Part 17 (1/2)
Coach Parks had driven the bus over, and they had section meetings first and then they would warm up. That gave Cade enough time to get the quizzes graded and submitted. Cade put the graded paper in his finished pile and recorded the grade in his book before he reached for his mug filled with water. He absently took a gulp of water before starting to grade the next paper.
Cade closed his eyes and then opened them again. He had read the same answer five times and still couldn't finish reading it because it was moving around the page. Something wasn't right. He was sweating and very dizzy. He took another drink of water and tried to focus on the far wall. It blurred as his vision tunneled. Something was really wrong.
He tried to stay calm and a.s.sess the situation. He had taken a drink of water and then gotten dizzy and light headed. He had drunk more water to try to feel better and that's when he started sweating and getting tunnel vision. He tried to reach for the phone to call 9-1-1, but his arms wouldn't move. He was positive now, he had been poisoned.
He took a deep breath and focused on his cell phone sitting on the edge of the desk. As he exhaled, he lunged for the phone only to fall out of his seat and onto the ground completely paralyzed. His eyes blurred and everything started to fade to black. He tried to focus his eyes but could only see a shadow of a figure come to stand over him. It had to be the boss. He was making his move.
He felt hands grab under his arms. He willed himself to fight, to kick, to punch, but nothing would work. He tried to open his mouth, but no sound came out. He wasn't even sure his mouth opened. He was trapped in his own body as he watched the blurry lights pa.s.s by him as he was dragged down the hall. He had to fight. He had to try. With one last effort, he felt his finger move before the tunnel collapsed and everything went black.
Annie placed the groceries on the counter and reached for the ringing phone. ”h.e.l.lo.”
”Annie? It's Al Parks. I know Cade was planning on coming over there for dinner, but I have some questions about practice I need to ask him. I thought he was coming after he got done grading papers, but I guess I was wrong.”
”Cade's not here. He was supposed to be at practice.” Annie felt a chill dance down her spine.
”Well, if he's not there and he's not here, then he must be at school. I tried his office, and I tried his cell, but he's not answering. If you see him, will you tell him to give me a call?”
”Sure, Al. Look, I gotta go.” She hung up the phone and raced into her bedroom. She pulled out her underwear drawer and lifted the hidden compartment to get her DEA-issued 9 millimeter and badge. She had a boyfriend to save...again.
Chapter Twenty-Three.
Cade felt like he was swimming in caramel. Everything was moving slowly and his memories were sticky. Only years of training kept him from opening his eyes. He knew he had no strength or balance so he focused on controlling his breathing and listening. If he could just figure out where he was and who took him, he could develop a plan for escape.
Shuffling sounds came from behind him and then the sound of a furnace kicking on. He knew he was sitting in a chair and hoped no one was in front of him. He cracked his eyes and peered out through his eyelashes, right into the face of a skeleton. He looked past the skeleton and saw shelving full of old beakers, test tubes, and Bunsen burners. He knew where he was. He was in the science storage room in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the high school.
He tried to move his arms but found both wrists were duct taped to an old, wooden teacher's chair. He knew the answer but tested his legs anyway. He wasn't surprised to find them bound to the chair as well. From behind him, a cell phone rang and was quickly picked up.
”Yes?” He knew that voice. If his mind would just focus he could place it. ”No, Mr. Klaus, everything is fine. The s.h.i.+pment will be sent out on time. It's just a simple matter of reorganization of management. You know how hard good help is to find.” The voice laughed, and it clicked in his head who it was. ”I look forward to many years of partners.h.i.+p. Please tell the others the organization is strong and all contracts will be met on time with quality product. Yes. Thank you.”
The cell phone was clicked shut, and Cade gave up trying to pretend to be asleep. For years he had known that voice, for years they had been friends, and the whole time his friend was the boss of a major drug operation.
”I see you are awake. Surprised it turned out to be me? I bet I never crossed your mind,” the Boss practically spat out at him.
”Why?” Cade still couldn't process the betrayal.
”Money, of course.”
”What about all those kids who were killed because of the bad product you made?”
”That was merely a bonus. I can't stand all those sniveling brats. They were the perfect lab rats.” The Boss stood directly in front of him now, and he could hardly believe it, but the evidence was right there before his eyes. Unable to stand the sight, he looked away. A small movement behind the Boss caught his eyes. The tip of a gun slid through the door. He was being rescued.
”Why are you doing this to me? After all we've been through? I don't understand.”
