Dreams of Reality

by Sylvia Hubbard

  Dr. Carter prepared three needles to be used and set them on a small table near Skye’s chair, right by her arm. “You have three needles. What do you intend to do with the other two?”

  Alan turned towards Skye and Trisha. “Although Ms Patterson has been useful in our experiments, Thaddeus, she had become a bad investments. She knows too much and that is not good.” He leaned his face inches from Skye’s eyes. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you ignorance is bliss, Ms Patterson?”

  Her eyes slanted to slits. “Did anyone tell you brushing twice a day fights Halitosis?” she sneered viciously.

  He backhanded her. Skye’s head swung back, but came forward.

  Trisha screamed for her, but Skye didn’t cry. “She also mentioned you hit like a bitch.”

  The second backhand against the other side of her face made her see double. He would have delivered another, but Dr. Carter stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

  “She’ll get hers with the overdose.”

  Alan cursed under his breath giving Skye a vicious look. “I’m going to take pleasure in watching you die, but I want you to see how you’re going to die first.” He went over to Trisha and held her head back.

  Trisha pleaded with Alan for her life.

  “Why don’t you tell them Trisha? Tell them how you begged me to accept Mr. Newman and find him a really nice girl. Boy weren’t you surprised to see them working together. It is all your fault they are in this mess, but that is fine. Seeing you die will pleasure me in a way you have never done.” His face was mere centimeters from her.

  She screamed as the needle was pushed into her arm, but he didn’t pump the chemical inside of her yet.

  Skye remained calm and steadily worked at the rope. She was halfway through. Alan had his back to her and the tray with two more needles filled with the chemical sat right next to her arm. If she could just unthread a little faster everything would be fine.

  “Alan, please,” Trisha begged. “I’m going to be your wife.”

  “You were my sweet.” He kissed her forehead and Trisha let out the most gut wrenching blood-curdling scream Skye had ever heard from anyone making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

  Thaddeus watched as her body went limp when the liquid in the vial disappeared into her arm.

  Trisha’s whole body began to jostle in painful spasms. Alan went over to Skye who had her face turned away. “Watch,” he sneered holding her head stiff so she could watch as Trisha’s body reacted violently to the high dose of chemical given to her. “Yours will be even worse you know,” he jeered in a whisper near her ear.

  As he talked, she used this time to go even faster pretending her movements were of struggling. She was quarter of a way done.

  Trisha was trying to fight. Her words gurgled in her throat as the sporadic moments became demoniac moments of pain and torture.

  Skye wanted to screams, to cry, to save Trisha from the awful distress. It was too late. There was no antidote. Once taken in that amount, there would not be anything to save anyone.

  Trisha suddenly stopped convulsing and her wide big brown doe eyes met Skye’s. “F-Freeee... y-yaaa—sooofff,” she forcefully gurgled out, then her body began again more demonic spasms as thick white saliva shot out her throat and nose.

  Everyone, except Skye was engrossed at the death dance Trisha’s body elicited. The room seemed mesmerized as Trisha fought to stay alive, screaming incoherently. Skye knew Trisha was holding on for her sake. Trisha must have known Skye was trying to become free.

  At that moment, just when Skye knew Trisha could not fight it anymore, the last thread flicked away. Alan was engrossed in watching his fiancée die. The rope fell away from her arm and Skye knew her plan of action.

  Thaddeus’ peripheral vision saw the rope fall from Skye’s wrist. It was slow motion from then on as she wrenched from Alan’s grasp. The man was so shocked he couldn’t stop her and before he alerted anyone she grabbed the syringes off the table next to her and jabbed one in his eye. Thaddeus saw the liquid vomit into his face from the needlepoint.

  A second later, Skye had attained a knife out of her sock and freed her other wrist. She flicked the knife to the floor at Thad’s feet as Dr. Carter came for her. With the second syringe in her left hand, she swiftly fought away his arms that tried to grab her with her right hand, and jabbed the long needle in his neck, but she didn’t release it.

  Dr. Carter froze instantly a look of terror filled his eyes.

  Thaddeus used this opportunity to grab the knife with his feet and bring it up until his hands could grab it.

  The other guard and the ugly giant looked at her amazed at her speed.

  “Don’t come any close or the only doc left who can make your drug will be gone.”

  The giant tried her by stepping a little forward.

  Carter felt the needle turn a little. “Dammit do as she says!” he hissed deathly afraid to move. He looked over at Alan, whose body was convulsing on the floor.

  She moved to get comfortable, never letting go the needle in his neck. Bending him back into her, with her body behind him, she was able to look at the entire room. “You didn’t tell the others why the drugs make woman go crazy, did you, Carter?” she asked him.

  “I-I don’t know what you mean,” he pretended not to know nervously.

  “It slowly eats away the myelin in the brain; the only protection which guards the nerves from being exposed. You didn’t tell them, because you knew what it would do. Didn’t you? So you had them killed because either one of them found out, or they already knew too much.”

  “I killed them for what they knew. H-How did you find out about the myelin?”

