by Mckoy, Cate
Ashley jumped into her seat next to her dad from the back of the sofa, while grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl she too stroked her mom’s large, very pregnant belly. “Hi, little dude. Just think we are gonna see you in a few days maybe even on our birthday, how cool is that all three of us with the same birthday, can’t wait!”
Linda Mackenzie arched her back stretching a kink out, “You’re not the only one. Jared likes cuddling my ribcage too much.”
David Mackenzie gently stroked his wife’s side, stealing a sweet kiss from her lips. Then turning fully to the camera he addressed his dad. “Hi Dad, as you can see it’s movie night here and it’s Ashley’s turn to pick—“
“It so is not! She picked the last one!” Ariel objected.
“I did not Ariel. You did!”
“You’re such an airhead! You don’t remember this morning forget last week.” Ariel finished her speech by sticking her tongue out at her twin.
“Dad, she stuck her tongue out at me. You said we shouldn’t do that anymore!” Ashley tattled.
Linda Mackenzie gave a big sigh, “Girls, enough. Your father will pick!”
“But Mom—“Ariel wailed in that annoying way only pre-teens could manage, she was cut off by her father. “Ariel, you heard your mother.”
Ariel slumped back into the sofa with a frown, “Yes, sir.” The twins bickered but it was clear they were basically good kids. The family each took a turn looking into the camera telling Mackenzie senior about their lives for the past week. When they finished David Mackenzie rose to turn the camera off just as the doorbell chimed. Ariel jumped up.
“It’s Chad!” She excitedly said in a dreamy voice.
“Hold it young lady.” David Mackenzie’s tone was stern. “Who is this Chad fella and why is he coming to see one of my baby girls?”
“Daddy, you know Chad Wyler. The Wylers sit next to us in church a lot.”
David Mackenzie crossed his arms across his chest. “That doesn’t explain why he’s sniffing around my 11 year old daughter.”
“Daddy! Chad is 12 and I’ll be 12 in a few days. He’s just here to invite me to his graduation pool party.”
“What’s wrong with the phone?”
“Daddy!” Ariel wailed as the doorbell chimed again.
“David, stop teasing your daughter. Ariel go and get the door.” Ariel ran out of the room.
“You two should stop teasing Ariel. She’s having her first crush.” Linda said as she went back to crocheting.
Ashley made gagging sounds and she pretended to stick her finger down her throat. “Yuck!”
David Mackenzie laughed as he started to put the camera away. The camera tilted as he took it off the tripod. “Hey Dad, lets film her with Chad so she can see how stupid she looks when she talks to him.” Ashley laughed.
“I am loving this idea, quick, Ashley, hide the tripod. I’ll put the camera on one of the entertainment shelves to camouflage it.”
Linda Mackenzie shook her head. “You two are incorrigible.”
“Honey, she may be happy to have this moment on film.” David Mackenzie’s chest took up the screen as he spoke. He stepped back coming into full view as he backed towards the sofa. “There, it’s blended with all the other electronics and you can’t tell it’s on.”
“Cool, she is gonna go bezerkers when she sees.” Ashley titled her head looking into the camera she smiled and put her thumb up.
“David and Ashley don’t say I didn’t warn you when Ariel takes her revenge.”
David Mackenzie laughed. “Bring it on baby girl.” He then looked at Ashley, “So, glad you’re not interested in boys yet.”
Ashley did a Karate stance and smiled, “Only in kicking their butts.”
“That’s my girl!” David gave his daughter a high-five.
“Oh you’ll both—“
Linda Mackenzie was interrupted by a terrifying scream. The three in the room froze. “D-david?”
“Daddy, what was that?” Ashley’s voice was just as scared sounding as her mother’s for it was horrifyingly clear the scream was Ariel and it wasn’t one of her cutesy teen screams of pleasure.
“Stay back, Linda go get my gun from the safe.” David moved towards the archway as he gave his wife instructions.
Before he could cross the threshold he collided with a masked man dressed all in black. David Mackenzie was shoved to the ground. Four other men all dressed in black and masked appeared. One held a crying Ariel by her slender arm.
Ariel’s shockingly white sundress was now crimson. Linda Mackenzie screamed pulling Ashley to her bosom.
David Mackenzie stood and looked at Ariel. “Oh, my God, Ariel! Ariel!”
One of the men tried to hold David back with a knife to his throat. David did a series of intricate moves that ended in an ominous sounding crunch. The man fell to the floor as though he lacked a skeletal system.
Ashley had left her mother’s arms and reached for something on the coffee table. She jumped up on and then over the sofa at the same time throwing the objects. One went flying from each of her hands seconds after each other. Just as she landed on her feet another of the men howled in pain and gripped his chest. The man’s howling turned to gurgling. Ashley had accurately thrown her Chinese throwing stars. The man dropped to his knees and then his face.
Linda Mackenzie ran to a far wall and was partially out of view. David Mackenzie was moving in on the man who had a tight grip on Ariel when the man put Ariel in front of him and put a knife to her throat. “If you don’t want to see this little bitch in pieces I highly suggest you stop moving.” The whispered grave voice informed David bringing him to an instant standstill.
