Escape, Dead End

by David Antocci

  A deep voice from just behind them said, “Well, isn’t that just the sweetest thing ever?”

  Ava opened her eyes to look up and scream, “Donny! Oh, my God!”

  In an instant, she jumped from Abby’s arms and gave Donny a big hug.

  He smiled. “How ya doin’, kid?”

  It had been more than two years, but Ava fondly remembered Donny. He was a good man, Abby had told her when they were living under the same roof with Bryce. He saved our lives, her mother said. Ava didn’t remember that, but certainly had many happy memories playing games in the living room with Donny during his visits. She also remembered feeling safe when he was around though she couldn’t explain why.

  “Momma, it’s Donny!” Ava beamed.

  “I know,” Abby smiled, finishing drying her eyes with the napkin before embracing him, too.

  He held on for a little longer than necessary and whispered in her ear, “I was scared I’d lost you again.”

  Abby shook her head, forcing her eyes to remain dry as she pulled away. She shook her head and whispered with a smile, “Nope, not again.”

  Ava was bouncing up and down with excitement. “Donny, what are you doing here?”

  “Trying to keep your mom out of trouble.”

  “Who, me?” Abby deadpanned.

  “Are you hungry?” Ava asked. “We just totally stuffed our faces!”

  “I’m good, but thanks,” Donny said. He stared at Ava until she smiled back at him.

  “What?” she asked shyly.

  He shook his head. “I’m just so happy to see you, that’s all.” He turned to look across the diner, more than anything to keep the little girl from seeing his eyes misting up.

  Ava followed his gaze and her eyes settled on a very old machine with glass sides near the door of the diner, filled with stuffed animals, “What’s that you’re looking at?”

  “You see that claw at the top?” Donny pointed. “There’s a joystick that lets you use the claw to pick up the stuffed animals. If you can pick one up, you win it.”

  “Cool!” She looked to Abby. “Can I try?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Ava was off running toward the machine before Abby said the word “Go”.

  “Wait,” Donny reached into his pocket and gave Ava a handful of bills. “You’ll need these.”

  The two sat and watched Ava play. After a moment, Abby leaned over and asked in a whisper, “You said you saw him?”

  “Yeah, I was sitting right next to him. Wanted to choke him right there, but we were both being treated by the paramedics. They brought me to the hospital, but they let him go. Probably back at his house. We’ll find him.”

  Abby mulled that over.

  “What’s the plan with Ava?” Donny wondered. He was completely on board with Abby’s plan to get rid of Bryce for good, he just wasn’t sure if having Ava in tow when they did it was a great idea.

  “You’re going to have to take her.”

  Donny did a double-take. “What’s that?”

  “You heard me. You have to take her while I finish things with Bryce.”

  “What? No! I can’t let you go after him alone.”

  “Well, it seems pretty fucked up to bring her along for the ride to go kill her father, and I can’t exactly leave my daughter alone, can I?”

  “No, but there’s got to be another way. What would you do if I wasn’t here?”

  “Improvise, which is what I’m doing now.”

  Donny didn’t have a response—he simply grimaced, and Abby could tell his wheels were turning.

  “Donny, there’s no one else I can trust.”

  “What about your sister? She’s what, six hours away? Let’s get her into the mix so you and I can go after him together.”

  Abby shook her head. “Right now, he thinks I died in the fire. He’s probably going back tonight with every intention of retrieving my body and burying me before anyone finds it. We can’t even wait until morning. He’ll know I’m alive and come after me again. Right now, I have surprise on my side, and I don’t want to lose that advantage.”

  Sitting next to each other in the booth, he placed his hand on hers. “What if that’s not enough?”

  “What?”

  “The element of surprise. What if it’s not enough? What if the worst happens, and I’m not there to help you?”

  She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Don’t underestimate him, Abby. The worst repeatedly happens when Bryce is around.”

