Chapter 55

Renee’s POV

Now, I’m really screwed. I stand amiss the chaos, letting the reality of what this means sink in. Who knows how long I’ll have to wait in this building until we can get out? He'll freak out if I’m not out of here before Eric gets home tonight.

If Andrew doesn’t report back to Eric soon, he’ll definitely freak out. How am I going to ask Eric to pick up Debbie from school when asking him to drop her off was already an issue?

Numb, I drag myself back over to the leather seats. I drop onto the cushion, air escapes from the seat, personifying how I feel: deflated.

Around the lobby, men and women in business suits yell into phones, punch their fingertips angrily into keyboards, and bump into one another as they scurry about the building.

I try to look for Andrew, but I don’t see him. Knowing him, he probably has some secret way out of here.

So now, there’s nothing I can do but wait and see what happens first. Either, by some miracle, the snow melts and I can drive out of here, or Eric learns one way or another of my whereabouts, and the heat from his rage will melt the snow.

Hours pass, the chaos as calmed as people accepted the reality of the situation. Ties have been unbuttoned, uncomfortable heels have been kicked off, and people all around lean against a wall or a potted plant.

Once the conversation about how ridiculous all of this is had died off, colleagues moved into case discussions, and that only lasted so long. Eventually, everyone fell into an awkward silence as we realized that other than this shared experience, we had nothing else to talk about.

My phone rings, cutting through the otherwise quiet lobby. It’s the call I knew was coming, but I still am dreading it. I look at the caller ID and sure enough, it’s Eric.

I feel weird answering it and talking out loud, knowing everyone will not just hear me, but likely also hear Eric screaming on the other end.

I debate about letting the call go to voicemail, but that will only anger him more.

“Hello?” I answer tediously, my cheeks growing warm from the blatant stares. I prepare myself for my eardrums to break in t-minus three, two-

“I have someone coming to pick you up,” Eric says on the other line, his volume hardly above a whisper. His calm demeanor sends chills down my spine.

“The snow,” I try to explain.

“I said I have someone coming to get yo,” he cuts me off and the phone goes dead.

I pull the phone away from my ear and look at the less-than-impressed facial expressions of what I’m sure to them was probably the most boring conversation they’ve ever heard.

If only they knew who that was and what he knows, they’d be shaking like I am.

No less than thirty minutes, I get a text from an unknown number. The text are directions on how to get to the roof of the building. The roof?

I get up, my bones cracking under my weight from sitting too long. A few people look at me, most have fallen asleep.

I try to appear casual as I make it look like I’m heading for the bathroom, but then at the last minute push open the door to the stairs.

My feet pound heavily on the concrete stairs, the sound of my steps echo against the cracked drywall.

By the fourth flight, I’m winded but I keep going. The text says up until the tenth floor. My sprint has slowed to a dull lugging of my legs.

When all that comes up is a flat concrete landing a door, I know I’ve made it. With whatever strength I have left, I press my entire body onto the door and it squeaks open.

I’m slapped in the face by a cold rush of wind and icy snow, but above that my ears are assaulted by the chopping winds of a helicopter.

I have to shield my eyes to shield the rushing cold wind from making them tear, but I follow the loud rumble of the aircraft waiting idly in the sky for me.

Next thing I know, hands are one me ushering me forward. I try to resist, but it’s no use. I can’t see anything and I’m exhausted from hiking up all those flights of stairs, I let whoever has their hands on me guide me.

As soon as I’m seated on the helicopter something is strapped to my head and shoved onto my face. I soon realized these are sunglasses that give everything an orange tint and thick headphones.

The helicopter takes off and I clutch onto a handle bar jutting out from above me, refusing to look out the opening next to me.

My heart pounds in my chest. My entire body clenches tight. The helicopter is small, one sharp turn and I’m sure to be thrown out the side.

Straight ahead of me I see who it was that was grabbing and moving me. Andrew.

He doesn’t say anything, not that I’d be able to hear him anyway, he just stares at me blankly.

I dare look out the side, and once I do my head spins. I can’t see much because of the storm, mostly just a fog of white and mist, but beneath that is a shadowy outline of pointed structures. The city. We’re higher than the tallest skyscraper and that realization makes me woozy.

I lean my head back and close my eyes, knowing that no matter how scary this ride is- the worst is yet to come.

Finally, we begin to land. Or so I think. I still haven’t opened my eyes, but by the feeling of going down a hill, I’m guessing.

I’m being hauled off and it’s not until my feet feel the familiar firmness of land that I open my eyes. Andrew lets go of me and I almost collapse, if not for the hard stare of Eric keeping me frozen in place.

Commotion happens behind me, but I don’t dare look away from Eric. He’s still in his suit from this morning, but with the same glasses and earmuffs I’m wearing.

He must be cold, but he doesn’t look it. He stands tall against the wind like it's not even hitting him, even though his hair is blowing in every direction.

The helicopter takes off, the wind calming, and the harsh noises softening.

Behind Eric is his car with the driver and passenger door both open. He turns to get inside and I take that as my cue to follow.

I’m not completely sure where we are, some large vacant blacktops so the helicopter could land, but I realize I also have no idea where he’s taking me.

The car’s heat is on blast, and my nose and fingers sting as the sudden change in temperature. My ears ring and my entire being feels off from having been thousands of feet in the air to now low to the ground in Eric's sports car.

I hold my breath as I wait for him to yell, or to say something-anything, but he doesn’t.

He puts the car in drive and floors it. My head is thrust back into the headrest and stays there, to move it would be to fight against a strong gravitational pull and I don’t have that strength in me.

I begin to wonder if Eric intends to kill me. Maybe he’ll keep Debbie for himself. Does it matter that the media already knows Annie isn’t really dead? Eric has connections. If his dad is a killer, maybe Eric inherited that trait.

I slyly bring my hands to the door handle. If I can push the car door open, I might be able to tuck myself and roll out. I risk dying considering the speed he’s going, but it’ll be better than the death Eric has planned for me.

I wrap my fingers around the cool silver handle, only to quickly pull my hand back when the car doors lock.