Justice for Breeze

by Melissa Kay Clarke

  By the time Shreveport was coming into view, it was after ten and Lolly was grumpy. She began to whine, wanting something to eat. Wanting her Neno, which Finch had forgotten in his hotel room in San Antonio. She wanted a bubble bath. Traveling with a three-year-old was an eye-opening experience.

  "Uh oh," Railroad muttered and slowed the car. Finch peered through the windshield at a sea of stopped cars. The rain was coming down hard. Up ahead, the flash of blue and red lights coupled with the way a few cars were pulling over to the side and onto a nearby ramp told them there was most likely a bad accident stopping traffic ahead.

  "Looks like we're stopping for the night. Let's go find a place to stay."

  "Sounds good," Railroad nodded. Carefully, he inched along the shoulder of the road until he could slip by the stopped cars and onto the exit ramp.

  They ended up at a tiny little motel called the Sleepy Star Inn, just inside the Shreveport city limits. Railroad parked in front of the tiny sign that said Office. Looking around, he frowned. "This isn't a chain franchise. Maybe we should keep going until we find a little better place."

  Finch snorted. "We've slept in holes dug out of the sand where we've had to clean out scorpions before bedding down. They just spent a night in a shack full of cow dung. As long as it's clean and safe, we'll be fine. Lolly is falling on her feet."

  "Your family, Finch. Just pointing out the obvious."

  Finch slid out and bent down looking at the girls in the back seat. Lolly had unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled into Breeze's lap. Her too-big blue eyes were filling with tears, and she sniffled. "Daddy?"

  "I'll be right back, baby. I'm getting a hotel room for us for the night." He lifted his chin to Breeze. "You want your own room?"

  Without hesitation, she shook her head. "I'd rather stay with you even if it's on the floor. I... I feel safer." She tightened her arms around Lolly. "We both do."

  "All right then. Rail's going to stay out here with you. I'll be just a minute."

  It turned out the question about separate rooms was a moot point. Due to the weather and the accident on the interstate, the motel only had one room left anyway, and it was all the way on the end closest to the road. The night clerk, a little mouse of a woman, took pity on them, though, and assured Finch she would bring a cot and extra linens. It would be a tight fit, but Finch admitted to himself he felt better knowing his buddy would be nearby to help protect the girls. He didn't much care for this feeling of inadequacy that kept plaguing him. He'd have to think about it more.

  The room was pretty nice, if a bit aged. It was clean, and the two beds looked to be comfortable. It was crowded but doable. Within a few minutes, the clerk delivered the small cot and extra bedding. Once they settled in, Railroad pulled Finch aside.

  "Look, the girls are beat, and I know you are, too." He looked at the two girls huddled up together on the second bed. "They've been through a lot today, so I'm gonna go find a spot with good reception and give Bruise an update, then talk to the police. That way, you can stay here and keep an eye on them."

  Finch clapped a hand on Railroad's shoulder. "Good plan, thanks. Everything will look better after a night's sleep."

  After Railroad left, Finch looked over at Breeze with worry. She had barely said a dozen words since their escape earlier today, and most of those were to her little charge. He frowned. They needed to have that talk and soon.

  "Daddy, the telbishon only has talking people."

  He took the remote and checked the channels. This late, only news and talk shows were on. Normally, Lolly was sound asleep by now, so it wasn't a problem. Flipping the set off, Finch grabbed his cell off its charger and scrolled through his apps looking for something to keep Lolly entertained until Railroad came back. Since there was WiFi at the motel, he cued up a Disney movie on his cell using Netflix. With his daughter taken care of, he turned to Breeze. "Are you all right, honey?"

  She swallowed and nodded but didn't look at him. He sighed and combed his hair with his fingers. At that moment, her stomach growled, and she winced sheepishly.

  "I guess that snack we had a couple of hours ago is gone, huh?" He leaned down to his daughter and nuzzled her gently. "How about some pizza?"

  "Yush!" Lolly began to bounce, chanting "pisa pisa pisa" over and over. Finch chuckled and used the hotel line to order in. Remembering that Breeze didn't eat meat, but loved cheese, he got a salad to go with the large cheese pizza he ordered for her and Lolly, and an extra large everything for him and Railroad. Taking care of his girls made him feel a deep sense of contentment.

