Saving Sky Read online

  We were moving in an instant. He was reckless, but still careful enough there wasn’t any reason for him to be pulled over by cops who weren’t in the area. I wished I’d managed to get his license plate number at some point. If I had that, I would have been able to give it to Jack.

  Now, I could just hope that the description of the black car would be enough for him to track us down. Then again, with him back in the club and that man in the hall, I wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to get out of there. They all had guns, and I was sure they wouldn’t care if a shootout took place, even with the other girls and the customers in the lobby.

  The ride seemed to take an awfully long time. I wasn’t sure how fast we were going, but I tried to keep track of how many turns he too. It was hard to know how far it was with each turn, but I made a mental note of going left, right, right, then left.

  After several turns, I lost count.

  All you can do now is stay alive and hope to God Jack is able to get to you before something else happens.

  I wasn’t sure where he was taking me, or what he planned on doing when we got there. I just knew that I had to be obliging enough to keep him from killing me, but difficult enough I could stay wherever we were going for as long as I could. I didn’t want to be taken out of the state, and with Rocco, I knew anything was possible.

  After what felt like an eternity, the car pulled onto gravel. I tried to count how long we were driving on the bumps when he suddenly pulled to the side and turned off the car.

  Okay, that was less than a minute. You must be in a parking lot of some kind. Oh God! Either that or he’s taken you to a gravel pit and he’s going to shoot you and dump your body!

  Panic started to take over. My heart raced and my mind was spinning when I told myself to take a deep breath. Difficult as it was through my nose, I knew I had to keep my wits about me. I had to get out of this, and panic was just going to make it worse.

  No, he said that shooting you would be too good for you. Whatever he’s going to do, he’s not going to shoot you. So what then? Torture? Does he have the time to bring you all the way out to God knows where to torture you?

  Rocco got out of the car and was gone for a few minutes, giving me time to feel around. I fought with the tape on my hands, trying to get them free so I could get to the door. I cursed the person who invented duct tape. Rocco soon returned and opened the passenger door. I tried kicking at him, but he wasn’t taking any of it.

  “Do you want me to hit you with this again? We’re out in the middle of nowhere. I could do some real damage now and no one would be there to see,” he warned. I stopped fighting. I didn’t want to go with him, but he was right. If we really were in the middle of nowhere, then he did have the upper hand entirely.

  The only hope I had was if someone were to see us. And knowing how sadistic and calculated Rocco was, I had a feeling he wouldn’t have taken me anywhere where we’d be found.

  He put his hand on my upper arm, dragging me along with him. I knew it was pointless to try to drag my feet now. I couldn’t hear the sound of the city anymore. He must have driven us out of town. But he had taken so many turns along the way, I wasn’t even sure what direction we’d been heading.

  I walked alongside him, glad I was unable to speak. He said nothing, either, and we suddenly stopped short. He opened a door that screeched, leaving a loud echo in its wake.

  So, he’s brought me to an abandoned warehouse? How cliché.

  I really was living in a movie. He walked me into the warehouse, his shoes clicking on the floor and mine leaving a dull slap. I wore flip flops to work, changing into the ridiculous high heels when I got there. I couldn’t tell if there was much in the room, or even how big it was.

  All I knew was that there was a lot of echo, and it smelled of oil.

  He stopped once more, and once again I heard the sound of a door squealing on its hinges. Then, he yanked the blindfold off my eyes, pulled the duct tape off my mouth, then whirled me around and freed my hands.

  “Scream all you want, or don’t. It makes no difference,” he said. I wanted to ask what he was going to do, but he didn’t give me the chance. With another rough shove, I was in the dark closet. I heard the latch slide through the door on the outside, and the room went completely black.

  I felt around, screaming for help and trying to find some way out. The only thing I managed to find was a nail sticking out of the wall. It jabbed my hand, and I was sure I’d get tetanus from it. I screamed and shouted, banging on the door and pleading with him.

  But there was nothing. My voice felt loud in this closet, but I was sure it was next to nothing on the outside. I didn’t know what he had planned, but I was starting to wonder if he was just going to leave me there forever. Maybe he was going to let me slowly starve to death.

  Maybe he was just feeding me a little bit every few days to prolong the suffering. The water he gave me smelled terrible and tasted even worse, and the food was bad enough. Should I just give up and refuse to eat or drink? That would put me back in control.

  No. Jack is out there, and you know he’s going to do anything it takes to find you. He’s not giving up, and neither should you. He promised, and you know he’s going to make good on that.

  I had to remind myself often, but I believed Jack was out there, and he was going to find me. He was on his way, I was sure of it. As shitty as it was, I gave myself hope telling myself he was going to be the one to open that door next, taking me in his arms and carrying me back home.

  Rocco would be gone, and it would be just the two of us forever.

  It was such a nice dream, it gave me the strength to keep going. For once in my life, I refused to let the negative take over. He wouldn’t give up or move on until he found me. Dead or alive, I was sure of it. Jack was out there, and that was all the hope I needed.

