by Traci Sek
"Yes, stupid brothers. However, I could never consider that prick, my brother. He ruined my life," he says with scorn.
"No, he didn't..." The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them. I don't know if it was an impulse or the fact that I loved Spencer, and my adrenaline was through the roof even though he was possibly cheating on me.
"What did you say?!" He screams so loud my ears start to throb.
"I meant technically Spencer didn't ruin your life, his dad did. I mean, it wasn't his fault that your dad fell for his mom... he wasn't even born... right?"
Jeremy straightens his back up, standing tall in front of me, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"But I thought you didn't know anything?" he says with a wicked grin.
"I don't. It's just common sense, Jeremy."
"What? Are you saying I have no common sense now? That I am just some stupid boy being overly dramatic? Huh?!"
Again he starts shouting and points to his chest. I swear if he hit his chest any harder, he would get a bruise.
"No, I didn't mean it like that. Please just calm down, we can think this through. Just let me go, and you can run away, and I won't tell anyone!"
He grabs my face and yanks it up. My cheeks are now throbbing, and my heart is pumping out of my chest. I feel the hot tears fall from my eyes. I silently beg the heavens above for someone to find me. But at this point, it seems bleak. Who was I to deserve such a miracle? I mean, I got mine, right? I Survived that car crash and all.
"You really must think I'm stupid. Let you go, ha. So Spencer gets the perfect parents, the perfect girl, the perfect life! Never."
He let go of my face and stalked toward the window to peek out. I let out a silent sob, and he turns around and stares at me.
"Of all people, I was on your side..." I whisper, but I know he hears me. When he doesn't reply, I continue.
"Why are you doing this to me? I was your friend. I have nothing to do with Spencer and your family. You are a good person, and yet you hurt me, and you're hurting others. And for what? Revenge from the past that happened between your parents? God, what I wouldn't give to at least have one parent!" My voice is slowly rising; the anger in my stomach is following suit.
He starts to walk back to me slowly but then stops when his phone pings. I watch him look at it, smile, then put it down.
"First of all, you don't know me or my mom or my childhood. Second, you have terrible judgment. Didn't your mother ever warn you about talking to strangers or trusting so easily? It was so easy to win you over. And to think I thought it would be harder. You were the piece I needed to get close to Spencer and ruin his life. And what's funny is I'm too old for high school. Did you even bother to ask me my age? No. Did you bother to ask me where I came from? No."
He shakes his head and chuckles.
"But don't worry, your knight and shining armor is on his way... if he makes it to you in time."
My eyes grow wide. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Now, if I told you, that would ruin all my fun. You will never see it coming," he sneers.
"You're an asshole! You won't get away with it! And if you want to kill me, then do it. It would relieve my pain and suffering, and It won't hurt Spencer as much as you think. He still has his parents and his house. I'm just a girlfriend. A girlfriend that he was cheating on, remember? You made a mistake!"
He starts to laugh. He laughs so hard that tears begin to form in his eyes. Once he sobers up, he speaks again. “You are possibly the dumbest person I have ever met. Your precious lover boy didn’t cheat on you.”
“But...but… I saw his face. You showed me!” I yell.
“But...but,” he mimics me in a mocking tone. “I drugged Spencer and paid Rose to make out with him, so I could get you alone, kidnap you, and hold you for ransom. Do you get it now? Or do I need to spell it out for you?”
“Oh, my God. I—”
“You two were making me sick, and I was getting impatient, so I pulled out all the stops. I realized quite early that my small attempts at getting you away from Spencer weren't going to work. I’m sure he realized since he was so clingy and extra close to you these past few weeks. Dudes pretty smart I’ll give him that.” He chuckles again, and the more he talks, the more my anger unravels.
Jeremy was behind the whole thing with Julia and trying to get close to me at work. He’s right; I am stupid. I should have listened to my gut when I had the chance. I trusted too quickly.
