Marked By Desire - The Complete Series, page 20
“Tell you what,” Messorelli said, putting his toy gun down, his real one nowhere in sight. “If you agree to play my little game, you’ll get a very special prize.”
It didn’t take a genius to guess where the hit man was going with this. “Hannah?” he asked in a low voice.
“You’re a quick one,” the older man said with a wide smile that showed yellowed teeth. “I can see why she’s so taken with you. Will you accept my challenge? Be her knight in shining armor?”
Luke considered just taking Messorelli out right then and there. Kill him and find Hannah himself—but he knew that was a move he couldn’t risk. If she wasn’t here with him now, then he’d hidden her somewhere and maybe Luke wouldn’t find her in time, would never find her, without a clue.
And she probably would die there if Luke didn’t find her.
“What kind of challenge?” he finally gritted out.
Messorelli’s splotchy face seemed to consider something, then his beady little eyes focused on Luke’s face. “A fairly simple one. I give you a clue—like the Grand Opera House—and if you can find her before time is up, she’s yours. Simple enough, isn’t it?”
It certainly seemed that way. But it was Luke’s impression that just because something seemed easy—or maybe because it did—didn’t mean it actually was. There was more to this challenge than Messorelli was letting on.
But what choice did he have?
“What’s my clue?” Luke asked gravely. “And how much time do I have?”
Messorelli adjusted his glasses, pushing them up his large, bulbous nose. “Hold on. Before we start, there are some other rules we need to go over.”
Frustrated and impatient, Luke’s hands unclenched and fisted again. He wanted to just hit Messorelli and be done with it, to kill the man in the middle of the circus, damn the consequences. But he knew that for Hannah’s sake, he couldn’t.
A glint in Messorelli’s eyes told Luke that he wasn’t going to like the next rule the man had in mind.
He held out his hand, palm facing up. “I’m going to need your weapon, Marshal.”
Immediately, Luke’s hand went to cover his gun. He couldn’t give up his only means of protection. His only way of defending himself and Hannah. But then, he did have a back up gun. It was just a tiny one, strapped to his ankle, and was a lot harder to get to in a fight, but it would do if there was no way around giving up his preferred weapon.
That being said, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with giving Messorelli anything, much less another gun.
“Forget it,” he said. “I’m not giving up my weapon.”
“You will,” Messorelli said stonily. “If you ever want to see Hannah again.”
Filled with a mixture of rage and desperation, Luke hesitated only several seconds longer. Then his hand dipped into his jacket and pulled his gun from his shoulder holster. He didn’t want to do this, didn’t like to do this, would do almost anything not to be doing this—except give up Hannah. She came first now, even before his job.
Luke placed his gun in Messorelli’s hand and the hitman quickly snatched it away and hid it in his own jacket. Luke half expected him to ask for the ankle gun next, but the man seemed satisfied with the gun Luke had already handed over.
Messorelli grinned, patting where he had just placed the gun, and getting on with Luke’s clue. “I’m sure you took the time to become familiar with the park and the Cirque Noir.”
Luke didn’t bother nodding. Clearly the man dealt with the police enough to know something of the way they operated and whether Luke had been in the field officially for a while or not, he was still a cop in one way or another. He operated the same way they did and that meant you knew your enemy, knew your location, and knew your exit.
Luke had made a point of researching all of these things.
“Noticed any fu- looking rides? I love rides, don’t you? They give you such a feeling of bliss, a rush of excitement, even if it only lasts for a minute. And what would you give for that minute of a thrill, hm? Would you pay an outrageous amount of money? Would you wait in lines that curved around the park? Or would you find the one ride that didn’t have any lines at all? I leave you to decide the answer.”
Luke frowned. What kind of clue was that? “What are you talking about, Messorelli?”
The man raised one pudgy finger, shaking it back and forth at Luke. “Now, now. I said a clue. I gave you a rather generous one. It’s up to you to decipher it.”
Messorelli turned then, ready to walk away and disappear into the large crowd that had turned out for the circus. Luke wanted to go after him, but knew that Hannah came first. If he didn’t find her, it didn’t matter whether or not he had Messorelli.
“How much time do I have?” Luke called after him.
Pausing, Messorelli looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Until the Cirque Noir wakes up.”
5
“Until the Cirque Noir wakes up.”
Before Luke could ask what the hit man had meant by his cryptic time limit, he had already disappeared into the crowd, swallowed up by a sea of brightly-colored people in costumes and patrons with their kids.
Glancing at his watch, Luke saw that it was nearly one in the afternoon. Surely everyone in the circus was already well awake, so what could Messorelli have meant by wake up? It was code for something, but Luke just didn’t have the right information to figure out what that was.
He sighed, and when he put his hand back down, he noticed a flyer half trampled into the dirt. Its odd appearance caught his attention. Half the flyer was in black and white, heavy contrasts emphasizing leather-clad bodies and heavily made up women. The other half of the flyer, however, was all bright colors and laughing clowns.
