by Terri Marie
Brian briefly placed his hand over her mouth and whispered. "Just be quiet for a bit in case they're in the woods."
"Where are we and why are we running? Did you break the law?" Renee had no idea what to do.
Brian placed his finger to her lips to silence her again. Full of fear, she complied.
Renee looked around until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She saw silhouettes of people walking around, and there was a small fire blazing on the bank of the pond. Though she had no idea where she was, one thing was certain; she wasn't in the park anymore.
"I'll explain in a few minutes, but for now, you have to stay by me. You're not safe being alone here," he whispered.
"Just take me back where I was. I won't say anything." Renee began to beg.
"Well, it's a little late for that," he said as he walked her towards the fire.
Chapter 11
Renee sat down in the makeshift shelter which Brian had led her to. It was dark inside, and she was filled with panic.
"Please take me back to the park. I have to get home!" Renee tried to look at Brian's eyes, but it was too dark.
"If you had a home, you wouldn't have been crying on the picnic table or hiding in the woods so you could sleep. People with homes don't do that. Unless you have a home and it isn't safe to go back to? Kind of like mine," said Brian as he kept his voice quiet.
"Why can't you go back home? How old are you, anyway?" Renee didn't want to pry, but she wasn't exactly in a safe place and needed to know who she was dealing with. Maybe she couldn't find her way back to the park, but she was willing to bolt if she had to. She could hear Brian picking at his fingers. There were a couple minutes of silence, and she was concerned that he'd stopped communicating with her.
"They'd drink and then beat the hell out of me. My folks kept me locked in a bathroom for over a year. Sometimes they fed me, but it was garbage, literally. I heard my mom's car leave one day. When my old man came in to bash me around a bit, I hit him square in the face with everything I had. It didn't knock him out, but it stunned him enough for me to run out of the house. If the cops find me, they'll return me back to that prison."
Renee heard his voice cracking with emotion. "Why don't you go to the police and tell them what happened to you?" Renee couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could someone do that to their own child?
"After I took off from my house that day, I ran to the police station. I had no shoes, and was in my boxers." Brian let out a nervous chuckle. "The cop made a phone call, put me in the back of his squad car, and then pulled up at my parents' house. I wasn't going to go back there. When he opened the car door, I took off as fast as I could. I hitched rides from Ohio to here. One trucker gave me some clothes, but didn't trust me in his truck. I was grateful though."
After Renee was able to control her outrage, she prompted him further. "What are you now? Seventeen? Eighteen?" She had never heard of such a horrible story. Now she didn't blame him for running. But he certainly didn't look like a child anymore.
"Fourteen. I'll be fifteen in a couple of weeks. That's not old enough to up and leave home, no matter what's happening to you there. I'm a runaway and they'll return me to that hell." Brian wiped his eyes.
Renee thought long and hard. She had to figure out how to ask Brian to testify for Tyler, without the risk of being sent back to those abusive monsters. There was no way she'd knowingly let that happen. She was positive that this damaged boy would never step foot inside of a courtroom. But, even though he'd gone through hell, it wasn't right for Tyler to sit behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. There had to be a way.
"You were playing your guitar on the street when someone was mugged by a homeless man. You're the only witness." She had to try hard not to fumble her words.
"Yeah I know what you're talking about. I can't help anyone through the legal system when I'm already in it myself. Some of the folks in the camp keep up with the news, and they've told me what's going on. I know that the man who was arrested is looking for me. I think he even chased me one night." Another silence fell between them. "You can't tell anyone who I am, or where I'm living. Promise me." Brian held both of her hands. "Promise me," he pleaded.
"I promise." She had no idea if she could keep her word.
"What's your name? Why did I find you in the woods like that?" asked Brian.
"You really want to know?" Renee couldn't believe how kind and concerned this boy was. He'd even risked getting captured to help her.
"Yeah, I do. I don't have any place I need to be." Brian leaned back and rested his weight on his elbows.
Renee took a deep breath and began filling him in on her horrible marriage to Robert. Making herself Mrs. Robert Preston had been the biggest mistake of her life.
By the time they were finished talking, the sun was coming up and Brian had fallen asleep. Renee was cold and she desperately needed to relieve her bladder. Afterward, if she could get her hands on some hot coffee, that would be fantastic. She stuck her head out of the enclosure and looked around. There were several shelters, similar to the one she was sitting in, scattered around the banks of the pond. The small fire was still going, and Renee longed to go sit by it. A man, with a dirty blanket around his shoulders, was adding another piece of wood to the short, flickering flames, so she didn't dare. Looking to the right, she saw the woods. If she could just run out there without getting noticed, she could relieve herself. Renee waited until the man by the fire turned his back. She got ready to run. As soon as she started outside, Brian grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going?" He looked at her sternly.
Renee took offense at being grabbed. She wasn't a prisoner for Pete's sake…or was she?
"I have to use the bathroom. Then I'd like to go find some food, and maybe a cup of coffee."
"Renee, you can't go out there alone. These people here don't know you and you could really get hurt. I'll take you wherever you need to go. Get your duffle bag and stay with me."
