clue and no hope. My eyes darted in every direction. I had to figure something out and fast. After managing to get up on my knees, I staggered to my feet when I heard the sound of a cell phone ringing.
Where was it coming from?
Squinting, I looked towards the dead men. The one who took my picture… Someone was calling his phone. My heart raced. I didn’t want to get anywhere near him, but at this point I really didn’t have a choice.
Scrambling over towards his body, I looked down at him just in time to hear the ringing stop. I knelt down next to him before trying to figure out where the cell phone was. Luckily, it started to ring once again.
I reached for it, sliding my hand inside of his pants pocket and pulling it out. Answering it was a different story. It took me a few seconds, but at last I slid it on and kept it between my hands, holding it against my ear.
“Hello? Who the hell is this?”
Nothing. I didn’t hear single sound on the other end of the phone. Whoever it was, they weren’t expecting me.
“Answer me! Who is this?”
I heard the sound of a person clear their throat. A man. “Where is the person who this phone belongs to?”
I was on my knees. The incessant, unrelenting sun of the high desert amplified my rage. “He’s dead! You still haven’t answered my question!”
The man didn’t respond right away. There was silence once again. “I see. Did you kill him?”
Curling the fingers of my free hand into a fist, I yelled in response. “No!”
“What about his associate? Is he…?”
“Dead!” I screamed, cutting him off. “What is going on! They killed my fiancé! I’m stranded. Who the hell are you ?”
The line went dead.
I pulled the phone away from my ear, blinking in disbelief. After standing up, I dropped it from my hand. The phone clattered and bounced on the hot gravel at my feet.
The anger I felt talking to the mysterious man on the other end of the line changed into something else…
Fear. No, terror.
Someone’s employees are dead.
They know where I am. They know about the case. I glanced towards the Mercedes. I had a flat tire. What the hell was I going to do?
Should I grab the keys to the Rolls and try to make a run for it? Should I call the police?
No, no. Calling the police would be the worst thing I could do. I didn’t trust cops, especially not now -- not after what happened with my dad.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Reaching for the case I exhaled, shaky breath sputtering from my lungs. Slumping against the side of the Mercedes, I slid my back down it until my butt hit the ground. I looked down at the sickening blood spatters across the top of the case and pulled it between my legs.
Shit, I forgot. “Locked.” I muttered.
It took everything I had not to panic. I still had no idea what I was going to do, or how I would get out of this situation. That seemed to be the worst of my problems until a much more sinister realization popped into my head.
My gaze snapped to the case.
Who was coming for it and when?
* * *
W hile the sun continued to set, I struggled to free myself of the thick coating of tape around my wrists. After nearly an hour, I finally managed to get the last of it off me.
Once I did, I climbed inside of the Rolls, desperate to escape the intensity of the brutal orange ball of fire blazing in the sky. I didn’t know how much time I had left to figure out what I was going to do, but it wasn’t much.
Closing my eyes, I exhaled.
“Think, Tempest. Think.”
I opened my eyes again and looked out of the open car door towards the case. Whatever was in there, it was worth people dying over. I didn’t want anything else to do with it. Right then and there I decided I would take the car and drive back to Vegas. Once I got home, I’d figure out what to do next.
I’m not stupid. It was a terrible fucking plan. I knew it was, but what other choice did I have?
For all I knew, an army was on the way.
I had to get as far away from there as I
Where was it coming from?
Squinting, I looked towards the dead men. The one who took my picture… Someone was calling his phone. My heart raced. I didn’t want to get anywhere near him, but at this point I really didn’t have a choice.
Scrambling over towards his body, I looked down at him just in time to hear the ringing stop. I knelt down next to him before trying to figure out where the cell phone was. Luckily, it started to ring once again.
I reached for it, sliding my hand inside of his pants pocket and pulling it out. Answering it was a different story. It took me a few seconds, but at last I slid it on and kept it between my hands, holding it against my ear.
“Hello? Who the hell is this?”
Nothing. I didn’t hear single sound on the other end of the phone. Whoever it was, they weren’t expecting me.
“Answer me! Who is this?”
I heard the sound of a person clear their throat. A man. “Where is the person who this phone belongs to?”
I was on my knees. The incessant, unrelenting sun of the high desert amplified my rage. “He’s dead! You still haven’t answered my question!”
The man didn’t respond right away. There was silence once again. “I see. Did you kill him?”
Curling the fingers of my free hand into a fist, I yelled in response. “No!”
“What about his associate? Is he…?”
“Dead!” I screamed, cutting him off. “What is going on! They killed my fiancé! I’m stranded. Who the hell are you ?”
The line went dead.
I pulled the phone away from my ear, blinking in disbelief. After standing up, I dropped it from my hand. The phone clattered and bounced on the hot gravel at my feet.
The anger I felt talking to the mysterious man on the other end of the line changed into something else…
Fear. No, terror.
Someone’s employees are dead.
They know where I am. They know about the case. I glanced towards the Mercedes. I had a flat tire. What the hell was I going to do?
Should I grab the keys to the Rolls and try to make a run for it? Should I call the police?
No, no. Calling the police would be the worst thing I could do. I didn’t trust cops, especially not now -- not after what happened with my dad.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Reaching for the case I exhaled, shaky breath sputtering from my lungs. Slumping against the side of the Mercedes, I slid my back down it until my butt hit the ground. I looked down at the sickening blood spatters across the top of the case and pulled it between my legs.
Shit, I forgot. “Locked.” I muttered.
It took everything I had not to panic. I still had no idea what I was going to do, or how I would get out of this situation. That seemed to be the worst of my problems until a much more sinister realization popped into my head.
My gaze snapped to the case.
Who was coming for it and when?
* * *
W hile the sun continued to set, I struggled to free myself of the thick coating of tape around my wrists. After nearly an hour, I finally managed to get the last of it off me.
Once I did, I climbed inside of the Rolls, desperate to escape the intensity of the brutal orange ball of fire blazing in the sky. I didn’t know how much time I had left to figure out what I was going to do, but it wasn’t much.
Closing my eyes, I exhaled.
“Think, Tempest. Think.”
I opened my eyes again and looked out of the open car door towards the case. Whatever was in there, it was worth people dying over. I didn’t want anything else to do with it. Right then and there I decided I would take the car and drive back to Vegas. Once I got home, I’d figure out what to do next.
I’m not stupid. It was a terrible fucking plan. I knew it was, but what other choice did I have?
For all I knew, an army was on the way.
I had to get as far away from there as I
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