Aftermath (The Deceptions Trilogy Book 2)

by Dana Mansfield

  With those words, Millie realized how the kidnapping had severely affected Natalya. Next to Little Sofie, she believed Natalya was having the most difficulties dealing with the situation and Millie made a mental note that before she and Danny went to see the lawyer, she needed to call Dr. Abraham and get Natalya in right away to see him. She needed so much help beyond what Millie or Danny could do. Not having any leads with the investigation and not even knowing if Penny was with Jack made Natalya’s words scare Millie a lot.

  “I don’t know what to do to make it up to everyone for how I’ve acted,” Natalya said in a quiet voice when her crying stopped. “The kids hate me so much, especially Karie.”

  “It’s not hate, Natalya,” Millie said and wiped her own tears away. “Hate is something blood protects you from when it comes to family. You’ve irritated the kids but they don’t hate you.”

  “Will you help me figure out a way to apologize to them?” she asked.

  “Of course, Natalya. I would do anything for you, please know that, and so would Danny.”

  “Penny would do anything for me too and so would Papa.”

  “Yes, they have in the past and will always do whatever they can for you.” Natalya rubbed her forehead. It was another reminder for Millie of her brother.

  “Papa always said I was good with my words when he would read my essays I had to write for school. Do you think it would be okay if I wrote an apology to the kids? I don’t think I could read it though,” she said.

  “I would be more than happy to read it for you and I think it’s a great idea,” Millie replied with a big smile. A troubled look crossed Natalya’s face. “What is it?”

  “I want to write a letter to both Papa and Penny but what do I do with them?” Millie took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she thought. After a few moments, she had an idea.

  Four hours later, Natalya was exhausted from writing. It was almost midnight. The rest of the kids were asleep and Danny was hanging out on the couch in the family room with Little Sofie sleeping next to him. Millie and Natalya had the next day planned. After the kids who went to Hebrew school in the morning would come back, Natalya was going to help Millie make one of Penny’s lasagnas for lunch and then afterwards, Millie would read the letter Natalya wrote to her siblings and also to Matty. Natalya was able to verbally apologize to both Millie and then to Danny, doing so quietly to him so as not to wake Little Sofie.

  Millie and Natalya then went into Jack’s study which was off limits to the kids. Seeing the destroyed bookcase, which held Jack’s personal journals, was hard but Millie had come up with a plan for the letters her niece wrote to Jack and Penny. One of the pictures on the built-in bookcase was a photograph of Jack and Penny in their graduation robes. It was in an elegant but understated walnut wood frame that matched the other wood in the study. Millie took the frame from the shelf and carefully opened the back of it where Natalya placed the two letters. Millie replaced the back and then flipped the frame over. Penny and Jack looked so happy.

  “Do you think if Mama and Papa hadn’t met in high school Papa and Penny would have dated?” Natalya asked.

  “I don’t know,” Millie replied. She chose not to further the conversation. After all, she herself had often wished her brother and Penny were a couple. She put the frame back. “Now the letters will be safe and they can read them when they come home.”

  “They will come home, Aunt Millie, won’t they?”

  “Yes,” she replied quickly and firmly. The alternative was unthinkable and not an option in her heart.

  . . .

  Danny and Millie sat on the couch in the family room with Little Sofie between them. It had been an incredible Sunday even though there were some difficult moments when Leo gave Natalya a piece of his mind. They let him do that without interruption; he obviously needed the release. When he was done, he and Natalya had a silent conversation between the two of them which Danny and Millie shooed the rest of the kids out on the deck so Natalya and Leo could have privacy. It was a long conversation in terms of children but after a half an hour, the two joined them on the deck. Millie felt it was a turning point in the family dynamic and one that was really needed. They celebrated with ice cream.

  The house was quiet that night as Millie and Danny sat on the couch. On the tufted ottoman before them were the family calendar and the notebook Millie used just as Penny used one to keep track of things. It really did make things easier and it made Millie feel connected to Penny. She had a list of to-dos for the next day. After the usual morning routine, she needed to call Dr. Abraham and then she and Danny – with Little Sofie in tow, of course – would go to the lawyer’s office. The other children would not know of the meeting. Millie and Danny wanted to make sure Crystal did not find out what they were exploring. That was imperative. If she caught a whiff of their plans to try to take her to court, things would quickly disintegrate and she would make do on her promise of filing for a restraining order.

  After the meeting would be some odds and ends in terms of errands and Tracy and Angela, also known as the band wives, wanted to take Millie to lunch. She had never taken them up on that offer but something about Natalya’s change in attitude and behavior caused Millie to finally decide to go with them. Little Sofie would stay with Danny while Millie would go with the band wives into Philadelphia. Then, when she got back, Danny was going to go talk with Melanie. Millie insisted on this and Danny finally agreed he missed her and he wanted to try to save their relationship. They were all taking a chance to take care of themselves emotionally so when Jack and Penny returned – it was always when – they were healthy for them. The FBI already warned them the longer they were kept, the more likely they would be emotionally damaged. Danny and Millie wanted to make sure they were strong for them.

