Amber Alert (Amber Alert Series Book 1)

by Sara Schoen

Garrett walked in earlier than expected today. I was sitting up wide-awake and caught off guard by the sudden presence in the room. There were clothes folded neatly in his hands, and as he laid them onto the bed he handed me a paper flower. The small gesture touched my heart. I took the flower gently in my hands and watched him as he rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably.

  "Can you get up or do you need help?" he asked with worry in his eyes.

  "Not really. It hurts to move, even in my sleep.”

  "Can you move?" His voice was shaky and his bottom lip trembled slightly. His face was a mix of green and red, like he was about to throw up all over me and burst from anger.

  "I would prefer not to. It hurts, and I just don't want to move unless I have to." I repeated. Did he miss me saying it the first time he asked?

  "I'm sor-" he started, but I held my hand up to stop his apology.

  "Please, don't start. I can't handle it," I pleaded. Tears trickled down my face even though I was biting my lip so hard that it could bleed.

  "Right, well, I brought you clothes to wear when you can move around." He stumbled through his words uncomfortably. He placed the clothes on the bottom of the bed and stood back for me to make the first move. I hadn't changed my clothes since I had been brought here. The clothes Garrett brought me looked worn, the jeans were frayed on the bottom, had holes in the knees, and the long sleeve shirt looked like it had blood on it.

  "Are those blood stains?"

  "I don't know, but I wouldn't count it out," Garrett stated with an awkward chuckle.

  I just watched him as silence made the room feel uncomfortable. He stood blushing the entire time as he looked at me and then quickly looked away. He wouldn't even look me in the eye, which really irritated me. I had already lost my dignity and freedom, now it was just painful to watch him being unable to meet my eyes.

  "I got news that might make you feel better," he stated, sitting on the bed next to me.

  "Really?" I asked, with a burst of hope that could have killed me by the intensity of it.

  "Metaphorically, of course," he added sadly.

  "Right, go ahead," I sneered. How could he do that to me? He got my hopes up and then proceeded to crush them in the same second. Sure he sounded sad, but I was starting to see it could all be an act. Why else would he show me such kindness in this prison?

  "Dad has decided to leave you alone for a while," Garrett said with a forced smile, as if he was unsure how I would take the news, but was trying to improve my mood.

  "Whoop-ie," I sneered, my voice was heavy with sarcasm and anger was lacing my every word.

  "Hey, normally by now you'd be with him every night," Garrett snapped, clearly unhappy with my reaction.

  I shuddered at the thought of being forced to be with Steve every night. Every grotesque image of what he did to me flashed into my mind and made me start shaking. The sound of clothes being ripped, his weight on top of me, his hands on my body, it all made me feel sick.

  "Why is your father like this? Has he always been like this?" I blurted out, finally forcing myself to ask the one question I was dying to know.

  "I don't really understand all of it, so I don't know how well I can explain it to you," Garrett said, as he pleaded with his eyes to ask me to let it drop. It looked like it was hurting him to think of ways to answer my questions. He had learned by now he was going to have to tell me, but he was so closed off that he didn't know how to.

  He spoke only when he had to, and he never showed emotion. It was like he was afraid to show any kind of feeling, but he was really caring and that was unusual in this house. Garrett sighed, accepting defeat.

  "Well, according to my mom, it started before I was here. They had a child die during childbirth. Plain and simple, it crushed my mother. She was devastated, and spiraled for a long time, but they didn't give up. They tried again and had me. For a while mom was happy, but it wasn't what she wanted anymore. She fell out of love with Dad." Garrett ran his hands through his short brown hair, causing it to stand up on end.

  "Someone was actually in love with him at one point?" I asked in disbelief. It was too hard to believe. Who could possibly love Steve?

  "Oh, yeah. They were high school sweethearts, and had the love of a lifetime according to my mother. He was the perfect boyfriend and an even better husband. He loved her like she had never seen anyone love another person. She knew that their love would never fade, so when he proposed to her after college all she could think was 'about time'!"

