by Angel Rose
“I’m trying to save your life. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I cupped her face in my hands. “Don’t you understand, if something happens to you because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.” I kissed her lips and stared into her eyes.
“Jacks—” she whispered.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I reached for it and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Is this special agent Jackson Turner?”
“Yes, it is. Who am I speaking with?”
“I have a message for Genevieve Darling.”
“You do? And what’s that asshole?” I barked.
“Tell her she needs to make a choice.”
“Choice?”
“Yes. You or her life.” They hung up.
I glanced over at her. She had tears in her eyes.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I have to attend to some business. Go upstairs and lock the door. Frank will stay with you until I get back. Isn’t that right, Frank?” I asked.
“Yes, Sir. Whatever you need me to do, Sir.” He replied.
“Good. Go into the lot that’s behind the building. I’ll take my car and you can take my spot. Here,” I handed him my gun.
“What the hell is this?” frank said.
“Shoot anyone that approaches you. Don’t give them any time to talk. Shoot to kill or they’ll kill you.”
“Mr. Turner, this is getting out of hand, Sir.”
“Your life depends on it, Frank. The innocent bystander always gets killed.”
“They’re after me, aren’t they?” Genevieve said.
“This is my problem, not yours. Go inside, Gen and stay there until I get home.”
“But, what about you?”
“I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.” I said getting out of the car.
“Call me.” She said as she pulled on my arm so I wouldn’t leave.
“I can’t. We’re being followed. Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Please, baby. I need to keep you safe,” I whispered.
“Okay,” she said handing me the phone.
“I’ll see you later. I promise.” I kissed her forehead gently and got out of the car and opened the door to my car.
Frank waited for me to pull out, then parked in my spot. He quickly grabbed Genevieve and walked hurriedly into the building. I watched as they both practically ran into the building. No one was around. I waited a few minutes until I got a text message from Frank.
All is clear.
I sighed with relief. I drove off towards the FBI headquarters. I needed to follow up on that murder and those birth certificates.
****
I arrived at the headquarters a few minutes later. Traffic was light. I entered the building and I was immediately tackled by two security guards.
“Mr. Turner. Come with us.” They said as they handcuffed me.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“It’s for your protection, Sir. We’re being watched. Be quiet and cooperate.” They handcuffed me and dragged me towards the elevator.
I was taken to a room on the thirteenth floor. The two men sat me down, removed my handcuffs and left. Jacob walked in.
“Jacks are you okay?” I was relieved to see him
“What’s going on Jacob?” I asked frantically.
“I told you this shit would go down bad. Why would you have anyone look into Anastasia’s Stone’s children’s birth certificates?”
“I’m trying to prove Alyssa belongs to Sly. Why didn’t you tell me you were hitting that heroin addict?”
Jacob slammed his fist against the table and sat next to me.
“I was undercover Jacks.” He said.
“Undercover?”
“Yes, you were trying to track of Andrew’s sex trafficking scheme in Chechenia and I was back here trying to get this city cleaned up from drugs.”
“What? You were working to get Sly?”
“No, this way before Sly. I was working on getting the head honcho. So, I played the part. It was a long time ago.”
“Play the part? By fucking that junkie? You were on the case way before my brother ever got involved. You knew he was my brother, Jacob. Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve saved his life.”
“My job was on the line. Yeah, I fucked that junkie whore. I was young and good looking. It was only one time. One fucking time!” He shouted.
“You didn’t answer my question. You knew Sly was involved with Ana. Why didn’t you tell me, so I could stop it? You knew he was in trouble man. Why?”
“I wasn’t on the case when Sly was around, okay. I got caught up in all this shit Jacks. It was my job.”
“Jacob, come on man. What are the chances of you being Madison’s father? Why did you sign that birth certificate?”
“Because that beautiful baby had a junkie of a mother. I went to the hospital that night and spoke to the nurse. You know we have connections, so I brought a DNA expert with me to the hospital. They did the test. She’s my daughter. She’s my fucking daughter and I lied about everything not to blow my cover. I put my job in front of my own daughter who needed me.” He gasped for air and then broke down.
I’d known him for years. I’d never seen Jacob breakdown or fall apart.
“What are we going to do right now? Why was that woman in Syracuse killed? What are we hiding?”
“It’s complicated. There’s more to this story. All these birth certificates being tampered with have lead to you. It’s a felony. Once Andrew was killed, this was supposed to all go away. You got Madison off the hook, but, there are some very angry Chechenians out there and an entire family in danger, including Madison and Alyssa. Right now, I don’t know how to protect them without blowing the top off this case.”
“Case?”
“Yes, remember Jordania? the captains daughter? She fled from the U.S. and kept Andrew’s sex trafficking legacy alive in chechenia. She’s back and with a vengeance and vowed to kill Madison and her family at any cost. You just opened the door for all of this to happen. I know you want to kill Madison for killing Sly. But I’m not going to let you kill my daughter.” He stood up and walked towards the window.
“My fucking head is spinning right now. What am I supposed to say to that, Jacob?”
“We need to work on a plan. We need to keep them safe. I need to tell her I’m her father.”
