Chapter 11―Joshua

As I listened to Amanda start to cry, I wanted to reach over and hold her. I wanted her to know that everything was going to be all right, and that she shouldn’t be scared. How could she not be terrified, though? She had never really been away from home on her own, and the first time she left her group to have a little fun with a guy, he helped kidnap her. I had done something absolutely deplorable, and there was no making this up to her.

At the very least, I could make her as comfortable as possible. I put on the soft handcuffs so they wouldn’t cut off blood flow but tight enough that she couldn’t slip out. I swapped the fabric bag that Ben wanted me to use with a silk scarf so she could breathe easily. I wanted to speak to her, but I was afraid she’d recognize my voice and absolutely lose it.

We drove off into the desert toward the secret bunker where we were keeping Amanda. The back of the car was filled with food, water, and blankets. While we were keeping her there, we decided that there must be one person staying with her at all times. We would restrain her so she couldn’t escape, but if she attempted to, we’d be there to stop her.

Not like she’d get very far, though, because there was nothing but dirt and sand for miles. She wasn’t in particularly good shape either, so she would probably become exhausted and dehydrated after just a few hours.

We still hadn’t completely ironed out the details about who would be staying at the bunker. Ben and Reese were working at a bar most nights, and Abi was at her club. I was the only one who didn’t have a regular job at the moment. I would probably get stuck sitting there, watching Amanda cry without being able to say or do anything.

In fact, Ben was so busy at the bar tonight that he sent the three of us to do the job without him. Abi drove the car while Reese and I were there to make sure that Amanda was restrained. Abi must have thought that Ben was giving her too much responsibility, because she scowled the whole way there.

I wanted to discuss this whole situation with them because this was the first time we were together where Ben wasn’t around to tell us what to do. I had always wondered if they ever thought that Ben was shady like I had been suspecting lately. However, Amanda was also in the car, and we had agreed to keep our identities hidden from her. That was something I did agree with, though I knew it would be hard not to reach out to her.

Instead of voicing our concerns to one another, we just sat in silence. The radio quietly played top twenty hits as we went further and further into the desert. The whole way there, I was on edge, afraid that we would get pulled over by the police. Luckily for our operation, I was the only person in the city who knew Amanda and her whereabouts. There would be no trace of her since her friends left their shared hotel room.

When we got to the bunker, Abi and I took the supplies and set up while Reese stayed with Amanda in the car. The bunker was small, but not bad as far as handmade shacks in the desert go.

It was mostly underground, so the whole building only stuck up about a foot out of the ground. There was a kitchen and living room area on one side and a small bedroom on the other. The bedroom had a toilet and a bath. It looked primitive, but it was functional. It was the sort of thing I could deal with for a few days, like being on a camping trip. Still, I hoped that Amanda’s parents paid up soon if I would have to be in charge of watching her.

Per Ben’s instructions, I gave him a call while Abi set up the beds and put the food in the cupboards.

“Did everything go according to plan?” Ben asked. I could hear loud techno beats in the background. He must still be at work.

“Yeah, we’re here,” I mumbled.

“Good. I’m leaving here in about an hour, and then I’ll come join you. We need to take some photos of our captive to show to her parents. Is everyone following their instructions?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Was she pretty freaked out?” He chuckled. “I bet she was so confused.”

“It’s not funny,” I snapped. “We committed a serious crime against an innocent person.”

“You’re not going to chicken out on me, are you? I swear to God, Josh, if you do anything to mess up this plan, we’re all in deep shit. Got that? We wouldn’t be risking so much if it weren’t necessary. You made your decision to join this team, and there’s no escaping it. Let’s get the job done, and then we’ll have all the money we need. I’ve already decided that I’m going to buy a new car with my share. We’ll let Abi keep Amanda’s purse and everything in it to keep her happy and quiet. Everyone wins.”

“Does she know that?”

“She’ll be fine. She’s not even a member of our operation. On second thought, maybe we should add the cash and credit cards to the pot. I’m sure the purse is worth more than Abi’s apartment.”

