“Oh I fucking know that. Shit sorry Cap, erm yeah, I’m with him. He brought that bastard to my group promising to help.”
“He brought Ivy to your group? That’s not allowed. Strictly off record here but Ivy has some issues we tried to help him with but then he went off grid. Tell me the story.”
I look up at Sergeant Ford and motion for him to sit; he looks like he’s desperate to escape but if I want to find Jodi I need to keep him here.
I reel off everything that’s happened while Emily sits across from Ford not speaking but bowing her head.
“Fucking hell. Ok let me see if I can grab some Intel and get back to you.”
“We don’t have time for getting back to each other; I need this information like months ago. And if I let this fucker go, I’ll probably never find him again.”
“Don’t say anything, just hang up and send a text message with your location. I’ll send our MPs straight to you; but you will have to keep him there.”
“Sounds good, speak to you soon.”
We hang up and I immediately send our location to Eddie. He responds.
Give them an hour and you need to hang tight until I ring you again. I should be able to give you something to get started not long after he has been picked up. Wish you had gotten in touch with me before now Jenson.
I know but I never thought I’d have to talk to any of you again.
We are family andafter everything you went through you should know we would want to hear from you.
Help me get my girl back and I’ll have you around for dinner.
I message back.
Deal. Give me some time son.
His words make my heart hurt more than it did before. When my world fell apart I doubted everyone around me, tried to take my life and probably would have taken anyone who crossed me at the same time, but here is someone who I looked up to telling me they had me. I didn’t see it; now it hurts my heart that because of my struggles, I forgot the family who could help me the most.
Jodi
I think I’ve vomited five times a day, everyday following sleeping with Lance. He keeps telling me it’s not our first time but I can’t figure that out or remember and my heart hurts knowing I betrayed it. He hasn’t left my side, his phone has been ringing off the hook for days but it’s been forgotten; forgotten because he’s ghosted me every single step I’ve taken.
When I stopped at the door to check he was there, Lance dragged me away, not placating me in the least but making sure my terror was there from the first second my foot met the frame.
“Do you love me?”
Nodding yes, I prayed he would believe me over the trembling that had become my permanent state of being.
“I said, do you fucking love me?”
“Ye..e..ess.” I can’t stop the tremor in my voice.
“Good, we are leaving here; I’m going to fly you around the world and show you the universe because you’re my girl.”
“I’ve seen the world.” I say on instinct.
“Not with fucking me you haven’t.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere, he will follow me. I can’t leave.”
“Stupid bitch!” He screams as he backhands me. “Couldn’t just fucking say thank you, could you?” His face twists into some sort of demon possessed human.
Before I even get the chance to open my mouth, the noise of the door being kicked through rips the millimetre of space between his snarling face and my terrified one. On instinct I jump from where I’m sat and hide behind the closest barrier, while Lance just stands his ground.
“Ivy, answer the fucking door! The next kick will take it down; so I suggest answering would be better than that.” A foreign voice screams out through the already splintered door.
“Stay fucking hidden, I won’t let them take you after all of this. You’re mine, you hear me?”
I don’t answer because the next second feet hit the laminate flooring that covers the entire downstairs floors.
“Don’t fucking move Ivy. Boys, you know the drill.” He waves his hand in the air and they all scatter, feet pounding the stairs. “Where is she?”
“What are you fucking talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about asshat. Where is Corporal Emery?” I’m too scared to move, but even in my fragile state of mind I know these men are here to help me if I let them. But Lance’s threat and the thought of leaving with Mohammad outside makes me shrink into myself even more.
“Fuck you pricks, don’t you think she would have called if she wanted to go home. Leave me and my fiancé in peace.” Fiancé? What does he mean? I’m not marrying him. I mean I’m not ok, but I didn’t agree to that, right?
“She isn’t your fiancé, Ivy. Her family and friends have been looking for her for months. If she was, you would have let her see her family; you would have at least let them talk to her. You sick mother fucker! Where is she?”
“No one up there Captain, you want us to search down here?”
“Yes, she’s here somewhere.”
I stand before anyone can find me, slow and on unsteady feet.
“I’m he..e..ere.” I say shakily.
“Holy shit you sick mother fucker.” He points towards Lance. “What the fuck have you done to her?”
Lance steps back to where I am while pulling a knife from the waist of his trousers, grabbing my hand and leaning the knife against my carotid artery.
“You won’t fucking take her from me, fucking idiots. She’s mine; move and I’ll take her as fast as you take me.” My body doubles the spasms that had already taken over my body, I can feel the blade of his knife nick my skin but my fear doesn’t let it bother me as much as it should. I’m numb.
“Ivy, don’t fucking do it man, just let her go. You know she needs to get better.” The captain pleads with Lance.
“No. she belongs with me. Try to take her and I will kill her. Then myself. She’s pregnant with my baby, she’s my fiancé. You can’t take her without taking a part of me.”
