Before We Fractured: Books 1-3

by Bradon Nave

“Then let’s go…let’s turn ourselves in. We’ll talk to Avery about it tonight.”

  “You sure, Jess? You know that’s a big risk.”

  “What, Kacey, do we have to lose?”

  “At least here we have each other. I guess the thought of not being able to touch you and hold you whenever I want is a little nauseating.”

  “I get that. But I really miss my dad. He has to be so freaking worried. And Duke is going to beat my ass when he sees me. He’s probably so mad.”

  “Okay, Jess. We’ll tell Avery tonight and have him take us to the station first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay…I honestly think it’s for the best, Kacey.”

  “If that’s what you think then that’s what we’ll do…but right now I think you’re way past due for shower.”

  “Mean!” Jessie smiled as he turned from me and the content cat and made his way down the hall.

  ***

  Nervously we sat at the table, waiting for Avery to walk into the house. He’d been gone the majority of the day and the rumbling of his truck engine had only just now summoned us.

  Walking in the door to the poorly-lit kitchen, his gaze immediately fell upon us. As if he knew what we would say, he held his hand to silence us.

  “It’s bad kiddos.”

  “What? What is bad, Avery?” I frantically searched his expression for an immediate response.

  “They fear…they fear that your dead, Kacey. They fear your dead and there’s a whole heap of bounty hunters out looking for you, Jessie. They know you two is in the area.”

  “But the letter will get there and—”

  “They got the letter, Kacey. They done got it and they think it was written under duress…it’s all over the papers.”

  “Oh my god.” Jessie’s face immediately planted into his palms.

  “They’re out to kill you, boy. Kill you dead. You’re plum guilty in their eyes. They’re calling it a cold-blooded killing from a cold-blooded killer. South Carolina has the death penalty, Jessie—”

  “That’s enough, Avery!” I felt a deep rage brewing as I witnessed the state of mind Avery had put Jessie into. He was completely overwhelmed by fear.

  “No, Kacey it ain’t! There ain’t but one option…”

  “Option? What options do Jessie and I have at this point but to turn ourselves in?”

  “Holy shit…I’m so scared.” Jessie’s voice cracked as he looked toward the floor.

  “You ain’t gotta be scared, Jessie. You stay here with me. You can both stay here with me. They ain’t gonna look for you out here, kids.”

  “What? Avery that is insanity. We can’t stay here indefinitely. We haven’t even finished high school. Jessie did nothing wrong!”

  “Oh, but didn’t he? You really think them feds is gonna believe a pretty petite thing like you killed that uncle of yours? Nope. Bet your bottom dollar it’s Jessie’s vein they stick that needle in.”

  “Oh my god!” Jessie stood from the table, his face showcasing complete desperation as he retreated from Avery’s ridiculous words to the back bedroom.

  “What the hell as gotten into you? You know he has anxiety issues! Why the hell would you say some shit like that to him?” My belligerence had my voice shaking. I couldn’t understand Avery’s intentions—so I retreated from them to comfort my boyfriend.

  I found him face down in the blankets. I instantly envisioned driving my thumbs through either of Avery’s eyeballs for doing this to him.

  “Jess…don’t listen to him…that’s not going to happen.”

  “You don’t know! You just mailed the letter and already they’re saying that. They’re all over this!” His muffled voice slapped reality across my face.

  “You’re right. There’s…there’s no way it would already be in the printed newspapers. There hasn’t been enough time. It was just mailed.”

  Jessie turned to me. “You think he lied? Why would he lie, Kacey?”

  “Hell if I know. But I’m about to find out.”

  As I charged down the hall I met Avery within inches from his face. “Tell me you didn’t lie to me, Avery!”

  “What?”

  “How the hell did you see a newspaper article talking about the letter? How? There hasn’t been enough time!”

  “It’s on the news! It’s all over the radio, Kacey! I didn’t read the newspapers, I walked right past both of your faces! You want to take a drive so you can hear what they got to say for yourself?”

  I searched his face for truth. It didn’t make sense that he would lie to me. “Why would you say that stuff to Jessie? You have any idea how worked up he is now?”