Linda Mackenzie screamed. David looked at his wife and Ashley being held in a similar manner by the remaining intruders. David slowly raised his hands.
“Ariel, baby where are you hurt, Ariel, Ariel, sweetheart, come on baby look at Daddy. Where are you hurt?” Ariel’s eyes were wide and in shock. She didn’t stir or respond to her father’s voice. Her vacant eyes stared into thin air. “Ariel, please answer Daddy.”
“Shut up, the stupid little bitch isn’t hurt. It’s not her blood. Some kid was at the door trying to kiss your little whore. His head is now on your welcome mat.”
David Mackenzie's voice was hard, "What do you people want?"
Even through the mask and on video one could detect the man's smirk. "We have what we want already."
"Yeah, and what is that exactly?"
"The end of the HCD before it even starts."
Suddenly David Mackenzie shouted, "Mackenzie Strikes!"
With the exception of Ariel, everyone with the last name Mackenzie exploded into action. Both Linda and Ashley delivered a closed fist punch to their captor's groin and then a hard stomp to their in-step finishing up with a hard shove backward. Ariel stared into near space with blank eyes, never moving.
Linda then ran to somewhere off screen. David Mackenzie had gone after the man who held Ariel. They were in a to-the-death struggle when Ashley gave the intruder she fought with a drop kick that sent him crashing into a wall.
Ashley ran to Ariel. She waved her hand in front of her sister's face. "Ariel! Ariel come on!" Ashley tried tugging Ariel by the arm towards the archway, while taking looks over her shoulder at the man she kicked.
The man had regained his balance and made a bee-line for the twins. Instead of leaving her family to run out the door Ashley took a fighting stance beside her sister, readying her body for fight. When the man was in reaching distance of the twins Ashley struck out with a fast kick, shouting, "Ariel 9!"
Ariel remained frozen stuck in some unreachable world inside her head. Maybe with their combined strength and training the twins could have defeated the one assailant but once the element of surprise had worn off the man was able to very quickly conquer Ashley's moves. The pre-teen was subdued so it could only be with malicious glee the man took out a knife and slashed her throat with an evil grunt. Ashley's blood s
patter sprayed across her twin's face, adding a wetter looking crimson than was on Ariel's dress.
Linda Mackenzie's scream was the heart wrenching, breath stealing wail of a mother's loss! Everyone in the room seemed to become as still as Ariel. And then Linda's scream was cut short with a bullet to her head. The report of the gun was loud and short. She dropped to the floor her body lifeless and only partially in the video frame. David howled like a man possessed, "Noooooo!"
His pain and loss were short lived as a large knife was shoved deeply into his chest. David's body did a half turn as he sank to his knees. He raised an unsteady hand towards his daughter and whispered what sounded like "Ariel, run," and continued to the floor.
The man who had shot Linda suddenly kicked her in what was left of her head. "Black bitch almost shot me! Got a Goddamn gun out of that wall safe over there."
"You all were careless. Just be glad you're not dead like those two." The man who had stabbed David Mackenzie and seem to be in charge warned.
The one who had killed Ashley grunted, "Little cunt was trained almost as well as we train our kids."
The leader spoke again, "Obviously not as she's dead. Our kids would have won."
The other home invader had moved away from Linda's body and was waving his hands and snapping his fingers in Ariel's face who didn't so much as blink. "Hey, boss, I think this one is broken or something, want me to gut her?"
The leader walked over to Ariel. He bent until they were eye to eye and then slowly ran his hands down her chest squeezing the slight bumps of her budding breasts and then cruelly shoved a hand between her legs. Ariel didn't move.
"Let’s go. She's a waste of space now." The leader spoke and the others moved. In seconds they were gone.
The video was eerily silent as it recorded a full 2 minutes of Ariel staring at nothing. Abruptly her tiny frame shuddered and she blinked. In slow motion she went to a phone on an end table. She picked it up dialed a number, said 2 words "Activate guardian." Her voice was small, sounding even younger than her 11 years. She hung up then dialed 3 digits and placed the receiver on the end table with the line still open. Ariel slowly walked towards her mother. She laid down, curling her body around her mother's pregnant mound. In a broken hitch she began to sing to her unborn brother.
For several long minutes the only sound that could be heard was the broken lyrics in Ariel's tiny child's voice.
Kyle recognized the military style of the 6 man team that stealthily descended upon the room. In two-by-two and flanking formation the 6 men filled the room, fully outfitted in tactical gear and weapons.
"These two are dead, Sarg." One of the men said after quickly checking for signs of life on the two intruders.
The man who was addressed as Sarg growled, "Good, saves me the trouble of hunting the pieces of shit down." He stood over Ashley's body. He kneeled and gently closed her lids.
"Sarg, White King is dead." Another team member informed the stoic Sarg.
"Damn!"
"Sarg! It's Princess 2! She's alive!" One of the men off camera shouted. The Sarg turned as the man came into view carrying Ariel in his arms. Her lips moved but sound no longer could be heard.