  "That sounds so nice." I sighed with longing for a love like that, but I had a strong feeling it would never happen for me. Even my love with Andy wasn't that strong; it was nice and filled with happiness, but I never saw our love like Kelly described hers to Garrett. I'd die in this house before I could even experience it.

  "She told me it was the most amazing feeling in the world and that I would know when someone was meant for me," he said, staring into my eyes with an emotion I couldn't read. Garrett blinked it away and then continued.

  "When I was old enough to understand this wasn't a normal household, my mom took me aside while Dad was at work one day. She explained that we were prisoners in this house and that we had to escape. He wouldn't let her leave anymore because he was afraid she wouldn't come back, and he couldn't handle that. She said that his world would come crashing down if she ever left him, but she had to. She had to get out so she could get me help, so I could have a normal life." Garrett slapped his hand over his mouth as a pained expression pierced his handsome face. The memories hurt him, but I needed to know the truth. I had to push the topic or I may not get another chance.

  "Did she run away?"

  "Yes, she did," Garrett sobbed. His chest heaved, and he was biting his lip to prevent himself from crying more. "She escaped and she was right. His world shattered. He chased after her and lost control. When he came back and she didn't, I knew he killed her. He was covered in blood, of course he said it was mud to cover it up, but I knew. She warned me what he was capable of, what he would do to keep the life he had created. She knew and tried to help me, but she failed. Now he looks for girls who look like her to relive his life from where they left off."

  I glanced at the pictures of the girls on the wall. Kelly must have been the first one, she was the only one not tied to a chair. She was on the ground, auburn hair covering her face slightly, but you could see the fear in her green eyes. Her complexion was pale, probably from the lack of sunlight that entered the house and not being able to go outside.

  Although, as I compared Kelly's photo to the other girls' photos, there were many who looked similar to Kelly, but I was almost a dead ringer. My hair was darker and my eyes were blue, but we looked alike, there was no mistaking that.

  I looked at Garrett, he had tears building up in his eyes. He missed his mother—she tried to save him and now he tried to protect the girls, but eventually they would die. They had nothing to fight for except freedom, and even that wasn't enough.

  "Why did you tell me to be sick?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

  "Normally he leaves girls alone when they are sick." His voice faltered. "Well, he didn't," I said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. The second it came out of my mouth I realized it had been the wrong choice to make.

  "I can see that! I could hear the screams! You think I meant for him to do that to you?" Garrett yelled, suddenly standing up from his seat on the bed. The abrupt movement tumbled me to the ground. My body cried out in pain, and anger rose in me.

  "I don't know! I did what you said and look what happened!" I yelled.

  "I was trying to avoid this! It's not my fault!"

  "Then whose is it?"

  "Yours!" he screamed, pointing his finger at me. He almost poked me in the eye, but the real issue was that he was blaming me for being here. How was it my fault?

  "How so?" I spat back as I forced myself up. Pain shot through me, sending every inch of my body into searing pain. I was inches from his face, wai
ting for an explanation.

  "You shouldn't have been somewhere he could take you! Why were you alone?"

  "I wasn't alone! I was on a playground! Where your dad shot a man and killed Andy..." I said, as tears sprang from my eyes at the memory. Andy’s eyes suddenly turned dark, the sign of death as he fell onto the ground. Blood pooled from his chest and started to spread around his cooling body. The fear, the screams, and the blood, those things would never leave my memory.

  "Anna?" Garrett questioned. "Anna! Please say something!" Garrett cried as his eyes filled with worry and fear.

  When I didn't answer, I saw him lean forward and felt his lips lightly touch mine. I tensed, but then I felt at peace. I felt his hands wrap protectively around my body and pull me toward him. I let myself melt into him as the butterflies in my stomach took off again. A sigh escaped my lips before I returned the kiss. I felt at once safe, and in a state of bliss until Andy's dead body flashed in my mind.

