Back on Solid Ground

by Debra Trueman

  Stacy was quiet, thinking, and Parker went to his briefcase and pulled out a stack of photos. He handed them to Stacy and she sat at her dining room table and went through photo after photo, looking for a familiar face. She stopped at a photo of a man whom she thought she had seen in Colombia.

  “Do you recognize him?” Parker asked.

  “I’m not sure. The man who flew the helicopter looked kind of like that, but he had a thick beard. It could be him, but I couldn’t be certain,” Stacy said. She handed him the photo, he set it aside, and Stacy resumed the photo search. She had gone through an entire stack and couldn’t identify anyone with certainty. “Sorry,” she said.

  “I’ve got more,” he said, handing her another stack.

  Stacy looked through a half dozen more photos when she flipped to one and her blood went cold. In a flash she was back in the motel room and images of their fight were clicking through her head. The photo had set off a chain reaction that took Stacy totally off guard. One minute she was fine and the next she was completely panicked. She could feel the man’s warm blood dripping on her face and arms, and she started shaking violently, trying to wipe it off.

  The attack came on so fast that it took Parker completely by surprise. He yelled for Agent Kanes, and when he came busting through the door, Parker was trying to talk Stacy back from whatever nightmare she had slipped into. She was backing away from Agent Parker, crying. “Stay away from me!”

  Parker spoke calmly, “Stacy, it’s Agent Parker with the FBI. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you. You’re okay, Stacy.”

  Stacy wasn’t pacified. She had backed herself up into a corner and she slid her back down the wall and curled up into a little ball on the floor, where she was pleading for Parker not to hurt her.

  Parker looked over at Alex, at a loss. “You try,” he said.

  Alex moved over to where Stacy could see him. His movements were slow and deliberate as he approached her, but he spoke in his normal tone of voice. “Hi Stacy, remember me?”

  She went quiet and looked from Parker to Alex with a blank look on her face.

  “It’s Alex. You know, I bought you tacos this morning.”

  No response.

  “You owe me three bucks,” he said, and at last there was some recognition in her eyes. Alex moved closer and squatted down beside her. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.

  Stacy nodded her head yes, but didn’t say anything.

  “You okay there?”

  Stacy shook her head no. “I don’t think so,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Something happened to me. I was back in that motel room.” Stacy looked over at Parker, and was mortified at what she had done. “I am so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Parker said.

  Alex took Stacy’s hand and squeezed it. “You’ve been through hell,” he said. “What you’re going through is normal. You just need some time, Stacy. That’s all. You’re going to be fine.”

  Stacy wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “I don’t want to look at any more pictures today.”

  “I don’t either,” Parker said, gathering up his things.

  “Come on. Let me help you up,” Alex said, and he hooked Stacy under her arm and helped her to her feet. “Can I get you anything, a cold drink or a snack or something,” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “I take it you recognized the man in that photo,” Parker said.

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about catching him. I killed him,” she said, and Parker nodded.

  Stacy was wet with perspiration after her flashback episode and she was wiping the back of her neck with her shirt. She went in the kitchen and pulled off a paper towel and wiped her forehead.

  Parker spoke so she couldn’t hear him. “She’s in a bad way,” he told Alex.

  “I’d say she’s handling it all amazingly well,” Alex said.

  Alex resumed his position outside her door, and Parker left shortly afterwards. Stacy walked over to the window and looked out at San Antonio.

  “Please call me, Niki,” she said out loud, then she admonished herself for acting like a fool. Get your shit together. You’ve never waited around for a guy to call before and you’re sure as hell not going to start now. She went in the bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water was steaming hot, she got in and cried her eyes out while she washed away all the bad karma she had gathered over the last week.

  When Stacy got out of the shower, Holly was knocking on her door.

  “Thank goodness you’re here,” Stacy said. “I don’t have a thing to eat in this whole place, and my asshole father sold my car. Can you take me to the grocery store?”