  The plan was for Matty to come over to help Millie with dinner as Danny hoped to spend the evening with Melanie. Danny then made Millie promise to go out to dinner and a movie with Matty the next night. He would not take no for an answer and she eventually admitted to looking forward to having time alone with Matty.

  Chapter 11

  “It is okay,” Jack said to Penny. “It was just a nightmare.” She was huddled against the wall, shaking. It was the middle of the night and her scream woke him up from a deep sleep. His heart was still racing as he calmly tried to approach her and her breath was heavy with the wheeze. Penny’s nightmares had grown even worse since her torture, rape, and Crystal’s betrayal and it was imperative he get Penny calmed down. Just as with the lesser nightmares, the new, more terrifying nightmares threw her heart and lungs into fits. Three times her heart raced so irregularly and the inhaler did not help she passed out and Jack had to scream at the camera for help. Vivienne would arrive – pissed – but attended to Penny and got her under control but the episodes, and Penny’s new fear of falling asleep, were physically weakening her.

  Jack hoped the nightmares would give Vivienne a reason to administer, at least to Penny, a sleeping pill to help Penny get through at least one night without waking up in terror but she wouldn’t. He figured Crystal wouldn’t allow this. It was just yet another way for her to torture Penny and Jack was afraid it would kill her.

  “I know you are so frightened, Penny,” he said gently, trying to keep his voice from shaking and showing his own fear. “It was just a bad nightmare.” She nodded and folded up her arms in front of her. Her breathing was so ragged; Jack had to calm her. After the last episode where Vivienne had to come, William said a punishment would be meted out to both of them if Vivienne’s services were needed in the middle of the night. Jack was scared at what pain they would be put through and he was blunt and honest with Penny. “They will hurt us if Vivienne has to come down.”

  “I don’t want to be hurt,” Penny stammered and hiccupped
in the child-like voice that always plagued her after a nightmare. “I’m trying to calm down.”

  “Then let me help you calm down.” Penny nodded and he gently pulled her into a hug. He rubbed her back and kept his soothing words calm. Even with his embrace and words, he could feel her shaking. Another side effect of the nightmares was she woke up confused and didn’t want even Jack to touch her after a nightmare would hit. It took him several minutes to talk her into letting him console her. In the moments after the nightmares, he needed to emphasize with both his words and actions he would not harm her.

  “No hurt,” she hiccupped again. “Calm.” Her verbal communication skills were up and down as their tormentors toyed with Penny and the drug she said was called Cat. When she couldn’t get her words out, she would try to sign but sometimes, Jack had to guess. They’d given her a hit two days before so it was not a good moment for clear communication.

  “I would never hurt you, Pretty Penny. I promise. You can trust me. I know the nightmare has left you very scared and your mind is not clear when you wake up but try to think back to us, to the time we spent together taking classes at Princeton. Remember our late-night talks and laughing with the children. Remember that weekend at the cabin.” Jack’s voice was desperate but he was desperate to get her calm. He removed his embrace and sat next to her.

  “Cabin… Cabin…,” Penny muttered over and over as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Cabin…” She snapped her head up and looked at Jack. “Me… go… you…”

  “And I want to go back with you,” he said and his mind remembered the term for what was happening with Penny. Whatever they’d given her was causing expressive aphasia. They’d studied the condition in one of their biology or psychology classes – his mind was a little mushy especially after having been forced to have three hits of heroin that day – but Penny indicated it wasn’t permanent. He hoped.

  Her making this request even in the stilted way was a good sign her speech was improving although Penny started crying again. Jack carefully put his good arm around her. For many minutes, he held her and reassured her he wasn’t going to harm her. He asked her to try to match his even breathing to regulate hers. He picked up the inhaler and held it to her lips and depressed the plunger as she inhaled. It took a long time but she calmed down and the wheeze quieted. They both were exhausted. It was the sixth night in a row their sleep was interrupted.

  As with those other nights, Penny was too afraid to go back asleep even though she needed the rest. She was struggling to recuperate and he was having difficulties also. They both needed a week of quiet nights but that did not happen and although his feet were almost healed, his burned arm had not healed at all and Jack felt so weak. It didn’t help their food was still barely adequate for one person.

  And then there was the heroin. Some days he received only one hit while other days he spent the entire day high. It made him sick once he came down and it became a perilous balance of keeping what little food they received in his stomach.

  Jack was so tired but he couldn’t fall asleep knowing Penny was awake. He wanted to pace but couldn’t because of his feet. The heroin shakes were beginning to start and for the first time ever, he almost looked forward to Vivienne coming with the next hit.

  “Sorry,” Penny said quietly.

  “Do not be sorry,” Jack replied dully and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. He didn’t like the fact Penny was blaming herself. It wasn’t like she was doing it on purpose. Jack looked at Penny. She was in her customary position with her legs pulled up and her arms folded in front of her and her bound hands tucked beneath her chin. William finally okayed clothing for her but it was nothing more than a dingy wife beater that was too big on her. She looked at him with sorrowful and tired eyes.

