He’s At Your Door

by Sinclair, Alex

  My mouth is already too full for me to answer so I give her a quick thumbs up to show her my approval. I realize how rude I am sometimes. I often wonder who between us is more mature.

  Beth stays standing as she chews. I don't think she can handle sitting right now. The stress gripping her neck muscles stands out. She's tried her hardest to hide her fear away from me, but I sense it in every step she takes.

  Beth paces around as she eats, covering the small space of the living room in no time. It isn't the nicest house to be trapped in given its miniature size. I almost want to grab her by the waist and plant her butt down on the sofa so she relaxes a little. It could be hours before Zach makes another move.

  Stepping up to the curtain we've used to spy on the man in the suit, Beth stops short and squints through the slight side gap of the window we should have been using to be more subtle to check outside.

  "You can't be serious?" she says, slamming her plate down onto a small side table that sits by the window. It clatters about the surface without breaking. I jump to my feet and almost stumble as I rush over to see what all the fuss is about.

  "What is it?" I half whisper as I reach the shade.

  Beth pulls the dusty aged cloth of the curtain back so I can look through and see what's caused her to yell out. I almost faint when I discover what's got her so rattled.

  "What do you think this means?" Beth asks me.

  With my mouth open, I stare outside to see no man in a suit or the SUV he's used to spy on us with. He's gone again.

  Chapter 21

  I'm the one pacing around the living room while my sandwich remains half eaten. Beth keeps looking outside in case Zach's man returns. We don’t understand why he left or when he's coming back.

  I think about Zach locked up in his cell and wonder what he is playing at by sending his gun-for-hire away yet again. Is it a test? Or did the guy have to go?

  "Should we make a run for it?" Beth asks, her voice shaking a little.

  We've checked our cells and Wi-Fi again. Both remain blocked, meaning the device this man has been using on us is still around. He's hidden it away just to be safe while he screws with our minds from a distance.

  "Karen? Please, say something."

  "I don't know what to tell you. This could all be a way to lure us out from the safety of the house like before."

  "Dammit," Beth mutters. "Wait, how can you be so sure?"

  My mouth stays shut. I have no idea what this all means. Instead, I focus on trying to not let the overwhelming number of thoughts kick in and take over.

  Beth stops keeping watch outside and stares at me with her serious face. "I seriously think we should make a break for it. We could call the police the second we're clear of the area."

  My eyes drop to the floor. "What if he is waiting to strike just out of sight?"

  Beth moves toward me, raising my head. "We can do this. We can run straight out of this dump and down the street with our cells out. I'll call the cops while you call your contact."

  I give her a weak smile. "What if he gets one of us though?"

  "He won't if we move fast enough."

  I shake my head. "This could backfire. I'm not going to see you hurt because of me."

  "You won't. But if we stay here, you’ll see us both hurt or worse."

  She's right, I realize. We can't keep hiding like this. We have to do something while we still can.

  I stare at Beth as she pulls her cell out of her pocket and tries to get a signal again. "It's still dead in here. We will be too if we don't go now." She edges her way closer to the door.

  "Maybe not," I say as I see the answer right in front of my face. I close in on Beth and grab her by the wrists. "I know what to do."

  "You do?"

  I nod.

  Beth's eyes go wide. "Tell me."

  I take in a breath, ready for some backlash. "I'm going to run outside and find a signal on my cell to call the police while you stay safe in here."

  Beth shakes her head, screwing up her brows at me. "No, you can't do that. Not by yourself. After everything you've told me about Zach, you have to know that's a terrible idea. You're not sacrificing yourself to save me."

  "I thought you wanted to make a break for it."

  "Together, I do. Not apart. We'd have more chance of getting away if we work as one."

  I keep her gaze as I contemplate sneaking outside the second her back is turned. I could dash as fast as my legs can take me and call 911 the minute I clear the signal jammer, but I fight off such an idea. At least for the moment.

