CORAM

by Bonnie Burrows

  She did her level best to focus on Egan and the life they’d shared together recently. Nothing could drown out what was going on a few feet away, but it was a start. She tried to imagine what Egan would do, what he would tell her in a moment like this. She knew that he believed in her and she was going to hold onto that knowledge.

  I can do this, she thought, and she believed it. She’d been through so much and she knew she could overcome this.

  The motion of the car was starting to lull her to sleep when she sat up suddenly, clasping her hands over her mouth and retching loudly.

  “Cammy what’s wrong?” Tom was frantic.

  “I’m feeling sick I—" She covered her mouth again and gagged forcefully. “I need to stop, I’m going to—"

  Tom didn’t need to hear another word. His face turned green as he turned the car roughly, catching the off-ramp at the last possible second and cutting off a car or two in the process. He pulled into the first gas station, a large travel center that was extremely busy. Cambria was expecting threats of some sort when he unlocked the door.

  “Get out! Don’t come back until you’re done. I don’t want vomit in my car.” He threw a wad of dollar bills across the seat. “Buy some mouthwash and something to make you feel better.”

  She nodded and fled towards the bathrooms, hands clasped over her mouth as she went. Cambria shoved the door to the women’s restroom open and went inside. As soon as the door closed she stopped, looking around the room to see if anyone else was in the bathrooms. She was alone. A large mirror stood behind a low row of sinks. Cambria searched the vanity shelf that ran the length of it, hoping to find something to write on the mirror with. There was nothing.

  She went to the first trash can, pulling the lid off and digging through the discarded paper towels. She was almost to the bottom of the can when she saw an eyeliner pencil with a broken cap discarded with the rest of the rubbish. She grabbed it, sighing with relief when she twisted the bottom and there was plenty of the soft makeup pen left. She stood on her tiptoes and stopped. What good would leaving the message in the women’s bathroom do? Egan wouldn’t check the women’s bathroom.

  Cambria pushed the door open a crack and peered out. The hallway was empty. She left the women’s bathroom, slipping through the door of the men’s bathroom and looking under the stall doors to see if anyone was in there. She was alone, for now.

  She went to the mirror, which was smaller and less pristine than the one in the other restroom. Working quickly, she drew two simple mountains. At the base of the mountains she drew a stick-figure woman and a stick-figure man with a tiger-striped shirt. She heard footsteps in the hallway and a man cough. She didn’t have time to make the picture perfect, and even with all the time in the world, she doubted she could do better. She’d never been much of an artist.

  Cambria left the men’s bathroom, running headlong into the man she’d heard in the hallway. “Oops. Wrong bathroom. Did you see the door to the lady’s room?”

  The bewildered man pointed towards the women’s restroom and she went inside again, heading straight for an empty stall. She used the facilities while she pulled a hundred dollar bill out of the money carefully hidden in the lining of her jacket. She zipped the inner pocket back up and left the stall, washing her hands and splashing water on her face over and over until her hair was somewhat damp, sticking out haphazardly in several places.

  She rushed out into the store, grabbing a travel bottle of mouthwash and some pink liquid that claimed to cure any stomach problems. She also grabbed a handful of energy bars that would fit easily in her pockets. They had been on the road for hours and Tom had yet to stop for food or anything to drink. She was starving and whatever he was on was obviously suppressing his appetite. She opened one of the bars and devoured it, saving the wrapper and walking up to get in line at the checkout counter. She shoved the rest of the bars in her pockets while the shelves still blocked her from Tom’s line of sight.

  When the last of the customers was done paying for their purchases, Cambria stepped up to the register. The man behind the counter had a kind face. A little older than Cambria, photos of his family were taped up in every possible area behind the counter. He greeted her when she laid her purchases on the counter.

  “I have ten of those bars in my pocket and I ate one.”

  The man smiled at her and rang up eleven miniature power bars along with the medicine, mouthwash and two bottles of water. Cambria resisted the urge to look out the window to see if Tom was watching. She didn’t want him to get suspicious.