  “You’re not supposed to drive anyway,” Holly told her. “He sold your car, already?”

  “Yeah, the prick,” Stacy said.

  Stacy was rummaging through her desk and she pulled out a pad of checks. It was one of the few accounts Eli hadn’t messed with, and she hoped there was still money in it. They left Stacy’s condo and went to the grocery store and were headed back to Stacy’s when she suggested a detour.

  “Will you take me by a dealership. I need to buy a car,” Stacy said.

  “You’re not even supposed to drive,” Holly said.

  “I have to have a car. It’s psychological. If I know I’m stranded at my condo, I’ll go nuts,” Stacy said.

  Holly pulled her BMW into a car lot and salesmen swarmed from every direction. It looked like they had been hiding in between the cars.

  “Good morning ladies,” said the first salesman to reach them. He stopped in his tracks, “You’re Stacy Trent!”

  “Yeah,” Stacy said embarrassed.

  “Are you looking for a car today?” he asked enthusiastically.

  “Yes, I am. But I already know what I want,” she said. She pointed to the black Viper sitting up on a ramp. “That one.”

  The salesman got a huge smile on his face. “You want the Viper?” he repeated.

  “Yeah, but I want to test drive it. Can you get it down for me?”

  “Absolutely,” he said, and he disappeared into the office.

  “You’re getting a Viper?” Holly laughed.

  “What do you think?” Stacy said. “I saw one on the road a couple of weeks ago.”

  “It’s awesome!” Holly said.

  Stacy spotted Alex’s car in the parking lot and she lost her train of thought. She walked over to his black sedan. “I’m getting ready to test drive a car. If I lose you, I’ll meet you back at my condo.”

  “Which one?” he asked.

  “The Viper.”

  Alex laughed. “I thought you weren’t supposed to drive.”

  “One little test drive isn’t going to hurt anything.” The salesman had taken the car off the ramp and was standing beside the car waiting for Stacy. “I’ll see ya later,” she told Alex and she and Holly got in the Viper and Stacy put the window down. “We’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” she told the salesman and she put the car in gear and took off.

  “This is awesome!” Holly yelled. “You have to get this car!”

  They got onto Hwy 281 and Stacy punched it. “It’s the bat mobile!” She drove out to Loop 1604 and turned around and was headed back to town when she blew past a policeman running radar on the side of the highway. His lights went on and she looked in her rearview mirror and could see him pulling onto the highway.

  “Uh oh.” Stacy said.

  Holly turned around and looked out the back window. “Bummer.”

  “I could outrun him.”

  “No! You need to pull over,” Holly said, adamantly.

  Stacy pulled the Viper to the side of the road and waited for the policeman to catch up to her. Stacy rolled her window down and the officer walked up to the car with his pad out. He was lecturing before he even got to the car.

  “Do you know how fast you were going back there?” He looked in the window and there was instant recognition when he saw Stacy, and he changed his tone c
ompletely. “You’re the girl who escaped from Colombia!” he exclaimed. He stuck the pad in his back pocket and leaned into the window and looked into the passenger seat. Holly smiled and waved.

  “That was some story I read about you,” the officer told Stacy. “Looks like you went through a pretty rough time over there,” he said, motioning to her face.

  Stacy looked in her rearview mirror at the bruising. “It’s actually gotten better.”

  “Is this your car?” he asked her, checking it out.

  “I’m taking it for a test drive,” she said.

  “It’s a beautiful machine, but slow down before you hurt someone,” he said, and he headed back to his vehicle.

  They drove back to the car lot and Stacy bought the Viper and drove it home. Alex was sitting outside her door.

  “Did he give you a ticket?”

  “A verbal warning. You want to take it for a spin?” she asked.

  “Maybe later,” he laughed.

  Stacy went inside and unloaded her groceries and pushed the button on her answering machine. It was full of messages, but there was nothing from Niki. She was determined not to let it get to her, but she was desperate to talk to him.

