Tracing Hearts (29 page)

Julia

My head aches. I feel it throb with every beat of my heart. I’m reluctant to open my eyes, so I squeeze them shut, hoping to alleviate the pain and pressure. It has no effect. I’m in a vehicle of some sort. It’s moving. The smell of the interior reminds me of my dad’s first new car. My hands are tied tightly together in front of me. Where am I? Carefully, I lift one eyelid. The bright sunlight shoots through my eye like a dagger, and my headache is at full capacity. I cry out involuntarily, then squint and look away.

“She wakes,” a voice next to me says.

Holy shit. Who is that? I bite my bottom lip to keep a panicked sob in check.

“Where am I? Where are you taking me?” I try to look up at the man who belongs to the voice, but it’s still too painful. I hold my gaze down at the floor, willing my vision to adjust.

“All in good time,” he says, then his shoes come into view. He’s wearing expensive dress shoes. Black, shiny, and most likely the name brand variety.

“What’re you going to do with me?” My voice cracks, and I’m angry at myself for letting my fear show. I swallow it down again. “Who are you?” I say, then slowly, raise my head. My eyes have had more time to adjust to the light, so I scan my captor. His tan pants are neatly pleated with a black belt at the top. The black tie, with a small diamond pattern, lays against his white, button down shirt, which is freshly pressed. The smug grin on his face reminds me of a Hollywood actor’s spoiled son; rich and powerful, without a care in the world, and enough money and freedom to wreak havoc on unsuspecting, sheep-like fans. He’s more than likely, Oren Newton, the entitled loose cannon of one Gerald A. Newton, CEO.

“Oh, come now, Miss Bessette. Surely, you must have some idea of who I am.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Not really,” I lie, trying to downplay the relevance of his existence. “Why am I here?”

“Miss Bessette…or would you prefer I call you Julia?” he says, sitting next to me, one leg crossed over the other. His hands are clasped in his lap. I sneer at him. I’d rather he call me a cab. “Very well then, Julia it is,” His expression turns my stomach. “You’re here as bait. There’s a very big, very slippery fish I need to catch, and you’re my best chance at reeling him in.”

“Sebastian,” I mutter.

“Yes. So you must know who I am.”

“Not really.”

“Well let me enlighten you then. I’m Oren Newton. My father is Gerald Newton, owner and CEO of G A Newton Corporation. Have you heard of it?” I shake my head. “I’m not surprised, though my father’s company holds many, many government contracts with the United States Military. We make everything from weapons, to tanks, and even some basic supplies for our men in uniform. Let’s just say, they couldn’t live without us.”

Arrogant bastard.

“What does this have to do with me?” He looks a bit perplexed.

“Vaughn never told you?” I shake my head, and he laughs loudly. “Of course he didn’t. He probably figured your ignorance to the situation would save your life. Tell me, what story did he concoct to get you to run away with him?”

“He told me he stopped you from forcing yourself on some woman. He also told me he kicked your ass.” I smile wryly, and his face falls.

“Well, he didn’t,” he snaps while leaning toward me. “And, we’ll save the rest of this conversation for when he gets to our meeting spot.” I shudder inwardly.

Sebastian

I dash toward my phone as it rings. It could only be one of two people.

“Mick,” I answer. “What’s up?”

“Seb, I got bad news. Oren’s got her. He found Julia.”

“
What?
” I shout into the receiver. “How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure. I got word from my surveillance team that she was taken this afternoon. Seb…I’m…sorry.”

“
Fuck!
” I push my free hand through my hair and a cold sweat forms, almost instantly, across my skin. “You said she was safe. You told me she was under twenty-four hour protection. What the fuck, Mick?”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Somehow Newton’s men got past the security detail I had in place. It’s as if they had inside information about her whereabouts.” I grab the nearest object, which happens to be a drinking glass, and whip it across the room. It shatters against the wall, leaving a hole in its wake.

“Where’ve they taken her?” I ask in a menacingly, quiet tone.

“Now, Seb, don’t go and do anything stupid.”

“
Where
have they taken her?” I ask again, with a little more force this time.

“Seb—”

“Mick, so help my God.
Where. The. Fuck. Have they taken her
?”

