by J L Belcher
Damon sarcastically announces, “Well, well, well. Look who we have here boys. April fools,” he laughs and they step inside and locking the door behind them. “Now that’s not very hospitable, and definitely no way to greet an old friend.”
“It’s been a while, and the boss has some unfinished business with you,” Merrick grins at her.
Claire remembers him clearly. Merrick was the man who shot her husband, and now she can see the murderous look in his eyes as he glares at her.
Horror-stricken, she scrambles backwards on her floor. “No… No… No,” was all that quietly escaped her mouth.
Damon steps closer and goes down on his haunches in front of her. “She doesn’t look so good,” he says to the other three men. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong? Cat suddenly got your tongue?”
With one hand, Damon wraps his fingers around her throat and lifts her to her feet. Her whole-body trembles with terror and she knows she is going to die. She closes her eyes and says a quiet prayer.
“Sugar, he ain’t gonna save ya.” He shoves her onto the couch, and she gasps for air.
She spots the baseball bat in the umbrella stand near the front door, but she knows that won’t be enough against their guns. She can’t give up. She can’t do this to her kids. Not again. They can’t lose another parent.
“Diesel, tie her up.”
“I’m on it.” He grabs Claire by her arm and yanks her up. She groans in pain, feeling like her arm nearly ripped from its socket. He pushes her onto the dining chair which Merrick retrieves for the kitchen. “We can’t have you sneaking off again, can we now?”
“I won’t… I promise. Why are you doing this? How did you get my phone number?”
“Shut up,” Damon demands, and he throws a rag to Diesel and tells him to gag her if she screams.
“I want to know__”
Damon back hands her across the face and she falls off the chair.
Her cheek burns and her eye feels as if it’s about to explode. Claire glances around the room, trying to regain her balance as she holds back her cries with fear of being hit again.
“For fucksake. Get her up and back in the chair, and this time tie her to the damn chair.”
“No. Please don’t,” she begs. “I-I want to know why… Why are you doing
this?”
“I don’t think you’re really in any position to be telling me what to do. But I will tell you this. It is good having some cop working for me. Here is a little tip for ya. For the right amount of money. Money can talk.”
Damon reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out a cigar and runs it slowly under his nose. “You ever smoke one of these?”
She just stares at him, unable to answer.
“I asked you a question.” He grabs her by the chin and squeezes.
“No. No, I don’t smoke,” Claire’s voice trembles.
“Well, that’s good. Ya know these things will kill ya.” He bites off the tip, spitting it on the floor. He lights it up, inhaling deeply then blowing it into her face.
Claire coughs from the strong smell as it burns her throat.
“Boss, we gotta go. A car just pulled into the driveway. FUCK! It’s a cop. We gotta go now. Gag the bitch and come on,” Merrick insists.
Lou snatches the bag for the floor, and they all run out the back door. Sneaking along the side of the house and hiding behind the shrubs until they can safely jump the fence, unseen.
Chapter 8
Max knocks on the door… No answer. “Claire?” he calls out. He can smell something burning. He tries to open the door, but its locked. “CLAIRE, OPEN UP.” He puts his ear to the door and hears a muffled sound. “I’m coming in.”
Max kicks the door in and the second he sees Claire tied up and bleeding, he pulls out his gun, leaps over to Claire and puts his arm around her.
“Are you alright?” he takes the gag out and unties the ropes on her hands and feet. In shock she glairs. “Of course you’re not alright. Don’t move.” He runs to the kitchen filling with smoke, expecting to see a fire. Max opens the oven and turns it off. Smoke floods the room and the fire alarms go off.
He goes back to Claire, picks her up and carries her out the front door. He lowers her on the step and sits beside her.
Max immediately goes into cop mode. “Claire, what happened? Who did this to you?” He can see she is in shock. He takes both her hands in his and calms her down. “Claire, it’s time you told me what’s going on. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”
She stares at Max but it’s as if she doesn’t see him at all. Unshed tears fill her bloodshot eyes and a bruise is forming on her cheek.
Max unbuttons his uniform shirt and
slips it down his arms then slowly reaches, not wanting to startle Claire, he softly wipes the blood dripping down her face.
“Claire, you need to tell me what’s going here. As the constable, and as your friend, I going to keep you safe. But you’ve gotta talk to me.”
She looks around, still with fear, she takes a deep breath, “Ok… Inside… Can we do this inside.” She looks around as if she suspects someone is watching them.
Max takes Claire’s hand and walks inside with her. She locks the door behind her then quickly locks the back door before returning to Max’s side.
“Okay, sit with me and tell me what’s going on, Claire.”
She drops her head forward, closes her eyes as she tries to slow her breathing. Remembering her sessions with her psychologist, she takes several deep, slow breaths and counts to ten.
“Three years ago…” she raises her eyes to meet Max’s, “my… my husband was…” she sniffles and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “My husband was killed in front of me.”
Max rests a hand on her knee and encourages her to continue. Claire nervously hugs a cushion against her chest and tell him about the attempt to rape her in front of her husband. But the one named Lou shot him before it got that far. She tells how she escaped and now they have found her again.
