Trapped

by Duncan, Lillian;

  “It didn’t look done to me. That hug looked quite friendly.”

  “It was a good-bye hug. I am not interested in Leslie. At all.”

  Angelina fought back the desire to cheer. “Besides, the only person I’m irritated at is me. I am so sick of myself.”

  “You need to cut yourself a break. You went through a lot. And you’re getting stronger every day. I think you’re quite amazing actually.”

  “That’s not true. I almost had an anxiety attack on the way over here.”

  “Key word. Almost. We each have our own journey to take.”

  “I don’t feel like I’m making any progress with mine.”

  “Are you kidding me? Look at what you accomplished in the past few days. You actually figured out a way to keep Charlie safe. So I really don’t know how you can say that.”

  “Because it’s true. I only did what I did because I messed up in the first place. Luther’s right, my life is pitiful and worthless.”

  “Luther isn’t right about anything. He’s dead. Remember?” His gaze met hers.

  “You know what I meant.” She walked away and then turned back. “Come on. We’re late. And that’s not good since you’re the leader. And no, I’m not mad at you.”

  “Glad to hear that because that would make me sad.” He took hold of her arm as his gaze locked with hers.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  Nate moved closer. “I know this isn’t the right time.”

  “For what?”

  “For us, but…” He leaned close. His lips met hers.

  She closed her eyes savoring the sweetness of the moment.

  He moved away. “But that’s a promise for later. When you are ready.”

  She had no idea what to say.

  He touched her cheek and smiled as they walked down the hall hand in hand.

  24

  She sat in the sanctuary, staring at the lit-up cross.

  “Angelina.” The voice was soft, almost a whisper.

  She startled.

  Cooper touched her on the shoulder. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I saw you slip in here after the meeting. I thought you might want to talk. I know it’s been a rough few days. Nate told me what happened with the little boy.”

  She scooted down on the pew to make room for him. “I am exhausted.”

  He sat down. “Of course you are. From what Nate told me, it was the wee early hours before either of you left the station this morning.”

  “It’s more than that. I just…I just don’t feel strong enough to do this. Any of this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want to get better. Get healthy. Really, I do, but I’m not strong enough. Every time I think I’m getting stronger, something happens to make me fall apart. Again.”

  “You don’t have to be strong enough. All you have to do is rely on God. He’s strong enough when our own strength fails us. He wants us to depend on Him.”

  “I wish I had your faith.” She looked over at Cooper. “But I don’t. I think that’s part of the problem. I wasn’t healthy before Luther Marks. I can see that now. All I cared about was partying and being famous. I was so selfish and self-centered.”

  “Did you know that the mustard seed is the tiniest of seeds?”

  Several comments came to mind. He’d obviously slipped off on a tangent. “No, I didn’t.”

  “It is. But when it matures, it’s huge. Almost like a tree.”

  “Oh.” She still had no idea what he was talking about. “That’s nice.”

  “Nice? That’s more than nice, that’s wonderful.”

  “OK.”

  He started laughing. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

  “Not really.”

  “But I do have your attention now.”

  “That you do.”

  “Good. So here’s my mini-sermon for the day. Matthew 17:20 says, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”

  “Nothing? Do you believe that?”

  “Some days, I don’t feel that way, but I know it’s true because it’s in the Bible. The point I’m trying to make is we don’t need a whole lot of faith to get started on the journey or even to keep moving. Just like the mustard seed, faith grows as it matures.”

  “Oh. So a little bit of faith is all we need?”

  “Exactly. Our faith grows as we see that God is truly faithful. And I know you have faith that’s as least the size of a mustard seed.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because you’re sitting here, staring at the cross. Remember our talk about sowing and reaping?”

  She nodded.

  “Faith is the same way. Keep sowing faith and you’ll reap the harvest of more than enough faith when you need it the most.”

  “That might be true for you. You’re a good person but…” She took a deep breath. “But I’m not. I’ve done…so…”

  He patted her arm. “We all have, Angelina. You’re not in the minority there. I could shock you with things from my past. And God has forgiven every one of them. And He will do the same for you.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “I do. He loves you just as much as He loves me. And that’s where faith comes in. When we know that God loves us, we can trust Him.”

  She sat there thinking about his words. Could that be true? Could it be that simple? “So what do I need to do to make my faith seed grow larger?”

  “From where I’m sitting, you’re already doing it. You seem to be reconnecting with God. And you’re trying to focus on other people, not just yourself. That’s two of the biggies.”

  “It is?”

  “It is. Mark twelve thirty says, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ It goes on to say to love your neighbor as yourself. So as you learn more about God, you’ll love Him more. And you’re already showing that you love others. Why else would you have risked so much for Charlie and his mother? So you see you’re well on your way.”

  “Wow. Who knew?”

  “Keep studying the Bible and you’ll get there. It’s all about…” He pointed at her.

  “Baby steps.” She smiled. “I guess you’re right. I need to be a little more patient with myself.”