“I—I’m not sure.”

“Bullshit! You got the word that she’s missing, and I’m willing to bet you know exactly where she is. You’d better start talking, Mick, I’m serious. I—”

“It’s my job to not let you get yourself killed. If I tell you, this trial is done before it can even start.”

“I don’t care about any of that anymore! Julia’s in trouble, and I’m going to get her out, whether you help me or not. Now tell me!” I’m fuming. Nothing can happen to Julia, or… I just can't let anything happen to her. “Mick, please. Tell me where I need to go. I’ve got to save her. If she dies…I’ll die too.” Images of my nightmare flash through my mind. I can’t lose her.

Mick sighs. “Fine, but I’m going with you. You might need back up.”

“Fine. Just stay out of sight. He’s expecting me, not both of us. I don’t need Oren getting nervous and firing at will.”

Julia

“Drink?” Oren offers.

“No, thank you,” I say petulantly, then watch as he pours an amber liquid into a shot glass. “So, what’s going to happen? Does Sebastian know I’m here?”

“Yes. My business partner informed him some time ago. We’ll be meeting him soon to make the…exchange.” He draws quotes in the air, and I get the feeling he has no intention of letting me go in place of Sebastian. “What do you intent to do with him?”

“You needn’t worry about that.”

And, now I’m really worried. Oren is obviously a desperate man. If Sebastian is allowed to testify against him, Oren will end up in jail, no doubt. What the charges would be are still a mystery to me, but it looks as though I’ll find out soon enough because the limo, which just pulled down a deserted alleyway, is stopping.

“Sit tight. I’ll only be a moment.” The car door is then opened by someone on the outside, and Oren exits. The door shuts behind him. I strain to hear what’s happening, but I can’t hear a thing with the classical music coming from the speakers.

What’s going on out there?

It takes only a few minutes before the door reopens, and a very large man reaches in, pulls me from my seat, and very roughly helps me exit.

Once outside, I see Oren. He stands about ten feet in front of us, and just beyond that, is Sebastian, and Mick.

Sebastian.

God, I’ve missed him. His face looks older somehow, as if he’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders. His body is erect and rigid, and the strain of his muscles is evident. He looks me up and down, scanning me for…injuries?

“Are you okay?” he asks me tenderly. I nod.

“No talking to my hostage, Vaughn. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“We’re hardly going to agree to this exchange if your
leverage
is injured,” Mick says.

“You can see she’s fine, now let’s get on with it.” Oren snaps.

“How do we know you’ll let her go after you have me?”

“You don’t,” Oren replies. “You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

Sebastian looks as though he’s chewing on Oren’s words. “How do you want to do this?” he asks.

“On the count of three, you’ll both start walking.”

Sebastian nods, and the countdown begins.

The very large man who was holding onto me, lets go and gruffly pushes me toward the other side. Sebastian and I start toward each other. How the hell are we going to get out of this alive? My heart starts racing, the closer we get. I’m hoping he has some sort of plan.

Then suddenly, as soon as I’m just about past Oren, I feel myself being pulled backward, and an arm is slung around my throat from behind. Oren’s free hand extends with a gun, which points at Sebastian. Simultaneously, Sebastian pulls out his gun. It’s a stalemate.

“Let her go, Oren. You’ve got me. You don’t need her.”

“Lay down your weapon, Vaughn. You don’t want this pretty little face to get hurt, do you?” Oren says, as he turns his gun on me. I swallow reflexively.

I see a brief look of terror on Sebastian’s face, but he recovers quickly as it hardens again.

“You know I was an excellent shot in the Army, right? I could pick a flea off a dog’s back.” Sebastian’s confidence in his aim makes Oren duck behind me a bit more. It must make him nervous.

“But, if you’re wrong, your girlfriend gets it. How would it feel to have shot her by mistake? I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself.”

Sebastian swallows. This psychological banter is getting to both of them.

Then, I watch as Mick pulls a revolver from its holster, and points it directly at Sebastian’s head. I gasp. Sebastian stops dead in his tracks at the sound of the cocking of Mick’s gun.

