To Hell and Back

by Leigha Taylor

  We pull in the familiar driveway a little while later and Hank yanks me out of the car.

  “Get inside before anyone sees you out here. I don’t need questions,” he tells me as he drags me to the front door. He opens it and I get dizzy just walking through. The last time I was here I woke up four days later in the hospital. Any good memories that might have lingered in these walls are long gone, replaced by fear and pain.

  I look around at all the things I hoped I’d never see again. Hank’s chair is in exactly the same spot in front of the TV. The blanket on the couch doesn’t look familiar, so I figure it’s one of Sheila’s additions. I don’t know why I’m surprised not much has changed. I’ve been gone months, but it has felt like years. My life now is so far removed from what it was before Carson. I feel a pang of regret at the worry I’m sure he’s feeling right now. He has to have come home and seen the dinner I prepared, seen the flowers on the table, seen my phone on the counter. My purse is there, my car keys. He’ll know something is wrong. Even if I’d leave without telling him, and on his birthday no less, I wouldn’t leave everything behind.

  Hank pulls me from my thoughts by asking for Carson’s phone number. I don’t know why he didn’t just ask get it from whatever production assistant he tricked on the phone, but I’m glad he didn’t. At least now I have some measure of control over this situation.

  I brace myself before saying, “Go fuck yourself!”

  He grabs me by both arms and shakes me, saying “I don’t know what’s wrong with you! You’re a stupid, stupid girl, but I’m going to get ahold of that boy and get some money. That bastard will pay me for you. If I have to beat that phone number out of you, I think we both know that’s fine with me!”

  He punches me in the stomach and I double over, unable to take in a breath. I don’t know where Sheila is, but, surely she can’t witness this and be okay with it. Hank asks me again for the number and I still refuse him. He twists my arm behind my back and holds it there, whispering in my ear, “I have all fucking night, sweetheart.”

  I try to pull out of his grip but it’s a mistake because he only pulls harder and I feel something snap in my wrist. I’m unable to stop myself from crying out and for a second I think maybe I’m being stupid. Maybe I should just give him the number and let him ask Carson for the money. I know my love would come straight here looking for me, though, and I will keep him safe if it kills me.

  I hear footsteps going up the stairs. Now I know where Sheila is, but apparently she has no intention of stopping this. Hank asks again and my refusal earns me another punch in the stomach. I feel a sense of déjà vu as I hit my hands and knees and vomit on the floor. Hank yanks me back up, yelling something at me that I don’t even understand. He tells me to stay put and heads for the kitchen. Before I can think of doing anything else, he’s back with kitchen towels and cleaner. He thrusts them into my hands and orders me to ‘clean up my mess while I think about what a mistake I’m making’. I’m not sure how long this is going to last, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before I start to wish he would just hurry up and kill me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Carson

  I know something is wrong the minute I open the front door. Brie always locks the door, whether she’s home or not. As I walk into the kitchen and take in the scene, my stomach drops to my knees and I start checking every room, shouting for her. Her phone and keys are here, her purse is here. I’m panicking because I’m sure I know who is responsible for her disappearance. Everything just feels wrong and I can only think of one possible reason. It has to be Hank.

  I race to my car and start it up. I’m already pulling up the number for the local police in Marshall as I back down the driveway. I know they’ve always been in her father’s corner, but it’s going to take me over an hour to get there. I’m not sure how long it has been since they left, but they definitely have a head start. It takes me two tries to hit the screen in the right spot to place the call; my hands won’t stop shaking. I’m surprised I haven’t dropped the phone. I love Brie with my entire heart and soul. Anything could be happening to her right now, anything.

  A woman answers the phone with a bored, “Marshall PD.”

  “Please, I need to speak to the chief!”

  “Please hold.”

  There is elevator music on the line and I know I am in a nightmare. My very soul is missing and I’m on hold.

  The woman comes back on the line after what seems like hours to tell me, “The chief would like to know who’s calling, please.”

