Hillary_Retribution

by Angel Gelique

  Entering his car, he remembered the duffel bag that the young girl had left behind. He felt a bit guilty for not making an effort to return it. If the Holiday Inn hadn’t been so far out of his way, he might have done so then. But he was tired, tipsy and horny. At the moment he had greater plans. He reached back, grabbed the bag and tossed it on the front seat beside him. He didn’t want to forget to bring it inside when he arrived home.

  It was a relatively short trip and Ken was in his driveway just twenty minutes later. He grabbed the duffel bag and walked to his house. He knew that JoEl sometimes closed up early when they had plans to meet. He expected her to ring his doorbell by eleven, which left him less than two hours to vacuum, do his dishes, wipe down the counters and pick up the dirty clothes littering his bedroom floor. Not that she would much care if his house was a little messy. JoEl had always accepted him as he was and had never nagged him about any of his quirks and bad habits.

  He dropped the duffel bag on the foyer console table, placed his keys on the hook above him and walked to the bathroom. He had to empty his bladder before he did anything else. He sang Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” as he began cleaning up. He loved music and always sang old classic rock songs to pass the time when he did his household chores. He was done straightening up by the time he was mid-way through his rendition of Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” All that remained to be done was a load of laundry.

  Being so busy tidying up, Ken had forgotten about the duffel bag until he spotted it on the foyer table on his way into the basement. Curiosity got the best of him. He walked up to it, grabbed it and carried it to the living room. He sat on the couch, placed it on his lap and unzipped it.

  He contorted his face in confusion as he spotted the small paring knife atop a pile of clothing. It seemed an odd thing for a young girl to carry around. He shrugged. Maybe having it close gave her a sense of protection. He was hoping to find some way of contacting her. As he began to lift the pile of clothing, he felt jagged metal teeth cut into his finger and he quickly withdrew his hand. Blood dripped on the shirt Hillary had on the top of the pile.

  “Shit!” Ken cursed as he instinctively brought his finger to his mouth. Upon inspection, he saw that his index finger had a half-inch incision. It didn’t seem very deep but it was bleeding a lot. He set the duffel bag aside and walked into the kitchen to wash his wound. He wrapped it with paper towel then returned to the duffel bag to investigate the source of his injury.

  Slowly and carefully, Ken lifted the pile of clothes.

  “What the—”

  There were several knives at the bottom of the bag...a corkscrew...a scalpel. It was such a strange collection of items. What kind of weird fascination did the girl have for sharp objects? As he was about to reach for an especially long and menacing knife, Ken saw part of a cell phone all the way in the back, partially hidden by the clothes. He reached for it and attempted to turn it on. It was completely dead.

  Ken frowned. He had been hoping he’d be able to contact the girl somehow so that he could make arrangements to return her duffel bag. He was about to toss it back in the bag when he remembered the old iPod Touch he used to have. He would be able to use the old charger to charge the girl’s phone.

  He held on to the phone and zipped the duffel bag shut. Had he done just a little more probing, he would have found the dead man’s wallet, which had slid down to the other side of the bag. He carried the bag, along with Jake Bentley’s iPhone, upstairs to his bedroom. He knew he still had the old charging cable somewhere in his room.

  It didn’t take long to find. It was housed within the bottom drawer of his computer desk along with the old, unused iPod. He plugged the USB end into his computer and the other end into the phone. He figured it would be charged enough within an hour or so for him to locate its rightful owner. Then forgetting all about the phone and the bag and the weird young girl, he focused his thoughts onto JoEl. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. She would be arriving soon. He had just enough time for a quick shower.

  As Ken shampooed his hair, he fantasized about JoEl joining him in the shower. He had stayed in pretty good shape over the years, but JoEl had somehow managed to look even better. It always amazed him how she could defy the laws of aging and her body could defy the laws of gravity. He was more attracted to her now than when they’d first began dating all those years back. With such lustful thoughts, he had to be particularly careful when he washed his overly-sensitive area.

  Part of Ken’s fantasy had been actualized. When he emerged from the shower, he found JoEl waiting for him on his bed, clad in just her frilly red underwear. The erection Ken had sprouted just a short while ago was back with a throbbing vengeance. JoEl could almost see his mouth water in anticipation.

  “So, are you gonna just stand there and stare or come over here and make me squeal in delight?”

  The giant smile on his face was enough to answer her question. He was on her in seconds, his hands groping her flawless breasts as if for the first time. He marveled in every curve on her voluptuous body as he removed her undergarments. They kissed passionately as JoEl helped him to disrobe.

  Ken pulled back just enough to remove his pants and underwear and kick them to the floor.

  “Joey,” he whispered breathlessly. “Promise me you’ll be mine one day.”

  “I’m already yours, Kenny...heart, body and soul...now come here.”

  “All mine, Joey...mine alone.”

  “Shhhh,” she said as she kissed his mouth to keep him from saying another one. She had missed him during those long weeks. They could talk a little later. For now, she needed to feel just how much he loved her.

  Based on his performance, he loved her a hell of a lot. Ken was still twitching as he collapsed beside her in bed, panting and sweating and moaning in ecstasy. He had made love to her dozens of time throughout the years. How was it possible that she could still excite him like a teenager on a date with a supermodel? And how was it possible that her body could feel so young and fresh?

