Page 76 of In My Blood
“I’m here,” she whimpered, sounding even more breathless. She was sobbing now.
“What happened? What did those fuckers do?!” I raged.
“They w-want you to come to an address, Cara. They said if y-you come alone then they’ll let me go, but you shouldn’t come Cara. I don’t want you t….NO!” The call ended there, the last word screamed, and filled with terror.
A moment later the phone in my hand beeped and when I lowered it from where I still clutched it to my ear I had a text message from the number that had called me. It was an address, with the words ‘1 HOUR OR SHE’S DEAD’beneath.
Then it beeped again and a second message came through.
Unknown:
EXIT THROUGH BACK DOOR ON BASEMENT LEVEL. JASE WILL MEET YOU THERE
I didn’t know who Jase was, or why the message was written as it was – all in block capitals. It seemed an odd detail, but I didn’t have time to contemplate it further. There was no question in my mind that I had to get to that address and save Gia, but I knew I also needed to be smart about it. I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on, because they’d never let me go if I did, but maybe I could tell them after I was gone, so they could follow and maybe get to me once Gia was safe.
If I had to die to save Gia, I would, willingly. But if there was a way to get out of this alive, I wanted to give it to myself. I had only just started this new life with Rafe and the people he surrounded himself with. I didn’t know how it would pan out, but I wanted the chance to see for myself.
I used my cell phone to open an internet browser just the way Cal had shown me earlier, then I typed in what I needed help with.
Thankfully, the internet gave me the answers I needed and I formed my plan as quickly as I could, setting everything up, then leaving my cell phone in the top drawer of my dresser, ensuring it was on silent. I needed it to be switched on to enact my plan, but I couldn’t have any of the guys trying to track me with it, nor finding it and figuring out where I was headed if they realised I was gone, before I gave myself time to get there and get Gia out.
Once that was done I pulled on a pair of sneakers Dante had insisted I buy for training. They weren’t ideal for the weather, but they were if I needed to fight. I also pulled on one of the hooded sweaters I seemed to have stolen from Cal, over the t-shirt I wore. It was warm, comfortable, and I had room to move in it if I needed to. I also had another use for it being so baggy, which was the next step in my plan.
Sneaking around in that house was a piece of cake, since the place didn’t creak at all. I didn’t know if that was a rich person thing, or just that the house was old and that well-constructed, but the hardwood floors never made a peep as I crept over them and down the multiple flights of stairs.
Finally, I made it to Rafe’s office, and I slipped inside, pulling the door closed behind me. I went to his laptop first and looked for the surveillance camera set up, sure Rafe would be the main account user. I was far from an expert with technology, but luckily the program I needed was on his home screen, and when I opened it, it was very user friendly. I found it easy to delete all of the surveillance footage for the last half hour, from the whole house, then I disabled the cameras, the whole time hoping that Dante was too busy to try and access them to spy on me for the next hour at least.
The last step in my plan was to find a weapon, and I was pretty sure, knowing my brother, and the monster who raised him, that Rafe would have a gun somewhere in his desk. I guessed that it would be in a place that would be easily to hand should he ever need it, so I sat in his chair and started opening the desk drawers. When I didn’t find anything there, I bent down to look underneath, and that was where I found it. A small hand gun tucked inside a holster that was secured to the underside of the desk. I pulled it out and worked out how to unload the clip.Seeing it was full and the gun was loaded I made sure the safety was on, not wanting to risk shooting myself, then slipped it into the back of my leggings. Cal’s sweater easily covered over it, and I had confidence whoever had Gia would underestimate me enough not to check me for weapons when I got there. I had to at least try.
I knew I had taken too long by the time I managed to get down to the basement level. I had been able to hear Cal and Terza talking in the kitchen as I bypassed it, and I had needed to sneak past it very slowly and carefully so they wouldn’t hear me, which had cost me precious minutes.
I didn’t even know where the exit door was on the basement level. When I went down there to use the gym, I hadn’t seen anything like that, so once I hit the small hallway on that level I bypassed the gym completely and went to the room next door, which contained the swimming pool. The lights flickered on as I walked inside, and I froze, terrified someone would notice the lights coming on at such an odd time, through the windows from outside.
I stood for a full thirty seconds, just waiting to get caught, but when nothing happened I started to run around the rectangular pool, in search of some kind of door. In the very back corner I found one that was painted to blend into the colours of the room, which was why I hadn’t spotted it initially. When I opened it, I found it branched off in two directions. I went to the right first, but only found a changing room with showers and storage cubbies.
Panic was rising within me. I had no idea how long I had been exactly, but it felt like way too long. I only had an hour. Whatwould happen if I didn’t get to Gia in time? Would they hurt her? Had they already hurt her?
I forced myself to take a breath. That was not the time to have a meltdown. I needed to focus and stay clear headed. Retracing my steps I went back to the door and headed to the left. This led me into a storage room, filled with chemicals and cleaning supplies which were obviously for use in the pool, but beyond the racks that stored all of those items was a door. I ran to it and started sliding open several large straight bolts which were securing it. After they were all released, the door was a fire door, so I simply had to push down the large metal handle and the door opened with a loud creak.
Bitter cold wind whipped at me right away, as I stuck my head out of the gap to look around outside. I started badly and automatically moved for the gun at my back when a tall figure appeared in the dark before me. He was tall, but slim. It was too dark to make out his features, but I had a suspicion I knew who he was.
“Jase?” I asked in a whisper.
“Yes! Come the fuck on!” he hissed at me, continually glancing around him nervously.
I already felt like I was making a huge mistake as I slipped from the door and pushed it closed as quietly as I could behind me, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had to get to Gia. As long as I got her out of there, whatever happened to me didn’t matter. I knew Rafe would be pissed, but he would get over my loss. Afterall, he’d survived eleven years without me already. But he needed Gia, and I needed to know my family was safe.
I didn’t utter a word as Jase silently slipped around the side of the house and climbed over the tall metal railings in the back corner. I followed him over, refusing to take his offered hand when he seemed to begrudgingly hold it out to me in offer of help. It was not a graceful landing, but there was no way I was taking help from the fucker who was very likely a traitor working for my brother. Why else would he be there helping me?
“Down here,” he whispered at me when I regained my footing from the fence climb and looked to him expectantly. He slowly and stealthily moved down the dark street that ran along the side of Rafe’s home. I followed, discreetly reaching a hand round to my back to ensure the gun was still secure in the top of my leggings, which it was.
Up ahead I saw the lights flash on a dark coloured hatchback. I tried to read the numberplate but it was too dark to make it all out. I did see the badge on the car though, and knew it was a Ford. The colour was definitely black. I didn’t know if the details would ever be of any relevance, but I was determined to take in anything I could, just in case.
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked him the second we were both in the car with the doors closed.
“I work for your brother.” He started the car and my stomach flip flopped as we pulled away from the house and any chance of safety I had left.
“Yeah right. You mean you’re a spy,” I scoffed. “Who for? Who has my sister?”
