by J. L. Drake
“Yes?” I asked, worried it was an officer I didn’t want to meet with.
“Is Jessi with you?” James’ voice asked me through the door. His voice flooded relief through my system, and I relaxed enough to continue helping Jessi dress in a calm manner.
“Yeah, we just had to change the diapers and get cleaned off. We will be right out.”
“Are you guys okay?”
How could I get in trouble in a six-foot by six-foot bathroom with no windows, and the two of us the only people in the room?
“Yeah, we are fine.”
“Okay,” James stated in a tentative voice.
I pulled on the change of clothes as fast as I could, but I still hurt. The old diaper was coated in blood. I had almost bled through the whole thing. I guess the good news is that the bleeding stopped, hopefully. I couldn’t be completely sure since I refused to check until the pain had passed.
“Anna?” I heard James’ voice come through the door.
“Yes?” I asked pulling my new shirt over my head.
“You said you were sexually abused and then ran out of the house right after, correct?”
“Correct.”
“May I have the bloody diaper?” He asked, his voice clenched in disgust as he spoke the words.
I stopped dead in my tracks for a moment to ponder that, confused about why he needed or wanted the disgusting thing. It was coated with blood, who would want that? “Why?”
“DNA. We are hoping to get the DNA of the guy that did this to you. We can’t do a rape kit since you cleaned up, but it could have transferred to the diaper since you put it on right after you were taken advantage of.”
“Umm...okay? What do I do?” I asked glancing at the bloody diaper.
“Open the door when you’re decent and I will take care of it.” He stated with a soft tone of voice that made me feel safe.
I pulled up Jessi’s pants over the diaper and fixed her shirt. She smiled softly and gave me a hug, “Thank you, Mommy.”
“You’re welcome,” I said as I opened the door and let James into the bathroom.
He groaned slightly at the sight of the diaper. I didn’t know whether it was because I had thrown it away or because it was so bloody. Placing gloves on his hands, James produced a plastic bag then picked up the diaper. Once he was done having to hold it he looked pleased.
“Now I can go give this to Paul to get this processed,” James said, smiling at us and getting ready to leave.
“Wait, James!” I yelled as he was about to walk out.
“What’s wrong?”
“You can’t give that to anyone else. You have to take it,” I stated forcefully, afraid of what would happen to it if one of the cops that worked with Steve got a hold of it. They would probably burn it and call it an accident.
“Why not?” James asked curiously.
“Because Garrett knows that cops in the other county work with Steve, and I think some people here do too,” I said simply.
James slammed the door behind him and locked it before turning around to face me again. “Do you have any idea of the severity of the accusation you’re accusing individuals of?”
“I do, but I saw with my own eyes one of the older cops pick up my found poster someone had made and shred it. He doesn’t want the news that I’ve been found to get out, because if Steve is caught, then so is he!”
“There is not a cop in here that would go along with what he was doing to you!” he retorted in anger as spit landed on my face.
“You wouldn’t just let it happen if it meant keeping Jessi safe?” I countered.
“I wouldn’t let that happen to anyone if I knew about it.”
“Then you’re a good one, but not all of these men are. You have to see it...”
“So what if someone shredded your picture? Maybe it turned out wrong. You have no proof, so keep this accusation to yourself for now, okay? At least until there is proof,” James said raking his fingernails through his hair.
“Okay, James,” I agreed. It seeming to calm him down as he sighed and visible relaxed.
“Thank you. Now please go back to my office and wait for me there,” he said as he opened the door and let us out.
We all walked out together, and he led us back to the office before leaving us alone. I watched him turn left and walk away, and I noticed he didn’t hand the bag of evidence to anyone else as he walked. There were a few people that offered to take it for him, but he waved them off and continued on his way. The idea was stuck in his head now; he’d be alert. He needed to be, for all of us. Jessi slipped through my fingers and went to James’ office. She shrieked, causing me to race after her. When I found her, she was hugging a stuffed rabbit. There was a wide grin covering her entire face and allowed me to relax knowing she was safe.
“Mommy, this is Flopsy!”
“Flopsy, the bunny?”
“Yeah! How’d you know that!?”
“I must be magic, what can I say?” I asked with a smile.
“If you are magic you wouldn’t have been hurt so bad,” Jessi stated.
“That’s not true. Even magic runs out, and I got you to safety,” I explained with a soft smile. I hoped she would have some semblance of a normal childhood after this. If Garrett can block it out, why shouldn’t she be able to?
“Then can you get Daddy out?”
“I think Daddy is already out and heading our way.” He’d make it out; the question was if I’d ever see him again. If I did, I could only hope it would be under better circumstances than being trapped again.
“We’re looking for him right now, and with any luck the information you gave us will bring him to us by this evening. You said he was traveling toward us right?” James asked, stepping back into his office.
“Yes, but he won’t trust policemen. He knows that some of them in the other county are aligned with Steve, and he doesn’t want to be taken back to his father.”
