T. Leigh - Gorgeous Chaos

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“OKAY, THIS IS FUCKING ridiculous!” Grant shouted, pulling over on the side of the road. “Get her out of the car.”

Olivia had been anything but helpful in figuring out where the evidence they needed was supposedly hidden. “No. I’m not getting out of the car.” She looked around. There were no lights anywhere. It was deserted. She hadn’t even seen another car for miles. “I told you where we needed to go,” she begged. “Chatham. That’s all I know.”

“And we’re in fucking Chatham! Now where is the goddamn house?!” Simon yelled. He hated having to shout at her like that, but he couldn’t let it seem as if he was going easy on her. He had to act the part.

“Simon, please… I don’t remember. I only spent a few summers there when I was a little girl. Other than that, I can’t remember anything, especially about how to get there. All I know is that it’s a huge place right on the beach. I’d know it if I saw it.”

“Fine! Let’s go to the coast then.” Grant put the car in drive and tore out onto the street. “If you don’t find it within the next thirty minutes, I will put a bullet through your head.”

Olivia whimpered as a tear fell down her face.

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AFTER ALEXANDER STORMED OUT of his office, Carol remained behind, desperate to help her brother any way she could. They had figured out that Marshall was involved, but they still had no clue as to who was pulling the strings. She sat at his desk, trying to decipher her father’s coded scribblings. Something wasn’t adding up. She had put in a phone call to a few of Alexander’s analyst guys who were good at tracking money transfers, even from off-shore bank accounts, to see if they were able to find any suspicious connection between Kiddish and other people Olivia came into contact with, but that hadn’t turned up anything yet. She had all but given up on trying to figure out who was behind everything when the phone rang.

“Hey, Jimmy,” she answered, wondering if he was able to find out anything from combing through the bank records. “Wait…slow down… What are you saying?”

Carol sank into the chair, dropping her phone, as the shock of the news she had just been given overtook her entire body. She took a deep breath before making the phone call that could potentially destroy her brother’s entire world.

~~~~~~~~~~

“WELL, THIS MUST BE it,” Grant declared, pulling up a long driveway to an enormous shoreline estate. “It’s the biggest house right on the beach in this town. I don’t think they make ‘em much bigger than this one. Bitch must be fucking loaded!”

Olivia looked up at the house. He was right. It was the house from her dreams and memories. “This was where I used to play with Alexander every summer,” she said softly as Simon carefully helped her out of the car.

“Aw… Too bad,” Grant said cruelly. “Now it’s where you’re going to die.” He walked along the side of the car and opened the trunk, digging around for what he needed to complete the job.

Olivia began to shake nervously, protectively clutching her stomach.

Simon leaned close to her, his eyes intense. “When I tell you to…run.” His voice was barely above a whisper, nearly inaudible over the crashing ocean waves. “Kick me in the stomach. Sell it. Your life depends on it.”

She looked at him, her eyes wide in surprise.

Do you understand? he mouthed.

She nodded slowly just as Grant came around to the side of the car, carrying a large duffel bag. Simon dragged her up the walkway toward the front entrance.

“Don’t worry,” Grant laughed. “We’ll keep you alive a little longer, as long as you’re nice to us.”

Olivia felt sick to her stomach, bile forming in her throat as her brain ran through thousands of different scenarios about what Grant had in store for her.

“Run,” Simon whispered in her ear.

“I don’t fucking think so!” she spat out, turning swiftly and kicking Simon in the stomach as hard as she could.

Simon keeled over, clutching his stomach in pain. “YOU FUCKING BITCH!”

Olivia spun around and started to run, thankful that Grant hadn’t been smart enough to bind her arms or legs.

“Give me that fucking gun!” Grant ordered Simon. “Or shoot her yourself!”

“She’s too far! I don’t have a shot!” Simon shouted back, hoping to give her enough time to get away.

“You’re helping her! You fucking shit! You want her to get away!”

“No way! Of course not!”

“Then go get her!”

Simon ran after Olivia, watching as she bolted up the remainder of the sandy path leading to the beach.

She desperately hoped that there would be some people out for a twilight stroll. Her eyes searched the shoreline frantically, remembering that it was a private beach, when she heard the gunshot. “AAAAGGGGHHHHH!” she screamed in pain, the bullet hitting her right shoulder. She fell to the ground, crying out.

Simon ran up and held the gun over her. “I’m so sorry. I tried to miss you without making it too obvious,” he said quietly, a tear falling from his eye as he looked at Olivia’s bleeding body lying on the white sand. He quickly changed his expression when Grant caught up to him and kicked Olivia hard in the stomach.

“FUCK!” she screamed, the sound of her ribs cracking making her want to vomit once more. The pain from the bullet wound and the unexpected assault to her stomach was overwhelming.

“You do not run away from us you fucking bitch!” Grant raised his boot and brought it down hard on her left foot, crushing the hundreds of tiny bones.

Olivia howled out in agony, her eyes growing wide when she saw him raise his boot again, intending to break her other foot, as well. “NO!” she screamed. “PLEASE STOP! I’LL DO ANYTHING!”

Grant slowed his action mid-strike and looked at her, rather turned on by the blood pouring from her body onto the beach.

“Anything?” he asked.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She nodded slowly as tears began to stream down her face…no longer from being in pain, but for what she knew Grant was probably planning at that moment.

“Grant. You can’t do this to her,” Simon pleaded, trying to find a way to help her. He felt sick at the thought of Grant touching her. “There were very strict instructions. She is not to be harmed until you-know-who gets here.”

Grant reached into the duffel bag and withdrew a gun, pointing it at Simon. “What the fuck, man?”

Simon raised his own gun, aiming it at Grant instead of Olivia.

“I’m just having a little fun, that’s all. I’m not going to kill her…yet. And if you try to interfere again, I’ll fucking shoot you. Step aside and I won’t tell Donovan that you told her to run.” Grant returned to the duffel bag and produced several long rags. Kneeling next to Olivia as she lay trembling on the beach, he gently caressed her face, making her cringe. “That’s my girl,” he said quietly. “Be good and we won’t have to shoot you again, okay?”

Olivia opened her eyes, staring into the evil black eyes in front of her. She simply nodded, not wanting to speak.

“Good girl. But first, I need to make sure you won’t try to get away from me.” He quickly bound her hands together. “At least I’ve already made certain that you won’t be able to walk,” he laughed to himself.

Olivia began to cry, mourning the loss of her legs. She had no chance of running away anymore. Simon had tried to help her, but he would risk his own life if he did so again. Her only hope now was Alexander. She prayed that he would be able to figure out the clues she left for him.