Reaching Rachel

by LL Collins

  Leaving his apartment had been step 1 of taking over Rachel’s life. While he still felt he had a ways to go, she was changing. Smiling, he grabbed his lunchbox and headed for the door. He would show up and surprise her today at lunch too, and make sure she was keeping her damn mouth closed.

  Rachel sat behind her desk, in disbelief how much work she had in front of her. She knew missing a week would put her behind, but it was like none of the other office girls had done anything while she was gone.

  Beginning to create piles, she looked longingly at the phone next to her computer. She wanted to call Kayley badly. She knew that she could—he would never know. But she also knew that Kayley would know something was wrong if she talked to her, and Rachel didn’t have her plan ready yet. It started with doing some research on her boyfriend.

  Bringing up the Google homepage, she typed Justin Stevens in the search engine. When the page popped up, she realized that Justin Stevens was a very popular name. Going back to the search screen, she typed in Justin Stevens, Alabama construction foreman.

  “Hey, Rachel! Welcome back.” Jessica’s voice came from behind her, and she quickly exited the search window. She would have to look at that later.

  “Jessica!” Rachel stood, hugging her friend, but not too tightly. “How are you?”

  “I should ask you the same thing! Girl, are you okay? That must’ve been some flu!” Jessica sat next to her in an empty chair. “I have a half an hour until my next patient, so fill me in. What’s been going on?”

  Rachel hesitated, knowing it would be that easy, to just let the words roll out of her mouth and tell Jessica everything. She would help her, she knew she would. Justin’s menacing, threatening eyes flashed in front of her face. Who knew what he would do to Jessica if he knew she told her. It just wasn’t worth the risk. “I’ve never been that sick in my life. I’m still pretty weak.”

  Jessica smiled. “I can tell, you still look a little pale. But boy, do I have stuff to catch you up on! Want to go to lunch together?”

  Rachel blew out the breath she realized she was holding. “I can’t, Jess. Look at this desk. I don’t think anyone did anything the whole time I was gone. Rain check?”

  “Sure, girl,” Jessica answered. “How’s Justin? Still hot as hell?”

  Rachel winked at Jessica, the only thing she could think of to cover the real expression that was fighting to come out on her face. “You know it.”

  Jessica stood, heading back for the door to the therapy center. “You’re so lucky. I need a hot guy to keep my bed warm.”

  No you don’t, Rachel thought, as she outwardly laughed. Not that guy. But of course she let Jessica go out the door without telling her one single bit of the truth.

  Kayley parked in the lot of her previous employer, a small twinge of sadness coming over her. She missed her work. She would never take back the time she had gotten with her family, but she did miss being here at work. Rachel was back to work today, and Ben was off, so he was keeping Benji and Cierra so she could surprise Rachel with lunch.

  She knew she would probably be up to her eyeballs in work, so she stopped at their favorite sub place and grabbed some sandwiches and chips. Walking in, she immediately saw Rachel, the phone pressed against her ear and papers covering her desk. She didn’t see her.

  The receptionist, a bubbly college student named Bailey, saw Kayley and jumped up, squealing. “Kayley! I’m so glad to see you! I’ve missed you so much!”

  Kayley hugged the young girl, and saw that Rachel had turned to face her, looking like she had just seen a ghost. Not understanding the look on her face, she stepped away from Bailey and walked up to the window.

  “Rach?” Kayley questioned. “Are you okay?”

  Rachel recovered quickly, smiling and standing up. “Come in, Kay! I’m so glad you’re here!” Kayley walked to the door, watching her friend’s face. There was something wrong. She could read it all over her face. “What are you doing here? Where are the kids?”

  Kayley embraced her friend, holding her tightly. Rachel pulled back after a small noise of pain came out of her mouth. “Rach, what’s wrong?”

  Rachel breathed in and out. I’m so dead, she thought. Kayley is here. Justin will find out. He will kill me before I ever get to tell anyone. I should tell her now. She can help. Ben can help. Then she thought of those precious babies, and she knew, she couldn’t tell her and put her in jeopardy, too.