  Chapter 33

  Niki, Eli, Jason and Carlos flew out of Medellìn Monday morning. Niki walked around the house in a funk, and he finally plopped himself down on the couch and turned on the TV. He was just thinking that he needed to keep busy when Eli came in.

  “Feel like going to London?” Eli asked.

  “Hell yes,” Niki said. “What kind of job is it?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “As long as it’s not a kidnapping. When do we leave?” Niki asked.

  “Tomorrow morning,” Eli said.

  “Good. I’ll go nuts if I sit around here. Stacy Trent is consuming my every fucking thought!”

  “You’re still planning on trying to see her again?” Eli asked.

  Niki looked surprised. “Why would you say that?”

  “I just think maybe you’re being unrealistic in thinking that she’s going to want to have anything to do with you. We kidnapped her, for fuck sake, and that set the stage for all the bad things that happened to her after that. I just think you should consider the possibility that she’s not going to want to pick up where she left off with you. The circumstances have changed – she’s not dependent on you for her safety or survival any more.”

  “You think that the choices she made here were based solely on survival instinct? Is that what you’re saying?” Niki asked.

  “I don’t think you two would have ever gotten involved with each other under different circumstances – if you hadn’t been thrown together.”

  “Well, you may be right. I don’t know,” Niki said. “But I’m sure as hell going to find out.”

  “I just don’t want you to be blindsided if Stacy doesn’t want to see you again,” Eli said.

  “I won’t be,” Niki said.

  Eli sat down in a chair and looked around. “This place seems quiet without her, doesn’t it,” he asked.

  “Yeah.” Niki got up and poured himself a drink and went out to the balcony where they had kissed during the storm. He remembered every detail of the scene, how she felt in his arms, her soft lips when he kissed her, the way she smelled. It wasn’t just survival instinct.

  “I’m going down to the beach for a while,” Niki said.

  He left the house and walked out to the end of the pier and then turned around and looked at the view of the villa from the water. He loved this island. It had been home to him for years and it was always his favorite place to be. But right then it didn’t feel inviting at all. It made him feel isolated and alone. Eli had followed Niki to the beach and was walking towards him on the pier.

  Eli handed Niki a beer. “Are you pissed off at me?” Eli asked.

  “No,” Niki said. He was quiet for a minute then he looked over at his brother. “You want to go home for a couple of days? Maybe on the way back from London?”

  The question took Eli by surprise. “I don’t know. I guess.” Then he thought about it for a second, and said, “Yeah, sure. Why not?”

  “Okay,” Niki said. “How long will we be in London?”

  “At least a week, but we could stay longer to kill time.”

  “Let’s do that and we’ll go to New Orleans from there.”

  “Sounds good,” said Eli.

  “I’m going to repack,” Niki said.

  They went back to the house and Niki went to his room and lay back on his bed. Carlos had been in and he had left Stacy’s jewelry on Niki’s bedside table. Niki picked up the necklace and dangled the charm over his hand. I’ll see you soon, Stacy.

  Chapter 34

  When Wednesday morning rolled around, Stacy was ready to get back to work. She woke up early, ground her coffee, brushed her teeth and showered before 6:30. She had bought some concealer at the grocery store and she ripped the packaging off and smeared it under her eyes and on her cheeks. It camouflaged the bruises better than she thought it would. She dressed in her favorite red Armani suit and fixed her hair, and she looked at herself in the mirror. I’m back! . . . kind of.

  She poured herself a mug of coffee and one for Alex, and she opened up a cookie bouquet that the group from the office had sent her. At 7:00, she was heading out the door.

  “Oh, hi,” Stacy said, surprised. “I thought you would be Alex.” She set the mugs and a cookie down on the hall table and stuck out her hand. “I’m Stacy Trent.” The agent shook her hand. He didn’t look old enough to be with the FBI – he was just a kid.

  “I’m Agent Hill. Agent Kanes comes on duty at 8:00.”

  “What’s your first name?” she asked.

  “Dennis. Where are we going?”