Luke realized it was a flyer for the circus. Leaning down, he picked up the flyer to examine it. It read that the circus was open until six that evening. That meant Luke had until then to find Hannah—five hours. But that still didn’t one hundred percent explain Messorelli’s odd clue. That would be like the circus going to sleep, not waking up.
Examining the flyer more closely, Luke looked at the words on either side of the flyer. The bright and colorful flyer read Family Circus, but the black and white flyer read Cirque Noir. And that’s when it clicked. Glancing to the bottom of the half of the flyer that was dual toned, Luke found his answer.
After six, the park was closed to the public and the ‘family circus’ would have just an hour to pack up all of their things—and to set up everything for the Cirque Noir. In fine print on the black and white side, the flyer said, For those interested in a darker experience, join the Cirque Noir. Our new location will be disclosed tonight before we disappear.
That must have been what he meant, Luke reasoned. When the Cirque Noir wakes up meant when the family fun circus closed, all the rides would be packed up and wherever he had Hannah would disappear without any way for Luke to know where she had gone.
And what about the rest of his clue?
Luke knew that it had something to do with the rides in the park. Based on the clue, Luke figured it had to be one of the faster rides—to get that “minute of a thrill”—but which one? He had already paid the entrance fee, but there were certain rides that required an additional cost. Maybe one of those?
Luke decided he would start there first. The two rides that immediately jumped to mind were the Slingshot, a ride that put the rider in a large ball set between two posts and released you to shoot up into the air against two bungee cords, and the Bungee Jump.
The Slingshot was at the north end of the park. When Luke made his way there, the line had only five people and most looked like they weren’t really going to ride, but only wanted to watch as two people strapped themselves in. The ball shot into the air as the passengers screamed. The screams settled it for the watchers, making them dissipate back into the crowd.
When the riders got off, shaky and giddy from the rush, Luke walked up to the man running the Slingshot.
“Excuse me,” Luke said, getting the man’s attention.
“Thirty dollars,” the man told him, not even looking at Luke. “And you have to sign a waiver that says you understand the risks involved with this ride and that the Cirque Noir is in no way responsible for any damages sustained on the ride.”
Luke shook his head. “No, I’m not interested in riding.”
The man looked up at him finally, giving him an exasperated expression, as though Luke were wasting his time—even though there wasn’t anyone else in line.
“I’m actually looking for someone. Maybe you’ve seen her?”
“I’ve seen a lot of people today,” the man answered. “If you’ve lost a party member, go to the main office. That’s where everyone here at the park will tell your lady to go if she’s lost. It’s down by the—”
Luke interrupted him. “No, she’s not lost, exactly. She would have been with an older man, pudgy and short with glasses. And she wouldn’t have looked very happy to be with him.”
The man frowned, sensing that there was something else going on besides just a pair that got separated. “Sir,” he began hesitantly. “If there’s been some sort of crime…”
If Luke wanted to get the police involved, now would be the time. But if the police got involved, Luke would never find Hannah. Finally, he said, “No. No crime. It’s just a… game,” he finally said, trying to keep the spite out of his voice when he said game. “Like hide-and-seek, sort of.”
The man’s expression changed again to one of slight amusement and exasperation. “A game? All right. What does the lady look like?”
“Petite, curly, wild blonde hair. Blue eyes, soft pale skin. Not that tall, only to here on me.” Luke held up his hand indicating his shoulder.
Thinking it over, the man finally shook his head. “Sounds cute, but I don’t think I’ve seen her. Lots of people have been through, though. It’s possible I missed her.”
Luke doubted it, but he didn’t say so. If anyone had seen Hannah and really noticed her, they would have remembered. “Okay, thanks. I’ll keep looking.”
The man turned away, waving him off. “Good luck. Hope you win the game.”
“Me, too,” Luke said, already walking away. “Me, too.”
His next choice was the bungee jump, but as he was walking towards it—it was located on the opposite end of the park—Luke thought over Messorelli’s clue. Would you pay an outrageous amount of money? Would you wait in lines that curved around the park? Or would you find the one ride that didn’t have any lines at all?
The rides with the overly long rides seemed unlikely to Luke, which was part of the reason he’d started with the more expensive ones. While a ride with that many people interested in riding, it was certainly possible that Hannah could get lost in the crowd, forgotten amongst the crowd. Yet it also posed a high level of risk for Messorelli.
If she was left alone, she would be able to get someone’s attention. He would have to gag her to prevent her from calling for help, and no matter what kind of circus this was, someone would notice a restrained and gagged woman looking scared. And it wasn’t as though Messorelli could be there with her to keep her quiet. He had already made it clear that wherever Hannah was, she was already there, which meant Messorelli had separated from her so that he could play his little game with Luke.
The more expensive ones would be less crowded and, like the Slingshot, a little more out of the way, because they required more room to set up. Yet it still posed a problem. If there was someone manning the ride—and there would have to be—then there would always be someone there, noticing a young woman restrained.
So maybe Luke was looking at the wrong rides.
Ahead of him was the bungee jump ride. No one was on it at the moment, but a bored-looking woman was cleaning her nails, waiting for a customer.
Would you find the one ride that didn’t have any lines at all?