Claire jumps up and walks towards the bedrooms. “I’ve gotta go pack. As soon as the boys__ Oh no… The boys.” I have to get them.”
“Claire, the boys are in school. They’re safe.” He takes her by the hand and drags her back to the couch. “Tell me more. I know there is more to this story. I care for you, Kane and Leo.”
Claire figures she has nothing to lose. After all, he is the law enforcer around here, and not to forget her only friend.
“My name isn’t Claire. It’s Amber. Amber Delaney. Kane is Jack, and Leo is Bailey.” She take a deep breath, glances into Max’s dark brown eyes then continues. “We were put in the Witness Protection Program three years ago and this is the third time they’ve found us.”
“They’ll find you again, but if you at least stay here I can protect you. I don’t want you to run from me.” Max thinks quickly and comes up with a plan. “Claire, pack all your things and we’ll pick up the kids. Let those monsters think you have moved on and going to be under another identity. On the chance they are still here watching you, we’ll pack everything in my car, pick the kids up early from school and I’ll drive you out of town. I’m about to call a friend, Constable Sawyer from the next town. I’ll have him follow us at a good distance in an unmarked car.”
“What?”
“Go. Quickly pack and then we’ll pick the kids up. I got a phone call to make.”
Claire pulls out the suitcase from under her bed and shoves everything in there. She never accumulated much over the last couple of years. She knew she had to keep life simple. Everything she had fit in her suitcase. Then she runs to the next room and swiftly packed the boys duffle bag.
By the time Claire is done, she steps out into the lounge room again with bags in hand. She sees a change in Max.
The light-hearted and carefree man who sat with her no more than twenty minutes ago, is now intense and professional. Constable Max Novak peers through the closed curtain, lo
oking for any sign of movement outside.
“Max? Do you see them out there?”
“No. Just on the lookout.” He turns
toward Claire and notices she has covered her bruises on her cheek and eye, but nothing will hide the swelling. “You put on a bit makeup,” he waves a hand in front of his face.
“Ah, yeah.” Claire gently places a hand on her bruised cheek. “I didn’t want the kids to see me like that.”
“Good idea.” Max peers out the window again. "You ready? Have you got everything?”
“Yes. We don’t have a lot. I like to keep
it light so it’s easy to pack and move quickly.”
He looks at her briefly, seeing the sadness in her eyes as she glances around.
“Are you ready to do this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Let’s go. Constable Sawyer is on his way and will be following us from the school.”
Max take the duffle bag from Claire and throws it over his shoulder. He has his other hand resting on his firearm in the intent to protect Claire.
He steps out onto the patio first, scanning their surroundings to make sure the coast is clear. “Let’s go.”
She follows close behind Max as they dart for his squad car.
When he pulls out onto the road, Max
catches sight of a black car with red flames on the car bonnet parked on the side of the road.
He keeps an eye on his rear vision mirror and notices the same black car is now following at a distance. He reaches for the CB radio, “We have a 10-12. I repeat, a 10-12.” He describes the car to look out for.
“What’s a 10-12.”
Max explains, “Visitors are present. We have someone following us. But every is fine. I plan on losing them with the RBT I have set up just around the corner up here. While they’re being pulled up we’ll have enough time to get the kids.”
“You did all this when I was packing?”
“Yes ma’am. While they have them there, they’re going to stall them as long as possible. Go over their car. Check their licences. They’re going to give them the works.”
As we turn the corner Max drives on by and the policemen are ready to pullover the car behind them.
Max pulls up in front of the school. “We’ve gotta be quick. We’ve only got a couple of minutes.”
Max is unsure how long they’ll be driving around and thought it would be best to collect Dillon while he’s there.
Chapter 9
Fifteen months has passed since that ordeal with Damon and his goons finding Claire again.
So much has changed. Max asked Claire and her two boys to move in eight months ago. Not just into his house but asking Claire to also move into his bed.
Claire surprised Dillon and Max with baking both their cakes for their latest birthdays.
Max sits on the edge of the bed and wipes her hair from her face. He leans
down kissing Claire softly on the lips.
Peeking an eye open, she mumbles, “You’re going into work today?”
“Yeah, sorry. Brendan called in sick, and I can’t do anything about it.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s just after eight.”
“Oh no!” Claire jumps up. “Why didn’t you wake me? I have to__”
“Stay here. The kids are dressed. They’ve had breakfast and I’ve made them all lunches. So lay back and catch up on more sleep.”
Max wishes he could stay here in bed with her. This was supposed to be his day off since Officer Brendan moved into town.
Kane, Leo and even Dillon came into the room to hug and say goodbye before
they left.
Dillon needed a mother figure and that’s how he sees me now. He’s an amiable and charming young boy.
Max drives Dillon, Kane and Leo to school giving Claire time to close her eyes again.
Claire’s eyes suddenly pop open and terror fills her body when she smells a familiar stench. The stench of cigars.
