“It is me. It’s Daddy and I found you.” He grabbed Michelle with his other hand and pulled her close. It was just as he imagined it would be after five years lying awake every night in prison thinking about this moment. He couldn’t contain himself. He saw Michelle’s eyes darting in every direction like she was looking for someone. He immediately snapped his mind back into focus. “We need to go…now.”
“Are we going on TV too Daddy?”
Jackson pulled Stephanie tighter. “No honey we’re going to some place safe, just the three of us.”
Michelle grabbed a bag and began to fill it with clothes and other accessories. “Jackson, how did you ever find us?”
He grabbed her hand with his free one and clasped it in his. It felt so good. He wanted to kiss and hug them right here the rest of the day, but he knew they had to get going. Then he heard the two honks from Ben. “We need to go now. That was Ben. Someone is coming.”
Michelle looked out the window and picked up the bag, leaving her hand intertwined with Jackson. The three of them ran out the room and down the stairs with Jackson carrying Stephanie. A minute later, they were outside running towards Ben who had the passenger door open. They all quickly got in. Stephanie sat on Jackson’s lap and he nodded at Ben.
Ben started the car. “A police car just drove by. He came down the road and stopped in front of the house, and then took off. I honked as soon as he left.”
“Thanks Ben. Meet Michelle, my wife and Stephanie our daughter.”
Ben smiled. “Congratulations everyone. Very nice to meet you. Now let’s get out of here. Where too?” Jackson instructed him to turn right.
Chapter 55
No one spoke as they twisted and turned out of the neighborhood. Jackson hadn’t let go of Stephanie or Michelle’s hand since he first saw them. They had a few tense moments as they passed two more police cars entering the neighborhood, but they paid no attention to them. The only words spoken were Jackson’s occasional direction to turn or go straight. Ben gripped the wheel tightly and ensured he was stopping at each stop sign and staying well under the speed limit. There was no room for mistakes. Jackson couldn’t take his eyes off Michelle, and he had his nose snuggled deep into Stephanie’s hair, taking in all of her love and life. It felt like he had never left. He could feel her shaking in his arms, but he kept a tight reassuring grip on her. They pulled out onto a busy street past many shopping centers and meaningless stores. Nothing mattered anymore. He had everything he needed. His world was complete. He had gotten them away from Braymond safely. He didn’t care what happened anymore to him. His thoughts were no longer on his own outcome; instead they were directed at Michelle and Stephanie. He looked at Michelle and she gave a loving smile that melted his insides. It reminded him of their past lives. He knew they wouldn’t be able to just pick up where they left off. Too much had happened, but he was going to give it all he had. He had a new plan and right now everything was going accordingly. He looked over at Ben, who nodded acknowledging him. A few minutes later, Jackson pointed at a shopping center and instructed Ben to pull over. Ben reluctantly stopped the car.
“Now what are you going to do?”
Jackson looked at both Michelle and Stephanie. “I think we’ll try from here.” He pulled them both closer. “I can’t ever thank you enough for all you’ve done. You saved my life. I promise I will repay you once things settle down.” Jackson extended his hand towards Ben.
“I know you will and I’m glad I could help.” He shook his hand firmly. “Best of luck guys.” They all nodded and slowly exited the car. They were in front of a new upscale shopping center full of boutique restaurants and stores. He grabbed the bag from Michelle and they all stood and watched Ben slowly pull away. A minute later, he disappeared into the traffic.
“What are we going to do Jackson? I’m so scared. Are you okay?”
Jackson pulled her close. “I’m fine. The most important thing is you guys are okay. I was so worried. It’s all my fault.” He felt his eyes begin to well up.
“No Jackson. We’re in this together. Is everything they are saying true?”
Jackson shook his head, “if you’re talking about the murder of Braymond’s father, no, it’s not true. I had nothing to do with that.”
“What is a murder Daddy?”
Michelle quickly leaned in and took Stephanie’s hand. “It’s a bad thing they are saying Daddy did, but it’s not true.”
“Like when Bobby said Billy pulled Lindsey’s hair yesterday and Mrs. Brown got mad, and he didn’t do it.” Michelle and Jackson both smiled. Jackson waved down a nearby cab that immediately drove over and stopped in front of them. They all jumped in and Jackson instructed the cab to head towards Maryland.
Dever arrived back at the police station and stormed past the front desk and into the Assistant Chief’s office causing him to quickly hang up the phone.
“Back so soon, what do I have the pleasure?”
“You know what I’m here for. I want to see the evidence.”
Dever watched the Chief lean into the computer screen and begin typing. “I can do you one better. I already have officers at that location now.” He read off the address. Dever slammed his fist onto the back of a nearby chair causing it to rock back and forth but not fall over. “So when were you planning on telling me this?”
The Chief answered quickly and looked back at his screen “You said you were coming back.”
“We’re too late now. He’s long gone.”