  He laid back on the bed, intent on relaxing for a bit when the telephone on the table rang. Reaching over, he answered it with a brief, "Yes?"

  "Mr. Finchly? This is Anna at the front desk." He heard her swallow. "I-I-I'm terribly sorry to bother you."

  The shy woman had barely talked to him when he had checked in. She seemed intimidated by him in some way even though he had tried to be unthreatening to her. Pitching his voice into a low pleasant tone, he answered her. "Hello, Anna. It's fine. Is there a problem?"

  "Y-y-yes. A little one. Problem that is. I didn't get a copy of your driver's license for me. I mean the record for me. It's one of the rules."

  "Ah. That's fine. When my friend gets back, I'll run it over to you."

  "No. I mean, I'm going home in a bit and my b-b-boss is coming in and if he sees I didn't get it, I'll be in trouble again." She hesitated. "He said if I mess up again, he's going to f-f-fire me."

  Finch could hear the warble in her voice that signaled she was close to tears. Glancing over at the girls watching a movie, he pushed his fingers through his hair and sighed. He didn't like the idea of leaving the girls alone, even for a minute, but he also didn't like the thought of the woman losing her job. He hesitated for a few moments before he made a decision. "It'll be okay, Anna. I'll be right there."

  The huge breath of relief was audible. "T-t-thank you!" she squeaked then quickly hung up the phone.

  With a chuckle, Finch laid the receiver in the cradle and slid his boots on. Making sure he had his wallet, he glanced over at the girls. "I need to run to the office for just a minute. You two stay put and I'll be right back. Okay?"

  "Okay, Daddy," Lolly agreed without looking up from the screen.

  Grabbing the room key, he hurried out the door. The faster he got done, the faster he could return to them and the better he would feel.

  Chapter 20

  Breeze cuddled Lolly in her arms as the little girl watched her movie. It was silly - all about monsters who were afraid of human children. Every time the little girl in the movie said 'Boo,' Lolly giggled more. The sound of her laughter made Breeze's heart happy, and she hugged her.

  Glancing over at the indented place on the bed where Finch had stretched out reminded Breeze how alone she was. Lolly had her daddy now, and he had her. They both had his parents and Sarah's along with a ton of friends. She had nobody - not even the Family. Not that she wanted to go back, but she was woefully unprepared to live in the Outside world. The three-year-old child in her lap would be able to survive outside the Family better than Breeze could. That fact shook her to her core, and she felt the hot sting of tears in her eyes. Lolly had been through enough the past few weeks and didn't need to see one of the grownups taking care of her break down.

  "I need to go to the bathroom," she whispered into Lolly's ear. "Will you be okay out here by yourself?"

  When she nodded absentmindedly, Breeze picked Lolly off her lap and sat her gently on the bed. Padding into the restroom, she closed the door and leaned against the sink, staring at the face in the mirror. There was no confidence looking back at her. The eyes were hollow, dull, and full of unshed tears. Her face was pinched and her lips thin. Her hair was lank and lifeless, lying in a limp mass of unkempt strands around her face. She had smudges on her cheeks and her nose, and she was sure she must stink after being first in the dank, musty cellar and then the hot, muggy cow shed for so many hours.
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br />   Glancing over her shoulder at the worn but clean tub, she longed to fill it full of water and sink into its depths for a while. She wouldn't indulge right now - not until she had something clean to wear. Maybe Finch had another one of his shirts she could borrow? The thought of wrapping herself in something that was his made her eyes mist with longing. Even though he was only gone for a few minutes, she already missed him terribly. She wanted his strong arms around her body, holding her tight to him as he took away all her fears and worries. When she was with him, he made everything right - perfect as if nothing could touch her. He made her feel safe -- more than she had ever felt while with the Family.

  The Family. Thinking about how she and Lolly had been treated when they were returned filled her with anger. They were not what they had seemed, and that betrayal hurt more than anything. Other than Fern, nobody spoke to her except to give her orders. The close-knit feelings she had always reveled in were gone. She had gone from beloved sister to a means to an end. Even her own mother had pushed her aside and treated her differently.

