In DAAG, our
continued story, Janelle has been abducted by Cliff and Monty.
Chapter Twenty-five
An hour
and a half later, after driving through several small towns, Cliff turned right
on a side road and pulled into an abandoned gas station. Tall weeds grew up
between the cracks in the concrete. The gas pumps had been removed and the
windows of the station were boarded up.
“Here’s
our dream house.” Cliff rolled past the heavy metal door and parked at the side
of the building. “We’ll just hunker down for a while.”
Janelle
thought of the cell phone in her purse. If she could call Ben…
But could she trust him? She felt betrayed. He said he was
a Christian yet he gambled away his money. She pictured him rolling dice at the
floating casinos on the Mississippi River that docked beside the St. Louis
arch. Perhaps he was like his mother, Lyssa, who only talked about religion.
What if Ben let her rot in this forsaken place?
A quiet anger surged through her. His betting had caused
her to get kidnapped. No, she wasn’t going to call him.
But she couldn’t call her dad. He was out of town. Her
sister would panic. Sheriff Horton.
She could call him—if she could remember the number to the sheriff’s office.
Cliff
killed the engine. “Okay, sweetheart, this is it. Now don’t try any funny
business or we’ll have to lock you up.” He got out and opened her door.
Janelle’s
stomach growled, and she glanced at her watch as she walked to the small
building. Almost seven.
“Ladies
first.” Cliff opened the metal door and motioned Janelle inside.
The
smell of car oil assailed her as she entered. Monty flipped a switch by the
door and two naked light bulbs, hanging by wires from the ceiling, lit the
room. Janelle could barely make out the color of the floor tile, it was so
dirty.
“Sit
here, doll face.” Cliff slid a chair with a cracked vinyl seat toward her.
“We’ll call Thorne and see if he wants you back.”
Janelle
perched on the uncomfortable chair, cradling her purse in her lap.
Cliff
took off his sunglasses. His pockmarked face had a scar above the right eye. He
walked behind a tall counter and pulled an old red desk phone from underneath.
Janelle raised an eyebrow. This place had phone service?
Monty sat on another vinyl chair next to the boarded
windows.
“Okay,
what’s Thorne’s number?” Cliff picked up the receiver, and a loud dial tone
buzzed.
“That’s
easy.” Monty folded his arms, looking smug. “2-4-6-8. Who do we ap-pre-ci-ate?”
Cliff
ignored the cheer. “Are you sure? I didn’t think the numbers were in order like
that.”
“They’re
not in order. In order would be 1-2-3-4.”
Cliff
shook his head. “I mean even order.”
“I’m
telling you, they’re not even in order.”
Janelle
rolled her eyes. She’d been kidnapped by Abbott and Costello.
Cliff
looked perturbed. “Okay, okay. I’ll try it.” It was an old rotary phone, and he
had to wait as each number spun around. First he dialed the Greenvale prefix,
then the number.
Janelle
could hear a buzz with the ring on the other end. After the third ring, a faint
voice said hello.
“Oh,
hello. Uh, Thorne? Is this the Thorne residence?” Cliff clapped his hand over
the mouthpiece. “What’s Thorne’s first name?”
Monty
shrugged. “Beats me.”
Cliff
spoke into the phone. “I’m looking for Jed Thorne’s son. Is this—” A barrage of
unintelligible words filled the room. Cliff nodded. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am. Yes,
I must have the wrong number. You’re right, ma’am. Goodbye.” He slammed the
phone down. “Monty! That’s the wrong number!”
“Well,
sorry.” Monty didn’t look sorry. “That’s the number I got out of the phone
book.”
“That
lady’s name is Babcock—not even close to Thorne.” Cliff hit his fist on the
counter. “Now what are we going to do? I’m not letting this girl go until
Thorne gives us the money.”
A
prick of fear pierced Janelle. She could be stuck here all weekend before
anyone knew she was gone.
* * *
To
be continued…
I love this scene. I can almost picture the two kidnappers!!
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