The Rules for Breaking

by Elston, Ashley

  “Yeah. Ben was at Pearl’s when I got there. He was hounding her about where Emma was. He was really torn up. Knew something was wrong but no one knew anything. He wouldn’t leave until I told him what I knew. He left with Fred and they were headed to Arkansas just as Catherine and I were headed here. I told them someone may be there, watching them. They are gonna tell y’all’s folks that we’re picking you up.”

  I nod, biting my lip so I won’t cry and say a silent prayer that nothing bad happens to any of them. “I’m so sorry to put everyone in so much danger. If it wasn’t for me, you all would be safe and sound back home.”

  Catherine reaches across the table and squeezes my hands. “You didn’t ask for this, either. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  I squeeze her hands back and say, “We can’t stay here. Ethan needs to be checked out by a doctor, but we need to get out of New Orleans first. He can explain everything in the car.”

  Ethan looks like he’s about to pass out. This was too soon to move him.

  Once we’re out of the booth, he leans on me more than he probably realizes.

  Will holds him up on his other side. “We’re parked around the corner. Luckily, we got here before the crowd.”

  “Yeah, what’s with all the people? Is it a weekend?” Teeny asks.

  Will answers, “It’s Friday night. Dude in the club told us it’s the St. Joseph’s Day Parade tomorrow afternoon. They’ll throw a damn parade for anything down here.”

  I spot Will’s Explorer up ahead as I scan the street for Mateo. The crowd works for us because it’s easy to blend right in with the different groups of people meandering through the Quarter. After half a block, Will is almost entirely holding Ethan up. Seeing him like this, I know I’m making the right decision.

  It takes forever to get Ethan in the third row of the vehicle but somehow Will and I manage it.

  Ethan grabs Will by the sleeve just before he turns to get out of the car and says, “Man, you’re a good friend. I owe you.”

  “You know I love getting your ass out of trouble. You’re gonna owe me for the rest of your life for this one.” Will lets out a loud cackle, then jumps out of the car.

  There are some extra hunting coats in the very back and I use those as pillows, stuffing them around Ethan until he finds a spot he’s comfortable in.

  I’m crouched on the floorboard beside him and I take his hand, bringing it to my mouth so I can kiss his bruised knuckles.

  “Are you going to be okay to ride like this?” I ask.

  He smiles and says, “It will be a helluva lot better than the ride down here.” His eyes start to droop. It will only be seconds before he’s out.

  I lean in close and kiss him softly on the lips. He’s out before I pull away. My head stays bent toward him until my eyes feel dry. Now it’s time for the ugly part.

  I hop out of the SUV. “Um, I gotta run to the bathroom before we get on the road,” I say to the group then turn to Will. “Can I talk to you first?”

  “Sure.”

  We step away from the SUV and he asks, “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to do something and I can’t do it unless you agree to help me.”

  His brow creases and I can tell he isn’t looking forward to what I’m about to say. “I’m not gonna like it am I?”

  “No. But you have to agree.”

  “What is it?”

  I take a deep breath. This is the hardest thing I’ll ever do but it has to be done. “I’m staying here. To finish this.”

  Will starts to interrupt me but I hold up my hand to stop him. Will is one of the few people who knows everything that happened to Ethan and me in Arizona. “Just listen. Ethan is hurt. He needs a doctor. And Teeny has no business being anywhere near this. This is the only way. It will be better if all of you are as far away from here as possible.”

  “I’m not leaving you here. Not only are you my friend, but Ethan will hate me for the rest of my life.”

  “Ethan almost got killed, Will. Dead. I want you to get him out of town, get him to a hospital or a doctor or something. Thomas has someone watching my mom. Call Fred and tell him to tell Dad she’s not safe. If I don’t go back, he’s going to hurt her. I had to make a deal so Ethan and Teeny could be safe.”

  Will shoves his hands in his pockets and turns in small circles, muttering to himself.