  "No! Don't you dare touch me! Don't ever touch me! How dare you blame this on me! How dare you even suggest that!" I screamed, pushing Garrett, and the comfort, away from me.

  But I couldn’t stop myself, I took a step forward to kiss him again.

  Garrett stepped back and said, "All of the girls were easy targets! Alone, sometimes at night, and typically in deserted places. How the hell was I supposed to know?"

  "You ask! I'm not like every girl!" I retorted, insulted by his accusation that I was just another girl. Didn't he feel the passion of that kiss or had I made it up? Maybe he was used to it after his time with the previous girl.

  "I can tell, because most girls wouldn't end up here! Isn't that right mommy?" Garrett sneered in anger. He knew what buttons to push and hit them all in a row.

  I extended my arm and slammed my hand onto his cheek with a loud smack. I had to shake my hand to relieve the stinging sensation but I couldn't shake the anger off Garrett's face.

  "Ouch!" he yelled clutching his cheek as he glared daggers into my eyes.

  "I'm not your mother! Don't ever call me that again!" I yelled at him, stepping toward him in case I had to hit him again.

  "Or what? What are you going to do? Send me to my room?" Garrett questioned, holding his face in both hands in feign horror.

  "Get out Garrett! I never want to see you ever again!" I screamed as I started to shove him out of my room.

  "That might be kind of hard mom—since we live in the same house!" he yelled as he walked out of the room. He stopped outside the threshold of the door and turned to glare at me again. I could tell he was about to say something, so before he could I slammed the door in his face.

  "Not if I have anything to say about it..." I muttered over the door’s violent slam. "If I have anything to say about it, I'm getting out of here—one way or another, dead or alive."

  Chapter 8

  I lost track of the number of days—Garrett had once told me I had been here for a month, but even he wasn't sure. It felt longer than that, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could make it. I wanted to end this suffering, but I was still here—very much alive. I only had two choices, I could leave the house dead or alive.

  My vote was for getting out alive, but if that didn’t work, I would take death over this life. I couldn't live through it; I'd find a way to kill myself before I let Steve have his way with me again. Although, I knew I couldn’t do that either. I would have to get out of this house and I'd make it home somehow. Maybe I would even send help for Garrett. Did Garrett really deserve any help? He chose to stay here, and then he blamed the girls who were taken against their will for them being here. His own mother was a hostage in this house, so how could he blame the other girls when he knew what his mom went through? He needed someone to blame and it was easier to blame the girls, even knowing that his father was a monster. Garrett needed help, whether he admitted it or not. He wouldn't do it for himself so that meant I had to get out alive so I could help Garrett too.

  "But how would I do it?"

  "How would you do what?" A soft voice asked from behind me.

  I turned to see Garrett leaning on the door frame in jeans and no shirt. I fought to control the butterflies that were growing in my stomach as I looked into his beautiful, soft brown eyes, but soon I couldn't take my eyes off his shirtless chest. The fabric of his shirt normally hid the muscles and scars, but now it was exposed, like the growing feelings between us.

  I had long given up on joining Andy, and I had been with Garrett for about a month; the feelings were only getting stronger. I had once told Andy that I hoped he would forgive me, but I was in hell, and if I could find solace in one thing, I deserved it. I had since told Andy goodbye and good luck with the afterlife—maybe I would see him sooner than I hoped.

  Garrett just watched me with a smile until he spoke, "Do you like what you see?"

  I could hear the slight tingle of laughter from his joking tone, but I couldn’t understand the humor. It seemed foreign after being stuck in this house for so long. I caught myself smiling at him and wanting to laugh at his joke, but we still hadn't forgiven each other for our fights. They had grown worse and very few times could we be civil.

  "Depends on what I see," I said sourly, letting my words drip with venom. He believed that it was my fault I was here. He just assumed he knew everything about me because he's watched the other girls go through this. I'm different, and I'll prove it to him by escaping then coming back to help him get out.

