Page 62 of Skid
“Name?”
Exhaling, I picked a name far from my own. “Vengeance.”
“Twenty minutes, blue SUV with a black stripe down the side.”
The call disconnected, and I turned it off, remembering the protocol and moving on autopilot. I used the bathroom and washed my hands before walking back into the airport. There was a gift shop up ahead, and I reached into my duffle, pulled out the twenty-dollar bill from my wallet, and slapped it down for a hat without looking back. I tucked my wild hair into the hat and kept moving. The airport was massive, and I stayed away from the underground trains, choosing to walk from terminal to terminal until I could see the signs for passenger pick-up.
I was safe inside, and the thought of walking out alone, not knowing who or what may be looking for me, had me on edge. My eyes swung side to side as I walked, and I tried not to make eye contact with anyone. The less anyone remembered about me, the better. The bright sun was shining through the doors leading to the pick-up area, and I pushed the door open to the humid Georgia air.
Countless vehicles parked at the curb briefly with a passenger jumping out or hailing their ride, and I looked for the described vehicle. I saw a blue SUV parked down the sidewalk, farther away from the doors, and I hiked my duffle onto my shoulder and walked toward it. The black stripe down the side came into view, and I stepped to the passenger’s door.
The window rolled down, and the woman behind the wheel asked. “Name?”
“Vengeance,” I replied, and she pressed a button, unlocking the door.
I got inside and stowed my bag on the floorboard as she pulled into the line of traffic and merged onto the highway. She didn’t speak as we traversed the interstate, and even though I didn’t know who she was, I knew one thing for sure. I was safe.
Chapter 21
Skid
Iwoke up to the sunshining into the living room, and I listened to hear if Grace was awake. She didn’t need me during the night, and I stood from the couch, stretching my sore back. I picked up my phone to check the app and saw it was dead. Silently cursing, I plugged it in and walked to the bedroom to check on Grace.
The door was closed, and I pushed it open gently, sticking my head inside. The room was dark, and I stepped inside, letting the light from the living room filter in as I stepped to the bed. She wasn’t there, and I moved to the bathroom to see immediately she wasn’t inside. Realizing she must be on the back porch and worried why she didn’t wake me, I walked through the kitchen and opened the back door. Grace wasn’t outside, and I started to panic.
Running back into the bedroom, I opened the curtains and let the room fill with light as I tore open the closet door. Her duffle bag was gone, and when I looked in the bathroom, all her personal items were missing.
“Son of a bitch,” I yelled and ran to grab my phone.
It had enough charge for me to turn it on, and I snatched the plug from the wall and ran upstairs to my office. The whole house had cameras installed, and I needed to find out where she went. Sitting at my desk, I plugged the phone back in, and the screen came to life as it connected to the network.
Dialing Grace’s number and putting the speaker on, I logged onto my security system and waited for it to show secure. Her phone rang once, and the call was sent to voice mail. My laptop pinged, and I quickly brought the camera to my bedroom and dialed it back until I found Grace sleeping.
Dialing her number again, it went straight to voicemail, and I knew something was wrong. Needing backup, I dialed the first person who could help.
“Skid, what’s shaking, brother?” Gunner asked as my eyes stayed locked on Grace’s sleeping form as I advanced the recording to figure out what happened to her and when.
