Page 15 of Shattered Secrets
“I’m sure he has a phone.”
“Yeah….”
“If you install our app on his phone, you’ll be able to locate him in our systems.”
“How the hell can I install something on his phone if I don’t know where he is?” I raise my voice.
“Listen for a minute.” Paul’s firm tone stops my ranting. “You don’t need him or the phone. All you need in order to install something remotely is access to his account.”
Fucking hell. “Damn. You’re right. You are a genius. Thanks, Paul. Excuse me, but I have some calls to make.”
I call Jess and ask him to get someone to hack into Michael Summers’ account. I’m not sure how he’ll get it done, but the only thing in mind right now is saving her. At all costs.
* * *
It worked.
I can’t believe it worked. Jess was able to install the Savee app remotely, and I have an address.
Well, not exactly an address, but coordinates. It seems to be in the middle of a forest.
This encourages me because it makes sense that he would take her to a secluded place. I think I have the location right. I just hope it’s not too late. I wasted an entire day looking for it. Precious time that was lost.
I park the car a distance from the marker, hidden among the trees, and continue on foot. I have no idea what I’ll find there. I’m supposed to wait for the reinforcements Jess is sending, but I have no intention of waiting an extra minute. It’s getting dark, and it will take time for them to organize and equip themselves, and I’m already here.
The house is revealed as I approach, half hidden among the trees. I see a light in the entranceway, which confirms the presence of people there, but the windows are dark and covered so it’s not possible to see what’s going on inside. Fuck.
I’ll have to enter the house blind. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
I prepare to use my burglary skills one more time, but as I check the knob it turns out it’s not locked at all. I open it slowly, ready to be jumped at any moment, but there’s no one.
What does it mean that the door isn’t locked? Am I walking into a trap? Cold sweat climbs up my spine. It doesn’t matter now. Finding Ayala is all that matters.
I move inside, holding my pocket knife. I find plates with leftover food in the kitchen. Someone is living here. I move toward the stairs, careful to move slowly, clinging to the wall. Upstairs I open a door leading to a dark bedroom and peek inside. My eyes adjust to the darkness, and my heart stops beating.
My Bambi is on the bed, her eyes are closed, and her hands are tied above her head. Her mouth is stuffed with a cloth.
She doesn’t move, but I see her chest rise and fall. She’s still alive.
She’s naked, and her face looks tormented, swollen and beaten, almost beyond recognition. I ease into the room, wondering where Summers is. I need to hurry and get her out of here. I see smears of blood between her thighs and stifle a cry with my fist.
Fuck. I’m about to throw up. I bend down as a spasm of rage in my stomach momentarily subdues me. I can’t lose it now. I have to hold on to the fact that she’s still alive. I have to get her out of here.
“Ayala?” I whisper.
I move closer, swallowing hard and fighting the nausea.
Up close, her condition looks even worse. Bruises cover her beautiful face and mar her ribs. I see a long cut on her neck. Sadistic son of a bitch.
“Ayala?” I whisper again, and now she moves a little but doesn’t wake up.
I let out a breath, not even realizing that I’d been holding my breath until now. I reach out to her and lightly shake her shoulders to wake her up. Her broken body is unresponsive. I’ve arrived too late. I’m too late again.
A rustle behind me makes me turn, and I swing my knife up. A sharp pain drops me to my knees. My shoulder is on fire. Pain screams inside my head.
I stare at my shoulder in disbelief, seeing only the handle of a large kitchen knife protruding from the skin. Michael stands in front of me in a crouched position. I stare at him, but my mind refuses to believe what I’m seeing.
He stabbed me. The son of a bitch stabbed me.
