Going Up (Up & Down Book 1), page 28
“Sure.”
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone and walked in to the building. The phone rung at reception as I approached the desk. The woman answered and then held her hand up motioning one.
She looked back up at me for a moment, and nodded as she said yes. She hung up the phone opened a cupboard using a key on her belt.
“You didn’t notice a man and woman leave here today did you?” I asked nervously.
“Sir, this is an apartment complex. Of course I have.” She replied sympathetically. “I did notice around 5pm that the young girl from the top floor left looking rather frazzled. She was with a tall man, attractive enough. She didn’t say anything however and walked freely with him.”
“Shit.” He had her.
“Sir, should I call the cops?”
“No… it’s okay ma’am. I’m sure everything is fine.”
I ran for the elevator and pressed the button so much that I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if it had broken off. Finally when the elevator doors opened I stepped inside. As I went up, my stomach churned. I’d met Sarah in a space this compact. I’d kissed her and fell in love with her. I’d never believed in love until I’d met her, let alone love at first sight.
What I wouldn’t do to just hold her again. Breathe in the sweet aroma of the coconut and mango conditioner she uses in her hair. Feel her soft lips caress mine.
I’d been strong all my life, I’d put on a mask and now it was slipping. A tear rolled down my cheek and then another and another.
The elevator doors opened and I wiped away the tears, I didn’t have time to cry right now. I had to find Sarah. I ran toward her door and opened it with the master key.
As expected the place was empty. I was about to leave when I noticed a piece of paper on the bench top, held down by a picture of my sister at 7
She’s next.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Alex’s parents. I filled them in and advised them to get out of town for a while. I gave them my credit card details to book a flight and told them how sorry I was. Of course Melissa told me it wasn’t my fault, and that by doing what I did back then made sure Alex didn’t continue living that life, made sure she could heal and live normally.
After I hung up I cried again, clutching Alex’s picture to my chest.
My sadness was quickly overrun by anger and determination. Josh still had my girl. He still had here, and by the menacing tone in the note. The way those two words were written made me fearful of exactly what he planned to do to Sarah. Without stopping to think I left the apartment, went back down and handed in the key. I sprinted back to my apartment and by the time I got to the door. Janie, Marc and DJ were all arriving.
“He’s fucking got her.” I groaned breathlessly.
“What?” Marc exclaimed. “Josh? No way have I worked closely with the guy, we live with him… no way.”
“He fucking has her,” I shouted. “He’s the son of a person I put in jail for a long time. He’s the son of the person who abused my sister.” I said a little quieter.
“Oh my god.” Janie said, I looked at her, her blue eyes were wide and tears had already began pooling.
“Well what the fuck are we doing standing here. Call the freaking cops.” Marc exclaimed.
“I told you, we can’t,” Janie explained. “One of the people who did this to him was a cop.”
DJ shifted on his feet and looked around; people were beginning to look at us.
“I think we should head inside and formulate a better plan don’t you?” He suggested.
Without another word the four of us began walking to the doors of my apartment building. The door man returned my key and we headed up to the apartment.
Inside the elevator Janie fell apart. Marc pulled her in close and I had to turn away to conceal my own emotions. It was fruitless though. They all knew I was a mess. DJ put his arm around my shoulders and tried to reassure me
“We’ll find her, Nick. Everything will be alright.”
“You don’t know that though do you DJ.”
“Nick…”
“I’m the idiot that got her in to this mess, she’s lived through so much already and now she has to deal with my shit too?” I replied, my voice hoarse.
“She loves you Nick, she loves all of you. She would never blame you for this, so stop blaming yourself.” Janie whispered her voice was soft but stern.
I turned back around and looked at Janie.
“I’m scared he’s going to hurt her. I could never forgive myself.”
“He likes her Nick…. Loves her even. He won’t hurt her physically. He’s just using her to get to you.”
I sneered at the thought of Josh having feelings for Sarah, but at the same time I found myself thankful for it. Janie was right. If he had any true feelings for her. She would be safe.
Finally the four of us headed in to my apartment. Janie and Marc called Josh’s ex-girlfriend to see if she had heard from him they put the call on speaker so we could listen, she hadn’t heard from him, but she did mention that he had been the one cheating on her.
“But when you left like you did we just assumed he was telling the truth.”
“I’m sorry, but I was heartbroken I thought he loved me” the girl sobbed.
“It’s alright Steph. Look this is important, Josh has done something real bad, and we need to know if you know who the girl was?” Marc asked gently.
“Amelia someone… I don’t know. He only ever said her name once.”
I looked over at Marc and Janie, they returned the same shocked stares I imagined DJ and I had upon out faces.
“Thanks Steph,” Janie whispered. “and chin up, you dodged a bullet.”
They disconnected the call and for a moment the four of us said nothing.
“He was sleeping with Amelia?” Marc croaked.
“Now his reaction to you and Sarah makes a little more sense. He slept with Amelia to get to you, and then he finds out your relationship was a scam.” DJ added.
“He got her pregnant and stopped calling her.” I mumbled.
