Fallen Too Far

by Mia Moore

  He slammed closed the tailgate and cap hatch on the pickup truck. He stretched and limbered up.

  Time to get to work.

  Chapter 30

  Good, Danny was going faster. He had flicked the four way flashers on and was turning onto the 404 highway.

  Let the cops just try, just try and pull them over.

  “The police are on their way, Tom.” Jessica placed her hand on his shoulder.

  Traffic was light. Maybe…Tom tried not to think the worst. They sped down the road and a picture of the Major and the blood flashed in his mind. Why would the guy take her? Why hadn’t she been assaulted as well? And the thought that made his heart drop to his tight gut was…why had he let her stay. He should have insisted she leave with him. He should have been there to protect her. Please God, let her live and I’ll never leave her side.

  Danny fished in his coat pocket and held up a cell phone. He clicked a button and handed it to Tom. “Talk to Diana. Find out how the Major is doing.”

  “Diana. How’s he doing. Is he still alive?” Tom stared straight ahead watching as Danny sped along. He was silent for a few moments. “We’re on our way there now.” A pause. “Yes, the police are on their way too.” He clicked the phone off.

  “He’s alive and he’s in surgery. She doesn’t know anymore than that.” Tom glanced at Danny whose knuckles glowed white on the steering wheel.

  “Did I ever tell you about the two thugs who attacked Diana Girl and me? It was our first date, too. We’d just had dinner and they tried to mug us. One of them had a gun.”

  “No, I didn’t know that,” said Tom. “What happened?”

  “Well, there was only two of them and just one gun, see?” Danny glanced over at Tom and smiled. “When I was done, every finger on their hands were broken.”

  “Wait. They pulled a gun on you and you ended up breaking their hands?”

  Danny nodded.

  “You’re pretty dangerous, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, I am.” Danny glanced over to everyone. “This is a hostage recovery mission, okay? So everyone just do as I tell you. It’s going to probably be a piece of cake because he doesn’t have a gun.”

  “How the hell do you know that?”

  “Because the Major wasn’t shot. A guy the Major’s size, if you had a gun and a knife, you’d use the gun.” He sure hoped he was right.

  “Oh.”

  Tom silently watched Danny for a few moments. How well did he know him? Two thugs with a gun and he crippled them? Nice to have him on board.

  Only two more kilometers till Ajax, exit 404.

  “Go north on Salem one kilometer and then left on Kingston Road for two kilometers. Lakeridge is on the right.” Craig was staring at his iphone while Danny was merging onto the exit ramp.

  No traffic and not a cop in sight. They’d better be at the house helping Annik.

  Storefronts flew by as Danny raced through the deserted streets, not stopping for red lights. They turned and were now almost there. It was farm country and not many houses. They slowed to see the number at a driveway. Fifty Two. They were here.

  “Geronimo!” said Craig.

  Chapter 31

  Paul walked around to the passenger door of the pickup and opened it. He undid the latch to the compartment and saw her face. Her eyes were wide in terror. God that felt so good to see.

  “Now you just take it easy, and you’ll be home this afternoon, Annik,” he said with his most charming smile. She nodded back silently. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her out. She was limp with fear. Not a worry. She’d be screaming in just a few minutes. He leaned her up against the side of the truck and closed the door.

  Dammit. She slid to the ground. He bent over to lift her up. He always carried his projects over the threshold like a groom.

  ****

  As he bent over, Annik snapped her legs to her chest and shot them out as hard as she could at Paul’s knees. The recoil from her blow pushed her back almost two feet and she felt something give. Her shoe came off; the heel was embedded in Paul’s leg. He staggered back two steps, slipped on the ice and went down.

  She scrambled to her feet and kicked off her other shoe. Her hands were still tied behind her. She slipped and fell onto one knee; the pain shot through her leg like a wire.

  Go! Go! Go!

  She clambered to her feet and looked over her shoulder. He was starting to get up, her shoe still hanging from his leg.