  JoEl shifted beside him, turned on her side and rested her head on his shoulder. Ken turned to face her and wrapped his arm around her.

  “In a million years, I could never get tired of being with you.”

  He planted a soft kiss just under her jaw. It tickled and covered her skin with goose bumps.

  “Awww, baby, you always say the sweetest things to me.”

  “And I mean everything I say to you. I love you so much, Joey.”

  “I know, Kenny, I love you too.”

  “I want to marry you.”

  “You know I can’t marry you...I’m already married....”

  JoEl loved Ken, truly and completely, but she dreaded every time he moped about the fact they couldn’t formally and permanently be together. He never pressured her for more of a commitment. He was always patient and kind and wonderful. That’s what made it most difficult for her.

  Yet, there was no way that she could leave Brian, especially now that he had lost his job. It would make her seem cruel and heartless. Though she wasn’t in love with him, she did care for him despite his overbearing personality and anger issues. JoEl would tell Ken that she couldn’t leave him because it would break her mother’s heart. But the truth was, she was afraid to leave him. Though he had never gotten physically abusive toward her, his use of psychological warfare was just part of his control and dominion over her. She had no doubt in her mind that if he ever discovered that she was seeing Ken, he would kill them both.

  “I know...don’t remind me,” Ken said somberly.

  She pulled him close enough to hear his heart beating.

  “You never know,” JoEl said, fighting her tears. “Maybe one day we’ll end up together somehow...just you and me.”

  “I pray for that day to come, Joey. It will one day, you know.”

  “I—”

  JoEl jumped with a start, prompting Ken to jump as well when the cell phone plugged into Ken’s computer began to ring.


  “Oh my God, that startled me,” she said, laughing at herself for being so jumpy. Lately, she had been worrying that with Brian off from work and having little to do with his time he would start noticing her absences more. He was prone to get curious and jealous and start snooping around. It was just a matter of time before he discovered their illicit affair.

  Though their being together felt so right, she knew it was wrong. She was a married woman and she was committing adultery. She felt like a sneak every time she met with Ken. Indeed, that’s what she was. Yet what society deemed wrong, her heart regarded as so very right. Still, each time she met with Ken, she became increasingly more anxious and nervous, expecting their cover to be blown somehow.

  “That’s not my phone...oh, right, that must be the phone from the duffel bag. It was dead so I put it to charge. I figured I could find that girl and get her bag back to her. I feel guilty for not turning back and dropping it off to her at the hotel. I was just so anxious to see you.”

  He kissed her nose lightly then jumped out of bed to answer the call before it stopped ringing.

  “Hello?” he answered.

  “Hello?” a man’s voice replied. “Who is this? How did you get my phone?”

  ~15~

  Eliza wished she had her badge with her. Perhaps then they may have been able to get some answers. No one was forthcoming with any useful information. Apparently, everyone who had been at the station at the time of the murder was long gone now. Of course, it was to be expected when a crime scene occurred at a transportation hub.

  It wasn’t a complete waste of time, though. They were able to find out some general information about the bus destinations from that point on. They narrowed their inquiry to buses leaving the terminal within an hour after the murder had taken place. It was unlikely that Hillary would linger around too long after she had killed someone. She was much smarter than that.

  The first bus to depart the terminal after the time of the murder was a bus headed to Wilmington, Delaware. Jake and Eliza both thought it was a good possibility that Hillary had boarded this bus. The next bus to leave was headed south, to Miami, Florida. It didn’t seem likely that Hillary was aboard that bus. Why would she travel s far north only to head south again? Unless, of course, she was purposefully trying to throw them off track. There was just one other bus that left nearly an hour after the incident. It was a bus traveling westbound to Lincoln, Nebraska. Of course, Hillary might have been aboard that bus, but given then long wait at the bus station after the murder was committed, it didn’t seem likely. The place would have been crawling with cops by then.

  Still, there was another possibility—actually several other possibilities—if Hillary didn’t take any of the buses and had instead left the bus terminal. Maybe she was still somewhere in the Richmond area. Or perhaps she had hitched a ride somewhere. The more they thought about the possibilities, the more anxious they both became.

  After an exercise in futility and frustration, they decided to find a hotel room and get some much needed food and rest. They left the bus terminal feeling less optimistic and confident in their ability to locate the elusive Hillary Greyson. The car ride over to the hotel was quiet and sullen. Eliza tried to placate her disappointment by convincing herself that if they were meant to find Hillary, then they would.

  Jake, however, was not as accepting. Their recent setback was more infuriating than discouraging for him. He was tense and angry as he thought about the possibility that he may never get the opportunity to confront Hillary and make her pay for ruining his life. He would never rest until that loathsome lunatic was dead.

  The air in the car was thicker than molasses. The tension was stifling. The short twenty-five minute ride to the hotel seemed like hours. Jake and Eliza were both exhausted when they pulled onto the property.

