It hadnt taken but a minute, Claire figured. In Morganville, at this hour, nobody probably even noticed. The streets looked deserted.
She looked at Monica, who stared back, and for the first time, she thought she really understood what Monica was feeling, because she felt it, too.
This was a very bad thing.
The van lurched through a long series of turns, and Claire tried to think of an easy way to get to her cell phone, which was in the pocket of her jeans. Shed dropped Eves back at the car, when Monica had slammed her face-first into the dashboard. She managed to get her fingers hooked in her pocket, casual-like, and touched the metal case. All I have to do is dial 911, she thought. Eve had probably already reported the abduction, if Eve was okay enough to talk. They could trace cell phones, right? GPS tracking or something?
As if hed read her mind, Shanes dad came to her, stood her up, and patted her down. He did it fast, not lingering like some dirty old man, and found the phone in her pocket. He took it. Monica was yelling again, and trying to kick; one of the bikers was doing the same thing as Frank, although Claire thought it was more feeling up than patting down. Still, he found her cell, tooa Treoand slid open the van door to pitch them out into the street. Kill em! he yelled to the driver, who pulled the van into a U-turn and went back the other way. Claire didnt hear the crunch, but she figured the phones were nothing but electronic bits.
The turning and lurching continued. Claire just hung on, head down, thinking hard. She couldnt get word out, but Eve would have. Detective Hess, Detective Lowe? Maybe theyd come running.
Maybe Amelie would send her own people to enforce her Protection. That would be pretty fabulous right about now.
Hey, Monica said to Shanes dad. Stupid move, ass**le. My dads going to have every cop in Morganville on you in seconds. Youre never going to get away, and once they have you, theyll throw you in a hole so deep, even the sewer will seem like heaven. Dont touch me, you pig! Monica writhed to get away from the stroking hands of the biker next to her, who just smiled and showed gold-capped teeth.
Dont touch her, Shanes dad said. Were not animals. Claire wondered where all this sudden White Knight syndrome came from, because hed been willing to let his boys do whatever to her and Eve back at the Glass House. Take her bracelet.
What? No. No! It doesnt come off, you know that!
The biker reached down and took a small pair of bolt cutters from a pouch on his belt. Claire gasped in horror as the biker grabbed Monicas arm. Oh God, she thought, hes going to cut off her hand.
But he just sliced through the metal bracelet, instead, yanked it off her wrist, and tossed it to Shanes father. Monica glared at him, trembling, and slapped him. Hard.
He drew back a hand to slap her back. Leave it, Shanes father said. He was staring at the bracelet. The outside was the symbol, of course; Claire couldnt read it, but she figured it was Brandons symbol, and now that Brandon was dead, she wondered who picked up his Protection duties. Maybe Oliver
On the inside was inscribed Monicas full name: MON
ICA ELLEN MORRELL. Shanes dad grunted in satisfaction.
You want a finger, too? the biker asked, snipping the shears. No trouble.
I think this makes the point for us, Shanes dad said. Get us underground, Kenny. Move.
The guy drivingKenny, at least now Claire knew one of their namesnodded. He was a tall man, kind of thin, with long black hair and a blue bandanna. His leather vest had a naked girl on a Harley on the back, and it matched the tattoos down the arm that Claire could see. Kenny expertly navigated the confusing streets and turns of Morganville, moving fast but not dangerously fast, and then all of a suddendarkness.
Kenny flicked on the lights. They were in a storm drain, a huge concrete tunnel big enough to fit the vanthough barelyand it was heading down at a steep angle into the dark. Claire fought to get her breath. She didnt really like closed-in places, or the dark. She remembered how freaked-out shed been sealed in the hidden pantry room at the Glass House, not so many days ago. No, she didnt like this. She didnt like it at all.
Where are you taking us? she asked. She meant it to sound tough, but instead it sounded like what she was: a scared sixteen-year-old, trying to be brave. Great.
Frank Collins, hanging on to one of the leather straps, looked at her with something strange in his eyesalmost, she thought, respect. Not taking you anywhere, he said. You get to deliver the message. And he pitched her Monicas severed bracelet. Tell the mayor that if I dont hear that my sons been set free before tomorrow at dawn, pretty little miss here gets to find out what fire is really like. Weve got us a nice blowtorch.
She didnt like Monica. In fact, she kind of hated her, and she thought Morganville would be a much better place if Monica justdisappeared.
But nobody deserved what he was talking about.
You cant do that, she said. You cant. But she knew, looking around at the grinning, sweaty crew hed brought with him, that he could do that, and a lot worse. Shane was right. His dad was seriously sick.
Kenny up theres going to pull up to a ladder soon, Frank continued. And Im going to want you to get out of the van, Claire. Go up the ladder and push open the grate. Youll be right in front of the MorganvilleCity Hall. You walk up to the first cop you see and you tell him you need to see the mayor about Frank Collins. And you tell him that Frank Collins has his daughter, and shes going to pay for the life she already took, not to mention the one theyre about to. Got it?
Claire nodded stiffly. Monicas bracelet felt cold and heavy in her fingers.
One more thing, Frank said. Im going to need you to tell them just how serious I am. And youd better be persuasive, because if I dont hear something from the mayor before dawn, well be using those bolt cutters to send him some more reminders. And shes fresh out of bracelets.