  “That will be $10.91,” he said.

  Cambria pulled eleven dollars out of the wad of cash that Tom had thrown at her, flattening it and laying it on top of the hundred dollar bill. The man saw the bill and looked at her but she kept her eyes on the counter.

  “There’s going to be a man looking for me. It’s very important that he see what’s in the bathroom. Please don’t call the police and don’t watch me leave. The man I’m with will kill me. A man named Egan will come looking for me and he needs to use the men’s room when he does.”

  “I understand.” The man handed back her change and held her hand for a split second while he dropped the change into her palm. “Be strong.”

  She didn’t say another word, grabbing her bag and pulling first the pink medicine out as she walked. She opened the bottle and stepped outside, stopping to take a big swig out of the bottle before she opened the mouthwash. She threw her trash into the can outside the store and moved towards the car slowly. Tilting her head back, she poured some mouthwash into her mouth and swished it around before spitting into the gravel. She got into the car and smiled at Tom, keeping her movements slow to suggest she was still nauseous.

  “You look like shit,” he ground out, his voice angry.

  “I’m sorry. I think that shifter fed me something poisonous or something. I’m in a lot of pain.”

  Tom’s expression softened and he reached out to brush her damp hair out of her face. The instant his skin touched the wet tendrils he grimaced and pulled away, wiping his hand on his pants while he spoke. “This is why we have to eradicate them. What if I didn’t find you and rescue you? Then you’d be in the forest, sick as a dog and maybe dying. And now you’re going to be fine.”

  “I’m still feeling ill. Maybe a hospital would be a good—"

  “No!” he screamed at her, and then he stopped. “No. No hospitals. You’re going to be all right. I’m here now and I’ll take care of you; if you feel sick again, tell me and I’ll stop again. Just don’t forget to take your mouthwash with you. I can’t stand the smell of vomit.”

  Cambria would have laughed at Tom if the situation weren't so dire. He had to be the worst caretaker in the history of time. But she wasn’t surprised that he refused to take her to the hospital. It had been worth a shot, but Cambria hadn’t believed it would work for a second. Still, this plan was working better than she anticipated.

  Cambria waited several more miles before she began gagging again. This time, Tom pulled towards the off-ramp without being asked, pulling into another gas station and waiting in the vehicle.

  The bathroom at this gas station was unisex, which made it a little easier on Cambria. She locked the door behind herself and turned the water on high to drown out the sound of her movements. Pulling the eyeliner pen out, she drew the same picture, hoping that Egan could figure out what she meant. She would give anything to be able to write a simple message, but this would have to do.

  Someone pounded on the door and Cambria about jumped out of her skin.

  “Cambria. I need to take a piss, hurry up!”

  It was Tom. Cambria grabbed a paper towel off the sink and quickly wiped away the picture, leaving large smudges of black across the mirror. She flushed the toilet and splashed water on her face before staggering to the door loudly. She pulled the mouthwash bottle out of her pocket and opened it, putting it to her lips as she opened the door and taking a sip so she didn’t have to m
ake eye contact with Tom. He shoved her into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, leaving her with a mouth full of mint and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Stay here. I don’t want you running off without me.”

  She nodded, swishing the liquid in her mouth before spitting it into the seat. Tom dropped his pants and a steady stream poured out of him when he turned suddenly and grabbed her by the back of her hair. He pulled her to him, kissing her violently while he stood there. Cambria steadied herself on the edge of the sink, trying not to lose her balance as he held her roughly to him. For the first time since that first heave almost an hour ago, she actually felt like throwing up. The smell of hot urine rose up from the toilet and assaulted her senses.

  Could he not smell that? She wondered. She gagged a little and Tom shoved her away from him. She tripped on her own feet and fell onto the filthy floor.

  “I swear if you throw up on me or in my mouth I’ll shoot you where you stand, you stupid bitch.”