It didn’t have any lines, that was true, but it still had someone manning the ride. And Luke couldn’t see anywhere to hide a person without drawing attention to her.
So what was Luke missing? What was a ride that wouldn’t have any lines at all and wouldn’t have someone managing the ride?
Frowning, Luke took a quick turn and headed to the main office to his right. He walked right up to the window, getting the attention of the lady who stood behind the glass.
“Can I help you?” she asked pleasantly, glitter splashed across her rosy cheeks.
“Yeah, I was wondering if any of the rides were out of commission today.”
The lady made a sympathetic face. “I’m sorry to say that the Miner’s Trail will be down until further notice. They’ve been working on getting it up and running, but it doesn’t look like they’ll get it fixed today and the rider’s safety always comes first for the Cirque Noir.”
“Is that the only ride?”
“Yes, sir, I’m happy to say,” she chirped happily. “The rest of our rides are fully functional and will operate until we close at six this evening.”
That must be it, Luke thought. A ride that wouldn’t be monitored because it was closed for maintenance. It wouldn’t be in operation until they closed, but it would still get packed up with the rest of the rides when they closed for the night.
“Where is the Miner’s Trail located?” he asked urgently.
Surprise flitted across her flirty face. “Sir?”
“Where in the park is the ride?” he repeated.
“Um, well, it’s at the southeast end of the park,” she replied, not sure why he was asking. “But, as I said, it won’t be up and running today. It’s completely closed off, except for authorized personnel.”
Luke nodded at the woman. “Thanks,” he said, then walked away without any explanation.
Based on the woman’s directions, the ride should have been across from the main office and east of the Slingshot. Luke pushed through the crowd, not bothering with excuse me’s and apologies as he shoved through people as fast as he could.
Luke reached the Miner’s Trail and it was definitely closed off. There was a fence surrounding the entire ride and yellow caution tape was tied over the entrance. The wooden frame of the coaster stood baking in the sun, looking dilapidated, though he was sure that it was just for show. The ride went up nearly three-hundred feet into the air. There was a booth to manage the ride from set up to look like an elevator to take people into the mines, but it looked empty at that moment.
The walls that were put up for the line that didn’t exist wove together several feet from the entrance of the ride, where several empty cars sat, collecting dust.
That would be the first place to look.
Glancing around, Luke made sure that no one was in the area. He couldn’t see anyone, though there were trees everywhere and a stream trickling under a bridge to his left. Taking a breath, Luke moved forward, taking the caution tape in his hand and lifting it so that he could dip his head beneath it. When he was half under it, a voice behind him made him freeze.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Carefully, Luke put the tape in his hands back down. “I just needed to check something out,” Luke said vaguely, staring at the roller coaster cars several feet in front of him.
“Yeah, well, this ride is closed off,” the man behind him said firmly. “No one’s allowed in there unless they are maintenance.”
Briefly, Luke considered lying and saying he was maintenance—he also considered flashing his badge. Being a U.S. Marshal would likely hold a lot of weight and be enough to persuade whoever was standing behind him to let him through. Especially if he said there was a potential kidnapping victim hidden somewhere on or near the ride.
But the same dilemma presented itself. If the police got involved, he could lose Hannah permanently. On the other hand, if she really was right through the yellow caution tape, it wouldn’t matter if the police showed up. He would have her back and Luke could start letting the agency do its job instead of keeping them in the dark.
Could he take that risk, though?
Ultimately, he decided no, he couldn’t. Not until he knew for certain that Hannah was there and safe in his arms.
“I know,” Luke said. “I just wanted to get a closer look, you know, because I’m… fascinated with the mechanics of how roller coasters work.”
Luke finally turned around to face the man. He was older, thin and tall with graying hair. He wore the uniform of a hired guard for the circus. Luke’s gaze darted immediately to the man’s belt; no gun. Being not officially a police officer, he wasn’t allowed to carry a firearm. However, there was a buzzing radio on his belt and that could cause a lot of problems for Luke.
“Sure,” the guard said. “It’s fascinating. But I still can’t let you through. Can’t have you messing with the machines around here. It’s dangerous for you and it’s dangerous for us if they get the problem they know about fixed, but you’ve gone and caused a new one they don’t know about. People could get hurt.”
“I won’t mess with anything,” Luke promised, trying to look as sincere and harmless as possible.
The man wasn’t buying it.
“I’m going to ask you to step away from the ride, sir,” he said, hand going to the radio on his belt. “It’s off limits to everyone but authorized personnel.”
Luke thought fast. He had to get into that ride, but picking a fight with the guard wasn’t a good idea. Weighing his options, Luke did a quick survey of the area. The trees provided a good amount of cover and there was a wooden fence that went around the outside of the park, just for the day while the circus was set up. If he could go around and get in from the outside…
Luke held his hands up. “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I was just interested in getting a closer look.”
The guard narrowed his eyes, not quite trusting him, but took a step backwards and to the side, allowing for Luke to come forward away from the tape. Luke did so, looking as passive as he could. “I’ll go and find some other rides that I can actually get on.”
