Friction

by Dwayne Gill

  “Well, what’s the phrase?” Kristy asked Cane.

  Cane looked around the room. “In the same boat,” he said. The room erupted with laughter. Even the three guards were chuckling.

  “That’s supposed to be a boat?” asked Daniel.

  Cane pointed at the two stick figures inside the structure. “Two men, one boat.”

  “Nice try,” said Lynks, but his expression said otherwise.

  Cane shuffled back to his seat in defeat but was smiling. He’d never seen the appeal of playing games before tonight but could see the value that laughter brought to the group. The game continued, and to no one’s surprise, the ladies were the runaway victors.

  After Pictionary, someone suggested karaoke. Cane tried to sneak away to avoid taking part, but Kristy dragged him back to the room and made him participate. Surprisingly, the singing was more fun than he would have imagined, especially when Kristy and the other women were on stage. Once Cane realized the social activity didn’t rely on actual singing talent, he felt more at ease. The highlight of the night belonged to the trio of Calvin, Daniel, and Cane singing “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. The experience couldn’t have been more embarrassing for Cane, but just being able to experience it was liberating. The comical reactions to Cane’s brave lyricism, especially Kristy’s, had made it all worth it. As he looked around at the beaming faces, knowing how much they’d been through, Cane realized how much they all deserved to have moments like these, to let their guard down and forget about the real world, if only for a moment.

  Everyone had their turn to sing, including Zeke, Fletcher, and Wally, who chose another throwback song from decades earlier by Boyz II Men, titled “End of the Road.” To everyone’s surprise, Zeke sang well.

  The entertainment ended, but everyone continued talking and celebrating through the night. The crowd eventually splintered off into smaller groups who wanted to chat or play games. Calvin had prepared chips and dip for those who cared to partake. With everyone mostly distracted, Cane walked over, grabbed Kristy’s hand, and pulled her away. She smiled and followed him as they walked upstairs to the third floor.

  Cane had been debating when to do this, but now felt like the appropriate time, given the uncertainty of the future. He’d put in days of work, which included a lot of stealth, and he hoped the finished product would be worth it.

  “Where are we going?” asked Kristy.

  “You’ll see, said Cane.

  As he approached the locked door at the end of the hall, his anxiety heightened, and he appreciated the raw feeling of the emotion. His time with Kristy had brought him further out of his shell, making a moment like this possible.

  Cane fumbled with some keys until he found the one he needed, clicked the lock, and swung the door open. The room was dark, and Kristy entered while Cane flicked the light on. Kristy gasped and froze in place, standing for a full minute, panning the room. Cane wanted her to have her moment, so he remained silent until she was ready.

  “What?” she gasped again, choking back tears. “How?”

  “You can thank Barkley for this too,” said Cane. “She helped retrieve a lot of this.”

  The room was filled with various items of Helen’s: pictures hanging on the walls, her wardrobe, bookcases filled with her reading collection, shoes, old photo albums, and miscellaneous trinkets that Cane had meticulously arranged around the room. Someone had even made the bed using Helen’s old comforter and afghan, which had been passed down from Kristy’s grandmother. While Cane hadn’t replicated Helen’s original room, he’d made this one a shrine to her.

  “Natalie helped me decorate,” said Cane. “It was hard to keep this a secret from you.”

  Kristy threw her arms around Cane and hugged him tight, and he could hear her sobbing softly on his shoulder. She remained there for minutes while Cane stroked her back.

  Her head raised, and they locked eyes. “This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me,” said Kristy. Cane smiled at her and she touched his cheek. “You used to worry that you’d never be a normal person. Look at you. You’re the most thoughtful man I’ve ever known.”

  Cane tried to suppress his thoughts about him being genetically altered and how he’d likely been made into the emotionless robot he was, for he didn’t want to ruin the moment. This was about her.

  “Look around,” said Cane.

  Kristy circled the room, combing through the memorabilia, tears flowing as she came across each item that triggered a memory. “I can’t believe you got all this stuff.”