I dialed Amelia’s number and when she answered I said one word.
“Josh.”
“Huh?”
“The baby’s father is Josh Carter?”
I could hear Amelia’s breathing shallow and a slight sniffle
“The boy from your work… yes.”
“I’m so sorry Amelia.” I replied honestly.
“Why? What’s happening?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just look after yourself and the baby.”
“He’s done something hasn’t he? He said the last time he saw me that at least you’d be stuck with a bitch for a wife…. That was payback enough.” she sobbed.
“You’re not the same person you were then Amelia, don’t let that psycho’s words make you feel insignificant.”
“I don’t know what is happening, but just keep safe. Please.”
“Okay, see ya Amelia.”
I threw my phone on the couch and began pacing the floor. Before I could think too much, my phone began ringing. I almost jumped clean over the sofa to grab the damn thing and answer the call.
“Hello?”
“Nick,” Sarah’s voice croaked, she sounded sleepy. I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t in my heart let her think I didn’t know who she was, but I also couldn’t let josh know I did.
“Hi?”
“Nick, remember me… please,” She pleaded. “I don’t have long. He’s gone to get something.”
“He’s not there?” I exclaimed. “Sarah, he’s not there?”
“You… you know it’s me?” she whispered, her voice was barely there now and she sobbed gently. My chest ached, I had to find her.
“Yes. Sarah, I could never forget you. Please. God… where are you?”
“I don’t know Nick... I don’t know where I am. I knocked my chair over to get to his phone… he’s going to be so mad… Nick, I love you.” she said, the last for words of her sentence seemed like a goodbye and anger suddenly rose in my veins.
“Don’t talk like that Sarah. Don’t start saying goodbye.”
“He’s going to hurt me Nick. He said if I said anything he’d hurt me.”
“Delete the call history.”
“My arms are tied behind my back. I only managed to dial you because it is the only number on this phone. Why is josh doing this?”
“He’s Arnold's Son.”
“Oh.”
“I’m so sorry baby.”
“Nick, someone is coming.”
“Sarah… I love you, I’ll find you.”
“Goodbye I…”
Before Sarah could finish, the call cut out. Sarah was alright… for now. I had to find her before he did something stupid. I looked up at the others.
“She’s okay… for now, we need to find her.”
“I just remembered Josh mentioning something about owning a warehouse. Maybe we could find out where it is?” Marc suggested “It was when he first started, when I said I wanted to own a computer parts business one day”
DJ pulled out his phone and began tapping away at it “On it.”
The four of us worked mercilessly for an hour, as we worked down the possible warehouses to five. We were just about to leave the apartment when my phone rang again. It was the same number.
“Sarah?” I whispered.
“Ah, miraculous recovery there Mr Amnesia.” Josh’s voice laughed.
“You better not hurt her.”
“Relax moron, it’s you I want to hurt. Not her, although nothing would hurt you more than losing the one you love.”
“I don’t love her… so you wouldn’t hurt me if you hurt her.” I exclaimed in desperation, it wasn’t true but his tormenting voice made me scared he would do something just because hurting her in anyway, would kill me.
“Is that so?” a loud crack sounded in the back ground and I heard a muffled groan.
“Don’t you fucking touch her Josh!”
“Just as I thought. Look asshole. You come to me… alone, no musketeers no funny business and I’ll let your princess go.”
“Fine.”
“No cops either, although I guess you already know that I’ve got a few of them on my side.”
“No cops, no back up. I’ve got it Josh. Where the fuck are you.”
“Millicent warehouse. Yes that’s right Nick. I’m the Son of Stacey Millicent. Although, you wouldn’t have got that from your research. I made sure the clues to who I really was were so subtle you’d never guess until it was far too late.” Stacey Millicent was someone whose name was familiar to me. She’d been one of the most prominent business women back home. She owned half the town.
“Stacey Millicent had a child willingly with a despicable piece of shit like Arnold?”
“My father is a good man, and your sister is a lying little bitch,” Josh shouted. “just fucking get here. Alone.”
“Fine.”
The line went dead and I looked over at the others.
“I have to go alone”
“No fucking way Nick.” DJ warned.
“We’ll follow after.” Janie nodded.
“No, I have to go alone. He’ll let her go.”
“Nick, don’t be foolish. This guy has tricked us all.” Marc pleaded. “and now he has our friend… your girlfriend. Don’t let him win.”
“As long as Sarah is safe, he can win.” I replied defeated.
I brushed past the others and ran down the stairs to the car park. The elevator would take too long and I didn’t have any time to waste. I only hoped the others had picked up on the Millicent clue, it had been one of our five warehouses, I knew they’d come if they knew, but they’d give me enough time to get there alone first.
I hopped in to my car and sped the entire way to the warehouse, finally when I arrived, I didn’t even turn the car off before escaping and running for the warehouse doors. I banged on the door loudly and waited. The door opened and there stood josh. A manic smile on his face.
“This,” he remarked. “Has been a long time coming.”
I snarled and went to raise my fists to his smug face, but before I could, my body was pulled back, and a pillowcase was shoved over my head.