  The jammer can't have that great of a range. If the block extends too far beyond my home, the neighbors would have noticed by now that their devices had been acting up. Technicians would have been called to work out the problem. Those people wouldn't have taken long after someone made an inspection to notify the authorities and send out a welcoming committee of police to root out the source of the illegal jammer.

  "We need to stand together, Karen. Either we both go or we both stay. You choose."

  I pause for a second, not saying a word. "I guess you're right. Now isn't the time to do anything so crazy."

  "No, it's not. So what's it going to be?"

  I take a minute to consider my options and resolve to stick to my original thought. "We stay. Whatever his move is out there, I don't trust it. This has to be a lure to draw us out into the open. It has to be."

  Beth shows her understanding without anger and interlocks my elbow. "Okay. You know your ex better than anyone else. Seeing as we're staying, why don't you take a seat on the sofa and try to relax."

  "Relax, huh? That's a good one. I can't even eat. This day couldn’t get any worse if it tried." Beth guides me to the sofa. I comply and sit down. Maybe she's right. Our only way out of this is by sticking together. But if only one of us is to make it out, I want it to be the someone who deserves to live. That's not me.

  "I'll be back in a tick. I'm just going to grab my cell charger. I forgot to plug this thing in last night," Beth says.

  "Okay," I say as she leaves, thinking about how Beth came home reasonably carefree despite having an argument with her parents. Now I've trapped her in here while Zach pays someone to hover around the house no one is supposed to know about. What if something happens to her and the last thing she did with her parents was have an argument. I can't have that weighing me down along with everything else.

  A few moments later, Beth reappears with her charger and plugs it in by the power socket that sits near the kitchen. "Still no signal. I don't know why I bother checking anymore."

  "It can't be helped," I say, pulling my cell out of my pocket. "I check every couple of minutes like a crazy person."

  "It's hard not to though, isn't it," Beth adds. "We're so dependent on these things we can't go a day without them. My cell lives within a few feet of me twenty-four hours a day. I feel sick if it's even in the next room over. God, I can't imagine how many notifications I'll have waiting for me if this asshole ever turns off that jammer."

  I give Beth a faint smile. My cell might as well have its signal blocked all the time. I'd still have the same number of people trying to contact me or tag me on social media. I pull my gaze away from her as the thought sinks in.

  How much have I missed out on over the last five years? How many relationships have I never had? What experiences have I forgone to stay alive? I can't call this survival when the only friend I have in the world is a fellow housemate I've known for three months.

  Beth is the only one I've let into my life in any manner. I've never felt comfortable enough with anyone else. But even then, she doesn't know the real me. She wouldn't want to. The true me deserves to have this paid killer come smashing through the door to end my miserable existence once and for all.

  "Why don't you take a nap," Beth suggests, cutting me out of my dark thoughts.

  "Uh, no, it's okay. I'll manage."

  "No you won't. I can see you haven't slept all night. You need t
o recuperate."

  "I know I do, but what about him out there? How do I sleep with that going on? We have no idea where this guy even is."

  "Simple," Beth says, smiling. "I'll keep watch. The second he shows up, or anything else happens, I'll rock you awake. I promise."

  I shake my head and let out a sigh. A yawn finds its way out of my face, causing me to rub my eyes like a small child. "Okay, I guess."

  "No need to thank me," Beth says with a laugh.

  "Thank you," I reply, "for everything. Seriously, you've been so amazing today. I mean, I wish you didn't have to go through all of this, but I'm glad you are here."

  Beth's smile drops. She's all too aware of the danger lurking outside the house. I hope my reminder hasn't shaken her too much.

  "We'll pull through this," I whisper. "We have to." I settle down into the sofa and close my eyes. Before I know it, I'm on my side with a blanket Beth has settled over my body. She disappears in a sleepy blur and returns with a pillow from my room. The comfortable thickness of the cushion is placed ever so carefully under my head, maximizing my comfort.

