the only way out was straight ahead.
“Stop here.”
Celie’s throat constricted, and suddenly she felt dizzy. This could not be happening again. It could not. She’d rather take her chances with a bullet than go with him behind one of those Dumpsters.
“I said stop !”
Her knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as she put her foot on the brake. Oh God. Please, please, please…
Suddenly the passenger door opened and another man got in. He shoved her backpack to the floor and then yanked a big, black gun out of his pants and pointed it at her face.
Her blood turned to ice.
“Here’s how this goes.” His voice sounded calm. Celie struggled to listen, but all she could think about was the gun just inches from her nose. If he pulled the trigger, would she feel anything?
She tore her gaze away from the gun and looked at his face. He resembled the guy in the backseat, except his head was shaved and he had a black goatee.
“…give it to us, and we don’t hurt you,” he was saying. God, she’d missed the rest of it. Give them what?
Celie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She nodded dumbly.
“Where’s the money?”
The money. She gulped. Robert’s money.
“I don’t have it.”
Pain seared through her as the pistol butt connected with her cheekbone.
“Wrong answer.”
Something wet trickled down her face. She choked back a sob.
The goatee guy leaned over the console. She pulled back as far as she could until her head was pressed against the glass window. “I s-swear. Robert had the money. He had it in Antigua. Then he brought it back to the States so he could return it to someone.”
“Fuck, man.” This from the back.
Celie glanced over the seat. The man there looked agitated now. Sweat beaded on his upper lip, and his hands were shaking. Thankfully, his gun was on the seat beside him, not pointed at her neck.
She slid her attention back to the man in front. His gun was still aimed right at her face. Some kind of strange graffiti covered his knuckles. His hands were steady, and he looked eerily calm.
“He had the money with him?”
Celie swallowed. “Yes. He…he smuggled it back here.”
“She’s lying, man. She’s fucking lying !” The guy in back was bouncing on his seat now. “We searched the car.”
Celie darted a glance at him. His gray T-shirt was dark with perspiration, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked about ready to blow a fuse.
“I’ll tell you everything I know,” she said. “I swear. Just listen, okay? Robert had a stash of money. He told me that. He’d been living on it in Antigua. He came to visit me Friday night, but he’d called me earlier. From a motel.”
She locked eyes with guy in front. He seemed like the leader. Maybe if she could convince him to believe her, she’d have a chance.
He nodded slightly. He was listening.
“He told me he was in trouble.” Her voice shook, and her chest hurt. “He said he owed money to someone, but he didn’t have everything he needed to pay him back. I think he owed a lot. He said he had to return all of it soon or he’d be killed.”
Goatee Man was watching her intently with those brown-black eyes. He had a diamond stud in his ear. No tremors, no sweating. He seemed like a professional, but a professional what she was scared to contemplate.
She couldn’t tell whether he believed what she was saying.
The guy in back pounded a fist on the window. “Man, she’s lying !”
“ Shut up !” Goatee Man swung his gun toward the backseat. “Did I tell you to talk?”
Celie bit her lip, praying a shootout wasn’t about to erupt.
“Where did he call you from? What motel?”
The gun shifted back now, and her attention locked on the black tunnel pointed at her face.
“I don’t know. He didn’t say, just that he’d checked in and he planned to stay a few days.”
You know, you’re a terrible liar. McAllister’s words came back to her, and her stomach clenched.
“So why’d he come see you if
“Stop here.”
Celie’s throat constricted, and suddenly she felt dizzy. This could not be happening again. It could not. She’d rather take her chances with a bullet than go with him behind one of those Dumpsters.
“I said stop !”
Her knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as she put her foot on the brake. Oh God. Please, please, please…
Suddenly the passenger door opened and another man got in. He shoved her backpack to the floor and then yanked a big, black gun out of his pants and pointed it at her face.
Her blood turned to ice.
“Here’s how this goes.” His voice sounded calm. Celie struggled to listen, but all she could think about was the gun just inches from her nose. If he pulled the trigger, would she feel anything?
She tore her gaze away from the gun and looked at his face. He resembled the guy in the backseat, except his head was shaved and he had a black goatee.
“…give it to us, and we don’t hurt you,” he was saying. God, she’d missed the rest of it. Give them what?
Celie opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She nodded dumbly.
“Where’s the money?”
The money. She gulped. Robert’s money.
“I don’t have it.”
Pain seared through her as the pistol butt connected with her cheekbone.
“Wrong answer.”
Something wet trickled down her face. She choked back a sob.
The goatee guy leaned over the console. She pulled back as far as she could until her head was pressed against the glass window. “I s-swear. Robert had the money. He had it in Antigua. Then he brought it back to the States so he could return it to someone.”
“Fuck, man.” This from the back.
Celie glanced over the seat. The man there looked agitated now. Sweat beaded on his upper lip, and his hands were shaking. Thankfully, his gun was on the seat beside him, not pointed at her neck.
She slid her attention back to the man in front. His gun was still aimed right at her face. Some kind of strange graffiti covered his knuckles. His hands were steady, and he looked eerily calm.
“He had the money with him?”
Celie swallowed. “Yes. He…he smuggled it back here.”
“She’s lying, man. She’s fucking lying !” The guy in back was bouncing on his seat now. “We searched the car.”
Celie darted a glance at him. His gray T-shirt was dark with perspiration, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked about ready to blow a fuse.
“I’ll tell you everything I know,” she said. “I swear. Just listen, okay? Robert had a stash of money. He told me that. He’d been living on it in Antigua. He came to visit me Friday night, but he’d called me earlier. From a motel.”
She locked eyes with guy in front. He seemed like the leader. Maybe if she could convince him to believe her, she’d have a chance.
He nodded slightly. He was listening.
“He told me he was in trouble.” Her voice shook, and her chest hurt. “He said he owed money to someone, but he didn’t have everything he needed to pay him back. I think he owed a lot. He said he had to return all of it soon or he’d be killed.”
Goatee Man was watching her intently with those brown-black eyes. He had a diamond stud in his ear. No tremors, no sweating. He seemed like a professional, but a professional what she was scared to contemplate.
She couldn’t tell whether he believed what she was saying.
The guy in back pounded a fist on the window. “Man, she’s lying !”
“ Shut up !” Goatee Man swung his gun toward the backseat. “Did I tell you to talk?”
Celie bit her lip, praying a shootout wasn’t about to erupt.
“Where did he call you from? What motel?”
The gun shifted back now, and her attention locked on the black tunnel pointed at her face.
“I don’t know. He didn’t say, just that he’d checked in and he planned to stay a few days.”
You know, you’re a terrible liar. McAllister’s words came back to her, and her stomach clenched.
“So why’d he come see you if
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