Broken Beauty

by Bry Ann

  Before I know what I'm doing, I have a book in my hand and I'm throwing it across the room. Everyone in the room goes silent.

  “Care to share?” Frances finally breaks the silence.

  “He took her.” My muscles flex, wanting to fight him. “Guy, now’s your moment. We need to find him. Now. Not a general location. This man does things even Anthony couldn’t think of.”

  Guy stiffens at Anthony’s name. I know he probably won’t agree with that, seeing as it was his girl who was tortured, but anyone who can put a child in a cage is on another level.

  Right as Guy turns to the computer, his phone rings.

  “This is probably Kiki,” he mumbles. Sure enough, he glances at his phone and sighs, hitting the speaker button.

  “Ki—”

  “I need your help,” Kiki says, voice cracking. “Rain’s missing. Her dad called me. He never calls me, Guy. His voice… oh God. And Rain didn’t answer my call. She didn’t even follow up with a text to explain why she missed it. She never does that. Something’s not right.”

  “I'm on it, Keeks.”

  “Please do everything you can,” she whispers, and it’s clear she’s on the verge of crying. “Rain wouldn’t go missing like this. She’s strong, but…”

  She doesn’t need to finish that. Rain’s strong as hell, but she has PTSD. That’s just a reality. It’s not a weakness but triggering it has severe consequences.

  “You have my word, Kiki. I’ll find her.”

  The confidence in his voice calms her a bit. “Call me as soon as you know something. Promise me.”

  “I promise. I’ll find her, Kiki.”

  “I’ll keep calling. She may not be by her phone, ya know. So I’ll keep you informed on that. I’ll text her too. This all may be a misunderstanding.”

  I know she wants to believe that. I know she’s desperate to feel needed. There’s nothing worse than loving someone who’s in danger and being completely out of control to help them.

  Guy meets my eyes, shaking his head, and mumbles to her, “That sounds like a good plan, Keeks.”

  “Thanks,” she squeaks. “I'm gonna go call her.”

  Guy hangs up. “We have to find Rain.”

  I'm glad Kiki called. Not that Guy didn’t care before but Kiki’s emotion lit a fire under him. When Guy’s fire gets lit, Frances seems to take more of an interest.

  “Tell me everything you know about Rain’s father.”

  So I do. I tell him his name. I tell him how he murdered Rain’s mother. I reveal how he abused her, except the sexual stuff. I’ll violate Rain’s privacy to save her life, but not that. Some of this stuff I'm not sure is helpful, but Guy keeps telling me every little thing helps. Every sentence I say, he types faster, nodding his head, fully focused.

  Frances, on the other hand, seems almost bored, but I see the slightest tick of his jaw.

  “How is this bastard not dead?” Frances says casually when I’ve said every possible thing I can think of.

  “No one knows. He’s a complete idiot for doing this. He got away,” I say, trying to suppress the fear in my voice.

  “He’s got an obsession. She’s worth the risk to him.”

  My jaw ticks. “He’s a sick fuck.”

  “Not arguing with you there. My moral compass doesn’t point due north but children…” Frances shakes his head.

  Guy starts shifting some of his screens then quickly goes back to his keyboard. “What else do you know about Rain’s mom?” Guy says urgently.

  “Nothing,” I say quickly. “Rain only told me she watched her die.”

  He growls. “Fuck. Ajax, call who you need to. We need more information on her mother. That’s how we find this bastard.”

  I don’t waste a second. My fingers dial the one person who can provide the information we need.

  “Do you know something?” Richard answers immediately.

  “Not yet. I need information on Rain’s mother.”

  “Rain’s… what does she have to do with anything?”

  I glance at Guy. “I'm with Guy. He thinks he may have something.”

  Richard doesn’t ask anything further. “Rain’s mother’s name was Lorraine Jenna Sheila until she took Rain’s father’s last name, Quantack. Her family moved here from Austria when she was thirteen. She got a job immediately to provide for her family. Lorraine was a waitress, Reggie came in for a pizza, and her fate was sealed. She tried to escape with Rain when Rain was two. Rain doesn’t remember. She doesn’t know this. It would only cause her pain to know her mom tried to escape and failed, only to eventually lose her life.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “She filed a police report because she needed help getting away. She eventually recanted. Obviously, Reggie found her and did something to scare her out of it.”

