“What happened? I asked them.”
“Daddy forgot about us.” I grabbed their robes and turned on the heat lamp. Then I clustered them together and wiped their tears. “Are you alright?”
The little one nodded but my eldest kept crying. “He shot a squirrel momma. He heard it running on the roof and took out his rifle. He killed it mommy. I saw.”
I grabbed my children and walked past their bedrooms, that’s when I noticed the sheetrock and mess on the floor. My husband shot straight up through the roof with a shot gun.
Ten minutes later their suitcases were packed. I called a cab so he wouldn’t follow us. I called my brother and asked him to get my car. I did not give him the details.
A neighbor called the police and before I ever got to the cab, our home was surrounded by cops. It was the best day and the worst day of my life.
Before heading home, Maggie needed to regain composure. Her memories left her on edge and the purpose of the meeting was to feel stronger, more hopeful, not frightened. She needed a minute to breathe.
Maggie locked the stall at the shelter bathroom and sat down on the toilet. Her emotions were rising up. She felt sick. Little girls don’t grow up wanting to be victims. But she was all grown up now, and that’s what she was. Part survivor; part victim. She wanted to be a sole survivor and more. But how?
She knew the answer. By setting boundaries, by trusting again, by moving forward without the fear, that’s how you regained control of your life. But that in itself, seemed overwhelming. She called Claire. She’d know what to do.
The friends met at the Green Café coffee shop. She kept rehearsing something the detective told her, something that was supposed to put her mind at rest. But Maggie turned the statement upside down and her fear was growing. She knew how to think, but what she wanted was for someone to climb into her pit of fear and identify with what she felt. Then, and only then could she climb out.
“A victim needs to be heard!” That would be her social status, should she ever get online.
The detective said, ‘Men like Jack may hide in the shadows but they leave footprints.’ Inwardly, Maggie prayed Jack left a big ass footprint so they could find him.
Once Claire arrived, the conversation flowed the way Maggie had hoped. “You brave girl, hiding all this for so long. Were you out of your mind?”
Maggie nodded as the tears began to fall. She wiped them, knowing more would follow. “I didn’t want to scare you away by telling you the truth. You were the only friend I had and I couldn’t risk losing you.”
She gripped Maggie’s hands. “I don’t care that SOB is still alive, I’m all ears.”
With her chin on her hand, Maggie began to sob. Her hair cascaded around her as she spoke. “I want to tell you about it last night once things calmed down but I wasn’t ready.”
“I understand. Ben replied and told me you were resting. I am glad he was there with you, but I would have liked to be there too, especially for Eli.”
Maggie couldn’t contain her smile. “He adores Ben.”
“We all do,” Claire wooed.
“How much danger are you in? What is Jack going to do?”
Maggie crumbled in fear. “He’s a monster. I prayed and prayed that he would never get out. But they released him. Those parole board people have no idea how sick he is.”
“Maggie, was Jack was at your house?”
“Yes. I know it was him. He’s been sending signs for a week. He’s trying to see if I break.”
“Why would he do that Maggie? What does he have against you?”
Maggie’s head lowered. “I exposed him. I let the authorities into our little twisted world and he sees himself for who he really is. He blames me. And he wants revenge.”
“Jesus Maggie. You need to get out of here. Take Eli and run away.”
Her eyes lifted. “If I run he may find me again. If I stay here, at least the police are willing to help me.”
“You know as well as I do, these men are too smart for some cop.”
She leaned over the table and a wave of trepidation set in. “He’s had three years to plan how he’d find me and what he’d do to me when found us. How am I supposed to function with that type of hate set against me?”
“Well he screwed up once before, he will do it again.”
Maggie shook her head. “He didn’t screw up, I called the cops. I blew the whistle. It happened in New York. My neighbor was out walking her dog when I came home with the baby. She had two cops at her house and came out to warn the neighbors that there had been a break in. Two things were stolen, cash and jewelry.
I wasn’t too afraid but part of me wondered if Jack was the thief. Instead, he came down from the attic carrying an arsenal of knives, swords and staves.”
She swallowed hard. “When I asked him what he was doing, he said that the burglary next door was planned, and that someone had been watching her house.”
Claire leaned closer. “What did he say?”
“I was so stupid. Jack began placing the weapons all over the house. By the windows, the doors and on top of shelves, the TV. He was utterly paranoid.”
“What did you do?”
When I asked him what he was doing, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “I hope the little fuckers come here because I’ll slice them into pieces.”
Claire slumped back in her chair. “Maggie, this guy could have killed you.”
“He tried once.”
Claire’s face drained of color. She had not told anybody about this, it was too terrifying. But now was the time to talk. Now was the time to speak her truth.
“The room was dark and Jack was asleep,” she began, looking at Claire for the nod to keep going. “I crept into bed, the way I always did, slow and methodic hoping not to wake him. I managed to get in bed and pull the covers over me without Jack stirring. But sometime later, once I was sound asleep, I woke up. Something poked me. I laid completely still trying to assess where I was and what was happening. Then I felt it again. Something sharp pressed into my ribs, it wasn’t a jab or even a purposeful touch more like a curious poke.