  Cambria nodded, picking herself up off the ground and pretending to lean against the wall for support so she could stay as far away from him as the tiny space allowed. Tom put his hands behind his head, pants still around his ankles and shook his hips. He laughed at the expression on her face and bent down to pick his pants up.

  “I know you can’t wait to get your hands on it again. He missed you. But not now. Later, when you’re not so foul.” He sneered with the last words and Cambria wondered how she’d ever found this man attractive.

  He was repulsive.

  Cambria breathed a sigh of relief when Tom finished washing his hands and asked her to do the same before leading her to the car. She might not have gotten her message on this mirror, but at least she hadn’t been raped on the filthy bathroom floor. Had she not feigned sickness, Tom probably wouldn’t have thought anything of taking her right there. She shuddered at the thought. She had to get away from him, and she had to come up with a “plan B”. She couldn’t bank on Egan finding her in time and she didn’t want to end up rotting in a landfill somewhere.

  If she wanted out, she was going to have to make a way to get out herself. And she was going to have to start by getting Tom to trust that she wasn’t going to run away.

  She slid into the car and buckled her seat belt.

  “How are you feeling?” Tom asked, though his voice held no hint of concern.

  “I’m starting to feel better. Hopefully, that will last.”

  “Well, try to keep your shit under control long enough for us to get out of Kansas. We should have hit the Colorado border by now.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll do my best.”

  Tom grunted and threw the car into gear, all but pealing out of the graveled lot and back onto the road. He entered the highway already at the speed limit, pushing the car until it was just under five miles above the posted speed limit. Cambria laid her head against the window, trying to get some rest while she could. Her next opportunity to flee could come at a moment’s notice, and she was exhausted.

  CHAPTER 14

  Tom shook Cambria awake roughly. She looked around, blinking her surroundings into focus before her gaze landed on Tom. Cambria nearly jumped in shock, but managed to catch herself in time.

  “This our last stop for a while so you need to go to the bathroom and grab a light snack if your stomach can handle it.”

  Cambria looked at the clock, shocked to see that it was only four in the afternoon. “Where are we?” She was trying to milk the sleepy passenger bit for all it was worth to give herself ample time to take in her surroundings. Luckily, Tom fell for it.

  “We’re at the border of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.”

  “All three states touch?” Cambria didn’t have to fake surprise. US Geography was on the long list of things that she’d never learned.

  “They do here. Get out. We don’t have much time. I want to hit Wyoming by nightfall. We only have a small corner of Colorado to drive through. If you hurry, we can make it.”

  Cambria didn’t know what happened at dark, but she didn’t like the sound in his voice. He had a plan; she just didn’t know what it was. She got out of the car, heading straight for the external bathrooms. Tom was on her heels, passing her when she stopped at the women’s door and shouldering his way into the men’s bathroom.

  A rest stop employee was in the bathroom cleaning after the lunch time rush. The girl was the same age as Cambria, if not younger. She smiled shyly at Cambria as she finished wiping down the last of the bathroom mirrors. Cambria walked up to her, slipping another hundred dollar bill she’d pulled out of her jacket lining at the last stop out of her pocket. She grabbed the girl’s hand, looking into her eyes.

  “There’s going to be a man named Egan asking about me. I’m leaving him a message on the mirror. Please don’t erase it and please stay in the bathroom until I’ve left.” Cambria kept her voice soft, hardly above a whisper the entire time she spoke. “The man who has me won’t hesitate to kill you if he suspects anything so please, wait five minutes after I leave the bathroom before you do. Do you understand?”

  The girl nodded, her eyes widening when Cambria removed her hand and she saw the money Cambria had left in her palm. Cambria hurriedly drew the same message on this mirror as the last, hoping that Egan would end up at this rest stop. It was a long shot, but he was drawn to her energy so hopefully that led him part of the way there. Luck would have to do the rest.