  “I’d say a lot more patient, but that’s usually true for all of us.” He patted her arm as she stood. “Glad I could help. Stay as long as you want. We don’t lock the church. And by the way, sleep really does make things better. Taking care of yourself physically is just as important as spiritually.”

  “Thanks. See you Sunday.” That would be a huge step, one she was ready to take. She smiled. Definitely a step in the right direction.

  ~*~

  Angelina stepped out of the church into complete darkness and froze. The parking lot light must have burned out. “Luther’s not out there in the dark waiting for me. Or anyone else. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.” After taking a determined breath, she forced herself to move away from the safety of the church. Her footsteps clicked on the sidewalk as she hurried to her car. Why had she stayed so late?

  Everyone else was long gone. But the time she’d spent in the church had been worthwhile. She felt stronger and more committed to getting her life on the right track. There was a lightness in her being that had been missing for a long time.

  She touched her lips, remembering the warmth of Nate’s kiss. He’d called it a promise. She knew with God, she could get healthy. Be the type of woman Nate would respect. Even love?

  With God’s help, Luther wouldn’t win. She would be whole.

  Angelina stared at her lone car in the parking lot. Why hadn’t she parked closer? She took a deep breath and kept walking. Behind her, footsteps echoed. She froze. Just my imagination, just as with Luther’s voice. She moved forward. And heard the footsteps-again. Too terri
fied not to look, she steeled her nerves as she turned and peered into the darkness.

  No one was there.

  Her pulse spiked as her imagination kicked into overdrive. Telling herself to relax, she kept walking toward the car. Nobody was following her. Nobody wanted to hurt her. There were no footsteps. The sounds weren’t real. Only her imagination gone wild. But she took hold of her pepper spray, just in case.

  More footsteps echoed around the lot.

  Fear made her want to crumble right where she stood, but she wouldn’t. Her finger moved to the spray button as she turned, ready to stop them. No one was there.

  Impossible, she’d heard those footsteps. Someone was following her. It wasn’t her imagination. He was there. Just because she couldn’t see them—him, didn’t mean he wasn’t hanging around. He was waiting for her. He was back just as he’d promised. She’d never be free of him. Luther was making good on his word. Even if she couldn’t see them—him.

  It wasn’t her imagination.

  He was real. Luther wanted to hurt her. To do things to her—again. She would rather die than let that happen again.

  Angelina reined in her panic. Luther was dead, so it couldn’t be him. If not him, then who?

  Shivers ran down her back as her breath turned ragged. She kept walking. The car—gotta get to the car.

  The footsteps continued to pound the lot’s tarmac.

  This time she didn’t look. She fished the keys out of her coat pocket. Her finger moved to the button on the pepper spray. She’d be ready this time. It wouldn’t happen to her again. She wouldn’t let it.

  God help me.

  As Angelina sprinted the last few steps to her car, she hit the remote’s unlock button. Closing the distance, her hand reached for the handle. She opened it in a swift movement. Without wasting a second, she jumped in and pressed the lock button. In spite of the blood pounding in her ears, she heard the click of the doors. Safe. After a couple of deep breaths, she chanced a look at the parking lot.

  Empty.

  How had he managed to hide? Maybe he was kneeling right beside her car. She wouldn’t be able to see him there. But he was somewhere. He had to be. It wasn’t her imagination. Those footsteps had been real. Someone was following her. Someone was after her.

  She’d heard many times—once a victim always a victim. Something about the way a person projected themselves made them a target. Not her. She was done being a victim—with God’s help.

  Her hand shook as she put the key in the ignition. Taking a deep breath, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Looking in the rearview mirror, there was still no one to be seen. The parking lot was empty as far as she could tell. Of course, with no light it was hard to see.

  The hairs on the back of her neck tingled.

  Breathing. Someone was in the car perhaps hiding behind the front seats. The sound was unmistakable. Quiet, but rhythmic.

  Angelina fought back the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. Stay calm. Focus on figuring out how to get out of the car alive. She’d been in such a hurry to get to safety, she hadn’t looked in the back seat. How could she have forgotten something that important? Every woman had been taught since childhood to check the backseat before getting into a car. Especially at night.

  In spite of her attempts not to panic, her breathing turned to short gasps.

  What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t just jump out of the car. He’d catch her in a heartbeat. No doubt, he was stronger and faster than she was and prepared to pounce.

  If she wanted to survive, she had to act as if everything was normal—until she got to some place safe. She had to act as if she had no clue. Lull him into a false sense of security so he’d wait until she got home before attacking her.

  He might be stronger, but she was smarter. Smart always won. At least that’s what her dad had always told her. Angelina turned on the radio, hoping to drown out the sound of his breathing. But she could still hear it.

  The torment continued.

  Finally, the bright lights of a gas station came into view. Perfect. She quickly pulled into the parking lot, jumping out of the car the moment she slammed the gear shift into park. Her gaze immediately moved to the backseat.

  Empty.

