Old Lady (9 page)

The countdown was on. Gabby held no hope for rescue. Even if Nick read her message, he wouldn’t be able to come in time to save her. She wouldn’t survive through the night. Joseph would kill her as he promised. All she could pray for was a quick end – and only time would tell if she would get that.

CHAPTER NINE

Time was of paramount importance.

Nick rushed out the door, followed closely by Ronald and Matt. “I’m leaving right now,” he yelled to them as he shoved the phone inside his pocked.

“We’re coming with you,” said Miles as he rushed after him.

He reached his bike and straddled it. “It might be dangerous.”

“We knew that when we came along, man,” said Matt as he sat on his bike. Miles sat behind him. Another two men joined them. “Let’s not waste any time arguing. We came to this town just so we could help you if we located Gabby.”

They drove here the day after Nick managed to get the details out from the lawyer who was helping Gabby fight the case against Joseph. Although she didn’t give details regarding Joseph’s current business to Nick, the lawyer knew, as did the police. The local police was keeping an eye on the clubhouse, but Nick wasn’t sure if Joseph would take the risk of bringing her to the same town in which there was an investigation going on. But where else could he take Gabby? He needed a place to hide her, and logically it made sense for him to yank her back into the same system from which she ran away.

Last night, they surveyed the place but there was no indication that he was anywhere inside it. Two of them men even went inside to check out the place but they didn’t see Joseph or Gabby. Nick was disappointed, but since he didn’t have another avenue to pursue, he decided to stay put until another lead presented itself. Much to his surprise, Gabby messaged from an unknown number. She gave the location. He intended to see if she was there. Rather than run the risk of calling the number and seeing if he could get any information, he preferred to visit the place. If she’d stolen someone’s phone to send him a message, he didn’t want to alert the person about it.

Ten minutes later, he was pounding on the door. A tall man opened the door. Seeing them, he blanched. “What do you guys want?”

It wasn’t Joseph. Nick barged his way in. “Where is she?”

“She?”

He grabbed the man’s collar and pushed him against the door. If he’d to go to jail for this, he would do so willingly as long as he was able to find out where this vile man was hiding her. Was he one of Joseph’s accomplice? “Gabby. Where is she?”

The man bit his lip so hard that a drop of blood oozed out. “Are you the man to whom she sent the message?”

Nick eased the grip on his collar. Did this guy willingly help her? “Yes. Where is she?”

“Joseph dragged her off in the van after I offered to pay double the price to keep her here. He suspected that I allowed her to use my phone to contact someone, and he didn’t want to take the risk,” he said.

“Tell me everything.”

What he heard made him blanch. Bile rose inside his throat, but he pushed it back with a violent shake of his head. Until he rescued Gabby, he couldn’t afford to be sick. She underwent a terrible ordeal in the last two days. It was worse than what he’d imagined, but at least she was alive. That was the only silver lining in the entire macabre scenario.

“Where has he taken her?” he demanded.

The man shrugged. “I am sorry but I don’t know. Didn’t she send you more details?”

She gave him two more addresses. Should he try them? There was little option left. “Search the place,” he ordered his people.

Matt, Ronald, and the others fanned out to look into each room. He expected the man to resist their attempt, but he stood quietly as they studied each nook and cranny. “She is not here,” said Matt as he came back. “He is telling the truth.”

“Why the hell didn’t you stop that asshole?”

The man shrugged. His face contorted into a wild grimace. “I should’ve…but he threatened tell the police about me. I couldn’t afford it. It’s…my marriage…” He gulped. “Joseph will kill her. He will do it before the night is over. Now that he knows that you guys are hot on his trail, he wouldn’t take a chance. Please save her.”

With a snort of disgust, Nick walked out. He sat on his bike and drove off towards the next address. Ever since she disappeared, he thought that the man might try to kill her. He would definitely torture and humiliate her, but he didn’t expect that Joseph would attempt to make money out of her helplessness. How many times was she raped since she came into Joseph’s clutches? How many times did he force her to do his bidding?

The mere image sent him into a spasm of pain, but Nick drove the thought out of his mind. He wanted one thing only, and that was to rescue her before she lost her sanity. The only question that remained was; would they be in time to find her before Joseph murdered her? What if Nick was too late?

He couldn’t bear to think about it. It was too reprehensible and frightening to consider for long. As he drove through the silent streets, Nick prayed as he never did before. He wanted her back in his life, and in order to achieve that end, he would have to hurry. If he didn’t make it in time, what would happen?

Nick couldn’t finish the thought. He didn’t want to.

His hope was focused on one thing only, and that was to find Gabby before it was too late. Soon, they reached the second address. Much to his disgust, it proved to be an empty house that was put up for sale. No one lived there any longer. She must have given him the two addresses where she thought Joseph was likely to take her, but this one was a dead end. Now, there was only one last place to consider, and if that proved to be false, he didn’t know what else he could do. Did he come so far only to lose her in the end?

What if he never saw her again?

What if Joseph killed her before he reached that place?

Frustrated and scared beyond belief, he finally reached the last house. Quietly, they parked their bikes a little distance off and reached the place on foot. The black van that was parked next to the driveway made him pause.

“That looks like the same van that Tasha described,” whispered Matt. “Do you think he could have brought her here in this?”