“Now now, Nikolai. I told you, no funny business.”
“You said you’d let her go... where is she?”
“I lied. Kind of enjoy her company you know. So I’ve had someone take her to my place.”
“by the beach?” I croaked, hopeful that he’d taken her there. I was pushed inside the warehouse doors by whomever had man handled me, and then forced to sit down on a seat.
“No, my place. The place I took Amelia too.” he laughed. “she was a real fire cracker in the sack… it’s a pity you never actually got to experience that.”
“Let Sarah go Josh, I’ll do anything.”
“Clear my father’s name.” Josh said as he pulled the pillowcase off my head.
“I can’t.” I replied defeated.
“Then I can’t let go of your girlfriend.”
“She didn’t do anything josh.”
“She fell in love with a moron,” He replied. “It’s alright though, I’ll fix that.”
“How?”
“I’ll remove the person she’s in love with.”
Josh pulled out a gun and shrugged, then pointed it squarely in my direction.
I closed my eyes, and waited for death to greet me.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Josh walked me through the lobby and out the doors to a car that was waiting outside.
Once I was inside the car Josh pulled the seat belt across my lap and clicked it in then signaled to a driver to go.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Nick is a bad man, who did some very bad things once upon a time.”
“I don’t believe you. Nick is a kind and giving man.” I replied anxiously.
“How noble of you, that’s your downfall you know. Always willing to see the best in people, even when it doesn’t exist.”
I looked down at the cable ties on my hands and shook my head. He was right in a way, but not about Nick.
“Where are we going?” I asked softly.
“Just some place. You keep quiet and you’ll be fine Sarah. I meant what I said before. I love you. I don’t want to hurt you.” Josh replied.
“Josh, I…”
“You know, ever since I saw you in the lift I knew you were the one. You looked so innocent and afraid. Then that predator threw himself at you.” I looked at josh, he looked angry and disgusted.
“It wasn’t quite like that,” I replied, perhaps a little too defensively. “How did you see?”
Josh laughed a little then leaned in.
“I was fixing the cameras in there. They’d been on the fritz for a while. I finally got it working and saw you and then him. I knew who you were. I’d never seen you before. But I just knew you were the girl he’d foolishly asked me to befriend.” Josh smirked and stared out the window “here, have a drink. It’s that wine you like.”
Josh put a glass to my lips and while I attempted to avoid any of the liquid going down my throat a lot did. Rather quickly I began to feel an all too familiar type of uncontrolled sleepiness.
When I came too I sat in a dark room, it smelt musty, like I was in a small basement or even a closet. I couldn’t see a head of me, and the only light came from the door way in front of me, but even that was just a dim light. The door opened some time later and I heard josh walk inside. He sat in front of me and placed his phone to my right.
“If everything goes as planned Nick won’t be a problem anymore, and maybe then you’ll see just what we could have.” Josh exclaimed as he moved forward and took one of my hands in his.
“I will always love Nick. You are sick Josh, and you need help.” I replied, as steadily as I could. Josh ripped his hands from mine and angrily stood up. He cut the cable tie on my right hand and for a minute I tried to fight back, but Josh overpowered me, and pulled my arms behind my back, replacing the cut tie with a new one.
“Wrong answer. Your boyfriend will pay for that.” He warned as he walked back to the door. “Keep quiet in here too, or I’ll have to hurt you. You got it?”
“What happened to you josh” I whispered sadly.
“This is me Sarah. This is the real me, the josh you knew isn’t real and never was. I’m a strong alpha male just like Nick.”
With that Josh left the room. It took me less than a minute to realize that josh had left the phone behind. I shuffled the chair as close as I could and used my head to bring the phone closer. But the angle was too awkward and I couldn’t press the buttons. I used the force of my body to pull the chair hard enough that it twisted and fell to the floor knocking the table the phone sat on down next to me. In a strike of pure luck the phone landed right side up. Once I’d unlocked it I noticed the only contact was Nick, in fact I’d not seen this phone until now. Josh had really thought this all through but I really had no understanding why.
I dialed the number and it rang a couple of times.
“Hello?” Nicks voice rang down the phone line, he sounded stressed.
“Nick.” dear god let him remember me, please. My heart couldn’t take it if he didn’t he I need him more than I’d needed him before.
“Hi?”
“Nick, remember me… please,” I pleaded with everything I had inside of me. “I don’t have long. He’s gone to get something.”
“He’s not there?” Nick almost shouted “Sarah, he’s not there?”
“You… you know it’s me?” Happy tears instantly began to stream down my cheeks. I didn’t care if he’d lied about the amnesia. I didn’t care about any of that. He knew who I was. Even though I sat trapped in a closet, with absolutely no idea where I was, Nick hadn’t forgotten me.
“Yes. Sarah, I could never forget you. Please. God… where are you?” his voice wavered.
“I don’t know Nick... I don’t know where I am. I knocked my chair over to get to his phone… he’s going to be so mad… Nick, I love you.” I murmured, worried it was the last time I would say it.
“Don’t talk like that Sarah. Don’t start saying goodbye.”
