Hot Revenge Box Set 2

*****

James

The message from Charlotte’s abductors…

Finchby…

Baxter…

… replays in my head…

Marsh Street under Barnbridge Road overpass 9pm

Bring the money

No police. No other people or she dies

If late she dies. So does the baby

Brandy and rage burn inside me.

The bag containing the ransom money swings heavy in my hand. I'm the decoy and at some level, I know I may not come out of this alive. Klempner's Kevlar vest gives me a little comfort, but it’s the fury inside that warms me against fast falling temperatures.

I should be afraid…

But I’m not.

Jade-Eyes…

My beautiful Jade-Eyes…

Cara… Your

the day I met Charlotte, my Virgin,

her of what she deserves. None of it her

change any

No. Nothing.

has made her what she is. Strong. Fearless. Resourceful. Even in the dire situation she’s in, imprisoned in her cell, racked with pain, coughing up green slime, she

for you,

And me?

I’m the decoy.

makes a haze of the stars but does little to blanket in what passed for the heat of

of perhaps half a mile to reach the rendezvous point, near enough to get there quickly. Far enough

is keeping people indoors and, after all, Christmas is coming. Most folks will be with friends,

windows brightly lit, glowing with warmth and welcome, sparkling with fairy lights, dressed with spray-on snow and Santa, Please Stop Here signs. In my own home, we never finished

I pass by.

a few minutes I’m leaving the relative safety of the residential zone and passing into

of the old town, under the overpass which carries the

hoax calls of fire or medical emergency followed by muggings for cash and drugs, and attacks on medics

admit, I'm feeling windy about

Better than the alternative.

has to

inadequate sodium lighting. From the road above, moisture trickles down, streaking stark concrete walls white before settling to iced sculptures over

overpass, late evening traffic grumbles past. But here

“Hello?”

briefly, then

I pace, circling,

Nothing…