15. Run

15 RUN

Jade

This place was ginormous. We should’ve taken Riley up on his offer to escort us, but from the sound of things, they had some stuff to work out. My teenage brother didn’t need to be there for any sibling drama. We had enough of our own to last a lifetime. After riding the elevator to three different floors, I finally found the one with a sign posted for the cafeteria.

“You could get lost in a paper bag.”

“I’m perfectly capable of following directions, Jett.”

“Then maybe you should’ve asked for some.” He rubbed his stomach as it let out a loud rumble. “I’m a starving boy.”

“You eat like a garbage compactor. The four basic food groups don’t include chocolate and cheese curls.”

“I beg to differ,” he held up a finger. “Chocolate comes from cocoa beans, so technically it’s a grain. And cheese curls? Duh, dairy.”

“So by your definition, wine is a fruit because it’s made out of grapes? ”

“Now you’re coming around to my way of thinking.”

I snorted.

We rounded another corner in what seemed to be our fiftieth hallway, when I saw what we were searching for. Jett was already five steps ahead of me and moving fast, his nose having picked up on the delicious smells wafting through the air. He was standing in a line marked for grilled items when I picked up a blue plastic tray and made my way toward the one labeled deli.

Not knowing what Riley or Willow might prefer, I snagged a variety of sandwiches, stacking them on one side of the tray while adding lidded bowls filled with pasta salad on the other. Thankfully, when it came time to pay, the nice lady behind the cash register packed our purchases into two large brown paper bags with handles, making it much easier to carry.

The return walk was a lot shorter than I anticipated. I was hoping for a little more time to gauge Jett’s reaction to what our parents had tried to accomplish.

“I wanted to ask you while it was just the two of us,” I began. “Where’s your head at with all the stuff that happened in court?”

“The good guys won, what’s there to think about?”

“I don’t think they’re done messing with us.”

“So? We’ve got Koen and the FBI on our side. Let ’em try.”

Fishing into my pocket, I pulled out the small silver key and put it in the lock on the panel next to the elevator doors, turning it to the right like Riley showed me, to call for our ride.

“What if we get proof they stole Gran’s jewelry? What then? For better or for worse, they’re our parents, Jett. ”

He whipped his head around so fast, I thought for sure he’d pulled something.

“Bullshhh…oot. Those two are not my parents and they’re not yours either. Stop calling them that.” His agitated voice echoed down the empty hallway. “Miss T is a real parent. You’re a real parent. Not some drugged-up losers who never even tried.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“And when Koen does find the evidence, because we both know he will, I hope I’m there to watch him slap the cuffs on.”

“Same, Jett. Same.”

The bell above the elevator dinged and the doors slid apart. Jett went in first and I followed after removing the key from the slot. Just as the doors began to shut, they opened once more when a glove covered hand shot out.

“Excuse me, miss.”

A man wearing all black appeared from the side, stepping directly in the path of the automatic doors, preventing them from moving. He was tall and stocky, easily outweighing me by a hundred pounds. Moving in front of Jett, I felt when he latched on to the pocket of my jeans and tugged.

“I’m sorry. This is a service elevator. You’ll have to use the stairs.”

Something was very wrong. I felt it in every bone of my body, especially when his eyes took me in from head to toe, stopping on my chest. It was unnerving, unsettling even. A shiver sliced through me, but with Jett behind me, I had no alternative. I had to stand my ground.

“You’re with Captain Banks, right?” He licked his lips.

I didn’t relax––couldn’t relax––because something about this man screamed danger .

“Yes. We’re on the way to meet him now. He’s upstairs with the rest of our family.”

“Something happened. You need to come with me, quickly.”

“Is it Terry? Did something happen to him?”

Jett’s grip tightened at my blatant lie. There was only one way I could think of to see if the man was telling the truth, and I’d just played my ace. Confusion briefly swept across his face, then a mask of indifference slid back into place. He was lying and I’d just confirmed it.

“Yes. He’s taken a turn for the worse. You’ve got to hurry.”

Shit!

I needed Jett away from here. It didn’t matter what happened to me as long as he was safe. Sliding one foot forward, I peered over my shoulder and mouthed, “ Run .” He shook his head tightly and I thanked my lucky stars the action was so slight even I almost missed it. But what I didn’t miss was the sheen of tears in his eyes. When one slid down his cheek, I prayed for the second time that day. I prayed for his safety, for mine, and for the strength I knew I’d need to keep fighting until Koen arrived.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. Mere seconds passed. It was now or never.

Opening them, I threw my full body weight behind me as I lunged forward, knocking the man off balance and spilling us both into the empty hallway. My landing was rough, pain shooting up my elbow as I rolled away from my attacker and tried to get to my feet. Glancing behind us, I saw Jett’s wide eyes, ping-ponging between me and the man. He was terrified, but I saw it. He was going to try to help. I couldn’t risk it––couldn’t risk him .

“No, Jett!” I screamed, tossing the key in my hand at his feet. “Get Koen.”

He snapped out of the haze and started jabbing his finger at the panel on the inside of the elevator, desperately trying to get the doors to shut. It wasn’t until the silver panels closed tight like a protective shield, sealing my brother inside, that my brain caught up to my current situation. By then, it was too late. I was alone with a madman.

He gripped my upper arm painfully, hauling me off the ground. I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping against hope that someone––anyone––would hear my struggle and come to my aid. When his meaty palm clamped over my mouth, cutting off my voice, I knew I was running out of time. I thrashed and kicked, doing anything I could think of to break free. He grunted in pain when some of my blows landed, but his hold on me never wavered. I only stopped fighting when something sharp pinched my neck and a blazing fire tore through my veins.

“That should settle your ass down,” he growled.

The room tilted sideways.

A curtain of black dots blanketed my vision.

No! Please don’t let me pass out.

My arms stopped working first, then my legs gave out.

“Time to go.” He tossed me over his shoulder like a rag doll. “The boss wants to meet you.”

Then nothing…except darkness.