“You know that doesn’t matter, you can’t force someone to stay with you. You have held her here against her will for months, she’s unrecognizable Ivy. If you love her like you say; you have to see she’s dying.”
“Shut up. Just shut the fuck up.” He uses his other hand to pull at his hair. “She’s here because she loves me; tell them.” When I don’t speak he presses the blade against my neck harder. “Fucking tell these bastards you are here because you love me.”
I can’t speak, I can’t move; the pressure from the knife is making it impossible.
“Fucking tell them!” I feel his free hand splinter my ribs and then hear the gun held in the captain’s hand release its barrelled round straight into Lance’s head.
Warmth rushes from my neck as we both meet the floor.
Chapter 23
Jenson
“Jenson?”
“What? What?”
“They got a squad together, the cap went with them. They have her but she’s injured.”
“What do you mean she’s injured?”
“I don’t know the details just we have to get you to the hospital.” I jump to my feet just as Emily does and also as the MPs hone in on Sergeant Ford.
“I’m coming with you, Cory.”
“Like fuck you are.” I walk away following the soldier who addressed me.
“I’m Corporal Price, just so you know.”
“How did this happen so fast?”
“Fuck knows but when the Cap has a bee in his bonnet he sure knows how to fucking deal.”
I slump against the door of his truck, before he can unlock his door; I feel Emily beside me.
“Don’t fucking leave me here! I’m sorry ok but she’s my friend, my only friend and I need to know she’s ok.”
“She isn’t your only fucking friend Emily; you had us all, until you kept shit from us.”
“I know what I did was wrong but I need to be there with her.”
I grunt and climb into the now unlocked truck, I don’t have time for her shit. I need to be at whatever hospital holds the missing piece of my existence. She climbs into the back seat silently and doesn’t speak the whole journey to the hospital.
Jodi
I don’t know where I am; I can’t get my eyes to open. I can hear buzzing and beeping but my body is not my friend and won’t listen to my silent instructions.
The only thing I know is that he isn’t here commanding my every move. Neither of them are here. I don’t know how I know but I can just feel it.
Jenson
“Cory? Stop fucking pacing man.”
“Jenson?”
“Jenson? Cory?”
“It’s not fucking registering that we are here in his head is it?”
Emily’s response captures my attention.
“This is hard for him.”
I drag my phone from my pocket knowing I have to make a phone call to the other people who are desperate for a good outcome.
“Cory? Is that you?”
“Hi Mrs Emery, yes it’s me. Can you and Cal make your way to The RVI please?”
“You’re at the Royal Victoria? Are you ok son?” The fear in her voice will haunt my soul forever.
“I’m in the waiting room. Jodi is here.”
“Jodi? Our Jodi is in the RVI, Cal? Cal for fuck sake, get in here now. Jodi is in the RVI.” I hear the air rush from her lungs just as Cal takes the phone.
“Jenson?”
“It’s me.”
“Son, give me a ward, we will be there in a few.”
Just as I give him the details before I hang up I hear him say quietly. “I’ll be forever thankful that you found her.”
He might not be thanking me when he gets here.
“Cory?” Emily questions me.
“What do you want Emily?”
“She will be ok.”
“And how the fuck would you know?”
“Just because I did one thing I was asked, doesn’t give you the right to fucking treat me like scum. I did what she asked me to. And I regret it with every ounce of my being. But I don’t fucking regret being her friend and letting her into my world so don’t fucking take your fucking shit out on me because I’ll put you on your ass faster than the words can leave your mouth.”
“Emily…”
“Don’t fucking Emily me. Jodi is the first person to look past my fucking face and get me. I won’t let you take that from me, it’s important and if your shit can’t get past it then I’ll be fucking here rubbing it in even when you’re not.”
Her words hurt me; I love Emily. She’s one of the easier people to deal with among our group because she knows she was thrust upon us without a choice. She needed a family and her haunting fear of the man who harmed her was so fucking raw it meant her PTSD was always multiplied tenfold but she got it. She got that sometimes men know that women suffer worse and playing the two together made us all so much more humble or on par some may say.
I sag into the seat and pat the one closest to me.
“I’m sorry.” The tears drip from my eyes, clogging my throat and making my whole body hurt.
“Don’t, let’s get her out of here before we finish hashing this out.”
“Her parents are on their way.”
“Is that who you were just talking to?” A nod is my only response.
“I’m sorry Cory.” I nod at her before turning and pacing the limited floor space again.
Chapter 24
Emily
I watch Cory crumble when Jodi’s parents enter the waiting room we’ve been in for the last couple of hours. No one has been in to inform us of what’s happening but hopefully now that her parents are here they can find out.
Jodi’s mum sinks to the ground beside Cory wrapping her arms around him as her dad pats his head like he’s a small child. You can see, even though it’s not defined, that her parents love him like their son already, I just pray that Jodi is ok.