Renee watched as Brian strapped his guitar across his back. His hood was slipped off his head and she could clearly see the youth in his face, his blue eyes, and scraggly blond hair. His clothes were filthy and when he reached up to pull the hood back up, his shirt lifted. He was much too thin.
"Brian, when was the last time you had a meal?" Renee already knew one of the things she needed to get done this morning. Get the kid fed.
"I eat leftovers." Brian smiled and offered his hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Renee held his hand as he escorted her through the woods, back into the drainage pipe and through the trees at the park.
"The police wouldn't have that hard of a time trying to find you at the pond." She looked up at his face. Brian had to be close to six feet tall.
"The cops know we're there. Sometimes the camp gets raided if they're looking for someone who committed a serious crime. It's not that hard to disappear into the woods when they show up. Trust me, I've have to do it several times." Brian smiled and led her further into the trees. "I'll wait over here."
Renee could have walked to a gas station, but she knew there'd be no way she could hold it for that long. When she finished, Brian was right where he said he'd be.
"Why don't you come with me? I'll buy you some breakfast." She knew he had to be hungry.
"I can't exactly walk around in daylight anymore," he said.
"I'll buy you something to eat and come back to you." Renee smiled at thoughts of giving him some warm food.
"Nah, it's okay. I used to play my guitar for money and I'd buy food with it. Now I can't. I'll wait until tonight to eat. Sometimes the bakery throws out donuts, and sometimes people throw away full meals!" His eyes got big.
"I want you to wait here and I'll be right back." Renee smiled, made sure the coast was clear in the park, and then stepped through the trees. She walked at a brisk pace to the corner diner. There were several people eating breakfast and chatting over steaming cups of coffee. Luckily, she didn't kn
ow any of them. There was a waitress at the counter, so Renee approached her and asked if she could place an order for carryout. She was handed a menu. Renee only had to wait about fifteen minutes to get her food.
Carrying her duffle bag over her shoulder, a cup carrier, and the bag, which held two orders of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, was proving to be a feat. On the way down the street, Renee saw an electronics store. They weren't open for another hour and a half, but they advertised refurbished cell phones. She made a mental note to come back and see what they had. Renee couldn't afford anything expensive, but she had to do whatever was necessary in order to be reached for potential job offers. She also needed a phone for emergencies, especially since Robert had threatened her.
Arriving back at the park, she headed towards the trees where Brian was waiting. Just before she was ready to step in his direction, she heard a female voice calling her name. She could hear the sounds of Brian running away.
Emma! Renee forced a smile and then walked over to the nearby picnic table where her friend stood waving. That was close.
Chapter 12
Tyler was still awake when his phone rang. It always made his adrenaline go into overdrive when he got calls at this hour. Maybe it was because he was the oldest, or had lost both of his parents, but late night phone calls always made him worry about his brothers.
"Vinnie, what's up?" Tyler quickly answered.
"Frank was on the tail of the kid. He was with a woman, but he couldn't make out her features. Anyway, he asked the kid to stop, but he didn't. My cop friend lost him in the wooded area at the park."
Tyler let his breath spill out of him loudly. He didn't realize he'd been holding it. "Vinnie, I told you guys he'd run and not to chase him." The irritation in Tyler's voice went through the phone loud and clear.
"How else was he supposed to drag the kid down to the precinct? Listen, I know you're at your whit's end, but capturing this kid is going to test all of our patience, not just yours. Anyways, Frank said he's going to get a few of his buddies to help out."
"If we keep scaring him off, he's going to leave the area." His frustration was mounting.
"Ty, these guys know what they're doing. Get some rest. We'll meet up in the morning. Roger Murphy was discharged from the hospital. He doesn't have a home, so Montclair Pharmaceuticals is paying for a hotel and his meals until the trial."
"Honest to God. We should have just written the man a check and made him go the hell away!" Tyler banged his fist down on his kitchen table.
"No, because he would have cashed the check, pressed charges anyway, and then spilled his guts to the press. Seriously, Tyler, that kind of maneuver always backfires."
"So, now what do we do?" Tyler spat.
"Seriously, Brother, get some sleep. I'll be at your office first thing this morning."
Tyler thanked him and hung up the phone. There was no way they were going to get their hands on Sir Runsalot. Even though it was three in the morning, he called Emma. He may have to send her some flowers, but she'd forgive him.
"Hello?" answered Emma in a groggy voice.
"I know that calling you at this hour isn't the best idea I've ever had, but could you meet me at the office in a couple of hours?"
"Ty, I'm so sleepy. Is this super important?" Emma asked.
"We have work to do. I'll pay you extra and wash your car or something."
"Seriously, Tyler?!" Emma groaned into the receiver.
"Please? I'm not beyond begging…" Tyler sat down on the kitchen chair and hoped she'd say yes.
"Okay. Let me sleep for another hour, then I'll get up, get ready, and be there around five. Is that good enough?"
"Perfect. See you then," he said softly, as he stood up and headed to the bathroom to shave and shower. He needed to talk with Emma alone, before Vincent showed up.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Robert Preston stood up and brushed the cheese corn crumbs off of his soiled clothes and onto the disgusting carpet around his recliner. His orange-stained fingers left a hand print on the wall, as he looked through the peephole before answering the door. Having to get up and down so much was giving him another reason to want to choke the shit out of his wife. His cop friend was outside, getting ready to start banging his fist on the door again.