  “I’m worried about him, Kacey. I don’t want him hurt. I want the both of you to be safe…I care about you and I can protect you.”

  His genuine tone and the loving way his eyes seemed to be pleading with me ensured me he wasn’t lying—it was as bad as he said it was.

  “I care about you too, Avery…but they’re not going to execute Jessie. That’s ridiculous talk.”

  “Kacey, they think he killed a physician and kidnapped his niece. There are state marshals hunting him as we speak. Do you really think they’re just gonna let you waltz up to the police station and turn yourselves in?”

  “Then what the hell are we supposed to do, Avery? We have no money, we’re kids! We haven’t even finished high school…and this is America! Even if we wanted to stay here forever with you, people can’t just disappear and never be found.”

  “We could be a family, Kacey. You don’t need money. We have everything we need right here. Maybe in a year or two when the case goes completely cold and that boy ain’t got snipers taking aim at his head, we could possibly talk about turning yourself over…but now just ain’t right—”

  “Do you hear yourself talking, Avery?”

  “Is that…who the hell brought that cat in here?”

  “Me. It was hungry.”

  “Well there you have it, Kacey. Your very own pet. Don’t you see this could work?”

  “Avery! We are people with our own lives. We can’t be your replacement family. Jessie can’t replace your son.”

  “What the hell did you just say, Kacey?” Avery’s gaze instantly diverted from mine. He turned from me and walked to the door.

  “I’m sorry, Avery.”

  “Leave me alone. I need some time for myself.” As he exited the house, Jessie appeared from the bedroom.

  “What happened, Kacey?” Jessie walked to me—wrapping his arms around me.

  “I’m not entirely sure, Jess.”

  “He’s not a bad person, Kacey…he’s just—”

  “Entirely misguided? Questionably insane?”

  “Kacey…”

  “Jessie your belly is growling. It’s going to eat itself if you don’t put something in it.”

  Walking to the fridge I quickly fetched the chocolate milk closed the door as the cat watched me with curiosity.

  I poured him a glass as the cat’s wretched begging had me pouring some of the milk in a small bowl for it too. Surprisingly, cats like chocolate milk. Jessie grimaced as he gulped the milk down. He almost gagged as he finished the glass off.

  “I’m going to go talk to Avery. I’ll be back in just a second.”

  “’K.”

  The cat and I exited the house and made our way to the open barn door. I found Avery leaning against the wall of the barn—he seemed to be stewing.

  “I done said I needed some time to my damn self.”

  “I just wanted to apologize, Avery.”

  “How did you know?”

  “About Brock? You left a box of stuff by the door. Jessie and I were being nosy…I’m sorry.”

  “Well you shouldn’t use stuff like that to hurt folks. That ain’t Christian.”

  “I know. Avery we’re scared. We’re so scared and you saying stuff like that…why would you think that that is okay?”

  “Well, Kacey, I’m scared too. I like you kids. I don’
t want nothing happening to you. Especially when it don’t got to. You could stay here. You could both stay here and it would all just be right as rain.”

  “Can we talk about it inside?”

  “I’ll be in in a bit. I need me a minute.”

  Turning from him I noticed the cat near Avery’s truck. It seemed to be having difficulty walking—as if it were drunk. I immediately walked to it and squatted down to examine it. My father told me of some of the strays in the Middle East carrying horrific illnesses and to watch for certain symptoms, but the cat had been fine only moments prior.

  Glancing up through the window of Avery’s truck I noticed a piece of paper sticking out from behind the visor—a piece of paper with my handwriting on it; it was my letter. I sprang to my feet as my heart raced wildly. Reaching for the sealed letter I found myself in complete disbelief—Avery was indeed a liar. He’d lied about mailing my letter and I had no idea about what else. I cautiously looked once more toward the barn to assure I hadn’t been seen.

  My thoughts transitioned to Jessie—we had to get out of here. I raced into the house to find Jessie was no longer in the kitchen. Running to the back bedroom I found him on the verge of snoring yet again—he was wide awake only moments prior; I knew something horrible was wrong. “Jessie! Wake up!”