“I guess that’s between the two of you to discuss. I’m staying out of that,” I said. “We should probably get back to work, though. We don’t want to run the car for too long.”

“Right,” he said. “I’ll be out there soon. Don’t forget to wear your masks at all times if her head isn’t covered.”

I felt the ski mask bulging out of my back pocket. I didn’t want to wear it, but I didn’t think I had an option at this point. It wasn’t a big enough deal to argue about it with Ben, and he was already on edge. I hung up the phone, helped Abi finish making the beds, and tapped on Reese’s window. I wanted the chance to speak with them before Ben arrived.

He got out of the car and followed me back to the bunker. I think he knew exactly what I wanted to talk about.

“Have you noticed anything weird about Ben lately?” I asked. I wanted to be vague enough to test the waters. If Reese told Ben I was questioning his authority, I’d be in deep trouble.

Abi and Reese leaned in a little. They gave each other a questioning look before Reese spoke.

“I’m a little surprised that he’s asking us to do this in the first place. This is bigger than our normal scams.”

“Have you caught him telling different stories? Originally, he told me he needed $35,000 to cover his debt and said that the two of us would split the rest. But I talked to him just now, and he said something about using the ransom to buy a new car.”

They both scrunched up their faces. They looked both perplexed and pissed off.

“He told us that we’d split it four ways. He told me that everyone gets an even cut. He also never mentioned a $35,000 debt. He told me that his mom lost her house and needed some cash.”

I looked to Abi. “You might want to confirm your cut of the pot. Don’t make it sound like we were talking behind his back, but he made it seem like your share was whatever was in Amanda’s purse.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she squawked. “I knew this would happen,” she said, pointing an accusing finger at Reese.

I held my hands out in front of me. “I’m not saying that’s exactly what’s going to happen, but that’s what I heard. Can we agree to stand up for each other if he tries to rip anyone off?”

The pair nodded.

“So where do we want to go from here?” I asked.

“I think we’re in too deep to quit now,” Reese said. “Do you really think that the mob or whoever he owes money to is after us?”

I shook my head. “I’m starting to suspect that there is no one after us. I think that he just wanted to use this opportunity to do a big job.”

Reese kicked a patch of dirt. “I’m so close to calling it quits one of these days.”

“You want to stop with this kind of work?”

“With Ben,” he said softly, like we were being watched.

“Really?” I asked, surprised by this change of heart. Reese and Ben had been working in Vegas years before I ever came to town. They were close and always made me feel like the third wheel of the group.

Ben was like a big brother to Reese, so even talking about my suspicions surrounding Ben made me a little nervous. However, my fears were assuaged now that I knew that they were on the outs.

“Don’t you ever want to leave this lifestyle behind? Abi and I can’t handle it anymore. We made decent money doing what we do, but it’s no way to make a living. Not for us, anyway.”

“I agree. I’m even thinking about moving once we complete this job. I don’t want to hold Amanda for ransom, but if I don’t, then I won’t be able to afford to go.

Reese nodded in agreement. “Let’s form a pact between the three of us. I’ll set up the accounts in a way that only I can access, so if Ben tries to cross us, we can take the money and run.”

“Sounds good to me. Do you think he’ll try?”

Reese grimaced. “I don’t know what to think. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m not going to get caught for this, and I’m also going to get paid my fair share. I can’t have it any other way.”

“Agreed.”

Reese and I shook hands, and in that moment, I had never felt closer to him. Reese and I had never been particularly friendly with each other. We were more like business partners or acquaintances. I was always a little jealous of his relationship with Ben, and I suspected he was jealous that I brought in the most money on our scams. He became my biggest competitor because Ben could be really pleasant when we had money and really nasty when we ran out. Our job was to make Ben happy, and it was always a fight to win his affection.

Now that we had revealed Ben for who he really was, Reese and I could work together instead of competing. I suddenly had faith that we could make this work and we’d all get out of the game for good.

I pulled on my ski mask, per Ben’s instructions, and got Amanda out of the car. I don’t know if she was shaking because she was cold or just nervous, so I guided her inside the bunker, putting my arm around her shoulders.