  “I’m good! I’m just still a little weak from being so sick.” Kayley searched her face, and Rachel pulled the mask she had worn for over five years into place. She was good at this. She could do it. “Where are your kids? I want to squeeze them!”

  Kayley smiled, and Rachel breathed. She had to get her out of here, and quickly. If Justin came by and saw her, she didn’t want to think about what would happen. “Ben’s home today. Lexi is at school, and Benji and Cierra were napping so I escaped. I brought lunch from our favorite place.”

  Rachel looked at the bag in her hand. “Freddy’s! Yeah!” She looked at Bailey. “I’ll be in the break room, okay? Don’t let anyone add to my pile while I’m gone.”

  Bailey promised, and Rachel and Kayley headed to the break room. She felt a little safer back here. Maybe Justin wouldn’t find out that she had been here.

  The friends sat down and started eating, a comfortable silence settling in between them. Rachel’s mind raced with the possibilities of this lunch.

  “Okay,” Kayley began, setting down her sandwich. “Spill it. What’s going on?”

  Rachel chewed slowly, contemplating her answer. “Kay, I’m okay. I’m sorry if I’m acting weird. I’ve had a crazy morning and I’m still not 100%.”

  Kayley put her hand over hers. “Do you need Ben to take a look at you?”

  Rachel couldn’t help it—she laughed out loud. “Really, Kay?” They both began laughing, tears rolling down their cheeks.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she giggled, wiping her eyes. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  As their giggling dissipated, Kayley looked at her friend seriously again. “Is everything okay with Justin?”

  What a loaded question. “We’re fine. First, I had to take care of him because he was hurt, and now he had to take care of me because I was sick. Oh—one thing you will be happy to know is that we moved in together. Well, he moved in with me.”

  Kayley’s eyes opened wide. “Wow, Rach. That’s progress! How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good. It’s strange, since I haven’t lived with anyone in a really long time.”

  Kayley’s eyes searched her face, and Rachel tensed when she stopped right where makeup was covering her bruises. “Rachel.” That was all she had to say, and she knew. She had to get away from her, or she would tell her everything. She saw through her. This is exactly why Justin didn’t want her to see her.

  “I have to get back to work,” Rachel stood abruptly and turned away, willing the tears to stay away. She could do this. She was strong.

  “I have one thing to ask you,” Kayley said, her voice soft. “Where’s Justin from?”

  Not knowing where she was going with this, she turned back around. “Alabama. Why?”

  Kayley shrugged. “Have you heard the news story about the guy they are looking for that was reported to be in this area?”

  Rachel shook her head. She hadn’t been watching television at all. “No, why? What does that have to do with where Justin is from?”

  “I don’t know,” Kayley answered. “The other night, Ben and I were watching the news and they started saying that this guy named Mark Stevenson had been spotted here. It was apparently nationwide news. He’s wanted in Alabama for a ton of things, but mainly attempted murder of a woman and a police officer. I guess that this woman was someone he might’ve been in a relationship with, and he beat her so badly she’s been in a coma for two months.”

  “I don’t understand where you are going with this,” Rachel lied, gripping her hands together to keep them from
shaking.

  “They flashed a picture of the guy on the screen, and he kind of resembled Justin.”

  Rachel inhaled sharply, her body shaking involuntarily. Crossing her arms over her chest, she tried to keep control of the panic that was threatening to overtake her.

  “Hey,” Kayley put her hands on Rachel’s arms. “It’s okay. Ben wasn’t convinced, so I don’t know why I’m even saying anything. It’s just this feeling I can’t shake, and seeing you today, you’re hiding it well, but there’s something not right. Check it out, okay? See what you think.”

  Rachel walked Kayley to the door, looking around the parking lot to make sure she didn’t see Justin’s truck. What if what Kayley said was true? What if he wasn’t who he said he was? She walked back to her desk, in a fog. How was she supposed to work now?