  She froze for just a second. She recognized him. It was that maniac from the night she met Eddie!

  She began to run down the driveway screaming as loud as she could. She would just keep running.

  A hand grabbed at her coat. She twisted around and bent at the waist freeing herself. She saw him staggering after her. She had never seen such a frightening expression as the one on his face.

  Regaining her momentum, she slipped and staggered down the driveway.

  ****

  Paul sprinted after her, threw himself at her feet, and tackled her to the ground. Her legs kicked at him trying to knock him away. The heel of her foot connected with his jaw, driving it upwards. Something crunched in his mouth.

  Bright lights sliced the darkness followed by the rumble of a car engine. What the hell? A car was coming up the driveway? For the first time ever—since his first project with the kittens, a shot of fear ran through him.

  ****

  There were fresh tire tracks on the driveway they turned into. Danny floored it.

  Ahead, Tom saw Annik on her back, scrambling towards them. Danny saw her at the same time and jammed on the brakes. The car slammed to a halt, Tom was out before it stopped.

  “Annik!” He ran to her and fell to his knees. In a single move he scooped her into his arms.

  “Tom! He killed the Major!”

  He ran back to the car. Danny and Craig ran past him towards the house.

  ****

  Paul scrambled to his feet and ran to the porch. He rushed through the door and slipped the deadbolt. How could this have happened? The other whores he’d done…no one had ever so much as thought of him. He ran across the kitchen and down the hall to the stairs. His feet were like a jack hammer moving up them and then into the bedroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it.

  Through the window he saw emergency lights coming up the driveway. The police!

  He sat on the side of his bed, hearing the front door shatter.

  A calm descended on him. It was over.

  No more projects. Ever.

  He’d go to prison when they finished searching the house. They’d find his laptop and all the videos. He’d never get out.

  He’d become just another convict. He’d spend the rest of his life eating when he was told, sleeping when he was told, being told.

  No.

  He heard the banging around downstairs and then the clomping as they came up.

  No.

  On his dresser was his tools. He drew another knife from its sheath. It would do the job. It always had in the past. He knew how to do it too.

  He ripped open his coat and shirt and felt his ribcage. He felt his heart pounding. He aligned the point on it.

  The pounding on his bedroom door began.

  He held the knife in position and fell face flat on the floor. He hoped it wouldn’t—

  ****

  Tom placed Annik into the car. Jessica was fluttering about. “Look after her.”

  When he reached the door of the old farmhouse Danny was kicking it near the door handle.

  “He locked it!”

  The door flew open wide when both men kicked it. They entered a kitchen and looked around. There was some snow near a door leading to a hallway and Tom took off in that direction. He passed through the hallway and spun on the newel post of the stairs, his feet racing. At the top of the stairs was a closed door on the left. He turned his head. There were two other open doors down the hallway. He must be in there. He tried the handle. Locked. Another door to kick
open.

  Danny was at his side as the first hard kick shattered the lock and the door burst open bouncing back after hitting the wall behind it.

  They saw the body on the floor. A stained blade protruded from Paul’s back.

  “Go to hell.” Tom’s voice was cold as he stepped forward. I’ll kick his fucking brains in.

  Danny’s hand on his arm stopped him. He tried to shrug it off.

  “No Tom! The police are here! They’ll take care of this. You don’t want to touch that guy.”

  He could hear the thuds on the stairs now, voices yelling ‘Police!’

  “In here!” Danny shouted.

  “Go to Annik. She’s alive and she needs you.” Danny pulled him back and guided him to the stairs. “Go Tom, I’ll talk to the cops.”

  He brushed by four burly officers coming up the stairs.

  “It’s her husband, let him by! The guy you want is in there!” Danny pointed into the bedroom.