I called out to Jack. “What are you doing?”
There was no reply, so I said, “Jack, it’s me. Maggie. What are you doing to me?”
A switch flipped on and Jack stood up beside the bed. He stared at me as if I was a foreign object. Then he crawled over the bed staring at me with this dazed look.
I lowered my voice. “Jack, what are you doing?”
He grew defensive. “There was something in here. It was sitting on you.”
I was terrified as I kept asking him to tell me what he saw. I searched the room looking for his swords.
Finally he said to me, “I tried to kill it, but then you made me put the light on. And now it’s gone.”
He went on to describe a demon. He said it was green with sharp teeth protruding from its lip and he was sitting on me.” I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to wake him if he was sleeping and I wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating. I just knew that he could easily turn on me at any time.”
As Maggie shared her tale a detailed flashback overwhelmed her. He moved toward her pulling the knife out from behind his back. “What did you do today while I was not here?”
Maggie’s mind warped. The pathways that decide to fight or flight had vanished. She thought about calling for Eli, maybe his father would stop if he saw the little boy.
Maggie wouldn’t jeopardize her son like that. Instead she stayed still. “Jack. Wake up. I’m your wife. I’m no demon.”
It was no use. This had happened once before, years ago before they got married. That was the night she knew she would never get away from Jack. Never.
“The next morning, Jack was gone before I awoke. I went for a walk and called the abuse hotline. When the woman asked me if I was in a safe place to talk, I emotionally collapsed.”
“What happened next?” Claire prompted.
“The rest of the d
ay I was in a fog. I called the police and made plans to remove Eli from the home. But I didn’t know how? The police put me in touch with a phone counselor and we made a plan to meet. I needed to know how to act and what to do. My adrenaline was pumping so hard. It’s like I wanted to flee but I couldn’t. I had to end my life. How do you pack up your life in 30 minutes and not look back?
The answer is fear. Did I want to get out or did I want to run into Jack again?”
“Jesus Maggie, he really is crazy.”
She trembled. “Then how did he get out early? How did he fool them?”
Claire reminded her, “You were fooled once too. Don’t forget that.”
Maggie’s throat tightened. Claire was absolutely right. If she cared to be honest, this had started when they were dating.
One night she stopped by Jack’s after studying for final exams. When she got there the house was dark but Jack’s car was in the driveway. He’d been extremely stressed; things with his father weren’t going well. They spoke on and off since his parent’s divorce and from what she could see, he was better off without him.
Maggie made her away around to the back of the house. It wasn’t uncommon for Jack to go for walks at night, especially near the woods. She never went, it sounded creepy. Jack had told her about the native Indian tribe. When they roamed the land freely their custom was to bury you right where you were died. Jack would often express to her that he could feel their spirits while he was out walking and some were kind but others seemed hostile.
Never in a million years did she think he would mistake her for an Indian sprit.
As she made her way around the back of the house she looked up at Jack’s bedroom window, the house seemed uninhabited. She stopped calling his name.
No reply. She warmed her shoulders from the November wind. Where was he? This time she cupped her hands over her mouth. “Jack are you home, it’s Maggie.”
The darkness grew around her and she got the feeling she should return to the car. The winds picked up and Maggie walked along the southern side of the home, past the metal garbage cans and ducked under a pine tree.
When she looked up again she thought she saw something, or someone in the distance. But the dark made it hard to see. She continued toward her car, keys in hand ready to sneak inside. The closer she got to the vehicle, the more she stared at the man approaching. He was walking at a steady gait, shoulders down, fists clenched. She ran toward the driver’s side.
“Don’t you move,” a voice declared. Maggie turned back around. It was Jack.
His eyes were wide and dark, his shoulders bent. “Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking for you?”
He presumed to walk around her, inspecting her like an apprehensive dog. “Jack, what are you doing? Why aren’t you talking to me?”
His movements were slow and methodic. “Seriously, you are scaring me. What is wrong? Are you okay or not?”
“You’re not her.”
His voice was sullen. “I’m not who?”
He stopped and squared off in front of her. “You are not Maggie.”
Her ears tingled. The air on the street corner turned deathly cool. “Jack. What’s wrong with you? Why would you say that?”
Maggie stood still. She feared turning her back on him. If she opened the car door, he could crush her between the door and the frame. Instead, she stayed there, watching his face contort as if he were a dog plotting his next move.
She knew right then, that escaping Jack was not an option. Although the thought was unconscious, he made his point. The question now was would she make hers?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
As the car reached the 8000 feet marker, a patch of clouds rolled in. Maggie turned on her headlights as she passed the sign welcoming her to Cascade Township. It sure looked like more snow was headed their way.
Her phone jingled. Klaus had called about work, among some other random texts. Just as she returned her eyes to the road, Detective Brant called.
“Hello?”
“Yes detective, this is Maggie.”