  She sighed. “I programmed speed dial number three on that phone I gave you. If the worst should happen—which it won’t—then call that number.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Someone who will take care of things. See to it that Ava is safe. Sarah, too. Just tell him who you are and what happened.”

  Donny nervously tapped his fingers on the table. “I don’t want you going in against him alone. We can park the car somewhere isolated and leave Ava there.”

  “For how long? Long enough for one of Bryce’s thugs to find her? And what if the worst does happen? What if both you and I end up dead? Ava will be stranded there, completely alone. What happens to her then?”

  Ava had run out of money without procuring anything from the claw machine and made her way back to the table as Donny let out a defeated sigh.

  “What’s going on?” Ava could tell the adults were having a serious discussion and wanted in on it.

  Abby explained that she was going after Bryce, and that Ava would stay with Donny, who would protect her.

  “What are you going to do, Momma?”

  “I’m going to make sure he leaves us alone, for good.”

  “How?”

  Abby shook her head, “You let me worry about that.”

  “Mom. I’m not stupid. You have a gun. You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”

  “Shhh... keep your voice down.”

  “Well, you are, aren’t you? How else are you going to make him leave us alone forever?”

  Abby stared at Ava before finally answering with a quiet, “Yes.”

  Ava’s face turned pale. “What if... you know... what if something happens to you?”

  “It won’t, sweetie, I’ll be fine. It’s going to be fast, and I’ll meet up with you real quick.”

  Ava looked at Donny. “What do you think?”

  He was surprised at her frank tone. Abby knew what he thought, but he also felt like he needed to be strong for Ava’s sake. “I think your mom is right. She’ll be back with us before the sun comes up, right?” He looked toward Abby and smiled.

  “Right,” Abby agreed.

  The three were quiet for a few minutes, each digesting the gravity of the conversation until Ava broke the silence.

  “Momma, remember you said how Bryce tried to kill me when I was a baby?”

  Abby nodded her head, remembering that night many years ago. Had Donny not busted into the room to tear him away, he probably would have killed both of them.

  “And Momma, remember when he tried to strangle me when I told him to stop hitting you, and we hide in my room?”

  Abby remembered that day, too. He picked up the little girl by her neck until Abby fought him off and locked herself away with Ava. She nodded.

  “I remember how he used to hit you all the time, Momma. I used to cry in my room when I heard you fighting. I remember when he shot you in front of Auntie Sarah’s house after he shot Eric. Remember?”

  Abby’s eyes spilled a few tears over the memories as she nodded her head. “Yes, Ava, honey. I remember all of those things.”

  Ava’s eyes met Abby’s with a cold look beyond her years. “Then make sure he’s dead this time so he can’t hurt us ever again.”

  Abby smiled. That’s my girl.

  The three of them checked into a small motel behind the truck stop. Abby double-checked her weapons before kissing Ava goodbye. “You be good, OK? I’ll be back soon.”

  Ava nodded her head
.

  Abby turned to Donny and pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear, “You still have your gun, right?”

  Donny shook his head no. “It must have fallen out in the fire.”

  Abby discreetly slid her .45 from its holster and into his hand. “Just in case.”

  He nodded.

  “Wait no longer than sunrise, OK? If I’m not back, assume the worst. Get out of town and call the number I gave you. Swear it.”

  He just stared back into her eyes, motionless.

  “Swear it, Donny.”

  He gave just the slightest nod of his head.

  “OK,” Abby said. “I’ll be back.”

  “Wait!” Ava called out as her mother turned to leave. “Don’t forget to kiss Donny goodbye, too!”

  Abby shook her head and smiled before placing a soft kiss on his cheek and whispering, “Thank you,” as she slipped out the door. Donny locked the knob, then slid the deadbolt in place, still kicking himself that he wasn’t with her when she needed him most.

  23

  BRYCE POURED himself a straight vodka over ice and grabbed a bag of pretzels from the cabinet to snack on as he looked out the back kitchen window toward Lake Erie just beyond.