“I’m sorry, Seb. I wish it didn’t have to come to this. I really liked you,” Mick says while walking around to the side of Sebastian and motioning for him to lay down his gun. Sebastian does as instructed, then he holds his hands level with his shoulders.

“This explains a lot,” Sebastian says to Mick.

“The Bureau doesn’t pay as much as Newton’s father does.”

“Secure his hands behind his back!” Oren commands. “I don’t need any surprises.” The very large man, who drove us here, grabs a length of rope from his pocket and ties Sebastian’s wrists together behind him. He then takes Sebastian by the arm and leads him closer to us. A tear rolls down my cheek, and I watch as Sebastian’s eye follows it. I struggle to break free.

“Let me go. You have what you want. I won't tell anyone. I swear,” I say, desperate to be let loose, so I can, somehow, help him.

His arm tightens around my throat to the point that I almost can't breathe.

“Oh, stop whining. I have no intention of letting you go,” he says in a hushed voice into my ear. “I’m not done with you yet. Your boy has caused me too many problems for me to just kill him. No. I want to torture him, and I think I know the perfect way to do it.” Oren kisses my cheek and then gently bites my ear lobe.

“Stop!” Sebastian demands as he lunges forward. The henchman grasps both of Sebastian’s elbows, restraining him.

“You can't stop me this time, can you, Vaughn? Not like the girl at the bar, and not like the Private on the base,” he says. “Although, you were too late to help her anyway.” Oren chuckles.

“You mean the young, female soldier you raped and murdered, after she threatened to expose you for the sick bastard you really are?” Sebastian says, disgusted.

What?

“She wanted it. Don’t let her reaction afterward fool you. Besides, you can’t prove that she said no.”

“You’re a piece of shit, you know that? Was it the fact that she was screaming at the top of her lungs for you to stop, or the way her uniform was torn off, when I saw her run away from you, that told you she wanted it?”

“Some people like it rough. I can’t help that you interpreted things wrong.”

“I heard her tell you to stop.
She said no
. Don’t tell me that was her safe word.”

“True, but if you heard her, why didn’t you come to her rescue?”

“Believe me, I tried. I was running to where I heard the screams, but by the time I got there, I watched in horror as you finished beating her into a coma, then dumped her lifeless body into a nearby Humvee. Too bad your attempt to hide the body failed miserably. They found her just outside the post the very next day.”

“That’s your version of events. I don't know how she got outside the gate,” Oren states matter of factly.

“God, just admit it. You raped her. You beat her to death. Then, you dumped her body. It’s the least you can do before you kill us!” Sebastian shouts.

“Okay, fine. Yes, you’re right, I hit her a few times. The bitch deserved it. She came on to me at the General’s Ball that night. She batted her eyelashes and smiled flirtatiously at me in hopes of getting lucky. She woke up the beast. Then, when I did her, she fought me. I knew she was just playing hard to get. Women like that game, so I played along. I pinned her wrists down, and she liked it. Afterward, she kept going on and on about what an asshole I am. I wasn’t going to let her talk to me like that, so I backhanded her. She tried to run, so I grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled hard. She fell backward, hitting her head on the dumpster beside us. So, I didn’t
kill
her. She did it to herself.”

My eyes are wide. I’ve never heard a firsthand account of an assault before. This man is a psychopath.

“Did you get all that, Mick,” Sebastian says to the double agent behind him.

“Every last, sick word,” Mick replies.

Oren steps back with me in tow.

“What are you talking about? Mick, shoot him.”

Mick scoffs at Oren.

“I don't take orders from a rapist and a murderer,” Mick replies. Oren takes a few more steps back, and I have to shuffle my feet to keep up with him.

“What the hell is this? Mutiny?” he says, desperately trying to figure this out.

“Oren, it’s over. Let her go. Mick and I are wearing wires. Your confession has been recorded. You’re going to prison,” Sebastian says as he brings his hands in front of him.
What?
I thought they were tied behind him. “There are snipers here, ready to take you out if you attempt to run. Just give me the girl.” He holds out his hand to me.

“Oren, please. Just let me go. You can’t win. There’s no use in trying. You don’t want another murder on your hands,” I say, then notice his grip loosen. I start to pull his arm away from my neck when it tightens again, and I hear the hammer to his gun, cock. I freeze.