“Ms. Burke we need you to come by the station in the Springs. A security guard at your son’s school reported finding yellow beer can on the school play yard. We’ve pulled fingerprints and they match.”
Maggie called Ben immediately.
“Where’s Eli?”
“In bed, he took a nap just before lunch.”
Her heart leapt. “Go check. Check his room.”
“What’s the fuss, what’s wrong?”
Maggie changed lanes and sped up the mountain. “Ben, tell me you have him?”
“What’s going on?”
“Just go get him. Wake him up and stay by Vala.”
“I’ll be home as fast as I can.”
Maggie hung up and sped past a plow and veered into oncoming traffic. A patrol car flipped on his lights and zoomed up behind her, but Maggie kept going. When she turned into the neighborhood the police car was on her tail. She nailed every bump on the dirt road as she drove uphill toward her house. Clicking the garage door open, she threw the car in park and raced into the house.
“Eli, Eli!”
She caught sight of Ben. “Where is he?”
She ran to his room, his sheets were thrown back and the side deck door was slightly ajar. “Ben, oh my God.”
Her heart throbbed. “He took him. He took him!”
Ben appeared in the doorway, his back to the wall. “He took who?”
Her fingers pulled at the rug as she hung her head. “Jack’s got Eli.”
“Maggie.” Ben moved toward her. Just then Eli walked out of the bathroom with dripping hands. “I am right here momma. I had to wash my hands.”
She wobbled to him on her knees and picked up her boy. She kissed him hard and held onto him.
“Momma what happened? Did the coyotes scare you again?”
She wiped her eyes and smiled. What a relief to see him unharmed. Eli twisted around and spoke to Ben. “She gets scared of the coyotes when she walks Vala. But coyotes don’t like people.” He placed his hands on his Maggie. “Don’t worry mom. They won’t hurt you.”
The policeman who tailed her had made his way into the house. Apparently when he called in the address and asked for backup, the dispatcher gave him an overview of the situation.
She hugged him even tighter.
“Ms. Burke, is everything all right?”
She gave Eli over to Ben and rose to her feet. She pointed to the door and explained the problem to the officer. He asked Maggie to stay in the kitchen while he combed the area.
Ben had Eli settle down in front of the TV. He walked toward Maggie and enveloped her in a hug. Her body tightened as she pulled him as close as she could. When would it be over?
Ben’s arms wrapped around her like a tree. She felt so secure and loved but the second she pulled away, her heart would stir. “Oh my God Ben, what do I do?”
Ben was frazzled. “I don’t get it, why not come in and take him?”
Maggie hung in his arms. “Don’t worry Maggie. I won’t let him hurt you or Eli. I promise.”
The Cascade police returned to the kitchen with a bottle of whiskey wrapped in today’s newspaper. It was left just outside your son’s bedroom. “Couldn’t have been there too long, it’s not frozen.”
Maggie gasped. “And there are fresh prints heading toward the house from the backyard.”
“Follow the prints.”
“It’s not that easy. The snow has piled up in the back yard, with the way the snow melts in these parts, there are large pits masking where the footprints taper off. He could have gone any way.
Maggie’s stomach was in a knot. She had Ben and the police in her home but she felt as nervous as she did when it was just she and Jack. When Detective Brant arrived she felt better. He would have an action plan, he had to.
“We don’t want this to progress. We’ve got evidence that your ex husband has been at Eli’s school.”
Maggie felt
weak. “He can’t have Eli. You have to find him.”
“I know Ms. Burke. I’ve already spoken to the Cascade police, they are on the lookout. We’ve faxed a description of your ex to surrounding towns. The police here will keep a look out on you for three days.
Ben spoke up. “What exactly will they be doing?”
“An unmarked officer will be posted outside the house as a safe guard after curfew. During the day, we will monitor the home closely while you maintain a low profile in the community.”
“I understand.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
Detective Brant squared his shoulders. “Oh it will work.”
Ben interrupted. “I’ve read up on my profiling. Won’t guys like Jack be deterred by the lack of media? I mean, don’t they live for the sensationalism?”
“Not always. Jack Burke seems more disturbed than anything.”
Maggie packed her things. Just as she closed Eli’s top drawer a female officer entered the room. “Maggie, I’m officer Connolley.”
She turned and saw a woman similar to her. “I’ve come down from the Aurora police station. I’ll be staying in your home while you’re gone.”
Maggie nodded and kept busy. When detective Brant made the call to the local woman’s shelter Maggie had vain notions of what she would put Eli through. It was just days before Christmas and now they were leaving their home. What would she tell him?”
The cool air stung against her cheek as Maggie carried Eli to the car. Ben was already seated inside and took Eli from her warm arms. He seemed excited to ride in a patrol car and even more thrilled to sit behind the cop in the enclosed backseat.
Maggie surveyed the interior laptop, and gadgets in the car, this was really happening. Jack was after her and she was helpless. She prayed to God, “Father, only you can protect me now. I give my entire life to you, Eli and Ben. May we get through this night and may you end this reign of terror.”
Every Last Breath Page 14