  “I can’t do it. I can’t leave you,” he finally says.

  “This will never end if you don’t.” I don’t wait for him to answer, just hug him quick and whisper, “Tell Ethan I love him.”

  Before I can pull away, he shoves his phone in my hand. “At least take this with you. This is insane, Anna.”

  And then I turn and lose myself in the crowd. I can hear Teeny scream my name, but I don’t stop running.

  Tears stream down my face and I don’t care what I must look like. I am a hazard to everyone I come in contact with and I can’t let them get hurt just because they are near me. There’s a real chance I won’t survive this, but at least it will only be me—not Ethan and Teeny, too. And at least this entire nightmare that started with me will end with me.

  I go two blocks and I’m back to the spot where Tyler let us out not long ago. And there he is, waiting for my return.

  I power Will’s cell phone off then shove it in my back pocket, readjust the gun in my jacket pocket before jumping into the backseat of the car. Tyler pulls away before I get my door shut. “I thought you changed your mind,” he says.

  “I almost did. Do you really think I will walk away from this?”

  “Yes. I do. And I will do everything in my power to make sure of it.”

  It’s not comforting to know my life is in the hands of a lunatic stalker but it’s better than being on my own.

  He makes me duck down on the way back, which means he really doesn’t fully trust that I won’t tell where the house is. But it also means he thinks I’ll live to tell the tale.

  I feel guilty for not telling Ethan everything. Really guilty. And I’m sure he will never trust me again. But I truly believe I’ve made the right choice. If Ethan was well, I would have never tried this without him, but he’s not. I know Catherine will take care of Teeny, and Will will make sure Ethan gets medical treatment.

  It takes no time to get back to the house with the courtyard. Apparently we drove around in circles earlier.

  Thomas is waiting in front of the double doors when we get back.

  “Tyler,” I say just before he gets out of the car. “I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down.”

  He smiles. “Anna, I’m on your side. I swear.”

  He gets out of the car and I follow, crawling out of the backseat. Thomas is standing in front of us, arms crossed in front of him.

  “I take it Ethan and your sister are on their way out of town.” He’s so calm and cold sounding. No trace of emotion.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “Do you need a reminder of what’s at stake?”

  Mom.

  “No. We’re clear.”

  As much as I hate them both, I need to play along right now, at least until this is over. “I was the original contract—not them. You don’t need anyone else. Just me.”

  A flicker of something I don’t recognize, maybe smugness, crosses Thomas’s face before he hides it away.

  Thomas takes a step in my direction and I fight the urge to take a step back. I refuse to look weak in front of him.

  “I hope that brave front you’ve put up doesn’t crumble. Why don’t you go back upstairs for now.” It’s not a question.

  I’m back in my room before I loosen the death grip on the gun hidden in my jacket. The bed is in the same shape it was when Ethan crawled out of it. I bury myself in the covers, pulling them up over my head, and make sure my head falls into the same indention on the pillow. I inhale
the scent of him that’s left behind.

  Being here, in this bed, by myself, I can’t fight the urge to call him and make sure they left New Orleans. I have to assure myself that we didn’t fall headfirst into a trap. Using the phone Will gave me, I call Catherine. She answers on the first ring.

  “Anna! Is that you?”

  “Yes. Did y’all get out of town?”

  “Yes. We’re on I-10. Why did you go back?”

  “It’s the only way to end this for good, Catherine.”

  Silence. And then she says, “Well, I’m so angry with you. You better come back home in one piece. Ethan woke up a few minutes ago mad as hell. Here he is.” And then there’s a muffled sound before Ethan gets on the other line.

  “I can’t believe you did this.” I sense worry in his voice and anger, too.

  “I’m sorry I lied to you. Again. But I knew you’d never leave without me. You’re hurt, Ethan. And this problem is not going away. We both know it. And Thomas has someone watching Mom. He showed me pictures….”

  I hear Teeny begging to talk to me in the background and Ethan promises her she can as soon as he’s done.

