Page 36 of Ricochet

Fear paralyzed my body, chaos pounded inside my head, and the room widened to a blur, then shrank into a small circle, until it disappeared to blackness.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, I opened my eyes.

My captor’s impassive face stared down at me. “How long’s he had you pinned like that?”

I forced a swallow past the pressure against my neck. “Time … just sort of … seems irrelevant … when you’re … caught in the jaws … of a … fucking pitbull.”

“Cane Corso.” A half smile curved his lips before he whistled, and just like that, the dog released me.

I rolled over to my side, gasping for breath and coughing. Only a small streak of blood mixed with a whole lot of dog slobber returned on my fingers as I held them in front of me. “What did … you say?”

“He’s a Cane Corso.”

With the hope that laser beams might miraculously shoot out of my eyeballs, I glared up at my captor. “Cool trick. You teach him that?”

He held out a hand toward me, but I batted him away and pushed myself to a stand. The dog sat at attention beside him, like a good soldier, and I couldn’t help but snarl at the sight. As if what’d happened before had disappeared into some compartment of denial locked inside the dog’s head.

“I have a feeling we’re a lot alike, dog.”

“His name’s Blue.”

“Blue?” For some reason, all I could summon was the adorable face of the dog from Blue’s Clues, and the bastard dog was the Incredible Hulk version of it.

“Yeah. Blue.” My captor jerked his head, and I followed him back up the stairs.

Though the front door was tempting as I passed it, I didn’t dare anything stupid with the dog trailing my steps—though, I was pretty sure that was what the whole psychotic lesson had been about in the first place.

Back in the room, I finally stopped rubbing my neck and turned around, realizing for the first time that my captor’s hoodie was peeled back. Along the top of his left ear, a long white scar stretched up into his hairline, as if his skull had split open there at one time. Much as I wanted to ask him about it, I didn’t want to be tied to the bed and shut out.

“Any chance you could answer one question?”

“What?” Exhaustion bled into his voice.

“Your name? I keep calling you my kidnapper in my head.”

His jaw shifted with his blank stare, and goddamn, I had no idea what that meant. The man had more thoughtful expressions than a gaggle of nuns admiring the Statue of David. “My name is Nick.”

“Nick,” I echoed.

“Blue will be outside your door. I don’t suggest you try to sneak out again.”

CHAPTER 16

Chief Cox

Cox stared up at the wall-mounted screen across from Culling, on which Martha Baumgartner’s head bobbed beside a small screen showing the Pantheon Motel behind anchorman, Will Thomas.

“We want to caution, the story we’re about to report contains both graphic and disturbing material that some viewers may find difficult to watch.

“Detroit investigators are searching for a man believed to be responsible for taking down an entire sex trafficking ring, right here in Detroit. Our own Will Thomas is live on Cass Corridor, where police are on site at The Pantheon Motel. Will?”

“Yes, Martha, I’m standing in front of The Pantheon Motel. Once a landmark of the city, it’s now falling in disrepair and rented by the hour for illegal activity, including prostitution and drug deals. It’s here that witnesses say they heard gunshots and screaming, sometime around early evening, when a masked man entered the room on the top floor, allegedly posing as a customer, and open fired. It’s not known what went down in the two hours that followed, but police have stated this is the worst crime scene they’ve ever investigated.”

“I understand three young girls, whose identities will remain anonymous, were rescued and brought to Detroit Receiving, is that correct?”

“That is correct, Martha. The girls described him as a soft-spoken man, likely in his late twenties, and an angel, as one of them referred to him. The girls were treated for severe cuts believed to have been made by knives, burns and bruises, and the youngest of the three is suffering from some pretty, uh, horrible injuries, which it appears she sustained prior to being rescued. Police will be conducting an investigation, but all three girls are expected to be reunited with their families, once they’ve been released.”

“You said he was wearing a mask?”