  What was the name Kay had said? She sat, her fingers over the keys, for what seemed like forever. Mark Stevenson. Justin’s last name was Stevens. That was rather close. She was terrified to type in this name and see what he looked like and what he was wanted for.

  Bringing up Google again, she typed in Mark Stevenson this time and watched the little hourglass think before popping up the results. Right at the top was the website for the FBI’s most wanted. Hovering her mouse over the website, she hesitated. What exactly would she do if it was him?

  The page loaded and she scrolled, looking for the name. When she spotted the name, she closed her eyes. She thought she may lose the lunch she just ate. Just do it, Rachel. Click it. As the picture popped up, she cried out, causing Bailey to look at her quizzically. Waving her off, she put her hand over her mouth, biting down hard on her lip to control the scream that threatened to come out. It was him. The hair was different, but the face and eyes were the same. In the picture his hair was longer and darker, but there was no mistaking. She had to get out of here. She could drive right to the police station and tell them where to find him. She could go home and have them come there and wait for him to show up after work. She could run away and never come back.

  Standing up, she grabbed her purse. “Bailey, I have to go. I’m sorry. Tell Rob I wasn’t feeling good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Bailey nodded, watching her cautiously as she walked to the doorway. She had always considered herself one of the strongest people she knew, but right now it felt like a slight wind could knock her down for the count. She was terrified. She had been so stupid. Of course she had fallen for some psychotic almost-killer. Why not? Just add it to the stupid things she had done in her life.

  Pushing open the back door, her stomach jumped into her throat as she saw Justin standing next to her car. She wished for a moment she could go back to the other time he had been standing out here, begging for another chance. Why hadn’t she been stronger and said hell no? She would’ve never been in the place she was in now.

  Walking toward him, she steeled herself for whatever he was here for. Pulling on her mask of steel, she pushed down the feelings of panic, fear, and the overwhelming need to start screaming at the top of her lungs. She could do this. All she had to do was pacify him until she could get to the police station. Why hadn’t she just stayed inside and called them?

  “Hey,” she purred, reaching him. “What are you doing here so early?”

  “Where are you going?” His voice was hard, cold.

  “My head is pounding,” Rachel explained. “I was just going to head home early today to rest. I’m not quite up to being here all day. Why aren’t you at work?”

  “Left early.” Justin’s dark eyes bored into hers, making her want to squirm under his gaze. “Ready to go home?”

  Rachel opened and closed her mouth. She couldn’t go with him. She had to get away. “Well, I was going to stop at the drug store first to get some more headache medicine. Want me to pick up something to cook for dinner?”

  Justin looked around the empty parking lot, and her stomach clenched. Grabbing her by the arm and shoving her against the side of his truck, he leaned in so there was no space in between them. “Do you think I’m fucking stupid, bitch? You thought I wasn’t going to know that Kayley came to have lunch with you, huh? What did you tell her, you lying whore? Where are you really going right now?”

  Her head spun. How the hell was she going to get out of this? Think, Rachel, think. “Justin,” she tried the soft approach. She ran her hands along his sides, then cupped his face, running her fingertips along his lips. “Kayley showed up here with sandwiches and was here about a half hour. I didn’t call her. We only talked about work and her kids, nothing more. I told you I wouldn’t say anything and I didn’t.”

  Justin’s eyes flashed in anger. “You think I’m that stupid to fall for your whore routine? You think you’re going to start touching me and I’m going to fall prey to you? You are fucking wrong, Rachel! That sweet little Bailey sure was helpful on the phone. See, I called here looking for you, and she told me that you were in the break room having lunch with Kayley. It didn’t take long for her to be singing like a bird, telling me all I needed to know. So I headed here, knowing you were going to have to be straightened out once again. Why are you such a worthless piece of shit? Why do I bother with you? You were a nice lay, but I don’t need the trouble.” He stepped back away from her, looking around again.

