Page 78 of Fighting for Brielle
Brianna dropped into the vacant chair next to him. She reached out and touched his arm. “Justice, you’ve been on duty all day. The officers said you haven’t eaten or taken a break. Please eat something. You don’t look well.”
The gentleness of her tone reminded him so much of Brielle it ripped his heart into jagged pieces. “It’s too…difficult, Mrs. McAdams.” He wasn’t referring to eating.
“Yes, I know. But if Brielle thought for one second I wasn’t taking care of the man she loves, she’d be disappointed. She’d give me a piece of her mind. So, please, eat!”
A ghost of smile crossed his face. “Yes, ma’am.” He lifted a forkful of potato salad to his mouth.
Brianna patted his arm. “Stay strong, Justice. Have faith.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Have faith.Rage simmered anew in him as he watched Gage’s superyacht sail past Brielle’s house during the fireworks display after sunset. He vowed to see the mayor incarcerated.
I’m coming for you. Your days are numbered.
Three days later Justice figured he didn’t have anything to lose by confronting Linda Ferguson. He considered the possibility that she’d been drawn into Anderson’s conspiracy by either accident or by coercion. Just in case he’d be met with the same lack of cooperation as the mayor, he’d secured permission to bug her house. He’d have to be clever about planting it, too, for Linda was sharper than Gage.
When he knocked on her front door, Linda didn’t seem surprised to see him.
“Coffee, Justice? You look like you need it.”
“Yeah, sure.” He followed her into the sunny kitchen.
As she handed him a coffee mug, she remarked, “I know why you’re here. Elliott told me about the visit you paid to him a few days ago.”
Justice sipped his coffee. “Linda, please, I’m begging you. Help me stop Axel Anderson. Help me find Brielle and Faith Stoker.”
Linda gripped her coffee mug, and she avoided his direct gaze. “I can’t. I don’t know anything.”
“You were once a good cop. Decorated. Respected. What changed? Is it money? I’ve looked into your finances, Linda. There isn’t any evidence of large transactions, unless you’re hiding the cash really well. So, what is it? Are Gage and Anderson holding something over your head? Tell me. I can help you.”
Her hands started to shake. “I’m clean.”
“Until two years ago, I believe you were. Now you’re dirty. And what’s more you’re betraying the oath you took when you became an officer.” Justice set down his mug. “You’ve left me no choice, Linda. Cooperate and I’ll make sure you get full immunity. If not, I’ll be back to arrest you.”
When she remained silent, he sighed. “All right. Have it your way.”
She would probably find the bug he’d attached underneath the kitchen table, but at least he’d tried.
He’d just reached the door when she called, “Justice, wait!”
“What?”
Unbridled fear shone in her eyes. “Anderson has my son.”
* * *
Brielle fought against the darkness enveloping her and regained consciousness. She blinked at the harsh florescent lighting above her. Her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth, and she ran it over her dry lips. A terrible thirst consumed her. She pushed a woolen blanket off her and tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness caused her to fall back against the pillow. As the fogginess in her head subsided, she noted her surroundings.
She lay on a mattress and box spring in an underground cell with smooth cavernous walls. A solid steel door blocked escape from her prison. Brielle heard the low thrum of generators which provided electricity to the compound. Without her watch or a clock, she didn’t have any idea what time of day or night it was or how long she’d been unconscious. Hours? Days?
Her gaze moved around the cell. Next to the bed stood a sink and a toilet. They reminded Brielle that she was thirsty and also needed to relieve herself. At that moment she realized she was stark naked beneath a plain gray linen dress. Panic rose in her as she examined herself for signs of sexual assault. Thankfully, there weren’t any. She assumed Anderson didn’t need to use sex to control or humiliate her. He planned to break her in other ways. She shivered.
Rising on shaky legs, she stumbled toward the sink and splashed cold water on her face. Cupping her hands, she drank deeply before she used the toilet. Afterward, she approached the nearest wall and ran her hands with trained expertise over it, looking for any evidence of weakness or cracks. The methodical process took more than an hour, but she had to be certain she was trapped. No way out other than through the steel door. She checked the hinges. Maybe if she could get her hands on a tool of some kind, she could pop them out. Perhaps the bed frame could be of use to her.
The physical exertion caused her knees to buckle. She drank more water, and this time it hit her empty stomach like a rock. It roiled and rebelled and she gagged. Falling back upon the bed, she curled into a fetal position and breathed through the intense pain.
When she felt better, Brielle lifted her eyes and gasped. In an upper corner of her cell blinked a red dot.