  Cane remembered the haunted nights at the Campbell house when he’d had to sneak in to retrieve everything. If it had been that hard for him to be in the house, he could only imagine how much Kristy grieved daily.

  “You deserve to remember Helen properly,” said Cane.

  Kristy walked over to Cane with watery eyes and stood in front of him. “I love you,” she said, looking intently at him.

  Cane felt a rush of emotion coming from a source he’d yet to tap into, a place so foreign that it was almost painful. He didn’t understand it, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He stared at her, not knowing what to say, and she smiled at him.

  “You seem embarrassed,” she said. Cane tried to change his expression to a neutral one, but he couldn’t stop his smile reflex.

  “I’ll take that as a good sign,” said Kristy. “I’m not afraid to say those words to you anymore because I know they’re true. And I know, deep down, you love me back.”

  Cane felt like a fool, frozen in his tracks by a few simple words. He wanted to say it, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate. The feelings inside him were churning, and though he didn’t know what being in love truly felt like before then, he was sure Kristy was right. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her feel safe and happy, and it was a sentiment he’d never shared with another person.

  “You don’t have to say it back,” said Kristy. “Just don’t be afraid. I’m not gonna propose to you or anything.” She smiled at him, and he grinned back like a schoolboy. “Can we look through the photo albums together?”

  Cane nodded. “Of course.”

  They sat on Helen’s comforter as Kristy thumbed through pages of photos. She laughed at some and cried at others, while Cane tried to offer adequate emotional support. There were dozens of albums, so they’d likely be there a while. After a few minutes, Kristy leaned against him, and he noticed things he’d overlooked about her before. She was soft, warm, smelled wonderful, and everything about her seemed precious. Even the way she turned the pages gave him a pleasant feeling, and it caused him to wonder if these were symptoms of love. If they were, then Kristy was right. Right now, there was no place he’d rather be.

  *

  Daniel was lounging outside by the pool, enjoying the cool night with a warm cup of coffee prepared by Taryn, who sat across from him at a small table.

  “I remember you sitting on a stack of tires on the front porch,” said Taryn, recalling the day they’d met, over a year ago.

  “You looked ready to piss yourself when you first approached me,” said Daniel.

  “You scared me,” said Taryn. “But there was no way you were worse than Gary.”

  Gary was her mom’s live-in boyfriend at the time. Along with being a drug dealer and a miserable man, he also abused Taryn. Daniel would always cherish the memory of seeing Gary beg for his life the night he’d killed him.

  Following his second run-in with Rick, Calvin had stashed Daniel at a safe house that Marcene had provided. Badly wounded, Daniel was supposed to rest and heal, but he met Taryn and eventually became involved in her chaotic home life.

  “Sometimes I wonder how my mom is,” said Taryn.

  Anna was the only person at the house Daniel spared on that fateful night, though it had been tempting to kill her as well. The woman had been more than culpable in Taryn’s neglect, but Daniel opted to leave her unharmed, only for Taryn’s sake. “I hope she’s in rehab somewhere,” said Daniel.
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br />   “Is it strange that I miss her?” asked Taryn.

  Daniel looked at her and shook his head. “Of course not. She’s your mother.” He imagined part of Taryn’s trouble was dealing with loneliness. Although she seemed to enjoy being at Calvin’s home, it was only natural for a girl her age to want to get out and see the world. The poor girl didn’t have much of a life trapped inside these walls.

  “Maybe someday you can take me to see her?” asked Taryn.

  A lot would have to change for that to happen. The last thing Daniel wanted to do was be dishonest with her, but he also wouldn’t shatter her dream. “We’ll make that happen someday.”

  When Taryn smiled at him, he realized how much she thought of him as a father figure. She looked to him to get things done and saw him as a place of safety, much the same way she’d viewed her own father. Daniel felt bad for not always spending enough time with Taryn. Although she had plenty of others around her who cared about her, they couldn’t replace the bond she had with Daniel, and he needed to remember that.