Jodi’s dad makes his way to the nurse’s station to find out what is going on. We aren’t the only people in the waiting room. There are quite a few army personnel sat in the corner who I guess were on the mission to get Jodi back, none of those have spoken to us, so we still don’t know the extent of Jodi’s injuries.
“The nurse is going to go check what’s happening with Jodi for us Diane.” Jodi’s dad says when he walks back towards the mix of limbs on the floor. Diane looks up from Cory and nods her head. “Come on son, come grab a seat until the nurse comes with information for us.”
Slowly Cory and Diane rise and walk to the seats next to me.
“Emily sweetheart, how are you?” I’ve been strong not wanting this to be real until these words.
I just nod at her as her arms wrap around my upper body. Tears fall freely from my eyes; heavy tears that make my throat hurt.
Cory
I expected her dad to blow off on me but he just patted my head as he walked past to the nurse’s station. God I love her parents; I just need Jodi to wake up so I can make sure she’s ok before her dad kills me. He trusted me to bring her home but here she is lying in a hospital bed in some unknown state.
I’m sandwiched on a seat between Cal and Diane while Diane embraces Emily in a hug only a mother can give.
“Jenson?”
I lift my head and notice the Captain.
“Yes sir?”
“Can we have a chat?” I stand and wonder over to him. He rests his hand on my shoulder when we are far enough away not to be over heard.
“Jenson, Jodi lost a lot of blood during the take down.” I feel the blood drain from my face and the vomit present itself in my throat. “Shit sorry son, she’s ok up to now but she’s going to be scarred because he had a knife held against her throat when he was taken down. When the bullet penetrated him the knife nicked Emery’s trachea but luckily our boys know what needs to be done in such situations.”
“Why are you telling me this? Why haven’t the doctors called her mam and dad in to ask them?”
“It’s unofficial I’m telling you this so you’re not unprepared when they come out to tell her parents. There will be an inquiry into the army’s detonation of this operation. It turned before we could get it under control and for that we will face the consequences.”
“Fuck the consequences, what is happening with Jodi?”
“I only know what happened when we first got her here, she needed a blood transfusion she woke slightly before but was put under at the first opportunity. They have had her in surgery to fix anything life threatening but from what I can understand she’s in recovery. They should be coming to get her parents soon. But I wanted to tell you first.”
“I appreciate it Captain I swear I do. Thank you for getting her out of there. For bringing her back to us.” I say as a tear falls from my dry sore eyes; I swear there shouldn’t be any left.
“Son, there is no thanks needed unless it’s to those lads over there. We care about ours also, Emery and yourself are ours, don’t ever forget that and make sure you give me a call next time you want someone to come help the group.” He pats my arm as he walks towards his team.
Diane
I watch Cory talk to the uniformed soldier knowing that what they are saying to each other affect’s all of us, but also knowing because Cory’s emotions show all over his face. Cal clenches my hand showing me he sees exactly what I do and I turn my face towards him.
“He really does love her doesn’t he?”
“Yep.” I say looking at the man who is here to rescue my broken child.
“Diane, she’s going to be alright, isn’t she?”
“Cal, look at his face. Do you think he would be smiling if something bad was happening?”
He deadpans looking between each of the two men.
“Why aren’t we being informed then?”
“It’s unofficial, and he’s only telling Cory because that’s what you do for your brother.”
&nb
sp; “Honey, you’re losing me.”
“When you have a family like Cory and Jodi do, then this is what we get until the doctor comes out. Jodi left home and served her time with other people who became her family; meaning even though we are the family she has in real life, in her army based past and mind these men all around us are her true family.”
“I’m her dad.” He says with fury in his tone.
“Yeah and forever you will be, but right now the demon she is fighting is robbing that girl from us.”
“Mohammad?”
“Cal really? You know who ever that is he isn’t real.”
“Diane do I look stupid? I know he isn’t real but if my baby is seeing him and has kept us out of the loop for all this time then its serious Diane. He might not be real but what she feels in her head and heart are different to what we see. He might not appear real to us, but he is very much there for her.”
“You’re preaching to the choir dear.”
“Mr and Mrs Emery?” We both stand.
“YES.”
“I can take you to your daughter now, but only you two. Jodi is in intensive care; the wound to her neck was more life threatening than originally thought. She has had three blood transfusions but is still classed as critical for the next twenty four to forty eight hours.”
“But our baby will be ok right?” I turn towards Cory and his face is in his hands. “Also there are three of us four at a squeeze.”
“We can’t allow more than two at a time in intensive care but we can allow other visitors in after as long as they are family.”
“Of course.” I say motioning for Cory and Emily to come over.
“This is our son in law and other daughter. They must have permission to visit Jodi also.” When the doctor looks between us all his eyes land on Emily and Jenson but he doesn’t say whatever is on his mind. “We are all family.”
“That is fine, but for now I must only allow you and your husband to enter. She is still sedated and on various machines to help with her recovery. It’s best for your daughter to have as few people in the room as possible and its hospital policy.”
Her Delayed War Page 10