  The boat had a full tank of gas, a couple of lengths of chain and padlocks, and two thick body bags. The key was in the ignition, ready to go. He had dumped bodies out there before. He would go out about twenty miles in the dark to dump them in one of the deeper parts of the lake. Figuring it would take him at least a couple hours to get the bodies from the wreckage of Buena Sera, he was hoping to be back in from the water before sunrise, but he wasn’t too concerned if he wasn’t. Anyone who saw him would just assume he was out for some early morning fishing.

  He checked the time to see that it was just after midnight. He figured he should wait about an hour before heading back to the restaurant. By then the firemen should be cleared out, and he could start searching for the bodies in the wreckage.

  Bodies in the wreckage... Bryce was practically giddy with excitement that Abby was finally dead. He would drive to Chicago tomorrow to report the news personally to Rosso and maybe ask about coming back to the city. With Abby out of the way and the restaurant gone, he didn’t have much reason to stay here.

  He was still a little off-put that his men had been picked up by the police and he hadn’t been able to get in touch with Monte and Rosso. He was feeling a little spooked about it. Maybe the city isn’t the direction to go? He put that thought from his head, though. He needed to get some answers, and that was the obvious place to start.

  ***

  Abby drove by Bryce’s house to get her bearings. It was a nice place built with lots of stone and wood, almost to look like a rustic cabin, but it was at least a four-bedroom home in the neighborhood of 2500 square feet. In the dark, it was hard to tell, but the front appeared nicely landscaped. It was set back from the road, probably on an acre and a half or so, and bordered on each side by a wooded area to separate it from the neighboring lots.

  She continued down the street past a black sedan on the side of the road. Abby had passed a newly constructed home with a for sale sign about a quarter mile back, and intended to circle around, park the car there, and return on foot.

  ***

  Leaning back in his seat, Vines watched the driver from a distance. She was staring at Bryce’s house as she drove by. Before she looked ahead again, he bent down to conceal himself.

  Was that just Abby?

  It had to be. So she’s not dead. Matt had briefed him on what he was able to gather from restaurant employees and customers. A woman fitting Abby’s description came in and set the place ablaze, but no one saw her come out. Bryce told the fire chief that he saw her go out the back door, but no one else did, and the police had turned up nothing.

  Vines had coupled that information with his men having watched Bryce make at least four trips to his boat carrying cinderblocks. He assumed Abby was actually dead in the restaurant and Bryce was going to be doing a burial at sea for her later tonight. Vines intended to let Bryce bring the body back before making a move, catching him red-handed.

  That would just be the tip of the iceberg. They’d get him on money laundering, racketeering, the whole nine yards. And with so many of Rosso’s family dead, they didn’t even have to offer him a deal. There were almost no names for him to give up.

  With Abby alive, it appeared there would be no body to recover, but having her in the flesh would do just fine, too. She had obviously gone to the restaurant with the intention of killing him, so it was safe to assume she was here at Bryce’s home for the same purpose.

  He checked in with his two men, Matt, and Jeff, on their earpieces. “Abby’s alive. Repeat, Abby’s alive. I just saw her drive by.”

  “Copy that.” Came Matt’s voice. “Awaiting further instruction.”

  Vines mulled things over. She was here to kill Bryce, though she’s the one that Vines would prefer to see dead. Having laid waste to the Rosso compound, and thus his plans for glory, he had a special hate for this woman he had never met.

  Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone.

  “Hold your positions. No one moves. Let’s see how this plays out,” he instructed.

  Vines planned to take Bryce down one way or another tonight. If they let him kill Abby first, that would satisfy Vines’ need for revenge. A clear-cut murder charge would stick better than the laundering and racketeering, too. More than anything, Vines thought about the headlines that the story would generate, and he would be right in the middle of it.

  He checked back in. “Boys, Abby is no doubt here to kill Bryce. Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you know why.”