  “Why haven’t you ever told me about Layla?” asked Taryn.

  Her question snapped Daniel back into the moment, and Taryn smiled when he jumped. Daniel had mentioned Layla to Taryn several times, including the week they’d met, but had never told her the entire story. One reason was obvious; it was too painful. The other was him trying to protect Taryn. She was only fifteen, and Daniel didn’t want to burden her with such a sad story.

  “It’s hard to talk about,” said Daniel.

  “Is it because I remind you of her? She was about my age when…” Taryn trailed off and became quiet.

  “When she died,” Daniel finished. Layla was sixteen when Rick raided the Marcini mansion. “You remind me of her a little. You have a great personality, like she did. But when I met you, it was the first time I interacted with anyone that young since Layla.”

  “It was hard for you,” said Taryn.

  “The opposite,” said Daniel. “Before I met Layla, kids annoyed me. So when you came around, I made sure not to make the same mistake I did when I met Layla.”

  “You were mean to her at first?” asked Taryn with a look of disbelief. She’d never seen Daniel act any way but caring.

  “You could say that,” said Daniel. “I was only seventeen, so I was a kid too.”

  “How old was she when you met her?” asked Taryn.

  “She was ten,” said Daniel.

  “What’d she do to win your friendship?” asked Taryn.

  Daniel decided the time was right, so for the second time in two days, he retold the whole story of him and Layla, how their friendship grew, and how it was taken away.

  Taryn had her head lowered for most of the story, fighting back tears. Daniel had known before this that the girl cared for him, but the depth of her empathy still surprised him.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Taryn. She got up, walked around the table, and hugged him. Daniel could sense the depth of her sorrow, reminding him why he cared for her so much. She was an extraordinary girl and wise beyond her years.

  She released him but stood nearby. “Do I cause you pain? Like, do I make you think of her and miss her?”

  Daniel grabbed her again, pulling her in for a fresh hug, and held on. “Don’t you ever think that,” he said. “The only thing you’ve ever caused me is happiness.”

  He released her, and she stepped back, smiling. “If it weren’t for Layla, you probably would have told me to bug off,” she said.

  “I was in a dark place,” said Daniel. “So probably.”

  “But you saved me,” she said. “You unleashed the beast on Gary and his junkie friends.”

  Daniel remembered the night when Gary and his buddies had taken things too far, forcing Daniel and his inner demon to intervene. Afterward, Daniel surrendered to the police willingly, and was convicted of several counts of first-degree murder.

  “I’d save you again too,” said Daniel. “No one will lay a hand on you while me and my beast are around.”

  *

  Lynks sat with Natalie in the library; they had a plate of leftovers to deliver to Tom in the panic room.

  “I want to show you something,” said Natalie.

  The way she said it made him nervous, along with the mischievous look in her eyes. “Oh boy,” said Lynks.

  “It stays between you and me,” said Natalie.

  His anxiety multiplied. “Should I be worried?”

  “Just come see,” said Natalie. She pulled him over to the door, typed in the six-digit code Calvin had given her, and opened it.

  Tom sat in the large metal chair, still firmly restrained, with a pained look on his face. Positioned on a table across from him was a tablet displaying videos. Lynks inspected the screen to see what was playing. In the video he saw a young girl running outside with a younger version of Tom.

  “Home movies?” asked Lynks.

  “Shh…” said Natalie. “We’ll talk about it outside the room.”

  Natalie set the tray down on Tom’s lap as he glared at her. “Turn this crap off,” he said.

  “Not a chance, Tom,” she said.

  Tom shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but this is ridiculous.”

  “Just eat,” said Natalie as she pulled Lynks out of the room and shut the door.

  “He can reach the food?” asked Lynks.

  “What’d you think? That I hand-fed him? We left just enough slack to allow him to eat.”

  Lynks wasn’t crazy about him having any range of motion, but the alternative would be manually feeding him. “Why the home movies? Are you torturing him or trying to turn him back?”