“I gave you what you asked.” Dever quickly walked out of the office slamming the door behind him causing two nearby officers in the hallway to immediately move out of the way. He felt his temper raging by the time he told Timmons where they needed to go. Fifteen minutes later, they parked behind a half-dozen police cars, and Dever entered the immaculate house. He cringed when he saw the same captain standing inside the doorway, but he ignored him and walked through the first floor noting the little-girl shoes and toys scattered all about. When he got to the master bedroom, he was sure this is where Stewart’s family had been. There was both women’s and girl’s clothing thrown on the floor as well as various other items indicating someone had left in a hurry. He barked at a nearby technician and made sure he was fingerprinting. The man said he had already done so. Dever began violently digging through every drawer and closet he could find. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he knew if he found something he would know what it was. A minute later, Timmons joined him in the search. Dever felt his phone begin to buzz, and he frowned when he recognized the number. He waved the technician out of the room and had Timmons close the door.
“This isn’t looking good Dever. Now we have a murderer out there on the loose. You promised me we would get him by now. I’ve got to speak to the press. Virginia is all over me now.” Dever moved the phone away from his ear as the Governor’s voice began to rise. “I can’t have the damn press following every move. Now they’re looking into all our prisons and how we are running them. Next they’ll start looking into something else, and I’ll be out of a job. You need to end this now.”
“I’m in the house right now where his family was holed up. I would have been here quicker, but I’m not getting much help from the local police.”
“Let’s not start passing the blame Dever. You’re better than that.” Dever realized he shouldn’t have said that, but he felt so frustrated. He couldn’t control anything anymore. He felt like screaming, but he kept his mouth shut and took the reaming. It reminded him of when he was in Marine Corp training, and the senior drill instructors would scream and yell at him and try and faze him and make him talk back, but he never did. He was better than that, and he was still doing it now. He happily ended the phone call when he heard the line click dead. It wasn’t about his job anymore. He didn’t care about that. He just wanted to get Stewart back. He would deal with everything else later. That was how he always did things. It was either all out or all in, and right now, he was all in and there was no stopping now. E
ven if the Governor fired him today, he would still remain until he found Stewart. He wasn’t going back home empty-handed. Timmons opened the door, and the technician walked back in giving Dever a stern look. Dever looked away and continued his search.
Chapter 56
After a thirty-minute ride, Jackson and his family slipped out of the cab in the middle of the National Harbor bordering the Potomac in Maryland. Stephanie was in the middle, holding both of their hands. Jackson stopped at the first store they found and purchased a Redskins hat that he pulled low over his face. They walked through the harbor area trying to blend in with the large crowd. It was all very comforting, but awkward at the same time. It had been so long. Stephanie kept pointing at the enormous ferris-wheel found the water’s edge. Michelle finally suggested that Stephanie needed to eat. They stepped into a bar and grill restaurant and were immediately seated near the window giving them a view of both the Alexandria waterfront as well as the large looming George Washington Bridge. Stephanie was seated next to Jackson and he had his hand still tightly grasping hers. He couldn’t let go. There was so much to say, but yet he couldn’t speak. He looked across the table where Michelle was seated. Jackson could see the stress in her eyes. He recognized that look from the time Stephanie was first born and the ensuing events that happened after. He wanted to let her know everything was going to be okay, but he knew better than to speak about anything like that in front of Stephanie. He hoped they would have time later to discuss everything that was going on and what was going to happen now. He figured they would just stay together and disappear one day, and maybe the police and the Warden would finally move on to something else. He knew that was how the media worked. You were the story until the next big thing came along. He just hoped something would come up soon.
“Look Mommy and Daddy we are celeberries again?” Jackson felt confused and looked all around the restaurant.
“Celebrities, Stephanie honey.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Jackson looked directly at Michelle.
“Over there.” Jackson followed to where she was pointing. There was a large TV off to the side of them over the bar. On the screen were three large pictures of each of them. Jackson kept his eyes focused on the TV as they showed Warden Dever and the local police officers going in and out of the house he rescued Stephanie and Michelle from.
“That’s our new house right Mommy?”
Michelle reached across the table and placed her hand on Stephanie’s shoulder. “Honey, that was never our house.”
“Then why did Mr. Bray say we were going to stay there.” Jackson quickly turned his head back away from the TV when the waitress delivered their food. He suddenly wasn’t hungry, but he took a few bites just to satisfy his needs. He smiled watching Stephanie devour her hot dog; the TV was long forgotten. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed them. He had so many questions, but he knew they had to go. It was only a matter of time. They needed to get out of here soon. He signaled the waitress to bring their check, and they quickly scurried out of the restaurant, and Jackson led them to a cab stand he had noticed when they had first arrived. Ten minutes later, they were pulling into a small motel in Bowie, Maryland. Jackson convinced the clerk to let him pay cash, and they got a room in a far back corner that satisfied him. He carried the one bag they had inside and placed it on the bed. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but for once he didn’t care. Everything felt so right. He watched Michelle set the TV to a kids channel and Stephanie climb up on the bed and began to watch. In less than five minutes, she was sound asleep. He had so much to learn. He had missed so much. He wiped a tear from his eye as he caught Michelle staring at him. He reached over and pulled the comforter up on Stephanie and took comfort in watching her tiny chest rise and fall with every breath. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He wished he could stand here forever and just watch her. A few minutes later, Michelle called him over to the far side of the room. He quickly walked over and embraced her for what seemed like forever. It felt like they were separated forever. He felt his heart mending itself with each passing second. He had so longed for her. They both sat down on the floor next to the bed and began to whisper.