“Well, you don’t know him as much as you think. You won’t win this game, Jeremy.” I grit out through clenched teeth.
His eyes grow dark, and once again, he stalks over to me. He raises his hand and brings it down on my face in an instant. The sting is painful at first; nothing like I have felt before.
***
Spencer
After pacing my floors like a madman, I finally give in and fall on my couch. I was now home with my parents. The hospital released me the night before as promised, but I'm supposed to be resting under a blanket, but I just can’t. My dad sits on the couch, typing on his phone, and my mother taps her foot, staring out the window. It’s driving me crazy. I know they like Jessa a lot. Every time she visits, they praise her, give her hugs, and always feed her. They never judged her, and my mom would always make jokes at how she could see a future for us. Even though I’m young, I can't picture myself with anyone else.
The things we went through together changed me even more— for the better. She made me see that I could overcome anything. We even helped each other pick out colleges. I can't comprehend why this Jeremy kid would want to hurt her. I mean, he was obsessed with her, but this was going a little too far.
"What are you thinking, Son?" My mom asks, looking at me, curiously. My dad too, and looks up from his phone.
"I just don't understand why this Jeremy kid would want to hurt her. He was obsessed with her from day one. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I didn't want to be the controlling boyfriend and lose her, you know? Everybody was like Jeremy Santer this, and Jeremy Santer tha—"
"What was that name you just said?" my dad questions, he’s now sitting up, spine straight. I have never seen him so tense.
"Jeremy Santer. Why?" I ask.
All the blood drains from his face, and he looks at my mom. At first, she has a questioning look on her face, and as if a light bulb switches on, she too has a look of disbelief.
"What's going on? Why do you two look so weird?"
"I have to call the police," my dad says as he picks up his phone and starts dialing.
"Honey, there is something we should explain to you that we hoped would never come up."
Now I’m getting scared. My parents always told me everything. We had an open communication policy in this house, making our relationship that much better and easy going. My dad quickly leaves the room only to return a minute later.
"Son, I know this Jeremy Santer, and he is your brother..."
Found
Spencer
The first thing I do is laugh. I laugh so hard my stomach starts to ache. When I realize my parents aren't laughing —at all— I start to sober up. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I clear my throat and stare at them.
"You have got to be kidding me. Where are the cameras?" I ask with a grin.
My mom and dad exchange looks for the tenth time before my dad finally speaks up.
"Listen, Spencer, I know this is all crazy and hard to comprehend, but yes, you have an alleged brother. Jeremy Santer, to be exact."
I shake my head. "No, no. I mean, we don't even look alike. Listen, dad, I'm glad you are trying to cheer me up, keep my mind off of the current situation, but now you are going too far. Cut the crap already."
"Spencer, I am not joking. I was married to a woman named Jackie Santer before your mother. I never told you because it was before you were born, and I thought nothing of it. It didn't pertain to you. I divorced her because she was not a nice woman. She took my money and would
disappear for two to three nights at a time, and then randomly show back up. I would call the cops in a panic because I thought the worst. I suspected after the third time this happened that she had a drug addiction."
I can't believe my ears. "What the hell..." is all I manage to get out. My mouth is agape, eyes wide, disbelieving the words coming out of my dad's mouth.
"Let me finish, son. I finally confronted her, and she admitted she had a minor drug problem, but she was seeking help. So I tried helping her. We went to counseling together, and I took her to rehab, but she escaped several times. Each time her excuse was, she couldn't be away from me, it was too hard.
Long story short, it just didn't work out. She went back to drugs; I left and got a divorce. I never looked back. I met your mom a couple of years later, and we got married and then had you. About a year after you were born, Jackie somehow found me and showed up at our door. She had a child with her, a little boy about four years old. Jackie said he was mine and that his name was Jeremy. She threatened if I didn't help her, she would take you. Your mom was scared, so I agreed to pay her once a month without court until he turned twenty-one. Which ended two years ago."