  “Should we move in?” Matt’s voice sounded eager for action. He and his partner had been holding their positions in the wooded areas bordering Bryce’s home for the past hour. One in front, one in the back.

  “No, we’re not moving in yet.”

  “Why not, sir? Based on what you’ve said, we have enough to take both of them in.”

  But if we snatch them now, the bitch doesn’t wind up dead, son.

  Vines thought a moment. He wanted to choose his words carefully. “If we move in now, we only get Haydenson. Wait for Abby to make a move. What we have here are two people who faked their deaths and are capable of going on the run. Let’s get them both tonight so we don’t spend months chasing them again. Now hold your positions and let’s watch this play out. As soon as one of you has eyes on her, call it in, and we’ll converge. I don’t know which direction she’ll be coming from, but she’ll probably be on foot. Is that clear?”

  “As a bell, sir.”

  Vines realized the two ex-lovers wouldn’t wait more than a second to start shooting. While either one dead would make for great headlines and a great ending to his career, Bryce was the bigger legal fish, and he would prefer to see to it that he lived through the night. Sure, Abby was a star, but after what she did at the Rosso compound, she would probably be hailed as a hero. A bigger hero than Vines, and his name and notoriety would be lost in the story.

  No, I have to make sure Bryce lives through this so I can hang him out to dry for Abby’s murder. I’ll be the man who brought her killer to justice.

  ***

  Abby emerged from the wooded area on the left side of Bryce’s home about a hundred feet from the back deck overlooking the lake.

  It must be a spectacular view at sunrise, she thought.

  She stayed right at the edge of the tree line, where she was sure she wouldn’t be seen on this dark night. The full moon had shone bright thirty minutes ago when she drove by, but clouds obscured it now. She slid her night vision monocular from her belt to get a better lay of the land.

  There was a good-sized wooden deck off the back of the house, and it appeared there was a hot tub at the base. Otherwise, the yard was mostly a green lawn running down to the lake, with the exception of a few decorative trees here and there. At the lake, the green expanse o
f the lawn abruptly ended at a short stone wall. A small set of stairs went over the wall to a dock where a boat sat uncovered.

  Putting the monocular down, she looked into the well-lit kitchen where Bryce was snacking on something and tossing back the end of a drink.

  Abby smiled.

  Enjoy your last meal.

  ***

  Matt’s voice broke the silent communication channel, startling Vines. “Sir, I’ve got her.”

  “Where?” Vines held his hand to his earpiece as if it would help him hear better.

  “She’s on the west side of the property, at the edge of the woods, about one hundred feet from the main house.”

  “Good,” Vines said as he emerged from his car. “Where exactly are you?”

  “East side. The target is clear across the property, probably three hundred feet from my position,” Matt whispered. “I’m halfway between the main house and the water, about ten feet from the tree line.”

  “Alright, I’ll be there in just a minute. Hold your position.”

  Jeff was on the west side like Abby, but was watching the front yard. Vines intended to leave him in front for now. He didn’t need another officer complicating things. “Jeff, get back to the car and keep an eye on the front of the house.”

  “Sir?”

  “You heard me. Move!”

  Vines jogged to the wooded area and carefully made his way through the trees as quickly and silently as he could. When he was close enough, he pulled a small set of night-vision binoculars from his interior pocket and made a full sweep of the back yard.

  There she is.

  Abby would have been impossible to pick out with the naked eye, barely five feet tall and dressed in black from head to toe at the edge of the trees.

  Vines looked to his right and saw Matt about thirty feet away, eyes on Abby. A shadow moved across the light that was spilling onto the deck through the sliding doors off the kitchen. Vines looked over the binoculars into the well-lit room to see Bryce checking his watch, looking impatient.

  Looking back to Abby, he saw that she was standing about ten feet out into the yard just behind a short, decorative tree. It appeared as though she was going to go for the house, and Bryce didn’t appear to have any clue she was back there. Vines didn’t want her to surprise Bryce. If she got the drop on him, the wrong person would end up dead.