  Even if she couldn't stay with Finch - and that thought almost crippled her - she couldn't return to the fake perfection of the Family either. That meant she had nowhere and that thought made her knees weaken and she leaned against the vanity heavily. Taking another look in the mirror, she chastised herself for letting it get to her. With a long exhale, she blinked back the tears. "The hard part is behind. Your eyes are open, and you see the Family for what they truly are. You can learn to take care of yourself. You can do it."

  With a nod, she picked up a bath cloth and quickly washed her face. It would have to do until she could get that bath.

  She heard a gentle tapping outside. Thinking it was Lolly needing to use the restroom, Breeze opened the door. "Do you need to come in here?" she asked, then lunged forward. Lolly had her hand on the knob to the outside door and was pulling it open. "No!" she yelled, but was too late. She didn't even have a chance to stop her before the lock gave way, the door was shoved open, and Lolly was knocked down on her butt.

  Breeze gasped as Coal stepped into the room.

  "What are you doing here?" Breeze snatched Lolly up from the floor and shoved her behind her back, putting herself between the child and the menacing form of Coal.

  "I came to take you and Gaia back. This time, we'll be going where nobody will ever find you again."

  "We're not going." Breeze gently pushed Lolly into the bathroom. She sighed relief when she felt the door close and heard the lock click. "How did you find us?"

  Coal grinned menacingly. "I know a Water who knows how to break into the GPS lo-jack on rental cars. It led me straight to you."

  "GPS? Lo-jack? I don't understand."

  "Of course you don't. It's all technology." Coal said condescendingly.

  She took another step back as he closed the door behind him. "Do you really think you are above the rules of the Family? The rules The Mother Gaia put in place to protect us all?"

  "If The Mother Gaia were real, she would have stopped me long ago. It's just a lot of foolish nonsense."

  "You think the Family is foolish, but you want to lead them?"

  He grinned wide. "Belief has its place, when used correctly. My so-called devotion has blessed me with lots of money. There’s a lot you don’t know."

  She took another step back as he closed the door behind him. "The Family took you in, Coal. They let you into their Home."

  His face contorted into an evil grin. "And they were idiots to do it for free. Now let’s go." He shot a hand out and grabbed her arm. "Last chance to do this the easy way, Breeze."

  "Let me go!" she screamed as she fought against him. Grabbing his hand, she tried to pry his fingers off. "Finch will be back soon. You better run while you can."

  "He's not coming back. Flint is taking care of him. Blaze is making sure his buddy doesn't interrupt. "

  Breeze's stomach fell to her toes. She wasn't sure what he meant by 'taking care of him,' but it didn't sound good. Instead of giving in to the overwhelming desire to crumple in a heap, she pushed toward him then sharply yanked away. She felt his nails remove the skin as her arm slid from his grasp. Taking several steps backward, she pulled the rickety chair from the small table and held it up. "Go away," she hissed.

  He laughed then rapped the bathroom door. "Gaia... come out, little one. Come out now, and I promise I won't hurt your precious Breeze."

  "Don't listen to him, Lolly. You stay in there until your Daddy gets back."

  "I told you, he's not coming back." Coal snarled at her and lunged forward.

  Breeze shoved the legs of the chair toward him again. "Leave our room!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping even if Finch weren't coming, maybe one of the other people would hear and call the police.

  Coal stilled and held his hands in a placating manner. He muttered, "Just put the chair down."

  Breeze snorted. She wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to change his mind because she asked sweetly. "Leave, and I'll put the chair down," she hissed.

  Coal's brow wrinkled, and he slowly shook his head. "Can't do it." Suddenly he lunged at her again, batting at the chair and almost knocking it out of her grasp. He stumbled over Lolly's shoes, going to his knees. Somehow, Breeze managed to keep a hold on the chair and brought it down on Coal's back. The chair shattered and he grunted.