  “Kacey. I think…I think I’m being…I think…” As his eyes rolled back I instantly thought of the milk. Jessie had been drinking chocolate milk daily—the brand new gallon of it had been opened when I poured his glass earlier. It was the milk—that’s why the cat was acting drunk. Avery was more than a liar, he was completely dangerous, and his agenda was unclear at this point. All I knew was that he drugged my boyfriend—we had to escape.

  Jessie was dead weight, there was no way I could lift him. I knew I’d have to play it cool until Avery went to sleep in the evening.

  Walking to the kitchen I gazed out toward the barn—my heart sank as I saw the cat sprawled out in the yard near the truck; I had to help the poor creature.

  Racing out the front door I reached the cat as Avery appeared in the doorway of the barn. He looked at me as crouched over the helpless animal. The cat was breathing but it seemed completely comatose.

  “What…what the hell happened to your cat, Kacey?” Avery walked to me with a curious expression on his face. “Distemper is a bad deal—”

  “Shut the hell up you sonofabitch! It doesn’t have distemper. It had a bowl of the milk you’ve been giving Jessie…the chocolate milk.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t play stupid with me. Why have you been drugging him?”

  Avery’s stone-cold face had me aching to run from him; I knew disclosing that I knew was a grave mistake.

  “Young lady…I do as Jesus tells me to do. I prayed and begged and he answered. Brock can’t come back so now I got me a new boy. That boy is my new boy.”

  “Jessie has a dad!”

  “He sure does, little lady…me.”

  “You’re insane!”

  “I’ll do what I need to do to make sure my family remains intact.”

  “Jessie is not your family! What have you been giving him?”

  “You would speak to me that way? You would disrespect me like a common criminal? You sneaky snake!” His hand was in my hair before I had time to respond.

  “Jessie!” I was certain my screams fell upon drugged ears as Avery’s large hand secured the back of my hair. I feverishly attempted to scratch or kick him but the pain from his grasp was too much.

  Pulling me back in the barn he threw me to the ground. As I looked to him his boot met my face.

  “Looks like these can go back on.”

  I heard a thud sound as lights came on in the barn. “You! You’ve been keeping the lights off?”

  “I’ve been keeping the television off, too, you dumb little bitch.”

  “The whole time?”

  “No…not the whole time. The rain really does mess with it, but I had to keep you and the boy in the dark. Don’t act like you didn’t have fun.”

  “What? What the hell are you talking about, Avery?”

  Blood fell from my lip to the dirt floor as the shock began to set in—this was actually happening. Avery’s back to me, I saw him fumbling with something near an old standing toolbox.

  “That boy ain’t goin nowhere, Kacey. He was sent here to me to protect and I’m gonna do right by him.”

  “Avery…are you gonna kill me?”

  “I ain’t too sure, Kacey. I would have kept you around and tolerated you if you would have been okay with my family planning. But hell no.”

  “Avery…you’re making him sick. He’s sick. Whatever you’re giving him knocked that cat out in just a few minutes.”

  “Hush, Kacey. I’ll snap your kitty’s neck just as soon as we’re done in here. And I’m keeping him sedated so he don’t gotta worry. Little vomit and diarrhea never hurt no one. We all need cleaned out every once in a durn while.”

  “Avery please. I love him.”

  “Kacey I’m sorry. I can’t have my boy dating the likes of you. My boy deserves the absolute best and that’s what he’s gonna get.”

  I stared at the dirt below me as Avery walked behind me. A white cloth in the palm of his hand slapped over my mouth. The burning sensation in my throat and lungs was short-lived—and then it all went dark.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Kacey…Kacey, wake up. Wake up and talk to me.”

  Heavy with pain and exhaustion, my eyelids fought to open—once they did my breath was immediately extracted in a gasp of sheer disbelief.

  “Kacey, I can’t stay long. I need you to talk to me.”

  “Dad…Daddy!” My arms were too heavy to raise to him as my eyes attempted to remain focused. His face continuously distorted as if gasoline fumes were dancing in front of his features.