Her heart races and she shakes uncontrollably. No. No not again. She crawls out of bed, franticly searching the room for somewhere to hide.
All the blood drains from her face when the cigar smell gets stronger. Nowhere to escape so she immediately sneaks into the wardrobe, hugging her knees to her chest behind the rack of her hanging dresses and coats.
The moment she hears someone’s footsteps enter the room, terror runs through her veins. Images of what-could-be flashes through her head.
“Where are you sweet thing?” Damon calls out as he wanders around the bed. “Come out, come out wherever you are. We watched lover boy drive off with the kids.”
The footsteps echo through the doors as he keeps talking.
“Stop wasting our fuckin’ time and get out here. We ain’t goiń anywhere. We know you’re here and we’re gonna finish our business with you.”
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she slowly opening the door ajar, checking to see if the coast is clear.
Heart racing a million miles an hour, Claire creeps towards the window, she reaches for the window. Peering over her shoulder she hears more footsteps coming down the hall.
Knowing this is her only chance to escape, and she needs to do it now. Raising the window, Claire starts slipping out the window.
“Hey! Where the fuck do you think you’re going,” Damon calls out as he runs towards her just as she jumps and makes a run for it. “MOTHERFUCKER!” he hollers. “Get out there now and get the bitch back in here… NOW.”
“HELP. HELP. SOMEBODY HELP ME,” Claire screams at the top of her lungs over and over again while sprinting franticly towards the closest neighbours house. Her legs feeling weak and she trips over a rock. The moment the front door bursts open, two of his goons come running out.
Claire scrambles to her feet and starts sprinting again as she calls out for help. Just as she reaches the neighbour’s gate, Lou wraps an arm tightly around her, crushing her ribs, pulling her against his chest. His other hand, covers her mouth, silencing her from calling out anymore.
“NO,” she mumbles under his hand. Claire’s tears streaming down her face as she cries. Shaking uncontrollably, but she knows she needs to fight for her life. She kicks him in the shin and stomps on his foot.
“FUCK! Son-of-a-bitch. I will snap you in half like a twig if you do that again.” Lou strengthens his hold on her? “Do you understand me?”
Claire nods her head vigorously.
The neighbour’s two dogs bark hysterically from inside the fence when they see them. Lou quickly returns back to the house, strengthening his hold as he drags her along.
As they reach the front door, Claire gags from the smell of stale cigarette on his breath when he whispers in her ear, “Something, is telling me, you’re not excited about seeing us again. Didn’t you miss us?”
The door flies open, and Damon is standing there with his hands on his hips. “Get the fuck in here now or are you waiting for all the neighbours to see
you?”
Lou shoves Claire inside and she falls to her hands and knees. She looks up in front of her and sees a chair, rope and masking tape ready for her.
“Tie her up. She ain’t getting away again.”
Both Merrick and Diesel lift Claire and
tie her to the chair. Damon throws Lou the tape and tells him to keep her quiet.
“Wait, please… Why?” she begs. “If you plan on killing me, just tell me. Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you target us that night?”
Damon walks with deliberate slow steps around the chair, runs his finger over her soft skin.
Claire flinches and she tries to squirm away from his touch.
“You really are a sweet thing.” He slides one spaghetti strap of her satin nightie over a shoulder. “Mmm…. So you want to know why, huh? I guess that’s a fair question.”
Claire’s lips tremble and she can feel her heartbeat races, ready to explode.
“Let m
e tell you a little story which involved your husband and how you got
dragged into all this.
Roxy, my wife, was on her way home from have her lunch date with the girls from work when she was randomly pulled over for a breathalyser test on the side of the road. Well at least that’s what we thought at the time. I don’t care what anyone says, she was setup by these bitches,” he snarls at the thought of what they did.
Claire listens to Damon rambling on about his wife and she still doesn’t understand what this has to do with Jeremy or herself.
“When Roxy visited the ladies room, the bitches slipped a mickey in her drink. So anyway, when she was pulled over and breathalysed, they went through her car and found sachets of drugs hidden under the passenger’s seat. She was done for and had the book thrown at her.”
“I still don’t understand what this has to do with me.”
“You will sweet thing,” he says with venom dripping from the corners of his mouth. “This is where your husband comes into it. I was told Jeremy Lewis was one of the best lawyers to take on Roxy’s case. But the bastard said he wasn’t taking on any new cases at that time. So he handed Roxy’s case over to some fucking second rate lawyer who did a half-ass job.”
“He wouldn’t take on her case so he could spend time with you and handed her over to __”
“Well he did, and Roxy was sent to jail.” Damon leans forward and rest his elbows on his knees. “This is where you come into it. I blame your husband for having my woman locked up where she was raped and killed. And this is where we finish what we started in that dark alley.”
Claire’s leans away from Damon and struggles with the ropes. “Please don’t do this. I have children.”
He slips a finger under the other spaghetti strap, it slip from her shoulder. The nightie fall to her waist exposing Claire’s pale plump breasts. Damon lowers his voice to a whisper, “Well look at these pretty puppies. I can see why Jeremy married you.”