  “Get in the fucking truck. Right now. You aren’t going anywhere without me. Your car can stay here forever as far as I’m concerned. You won’t be needing it.” He opened the door, shoving her roughly into the seat, causing her ribs to hurt again. She laid on the seat, tears coursing down her cheeks as she waited for him to get into the driver seat. She wished that someone, anyone would come save her. She knew now she was as good as dead if he got her home. She wasn’t even healed from last week, much less whatever punishment he was going to dole out now.

  She thought to what Kayley said. Attempted murder. Woman still in a coma. She was next. She knew it. She would be lucky to be alive at all after this, much less in a coma.

  Justin got in and glanced over at her, still slumped on the seat. “Get up and put your fucking seat belt on. You try to do anything smart on the way home and I’ll kill you first, then your fucking nosey-ass friend next. You got that?” Rachel nodded. Justin looked ahead, muttering under his breath to himself. He sped through the streets, running through lights and driving erratically. She was terrified to say a word, and actually found herself wishing they would get in an accident so that she could be saved and he would be apprehended.

  A few minutes from her house, Rachel looked in the side view mirror and saw something that made her heart jump with hope. A cruiser was following them very closely. She closed her eyes, praying that they would flip on their lights. If they had been behind Justin for any amount of time, they would’ve seen him break any number of traffic laws.

  Right after she saw it, so did Justin. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. “Fuck. These bastards are going to turn their lights on, I know it. You better fucking sit there and pretend that you are happy as a pig in shit, you got that? You give them any indication of anything else and I’ll kill you both right here on the spot.” He indicated the glove box and Rachel knew. He had a gun. There was no escaping.

  Moments later, the officer flipped on the lights and sirens. She wracked her brain for how she could get their attention without Justin knowing. She couldn’t think of a damn thing, but she knew that if she didn’t try to do something, it was over for her.

  Pulling over in the parking lot of a gas station, Rachel looked around for anyone who may be paying them attention that she could try to signal but didn’t see anyone. The officer sat behind them for several minutes, no doubt running the plates of the truck. Rachel found herself wondering just who this truck was registered to, and if Justin really had a license that said his ‘fake’ name. He had gone all out to start a new life. She hoped the officer recognized him from the picture that had been plastered all over the news.

  The door swung open to the c
ruiser, and Rachel watched, frozen, as the officer walked up to Justin’s window. He was a young guy, and she contemplated which of them were going to survive this.

  Justin smiled, putting the window down. “Can I help you, officer?” Rachel had to give it to him, he was smooth. She knew that was exactly how he had swindled her into believing him.

  “License and registration, please,” the officer answered, his eyes shifting over to her. What she wanted to do was start screaming and jumping up and down that he was a wanted criminal. But instead, she smiled at the young officer.

  “What am I being pulled over for?” Justin reached over and squeezed her leg. To anyone else, it would look like a loving gesture. To her, she knew it was a warning.

  The officer took the license and registration from him. “Going 65 in a 45 and running a red light, at a minimum. You could be booked for reckless driving for the things I saw you doing, but I may think about forgiving that if your record is clean. Hang tight, I’ll be right back.” Glancing at Rachel again, she had a brief moment to connect with the officer, so she shook her head no. He stopped, his eyes intent on her. Justin followed his gaze to Rachel, where she smiled and put her hand across the bench onto Justin’s leg. He winked at her, and the officer looked back and forth again between them before going on to his car.

  Blowing out a nervous breath, she dared to look at Justin. He was actually smiling. She had no idea what in the hell this man’s problem was, but dear god she needed to get away from him. He reached over, putting his hand on the back of her neck and pulling her towards him. Pressing his lips against hers, he roughly shoved his tongue into her mouth. Knowing she didn’t have a choice, she opened her mouth to allow him access. His hand roughly touched her breast, kneading it, while his other hand reached over and rubbed her through her pants. She had no idea what he was doing or why. He was way beyond the point of turning her on, but she allowed him to keep touching her.