He stops and stares at me. I’m still in shock, trying to process each word. I had a brother, and that brother was Jeremy, who had my girl right now. Was this revenge? But why me? Why wouldn't his mother get revenge on my dad? What the hell did I ever do?
"Wait. Why didn't you demand a test?"
"Son, I did what any normal parent would do. I just wanted to keep you safe at all costs. She threatened that if I ever told anyone that she would come and kill you and your mother. I couldn't let that happen."
"So it's revenge..." I say slowly. Thoughts are running amuck in my brain.
"It could be," my dad quickly says.
"But why?"
"Well, I don't know for sure, but I know that Jackie died a few years back from a drug overdose. I don't know if the money I was sending was even going to Jeremy or if he even knows I was sending him money. Jackie probably fed his mind with lies over the years, and now he's angry and wants to hurt you for having the life he never had."
"That makes sense. If that's the case, what if he hurts Jessa? He's obviously a psychopath, Dad! We have to do something now, and we can't wait for the police!"
"I just called them and told them that I knew Jeremy. They are on their way over here now to get more information."
"Was there anywhere around here that you know of, that he could have taken her?"
The doorbell rings, interrupting my question, and my dad gets up and quickly answers it. The chief of police comes in and sits opposite my dad. Then the questions begin. It’s now all sinking in, and it isn't a good feeling. I have to find her. Ten minutes in, and I’m getting too impatient listening to my dad retell his story. I hated hearing it the first time, but now I loathed it.
I finally interrupt. "Listen, Dad; it’s getting too late. Think long and hard about everything from this so-called previous marriage of yours. Did you write her letters? Did you guys have a house? Do you know if she had you followed all these years? Anything?"
Another knock on the door sounds, and I sigh. This is getting aggravating. One of the police officers jumps up and rushes to the door, and Kate slowly walks in.
"Kate!" I walk over and hug her. She immediately starts to cry.
"It's going to be okay," I assure her. I got so carried away with everything that I totally forgot to check to see how Kate was doing.
"Are you sure? I can't lose her Spencer. She is all I have left in this world."
"I know. I promise I will find Jessa ." I rub her back and lead her to the couch; It’s all I can do. I feel helpless.
My dad continues to think before suddenly looking up.
"A cabin! Yes. A long time ago, when she first came to our door with him, she had mentioned staying at her mother’s old cabin up in the woods to escape from the drug life. She was so convinced and determined to have a better life for him."
"Do you have any idea where this cabin could be?" the detective asks.
"If my memory serves me right, It's up near I-35 west. There's a little dirt road, or at least it used to be. She took me there once when we were first married. The road leads into the forest and eventually up to the cabin."
The detective quickly pulls his radio from his jacket pocket and talks into it.
"We have a lead," he speaks firmly into the radio. "Get a unit on the I-35 west and start looking for a dirt road; it should be the only one."
"Near Winnipeg campground!" my father chimes in. The officer repeats him.
"All right, I have a few cars on their way up there."
"We need to go!" The words spill out of my mouth.
"No, Son, I can't let you. It could be dangerous."
"Yeah, and he could want us before he lets her go. We need to be at least ready if that happens, she can't be with him any longer!"
"The boy's got a point," the detective says thoughtfully. "Yes, that's a good idea, let's go," he adds. My heart starts pounding out of my chest. I’m scared, nervous, and excited at the same time. It’s time to get rid of this bastard they call my brother once and for all.
Reunited
Jessa
I don't know how long I have been tied to this hard, uncomfortable wooden chair, but my arms and fingers are going numb. My stomach starts to rumble, but I can handle not having food. I am thirsty and miserable, and that’s a different story. Jeremy has stopped pacing the floors and is now sitting on the couch, staring at his phone. He hasn’t spoken in what feels like hours. The deafening silence is killing me, and at this rate, I feel I could die. After all, I would finally be at peace.
"Loverboy is on his way..."