  Chapter 32

  Canada Weekly Magazine January 4, 2013

  Serial Killer Found Dead in Ajax

  By Jessica Rogers – Staff Writer, Canada Weekly

  On Saturday night, January 1st, Toronto Police, responded to a call involving the abduction of a woman. They discovered the person who had taken her, Paul Lester with a self inflicted stab wound at his home on 52 Lakeridge Road, Ajax. Mr. Lester had kidnapped the victim after stabbing a co-worker of hers, Donald J. McQuaid. Lester had committed suicide before he could be taken into custody. The names of his victims were not released by the authorities. One victim was treated and released. The other victim is listed in stable condition

  Police found evidence in the home in Ajax to cause them to suspect that Lester was involved in the murder of missing women in the Toronto area. After obtaining a court order to further search the premises, police found six bodies in the back shed of the farmhouse. They were buried under a false floor. A seventh grave had been prepared. They have sent the bodies to the forensics department and await confirmation of the identities of the six women.

  The investigation is continuing.

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  “Hope is the name we both like. Hope Eva Eldridge. I had picked Hope because it’s meaningful to me. There’s the Pandora legend, where Hope was the only item left in the box she had opened. And my life, after Momma died. That’s almost all I had left. And then my nightmare experience being abducted. Yeah, we needed Hope and she’s going to be here in three weeks.” Annik said, as she lovingly stroked her hand across her round abdomen, looking at Jessica and Diana.

  “I can’t believe that you’re doing so well after that horrible experience. I don’t think I would ever be quite right again, if I had gone through it.” Jessica adjusted herself to sit directly in front of the pulsating jet. The water hit her low on her back. “Oh that feels good. This pregnancy is taking a toll on my back. There’s always a dull ache.”

  “Well, that’s thanks to the shrink who Diana referred me to, Leon Coombs. Leon’s been great. At first I saw him every few days and then we scaled back to weekly and now just once a month. The nightmares were horrid. I would wake up screaming, the bed soaked in a cold sweat. Now I wake up when Hope gives me a kick in the bladder, making me go to the backroom. No more nightmares, although I’ll always be a bit spooked out after dark, alone.” Annik replied.

  “Well, there’s a very simple solution to that. Don’t do it. You’ve got a big strong man in your life, Hope’s father. Yes, Leon is great! We go back a long ways to medical school. Hey, he even helped me out a bit when Danny and I were first going out. Danny was the first relationship in my life and I had almost given up on ever having a relationship. Now look at me! The mother of twins. Talk about your instant family!” Diana said, smiling at Annik and Jessica.

  The three women sat submerged in the warm bubbling water of the hot tub in Tom and Annik’s home. It had become a weekly ritual for them to spend Wednesday afternoons there; the usual afternoon off for Dr. Diana. Jessica had also marked her calendar at Canada Weekly as ‘out of office’ on Wednesdays.

  Annik had enrolled in a couple of courses at University, resuming her dream of becoming a psychotherapist. She still owned Pandora’s but worked from home much of the time now. Tom joined her in a more relaxed pace from going into the office. Both had very competent back-ups to cover off the day to day operations. For Annik, it was the Major. Like a duck taking to water, the Major oversaw the daily management of Pandora’s. There were very few problems that he contacted Tom and Annik about and it was showing more of a profit than projected.

  “That’s a lot of work for you and Danny, parenting twins. When you go back to work, will you hire a Nanny to help out?” Jessica asked Diana.

  “We thought about that. I’m going back to work in another month. Much as I love the thought of being a mother, I’m starting to get antsy. I love my job and I miss it. And we’ve got it worked out that Danny will be the house husband and primary caregiver. He loves kids and is super organized.” Diana always smiled when she thought of Danny.

  “Well, if he ever wants to earn some money on the side and take a break from the household routine, there’s a job waiting for him at Pandora’s, at security. I can’t think of anyone I would rather have there than Danny. Mention it to him, Diana.” Annik said.

  “Fathers! Craig is really looking forward to the arrival of our little guy Liam Howard. He had never really thought about being a father but now that he’s going to be one, he can’t think of anything else. He’s even helping me pick out paint colors and the décor of Liam’s room.” Jessica said.

