The 3 Month Plan

Seeing Red

I gag against the cloth pressed into my mouth as Rachel leans in. "It'll only hurt for a minute," she says. "And then you'll be okay."

Her hand nestles behind my neck before she presses me forward and a scream reverberates from my throat. My eyes go to the little device clipped to the corner of her dress' neckline. It blinks green several times.

Rachel's hand goes up and slaps against my cheek, forcing me to yelp. She blinks a few times dipping her head low as she wipes at her tears now fixating down her face.

"It's okay," I mouth for only her to know, my eyes still scanning the device clipped to her dress.

"It's all your fault, bitch!" She shouts pulling the cloth from my mouth.

I take a deep breath and watch her. "What did I do?"

"You took Rocky from me," she says. "He was supposed to be mine."

I grunt hoping it sounds real. "You can have him," I say sounding defeated. "He's no good anyways. He'll use you and play with you until it's time to move on. That's what he did to me."

"No!" Rachel shouts. "He's good and smart. You just never chose to see that side of him."

Her knee goes up and she subtly signals me to warn me. I let her knee make contact with my rib cage even though she doesn't actually hurt me and I topple over making sure the sound of my shout and hitting the floor travels to the device.

When I watch the light turn red, I push myself up and face her. "It's off," I warn her.

"Oh thank god," Rachel says watching down at the device before reaching over and helping me. "I'm so sorry," she whispers.

I shake my head. "I'm just glad you were honest with us. If this is what it takes to not only save Rocky's company but also bring them down then so be it."

As I go to pick my phone, I eye the device to make sure it's still off. Rachel's letting me go, I text Rocky.

I've arranged for a hotel room for you. Don't go back to the penthouse. They'll know if you do, Rocky replies.

As I leave the abandoned building, a car is already waiting for me. One that Rocky had arranged. Getting in, I grab my phone and call Mikayla.

"Sky?" She questions, surprise lacing her voice as to why I've called.

I sob albeit just an act. "I was just kidnapped," I grunt into the phone. "I had no one else to call but I'm scared and I thought this might have something to do with Rocky."

"What!" She says. "Did he try to hurt you? That bastard. I'll text you my address. Meet me here."

She thinks I don't know that she and Nathan were behind my kidnapping that involved Rachel. But the longer I pull the right cords, the longer the power will be in my hand.

————————

Mikayla gasps when she opens her apartment door and ushers me in. The bruise around my cheek is now an obvious reddish-purple.

Nathan watches me from the couch before getting up. "What happened to you?" He asks.

I'm in the lion's den, I should be concerned for my safety but I'm not. I know they'll only stab me in the back and not whilst I'm looking them directly in the face.

I let the tears run as I hold my wrist, a slight cut running down the length. "I have no idea," I say shaking my head in between sobs. "They just came out of no where."

Nathan moves out of the way and guides me to the couch. "Who did this?"

I shake my head again. "I don't know. I had a rag over my face for the majority of the time. It was some lady's voice but I couldn't figure it out. I heard her mention Rocky though."

Mikayla looks at Nathan and back at me before handing me a tissue. "You think Rocky did this because you left him?"

I nod. "I think so," grabbing the tissue and dabbing at my eyes. Where is my damn Oscar when I need one? "It seems like something he would do."

Mikayla sits next to me, patting my shoulder. "I told you," she says as concern reins her voice even though I can tell the concern is bogus and just an act. "He cannot be trusted. You did a good thing leaving him."

Nathan moves beside us. "You cannot let him do this to you," he says adamantly. "You have to stand up for yourself."

I nod. "I am and he'll be sorry for messing with me," I pronounce, pulling out a folder from my handbag. "I snuck this out of his office just before I left him."

Both Mikayla and Nathan's eyes zero in on the document in my hand. "What is it?" They ask in unison.

"This document shows that Rocky doesn't actually own Hamilton & Co. On top of it, evidence of them involved in illegal trades."

"Who owns Hamilton & Co?" Mikayla questions.

"Daniella," I say. "His sister."

"And the illegal trades?" Nathan questions.

"Weapons trade, sex slavery, terrorism. The whole lot."

Nathan reaches out. "Can I see?"

I nod. "But only if you help me bring him down."

Mikayla nods. "We will," she says confidentially giving my hand a squeeze. "We will get him for everything he did to you and I, and possibly countless other women."

With that, I hand the document over to Nathan and say goodbye.

As I leave their apartment, I leave them with the fake document that shows the company in Daniella's name. How are you to destroy Rocky when he doesn't even own the company. On top of that, if you are going to defame him for illegal trades, you better be careful your company doesn't get pulled in the limelight.

Now that I have access to them, their house and hopefully soon their office. I'll be able to plant small traps to destroy them from within. What they don't know is I know that Nathan's company is involved in kidnapping and selling children, it's how he climbed the ladder so quick. If he starts an investigation against the illegal trades Hamilton & Co have contributed to, he'll only be trapping himself.