  Sleep soon catches me and drags me down.

  "Sleep," Beth says.

  Chapter 22

  My nightmares seem so real. Some nights, I have a lot of trouble distinguishing reality from the haze of images that wreak havoc on my brain while I'm asleep. I've had this one in particular before. Every time I think I'm rid of the damn thing it comes back. And despite being aware I'm in a dream, there's little I can do to convince myself that the world I'm in isn't absolute. It's like walking through a house haunted by spirits when you don't believe in ghosts.

  I'm sitting in a luxurious car at night with Zach as we cruise down a dark highway. The city looms in the background with its bright lights. I guess it's somewhere near LA, the prime hunting ground of Zach's group. We are speeding along with nowhere to go, but no matter how fast we drive, the city keeps its distance as if we will never reach it.

  We pull into a gas station that looks to be the only thing lit up in the area, but we don't need a drop of fuel. The tank is full. Zach appears distant as if I'm losing him. He won't look in my direction or react when I nudge him. Normally, we'd be laughing with one another, bathing in a carefree arrogance we couldn't shake until he grabbed me and threw me against the car to make out. But the thrill is missing. The spark is gone. He's had enough of me.

  From this point on, things take a turn as I move toward the gas station alone. A foreign object weighs my hand down like a lump of steel. I take so long to get inside the store, but once I do, all I see is darkness and a lone figure standing ahead, creeping near.

  A single shot from Zach's gun rings out loud in my ears. The person ahead breaks into pieces and falls apart. The world as I know it caves down overhead, forcing me further and further down into the dark until I recognize it's not concrete and steel weighing me down; it's blood.

  I snap awake on the sofa in a pool of sweat. My eyes take a moment to focus on where I am, but I remember Beth saying she would keep watch out the window in case Zach's man tries to attack us. I half sit up on my elbows and understand she's not doing as planned. Panic sweeps in. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck prick up as I feel another human being right behind me. I scramble forward and spin around to see Beth standing where my head was resting only moments ago.

  "Whoa, Karen. Are you okay? I didn't mean to wake you."

  "It's fine," I say as I absorb the rest of my surroundings. "What were you doing there anyway?"

  "I came from the bathroom. Sorry, I had to go. I was trying to walk past quietly, but I bumped into the sofa like an idiot."

  "No harm done," I mumble as I grab at my forehead and rub it over and over to massage the headache that has now settled at the front of my brain. The pain seems to multiply by the hour.

  "How did you sleep?" she asks me.

  "Okay, I guess. I could use a few more hours."

  "Really? You've been out for over seven."

  That's when I realize that the day has transitioned into night. All the lights in the living area and kitchen are on. "Are you serious? I'm sorry."

  "It's okay. You needed it. I'm just upset I woke you."

  "I appreciate that you gave me this chance to sleep, but you should have woken me up earlier so you could take a nap too. In fact, why don't you have one now." I stand up and lift the blanket Beth placed on me.

  "Not necessary," she says, waving me off. "I'm not tired. I slept for too long this morning." She maintains her smile while I try to clear my throat. "I'll grab you some water," Beth says as she moves toward the kitchen.

  I don't get the chance to thank her before she's gone. Then it hits me: I've been asleep for seven damn hours. "Wait, has he come back or anything? I shouldn't have slept at all. Something could have happened."

  "Hey, hey. Calm down, Karen. Everything is fine. He hasn't fully returned. But I did catch him driving past the house slowly every so often."

  I feel my face tighten. "What? Really?"

  "Yeah, it's strange." Beth hands me my drink.

  "He doesn't stop?"

  "Every time I saw him."

  I take a gulp of much-needed water and shake my head, not knowing what to make of that. "So, he's checking up on us?" I ask trying to gauge Beth's opinion.

  "Could be. Or he could be messing with our heads. It's just another piece of crazy to add to the day, I guess."

