to kiss her, feel her lips against my chest. I want to hold her soft, smooth body close to mine. I want to destroy her, to possess her.

Something really shifts for me then. Maybe it was watching her with that gun. Maybe it’s watching her sleep. Who knows? But for the first time, I truly understand what it is the boss sees, and I know I have to complete the job. I send him a text:I've found a way in. You'll have her back within 48 hours.

38

Hailey

After I return from Kenneth's, I log onto social media and type out a long post. I haven't used my online account in months, so it feels strange to see everything waiting for me like a time-warp. I thank everyone for their kind wishes and support. I promise I will get back to work soon and will share more about my abduction in time. The investigation is still ongoing.

I make the kids breakfast and try to coax my mother into going home. Then I pile the kids into the car and drive them to school. I am not even out of the neighborhood before I notice the black SUV following me. No, not following me. Staying just a few car-lengths behind me.

My hands become slippery on the steering wheel. I glance in the rearview mirror. The car isn't too close, but the driver knows where I'm going. The light is red, and the traffic is bumper to bumper in front of me. When it changes to green, the other cars drive forward. The only other car that turns is the SUV.

Suddenly, a flashback hits me. In my mind, I see myself broke down at this intersection. I picture the men who pushed my car, specifically the man who hung around for a picture, and I swear he was one of the men who had been with me in that room. I could almost feel his hands still on my arms as he pinned me down, feel his breath against my ear, begging for sex.

I feel a chill run over me, as if I have walked into an icy wind without a jacket. My skin tightens with goose bumps and an awful crawling sensation chases up my spine and down my arms and legs.

My hands grip the wheel tighter. I pull into the school parking lot and the SUV pulls in behind me.

I think through my options. I could drive away and try to lose him, but he'll know how paranoid he made me feel, and Tyler said no more intimidation. A confrontation might endanger us, as well as everyone else at the school.

I decide to call 9-1-1 instead, but before I can unlock my phone, the SUV passes me to the left and pulls out of the lot.

We’re about six cars deep in the drop-off line when I hear the sniffles coming from the back seat. I glance in the rearview, quickly accessing each of the kids.Have they seen the men? Do they sense what’s going on?

It’s Reese. She has red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“Reese, honey?” I say, shifting in my seat. “What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head, her eyes dropping to the floorboard. Until a few months ago, Reese Bock was literally the happiest child I knew. Even throughout her mother’s lengthy battle with breast cancer, you’d never know anything was wrong, judging by the smile this kid wore day in and day out. Of course, Sarah had been like that too. Reese was the first sign for me that something was wrong with my child. Having a little girl next door just days older than Lily made it painfully obvious where she was lacking in development. Even though my daughter’s personality may have always been more salt and spice as compared to Reese’s sweet charm and jovial disposition, by the time the girls reached their first birthday, it was impossible not to notice something was very off where Lily was concerned.

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