"We Own the Night"
Amber stared back at the midnight dark eyes that bore into her as she reached for the phone. She
should have been used to the detective’s piercing gaze by now but tonight it was different. More predatory.
She tore her eyes away and flipped open the cellphone.
“Hello, Austin?”
A grunt followed by heavy breathing vibrated through the phone.
“Austin?”
A chill ran through Amber’s veins when a low husky voice spoke through the phone.
“No, honey, Austin's a little... preoccupied right now.”
The woman on the other end spoke with slight amusement and all thought fled Amber’s mind. She gripped the phone and willed her voice to sound calm yet firm.
“Where’s Austin?”
The woman laughed. "Don’t worry, honey. He's alive... for now.”
Amber's arm went slack and she stared at the phone as if she didn’t recognize its purpose. Marc immediately grabbed the phone from her hand and pushed a button. The woman’s cool, throaty voice filled the room.
“...depends on you.”
Marc shoved the phone back into her hand and furiously mouthed “talk”.
“Wh-what do you want?”
“You’re a smart girl. I think you can figure it out.”
Marc looked up at her sharply.
“Ok,” Amber softly said into the speaker. “But you have to let Austin go first.”
The woman laughed again. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. When the time comes, you and your brother will ride off in the sunset. In the meantime, concentrate on losing the suit.”
The phone disconnected before Amber could ask anymore questions and the room once again filled with silence.
“What the hell is going on?”
She stared up at Marc, dazed. “I don’t know.”
A flash of anger instantly filled his eyes. “Then let me rephrase. Who the hell was that and what does she want?”
Amber hesitated. There was no more room for hiding. And running was not an option. She needed to
trust someone and right now all she had was this hard-faced detective. She got off of the bed and walked to her bags. She pulled out the envelope that had caused her nothing but misery and worry these past few months.
Walking to where Marc sat, she handed it to him. It felt like the weight of the world suddenly lifted off her back.
He looked up at her curiously then at the envelope. Amber stood hugging herself as he carefully sifted through its contents. When he was done, his dark as night eyes held a dangerous glint.
“We need to get out of here. Grab your stuff.”
Within minutes, they were out of the motel and driving through the deserted California street.
should have been used to the detective’s piercing gaze by now but tonight it was different. More predatory.
She tore her eyes away and flipped open the cellphone.
“Hello, Austin?”
A grunt followed by heavy breathing vibrated through the phone.
“Austin?”
A chill ran through Amber’s veins when a low husky voice spoke through the phone.
“No, honey, Austin's a little... preoccupied right now.”
The woman on the other end spoke with slight amusement and all thought fled Amber’s mind. She gripped the phone and willed her voice to sound calm yet firm.
“Where’s Austin?”
The woman laughed. "Don’t worry, honey. He's alive... for now.”
Amber's arm went slack and she stared at the phone as if she didn’t recognize its purpose. Marc immediately grabbed the phone from her hand and pushed a button. The woman’s cool, throaty voice filled the room.
“...depends on you.”
Marc shoved the phone back into her hand and furiously mouthed “talk”.
“Wh-what do you want?”
“You’re a smart girl. I think you can figure it out.”
Marc looked up at her sharply.
“Ok,” Amber softly said into the speaker. “But you have to let Austin go first.”
The woman laughed again. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. When the time comes, you and your brother will ride off in the sunset. In the meantime, concentrate on losing the suit.”
The phone disconnected before Amber could ask anymore questions and the room once again filled with silence.
“What the hell is going on?”
She stared up at Marc, dazed. “I don’t know.”
A flash of anger instantly filled his eyes. “Then let me rephrase. Who the hell was that and what does she want?”
Amber hesitated. There was no more room for hiding. And running was not an option. She needed to
trust someone and right now all she had was this hard-faced detective. She got off of the bed and walked to her bags. She pulled out the envelope that had caused her nothing but misery and worry these past few months.
Walking to where Marc sat, she handed it to him. It felt like the weight of the world suddenly lifted off her back.
He looked up at her curiously then at the envelope. Amber stood hugging herself as he carefully sifted through its contents. When he was done, his dark as night eyes held a dangerous glint.
“We need to get out of here. Grab your stuff.”
Within minutes, they were out of the motel and driving through the deserted California street.
Comments