“Jesus Christ, this shit just went from bad to worse. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Why did you keep all of this from me? We’ve been friends for years. I trusted you.” I said angrily.
“I was ashamed of sleeping with Ana. Whether or not I was on assignment. I took a chance sleeping with that junkie. I could’ve gotten HIV.”
“Was Ana positive?”
“No, thank God. But, I’ve tested myself every year for the last fucking thirty years to make sure I wasn’t. I was young and okay with it. I thought I was doing my job, I’d be a hero. But, then, she got pregnant from me.”
“Why didn’t you use protection?”
“I did. That crazy heroin addict poked holes in the condoms! She wanted to get pregnant to get on welfare! She needed money!” he shouted. “She laughed about it, too. When I pulled out, there was come shooting out the condom. I wanted to beat her so badly, but I didn’t. I could never hurt a woman. She seemed so innocent. She even begged me to marry her.”
“You went through all of this alone? I’m sorry, bro. I’m sorry.”
“I want to see my daughter, Jacks. I need to tell her the truth. I lied. I lied so much I can’t tell the difference.” I glared at Jacob with hate. We all had a job to do, but he took this assignment and fucked up so many lives I couldn’t keep count. “I was ashamed. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. You were the only friend I had left.”
“I have to go. Let me know when you want to fix all of this.”
“Jacks, please give me another chance. I’m not the monster you
think I am.”
“The only person who’s going to think you’re a monster is Madison. I can’t judge you. I’m in the same shitty profession. There’s one thing you should know…if Genevieve Darling gets hurt in any kind of way while you’re fixing this shit up, I’m coming after you, Jacob. No questions asked.”
I walked out of the office in one piece. It was time to go home and make sure Genevieve was there waiting for me.
Chapter 16
Alyssa
The ride home was terrifying. I kept looking towards the back of the car to see if we were being followed.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Danny shouted.
“Just drive…please?” I whispered.
“Lyssa, what is it?”
“I have a bad feeling, Danny. Something is very wrong. I know it.”
“You know it? Did you see all the fake freaking birth certificates? Who did this to us? Who?”
“I love grandma, I do…but”
“Look, we need to go back home and act like nothing Lyssa. You just can’t open a can of worms and think momma is going to take this well. She can have a heart attack!”
“Heart attack?”
“Yeah, to find out now that daddy wasn’t even her half-brother? That they weren’t related at all? It could kill her,” he said as he glanced over at me.
“Look out!” I screamed as we crashed into a car. The airbags deployed, and I could barely breathe. “Danny?” I reached over with my hand and felt his hand.
“Lyssa, you okay?”
“Danny? Danny!” The car door opened, and I was dragged out of the car by cold, huge hands. Something was placed over my head and I couldn’t see or breathe. I was struggling to release myself from the grip of whomever was holding me. “Let me go!” I yelled.
“Lyssa! Lyssa!” Danny shouted. “Lyssa!”
I kicked with all my might, but whomever was holding me, wouldn’t let me go.
“Stay still or I’ll slit your throat,” he whispered.
“Please, please don’t hurt me,” I cried.
“Then shut up and be a good girl,” he said.
I stopped fighting and I was able to breathe a little. He sat me down and I could feel myself moving. I was in a car. The bag over my head was making me light headed.
“Please, I can’t breathe,” I whispered.
The bag was taken off my head and replaced with a blindfold.
“Stay nice and quiet. I don’t want to hurt you Alyssa,”
“You…you know me?” I replied.
“Let’s just say, we have…history.”
“Please don’t hurt my family,”
“You’re worried about your family? What about you?”
“I don’t care about me; just don’t hurt them, please.” I pleaded.
“I’m not going to hurt anyone, but I need you to be a good girl and listen.”
“I’m not a child you know,”
“No, you’re not. That’s why you’re here. I need your help.”
“I won’t do anything you ask me to. I want to go home.”
“Then it’s your death bed, sweetheart. I can’t help you if you don’t cooperate,”
“I’m not afraid to die.”
He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.
“Shut up! Just, shut up!”
I lowered my head and bit my lip. He held onto my cuffs, so I wouldn’t move.
“That hurts…” I said angrily.
“I told you to shut your mouth,” he slapped me across my mouth and busted my lip. I tasted the coppery liquid drip down the side of my mouth.
We drove for what seemed hours. I was hot and uncomfortable. The cuffs finally cut my wrists and were raw and bleeding. I kept falling in and out of sleep but was woken up by a shove or a push by big, powerful hands. The car ride ended, and I felt as if I was going to vomit. I held it in. Someone grabbed me and pulled me out the car. They uncuffed me. I thought this could be my chance to run, but I still had the blindfold on.
“Awww…isn’t she just beautiful.” I heard a woman say.
“This one’s a keeper, J.” someone said.
“Is she now?”
“Yes,”
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that,” the woman grabbed my hand. “Walk slow sweetheart,” She said.
“I have to leave. I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said.
“Make sure you give Mr. Lewis this message. This little Stone is for sale. I look forward to doing business with him,”
“Yes, Ma’am.” I heard a man say. “Good night my little pet,” he whispered in my ear.
My body trembled. I was nauseous, sweating, ready to vomit.