  Natalie replayed her conversation with the neurologist. “We’d initially planned on experimenting with Jesse, but after what happened, I thought I’d try it on Tom. We have nothing to lose.”

  “Jesse had just been turned, though,” said Lynks. “Tom has been a marked man for years.”

  “I know,” said Natalie. “I have very reserved expectations.”

  “Be careful,” said Lynks. “You saw how Jesse manipulated us.”

  Natalie smiled. “You’re worried about me.”

  “Of course I am,” said Lynks. “You’re the one tending to him.”

  Natalie’s smile disappeared. “After what Jordyn’s been through, I had to try it. You understand, right?”

  “Oh, I get it,” said Lynks. “You’re such an amazing person, Natalie. And don’t mistake my caution: no one else I know would do something like this and believe it had a chance. But that’s what makes you so great. Jordyn is lucky to have you as a friend.”

  Lynks realized too late how much he’d said, for he’d spoken without thinking. He looked at Natalie but had to look away, for she was staring at him with those big, brown, kind eyes that made his mind wander. He didn’t want to fantasize about her romantically, for it would never happen; she deserved someone much better than himself.

  “Well, that was sweet,” said Natalie. “Why won’t you look at me?”

  Lynks could feel himself blushing. This was embarrassing.

  “You can’t hide yourself away forever,” said Natalie. “There will be a life after this one, where you don’t have to be in the shadows. I would prefer the world not miss out on such a great guy, too, because you’re the best man I know.”

  Lynks snuck a glance, smiled, and regretted it. Her eyes were even more radiant than he’d feared, a look of admiration filling every corner.

  “I hope you’re right,” said Lynks. “It’s a little hard to imagine that world though, at the moment.”

  “I miss my old life sometimes,” said Natalie. “It was simple compared to now.”

  “Do you miss your parents?”

  “We were never close,” said Natalie. “They adopted me when they thought they couldn’t have children naturally. Two years later, they ended up getting pregnant. I was always ‘the other’ kid.”

  Natalie had no idea her real mother was Marcene, and
Lynks felt lousy keeping it from her. As he mulled it over, he heard Jordyn shout across the house. “Everyone! Come, hurry!”

  Lynks and Natalie exchanged worried looks and ran.

  *

  “My friend with the Miami PD sent me this,” said Hart.

  Everyone had gathered around the coffee table in the front den, staring at the tablet screen, where a news report played. “This was broadcast an hour ago,” said Hart.

  A lady reporter came on the screen; it was a nationwide announcement gone viral.

  Shauna Pool, a ten-year-old living in Miami, Florida, was abducted from her home in broad daylight today. The mother, Cynthia, was knocked unconscious by two unknown assailants who forced entry into her home.

  While the news is disturbing enough on its own, this marks the second time in two years that young Shauna has been kidnapped. The first incident happened when she was only eight, and the perpetrator was her uncle. There is no known connection between the two incidents, as the uncle remains in jail.

  Cynthia Pool was able to work with sketch artists…

  “This was a case that Swelling worked,” said Hart.

  “I know,” said Cane. “I helped her.”

  Cane remembered the case well. The only suspect had been the girl’s uncle, and Cane broke the man, eliciting a full confession.

  “They have Swelling,” said Barkley. “This confirms it, though we were sure it was the case.”

  “They’re trying to lure me out,” said Cane.

  “Do you think Swelling’s alive?” asked Kristy.

  “Maybe,” said Cane. “They’re either trying to make me do something stupid or threatening her, using the kids she’s saved against her.”

  “I’ll bet she won’t talk,” said Lynks.

  “She doesn’t know anything, anyway,” said Daniel. “Or does she?”

  “She knows me,” said Barkley. “They’re trying to connect the dots.”

  Cane was about to boil over with fury at the thought of them using a child as bait, a kid who had already been through her own living hell. “I can’t sit back and do nothing,” he said.

  “You can’t be distracted from saving William,” said Barkley. “They’re doing the same thing they did when you were closing in on Daniel.”