  “So, you’re just going to trust Thomas? Walk right into whatever plan he has?”

  My heart is breaking because I know my chances of surviving this are slim. I feel so alone and powerless and scared. More scared than I thought possible. But the only thing that is keeping me from completely falling apart is that Ethan and Teeny will be okay and hopefully my parents and the Landrys, too.

  “This has to end, Ethan. I want nothing more than to be in the car with you right now, but then what? We’ve talked about this for hours—who do we trust? Where do we go?”

  He’s doesn’t reply.

  “I’m so sorry about everything. Sorry I lied to you. Sorry your family is stuck on an island in Arkansas. Sorry you got shot. Sorry Teeny has been traumatized. And if this all works out, I totally understand if you never want to see me again.”

  I’m trying to hold the tears in but am not succeeding.

  “Oh, Anna. Please don’t cry. Please. This is killing me. You are a victim of this as much as the rest of us. That’s what’s making me crazy—your need to let all of this rest on your shoulders. And you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I may be mad about what you’ve done but you’re still stuck with me.”

  “Are they taking you to a doctor?” I ask.

  “We’re headed to Baton Rouge. Catherine’s uncle lives there. He’s a doctor.” I hear the pain in his voice.

  “Please don’t be mad at Will. I really didn’t give him a choice. Is Teeny okay?”

  “Yeah, she wants to talk to you. I’m passing the phone to her but I want to talk to you again when she’s done. Don’t hang up.”

  “Okay.”

  My heart is thumping by the time Teeny gets on the phone. I’m not sure if I can handle hearing her voice right now.

  “Sissy, why did you leave us? You said we’d stick together. What if something bad happens and you’re by yourself?”

  And then my heart cracks wide-open. “Teeny, it’s going to be fine. I’ll be back with you in a couple of days. I promise. Can you help take care of Ethan?”

  “Yeah. I’m really pissed at you right now. Catherine is, too. And Will. He’s mad you put him in that position. You managed to piss off this entire car of people. Especially Ethan. He’s the most mad. He tried to crawl out of the backseat and punch Will for leaving you. Will says he’s gonna chew your ass out when he sees you next.”

  I let out a quick laugh. “Yeah, I deserve that. I’m sorry everyone is mad. And I love you very much, okay?”

  “Okay. Here’s Ethan.”

  “Will you keep this phone on?” he asks once he’s back on the phone.

  I look at the screen and there’s only 45 percent battery left. “I’m gonna have to power it off if I want the battery to last.”

  “Teeny’s gonna stay at Catherine’s family’s house until this…is all over. Once I get checked out by the doctor, I’m coming back to New Orleans.” And then he pulls the phone away and yells to everyone in the car, “And if anyone tries to stop me, I will beat the shit out of them with my one good arm. I’m talking to you, Will.”

  He gets back on the phone. “Promise me you’ll try to get out of there. Don’t stay and go through whatever Thomas has planned. I don’t trust him and I don’t trust Tyler, either. Get out of there in the morning then call me and tell me where to come get you. Don’t do this, Anna.”

  “He’ll hurt Mom if I leave. Try to get to you and Teeny, too. I promise I’ll be careful. I really wish you’d stay in Baton Rouge but I know you won’t. If you come back, stay out of the Quarter until you hear from me. Mateo is still here somewhere.”

  He lets out a heavy breath of air. I know he’s upset that I didn’t tell him what he wants to hear. “Do you still have the gun?”

  “Yes.”

  “God, I wish we could have gotten some more practice in. Listen, there are plenty of bullets and I put one in the chamber. A Glock doesn’t have a mechanical safety. If you pull the trigger, it will fire, so be careful. Keep the silencer off; you want people to come running when you start firing. You don’t have to do anything for the next bullet to load, just keep pulling the trigger.”

  “Okay. Pull the trigger. Keep firing.”

