Somewhere In Mexico

Chapter 4

Emma stood at the edge of the mall's parking lot, her breathing quick and shallow. Her gaze swept over the few pedestrians trickling out of the entrance. She honed in on an elderly woman locking her car. With purpose in every step, Emma approached, her voice strained with urgency.

“Ma’am, please—have you seen a black Chevrolet SUV come through here earlier? A few hours ago?”

The woman froze, her wrinkled hands pausing mid-motion. Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion as they sized up Emma. “I just arrived not long ago. Haven’t seen anything like that. You might want to ask the clerk inside.”

Emma gave a tight nod. “Thank you.”

She spun around and strode into the mall’s modest interior, Aiden trailing close behind her. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as they made their way to the front desk. The woman behind the counter was hunched over a ledger, her pen scratching slowly across the paper.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Emma said, her voice steadier now, though the tension in her shoulders betrayed her. “Did you happen to see a black Chevrolet SUV earlier today? It would’ve been going pretty fast—maybe suspiciously fast.”

The woman didn’t look up right away. She capped her pen, closed her ledger, then raised her head, blinking at the two teens.

“Lots of vehicles pass by here,” she said with a hint of indifference. “Hard to keep track of every one.”

Emma and Aiden exchanged a defeated glance and turned to leave. But just as they stepped away, the woman’s voice halted them.

“Wait,” she said. “There was one—black SUV, fast, windows tinted. I remember because it almost clipped the curb. Two men in front. Couldn’t see anyone else. They turned onto the Taconic Parkway.”

Aiden stepped forward, his tone quickening. “Do you know what direction they were headed? North? South?”

She studied his face for a moment. “South, I think. Toward the city.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, grabbing Aiden’s arm and guiding him back outside.

Once they were out of earshot, her demeanor changed. “We keep moving. South. They’re headed toward the city—probably trying to disappear.”

Aiden hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “What if this isn’t the right SUV? What if we’re wrong?”

Emma stopped, turning to him with a simmering intensity. “Do you want to waste time standing still, or do you want to find Marcus? We follow the trail until it goes cold. We don’t hesitate.”

Without another word, they mounted their bikes and kicked off, tires spinning as they barreled toward the on-ramp for Taconic.

***

Burdett Kinney’s tie was loose, his forehead shone with sweat, hands trembling as he slammed the receiver down on his desk.

“What the hell do you mean all three of them are gone?” His voice cracked. “You’re telling me Marcus is missing—and now Emma and Aiden?”

Carla stood across from him, pacing like a caged animal, hands balled into fists at her sides.

Before either could speak again, the phone rang, slicing through the air like a whip crack. Burdett snatched it up.

“This is Burdett Kinney.”

“NYPD, 19th Precinct. Mr. Kinney, your children, Emma and Aiden, arrived at the station earlier this morning. They filed a report—your son Marcus was abducted.”

Carla lunged forward and ripped the phone from his grip. “I came home and found a note! They’re out there searching for him! Officer, you have to find them. My children are missing!”

Burdett reclaimed the receiver, desperation overtaking his usual restraint. “Officer, please. My daughter and son are out there alone. We need help—real help. Don’t give me a case number. I want action.”

“Sir, we need you and your wife to come down to the station,” the officer said flatly. “We’ll go over everything in person.”

“We’re on our way.”

***

The sun had long dipped behind the horizon, leaving Emma and Aiden cloaked in a chill that seeped through their jackets. Their legs ached. Their breaths came in foggy clouds.

“I can’t feel my hands,” Aiden muttered. “This is insane. They’d never let us do this if they knew. I haven’t eaten all day…”

He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a crumpled paper bag, producing a half-smashed doughnut. He tore it in two and handed one half to Emma.

She took it silently, chewing with mechanical precision. “We need to ration what we’ve got. No idea how long this might take.”

As they passed through a shadowed alley, Emma spotted a faded sign across the street—Ron’s Bike Repairs. She motioned to it.

“Let’s check that place out. Shelter’s shelter.”

The shop was run-down, its neon sign half-lit, flickering like a dying ember. They knocked, and after a long pause, an elderly woman answered, the door creaking as it opened.

Emma stepped forward. “Please. Just for the night. We’ll be gone before sunrise. We don’t want trouble.”

The woman’s eyes scanned them slowly. “Where are your parents?”

“We got lost,” Emma said without hesitation. “Visiting our uncle. Phones died. We just need a place to rest.”

The lie was smooth, practiced.

The woman studied them for another moment, then stepped aside. “You can sleep in the back. No noise. No problems.”

Inside, Emma powered down their phones, making sure they couldn’t be traced. Aiden collapsed into a corner, exhaustion dragging him into a shallow sleep. Emma stayed awake, eyes fixed on the door, every nerve in her body humming with unease.

***

Carla’s sobs echoed down the hall. “They’re just children, Burdett. Our babies… wandering God-knows-where.”

Burdett sat on the edge of the couch, head in hand. “I’ve called everyone I can think of. I even checked traffic cams myself. The cops are running plates. But until they find something…”

Carla gripped his hand. “Tomorrow. We check my mother’s place. Just in case.”

“Yeah,” Burdett whispered. “Tomorrow.”

***

The siblings were on the road before the sun fully crested the trees. The world was quieter at this hour—too quiet. As they neared a small grocery store, they found yellow tape fluttering in the wind. Police cruisers parked out front. A woman sobbed nearby as an officer took her statement.

Emma approached a scruffy young man watching from across the street.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Robbery,” he said. “Hit her hard. Three guys. Took her bag and phone.”

Her heart leapt. “Was one of them driving a black Chevrolet?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Peeled out down Vandam Street. Toward the amusement park.”

Emma’s voice dropped into a cold whisper. “We go now.”

***

Marcus lay curled in a corner of the freezing room, arms wrapped around his knees. Hunger gnawed at his belly. His lips were cracked, his body bruised and sore.

The door slammed open.

Fregley stepped inside, eyes cold, jaw set. “Still alive, huh?”

Marcus blinked through the haze of pain. “Please… I don’t know anything… I won’t talk—”

“You think it matters what you know?” Fregley sneered. “You’re a product now. Get that through your thick skull.”

He stepped closer, grabbing Marcus by the shirt, lifting him just enough to shove him hard against the wall. Marcus hit the concrete with a dull thud.

A faint beep sounded from Marcus’s pocket.

Fregley’s head snapped around. “What the hell is that?”

He reached down and yanked a small burner phone from Marcus’s coat. One look—and his face darkened.

“You little rat.”

With a snarl, he slammed it against the wall. It shattered in a violent burst of plastic and sparks. Marcus recoiled, eyes wide.

“You don’t get to be clever,” Fregley spat. “Next time I hear a beep, it’ll be your ribs cracking.”

Marcus sank into silence, tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

Outside, the wind howled. Emma and Aiden were getting closer.