  “To work. Do you drink coffee?” She felt like she should offer him chocolate milk.

  “Yes, ma’am. Thanks.”

  Stacy groaned. “Please don’t call me ma’am. You can call me Stacy. Here, I brought you a cookie,” she said, handing it over.

  “Thanks. I’ll save it for later.”

  “You know, honestly, I don’t think I need protection from you guys while I’m at work. There will be people all over the place. My dad’s not going to try anything while I’m there.”

  “Are you refusing protection?” Dennis asked.

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it like that,” Stacy said. “I just think it would be awkward having you guys sitting outside my door at the office all day.”

  Dennis looked at his watch. “I’m only on for another hour. Let me call Agent Kanes and pass on your concerns to him.” He got on his phone, got Alex on the line and explained the situation.

  “Let me talk to her,” Alex said.

  Dennis handed the phone to Stacy. “He wants to talk to you.”

  “Hi, Alex,” said Stacy.

  “Good morning, Stacy. What’s the problem?”

  “There is no problem. I just don’t think I need you guys sitting outside my door at the office all day. I don’t think my father will do anything while I’m there,” she explained.

  “Stacy,” Alex said, trying to keep his cool. “Your father staged a very public bank robbery to cover up his kidnapping/murder-for-hire scheme. And you’re telling me you think he has qualms about doing something in front of people?”

  Stacy didn’t say anything.

  “Hello?” Alex said.

  “I’m here,” Stacy said, quietly “I guess you’re right.”

  “I am right. I’ll see you at your office,” Alex said, and he hung up.

  Stacy handed the phone back to Dennis. “Shall we go?” she said.

  Alex was waiting outside her office when Stacy got there. “Well, there’re no flies on you. How’d you get here so fast?” she asked.

  Alex looked at Stacy all dressed up. “You look different,” he said.

  “Different? What kind of a comment is that?” she said.

  Alex ignored her. “I’m your new sales
rep reporting for duty,” Alex told her. “That way we can keep you under surveillance but not broadcast it to the world. Because your father’s definitely not going to turn up if he knows you’re being shadowed.”

  “A sales rep?” Stacy asked. “No one’s going to buy that. How about you can be my new assistant?”

  “Assistant it is,” Alex said.

  Stacy unlocked the door and stepped in and turned on a light. Her staff wouldn’t arrive until 8:30. “You didn’t bring donuts or anything?” Stacy said. “I thought you guys ate donuts all the time.”

  Alex laughed. “No. I didn’t bring donuts.”

  “Okay, Assistant Alex,” Stacy said, walking through the office, turning on all the lights. “How about you start by making coffee?” She went into the large conference room and straightened all the chairs and did the same in the small conference room. Then she led Alex down the hall to the kitchen.

  Stacy sat down at one of the tables while Alex made a pot of coffee. “How long have you been married, Alex?” Stacy asked.

  He turned around and looked at her. “Six years.”

  “What’s your wife like?”

  “She’s beautiful,” Alex said, with pride. “She’s the best wife a man could ever dream of. I have no idea how I got so lucky.”

  “How many kids do you have?” Stacy asked.

  “Two,” he said. “A boy and a girl.”

  “Do you have pictures?”

  Alex fished his wallet out of his pocket and opened it up to a family photo and handed it to Stacy. Stacy smiled when she saw it. It was a candid shot of Alex standing with his arm around his wife. They were looking at each other, laughing. One kid was wrapped around Alex’s leg, and the other was tugging on the first kid.

  “What a great picture!” Stacy said. “I could use it in a real estate agent’s ad. Superimpose you guys beside a sold sign.”

  Alex laughed and took his wallet back.

  “You have a beautiful family. What are their names?”

  “My wife’s name is Alison and the kids are Ashley and Brady.”

  “What about you? Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Alex asked.

  “Kind of. But he’s from out of town,” Stacy said.

  “I’m surprised he’s not here with you through all of this,” Alex observed.