“How did you get out Jackson? Is it really true that you used a drug?”
Jackson nodded and explained the whole sequence of events leading up to rescuing them from the house. He even showed the bandage on his leg that Bray had caused. She hugged him even tighter and ensured him that Bray didn’t touch or harm either one of them. Jackson finally took his first deep breath since finding them. He wasn’t sure how long they talked or embraced, but when he woke up he was lying on the floor with a blanket covering him and everything was dark. He quickly jumped up not seeing Michelle or Stephanie, but then he smiled and took another deep breath seeing them both sound asleep on the bed. All was well until he heard the scratching sound outside their door. He heard it again. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he determined that was what had woken him up. He quietly got up and slowly walked towards the door. There was no way anyone could have tracked them here. He made sure of that. He looked out the peephole but the parking lot was too dark to see anything. He took a step back and gazed at Michelle and Stephanie. He wanted to run over to them and hug them both but he let them sleep. They had the rest of their lives now. He quickly turned back towards the door when he heard someone trying to turn the knob. There was definitely someone out there. He had to do something. It wasn’t just him anymore so he couldn’t just dive out the back window. He heard it again, this time it sounded like someone was sticking something in the lock. It wasn’t a key. Someone was picking the lock. He looked all around the room for something, anything, but there was nothing, so he just remained standing in front of the door and when it burst open a few seconds later he attacked.
Dever smiled when he found it. It was a phone number on a small piece of paper underneath one of the pillows on the bed in the room that they had found the little girl’s clothes. He knew it was something. He just felt it. He left Timmons to keep looking while he went outside past the Captain who gave him another dirty look. Dever sneered back and stepped outside and stopped near one of the police cruisers. He dialed The Conduit and when he reached one of his captains. He asked them to run a trace on the number. Ten minutes later, they called him back and informed him the number was for a cell phone that was registered to Michelle Stewart. For the first time since Stewart escaped, Warden Dever smiled. He had something. He immediately called back his captain and had them try and locate the cell phone. The Captain informed him the phone was on and gave him an address. Dever immediately went back into the house and noticed the captain wasn’t standing in the same location and he heard what sounded like chaos coming from upstairs. Dever ran up the stairs and saw Timmons on the landing. He informed him they had found Mrs. Reynold’s body stored in a crevice behind a wall. Dever listened to Timmons, but didn’t process what was said; instead he pulled him downstairs explaining to him they had an address where Stewart’s wife was right at this moment. Timmons stared at him for a second then began jogging toward the door until the Captain stepped in front of them.
“Sorry gentleman you can’t leave till we account for everyone at this location. This is now a murder scene.”
“With all due respect Captain. I don’t care what it is, we need to leave.”
“I can’t allow that.”
Timmons nodded and threw the car keys to Dever who caught them and ran out the door. He looked back and saw Timmons holding onto the screaming Captain. Dever reminded himself he needed to reward Timmons later. He jumped in the Crown Vic, entered the address on the GPS, and pushed every cylinder in the car towards Bowie, Maryland.
Chapter 57
Jackson landed on top of the intruder inside the doorway. He began flailing his arms and felt his fist strike flesh several times. He continued to punch as hard as he could. He knew it wasn’t the police or the Warden because they would have gotten a key fro
m the office. It had to be someone who could cause them harm. He landed a fist right on the face of the intruder and he felt him go limp underneath him. He heard Michelle yelling behind him, but he kept his focus on the man below him. It was completely dark in the room, so he couldn’t make out his face, but he was a large physical man. A second later, he felt the energy surge into the man below him and the next thing he felt was hard steel strike the side of his head, and then everything went blurry. He came to a few minutes later, and the lights were on; the door was closed and Braymond Reynolds was standing above him pointing a gun directly at him. Jackson started to get up, but Braymond lowered the gun aiming it directly at his head, so he remained in place. He could see Michelle seated on the edge of the bed, and it looked like Stephanie was still lying down asleep. He had no idea how she could sleep through this. He focused his eyes back onto Braymond. He had that same look on his face that he had before when he was jamming the knife into his ankle. It was the kind of look that told him he had to do something quick or something really bad was going to happen, and he didn’t want it to happen to Michelle or Stephanie. He looked at Michelle and he could see the moisture in her eyes. She was crying.
“All right, are you ready to tell me where the money really is and not some lame place like the farm you sent me too.” Jackson focused back on Braymond. “I spent five hours out there digging and found nothing. Then I came back and you were gone.” Jackson watched his finger tense up on the trigger. He had to think of something quick. “I should make you suffer right now and right here.”
“Do it and let them go.”
“See that’s the thing. I can make you suffer more with her.” He pointed the barrel at Stephanie. Jackson felt his insides making their way up his throat.
Evasion Page 23