Chapter 2
David moved first, stepping past the stunned restaurant owner and into the biting sub-zero air of the walk-in cooler. The heavy door groaned on its hinges as he pulled it wider, allowing the humid kitchen air to rush in and instantly create a dense fog that obscured their vision. Jack pushed right behind him, ignoring the freezing temperature that bit through his thin dark hoodie. Kneeling beside his mother on the diamond-plate aluminum floor, Jack frantically began working his small fingers beneath the thick plastic zip-ties binding her wrists together.
“Hold on, Mom, I’ve got you,” Jack muttered, his teeth chattering from the cold as much as from nervous shock. David knelt beside them, using his bare hands to carefully peel the silver duct tape away from Lucy’s mouth. The adhesive made a sharp, tearing sound that echoed loudly in the confined space. Lucy gasped for air the instant the tape was removed, coughing violently as her lungs filled with the sudden influx of oxygen. Her lips were cracked and bleeding where the tape had pressed against them for hours, possibly days.
“Jack… David…” Lucy whispered hoarsely, her voice barely a rasp as she collapsed forward into her son’s shoulder. Jack wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his face in her frost-dampened hair while tears finally broke free and streamed down his cheeks. David gently supported Lucy’s back, his strong hands trembling as he checked her circulation. The zip-ties had cut deep into her skin, leaving angry red and purple welts around her delicate wrists.
Outside the cooler, Claire remained glued to her spot near the stainless steel prep table. She watched the emotional reunion with a look of horror and profound confusion on her face. “Who did this?” Claire whispered, her voice trembling as she looked at the heavy magnetic lock system installed on the outside of the walk-in door. “The security system… it requires a master override code. Only I have it, and… and my manager, Marcus.”
At the mention of the manager’s name, David’s head snapped up. The sorrow in his eyes instantly hardened into fury. He carefully transferred Lucy’s weight to Jack, then stood up to his full height, stepping out of the cooler and into the warmer air of the kitchen. His fists clenched at his sides, the veins in his forearms bulging against the fabric of his dark polo shirt. “Marcus,” David growled, the name sounding like a death sentence. “Where is Marcus right now, Claire?”
May you like
Claire pressed her back against the stainless steel counter, shaking her head frantically. “He said he was leaving early tonight to handle inventory at the downtown supply depot. He has the master keys. He has the override codes.” She looked down at her own trembling hands, realizing the horrifying truth of how she had been manipulated. Marcus had used her restaurant, her equipment, and her trust to commit an unspeakable crime right under her nose.
Lucy, supported by Jack, slowly stood up from the floor of the cooler. The bitter cold clung to her clothes as she stepped out into the kitchen. She looked directly at Claire, her eyes filled with a terrifying wisdom born of survival. “He didn’t just lock me in here, Claire,” Lucy said, her voice still weak but steadying with every breath. “He told me what he plans to do next. And my son was right to break that door down when he did.”