  23

  Jack

  Adrenaline continued to pump through my veins as I flew through the streets. I’d honk my horn at pedestrians and others on the road, not caring that they flipped me off or yelled obscenities at me. I had to get to Sky as soon as possible. If that thug back at the jail wasn’t lying, I’d be tempted to buy him a beer after this.

  All I could think about was taking her in my arms. I knew Rocco wasn’t going to give her up without a fight, but I didn’t care. I’d fight him right to the death if I had to. I would win, and I’d get her out of there, wherever ‘there’ happened to be.

  Finally, I pulled out of the city and onto the freeway, driving along the route the GPS had put me on. I hoped I was going to the right place. I damn well better be. On the other hand, if the muscle had lied and sent me on a wild goose chase, there wasn’t a force in hell that would be able to stop me from killing him with my bare hands.

  Welsh had tried to call me back a couple times, but I was too keyed up to talk to him. It wasn’t that I didn’t care what he had to say, it was that I already knew. He was going to warn me again about going alone. He was probably going to tell me that there were reinforcements on the way.

  Either way, it was all the same to me. I was going to get to that warehouse, and I was going to save my girl. I didn’t even care if it cost me my job. Saving Sky and taking her home would be worth it. As long as she was out of there and okay, I would be happy.

  I pulled off the road into a gravel parking lot. A large warehouse was standing on the far side, and the same black car from the other day was parked near the door. There was a second SUV I didn’t recognize. It was white and looked to be brand new.

  The windows were tinted, and there was something about it that gave me chills. I didn’t want to think about what kind of things had taken place in the back of that car. Or the things that that SUV had hauled. I was sure there was some kind of business going on inside that warehouse, and I was going to put an end to it right the fuck now. Of course, I knew it was the worst idea on the planet to go in there alone. Any officer should wait for backup before rushing into a situation like that.
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br />   But then, if anyone else knew that their loved one was behind that door, and God only knew what was going on, they would do the same thing. I knew that without a doubt. I wasn’t going to be the one to hold back, even if it was risky.

  “There you are, you prick,” I muttered. I slowed my pace. I couldn’t get too close without the sound of a vehicle pulling up filling the air. I slowly pulled into the far end of the lot, closest to the road. No doubt when the rest of my team showed up they would be blaring their sirens, and that was fine with me. By then, I’d have Sky with me.

  “I’m coming, baby,” I said. I grabbed my gun and held it, ready to shoot at any moment. I was never a trigger-happy officer. I was sure of my target.

  But feeling as I was right then, I knew I would be happy to shoot without much provocation. It was a volatile situation, and there was a hostage in there. I had to make sure she was safe first and foremost, and if that meant I had to shoot it out with those assholes, then so be it.

  I walked as silently as I could on the gravel right up to the warehouse, searching for a way to look inside. I didn’t want to risk the door. Not right away, anyway. I had to make sure I had the upper hand before I went in there and got myself, or Sky, killed.

  The window on the side of the warehouse had a large hole in the bottom pane. Perfect for what I needed. I stayed low, avoiding being in either of the windows leading up to that one. Then, I slowly eased myself up to listen in on any conversations that were taking place on the inside.

  I knew this put my back to the door, but I didn’t mind taking the risk. If I could see what was going on inside the building, then I’d know if someone was going to leave.

  I carefully peered around the edge of the pane, looking inside. The sun was in front of me, giving me the advantage. I wouldn’t cast any shadows.

  Rocco and another man were both standing inside the warehouse. The other man was well dressed, but even from how far away I was, I could see the guns at his sides. Rocco was likely also armed.

  My blood boiled when I saw Sky standing in front of them. There was an open closet off to the right, and I had a feeling that’s where they had been keeping her. But it was the conversation that really got my fury going.

  Rocco was the one talking, and the other man was listening and nodding. Sky looked terrified and defeated. No doubt she was either drugged or starved. It wasn’t likely Rocco was going to be very humane with her now that she was out of the public’s eye. I was almost surprised to see that she hadn’t been beaten.

  That is, until I heard what they were talking about.

  “ I think she’s worth a little more than that. I’m not arguing with you that she’s not anything too special, but you’ve got to figure in how much you’re going to make with her, and let me tell you, she was popular back at the club,” Rocco said.

  “This is a different business,” the other man replied. “They aren’t coming to see these girls strip. They want to touch they want to be touched they want a lot more than that.”

  “Well she’s got a little bit of a mind of her own, but if you train her the right way, she’ll make you a lot of money. I had those tits in my face just the other day and let me tell you. It was enough to make my mouth water,” Rocco said.

  It was all I could do not to start shooting through the window. I wanted to wrap my hands around that prick’s throat and squeeze until I felt his windpipe crack beneath my fingers. I wanted to watch the life leave his eyes. I looked at Sky and felt sick to my stomach. Clearly, Rocco was trying to sell her into the sex trade and the thought of it made me see red. He was even more of a disgusting piece of shit than I’d originally thought. I couldn’t wait to put his ass down. Prison was too good for him. He deserved a bullet to the head.

  But then, it seemed Rocco wanted more for her than the man was willing to spend. That might give me an advantage. I’d keep an eye on them, waiting for my backup to arrive. As long as nothing was directly happening to Sky, I had a few minutes to wait for others to arrive.