  “And Anna, when you shoot a gun because you’re in danger for your life, you shoot to kill. Hold it steady, aim for the chest, and keep your eye on the target. Do you understand? Use all of the bullets if you have to.”

  I swallow hard and realize my hands are shaking. “Okay.” I didn’t tell him I stood over Mateo’s body and couldn’t pull the trigger.

  “I love you, Anna. More than you know. You gotta come back to me, okay? We’ll figure the rest of it out later, but you have to come back to me.”

  “I love you, too. That’s why I had to do this. I can’t risk you getting hurt or dying. That’s the only reason I lied was to keep you safe. I hope you know that.”

  “I’m scared to death to get off the phone with you,” he whispers.

  “Me, too. But I don’t want to use up too much battery. I’m going to power off the phone but I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes, I promise. I love you.”

  Then I end the call. And cry myself to sleep.

  A slamming door has me jumping up in the bed. It’s still dark out but I can tell it won’t be long before the sun starts to rise. I tiptoe to the French door and crack it open. It’s cool out, and windy. The plants in the courtyard are doing a rhythmic dance back and forth.

  I catch a glimpse of Thomas walking across the courtyard toward a small wooden door in the corner. He opens it but doesn’t move away. By his hand gestures I can tell he’s talking to someone.

  I move out on the balcony for a better look. The person on the other side of the door steps through the opening but I can’t make out any details.

  Then I hear a door open and close below me. It’s Tyler, heading to Thomas and the unknown person. The other person moves deeper in the shadows while Thomas meets Tyler halfway across the courtyard. He passes a cell phone to Thomas and I hear a one-sided phone call in muffled tones, but can’t make out the exact words. Tyler takes the phone back once Thomas is finished.

  Thomas leans in close, talking quietly to Tyler. Tyler nods then heads to where the car is parked and I hear it crank.

  I don’t know what time it is but it’s got to be close to dawn. Where is he going?

  Thomas waits until the car is gone before he moves back to the door. Whoever is there waiting, Thomas doesn’t want Tyler to see him.

  I move down the balcony but keep my back to the wall. Thomas finally moves aside and lets the other person step inside, light from the courtyard falling across his face. My knee
s go weak the second I see him. He’s got a scarf wrapped around his neck but I know what’s underneath it.

  Cross tattoos.

  Rules for disappearing

  by Witness Protection prisoner #18A7R04M:

  Don’t forget who is a friend and who is a foe….

  New rule by Anna Boyd:

  They’re all foe. Don’t trust anyone. There are no exceptions to this rule.

  my God, I was so stupid.

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  They stop walking close to where I’m hiding on the balcony above them, then I hear faint steps coming up the outside stairs.

  As quickly and quietly as I can, I shut the door and dive into the bed, faking sleep. I sense a shadow move across my window and it takes everything in me to relax my body.

  As soon as I hear Thomas making his way back downstairs, I slide out of the bed and creep through the door. There is no way in hell I’m about to miss what’s going on.

  Once Thomas is back in front of Mateo, he motions him to sit down in one of the chairs.

  Are they friends? What is going on?

  So this is why he wasn’t worried about me making noise in the convent or taking Ethan and Teeny out of here. He knew there was NO ONE out there trying to kill us.

  I peek through a gap in the balcony floor and watch them. Mateo’s posture might be relaxed but his face tells a different story.

  Whatever they are, I don’t think they’re friends.

  “So tell me, where are they now?” Thomas asks Mateo.

  “At a private residence in Baton Rouge. Records show the house belongs to a Dr. Patrick Alexander.”

  Oh, shit. He knows where they are.

  “And the boy’s injuries?”

  “He hasn’t left the house. I’m assuming if the doctor thinks his condition is serious, he’d get him to a hospital.”

  And there’s a drastic change in Thomas’s personality. He looks much more like the man I knew in Natchitoches when he was trying to gain my trust as a federal agent. From what I can tell, he even seems to be smiling.