  "Indeed," I say, almost at a whisper as I set down my glass. I stand on two feet and try not to fall over as the world spins for a few moments.

  When I regain my balance, I take a wander over to the window and peek out the gap to see no car there. "And I take it our cells are still down? Wi-Fi too?"

  "Yeah. With him driving around, keeping his distance means we're still stuck in here like two prisoners."

  "I'm sorry," I say.

  "Don't be. At least not yet. I've been doing some study for school next to the window while you were out. It sounds silly, but the distraction was a huge welcome. Plus, I needed to do it for my test tomorrow morning."

  I stare at Beth. Is she assuming this will be over by then, that everything will have been resolved peacefully, allowing her the opportunity to get back on with her life? Not knowing what to say, I smile and hope to God she moves on to another topic. Unfortunately, we don't have many other things to discuss. Not while we're trapped.

  "So, Karen, I was wondering."

  I hate it when someone starts a sentence this way. The unknown fills me with more anxiety than anything else.

  "You know how you had to go into witness protection after you testified against Zach?"

  "Yeah," I say, feeling my body take a step back in defense.

  "The thing is, and correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they give people in that situation a new identity?"

  My heart races. "They do," I mumble.

  "Does that mean that Karen Rainey isn't your real name?"

  Beth's bombshell of a question stuns me. My mouth falls open to speak, but the words in my brain can't seem to form.

  "I'm sorry to ask; it's just the thought has been driving me nuts. And I think we've bonded well during the short time we've known each other. I want to call you by the right name."

  I've never been asked this before and don't understand how to respond as I grab my cell from the coffee table and check the signal. "Still jammed."

  "You don't have to say anything if you're uncomfortable. Please, just forget I mentioned it. It's not important. I was just curious is all."

  "You're right," I blurt. "Karen Rainey isn't my real name. It was the identity they offered me five years ago when this all began. I've had to live every day of my existence since then pretending to be another woman. They gave me some made-up history of Karen's life and expected me to forget my past and become her overnight. The initial year of it was pure hell. I had to leave behind anyone I cared about by being declared dead, only to lie to every single new person I met. And even once the heat died
down and I moved out here, I still had to continue living as Karen. I can't go back from the lies, meaning I'll always be Karen as long as my ex lives."

  Beth stares at me with shaky hands. "I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have—"

  "No, it's fine, Beth. I'm the one who's sorry. You'd think I'd have learned to deal with my life after such a lengthy time. If you really want to know, my real name is Marie. Marie Williams."

  "Marie Williams," Beth repeats. "Funny, you don't look like a Marie."

  A half chuckle comes out. "I don't feel like her anymore either."

  Silence fills the air in the room. I feel a weight crush me down I can't seem to shake off as I try to think of something else to talk about.

  "I need to go to the bathroom," Beth says, speaking first.

  Nodding to show I understand, I let out my breath. Beth walks away from the living area toward the single bathroom we share. I doubt she needs to use the toilet. She simply has to get as far away from me as possible to process everything I've told her. I get it.

  When Beth strolls back out into the room, a bright light sweeps in through the thin curtains of the house, casting shadows from the metal bars that keep us safe while keeping us trapped inside our own rented space.

  We both freeze and stare at one another as a vehicle pulls up and parks in the same location the man in the suit had before. Beth creeps up to the curtain and peers through to see what's happening outside.

  She draws her head backward from the window and faces me with an open mouth. "It's him. He's back."

  Chapter 23

  Marie

  "What's made him finally stop this time?" Beth asks. "For the last seven hours, all he's done is driven by without stopping. Now he pulls up into that same damn spot just to stare straight at us through the window."

  I don't have an answer. I thought with everything I experienced with Zach I'd have some clue why he would drag this all out. At any moment, he could have told his goon to attack. He could have asked him to stampede on through the house to end both my life and Beth's in a heartbeat. But here we are, still alive. Still waiting. Slowly losing ourselves with every minute that passes.