  “This is Carson Malone and it’s extremely urgent that I speak with him immediately!” I shout into the phone.

  The woman doesn’t seem to understand urgency. In her same calm, flat voice, she says, “Hold for the chief.”

  It’s a literal five minutes later when the chief comes on the line and I’m going out of my mind.

  “Chief Davis here, Mr. Malcolm. How can I help you?”

  “It’s Malone. This is Carson Malone. I think, no, I know that my girlfriend is in trouble!” I rush to get to the heart of the matter, but the chief seems as reluctant to get excited as the receptionist before him. I’m not sure what’s in the water in Marshall, but I need these people to understand my situation.

  “Calm down, Mr. Malone. I’m sure we can figure this out. Now, who’s your girlfriend and what has she done?”

  “She’s Brielle Douglas and she is missing, sir,” I tell him.

  “Brie?” he asks me with surprise in his voice. “Brie Douglas is practically family, son. She isn’t missing; she’s staying with a family member out of town for a while. See, she had some trouble…”

  What he’s saying isn’t making any sense to me, and I interrupt him. “Chief, she’s in trouble now. I live with her and I came home and she’s gone. Her things are here and she’s just gone. I think her father took her.”

  “Took her?” the Chief guffaws and I find there are tears in my eyes from my frustration. “Son, calm down. Hank Douglas is my friend and if his daughter is with him then she must be feeling a bit better.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, you must know there is something wrong in that house. You can’t really be blind to everything that has happened there.”

  “Now, you listen, Mr. Malone. While I appreciate maybe you’re worried that Brie went somewhere and didn’t bother to leave you a note, I don’t appreciate being accused of overlooking anything that happens in this town. I especially don’t appreciate you accusing my friend of anything, if that’s where you’re going with this.”

  “Sir, please. You have to have seen her bruises, known she had broken bones. You must know that no one is that clumsy. We never want to think badly of our friends, sir, but you must know Hank has had problems since he left the force. You must know about the drinking.”

  “Well, I’ll admit that old Hank has taken to whiskey since he got shot, but you can be a drunk and not beat your kids, Mr. Malone.”

  “You can, sir, but…”

  “Ahh, hang on. Maggie has another call on the line for me.”

  Before I can respond, the elevator music is back and I just stare at my phone. Surely the chief must have had some inkling over the years that things weren’t right with the Douglas family? I’m thinking about Brie and praying with every breath I take that she’s okay when the chief comes back on the line.

  “That was Mrs. Miller from the local store. Crazy as a bedbug, that one, but ya gotta love her anyway. Seems she’s all concerned about your girlfriend, too. Said she was riding by the house when Brie and her dad and his girlfriend all got out of the girlfriend’s car. Said Brie went in the house with them.”

  “Was she okay?” I try to breathe slowly; I’m afraid to hear the answer.

  “She’s fine; went in on her own two feet and all. Mrs. Miller said she was worried Hank might hurt Brie but I told her, like I’m telling you, that everything is fine. She made me promise to check things out, though, and I don’t fancy a tongue-lashing fr
om Edith Miller, so I guess I’ll check it out.”

  “Are you headed over there now?” I ask. Finally, there is some hope that Brie will be okay.

  “Good God, no. I’ll swing by in a couple of hours when I’m done here. Shit, hang on, Maggie’s bugging me again.”

  A couple of hours? I’ll be in Marshall before then, but I don’t know if I should just show up at the house. I want to barge in there and take Brie away as fast as I can, but I don’t want to put her in any more danger.

  “Mr. Malone! Mr. Malone, are you still there?” the chief is back on the line and shouting at me.

  “I’m here!” I tell him and the change in his tone has my heart stopped dead in my chest. “What happened?”