At first, I think I’m hallucinating until I meet Jeremy's cold, dark eyes.
"No, he's not. How could anybody know where I am?" I ask, defeated.
"Because they finally got smart and put the puzzle together. Now you can watch me kill Spencer and his stupid parents, and then maybe I'll kill you!"
I flinch but try my best to hide my emotional reaction. I know Jeremy doesn’t have the guts to do such crap. I hope so, anyway. He’s merely trying to work me up, but —little does he know— I’ve been in worse situations than this. I simply shrug my shoulders and look away. I hear him chuckle. I shut my eyes and let the darkness consume me.
Spencer
"Can't you drive any faster?" I ask for the fifth time. My dad keeps reassuring me that we are close.
"Now listen, I get out first, not you, do you understand me?" My dad states with authority. “Don’t try to be a hero, Spencer,” he adds.
I roll my eyes. "Yes, Dad."
I continue to stare out the window at the vast forest whizzing by me. We are truly in the middle of nowhere. Seven cop cars are following quietly behind us, and I silently pray that Jessa is okay. This can’t be the end of our story: I love her! She’s incredibly strong, this much I know. Jessa’s been through so much, and she’s in trouble again because of my family’s past. I ignore the knot in my stomach from our memories and thoughts of my future— a future with Jessa. Would she want to stay with me after this? Would she be traumatized forever? Would we all make it out alive?
I’m suddenly jolted from my musings as my dad points to an area to the road’s right-hand side. Indeed it’s a small dirt road, and I can tell it’s recently been used by the fresh tire tracks. My heart starts beating faster, and I was sure to have a heart attack at this rate. We slowly turn down the road and the detective radios instructions for the rest of the patrol cars behind us.
We plunge into the dense forest, darkness surrounding us from the thick trees that are practically on top of each other. It doesn't take long to find a small run-down, red-colored cabin with a truck parked out front. This is it, I think, with trepidation and fear.
Two cop cars pull alongside us, and immediately jump out of their cars, hands holding their guns steady and straight in front of the
m.
"Jeremy Santer, come out with your hands up and bring the girl, and we won't harm you!" I hear one of the officers call over a megaphone. I hold my breath. Nothing happens.
"Dad, why isn't he coming out? She has to be in there!" I yell in frustration.
"Calm down, Son, be patient," he assures me.
I watch as a few police officers run around the back of the cabin.
"Jeremy Santer, come out with your hands up. This is your second warning!"
I watch as more cops get our of their cruisers and surround the small cabin. A window finally opens a crack, and my heart momentarily stops as I swallow past a lump in my throat.
"I'm not coming out till I see my dear, old dad!" The voice shouts, and their’s no doubt it’s Jeremy. I would know that voice anywhere, with or without the fake Aussie accent.
The detective looks at my dad, who nods and steps out of our car.
"I'm right here, Jeremy, just come out with Jessa, and we can talk."
"Not good enough! You need to come closer!" Jeremey yells from the window.
"Not until I see the girl! That's how it works. I give you something, and you give us something in return. This insanity doesn't have to go on any longer; just come out so we can talk."
Finally, after what seems like forever, the door opens, revealing Jeremy holding Jessa by the arm with a gun pointed at her head. She’s crying, and it’s all I can do not to lunge out of the car and run to her. Jessa’s limp helpless body pressed against his chest causes me anguish, and I grind my teeth.
"Put the gun down, Jeremy. You don't want to hurt her! You're angry with me, just let her go. She has nothing to do with our situation." My dad says calmly.
My dad knows how to talk to people. He’s good at it, but I’m not sure if Jeremy is capable of comprehending anything. He may be too far gone. He is full-blown crazy!
"I won't. I'm not stupid! She's the only thing I have over you. Once I let her go, the police will swarm in on me, and you and your pathetic piece of shit son yours get off scot-free and live happily ever after! Where is my happily ever after! Huh?"