  “How did you come by the name Liam? It’s beautiful. Was it Craig’s father’s?” Annik looked at Jessica.

  “No! Craig’s father deserted the family when he was a young boy. There’s no way he would want to honor him, taking his first name as a namesake. No, it’s just an Irish name he likes. Howard is to honor my father. My parents are in grandparent heaven right now with this baby. I think they’d almost given up on being grandparents. They’ve even got a framed ultrasound picture of Liam in their living room.” Jessica grinned.

  “You ladies are going to become stewed prunes soon. Just a friendly reminder, times almost up. Maria has your afternoon tea and snack just about ready.” Tom poked his head into the solarium. He then left, leaving the women to get out and put on their robes.

  “Thanks Tom! Just a few more minutes. I promise. Diana, how did you come by the names Bobby and Becky?” Annik asked.

  “Robert Terrence and Rebecca Rose.No family name affiliation. If you think your parents are happy Jessica, imagine my folks. A forty-one year old spinster, now married with twins. Good thing their hearts are good for their age.” Diana said laughing.

  Maria called out, “LUNCH, mother and mothers to be. Tea, fruit, yogurt and low fat blueberry scones.” She set the tray of food on the table and then left to get the tea tray.

  Annik stood up and climbed out of the tub first.

  “How is it that even with that beach ball in front of you, you can look so beautiful? I feel huge and unattractive. My breasts hurt and my back aches all of the time.” Jessica asked.

  “Nonsense. You look beautiful too! Okay, you may be a little achey, but your face is radiant. You too Diana. You lost the baby weight so fast. You both look wonderful. Actually, all three of us do!”

  Jessica and Diana rose from the water and took the towels that Annik handed to them.

  They dried off and slipped into the robes that they kept there for these Wednesday afternoons and sat down at the table.

  Maria returned with the tea and set it before them. “Anything else, you would like ladies?”

  “No Maria. You look after us so well. Gracias.” Annik smiled.

  “Well…speaking as a mother of three, you may as well get a little pampered and rest up now. After the baby is born, no more full night’s sleep for you. You’ve got a full time 24/7 job ahead of you and you’ll love
every minute.” Maria said before she left them to their tea.

  “I think of all the great times Craig and I have had over the past year and I wonder. Will I ever get my body back in shape? And what happens to our sex life? The exciting evenings at Pandora’s? Is that a thing of the past? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to be having Liam, just wondering.” Jessica commented.

  “I can answer that in three words. It’s called Date Night and babysitter. In my practice, I see so many new parents and that’s a common problem. The baby consumes their lives as parents and they put being adult lovers on the back burner. You have to keep that flame alive.” Diana said.

  Annik raised her cup of tea in the air making a toast. “To Hope, Liam, Bobby and Becky. And to date nights and babysitters.

  “Amen sister” Diana and Jessica chimed in.

  Four Years Later…

  “Danny! Do you know where my black stocking is? I can only find one.” Diana called to Danny from the bedroom where she was getting dressed. She opened the drawers in her dresser, becoming irritated. “I can never find anything anymore. Danny organizes my things and I’m not always sure about his system…”

  “Do you mean this stocking?” Danny appeared in the doorway of their bedroom holding a silky black stay up in his hand. “Bobby the Terror was using it to pull the wagon, giving Miss Becky a ride. You’re ruining all their fun Diana Girl.”

  “Oh no. It’s going to have snags and be stretched out of shape. I don’t have any stockings to go with this red dress. I don’t have time to buy any…the wedding’s in less than an hour.” Diana looked completely distraught.

  “No fear my sweet, I picked up another pair for you when I was shopping yesterday. The kids wanted me to get fishnets but I over ruled them. I didn’t tell them but fishnets are for our date nights. Weddings have a little more formality and decorum. I think Becky would get it but I think the Terror would have a hard time thinking of style over fun. Of course it kind of depends on the fun, doesn’t it? YOU accomplish style and fun in one gorgeous package.”