Falling Up

46. Truck

It wasn't normal for Jason to be video calling, but she smiled at the thought of him wanting to show off where Tyrus took him for his spontaneous vacation. She was imagining an island somewhere as servants brought him cocktails while he worked on his tan under the heat of the sun. Or maybe that was just her idea of a nice vacation. Either way, this had probably been the longest he had ever gone without touching base with her, and he was long overdue for a check-in.

"It's about time," said Riley as she adjusted the phone so she could see properly.

Her stomach churned and her face went pale as a sticky, clammy feeling seeped through her hands. She almost lost her grip on the phone as a slight tremble reached her fingers.

It was a sight she never thought she would see again. That she never wanted to see again and an icy shiver crawled down her back, yet her body and mind refused to look away. Her eyes glued to the screen in front of her.

"It's so nice to see you again, my little birdy." Vincent's face appeared on the screen, a wide grin showing off his pearly white teeth. He looked just the same as her nightmares, which didn't seem to allow her to forget a thing. From the rough stubble across his jawline to the tiny scar across his forehead. Her mind would never let her forget his face.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Vincent chuckled as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

For a moment, it was a mere staring contest between the two of them before Riley's mind switched back from the shock as she looked at the caller ID again. It definitely said Jason, and that was what seemed to concern her the most. How did Vincent get a hold of Jason's phone?

"Where's Jason?" she asked, thankful that her voice didn't crack as she spoke.

"Jason is safe for now. As long as you follow what I say. Look to your left, across the parking lot."

Riley reluctantly lifted her gaze from the screen in front of her, afraid that if she looked away, he would disappear and she really would question whether she was losing her mind. Her eyes crossed the carpark.

"There is a white truck parked on the edge of the field. You're going to walk towards it and get in the back."

At that moment, she spotted the truck, larger than an average delivery truck with its non-descriptive plain white paint job with no windows. The backdoor cracked open just enough to let someone in, however, that was the only motion coming from the truck. Her heartbeat raced inside of her chest. There was no way she was getting into any vehicle.

"You're fucking crazy," said Riley, looking back at the phone to which Vincent was still staring back at her. "I'm not getting into any truck. No way."

"Maybe this will change your mind." Vincent moved the camera as the background blurred past him, unable for her to make out the surroundings, until it stopped on a sight she didn't even believe was possible.

There was Jason, knelt down on the floor, gag in his mouth and hands tied behind his back. He looked like he had been beaten badly. Blood and dirt covered his face as sweat trickled down his neck. A nearby guard grabbed his head roughly before the gag was removed from his mouth, causing him to cough and inhale a couple of quick, deep breaths.

"Now, you can either get in the truck Riley or I'll make sure he doesn't survive the rest of the day. It won't be pretty." Vincent punched the side of Jason's face, causing him to fall to the ground before being pulled back up again by the guard.

"Got anything to say to your little sister, Jason?" Vincent taunted before zooming in the camera closer to Jason's face.

Jason looked up, eyes determined but weary as he looked directly at Riley down the camera. His face turned fierce and angry. "Don't you fucking dare get in this truck, Riley!"