  I'd like to see pretty boy do that all on his own. He had given up a long time ago. He was living an existence, not a life, and there had to be a way to show him that's exactly what he was doing.

  "Don't get sassy with me Anna. Just answer my question," he sighed sadly. He slowly walked over to sit with me on the bed and the second he landed the springs screamed in pain, but my butterflies started again.

  "Which one?"

  "The first one. How would you do what?"

  "What do you mean?" I questioned, attempting to play stupid. I would much rather think about how distracting he was when he walked around half naked, but of course his stubborn streak shone through and wouldn't ask me that question again.

  "That's exactly what I'd like to know." Garrett’s voice became harsh, he hated when I played games; he just had to know everything for some reason.

  We glared at each other for a while, neither of us backing down. I could tell he wanted to know, but he had something else on his mind and it was distracting him. I wasn’t sure what could be distracting him. I was in his jeans and oversized t-shirt, so it wasn't like I was walking around without a shirt on. Garrett suddenly leaned forward and I felt my heart start beating faster. I wanted to feel his lips on mine, I missed the contact with him while he was avoiding me after the argument, but just as our lips were about to touch, there was a sudden pounding that came from downstairs.

  Garrett chuckled lightly, before the terror reached his eyes

  "What's so funny?" I questioned, as the pounding continued.

  "You're about to find out," he said, swallowing his fear and jumping up from the bed.

  Bang. Bang.

  "What do you mean?" My voice shook with fear. Garrett was terrified, but wouldn’t answer my questions until I answered his.

  Boom. Boom.

  "It must have been a bad day at work," Garrett stated. He knew I was watching as he ran his fingers easily through his hair and flexed his muscles. He glanced around the room behind him and added, "and the mess of the house sure won't help that matter."

  "What are you taking about?"

  Bang.

  The door downstairs burst open and then quickly slammed shut. I could hear boots stomping downstairs. Steve was angry, really angry, and that meant tonight would be torture.

  "Sounds like Dad's home. I sure hope you have dinner ready, mom. Otherwise Dad will only get worse." Garrett turned around and quickly walked out of my room. I noticed he worked really hard to keep his footsteps quiet. I got out of bed and followed him to
ward his room as heavy foot falls proceeded up the stairs.

  "Garrett!" I whispered in an urgent tone.

  Garrett proceeded as if he didn't even hear me, but his pace picked up.

  “Garrett!"

  At the threshold of his door, Garrett turned to look at me with fear shining in his eyes even though his voice was cold and harsh. "What do you want?"

  "What's going on?"

  "Don't you remember? You're not like the other girls, so I don't know anything about what's going on. I can't help you, mom." He knew I hated when he called me that. Could he put our argument aside for a few seconds?

  "That's not funny, Garrett! What's going on?"

  "Kelly!" The sound of his angry voice sent a wave of panic through my body.

  "You better answer him," Garrett said closing his door slowly so it wouldn't make a sound. I forced myself to run back to my room, so I could stay out of his line of sight.

  "Kelly! Answer me!"

  "Yes?" I asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear me.

  "Where are you?"

  "My room," I said with a shaky voice. All of my hope faded from me as I saw his foot come into the room followed by his body and head.

  "Where is dinner?" he asked as he grabbed my arm, forcing me up from the bed, and getting inches from my face

  "I haven't made it yet," I said honestly.

  "You've been slacking, Kelly. For almost two months now your chores have gone undone. In fact, I don't think you've done anything since you came back home! What's wrong? Have I not given you enough time? Have I not given you enough love?" I watched as his eyes started to travel my body. Garrett had given me jeans and long sleeves to wear for the colder months, but I knew that wouldn’t stop Steve.

  He took my face in his hands and held me in front of him. He planted a sloppy kiss on my lips. When he finally pulled away, I could see the lust filling his eyes. If I didn't say something right away, this was going to get out of hand and I would be used again.

  "No, I've had plenty of love. Thank you for showing you love me," I forced out as he pressed me against the wall.