“Dima, you’re making a mistake. Oscar will—”
“Shut up.” Dima opened the glove compartment and pulled out zip ties. He quickly tied Chris’s wriststogether tightly, then leaned down to tie his legs. When he finished, he pulled the lever that dropped Chris’s seat back.
Trevor leaned down and pressed the barrel of the gun against Chris’s temple. “Sorry for barging in like this, but I was technically invited.”
“Trevor, you can’t—”
“Shh. Stay quiet until we’re out of the city, then you can talk, and beg, and scream as much as you want. Let’s go.”
Dima started the car.
*
I need to wake up.
But as much as he tried, Dima kept driving farther away from the city. With every new mile, Chris’s panic intensified, his lungs tight enough to make it hard to breathe. He couldn’t let them kidnap him without a fight. Right as Dima glanced at the side mirror, Chris reached for the steering wheel and yanked, hoping to cause enough disruption to get them pulled over rather than to cause a car accident.
The car swayed sharply, but Dima quickly got it under control. With one hand on the steering wheel, he smashed the other into Chris’s ribs.
Trevor laughed. “Count on Danny to put up a fight!”
Dima glanced down. “Try it again, and I’ll break yourfingers.”
In the backseat, Trevor messed with Chris’s phone. “He has a tracking app, but I can play with it.” Shortly after, he said, “We’re on I-95, Danny. When did you last visit Connecticut?”
Chris remained silent, trying to think of another way to make the car stop. Trevor leaned into his face. “You know how I feel about the silent treatment.”
“I went there earlier this year.” He usually visited Ethan’s parents every few months with Melissa and the twins. Going there always felt like coming back home, although he never technically lived there.
“Turn right at the next intersection,” Trevor told Dima.
“Where are you taking me?” Chris asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Trevor, you’re making a mistake. People will find out about this. Powerful people.”
“Yeah, Dima told me all about your powerful friends. Under normal circumstances, I might’ve been worried, but I have bigger problems on my mind. Cut to the left over there.”
The car shook when they moved from the paved road to a dirt one. The sun quickly disappeared behind tall and clustered trees, making it feel like evening rather than the middle of the day.
“Stop next to the car over there.”
“Is this your brother?”
“Yes.”
Chris’s panic soared, cold sweat breaking across his skin. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but Andy’s presence made this nightmare all the more real.
The car stopped, and Dima and Trevor got out.
Chris jerked at the sudden appearance of Andy in the window. From the low angle of the seat, he appeared disfigured with his nose pressed against the glass. “Hello, Daniel!”
Dima walked around the car and told Andy to move. He opened the door and roughly pulled Chris from his seat, dumping him on the ground.
The three of them loomed above him, high as buildings, their faces shadowy under the trees.
He opened his mouth and screamed for help.