"Ok, I want a clean sweep now!" The man known as Sarg started to speak into his headset while two other members of the team checked Ariel. "Guardian 1 to base." He gave a short pause then continued, "White King, Black Queen and Princess 1 are down, repeat, White King, Black Queen and Princess 1 are down! I need immediate evac for Princess 2. Rendezvous with Helio-5 at location Alpha-1."
"Sarg, she's covered in blood but none of it is hers, vitals are normal and her pupils are even and responsive to light. It appears as though she is in some kind of catatonic state."
Sarg reached for Ariel as the camera screen filled with the black of one of the men's chest as they neared where the camera was hidden.
The camera tilted and whirled as it was moved. "Sarg, got a video here. It looks active."
An inverted image of the Sarg cradling Ariel appeared.
"Grab it and anything else you found and let's move out double time. The local LEOs will be here any minute. Barrel, you take point."
"Yes s--" the video abruptly ended.
Chapter 14
The media room was completely silent. Kyle looked over at Catlyn whose face was wet from all her tears. Jack held her hand, giving it a squeeze before going to turn the lights on.
The other 3 looked at Jared. Unashamedly, tears streamed down his face and his hands had a death grip on the arm rests.
Catlyn reached inside a compartment hidden in the low table situated between the chairs, grabbing a box of tissues she took some for herself and then crossed over to Jared, handing him the box. Silently he took the box and wiped his face and blew his nose. His fist balled up the used tissues with unnecessary strength before throwing them into a small waste basket Jack indicated with a pointing finger.
Jared took a deep breath. "I always thought Grandpa was hiding something about the day my family died in a 'car accident'.
"Now you know."
They all turned towards the entryway to the media room. Ashley stood there utterly drenched.
"Ashley! Thank God!" Catlyn said with profound relief as she, Jack and Jared went to her, taking turns to embrace her.
Kyle held back watching her closely. Although she appeared physically drained, she didn't appear harmed. Giving a heartfelt thanks of his own to the powers that be, he watched as Jared touched her face and push her wet hair off her cheek. He pulled her into his chest for another of those tight hugs that before the video Kyle found offensive and felt jealously. Now he felt a bittersweet happiness for the siblings.
Jared pulled back and stared into her eyes. "Ashley, Ashley, Ashley, never run away and scare me like that again.
Kyle waited a heartbeat before he spoke while slowly approaching the others. "But that isn't right is it?"
They all turned puzzling frowns towards him as he continued to walk up to the embracing brother and sister. He didn't stop until he was inches away from her, their gazes locked.
"What's your deal, man? You can relax I am her brother not your competition your status as her fiancé is unchallenged."
Ignoring Jared he continued to hold her eyes in the hypnotic snare of his blue gaze. "Is he right? Am I still your man...Ariel?"
****
Kyle paced back and forth in their bedroom while he waited for Ashley...no Ariel to come out of the shower. Kyle could barely wrap his head around the idea that the twin he had known for years, worked with, made love to and recently asked to marry him was Ariel from the video. Kyle had indeed been convinced, like the rest, that the twin which had survived was Ashley. After all the Ashley they all knew and loved was very much like the little girl in the video named Ashley. The same traits and qualities in the younger Ashley were definitely in the older version.
However once he established which girl was which in the video he had been able to pick out Ashley immediately by the way of her walk as it was a bit brisker than her sister's, how she usually sat with her legs crossed at the ankles whereas Ariel had crossed her knees, sitting with a straight back. A model's posture she had explained to her twin in one of the video clips. Ariel had informed Ashley that her posture was terrible and she was going to look like a caveman or a knuckle dragging ape if she didn't stop with the poor posture habits. In which Ashley's reply had been to jump up and down on the sofa making monkey sounds, scratching her armpits and walking stooped-over and then sniffing her twin and flipping her hair as though she were looking for bugs. Ariel had gotten annoyed, had promptly bade her Pop-pop good bye and left the room.
It was clear in almost all the clips that Ashley was the Tomboy and Ariel was the little Miss Beauty Queen. She tended to be more materialistic than Ashley and much more concerned about her physical appearance.
The shower stopped and she came out wrapped in a towel. She silently did her routine of getting ready for bed. Kyle's eyes followed h
er every movement. "Ignoring me isn't going to make me go away. You gave me your promise to be my wife less than 9 hours ago...Ariel."
She spun violently away from the dresser drawer to face Kyle, saying with gritted teeth, "Don't call me that!"
"Why not? It's your name isn't it?" Kyle looked down at the furious woman before him and saw no traces of the little girl Ariel.
The anger seemed to leak from her body. She turned flinging the towel on the bed and slipping a nightgown over her head. She pulled back the covers and started fluffing pillows. Kyle's own anger suddenly made an appearance. He grabbed her upper arm and swung her back to face him. "You are Ariel? Aren't you? The only way that video makes sense is if you are Ariel."
She shook his hand off her arm and looked into his eyes. "Ariel is dead!"
"God damn it! Don't li--"
"She died in that room long ago with her family. Her body didn’t but her spirit did. She is the one who should have died physically, not Ashley."
"Oh, Babydoll, don't say that," he tried taking her into his arms but she stepped back.