  “Sleep,” she requested and pointed a finger at him.

  “I am fine,” he replied with a total lie. “Besides, I think breakfast will be coming soon.” He actually had no idea what time it was or if breakfast was on the horizon. All he knew was that he was hungry. Jack was hungry all the time when he wasn’t dry heaving from the heroin. Food occupied his thoughts often. This was really nothing different than the previous weeks or during the orientation when they were not given food at all for two weeks. He thought about all the good meals Penny made, the handful he was pretty good at, and the only thing Crystal ever made that was any good – her barbecue sauce. She preferred it over pork ribs but since he kept kosher in the home, he and the kids liked it when she used it on pulled beef. The memory of the soft yet slightly toasted bun overloaded with beef with Penny’s homemade fries caused Jack’s mouth to water and his stomach to cramp with want. The stomach pain from the ulcer was better, thanks to the medication from Vivienne, but only food could satisfy his hunger pains.

  They sat quietly waiting. As he figured would happen, sleep chased him. Every time he felt himself dropping off, he would nonchalantly poke his injured arm. The pain this caused woke him up and he was good to go for a few more moments. The burn was not healing and Jack didn’t dare complain. He had plenty more skin that could fall victim to Vivienne’s torch and so did Penny. The burn was a bad one that probably needed the attention of a burn specialist but all he had was a sadistic doctor.

  The waiting, once again, became so monotonous and Jack found himself in a maddening cycle. Poke, pain, wake up, sleepy, poke, pain, wake up, sleepy…

  Finally, the door opened and William appeared with his team. Anger rose within Jack but he kept a check on it. He was disappointed when he saw none of the thugs carried a food tray.

  “Today is moving day,” William said and Jack’s nerves charged up a bit. He knew this was coming but he did not know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. “You and Penny will be allowed to bathe and we will take you to your new accommodations. Stand up.”

  Jack rose to his still painful feet and then helped Penny up. Walking was still very difficult for her but Jack assumed the fear of more torture drove Penny to walk as best she could. William motioned towards the door and Jack kept a tight arm around Penny’s waist for support. They were led to the bathroom, located inside of a large cage in the basement, where William put a handle on the hot water tap.

  “You won’t be timed but we’ll be watching and know if you’re lollygagging,” he said and nodded up to the camera as he only removed Penny’s handcuffs but not the shackles around her ankles. Vivienne arrived with a covered tray then Jack and Penny were left alone.

  “Shall we eat first?” he asked and lowered Penny down onto the closed toilet. She had kept her arms folded up in front of her and she nodded. Their breakfast was the pasty oatmeal and milk and Jack fed themselves with his fingers. Two small paper cups held their medications. “Shower time,” he said. “I think the easiest would be for us to take a shower together,” he said. Penny seemed unsure of this and she turned slightly from Jack. “I know you are uncomfortable, Penelope, but I think it is the only way. You know I will be gentle and respectful.” She nodded and he kissed her forehead. “I will go first and then bring you in.”

  He turned on the water and was able to hold back his tears as his seemingly permanent cold hands began warming up under the hot stream. He stepped into it and felt the warm water flow over him and he placed his hands against the wall to enjoy the feeling. It had been so long since he last was allowed to bathe and he needed to take a moment. Jack used to take something as simple as a hot shower for granted but now, it was the best thing he felt in so long.

  Jack spent just another minute enjoying the shower before beginning the de-griming. They had soap and he lathered himself up from head to toe and after rinsing himself off, he stepped out of the shower and helped Penny up. She tried to draw herself up but he could still feel her trembling.

  “It will be okay, Penny,” he said using gentle words. �
��The water is warm; this is not like the time of the very cold shower.” He should have remembered when they tortured her with twenty minutes under the cold water and prepared her better. Jack just wasn’t thinking on the same level as usual.

  Jack slid off the tank top and positioned Penny just on the edge of the stream and used the washcloth to quick give her a rinse. All her stitches were out from the two stab wounds but he was still careful. He worked quickly and respectfully and she was soon as clean as he was. There was only the thin towel so he made quick work of drying himself off before drying Penny. They weren’t given any fresh clothing so he put the black shorts back on and slipped the dingy tank back on Penny. Clean clothing would have been nice but once again, he knew better than to make a fuss.

  Jack set Penny back down on the toilet and used the hair clippers on himself and then Penny. They were not allowed to have any hair and Jack realized now it was more than likely because of Crystal’s jealousy of Penny’s thick, brown hair. It was also another way to depersonalize them in the situation.

  He brushed their teeth and then shaved his face smooth. For the first time in almost two months, he looked at his bare face in the mirror and it was like he was looking at a stranger. Although the dark brown eyes were the same, they were now dull and his face so thin and bony from lack of food. He was gray. Jack had not seen the sun the entire time he was in the basement. The hollow person who looked back at him was who he was but it was still hard to accept. A thought popped into this mind; a thought he really shouldn’t be worried about but he couldn’t help it. When – again it wasn’t a matter of if they were rescued but when – how would his children react to seeing him in such poor shape?