  Instead of being knocked out, he raised his head and growl at her. "You're going to regret that." In a move as fast as a snake, he grabbed her head, sinking his meaty fingers into her hair and threw her into the wall. She hit the paneled expanse head first and slid to the floor. The last thing she remembered was Coal standing over her with a snarl on his lips. There was a momentary pain when he snatched her hair upward, then everything went dark.

  Chapter 21

  "Hello?" Finch knocked his knuckles on the counter and leaned over glancing behind it. "Anna? Are you back there? It's Asher Finchly."

  The low sound of a small television was the only sound in the office. Frowning, he knocked again, louder. "Hello?"

  Something cold snaked up his spine with the continued silence. He had just spoken with the woman so she knew he was on his way. This felt wrong, so very wrong.

  Whirling around, he shoved his hand against the door and hurried outside. He took two steps before some sixth sense inside warned him of danger. Taking a step to the side, the crack of something hard hitting the door was followed by the sound of breaking glass as the window exploded. "Mother trucker," he growled turning to the right.

  Standing next to the wall, Flint lurked with a large slab of wood gripped in his fists. Finch's eyes narrowed as he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, ready to move to counter whatever the man had planned.

  Flint took a step forward and brought the club down, aiming for Finch's head. He leapt to the side, missing the blow completely. Before Finch could retaliate, Flint's foot shot into his stomach, shoving him backward. Finch compensated by taking a step back to re-distribute his weight. When he did, his foot found a pile of glass sitting in a puddle of water and skated along it. Seeing his advantage, Flint quickly swung his club again, hitting Finch in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

  Finch glared up as his vision blurred then solidified. Gasping to catch his breath, he analyzed the situation. If Flint was here, where was Coal? That cold feeling spread to his gut.

  "You aren't so tough after all," Flint snarled at him. He squatted down, bracing his elbows on his knees as he dropped the piece of wood and pulled out a knife. "Coal said you were some Navy grunt. I thought they taught you guys how to fight." He shrugged. "BFD. Your blood will be just as red as anyone else's."

  Behind him, Finch heard the faint scream of a woman. "Let me go!" He knew that voice. It was Breeze. Now he knew exactly where Coal was.

  Suddenly, a large dark shape slammed into Flint, taking him to the ground, his head making a sharp crack on the pavement. With a grunt, Railroad rolled off of the unmoving man and onto his fee
t. "You okay?" he asked while keeping his eyes on Flint.

  "Yeah," Finch growled as he climbed to his feet. "You got this?"

  "Yeah, man."

  "Check on the clerk."

  "You got it." Railroad approached the man on the ground warily. He rolled the man over on his stomach, pulled out the leather belt from his jeans and looped it around his wrists, pulling tightly.

  There was a white panel van parked behind the cars at the end with the motor running. Finch growled and picked up Flint's knife before stalking off towards his room. He dropped to his haunches behind a pickup three spaces down, when the door to his room opened. Peeking around the side of the car, he saw Coal emerge dragging something beside him. His blood began to boil when he realized that something was Breeze's limp body. Finch saw red. That son-of-a-bitch was gonna die. Finch was tired of that rat bastard coming after his girls. He gripped the piece of shit knife in his hand and shifted slightly. As much as he wished he had his Ka-bar, it was locked in the back of the car. It didn't matter what it took; this ended now.

  Where was Lolly? Was she already in the van? Had Coal knocked her out as well? His fingers tingled from gripping the knife so tightly. Everything in him said to face him man to man. However, he had no idea where his daughter was, and there was the matter of Breeze. He had to have patience.

  "Flint!" Coal bellowed toward the office. "Time to go!"

  He watched Coal open the back of the van and deposit Breeze inside. Slamming the door, he turned toward the open door again. Finch heard him slam his fist inside followed by "Open the damn door, Gaia. Don't make me kick it down."

  "Good girl," Finch muttered. Lolly must have locked herself in the bathroom. He was so damn proud of her.

  Knowing both girls were out of his grasp for the moment, Finch made his decision. All he had to do was stall until the police got there. He didn't know if Coal had a gun or not, but there was no way that bastard was leaving here with his family. That shit wasn't happening - not now, not ever.