  “I had samples broken down. One of the chemicals used is a substance that eats feeds on the protein the myelin has, but controls the subconscious. You planned on taking over the world like that, Carter?”

  “I had big plans for the drug, you’ll destroy it all if you kill me. I could help people with brain injuries become new people. Permanent identity losses could be regenerated. I could use it to tap in the human subconscious and open tremendous possibilities for the neurology community.”

  “Instead you decide to use it on unsuspecting woman for a two bit pimp!” she sneered. “I should kill you just for that.”

  He cried out feeling the needle pressing into his skin more. “The greater good! It was all for the greater good.”

  Suddenly the door opened and Craig burst in. Thaddeus jumped up from the chair and at the same time, the giant used the distraction of the door opening to grab his gun out his jacket and aim it at Skye.

  Thaddeus lunged for Laroche’s brawny arm, throwing his weight against the man. The gun went off and the second gunman went down who was just about to aim for Craig.

  “Freeze!” Craig yelled.

  In the same instant, Skye became diverted by the action and Carter used this opportunity to grab her wrist pulling the needle out his neck then shoved her against the wall.

  Craig pressed the gun against Dr. Carter’s temple. “I said freeze asshole.”

  The gun Thaddeus and Laroche were wrestling for went off again. This bullet went straight through Craig’s right shoulder throwing him against the door. Dr. Carter ran out the room. Skye who had been a bit shaken got up and ran after Dr. Carter. Laroche threw Thaddeus off of him and barreled out the room after Skye.

  Thaddeus ran to Craig to see how seriously hurt he was. Craig screeched as Thaddeus shook him. He pressed his gun in Thaddeus hand. “Go after her. She’s going to get herself killed.” He pulled out a walkie-talkie for backup and medic to come right away.

  Thaddeus ran out the door and down the stairs. He could hear footsteps below him and figured they were heading to the lower levels. Following their path would take forever. He had to beat them to the lower levels before they got there. He spotted a pole that secured the rails connecting each level together and jumped up to get ahold of it. Sliding carefully down to the second level, then to the first wher
e Dr. Carter was just arriving at the bottom of the steps. He was looking behind him to see where Skye was so he didn’t see when Thaddeus jumped in front of him. Once he turned his head, Thaddeus took the butte of the gun and drove it into Dr. Carter’s forehead.

  The man flew back almost knocking Skye down. Thaddeus, stepping by Dr. Carter’s head, grabbed her behind him, then aimed the gun at the steps as the giant started to burrow down.

  “Get out of here,” he ordered her then shot over Laroche’s head, which made the Goliath instantly stop on the middle of the steps and hold up the gun as if to surrender. Yet his eyes were filled with hate and... death.

  Skye started running out the building, but halted near the large cargo doors to see what happened.

  “Throw the gun down here,” Thaddeus ordered.

  Instead of throwing the weapon down to Thaddeus’ feet, he tossed it about six feet to the right near some cargo boxes that read: DANGER! HARZARDOUS CHEMICALS.

  In a menacing voice that sounded like a thick deep chain rattling, he said, “You’ll never live to see another day.”

  “You are the one who won’t be living, you sick fuck, now get down here slowly—” Thaddeus was grabbed from the back of his leg by the doctor and pushed off balance. He fell back as his gun was flung out of his hands from his fall. He kicked at the side of Dr. Carter’s temple and instantly knocked the doctor out again, but the giant came barreling down the steps, grabbing Thaddeus by his collar.

  Thaddeus was lifted two feet off the ground, trying to swing his legs to do some bodily damage to the Goliath’s legs. Laroche’s meaty fist jammed into his jaw, sending Thaddeus sprawling to the floor. He got up—dazed—on the defense, but not sure which way was up.

  Laroche smiled almost amazed at this young man’s stamina. This one was big, but Laroche was larger, yet he felt he hadn’t had a good physical challenge in a long while. Killing the fresh buck with his bare hands would give him great pleasure.

  Skye watched as Thaddeus ducked from those huge swings Laroche delivered and whenever the defenses were down, Thaddeus got a good punch into the chest or face. He was quick and hit hard whenever he got a chance, but she knew if Laroche got in just a couple of hits, Thaddeus wouldn’t see the light of day again. Searching the floor, she noted the gun near their fighting and decided to run for it.

  Thaddeus saw her, and this distracted him. Those stone fists of Laroche's came horribly down on his chest almost knocking the breathe out of him again. This gave Laroche time to run for the gun, which was Skye’s direction as well.

  She picked the weapon up first and aimed the .38 at him, but the first shot went right past his ear to a small barrel of paint thinner that exploded instantly upon impact across the warehouse floor.

  There wasn’t a lot of flammable liquid inside the barrel because the blast didn’t scatter a lot of debris. Before she could get another shot off, Laroche grabbed her around her waist and lifted her against him, almost squeezing the wind from her body to make her drop the gun to the floor. She gasped for air, then curled her head down and clamped her teeth into his arm, at the same time lifting her ankle and hitting his groin with the heel of her shoes.

  Laroche dropped from the severe pain letting her go as well, but then saw his mistake and tried to reach for her again, while standing up.