  I watched, listening to their sick discussion and hoping that Welsh would get there with the rest of the officers soon. It seemed like it took forever, and I sympathized with those who were waiting for me to arrive when they were in the middle of an emergency.

  I listened intently for the sound of sirens out of one ear, while I kept track of what was going on inside with the other. I would glance in through the window every now and then, ensuring Sky was still just standing there and not being harmed.

  “Come on, Welsh, where the fuck are you?” I muttered.

  Suddenly, things took a turn inside the warehouse. I hadn’t been paying as much attention to what they were talking about, but I heard Sky cry out. I peered around the window, fighting the urge to jump up and look in entirely. I needed that upper hand against these two.

  Rocco had his hands on her forearms, and he was doing his best to wrestle her into that closet again. Sky was crying and fighting, pleading with him not to. My blood was boiling, but it was when he struck her across the face that I knew I had to get in there. I leapt up, running back to the door, no longer caring if they heard me.

  “Hands in the air!” I shouted as I threw open the door. “Chicago PD!”

  I didn’t bother with the badge. Both Rocco and the other man pulled out their guns and started shooting at me. I couldn’t return fire for fear of hitting Sky. Instead, I ducked around the door and shouted to her. “Get in the closet, Sky! You’ll be safe there!”

  I glanced around the corner, only to be met with more gunshots. But she had listened to me, and I could now return fire. I took aim, trying to get the upper hand, but the two had scattered. They were now on different sides of the building behind old cars. It would be impossible to return fire without going inside.

  But for Sky, I’d do anything. I eased myself in front of the door, watching. Ready to duck if I had to. I knew the two were good shots, and they had experience. But so did I, and they had messed with the wrong woman. The sound of sirens in the background started to fill the air, giving me more confidence.

  I stepped inside, diving behind a car myself when gunshots rang out. I returned fire, but as soon as I rose to do so, a shot rang out and a sting like nothing I’d ever felt rushed through my body. I’d been hit in the chest, close to my heart.

  With all the blood, it might have been too close.

  “Jack!” I heard Sky scream. I wanted to tell her to stay down, I wanted to scream at her to stay safe, but I fell to the ground. The room was starting to spin, and I was grappling to stay alive.

  Rocco’s laugh filled the air, and I could see his figure starting for me. I wanted to shoot again, but I couldn’t move. I could vaguely make out his shape taking aim, when another sound filled the air.

  “Officer down! Officer down!” Welsh’s voice filled the room followed quickly by gunfire and Sky’s screaming.

  Then the world went black.

  24

  Sky

  I folded the blanket and set it on the end of the bed. The last week had been exhausting, and I was ready to get out of the hospital. Last week felt like a lifetime ago, and I felt like an entirely different person.

  I had nightmares most of the week from the trauma of what I’d gone through, though I was told I was only missing for two days, it felt like so much longer. A therapist had been by my room daily to see how I was doing, and today was the day she said I could go home.

  Several of the officers had stopped by to also check in on me, which I was grateful for. Of course, I was sure they were there for Jack, whom I myself had been down to see several times, but they were kind enough to visit me too. I felt terrible that he’d nearly died for me and was more grateful than I could say that he was alive.

  He assured me that he was fine, he promised me that he still cared about me, and he told me he was glad things had turned out the way they did. Both Rocco and the other man, Slade, as he was called, had been arrested, and they were both facing heavy sentences. Slade’s
sex slave ring was also broken, and a lot of the girls he’d been holding captive were freed.

  It was really a heroic act all around, though I was now afraid Jack was going to leave. Everything was done and over with, and we’d never really talked about what was next.

  We hadn’t had the chance to talk privately. There was always a nurse or someone else in the room during the time I got to visit, and now I was going home. I’d give him a call in a day or two, but that was really the best I could do. I’d hope for the best, of course, but something told me he was going to move on.

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Almost ready,” I said, assuming it was a nurse. I turned and was shocked to see Jack standing there.

  “Hey,” he said with a smile. “I heard that you were being released, and I wanted to come down to tell you I’ll be out soon, too.”

  “Today?” I asked.

  He looked over his shoulder, then he stepped into the room, pulling the door closed behind him. “I don’t think so, but I still wanted to talk to you. How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay,” I said. “For the first time in a long time I feel free. I’m going to be making a lot of changes going forward.”

  “Good,” he smiled.

  “I think it’s time I hit the reset button on my life, you know?” I said. I was speaking more to myself than to him, but he nodded anyway. “I just want things to be different. I don’t want to go back to the person I’ve been for so long.”

  “I hope you still want me,” he said.

  I turned and looked at him. I was sure the desperation showed on my face, but I didn’t care.

  “Do you still want me?” I asked. “After everything?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked with a laugh. “You are the love of my life, I don’t think I could live without you.”

  I looked down, unsure of what to say. I felt so strongly for him, but I also felt so unworthy. This was the best man I’d ever known. He deserved the best in life. He needed a woman who was going to be there for him. Someone who would take care of him and love him. Someone who hadn’t done the things that I’d done.