“Then we will just have to try. You’ll be staying with me tonight, Anna. I hope you don’t mind, but until tomorrow we can’t get in touch with your parents.” James stated with a shrug, as he sat down in his chair.
“Why can’t you get in touch with them?” I asked, fear roaring through me at the thought of Steve finding my parents.
“They are out, and we can’t get in touch with them. We left them a message so we should be hearing from them soon. Who knows, maybe they are already on their way up.” James said with a smile.
A knock rasped on the door behind me, sending Jessi and me slightly out of our skin. James didn’t seem to notice, as he waved and told whoever it was to come in. I glanced to see the man that had shredded my picture. I felt my eyes grow wide as he spoke.
“Change of plans, James. We found a place for the girl to stay,” the large man said in a gravelly voice that reminded me of Steve.
“Really, where is that?” James asked curiously, as he glanced at my face and saw the fear in my eyes. “Because I think she and Jessi should stay together, since Jessi will be asking for her.”
“We found her a place at the hotel in town, and there will be guards posted in case this man she describes comes. She will be safe there,” the man insisted.
I watched in horror as James nodded, “We’ll see you tomorrow morning, Anna. I still have more questions.”
Jessi tried running to me to stop the men from taking me, but James caught her. His attempts to calm her down failed. She wasn’t ready to let me go, even with her father here for her. She would never be ready, but it was time to move on and let her live with her family, without Steve breathing down her neck.
Chapter 18
I glanced at James when the two officers roughly grabbed me. I silently pleaded with him to say something, anything. He couldn’t let them take me. Even if he did trust them, I didn’t. James opened his mouth and began to speak, but was shut down by the older officer before he could say anything. James’ face fell slightly, as he couldn’t find a reason to keep me with
him, even though he was trying desperately.
“But Jessi needs her!” he yelled, as Jessi cried loudly.
“You can’t watch both of them and keep them safe in case this man come back James. We are trying to think about both of them,” an officer answered.
“Why not?”
“One officer for two people? Come on James, even you know that’s not how this works. I understand the position you’re in, but they don’t need you to protect them.”
“Maybe they don’t need me, but they need each other, and I need Jessi. Just look at Jessi!” he yelled, as he pointed to his young daughter. She wailed loudly in protest, her eyes red with tears. James was right, she did need me, and I needed her. I ran to her when the officers loosened their grip. I wrapped her protectively in my arms and wished hard that Garrett was here with me. He would know how to calm Jessi down.
“Oh, it’s okay, Jessi, It’s okay,” I cooed, as I pet down her hair and hugged her tight.
“Don’t leave me!” Her voice cracked, and broke my heart to hear.
“I don’t plan on leaving you anytime soon,” I promised, as she cried on my t-shirt.
“You better take care of both of them then. I don’t want to hear about how one escaped and how they are gone tomorrow,” the older officer stated, as he glared daggers at Jessi and me. We had ruined his plan, and he was upset by it.
“They will both be here tomorrow,” James promised, as the police left his office.
“I expect them to be,” the older officer said, with an underlying tone of distress. There was something going on, but as promised, I would keep the accusation to myself.
Why would they move me to a hotel? Couldn’t I just sleep at the station? What was the difference between the hotel and the station? Why would they attempt to take me away from one of the safest of places around? It didn’t make any sense. They were so focused on moving me, they wanted me to disappear again. If I disappeared, then their threat of getting caught vanished as well. The lower ranking officers, the new ones, still sought to protect the people and obey the laws. The older officers, the higher-ranking officers, were helping Steve in any way they could, even as small as shredding my poster. While I still didn’t have proof, I knew it.
“Let’s go home girls, now,” James stated, pulling me from my thoughts. He seemed nervous and uneasy as he packed up.
‘“What’s wrong, James?” I asked, but he avoided answering the question.
“Come on,” he gestured for us to follow him.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a whisper.
“Not here. Just wait,” James whispered, as he locked the office door. He slipped the keys in his pocket and led us toward the front exit.
We walked past the officers’ desks, each man either smiling or glaring at us as we passed. They made it obvious which side they were on. We passed the chief’s office, and inside I could see the officer that had shredded the poster of me and wanted to take me to a hotel. He glanced up as we passed—his gaze was menacing, and I was relieved when we walked out of his line of sight.
The double doors swung open, casting the first real sense of freedom upon me as I felt the sun on my skin, the crunch of grass underneath my tennis shoes, and the smell of rain before it came. It was a fresh start, the only dark spot was Garrett. Where was he? Was he okay?
I don’t know, and I’m not sure how long I can hold out not knowing. I needed to know if he had made it out of the house and was coming to me, or if he had been killed while we made our escape. An overwhelming sense of mourning crashed over me; I could have cost him his life. I needed to know if he was okay.
James opened the car door for Jessi and me. I let Jessi slide in first, so that she could take up as much room as she needed, and I got in after her. I shut the door lightly and watched as James paced for a moment before getting in. There was a distinctive slam as James got in and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“What’s going on James?” I asked, as he regained composure and started the car.
