CHAPTER THREE
Tessa slept like a log through her days off. Her body felt heavy, her mind foggy, enticing her to stay rolled up under the covers, curtains drawn, ignoring the outside world. Albeit, not entirely; she kept her cell phone close until the message from Mabel popped up, confirming that Allison was settled with Nigel and she was back home, safe and sound.
Once she had that confirmation, it was as if her body simply shut down once more. A dreamless state where time didn’t exist, apart from a ghost with sea-green eyes who teased her, who seemed so close, but every time stayed out of reach.
It was with a lingering headache and a growling stomach that Tessa finally resurfaced. Disoriented at first, she stretched her body, wincing until she could walk to the main window of her little apartment. Opening the curtain, night enveloped the city, making her wonder what time it was. She had four days off, she couldn’t sleep through all of them.
Still fuzzy, she hopped into a steaming shower, and let the heat pulse over her skin, awakening every cell, making her feel like her old self again.
After so many rounds at the hospital, it wasn’t surprising for her to see her fridge almost empty, or with a few rotting items. It may be nearly ten, but she knew a few places down the street that remained open past midnight. And some fresh air would do her good.
Dressing quickly in a pair of jeans, a woolen sweater, her favorite pair of boots and her denim jacket, she decided against taking her purse and only took a few bills and her cell phone.
As she stepped into the night air, Tessa zipped her jacket. Fall was coming early this year and the temperatures were already dropping. Not that she minded, she loved fall. The smell of falling leaves, the rain in the wind, even in the city, it was something she appreciated dearly every time she went outside.
What she really loved was gloomy rainy days when she was off work. There was something peaceful in watching water fall from the sky through the windows while cozying up by a fireplace or reading a book. None of which she had done in a long time. Work always took precedence.
Mabel had been right, she badly needed time off. Not the in-between crazy shifts time off, but a real break, one without a pager, unexpected calls coming in, or demands asking her to extend her shifts.
Lazy morning and endless evenings. It sounded so lovely.
Lost in her thoughts, Tessa heard someone running behind her. There were so many joggers at all times of the day, she instinctively stepped to the right to let him pass. She yelped when the jogger didn’t run past her, but bumped into her so hard, she stumbled forward. Expecting to fall on the ground, she was surprised when a pair of strong arms circled her waist preventing the impact.
Everything happened so fast that Tessa didn’t have time to react when a van screeched to a stop beside her on the street, and the jogger all but slung her inside. Her body hit the metal wall so hard, she feared she’d fractured some bones. But worry about possible injuries took a backseat when a large shadow pinned her down, and as she screamed, placed a cloth over her nose and mouth. Her last thought as she fell into unconsciousness was her wish that whatever happened would be quick and painless.
* * *
Someone was crying nearby.It sounded like Allison. The thought insinuated itself through her drugged mind until Tessa finally regained control of her body and opened her eyes. Blinking several times, she realized that wherever she was, it was almost pitch black, and it took a couple more minutes for her eyes to adjust and distinguish between the various shades of dark. Light was coming through the cracks of what appeared to be the only door. Around her were several people, and from what she could hear, some of them were young girls. One check of her pockets told her that her kidnappers had taken her phone away.
Straightening into a sitting position, Tessa cradled her pounding head for a moment, breathing in and out to keep her wits together. She was still alive. Whatever happened, she needed to stay that way and get out of there. It took some effort, but she finally got on her feet with the help of a nearby wall. Her first instinct was to try to pound the door down. Using her fingertips, she touched the cold metal door, feeling her way to the knob and tried to turn it very slowly so as not to make a noise. As she expected, it was locked. The more her eyes accustomed to the shadows, the more she was able to see details. No windows—it appeared to be an industrial cooler. Bodies moved in the dark, huddled together.
Tessa was about to turn and approach the other prisoners, when a noise came from outside the door. The sudden light rendered her blind, making it impossible to evade being grabbed and pulled by her arms out of her cell.
As soon as she could see, a scream caught in her throat. A man was standing in what appeared to be the middle of a warehouse. There was fresh blood on the concrete floor. A man who looked like a bear dragged her forward, making her stop about six feet from the first man. Two others grabbed her wrists pulling them behind her back, securing them in handcuffs. One of her captors pushed on her shoulders to make her kneel, and when she sidestepped, he backhanded her. The shock made her fall, and she could taste blood on her tongue.
It was a fight to keep her fear under control when all she wanted was to crumble into a puddle of tears. Instead, she clenched her jaw and looked up again. This time, Tessa forced herself to lock eyes with her warden. The man looked as if he had been in so many fights, none of his features were in their original place. Well in his fifties, he was more fat than muscular, the opposite of most of the men surrounding him. The horrible grin on his face revealed how much he loved frightening and beating his victims.
When Tessa tried to get up, the man behind her pulled her up by the hair. Screaming at the pain, the hold kept her in place with her back arched.
“What do you want? Why am I here?”
He slowly approached, clearly amused. “Doctor, you’re a smart woman. I’m sure you know why we invited you here.”
His finger traced her cheek, making her shiver in disgust, before cupping her chin. “You can’t expect to steal from me and walk away unscathed.”
“I didn’t steal anything. I don’t even know you.”
Tessa was proud she’d spoken with such a steady voice, so she appeared in control of herself.
His hold on her face tightened causing her to wince. “Don’t irritate me. I know what you’ve done. You stole a girl from me. And that means the loss of a lot of money for me.”
It dawned on her that he was talking about Allison.
“I admire your heart, Doctor. But playtime is over. Where is she?”
Something relaxed inside her despite the danger of her situation. That monster didn’t know where Allison was. That meant that she was safe. They were all safe. “You can’t own a person.”
Another hideous smile, but his hold on her face lessened. “I see you still believe in fairytales. I’m pleased I’ll be the one that opens your eyes. I could beat your pretty face until you tell me where she is. What do you think about that?”