  “Got a call from the girlfriend, Sheila. She says Hank did take Brie against her will. They had some crazy plan to extort money out of you. Sheila thought they’d just call you right up and it would be over. Guess Brie didn’t cooperate and Sheila lost her nerve when Hank started beating up on her. Goddammit, Hank. I didn’t want to believe any of this!” He shouts, more to himself than to me. “I’m headed over there now and I’m radioing for an ambulance just in case we need one. I’m sorry I didn’t listen, son. I really am. Hank was a good cop. I’ll take care of your girl, Mr. Malone. She’s always been a good kid.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I say quietly, but he has already hung up. I set the phone in the seat beside me and just drive. My mind is filled with terror. Images of what Hank could do to Brie are swimming in front of my eyes. I’m crying freely now, knowing I can’t live without my heart, and hoping I won’t have to

  Brielle

  I finished cleaning up the mess on the floor and now I’m just standing here, staring at Hank while he stares back at me. He slowly stands up from his seat on the couch and walks toward me. My whole body tenses, but he continues past me and stops at his desk near the front door. Opening a drawer, he pulls out his pistol. My head swims as he raises his old Glock to meet my face. I’ve seen this thing a hundred times, maybe more. It’s the same gun he carried as a police officer. Now, apparently, it’s going to be my death sentence.

  “I changed my mind, Brie. I don’t want to wait all night. I want to get on with the show. Get it, the show? For your actor?”

  He laughs and I take a couple of steps backward with my hands up in front of me. Hank isn’t just mean and spiteful, he’s gone completely crazy.

  “Dad, please,” I whisper.

  “Please what, Brielle? Please forget that your mother is dead? Please forget I can’t be a cop anymore? I can’t forget. Just like I can’t forget what a nasty slut I have for a daughter. But you have a rich guy to fuck and it’s gonna get me some money. My pension isn’t worth a pound of horseshit. Me and Sheila want to have a nice life. Maybe with a nice, cushy life I can forget some of the other shit.”

  “Dad, let’s figure this out. I don’t want Carson to get hurt and I don’t want to hurt anymore, either,” I plead. “There has to be a way for everyone to get what they want.”

  “There is. You give me his number or I shoot you. Either way you’re out of my life. I’ll just cover this up just like everything else that has ever happened to you. But I’m going to try to get some money out of it, so give me the number, Brielle!” he shouts at me.

  I’m scared and I say a quick prayer in my head before shaking it, saying, “I can’t, Dad. I can’t let you hurt him.”

  There is a loud noise in the room and then my leg is on fire. I look down and see rivulets of blood flowing from my thigh. He actually shot me. OhGodpleasemakethisstop. The pain is incredible and Hank is still standing over me with his gun, still shouting at me. I pull off my sweater and try to focus as I hold it to my leg.

  I hear Hank shouting my name and I force myself to look up at him. “Did you think it would be that easy? That you could just be a good little martyr for your baby daddy? I will get my money, Brielle, if you have to look like Swiss cheese before we get there.”

  The front door bursts open and what happens next plays out in front of me like a movie. Chief Davis comes through the door, weapon drawn, and yells at Hank to put his gun down.

  Hank screams, “Mind your own business, Davis! I’m just taking care of a little family matter!”

  The chief’s words are lost when Sheila enters the room, her shrill screams drowning him out.

  I watch as Hank turns to face the chief, his gun going with him. I’m not sure if he meant to point it in that direction but he doesn’t get the chance to change his mind. Chief Davis fires two shots at Hank’s chest and, in what seems like slow motion, Hank falls to the floor.

  Sheila is still screaming and crying as she sinks to the floor by Hank, holding his hand. Paramedics arrive and I feel myself loaded onto a stretcher, but I can’t remember why. Hank is worse off than I am, surely he should be their priority, but he’s still just lying there. Only Sheila is paying him any attention. I can still hear her over everything else as I am wheeled out the door.