  She walked out of the bathroom at the same time Tom did and she smiled brightly at him, reaching out for his hand. If Tom was surprised by her affection, he hid it well. He squeezed her hand and led her into the convenience store. He sailed down the aisles quickly, loading her down with snack foods and candies before going to the counter to pay. He threw a wad of bills on the counter and ushered Cambria out without waiting for his change, or for them to ring up his purchases.

  The cashier who almost as young as the girl in the bathroom, stood with his mouth open, but didn’t say anything. Cambria held her breath, hoping that they would get out the door and to their car without the foolish boy running after them to give Tom his change. Cambria didn’t relax until the pulled out of the lot and back onto the highway without incident. She thanked her lucky stars that nothing bad had happened even as she watched Tom begin to pack away his second candy bar since they’d entered the car.

  Cambria timidly reached for the bag of beef jerky she’d purchased, trying to keep Tom’s attention on his snacks. He was already opening a bag of potato chips, alternating bites between it and the chocolate.

  She ate in silence, taking slow bites and chewing thoroughly. She wondered what it was that Tom was taking out of the orange prescription bottle, but she couldn’t see the label without touching the bottle. Even if she could, she wouldn’t be able to read it. She slumped in the chair in frustration, violently ripping at her food and washing it down with some cola she’d picked up.

  All at once, Tom stopped binging and took a long swig of his highly caffeinated soda. “That’s much better.” He turned and smiled at her, his face sporting several smudges of chocolate and his shirt littered with potato chip crumbs. “I was so hungry.” He rolled his eyes in ecstasy and went back to driving the car. It was almost as if the last five minutes hadn’t happened.

  Tom continued speeding through traffic, careful to keep the speedometer close to the posted limit so he didn’t attract any unwanted attention. Cambria slumped down in her seat, trying to get a little more rest. The car pitching to and fro as he wove in and out of traffic made it nearly impossible to sleep, so she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. With every mile, Cambria was feeling more and more panicky. The longer she was with Tom, the more certain she was that she wasn’t going to get out of this alive.

  She watched the miles go by, wishing she was back at the campsite with Egan. If only she’d gone with him. A single tear slid from beneath her tightly closed eyelid and down her cheek. For one sweet week, life had been good. And n
ow, now it was hell again. The car slowed to a stop and Cambria looked around in surprise. She hadn’t meant to fall to sleep, but it had happened.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “We just crossed into Wyoming. We’re going to bed down here and start fresh in the morning.” He squeezed her thigh and looked into her eyes, licking his lips and raking his gaze down her body crudely. “I could use a little refreshment to get me through the night, if you know what I mean.”

  Cambria smiled at him, trying to push back the urge to scream and run. She was going to have to think of something fast. She bit her lip and looked at the zippered front of his jeans. “Sounds good to me. Do you want me to run in and pay for the room?”

  “No. I called in a favor. The room is already paid for.”

  He slid the car into park in front of the door and stepped out. A small, bulletproof glass window gave customers access to the cashier when the doors were locked for the night. Cambria was surprised to see that it wasn’t quite dark and the doors were already locked tight.

  Apparently this wasn’t the best neighborhood. Maybe someone will kidnap me, she thought and laughed aloud at herself. If only.

  Tom jumped back into the car and pulled to the end of a long row of single story hotel rooms. He put the car in park and reached behind the seat to get his overnight bag. “Didn’t you bring anything with you?” he asked.

  Cambria stared at him. Was he serious? Had he forgotten that he’d removed her from the woods at gunpoint and had barely allowed her time to put on her shoes? “No. I guess I forgot. Sorry,” she said, stumbling over the words and hoping she’d said the right thing.

  “It’s no big deal. When we get home to Montana tomorrow, all your clothes will be there. What’s one night?”

  His smile sent a chill up her spine. Any doubt that she’d had before that Tom was completely out of his mind faded right then and there. At some point, their entire story had changed for him. Who knew what he would remember upon waking tomorrow, and if he would wake up blaming her for everything that had happened.