Page 64 of In Her Own Way
She had to turn away from him. “I mean, you could sing or something,” she added and then laughed. “I’m just gonna do some cardio, I think.” She grabbed the jump rope from the rack and moved toward the space near the partly opened door. “Hey, did you stretch before starting? Oh, of course you did, Mr. Fifteen Reps. Never mind.”
She had to stop. She was babbling and getting weird. If she kept it up, he would catch on. Her nerves were trying to get the better of her. She groaned to relieve the tension and rubbed her lower belly as if the cramps were getting to her. She did her own dynamic stretching to get the blood flowing. She dragged it out, but while she was stretching, she was also actively listening. She couldn’t exactly pull out her phone and watch the camera feeds on her new app, right?
She heard nothing outside.
She began her jump-rope routine, purposely messing up so she had to regroup and could listen. Nothing each time.
Kimo, meanwhile, had moved on to triceps work with the free weights. She hoped he wouldn’t ask for her to spot him for squats. She wanted to stay by the door, freeze her ass off, all in the name of finding out how and why someone was messing with her.
She finished her usual jump rope routine and then decided she needed to do floor work. She got down on the concrete, held a plank position for thirty seconds, then rested. Just as she pushed up for her third plank, she heard it. Outside. Metal on metal. Adrenaline exploded in her chest. It was happening.
She dropped to the ground as if exhausted, pulled out her phone, and tapped the timer. It was the longest five seconds she’d ever experienced. When the timer alarm finally went off, it sounded like a typical phone ringing. She made a show of looking at the screen. “Oh, shit, it’s a prison call from my dad. I have to take this.”
She didn’t look at Kimo and simply rolled calmly out the door leaving her jacket inside. Once outside, she sprang to her feet. There it was again. Someone was opening or closing a door to one of the units. She pulled the taser from its holster. She didn’t run; that would make too much noise, but she moved quickly and stealthily.
“How many more?” a male voice asked.
Oh, shit. Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. It was her cousin Donny.
They were right around the corner. She peeked and saw both of her cousins hard at work obviously up to no good.
“Five,” Eddie said, wheeling out a hand truck laden with boxes. “And then a big payday.”
Victoria flattened herself against the building. They hadn’t seen her, but she knew time was not on her side. Kimo would let them know she was out and about. Of that she was certain.
“Best hire our sister ever made,” Donny said and laughed. “Vic has no fucking clue she’s been our patsy this whole time. She’s so stupid.”
“Shut up, Donny,” Eddie said. “Get your boxes loaded. Dad’ll be pissed if we’re late.”
“Shut up, Eddie,” Donny mimicked.
Victoria couldn’t help thinking they were proving themselves to be the immature idiots she’d always known them to be.
Eddie wheeled his hand truck over to the chain link fence and simply lifted it out of the way. Damn, she’d never thought to check the fencing. He wheeled his haul through it to a path on the other side. And then she saw it. A box truck was parked in the woods. That’s why that camera had been turned off. Were Erin and Robby sitting in that truck? Heading for a big payday? She pulled out her phone and called Erin. If she heard it ring in the woods, she’d have her answer. She held the phone tightly to her ear to minimize the sound.
“Hey, Vic,” Erin said. “What’s up?” There were clear restaurant noises in the background. Erin was not in the truck.
Victoria couldn’t answer because that would tip her hand. But she had to do something. Still on the phone with Erin, she stepped away from the building and stood dead center inthe walkway. She shouted, “What the fuck are you two doing, Donny? Eddie?” It was important to Victoria for Erin to hear her brothers’ names.
“What the fuck?” Eddie said from the woods. “Donny, no, no, no! Don’t fucking do it.”
Donny ran at her, taser brandished.
“Oh, shit.” Victoria dropped the phone to get a better grip on her own taser. She was too slow.
The darts hit her square in the thigh. Pain shot outward. Electric currents scattered through her. The concrete flew up and smacked her in the face. Her entire body locked up. She couldn’t move. She was paralyzed.
“You’re an ass, Donny,” Eddie said. “Drop the taser and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“What about the stuff?”
Victoria heard no more as her brain refocused on the pain. Nausea hit her. She emptied the contents of her stomach on the concrete. She focused on breathing. If she was breathing, then she was fine. Once she got that under control, she did a systems check. She was lying on her side. Her head and every muscle in her body hurt like fire.
She tried to open her eyes. Dizziness forced them shut.
“Fuck,” she heard someone say behind her. It was Kimo.
She tried to sit up. Dizziness forced her back down, and she dry heaved.