  Even lying here, I’m pretty dizzy, so it takes me a moment to realize there is a new voice in the mix. My name is being called over and over. The voice seems so familiar. I am shivering and someone with warm hands takes ahold of my cold ones, squeezing them. I look up into a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes in the world and I know Carson has found me. I know he is safe.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Carson

  When I finally pull up to the house, there are police cars everywhere. There is an ambulance out front with its doors open in the back. There is an officer standing in the driveway and he won’t let me get any closer to the house. Doesn’t he know the center of my world is in there? He doesn’t seem to know that, or to care, telling me I’ll have to stay back and someone will speak with me shortly. I’m about to argue with him when I see a couple of paramedics coming out with a stretcher.

  I get my first glimpse of Brie as she comes through the door and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding. She’s alive! With all the commotion out here, I had been thinking the worst. The details start to capture my attention and I realize she must be injured. Her green sweater, my favorite because it matches her eyes, is sitting on her lap. I’m surprised I can still tell what color it is; it’s almost completely soaked with blood. I pray it isn’t hers, but her pale face tells me it probably is. There is a bruise blooming on her cheek, and the rage I feel inside is only slightly tempered by the sight of her. She’s alive, if not well.

  I start yelling her name, hoping she will turn toward my voice. She seems pretty out of it and I’m not sure she can hear me.

  As the paramedics wheel her toward the awaiting ambulance, I am finally able to get close enough to touch her. I take Brie’s hand and look into her beautiful green eyes. My heart starts its rhythm back up in my chest and she smiles at me just before closing her eyes.

  I tell the paramedics she’s my girlfriend and they look sincerely apologetic as they tell me I can’t ride with her to the hospital. They also can’t tell me anything about what happened, but say I can meet her at Marshall Memorial. Hearing the name of the hospital sparks the rage even more strongly within me, remembering the last time Hank put here there. I haven’t seen him yet and it’s a good thing because I’m sure I couldn’t stop myself from hurting him in any and every way possible. Right now, though, Brie needs me and I’m damn sure going to be at that hospital with her every second.

  I’m just getting back in the car when I hear a familiar voice call out, “Mr. Malone?”

  I see a man who must be Chief Davis standing a few feet away. I nod to him and he asks “Heading over to the hospital?” Another nod and he starts to walk away, saying “I’ll meet ya there.”

  I park my car near the emergency entrance, figuring that’s where they will bring Brie.

  Once I’m inside, I try to ask the lady at the registration desk where she is.

  “Are you family?” she asks robotically.

  “She’s my girlfriend,” I plead.

>   “I can’t tell you anything unless you’re family. Just sit over there and wait,” she tells me, pointing to a group of aged chairs.

  Before I can press the issue, a nurse comes out from the back. Praying she can tell me something, I run up to her, asking, “Brielle Douglas? Is Brielle Douglas back there?”

  She looks up, surprised, and I realize it’s Claire, the nurse I met the last time Brie was here.

  “Carson Malone,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry to see you guys back here. I wish I could tell you something, Carson, but I can’t. I can only talk to family members.” She looks beyond me and says, “Hey, Chief. Are you here to see Miss Douglas?”

  “I am,” he confirms, “but I’m going to speak to Mr. Malone first. I’ll be back there shortly.” Claire nods and gives me a small smile before walking away.

  “What happened?” I ask the chief. “Is Brie okay? Where is her father? What did he do to her? They aren’t going to let him in to see her, are they? You know he is the one who hurt her, right? He’s the one who always hurts her.”

  The chief puts his hand up to stop me, and I could swear I see tears in the older man’s eyes. He slowly shakes his head and for a second I think he’s going to tell me Brie has died. Instead, he says, “Hank’s dead, Mr. Malone. Dead. I killed him myself. All those years, everything those two went through… I’m sorry it had to end like this.”

  “Please tell me what happened,” I beg him. I’m numb to the news that Hank is dead. On one hand, I know he can never hurt Brie again, but on the other I still don’t know if she’s okay. Until I do, nothing else matters.