  With all his might, Thaddeus charged for Laroche and tackled him in the stomach. Laroche, feeling himself losing balance, grabbed Thaddeus jacket and they fell down together near the liquid flames burning all around them. Thaddeus situated himself in the upper position, on top of Laroche, somehow getting his arms pinned underneath his knees and began to swing like mad at his face.

  Skye saw the liquid coming towards Thaddeus and Laroche. Running to Thaddeus, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away just as the liquid touched Laroche’s pants leg. The flames followed only a second later and Laroche was engulfed in flames in minutes. He began to scream in pain as the fire enveloped him from head to toe.

  Skye ran for a fire extinguisher as Thaddeus took his jacket off to try to get Laroche to roll the fire out. Thaddeus took the extinguisher away and told her to get back as he aimed it toward Laroche. She could hear the sirens in the background as Thaddeus put the fire out on Laroche, but it was too late.

  Skye went behind Thaddeus and circled her arms around his chest. He turned to face her, holding close feeling comforted by her body against his. She could feel his body was shuddering needing her closeness.

  “I thought he was going to kill you, Skye,” he murmured near her ear.

  “He’s dead. He can’t hurt us anymore,” she assured, him rubbing his back for comfort.

  He looked over at Dr. Carter, who was still passed out. “I guess it is.”

  A sense of elation filled her and she began to cry.

  Thaddeus held her closer, but he didn’t put down his guard until he felt her body relaxed into his. Now would be the time to make everything up to her. Yes, he had done a great wrong to her. One he was very sorry for, but on the other hand, he could not feel sorry for doing it.

  Making love to her had been the greatest experience ever and he would have done it all over again given the chance. Yet, he wanted more than just her body, or her consent, which she had not given freely. He wanted to posses all of her - willingly.

  Chapter 20

  Moving back in her house escorted by the police, had not been that difficult. For three months she had been holed up inside of a hotel room, until Cole Forsythe was caught crossing the Wisconsin/Canadian border and charged with murder, money laundering, illegal drug trade—including prosecution charges involving possession, manufacture and selling of GHB—prostitution, and attempted murder against seventeen young women, including Skye, who testified. He and his major cohorts would serve for lifetimes to come without the chance of parole.

  Somehow Alan Coleman had survived the assault from her and was given a life sentence, but he was also suffering from GHB withdrawal in the Wayne County Jail. He was having symptoms such as babbling, drooling, and lapsing into semi-unconsciousness.

  Skye was glad it was over, but the whole ordeal had given her Insomnia. Every time she tried to lie down, she would just imagine the night with Thaddeus. Everything was coming back to her as the drug was wearing off. She had been given medication and placed on a diet to increase brain activity to counteract any of the drugs negative affects on her neurological system. The more she took of the medication Dr. Johnson prescribed for her, the better she remembered—vividly.

  They were not horrible memories. Matter of fact, they were all so beautiful and sweet. She was touched at how much intimacy had really transpired between them and Thaddeus had held up his deal to the officers to make her unconscious experience bearable and pleasant. Yet, she could not forgive him.

  He knew she had not been in a willing state of consciousness, but allowed himself to make love to her when he knew everything from the beginning. He had tried to come into contact with her. The roses, the cards, the poems, and the telephone calls: all of which she never accepted. He had tried to come by several times, but she specifically told the officers that guarded her door not to let him in. She wanted nothing to do with him ever again.

  So why did she hurt so badly? Why did she feel so sad? She wondered all the time when she denied him to see her. Why did she want to make love to him over and over again?

  Dr. Johnson told her she would have emotional attachment because of what was shared between them, but she shouldn’t distinguished her need for companionship from what her fantasies were. Most time when the doctor came to the hotel, she had a feeling the doctor did not care for Thaddeus and that he was putting a lot of things in her head to sway her from what she was really feeling.

  Yet sometimes, the doctor did have a point. She could be mixing her emotions with what she wanted to be true. If she made love to him in reality maybe it wouldn’t be the same as it was because she couldn’t imagine feeling so good when she was alert and in her rig
ht mind.

  Her mind pondered these thoughts as she sat up at watching Matlock reruns; Infomercials or the New Years celebration wondering whom was he kissing at midnight.

  “Ms Patterson,” Craig called out to her.

  She knew the cops must have let him in her home. Sergeant Nolan had ordered she receive protection for two extra months after the trial and even surveillance until the end of the year. This had made testifying a little easier, but she still feared going out a little.

  “How’s it going?” the handsome detective asked, walking into the living room where she was knelt over her busted computer, looking quite upset and violated.

  “Not good, as you can see. They completely trashed my house, probably looking for the vials I took.” She had turned all the evidence over to the police initially, not wanting it as her responsibility anymore. “It’s a good thing I backed up all my files and Sheila was helping me with billing and assigning work.”

  Sheila had even done the transcribing for the Newman Enterprises Lyn assigned to the service; because Skye didn’t want to even imagine doing anything for him if she didn’t have to. The longer she disassociated herself from him, the better she was able to sort out her emotions.