"What the hell, Frank! My apartment isn't huge. I'm sitting right here, so there's no reason for you to practically break it down. Stop with the cop-knock."
"Your pickup has been successfully towed from the Ridgeway parking structure," said Frank as he took a bow. "Now your wife won't have it. Make sure you get the locks changed. She obviously has a key and will probably take it again. I need you to get it out of the impound lot before you end up with a bill. The guys will keep it off the record, but when the manager shows up, it'll be logged in. If we leave right now, I can give it to you. Let's go while I'm off duty." Frank made an awful face and then stepped back a bit. "Holy hell, Rob, get in the shower. You smell like crap."
"Can't you just tow it here? Better yet, tow it to the lake just west of here. She can't get to it when it's sitting under fifty feet of water." Robert laughed at his plan.
"Why would you sink your own vehicle?" Frank looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"I don't have a key. The truck belongs to my dipshit wife, and after all I've done for her, she doesn't deserve anything. All her crap's been hauled off already. It's amazing how much trash the dumpster outside can hold. The garbage truck emptied it two days ago." Robert laughed and rubbed his large, rounded belly.
"Wait. What did you say?" Frank's face grew red when he realized what he'd done. "You had me steal your wife's vehicle? I'm a cop and you had me commit a crime, which could cause me to lose my badge and get locked up? We have to take care of this before she makes a call to the station and reports it stolen!"
"Relax and stop being a girl. Have it towed to the lake, and then you can walk away. I'll push it into the water myself." Robert gave Frank the smile of a used car salesman.
"I'll get it out of impound and have it put right back where I had it picked up from. You're a bastard, Rob, a real bastard. Playing a few hands of poker with you on Friday nights, doesn't give you permission to treat everyone like you do your wife! She's lucky she got away from you…" Frank shoved Robert in the chest, and then turned to walk away.
Robert retrieved a large kitchen knife, a funnel and a bag from the cupboard. He slipped on his flip flops, put the contents he gathered into an empty box, and then walked out the door. He'd be ready when that witch's truck arrived.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler was waiting at his desk when Emma walked in at five sharp. She was carrying two large cups of coffee. She turned around and thanked the guard for helping her with the doors. She sat the coffee down, and then went to her own office and retrieved her planner.
"Thanks for coming in, Emma," said Tyler as he lifted the cup of coffee to his lips. "And for the coffee. You know me well." It tasted wonderful.
"I don't mind helping you, just make sure you talk slowly until I wake up some." Emma lifted her own cup and took a long drink.
"There's a cop named Frank, one of Vinnie's friends, who's going to help us catch the witness. His plan is to arrest him and bring him to the police station."
"He didn't break any laws did he? Can a cop just arrest him for being homeless?" Emma asked.
"He's the sole witness in my case, so he's necessary. If he keeps running, he can be charged with obstruction of justice or something, especially after running from a cop trying to subpoena him." Tyler saw the expression on Emma's face. She looked quite lost. He started from the beginning and filled in all the blanks.
"I hope it works. Too bad the cop wasn't able to bring him in. What did you need me to do, canvas the area?" Emma began to write a note.
"Not exactly. I'm having him look for Renee as well." Tyler braced himself for a barrage of questions.
"Oh I forgot to tell you. I saw Renee yesterday. She said she's doing fin
e and promised to contact me with her new address. I'll make a note to call her this morning, when it's not so dang early." Emma gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Em, you have to get Renee in here. Her husband is going to really hurt her." Tyler's voice was beginning to rise a little.
"Wait a minute. She's filing for a divorce, and she told me he'd never physically hurt her. How do you know this?"
"I met him. I went to her old address and introduced myself. Don't worry, I used a fake name. Anyway, he's not a nice guy, and he's huge. Hurting Renee would be easy for him. If we can get her in here, we can put her in a safe place until her divorce is final."
"I offered for her to stay at my apartment, but she declined. I doubt you'll get her to move to a new location, but you can try." Emma got a sad look on her face. Her eyes were full with worry.
"I'll do whatever I can to find her and make sure she stays safe. If you could assist in the process, it would certainly help. One more thing, my brother, Vincent, will be here this morning. I'd like you to be in our meeting." Tyler felt bad. He knew that Emma was exhausted. "I'll let you leave after the meeting to get some sleep. I might call you back in though."
"I'm not going anywhere. If I need to close my eyes, I have a nice sofa in my office which you graced me with, remember?" Emma stood up and walked to the door. She turned around to look back at her boss. "When do you want to do the next event? Renee already said she'd do it, so that's a sure way of bringing her in. I'll have to give her a down payment and go over the menu."
"Next weekend." Tyler grinned widely.
"Sounds like a plan!" Emma returned the smile and then closed the door softly behind her as she left.
At eight o'clock, Tyler received a call from Vincent.
"Listen Ty, I'm on my way over. I have Frank with me, and he has some pretty interesting news to share with you."