  “I’m here. I’m here, Kacey.”

  “You can’t be. How?” The tightening sensation in my throat hindered my ability to communicate. The millions of words I’d imagined saying had I had just five more minutes with him—they had all escaped me.

  “Kacey I’m here with you. I’m always here with you.”

  “Dad. It’s all mush. My head is mush.”

  “Focus on me, Kacey. We don’t have time for mush.”

  “I miss you, Dad. I need you.”

  Reaching his hand to my face, I found his palm the same texture as it had been before—so soft but sporting rough calluses. Although I couldn’t feel my face entirely, I could feel his thumb wiping tears from my cheeks. “I’m always with you Kacey…but I need you to listen to me. Listen to me with all you have left.”

  His voice was so clear—so vibrant and resounding in my ears. I wanted more of it, I couldn’t get enough of it. So many nights I’d cried myself to sleep just longing for the ache within me to cease long enough to drift to sleep with dry eyes—and now I was hearing his voice once more.

  “Dad. Take me home with you. I wanna come home with you.” My voice failed me, my words nearly incapable of escaping my lips.

  “This is different, Kacey. It’s different now. My home is different now.”

  “No, Dad! I need you! I can’t do this without you anymore. I need you too much. I’m a mess without you.”

  “We’re all a mess, Kacey. Life is one big, beautiful mess. But right now I need you to hear me. Listen to my voice and focus on what I’m saying.”

  “I will, Dad.”

  “You have to fight. You have to fight like you’ve never fought before. I need you to fight with all you have…fight like your dad taught you to fight.”

  “I will but you’ll be here. You’ll be here with me to fight with me.”

  His lips pressed against my forehead as his scent entered my nostrils. A heavy pinewood and cologne smell that my father boasted after woodworking in the shop was flooding my senses and resurrecting my emotions and memories.

  “I’ll be here.” His palm flattened on my chest over my ste
rnum.”

  “No! Dad you can’t leave me again. I’m in trouble. I can’t get through this without you! I can’t make it without you—”

  “Kacey, I need you to listen. There’s more to this than me. You have to fight to get through this. You have to give it your all.”

  “Fight through what, Dad? I don’t understand.”

  “Open your eyes, Kacey.”

  “My eyes are open.”

  “No…open your eyes.”

  The soft blur to his facial features and the inability to function completely suddenly made sense—I was dreaming this was another dream. “No! Dad…no. Is this…this is a dream, isn’t it?”

  “Kacey, I love you. I’ll always love you and that love is real. It’s always real.”

  I looked about the room—it was entirely yellow. The only thing I could make out was him and my agony. I couldn’t wake up. I couldn’t lose him again.

  “Kacey, open your eyes.”

  “No…no! I won’t. I need you too much. I miss you too much! I can’t lose you again.”

  “Kacey you have to live. You have to open your eyes to live.”

  “My eyes are open, Dad.” My cracking voice was failing me as I felt him fading. So vivid and yet he would soon be gone—I knew he would soon be gone again.

  “I love you, baby-girl. You’ll always be my baby-girl…but I have to go now.” His soft whisper had my mind conjuring My Little Pony and Barbie Dolls, Scooby Doo Band-Aids and Daddy/Daughter dances. How could this be a dream? The most beautiful dream in my history and yet it was also the cruelest.

  “Okay, Daddy.” Letting him go yet again was torment; keeping him there was impossible. The warmth of his hand left me as my eyes peeled apart like a partially healed wound—allowing pain and reality to flood. And then it was no longer dark…

  ***

  It was gray—it was cold, painful, and gray. The pain in my wrists was something that required my immediate attention. Completely numb, my fingers may have been moving but I couldn’t feel them as my arms were extended above me.

  My back rested against a cold cement wall as my gaze danced about the small confinements for my father. I knew he was gone, but I had to look. My feet were extended in front of me, completely unsupportive of my body weight. Quickly, I moved my feet beneath me, relieving the pressure from my wrists, which felt as though they were secured to the wall behind me.