staking out a building couldn’t be that hard. As he rode in the taxi the fifty blocks downtown, he thought about the kisses. Why was it that when he wasn’t around her, he could think rationally that it was a bad idea to kiss her? But when he was with her, all he thought about doing was kissing her again.
He asked the taxi driver to drop him off two blocks away. As he started walking towards her building, his eyes and mind were focused on looking for her father and cousin. He would have missed the dark sedan parked a block away by the pier if she hadn’t mentioned seeing it that first night. He causally walked to the pier and leaned against the railing, looking out at the river. To anyone else, he was just a man taking in the sunny day. Behind his sunglasses however, he watched the sedan. Its windows were tinted, and he was wondering how he’d get a better look to see if the outline of a man sitting in the driver’s seat was indeed one of Sandi’s relatives.
He must have stood there, leaning against the railing, for fifteen minutes before he got a break. The window of the sedan slid down slowly and someone threw a cigarette butt out. Sandi’s cousin Anish sat in the driver’s seat, watching the people come and go in front of her building.
He wondered where her father was as he started walking to find a taxi. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, shocked as he spotted Sandi across the street. She was walking quickly right towards the black sedan.
By the time he had crossed the street and was half a block away from them, she was already fighting her cousin off with impressive moves. He started running just as he heard her scream and take off running in the opposite direction, her cousin right on her heels.
Chapter Six
S andi was back at her easel working with the television on, when another report came through. This time Mrs. Bernstein was standing outside her building, looking frail and lost. She was again begging for whoever had Sandi to return her, safe and sound.
Dropping her paintbrush, she ran to the door and out it, only one thing on her mind: calling Mrs. Bernstein. She’d passed by dozen of pay phones on the way there. She didn’t know if any of them worked still, but she was willing to take that chance. She just wanted to tell her friend that she was okay. That she was alive and not in any danger.
When she entered the lobby, she saw John standing outside, just in front of the doors. His back was to her, and she quickly and quietly moved behind a large plant so that if he turned, he wouldn’t be able to see her. She had to figure out how to get out of the building without John knowing. Looking around, she noticed a side hallway and saw daylight coming from it. Moving towards the light, she turned a corner and saw that someone had propped the fire exit open with a brick.
Rushing out it, she made it a few blocks away before she started looking for a payphone. She knew her neighbors number by heart and quickly dialed it.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Bernstein, it’s me San... Samantha. I’m okay. I’m not hurt. I’m...”
“Sannidhi?”
Sandi’s heart stopped and her vision grayed. Hearing her cousin’s voice on the other end of the line scared her. What was he doing with Mrs. Bernstein?
“Sannidhi?”
“Yes, Anish. I’m here.”
Thirty minutes later, she approached the dark sedan with a plan. She would do whatever she needed to ensure that Mrs. Bernstein was safe.
When she got closer to the car, she noticed only one person in the car. What had he done with Mrs. Bernstein? Where was her father?
Her cousin stepped from the car and tried to grab her arm. Sandi knew she needed to stay in sight of people. There was no way she was going to get in the car with her cousin.
“What do you want Anish?”
“For you to pay. Come with me.” He reached for her again.
“No!” She jerked back. “What have you done
He asked the taxi driver to drop him off two blocks away. As he started walking towards her building, his eyes and mind were focused on looking for her father and cousin. He would have missed the dark sedan parked a block away by the pier if she hadn’t mentioned seeing it that first night. He causally walked to the pier and leaned against the railing, looking out at the river. To anyone else, he was just a man taking in the sunny day. Behind his sunglasses however, he watched the sedan. Its windows were tinted, and he was wondering how he’d get a better look to see if the outline of a man sitting in the driver’s seat was indeed one of Sandi’s relatives.
He must have stood there, leaning against the railing, for fifteen minutes before he got a break. The window of the sedan slid down slowly and someone threw a cigarette butt out. Sandi’s cousin Anish sat in the driver’s seat, watching the people come and go in front of her building.
He wondered where her father was as he started walking to find a taxi. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, shocked as he spotted Sandi across the street. She was walking quickly right towards the black sedan.
By the time he had crossed the street and was half a block away from them, she was already fighting her cousin off with impressive moves. He started running just as he heard her scream and take off running in the opposite direction, her cousin right on her heels.
Chapter Six
S andi was back at her easel working with the television on, when another report came through. This time Mrs. Bernstein was standing outside her building, looking frail and lost. She was again begging for whoever had Sandi to return her, safe and sound.
Dropping her paintbrush, she ran to the door and out it, only one thing on her mind: calling Mrs. Bernstein. She’d passed by dozen of pay phones on the way there. She didn’t know if any of them worked still, but she was willing to take that chance. She just wanted to tell her friend that she was okay. That she was alive and not in any danger.
When she entered the lobby, she saw John standing outside, just in front of the doors. His back was to her, and she quickly and quietly moved behind a large plant so that if he turned, he wouldn’t be able to see her. She had to figure out how to get out of the building without John knowing. Looking around, she noticed a side hallway and saw daylight coming from it. Moving towards the light, she turned a corner and saw that someone had propped the fire exit open with a brick.
Rushing out it, she made it a few blocks away before she started looking for a payphone. She knew her neighbors number by heart and quickly dialed it.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Bernstein, it’s me San... Samantha. I’m okay. I’m not hurt. I’m...”
“Sannidhi?”
Sandi’s heart stopped and her vision grayed. Hearing her cousin’s voice on the other end of the line scared her. What was he doing with Mrs. Bernstein?
“Sannidhi?”
“Yes, Anish. I’m here.”
Thirty minutes later, she approached the dark sedan with a plan. She would do whatever she needed to ensure that Mrs. Bernstein was safe.
When she got closer to the car, she noticed only one person in the car. What had he done with Mrs. Bernstein? Where was her father?
Her cousin stepped from the car and tried to grab her arm. Sandi knew she needed to stay in sight of people. There was no way she was going to get in the car with her cousin.
“What do you want Anish?”
“For you to pay. Come with me.” He reached for her again.
“No!” She jerked back. “What have you done
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