Dangerously Close, page 16
Ashley nodded. “I hope so.”
“We’ll get out of here, I just know it.”
Ashley’s heart raced with hope. Could she believe her new friend? But she had nothing to lose at this point – and everything to gain.
When the crying lady grew quiet, Michelle closed her eyes as if she was asleep and Ashley followed her example. She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their chance of fleeing this prison.
Time passed slowly now, but it was only because she wasn’t heavily drugged. She kept her eyes closed most of the time. Once a while, she felt something tugging on the ropes at her wrists. She peeked to see what was happening. Michelle had reached over and tried to loosen Ashley’s ropes. It calmed her heart to know that she’d found a friend in this horrific nightmare.
When the men walked closer, Michelle feigned sleep again. This time, Ashley watched them leave, so she reached over and worked on Michelle’s ropes. There was no telling how long this took, but eventually, Ashley felt her bindings loosen. By the way Michelle’s eyes widened, Ashley knew her new friend’s ropes were loosening, too.
As night fell and the room continued to darken, Ashley grew restless, even though she couldn’t show it. One of Zander’s men had already tried to come over to give her a drink, but she acted lifeless as though she had already been drugged, so thankfully, he left.
Acting as if she was asleep finally made her drift off, but seconds later, someone tugged on her arm. Ashley blinked her eyes open, and although she couldn’t really see anyone, she knew it was Michelle.
“Let’s go,” the other woman whispered.
Ashley moved her arms and realized her ropes were gone. Excitement grew inside of her, but she had to stop the feeling from overriding her actions. She still needed to be very quiet and follow Michelle.
Taking her hand, Michelle pulled Ashley alongside her as they stepped cautiously toward the back door. Michelle stopped and placed her hand on the knob, but then her fingers moved around as if she searched for something on the door frame. Then she grumbled.
“There is an alarm system. I can’t open the door.”
Panicked, Ashley’s breathing became worse and she wrung her hands. No! They couldn’t have come this far only to realize it was impossible to get out. But before she could say anything, Michelle took Ashley by the hand again and crept along the wall. She stopped at a chair sitting against the wall. Michelle lifted it and carried it to another section of the room, leaning it up against another wall.
“There is a laundry chute right here,” Michelle whispered. “My grandmother’s house is like this one, so I know where the laundry chute leads.”
“Where?”
“Upstairs.”
“No!” Ashley gasped. “The men are upstairs.”
“I know, but we can’t leave the basement without the alarm going off.”
“Will the front door be any different?”
“Yes, because the men will leave through the door, and when that happens, we’ll follow.”
“Are you sure, Michelle?”
“No, but what other option do we have?”
Ashley nodded. Her friend was right. They needed to do whatever they could to get out of here.
Michelle went first and climbed through the trap door before reaching down and grasping Ashley’s arms. It surprised her how strong Michelle was. With her help, Ashley managed to crawl inside. Sliding on their stomachs, they moved upward. Thankfully, it wasn’t very steep.
Ashley kept as quiet as she could. There was still a chance the men upstairs would hear them. When Michelle stopped, Ashley stopped. When Michelle moved, so did Ashley. Gradually, her limbs became weak again, but she couldn’t let that slow her down. Freedom was within reach, and she’d do all she could to grasp it.
Michelle stopped again, but this time during the wait, a light poured in upon them. Michelle had opened the laundry chute door and was looking around. Finally, she moved and climbed out before reaching in and grabbing Ashley’s hand. She wanted to sob with gratitude, but it was too soon. They weren’t out of trouble yet.
She grasped the back of Michelle’s wrinkled blouse as they tiptoed down the hall. A couple of men’s voices were heard from another room. Ashley’s body trembled and she wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to keep calm, but nothing was working.
“Stay right here,” Michelle whispered.
Ashley nodded. Michelle crept into the front room and toward the front door. It was easier to see her now because more lights lit the top floor of the house. She studied the walls around the front door and her fingers moved around, feeling for wires. The blinking light of the alarm system on the wall by the coat closet let Ashley know the system was set.
Frowning, Michelle shook her head and motioned for Ashley to come. On shaky legs, she tiptoed into the front room.
“Let’s hide in the closet,” she whispered. “That way we’ll know if one of the men leaves.”
“But what if they catch us?”
“They won’t have any reason to go into the coat closet. It’s not like any of them are wearing coats. The weather has been too warm.”
“True.”
As Ashley followed her new friend, Michelle stopped again and glanced into the adjoining room. It looked like a music room with a piano and harp. Sitting on one of the side tables was a basket of cheese, crackers, and wine. Ashley’s stomach growled.
It was as if Michelle read her mind. She snuck to the table and snatched the basket before returning to the coat closet. It wasn’t as small as Ashley first thought, but at least it hid them.
After she closed the door, they sank to the floor and leaned against each other. As quietly as they could, they ate the cheese and crackers. Ashley tried to open the wine, but Michelle stopped her by placing a hand on the lid.
“Don’t drink the wine,” she whispered.
“Why not?”
“Because we still have the drug in our bodies. Wine will only make it worse.”