  Impossible. How could that be? She’d heard his breathing. Practically felt his breath on her neck.

  Angelina opened the back door and leaned in to make sure the backseat was as empty as the front. Then she moved to the trunk. Might as well make sure he wasn’t there either.

  Empty again.

  That was good—and bad. Good because she was safe and bad because…her eyes filled with tears. Her imagination had won again. It all felt so real—too real. She didn’t want to get back in the car. Even though her eyes told her it was perfectly safe, it wasn’t. No place was safe. Luther would never let her be safe. He was after her again—even if she couldn’t see him.

  But that was impossible, Luther was dead. He couldn’t hurt—

  “Hey, are you all right?” A man walked closer. “Having car trouble?”

  Angelina stepped back. “I’m…I’m fine. I…just thought I heard something in my car.”

  “Want me to take a listen? I’m a pretty good mechanic if I say so myself.” His gaze raked over her body.

  Her stomach tightened. “No. No. No. Everything looks OK. Must have been my imagination.”

  “You sure? I don’t mind.”

  She managed a nod.

  “Maybe you want to go get a drink or something?” He arched his brows at her in a playful way.

  “I can’t.” She mumbled as she slid in the car and locked the doors. As she drove out, she checked her rearview mirror.

  The man still stood there staring after her.

  Was he the one following her?

  Angelina forced her breathing to slow down.

  He was somewhere in this car with her—even if she couldn’t find him.

  She pushed harder on the gas. Had to get home. Had to find someplace safe. But where? It didn’t matter. No place was safe. He would always find her.

  No place was safe.

  Angelina pulled into the drive. Instead of heading toward the garage, she maneuvered her car between the cement posts and drove up the brick sidewalk toward the main house. She dashed up the steps, refusing to think about who or what might be lurking out there in the darkness.

  She banged on the door as she pushed the buzzer. “Hurry, Keren. Hurry. Let me in.” Still hitting the buzzer, she turned back toward the car.

  He couldn’t pounce without her seeing him coming.

  Nobody was there.

  The door opened. She lost her balance and fell inside.

  “What’s wrong? Are you OK?” Keren’s voice rose.

  She wasn’t OK. She fought back tears. “I…I…don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You have to tell me what’s wrong or I can’t help you.” Keren’s face flushed red. “We’re family. And I thought we were friends.”

  “You have to take care of your rich, crazy cousin because she can’t take care of herself.”

  “Please don’t say that. We love sharing our life with you. We’re family. Families take care of each other.” Keren reached down and pulled her up. “Come on. Sit down in a chair and relax. I’ll get—”

  “Can’t.” Angelina pulled away from her. “He’s…he’s back. He followed me. In the car…breathing...I heard it.” She swiped at the tears making their way down her cheeks. Her knees began to shake.

  “Who’s following you?”

  “Luther.”

  “He’s not following you. Angelina. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

  “Maybe…he had a partner. It was dark in that basement. I don’t know. Could have been more than one of them. No one ever thought about that. He promised to make me pay. I…I heard him breathing in the car.”

  “It was just your imagination. That’s all. You need to calm down.”

  “Not my im
agination. I heard him.” Her voice rose with each word. “I know what I heard. He’s in my car.”

  “Do you want me to go check?”

  “No. I already did. I couldn’t find him.”

  “You’re not making any sense. You tell me he’s in the car, and then you tell me he’s not. You need to calm down. Tell me what happened tonight to get you so upset.”

  “It might not make sense, but I know what I know. I heard the footsteps, but every time I turned around, nobody was there. I heard him breathing in the car.”

  “Well, it was probably dark and spooky in the parking lot. That happens to all of us sometimes. Our imaginations can make us think cra…make us think things. That’s all it was.”

  Angelina had to make Keren understand. “Once I was in the car someone was in there with me. I even stopped at a gas station. I expected to see someone crouching in the backseat but no one was there.”

  “You’re just stressed. After all you went through last night, I’m not surprised. I knew you weren’t strong enough to handle all this. And now you’re getting stressed and…and I just think it might be too much.”

  “It’s him. He’s following me. Why won’t you believe me?”

  “When did you go off your meds?”

  “I didn’t. I take them every morning. Just like I’m supposed to.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t forget a day or something? If you were taking your meds—”

  “You don’t believe me. You think I’m getting sick again. I’m not sick. I heard him breathing in the car. He’s back, and he’s following me. You have to listen to me.” Sobs started as she slid down the door and to the floor. “You have to believe me. You have to help me.”

  25

  Nate looked up as someone knocked on his door.

  Bonnie Wright.

  He stood as he motioned for her to come in. “What are you doing here? Is Charlie OK? Is it…safe for you to be here? They haven’t taken him from you, have they?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “We’re safe enough for now. Thanks to all of you they think it was a case of mistaken identity. Angelina’s lawyers are in the process of getting our social security numbers changed to match our new names. Bonnie Wright and Charles Wright. Hopefully, they’ll never know how close they came to finding their grandson.”