Page 18 of Back In the Shadows

Cami hopped off the couch, her hands flying over her mouth with a mix of fear and shock on her face. I could only imagine the thoughts that were going through her mind. “I can’t decide if I should thank you for rescuing those kids or throttle you for endangering my best friend.”

“Cami, I know this is hard to digest, but Ella wanted in on the front line of action, and Bass said no. You’ve known her the longest, so you know how damned determined she is when she wants something. Bass didn’t have a chance,” Kip said, defending me.

Cami spun on her heel and glowered at him. “She is bullheaded for damn sure, but she never signed up to be kidnapped and taken from her kids.” Fury rolled off her in waves.

“Cami,” Ryan said gently, placing his hand on her lower back as if to contain her outburst of emotions. “Babe, we can be pissed later. Time isn’t on our side, and we have to focus on finding Ella before …”

My gut twisted into painful knots. He didn’t need to finish the sentence. We all knew what was on his mind.

Cami blew out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. My feelings aren’t important at the moment. I just want to find her and bring her home safely.”

She sank into her seat and rubbed her hands together. Ryan put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

My burner phone vibrated in my pocket, and I quickly retrieved it, praying to a god I no longer believed in that it was my wife.

“Hello?”

“Death, oh Death, come out wherever you are. Your wife is missing you,” the voice said in a high-pitched sing-song voice.

“Who the fuck is this?” I roared. “Let me talk to Ella.”

A maniacal cackle shot through the speaker, and I wanted to reach through the phone and grab the son of a bitch through it and kill him slowly.

“Hold, please.” Shuffling filled the line, and I quickly put it on speaker and placed my finger to my lips, indicating for my friends to be quiet.

“Sebastian?” She sounded far away, terrified.

“Ella!” My heart hammered in my chest as I frantically listened. “What’s happening? Are you safe?” Every word was like a knife in my gut, but at least she was still alive.

“For now.” Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with terror and anguish. “I’m underground, trapped in a cage, surrounded by stuffed animals …” Her next words were drowned out by an ear-piercing scream.

My body stiffened as goosebumps dotted my skin, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end like soldiers at attention. My eyes widened in fear, absorbing the horror of the situation.

“You fucking son of a bitch, if you hurt her, it will be the last thing you do alive!” I yelled.

“You’ll what?” The man’s laugh sent shivers down my spine. “Listen carefully, and there’s a small chance you’ll get her back.”

A metallic taste filled my mouth, like I’d been sucking on a penny. It was the taste of fear and dread, my reaction to the horrifying situation Ella was in. “What do you want?”

“Death. I want Death.”

What kind of fucked-up shit was this? “I’ll give you fucking death, and you’ll be begging for mercy as I end you.”

“Wrong Death. Wrong Death,” he chanted. “I’ll offer you a clue while we wait for him.”

Dope scrambled for a piece of paper and pen from my desk, ready to write it down.

“Born of silence, fed by fear, my walls have ears, but none draw near. I am nowhere yet everywhere found, where geometry and nightmare are bound.” The line grew quiet, then he said, “Good luck, Sebastian. The clock is ticking.” With that, the call was disconnected.

I stared at it. “Hello? Hello?” Everything inside me wanted to throw the cell against the wall, but then Ella wouldn’t be able to contact me if I did, and I would never forgive myself. My gaze traveled across the room and to my friends, their expressions ghostly white.

“Anyone know what the hell he’s talking about? If he wants a different death, I’ll give the son of a bitch a slow, torturous one.”

Kip and Dope exchanged a worried look before they glanced at Ryan.

“We need to have a talk … in private,” Kip said, his words heavy with concern.

9

---