“Come sweetheart. Soon, you’ll be feeling much better.” She said.
She removed the blindfold from my eyes. I blinked a couple of times trying to adjust my vision.
“Here, drink this,” she handed me a plastic cup.
I shook my head.
“You’ll feel better.” She stressed.
I eyed her up and down. She was beautiful. Tall, curvaceous and long black hair that curled at the end.
“Who are you? What do you want with me?” I took a step back.
“It’s a long story. Not something you should be involved with, but it needed to be done.” She walked towards the couch and sat with her legs crossed.
“Your so-called father ruined my life; killed the love of my life.”
“He is my father.”
“You don’t know much about your past, you were just a baby. Madison knows,”
“Madison? You know my mother?” my heart pounded against my chest.
“Yes, we were…friends.” She crossed her legs casually. “Look, I need something from you and you’re going to give it to me.” She stood up and walked towards me. She grabbed my chin gently. “You are beautiful, those blue eyes will have the men only asking for you.”
“What men?”
“Then I’m going to sell you to the highest bidder,” she giggled. “Payback is a bitch. Aslan take her to her room and get her cleaned up.” She summoned this tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes to take me away.
“Wait, you don’t have to do this. I have money saved. I can give it to you.”
“The only thing I want from you is your innocence. It’s priceless.”
“Please, I…I’ve never had... Please don’t do this,”
She turned her face away from me.
“Aslan take her…now.”
“Come with me beautiful,” he said with a thick Russian accent.
I complied and walked with him. I didn’t want them to hurt me. I looked around the room and down the corridor. I needed to get out of there right away. He grabbed my arm gently and escorted me into a room. The door creaked as it opened. A woman sat on a small chair near a vanity table. She was putting on her makeup.
“This is Elina. She will tell you how to dress and what to say. American men will love you, but Russian men will devour you.” Aslan smiled as he shut the door.
I stared at Elina. She smiled at me, grabbed both my hands and sat me on my bed.
“I don’t, how you say, speak the English, well.” Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes. “You look so much like my daughter Elizaveta.”
“Please, I just want to go home.”
She shook her head.
“This is bad, um, place. They going to hurt you. Give drugs. Rape. You, too young, pretty.” She grabbed my face with her hand. Her eyes watered. She shook her head.
I started to shake and cry uncontrollably. She grabbed my wrists.
“You be strong. I will help. Come” She stared at me then stood up and walked over to her broken dresser drawer. She opened it and pulled out something that looked like money, a knife and a bottle of water. “Take this, there is under the ground, a path. You run, tonight, before they come, take you. Tunnel, dark with rats, but run, fast. It will take you, outside, free. You run, keep running.”
“I need to know where I
’m at.”
“You are in the city with tall buildings. Many people. Disgusting men. Take. Go.” She grabbed my hand and opened the door to her closet. “I found secret door. They not know. It leads out.”
“Come with me.” I whispered.
“I am older woman. I need money. I have no family. Elizaveta died, here. A man killed her. I have nowhere else to go.” She shook her head. “But you, you have life. Go.” She pushed me through the door. I glanced back at her. “Here, lighter. To help you with dark.”
I grabbed the lighter and started to run. I heard noises and stepped on squishy things. I didn’t look back like she said. I kept running. The little light from the lighter wasn’t enough, but I didn’t care. I was trembling inside. I was crying, holding in my sobs as I ran for my life. I had one hand in front of me. I was afraid I was going bump into something. I kept running which seemed like hours and then I saw light. I ran faster. My heart was pounding I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The light became brighter and brighter. I ran and ran until I ran outside of the tunnel and into the daylight. My eyes adjusted as I dropped the lighter to the floor. I glanced around the area and saw people walking and mother’s pushing baby strollers. I saw a pond. I quickly hid behind a tree and cried so hard I had to cover my own mouth. I didn’t know how to walk out of this area without being seen. What was I going to do? How was I going to get out of the park?
Chapter 17
Jackson
I opened the door to my apartment to find Genevieve sound asleep on the couch. I walked towards the kitchen and washed my hands.
“Mr. turner,” Frank said.
I turned around quickly.
“Shit, I forgot you were here.” I turned off the water.
“I need to go home now, Sir. Is it safe?” he asked.
“You don’t like me, do you Frank?” I asked.
“It’s not that, Sir. I’m planning on getting married. Today is my last day working for you. I know I should give you a two weeks’ notice or something, but, under the circumstances, I’d like to quit today.”
“I see. Look, I’m sorry I involved you in this mess. You’re free to go.” I extended my hand for a handshake and he shook his head. “I’m trying to be cordial, Frank.”
“Fuck you, Jackson. My girl is pregnant. You’ve never thought about anyone else but yourself. It’s not you being an FBI agent and me having to answer whenever you call, that’s my job. It’s you, period. You’re not a nice person. You’re an asshole. I’ve worked for you for a long time and I can’t remember a time you’ve gone out of your way for me or even considered how I felt when I was sick or had a family emergency. You should really think about that woman out there that’s sleeping on your couch. You might just get her killed. You don’t give a shit about her.” He said as he turned to walk away from me.