Page 71 of Hiding In the Dark (The Righteous 4)
“I wouldn’t try it. Not unless you want to end up as dead as your buddy,” Kes said, never slowing his stride as he stormed out the way he’d arrived. If Zumi were dead, he’d burn the whole fucking place down around them, and he’d dance on their motherfucking graves.
Kes turned off the side street and onto the main drag when Baby Doll posted the route the men had taken. The beauty of a pimp—they were as paranoid about what their people were up to as the drug dealers. They always installed tracking systems on all of their employees’ phones.
He flew across town, weaving his way through dark alleys and main roads to get to the new location. Each time the men he was tracking had stopped, there was a time tracker attached to the location—everything from a few seconds to a few minutes. The one he was after was the spot near part of the beach where people rarely went. It was a spot he’d ventured to from time to time, and it didn’t have great access. The only reason the men would’ve gone there was for privacy. The thought had a cold dread filling his body.
The time stamp showed the men had already left the location, but they’d stayed there for over an hour. His heart hammered hard in his chest as his panic notched higher, replacing the fiery rage. He preferred the rage—it allowed him to think straight. The fear that was bubbling inside him threatened to break him, and he couldn’t have that. He needed to stay focused. The world was a blur as he flew past, everything melting away and leaving him with Zumi’s smiling face hovering in his mind.
“God, please let her be alive. You fucking owe me one. Give me this.”
He pulled off the main drag onto an access road that made its way toward the private beach. Only a couple of homes were built along this stretch of road, and as he turned onto the remote access driveway, the anxiety over what he was going to find was making him sick to his stomach. The Hummer bounced wildly over the rough rocks and mogul-like mounds, but he never let up, the engine growling as it reached the mouth of the secluded beach.
His eyes scanned the short stretch of beach, and as they landed on Chelsea’s crumpled form, his heart sank through the floor. Chelsea was naked, blood painting her body as it lay splayed facedown in the ocean. Her legs were still on the beach, but there was no movement, no sign of life. He’d thought about killing the woman himself so many times, and if she wasn’t already dead, he might have finished the job for dragging Zumi into her mess. Off to the side, he glimpsed something dark in the sand.
“No, no, no.”
Kes barely got the Hummer into park before he leaped out the door and ran for a small rise he couldn’t quite see over, and his steps faltered as he took in Zumi’s battered and broken body in the sand. Kes pulled his sweater off as he ran the rest of the distance and skidded to his knees in the moist sand beside her small body. Her one leg was possibly broken, and bruises lined either side of her body, her skin so pale around the dark marks.
“No, no, please no,” he begged to no one and everyone at the same time.
He gripped her small shoulder and slowly rolled her over. He immediately covered her exposed body with his sweater. He was unable to look at her any closer or process what had happened to her or he was going to lose his mind. His hands shook as he placed two fingers on her throat. A large handprint from one of the men that did this marred the skin there. His fear was off the charts he could barely feel his own fingers through the shock and adrenalin, making it difficult to feel for a pulse.
“Zumi, come on, Kid. Show me you’re alive.”
He lowered his ear to her mouth and held his breath as he listened for any sound, his eyes watching the sweater for any sign of her chest lifting to breathe.
Swollen lips cracked and caked with sand moved slightly. His heart surged as she breathed his name. It was small, but it was enough. He wrapped her delicate frame up in his large sweater and scooped her tiny body into his arms.
Kes ran for the Hummer and slammed the front door closed, opting to hop in the back with Zumi still in his arms. “Baby Doll, destination nearest hospital, and take the fastest route,” he ordered.
The light on the dash for auto-drive flicked on as the Hummer’s tires spun in the soft sand, the beast of a machine spinning them in a circle and flying back out the way they’d come.
Tears filled his eyes as he cuddled the limp body to his chest. “Come on, Zumi. Please fight. You’re so strong, so much stronger than I was at your age.” He smoothed her dark hair away from her face as his tears dripped onto her skin.
“Baby Doll, call Ashley.”
The phone began to ring, and as Ashley’s sweet voice came onto the line, he lost his remaining control. “Kes? Kes, is that you?”
He tried to speak, but was only able to say half of her name before he yelled. The sound was like a roar from a wild beast as emotion gripped him by the throat. Images of Ringo screaming and reaching for him flashed through his mind like a horror movie. The scent of burning flesh was overpowering even though there was no fire. The same useless feeling blanketed him with its suffocating presence as he wailed, rocking Zumi’s still form.
“Oh my god, Kes. What’s wrong?” Ashley’s voice was frantic—he could hear the fear, and still, he couldn’t get out the words. “Baby Doll, are you there?”
“Hello, Ms. Ashley. How may I assist you?”
“Baby Doll, where are you?”
“On route to St. Jude’s Hospital, time to destination is twelve minutes and thirty-three seconds.”
“Baby Doll, is Kes okay?”
“I do not understand the question.”
“Is Kes physically unharmed?”
“Vital signs are all stable.”
“Kes, I don’t know if you can hear me or what’s happening, but I’ll meet you at St. Jude’s. I love you.” The line went dead.
Zumi’s body shivered in his arms, and a glimmer of hope sped through his system. He tucked the sweater in tighter around her, reached into the back hatch area to grab his jacket, and quickly wrapped her up more. He gently wiped away flecks of sand from her cheeks, avoiding the bleeding cuts and darkening bruises. One swollen eye fluttered, her dark lashes parting just enough that he could see her eyes.
