The Cage (Book 2) ✔️

Father and Son

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Father and Son

The sights, sounds and smells of New York city came at me all at once, overloading my senses. Overwhelmed, I stopped so I could take it all in. Hot dog stand with delicious smelling food across the street, two men chatting about stocks or some such passing by, and somewhere in the distance a police car or ambulance blared its sirens. All painstakingly familiar. Home.

I blinked.

Home?

No, it didn't quite feel like home. Possibly because I was in the middle of the street. Right, that had to be it. Home was fourteen blocks from here.

"Julian." Cade calling my name snapped me out of my reverie. He motioned for me to hurry it up.

When I crossed the road, I found him putting the bags into the back of a black Mercedes G-Wagon. The car was clearly brought here, possibly by Beady Eyes, for us to make use of.

"What is it with criminals and black cars?"

"It's the cheapest color."

"You can't be serious."

"It's a common misconception that criminals flaunt their ill-acquired wealth. We got into this business because we love money so much we're willing to break the law, not because we want to spend it."

"Now I know you're joking."

"Get in the damn car."

****

The drive upstate was mostly uneventful and quiet, save for my incessant asking.

"Those are guns in the bag, aren't they?"

Cade sighed. "We'll need protection."

I visibly tensed. "I thought you said we're going to meet Schneider's father."

"Exactly."

My deep frown connected my eyebrows. A part of me was afraid to ask, but the other rational part needed to know ASAP. "What does that mean?"

"Let's just say crime is hereditary in Schneider's family."

That explained literally nothing.

"He's his father. Wouldn't he want to save his son?"

Cade's mouth tightened into a thin line. That wasn't a good sign.

Great. Schneider's father wasn't a sure bet like Cade had led me to believe after all. Severe disappointment mingled with trepidation to form a bad aftertaste at the back of my throat. "If he won't help us, why are we wasting time going to him?" My agitation seeped into my voice, and it was all I could do not to start panicking. Schneider was god knew where, being tortured god knew how, and we still weren't any closer to finding him than Cade was a year and a half ago. Helplessness drove a wooden stake through my chest.

"Because if he agrees to help us, we'll definitely find Schneider. We won't need anyone else's help."

"I still don't understand how a father won't agree to help his child. In fact, one would assume he's already doing everything he can to find him. That's..." Not normal. Then again, normalcy had long since exited my life.

What kind of parent knew their child was suffering and didn't move mountains to end their suffering?

"You're trying to make sense of it, but you won't be able to. Schneider's family is... unique."

"More like dysfunctional."

Cade chuckled, but said nothing.

"How long until we get there?"

"Another twenty minutes or so."

I looked out the window and watched the city with its buildings and traffic and hot dog stands fade away, giving way to trees and pines and wilderness. The farther we traveled, the fewer cars we saw on the road, until it was just us for miles and miles. Cade slowed the car then turned into a single-lane road barely wide enough for two cars with a red sign at its beginning. Unfortunately, I didn't spot the sign on time to read what was written on it.

"What did the sign say?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Private road. Do not enter."

I arched my eyebrows and barely suppressed the urge to whistle low. "He's filthy rich, isn't he." It was a statement, because I'd met my fair share of wealthy individuals during my lawyering days, and I knew only the truly rich ones could afford their own private stretch of road, no doubt leading to a sprawling estate.

"Why do you think we're coming to him? He's got resources."

I shrugged and sarcastically said. "I thought he might be a spy." And then a thought occurred to me. "So Schneider comes from money? Why's he a criminal then?"

"It's crime that's made his family rich."

"Right."

Soon, the sun began to set. Seeing as we were now driving through a dense forest with tall trees lining either side of the road, sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick foliage, giving the impression that the sun had already set. Cade turned on the headlights, illuminating the path ahead.

Another terrifying thought skittered into my mind.

"What if he doesn't agree to help?" As much as the possibility scared me, I had no choice but to try and come up with a contingency plan.

"That'll be a problem." Cade stated the obvious.

I rolled my eyes. "You wouldn't say. We need to come up with a plan B if he turns out to be a shitty father."

"I'm afraid it'll be too late then."

"What do you mean?"

"If Schneider's father doesn't agree to help, we're done for. He'll have us executed on the spot."

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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