Ashley wondered how Michelle knew so much, but she was too busy stuffing her mouth with food to ask. They sat in silence even after they were done eaten, and soon Ashley’s eyelids began to droop. She didn’t know what time of the night it was, but she was tired of looking at the light shining under the door.
A noise from outside snapped her alert again. A car had pulled up in the driveway. Her heartbeat quickened, and she prayed it wasn’t Zander. Beside her, Michelle clutched her hand. Worry-lines marred her pretty face.
Then the doorbell rang. Ashley released the breath she’d been holding. It wasn’t Zander, after all. He wouldn’t have rung the doorbell.
Heavy footsteps pounded on the hardwood floor right outside the closet and the men rushed to the door. Beeping sounded, and Ashley could tell they were disarming the alarm. Then the door opened.
“Miller, you’re finally here,” one of the men said.
“Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was backed up.”
“No problem,” one of Zander’s men answered.
Ashley held her breath again. Miller? Wasn’t he the man who was coming to buy the women? A knot formed in her throat. And she and Michelle were still in the closet. Any minute now the men would go downstairs and notice that they were gone.
How were they going to get out of this now?
SIXTEEN
“Do you have the merchandise?” The man named Miller’s voice was very deep and scratchy.
“Yes, sir. They are downstairs. Follow me.”
Michelle’s tight hold on Ashley’s hand had her looking at her friend. The men’s footsteps left the room and headed toward the back of the house.
“They didn’t shut the door,” Michelle said, quickly standing and pulling Ashley with her. “We’ve got to leave. Now!”
Ashley’s legs wobbled as she stood. Michelle opened the door, peeked up the hallway, and then scrambled out of the closet, pulling Ashley with her. They darted through the door and headed down the porch’s steps. The light of day was barely peeking on the horizon, giving off beautiful colors of a golden sky mixed with blue.
The car in the driveway was their only getaway, and once again, Michelle must have read Ashley’s mind because she slid in the driver’s seat as Ashley hurried to the passenger’s side. Luck was on their side because the man’s keys were still in the ignition.
Michelle didn’t wait until their seatbelts were fastened before she put the car in reverse and sped out of the driveway. The woman drove like a crazy person, but Ashley didn’t blame her. They were both desperate to get out of there.
After the first sharp turn that Michelle took, Ashley decided to put on her seatbelt. She was sure they’d be going fast now. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere but here.”
“I have an apartment in Manhattan. If you want to drive us there, we can go to my place and I’ll call the police.”
Michelle looked at her and grinned before watching the road. “Yes, police would be a good thing to have at a time like this.” She lost her smile fast. “My worry is that this Miller guy will have a cell phone – like everyone does – and alert his men. If he’s a buyer of human trafficking, I’m sure he has as many men on his payroll as Zander does.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Ashley took an uneven breath, trying to keep the fear from returning. “Thank you for saving me.”
“Thank you for helping.” Michelle threw her another smile. “Out of all of the girls around me, you were the only one who didn’t look so doped up.”
“I got really tired of that feeling.”
“I know.” Michelle sped around another corner. “How long had you been there?”
“I don’t know. If I knew what day this was, I’d be able to tell you.”
“I wish I knew.”
They drove for a few more blocks in silence. Although Ashley hadn’t gotten a good look at the other girls, she knew Zander’s taste in women. They would all have to have faces like angels and bodies like swimsuit models. Michelle was very striking with her big brown eyes and long brown hair. It was a good thing she had a brain, too, or they would have still been in the basement being sold to some guy named Miller.
Michelle kept looking in the rearview mirror. Ashley didn’t like the look of concern on the other woman’s face. She turned and glanced toward the back window. Something on the backseat captured her attention. A beige suitcase trimmed with dark brown leather sat on the seat. It appeared that Mr. Miller was packed and ready to head out of the country. Of course, he was. He was buying women to sell as slaves in other countries.
A grumble came from Michelle. “I think someone is following.”
Ashley lifted her gaze back to the road behind them. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Already?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I’m sure that guy has men all over. I’m going to get on the interstate and head toward Manhattan. With any luck, we’ll have a police officer pull us over for speeding.”
“I pray you’re right.” Ashley faced forward again and clutched her seatbelt.
“I hope I can drive without getting sleepy.”
“Why? Are you tired now?”
Michelle glanced at her again. “That drug they were giving us stays in our body for a few days. Which means that although I’m alert now, I might not be in a half hour.”
Ashley groaned. If it wasn’t just one thing standing in their way to freedom, it was several. “Then maybe driving at a high speed on the interstate isn’t a good idea.”
“No. I’ve got to push myself. We need to get as far away from them as we can.”
Ashley stared at the road. Her head throbbed with the beginning of a headache. “When the drug is finally out of my system, will I remember any of this?”
“Only bits and pieces, but your memory will return in full. It just might take some time.”
Ashley narrowed her gaze on the other woman. “How do you know so much about this drug?”
Michelle chuckled lightly. “Believe it or not, I’m an undercover cop.”
A loud gasp sprang from Ashley and she shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Not at all. I went deep undercover in order to find evidence against your boyfriend.”
“Please,” Ashley stopped her. “Don’t refer to him as my boyfriend. He was the biggest mistake I’d ever made.”
“Forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven.” Ashley sighed. “Did you suspect Zander of human trafficking?”
“No. Just drug possession. We think Zander has a large organization going, and we want to shut him down.” She chuckled. “And we sure have the evidence to put him away for a long time now.” She glanced in the rearview mirror again. “As long as we can stay alive long enough to testify against him, anyway.”
Ashley’s headache grew worse. “Don’t say that. I want to think this nightmare is almost over.”
“Not yet, it’s not. Sorry to disappoint you. But once I can talk to my supervisor, I’ll have him put a bodyguard on you for your protection. Maybe, we’ll both have to go in the witness protection program until Zander’s trial is over and he’s convicted. Messing with crime bosses like Zander, means we’re in grave danger.”
Ashley’s stomach rolled again and she leaned her head against the window. This couldn’t be happening. Maybe she was really still in the basement under the influence of that drug and she was imagining all of this. After all, she’d taken her mind out of the nightmare and imagined herself back at work, or with her parents.
She closed her eyes. Her parents wouldn’t believe the kind of mess she’d gotten herself into this time. Not that she’d ever been a wild teenager who was breaking the law or something, but her parents associated with high society. She could have been the Paris Hilton of banks. Now, because she’d gotten herself involved with a criminal, her life would never be the same, and neither would her parents.
Then again, it was her father who’d wanted her to go out with Zander. Apparently, nobody knew what kind of crook Zander Caruthers really was. She definitely needed to stay alive and testify against him. She couldn’t let that man live free for the rest of his life.
The steady rhythm of the car and the gentle hum of the engine must have made her doze, because soon someone was shaking her arm.
“Wake up. We’re here.”
Ashley snapped herself awake and stared in a daze at the woman driving the car. “Who are you? What... am I doing here?” Her mind turned blank, and for the life of her, she couldn’t remember anything right now. Panic welled within her as she glanced out the window. They were approaching Manhattan.
“Ashley, it’s okay. Take a few deep breaths. Your memory will return.”
She did as the other woman suggested. She even rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Gradually, bits and pieces of her memory returned. She’d been rescued from the basement of horror. They were trying to get away from... some guy.
“Are you okay now?” the woman with the brown hair asked.
“I... I think so. Your name is Michelle.”
“Right.”
Ashley sighed and leaned her head against the back of the seat. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”
“That’s okay.”
“How are you doing? Are you getting tired yet?”
“Not yet. I think you must have been drugged longer than me, so I’m glad you were able to sleep.”
Now everything around them seemed more familiar. Her apartment wasn’t too far away now. “Turn right up here.”
Michelle slowed the car, and turned. But the screeching of tires ripped through the air as a car came toward them. Michelle swore and tried to swerve out of his way. Ashley clutched her seatbelt and squeezed her eyes closed just as the other car made impact. Crunching of metal and breaking glass seemed to explode around her. Seconds later, the airbag blasted in Ashley’s face. Pain burst in her face, and her body turned numb.
AT FIRST, THE SOUNDS around Ashley sounded muffled. She couldn’t understand anything. But a voice kept calling her name over and over. Finally, she could hear better. It hurt to open her eyes and turn her head toward the sound. A strong scent filled the air, nearly burning her lungs when she breathed.
“Ash-ley. Wake... up.”
She didn’t like Michelle’s weak voice. Ashley moved the airbag out of her face and leaned toward her friend, pushing aside the driver’s side airbag. Her friend’s pretty face held cuts and scrapes. The woman’s bottom lip was bleeding. Pain was etched on her face.
“Michelle? Can you move? We need to get out of here.”
“I know.” Michelle’s hand fumbled for the seatbelt, but she cried out in pain. “I think my arm’s broken.”
Although Ashley’s body hurt, she pushed through the pain and unhooked the belt. Smoke rose from the cars. The engine was nearly in Michelle’s lap. Blood coated her middle, too. The driver’s side door had been pushed into Michelle’s side from the other car. Ashley’s stomach lurched, but she bit back the vile.
“Can you move your legs?”
“Yes. Barely.”
Ashley pushed the passenger side door open, and thankfully, there wasn’t a problem. Bystanders from off the street rushed to help them, but she concentrated on sliding Michelle out. The woman cried out a few times in pain, but she kept moving with Ashley.
Murmurs from the crowd kept repeating, Call 9-1-1. Ashley even heard someone from over by the other car call out that the driver was dead.
“We can’t stay here,” Michelle said weakly. “Zander’s men – or Miller’s men – knows we are here.”
“But these people...”
“Don’t worry about them.” Michelle took a ragged breath that looked to be painful. “And grab the suitcase in the back seat.”
“Why?”
“Evidence.”
Ashley moved her friend to lean against the tree before limping back to the wreckage to pull out the suitcase. More people came on the scene, asking the same questions. She wanted to shout that yes she was all right. And yes they needed to call an ambulance. And double yes to calling the police.
She made it back to Michelle and knelt beside her. Blood oozed out of Michelle’s left side, and in different spots on her legs. Her right arm hung crookedly. It was definitely broken. Suddenly, gunshots rang out. The crowd screamed and scattered.