“What’s going on is that I’ve been blind this whole time!” James yelled, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel.
“Papa?” Jessi questioned through her now calming tears.
“Sorry Jessi, but I’m angry. I’ve missed the fact that some of the cops don’t have the public in mind anymore. It explains why all the missing posters have vanished while I was looking for you, Jessi. I couldn’t understand it. I thought it was a mistake, but I was the one that was mistaken.”
“What about my posters?” I asked out of curiosity. “Was anybody looking for me?”
“Your town was. All of Harrisonburg was in a buzz, for weeks they searched and searched, then after about a month, they had to expand the perimeters of the search. All the posters we got disappeared rather quickly as I recall. All the new men and women put them up as they were sent, and then the next day it would be gone, so another would take its place only to disappear again later on.”
“My whole town was looking for me? How long have I been trapped in that house?” I asked, finally able to get an answer to the question that had alluded me for what felt like years.
“Almost a whole year,” James said.
“A year?” I repeated in disbelief.
“You were taken on August 26, 2012 at the park only a few miles from your home. It’s now August 22, 2013, although I guess you escaped yesterday so it would actually be August 21,” James stated, trying to become positive.
“A year—I lost a year of my life.” There were no words to describe my feelings at the news, except that it was heartbreaking. I placed my head on the window, letting the sun’s rays heat up the top portion of my hair as tears rolled down my face. How could I have lost so much time?
James stuttered as he tried to find something that would make me feel better, but gave up when he realized nothing could.
“What about Garrett?” I almost yelled, causing James to slam on the breaks and jerk the car from my sudden outburst.
“We haven’t found him yet. If he came this way, then he is avoiding the police, but I do have good news. Upon your warning, and my realization regarding the corruption within the force, I shifted the people that are looking for him. Leaving a few good ones at the station just in case, but everyone out there now, as far as I can tell, has Garrett’s best interest in mind.”
“That’s good. Thank you,” I attempted to state aloofly.
“You really care about him, don’t you?” James asked, glancing back at me in the rear view mirror. I could see the smirk on his face, as he seemed to already know the answer.
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t asked if we’ve found Steve. He’s the one you should be watching out for, but instead you’re worried about Garrett.”
“Daddy!” Jessi said excitedly upon hearing the name and smiling at me.
“Yes, Daddy,” I said to Jessi as she started to look around for Garrett to suddenly appear.
“That’s another point. Jessi calls you mommy and daddy, which means you’ve kissed in front of her. We taught her that my wife and I loved each other and we kissed often because of it.” He let the topic trail off from there.
“I do care for Garrett,” I stated, to break the growing awkward silence. “I think I love him.”
“That’s an odd way to find love. Maybe it was fate—a horrible twist of fate that gave you something worth the pain,” James said with a light chuckle, hoping that it would ease the mood of everyone in the vehicle.
“Are you going to start preaching about soul mates, fate, and destiny now? Because I’d rather walk then,” I said, going along with his joking tone.
James laughed slightly as the car came to a stop. “Well then, I guess I will keep my belief in soul mates, fate, and destiny to myself!” he stated with a sense of feigned hurt, as he dramatically placed his hands over his heart and frowned. He opened the car door, and led the way towards the small brick house in front of us.
/> “Welcome home, girls! Who wants dinner? I’ll make Jessi’s favorite!” James chimed with glee, as he ran toward the house like an excited child on Christmas morning. James was happy to have his daughter back and to finally have a reason to smile again.
Chapter 19
Jessi pulled me through the house while James made dinner for us. Their house seemed small on the outside, but they used the space well to allow for room to move. There was only one floor, but it had a basement. The main floor had an open floor plan except for the bedrooms, which were down the hall from the kitchen.
Jessi led me to her room. It was filled to the brim with stuffed toys and musical instruments. There was almost no room to move in except for small areas of cleanliness. If we were still trapped in Steve’s house, I’d have to clean this up before I was beaten or Jessi was. I flinched at the thought; I didn’t want to think about that.
“Jessi! Anna! Dinner’s ready,” James called from the kitchen, just in time to pull me out of the thoughts before they got worse. I didn’t ever want to think of Steve or his house of horrors again, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. This would be a scar in my life forever.
“Coming!” Jessi had run from the room, hungry since we hadn’t had food while we were running. Today would be our first meal in a day. That was one thing I could say positively about this experience, I had been fed well. I was fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and allowed to shower. Most stories on the news were about how malnourished the kids were. While I hadn’t seen the doctor yet, I had a feeling that other than the beatings and sexual abuse, I was in okay condition.
I sat next to Jessi at the round dinner table as James placed hot plates of Jessi’s favorite dish in front of us. She automatically reached for her bowl to start eating. I grabbed her hands so she wouldn’t start eating before James had the chance to take a seat.
“You need to wait,” I whispered to her when she whimpered at my sudden grasp on her hands.
“But I’m hungry, Mommy.”
“I know you are, I am too, but—”