”You wouldn't. You were too focused on that s.l.u.t. Do you know how many times I could have killed you? I could have killed you any time of any day, but because of our relations.h.i.+p, I gave you the courtesy of keeping you alive. I gave you the courtesy of only hurting you a little when you went against our partners.h.i.+p and turned Devon over to the police. I ordered that s.l.u.t to be killed and for you to be spared. What is the thanks I get? My whole organization gone! And right when I have my biggest s.h.i.+pment ever to make.”
Cade saw Annie's jean clad leg appear, along with the steady arm holding the gun. He just needed to keep talking to keep the attention away from the door. ”Because your men were inept you're going to kill me?”
”I thought I would give you the respect you deserve and let you die while you were with those who cared for you. I know you military type. I'm going to give you the respect of knowing you are going to die and who is responsible for it. I wanted you to know it was me.” Cade's eyes fell to a large needle in the Boss's hand. He watched as the plunger was pressed slightly down, liquid spewing out the sharp tip of the needle.
The sound of the gun being c.o.c.ked drew his attention back to the door.
”It's over, Stephanie, put the needle down.” Annie saw her back go rigid.
”Annie?” Stephanie slowly turned around on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet and stared icily at her. Annie saw the needle still in her hand. What worried her was that Stephanie's hands weren't shaking.
”You can call me Agent Blake. I'm with the DEA. Put the needle down or I'll shoot you.” Annie took a couple steps forward and leveled the gun at Stephanie's cold heart hidden under her pale blue sweater set.
With no warning, Stephanie lunged forward. Annie shot off a round, but it went wide. Stephanie went after her gun. She felt the needle jab into her hand and she screamed. The gun dropped to the ground, and Stephanie went after it. Annie ripped the needle out and tackled Stephanie.
”I won't let you win this time. You may be smarter than those expendables I hired, but you're not smarter than me.” Stephanie stretched for the gun, her fingers crawling along the floor to reach it.
”It's not about being smart. It's about being strong.” Annie grabbed her own hand and used the force to slam her elbow into Stephanie's back.
Stephanie reared up, screaming in pain and Annie grabbed the only thing she could get a hold of. She wrapped her hand around Stephanie's perfect hair and pulled with all her strength. Baldy had taught her this move. Steph was stronger than she gave her credit for. The elbow she threw caught Annie right in the ribs and sent her falling back. Not letting go of Stephanie's hair, Stephanie rolled with her as they both landed on their sides and scrambled up to their feet.
Annie grabbed more hair to pull Stephanie closer, and Stephanie kicked out at her. Pain shot up her lower leg where Steph's heel caught her. Okay, enough playing around. Annie pulled harder on the clump of hair in her hand while sliding her other arm around Stephanie's throat and squeezed. Stephanie dug her nails into Annie's arm. She felt warm blood bubbling up from the claw marks and screamed, but didn't let go. She squeezed tighter as Stephanie fought more frantically.
Annie released Steph's hair and put her in a proper choke hold. Stephanie dug her nails in again and slammed her heel onto Annie's foot. Annie saw spots in her vision but held on. Her foot was on fire, and she was sure it was broken. Through the pain, she realized that Stephanie's struggles were weakening. If she could just hold on a little longer.
Annie s.h.i.+fted her weight to her good foot and applied more pressure. Stephanie clawed again, but it wasn't as strong. She tried to reach behind her but never could reach Annie. Annie felt when Stephanie lost consciousness and let go. They both collapsed to the ground. Annie sucked in ragged breaths as she crawled toward Cade.
”Here we are, back at the beginning,” she mumbled as she found an old scalpel to cut the tape tying Cade down.
”How so?”
”I'm saving you again.”
”There's no one else I'd rather be saved by.” Cade opened his freed arms, and she managed to climb into his lap before her foot gave out. Cade stroked her hair and held onto her for dear life.
”Freeze!”
”It's okay, Noodle,” Cade called out as Annie raised her head from his chest to look at the room filling with the local sheriff's department and Cole Parker. ”It was Stephanie. Call an ambulance, Annie's foot is probably broken, and she has some nasty cuts on her face and arms from Stephanie.” Cade held on tightly to her until the EMT's arrived. If he had things his way, he'd never let her go again.
Annie hated what she was about to do, but she had no choice. She left the warmth and comfort of Cade's arms and struggled to stand on one foot. She had a crime scene to control.
”Cole, can you call Special Agent Romero at the DEA's office and tell him to get down here with a prisoner transport?” She reached into the back of her jeans pocket for her badge, but Cole stopped her.
”Already done, Agent Blake.”