  The room at the Richmond Marriott was clean and spacious. Jake and Eliza decided that it would be more economical to get just one room with two beds rather than wasting money on two separate rooms. After all, she had no reason to fear him. She had a gun and he had no penis. What could possibly happen?

  Eliza took a shower while Jake ordered room service. They ate in silence until it became too awkward and uncomfortable to withstand.

  “What next?” Jake asked, as if Eliza had some grand scheme planned.

  Eliza didn’t appreciate having the responsibility on her shoulders. She flashed Jake a dirty look as she exhaled deeply to vent her frustrations.

  “I don’t know yet, Jake...I’ll try calling a few people I know who might have some inside information about the so-called Hillary Copycat, but if nothing pans out from that, we’ll just have to wait for a breakthrough.”

  Jake was shaking his head as if to say that wasn’t good enough.

  “I know, I know,” Eliza said, empathizing with his agitation, “but what else can we do? We’re hunting a ghost.”

  “We have to find her, Eliza. I was just hoping we’d catch a good, solid lead.”

  “Well my instincts say she took that bus north.”

  “Mine too. I’ve been thinking that maybe she found about how she ended up at Pat’s house. Maybe she even has some information on the soldier responsible for her capture. Maybe she knows where to find him.”

  “Another possibility,” Eliza said, not very excited by the prospect. It was just another scenario to add to the growing list.

  “So maybe we should look into military bases in the north,” Jake offered.

  “And do what? Visit them all? Start interrogating every soldier we find? How far do you think we’d get?”

  “Dammit, you don’t need to be condescending.”

  “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m just as frustrated as you are. Let’s just take it one step at a time or we’ll drive ourselves crazy.”

  Jake felt as if crazy was an improvement over his current mental state. He hadn’t fully accepted the fact that he was a eunuch. He hated to get undressed. He hated to use the bathroom. He would close his eyes whenever he had to, to avoid looking down at the void between his legs.

  He might be able to talk and joke and even smile and laugh at times, but Jake knew he was far from mentally stable. He had lost his mind the instant he became aware of his bleak existence. The treacherous grip of insanity had stripped him of logic and sound reasoning. His descent into madness had not been a quick, finite occurrence. Rather, it was a continuous journey, with his deranged mind spiraling greater into lunacy with every new defeat, every new disappointment.

  It left a lingering taint in his heart...a dark, baneful stain that residually pumped venom through his veins with every ominous beat. It made him feel fury and belligerence, the likes of which he had never experienced before. It was his introduction to hell, his first lesson in pure evil. Crazy? He would welcome crazy with open arms.

  Jake was in a rapidly-decaying foul mood. The scowl he wore made him look ugly, which was not an easy accomplishment on such a perfectly chiseled face. His eyes lost their gleam as they narrowed into a hateful glare aimed directly at Eliza. Suddenly, he grew incensed by everything about her. Her honey-colored, perfect hair...her perfect little body...the enticing, husky sound of her voice...the way she smiled...her optimistic attitude...the way she picked at her food.... Why was she picking at her food? Damn her, couldn’t she just wolf it down so that she could start making her phone calls?

  Like an icy chill in the air, Eliza could detect the hostility radiating off Jake. Did he somehow blame her? Surely there was no way that he could be upset with her. Yet he looked so crazed and manic. Suddenly, Eliza wasn’t so sure that it was a good idea for them to share a single room.

  “You know, I think after dinner I’ll get my own room for the night,” she said as she met his frigid glare.

  “That’s ridiculous,” he bellowed. “It’d be a waste of money.”

  “Quite frankly, I’m not feeling very comfortable in your presence.”

  “What do you think, Eliza? That I’m going to try to hurt you?”
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br />   “You look insane, Jake! You’re seething with rage. Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Are you really that self-centered that you would attribute my anger and disappointment to something you did or didn’t do?”

  “Well I’m disappointed too but you don’t see me staring you down as if I want to end your life at the next possible moment.”

  “Oh, well let me turn away from you, I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable with my seething rage.”

  Jake stood and turned his chair. He sat down facing away from the table.

  “You’re such an immature ass, you know that? And here I thought we were finally starting to connect.”

  “Eliza, why don’t you just finish your food?”

  “I don’t have much of an appetite anymore,” she replied angrily as she stood and began noisily clearing the dishes.

  “Just sit and enjoy your meal.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do, I’m not a child.”

  “Look, am I pissed off? Of course I am. Of course I must look insane enough to commit mass murder but it doesn’t mean that I have it personally in for you...you’re overreacting.”

  “I don’t know, Jake...maybe we need a breather.”

  “Aren’t we both adults?”

  “Yes, but if I’m not comfortable, I’m not comfortable. I don’t want to have to sleep with one eye open tonight.”

  Jake turned his chair around to face Eliza.

  “I haven’t been myself. I get so angry...so enraged. It just comes on so strong and fast, it takes over. I’m sorry. I’ll try to have better control over my feelings. But you have my word, Eliza. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re not my enemy.”

  Eliza nodded in understanding. She’d felt uncomfortable but didn’t believe that she was in any mortal danger. It had been a long day. Perhaps she was just overreacting as Jake had suggested.

  “I know Jake...I think maybe we both need a good night’s rest and a clear head.”