“I’ll check the license plates.” Ronald walked over and studied the van. No one appeared to ask him any questions. If Joseph was in the vicinity, he was probably inside. He strode back. “I think the license plate is fake,” he whispered. “It’s quite possible that he used a different one when he went out of town.”

“We should call the police,” said Miles.

Nick wanted to be sure that they had their query. If Gabby was inside, he wanted to get her first. It was quite likely that if Joseph heard the police sirens, he might harm her. “Let me go inside and scoop the place first.”

“It’s a private residence. You could get into trouble this way if they find you trespassing,” Matt worried.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass,” Nick growled as he surveyed the place. “There has to be a back entrance. I’m going to try that first.” He bounded into the property and ran towards the back. When he reached the back door, Nick tried to open it. Much to his relief, the handle twisted all the way down. Soundlessly, he slipped inside. He’d expected to scout the place, but much to his astonishment, Joseph was sitting on the kitchen table, drinking beer.

The sight of his unshaved, unkempt appearance made Nick’s blood boil. This man dared to take his woman. He kidnapped her in board daylight and subjected her to all sort of vile things. Seeing him, Joseph stood but even before he had a chance to step away from his chair or scream for help, Nick leapt across the room and punched him in the face. The man swayed on his feet, straightened, and rushed towards Nick. A growl escaped his lips. Nick met him head on. They clashed with each other and grappled. A chair overturned and fell on the floor with a loud crash.

Joseph was a big, heavy man but he was no match for Nick’s agility and rage. Anger swam in Joseph’s veins as if it was molten lava. This man ruined his life and Gabby’s. He wanted to kill the bastard – and he would do so. Grabbing the other man’s hair, he punched him in the gut and pushed him against the wall. Nick received a blow on his face and torso, but pain didn’t exist anymore. His goal was clear; he wanted to hurt the man as much as he hurt Gabby.

His fists pounded into the man with enough force to break bones. In return, he was hit on his face and chest. Joseph bit him on his arm, but soon Nick made the man fall, straddled him, and delivered blows to his face. Someone grabbed him around the waist and pulled him off the man.

“Leave me alone,” he ordered, struggling to free himself.

“Get a grip on yourself,” said Ronald’s fierce voice. “We need to find Gabby first.”

Only her name could have returned sanity to his mind. Nick stopped fighting Matt who held him in a death grip. “Fine. I’m OK. You better keep the bastard here while I go and look for her. He shouldn’t escape.”

Matt eased his grip. “He won’t, bro. You’ve got my word.”

Nick wasn’t sure if Gabby was in the house. If she was, why didn’t she come forward? Surely, she heard the noise. He ran through the ground floor, looking into the two empty bedrooms but she wasn’t around. Feeling a little flustered and scared, he ran back up. The pounding music that hit his ear told him the reason as to why the person who was upstairs didn’t hear them. He barged into one of the rooms. The sight that met his eyes flabbergasted him. Gabby was tied naked to the bed while a man danced in front of her. At first he couldn’t understand what the hell was going on.

Seeing him, the man halted. His glassy eyes told Nick that he was as high as a kite. “Hey man, my hour is not up. I haven’t even started on her yet.”

Gabby was half asleep. He took a step forward, not sure if she was awake. Was she participating in this macabre drama willingly? He walked closer. The bruises on his body, black and blue, and the gaping wounds told him another story. Fresh anger roiled in his gut. “Gabby,” his voice was gentle. Ignoring the man, he strode over to the bed and opened her ropes. He ran a hand over her forehead. She wasn’t sleeping. Instead, she was half-unconscious. “Gabby?” he said again.   

Her eyelids fluttered. She opened her eyes and gazed at him. He could tell that she wasn’t really seeing him. The blank expression on her face indicated that she wasn’t able to think clearly. “Nick,” she whispered so softly that he could barely hear her.

Putting his arms around her, he lifted her and drew her in his arms. “Gabby, oh Gabby!” He ran his hands up and down under her back, carefully so that he didn’t hurt her. Already, she was hurt beyond measure. How could a person be so evil as to reduce a human being to this state?

The man put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, dude!”

Nick jabbed an elbow in his stomach. “You asshole. Stay away or I will kill you.”

Wisely, the man backed off. Nick pulled the bed sheet away from the mattress and wrapped Gabby in it. “We’re leaving, babe. I’m here now and no one will hurt you anymore.”

Tears ran down her eyes. “Nick. How did you reach so quickly?”

He kissed her on the forehead as he picked her up. “I was looking for you, babe and now that I’ve found you, I am never letting go.”

“Nick, I’ve something to say.”

“What, babe?”

She gazed into his eyes. Even though half of her face was swollen and her jaw was bruised, she was the most beautiful woman that he ever saw. “I love you.”

Joy welled in his heart and poured all over his body. “I love you too, babe. Forever and ever.”

She rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her down. Matt was standing watch over Joseph who was bleeding from his nose. Seeing Gabby, Matt’s lips split into a smile but then he saw the bruises on her face. Without warning, he suddenly kicked Joseph in the stomach. “You asshole.”

Miles held the wall for support as he gazed at her battered face. He didn’t say anything. “Call the police and an ambulance. We’re done here,” said Nick.

“I’ve already done it,” said Ronald. “They should be here any minute now.”

“You can’t do this,” muttered Joseph. “I won’t let you take her away. She is mine, not yours.”