Only five blocks away from the travel agency, Goons One and Two walk into a warehouse I’ve never staked out.
That’s a problem.
I don’t have a favorite spot to watch from, so I keep to the shadows of the neighboring buildings and try to find a hiding spot that will let me see inside. All the windows are boarded up on this side of the structure, though.
Knowing this might be one of my stupidest ideas—and boy, that’s saying something—I circle the property and onthe opposite side from where they went in, I find one single window that’s not boarded up.
Plastered against the brick wall of the next building, I suck in air five times, trying to muster the courage to actually walk up and look.
I’m not proud of how long it takes me, but eventually, I do make my way to the glass and peer in. It’s full of crates. Rows and rows of big crates. I have no idea what’s in them, and I can’t see anyone around.
Then the shadow of a man passes in front of the window. I scramble away and back, almost losing my balance over a damn rock, but when I look up again, there’s no one there.
Fuck, whoever that was can’t have seen me, right?
There would be shouts if he had ...
I walk up to the glass again, this time staying to the side and in the shadows so hopefully no one inside can see me.
Again, there’s no one around, and I sigh in resignation.
This was a royally stupid waste of time.
I take one step back, and drop my shoulders. In defeat or in relief? I’m not sure to be honest, but?—
My thoughts screech to a halt when I feel it—pressure on my back.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Something sharp hits me on the side of the head, and before I can turn around, everything goes black.
“You’re fucking useless.”The snotty, whiny voice is the first thing I register. You don’t come across a lot of men with whiny voices but this man has one. “Wake this fucker up,” he snaps, and a second later, icy cold water covers my body.
“God,” I can’t help but shout. Or at least I try.
There’s something in my mouth... Tape? I feel a hand on my cheek a second later, and then?—
“Fuck!” I can’t help but scream. God that hurts, worse than I ever imagined.
I open one eye and regret it instantly. The lights in this... room? Wherever I am, they’re too fucking bright. The pounding on the left side of my head comes alive with a vengeance, and I try to put the pieces together. I can’t really see anything, but I’m clearly not alone.
I was . . . yeah, following those . . . Fuck, what did I call them?
Right, goons, I?—
“Open your fucking eyes,” someone, a different someone, shouts. I’m not sure if that hurts more than the light, butit’s less annoying than being doused with cold-as-fuck water again, so I do my fucking best.
I try to pull a hand up to stop the light from hitting my retinas directly, and that’s when I realize my arms are tied behind my back.
Understanding the situation I’m in, I start to panic, because... well, of course I fucking panic.
“Fuck, did you kidnap me?” I ask, enraged more with myself than any of these fuckers. I should’ve known better, I really should have, and I normally would’ve thought of something better to ask, but in my defense, I’m pretty sure I have a concussion, and I’m fucking cold.
I look down and see they took my fucking clothes.
At least I left my wallet at home this time. There’s no way they can know who I am... unless they’re the type to watch the news.
I look up and see the two goons and a shorter, stockier, bald man who I recognize instantly. Yeah, they’re Italians all right.