  That’s tragic. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah, um, she looked a lot like Rain. The long, dark hair. The big brown eyes. She shares a lot of her features.”

  “Where did she move when she came to the US?” Guy jumps in, typing furiously.

  “Near here, actually, if my memory serves me correct.”

  Guy freezes. “What’s the address?”

  23

  Rain

  My father pulls his hand away. “Do you know this is where your mother grew up?” My body is screaming with pain but I sit up immediately at that.

  “She did?”

  My father smirks, knowing he has my attention. I'm desperate for any scrap of information he could tell me about my mother. I miss her every day. Of all the things that haunt me, losing her is what hurts the most.

  “Yes, she did. She lived here up until we met and we ended up living here together until you were born. Then your mother begged us to move. Endlessly, until the day you were born.”

  “Why didn’t she want me to live here?” I whisper, knowing her well enough to know she never would have begged Dad for something unless she felt it would help me.

  “Your mother didn’t like it down here.” He looks around with a spark in his eyes. I don’t like the fond look on his face. Chills spread across my skin.

  “What did you do to her?” I scowl.

  “She was my wife. That is none of your business.”

  Oh, Mom.

  “You’re a monster. Why were you intent on destroying her? She loved you!”

  He lurches forward, wrapping his hands around my throat. I'm already so sore that it hurts ten times more than it already would.

  “What about you, Marie? Did I destroy you?”

  “I thought so. For a long time, I thought so, but it’s amazing what a real parent can do and a group of people who truly love me.”

  His hands squeeze harder, making little white lights fill my vision. I panic for all of two seconds before my childhood instincts kick in. When Dad did this when I was young, I’d “turn off,” or that’s what I called it. One muscle at a time, I let my body go lax, including my mind. I disconnect from everything until my world goes black.

  “I’ll see you soon, Marie.”

  It’s Rain, I think as I collapse.

  I blink my eyes open slowly. God, everything hurts.

  It hurts.

  I move to touch the places with the most pain, but stop when something pulls my arm back. My heart rate picks up and I pull again. I already know my hands are tied above my head. I’ve been in this position before but I was innocent to how wrong it was back then. It’s worse now, being this vulnerable and out of control.

  “Help!” I scream, knowing if I don’t try I’ll regret it. “Help me, please!”

  My voice cracks as I scream so loud and hard my voice can’t sustain it. I know what’s coming… I know.

  Tears spring to my eyes.

  “Fuck,” I hear my birth father grumble. My gaze snaps that way. He’s seated now. I guess he took a nap after he choked me unconscious. “You woke me up,” he snaps.

  “Please just let me go,” I cry. “I won’t say anythin
g. I promise. I swear!”

  “You were so much more behaved as a little girl,” he says on a sigh. “You were my perfect little girl.”

  I'm gonna vomit.

  “Please,” I whimper when he comes over and traces the back of his hand down my cheek. No, no, no… please. Ajax, Dad, anyone, help me.

  His hand snakes out and grabs my breast roughly, making a sob escape my throat. When his fingers pinch harder, it happens. My one and only saving grace in this life.

  I go blank.

  I fought it before but now I need it. I thought I’d regret it, but I know I’d regret being present for this more.

  I stare at the ceiling intently and let my body go lax.

  Bye.

  24

  Ajax

  My heart is pounding in my chest as Frances slams on the gas. We unanimously agreed to have him drive. He’s the one who’s gonna have the most experience driving like a maniac and getting away with it. I can’t stop thinking about what Rain is going through. I’ve watched her progress through the years. She kissed me. She let me hold her. This monster is gonna set her back at the very least. What is she going through as Frances speeds through traffic?

  I’d rather it was me. Why is it always the people I love who suffer? Why can’t it be me?

  “Ajax,” Guy says quietly as to not catch Frances’s attention. “I know that look. As long as she’s not dead, there’s hope.”

  “What if she’s gone?” I can’t… if I lose Rain too, I-I can’t…

  “He wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to kill her this fast.”

  I hate that reality in a way, but it’s true.

  My head falls back in the seat as the car jerks us back and forth. I know Richard is driving just as wildly. As soon as he told us Rain’s mother lived near here, Guy demanded the address. Once we had it, he stood up, grabbed the keys, and barked at Richard, telling him to meet us there, and now here we are.

  Frances makes a sharp left.

  “Hold on,” he says, smirking. Who smirks at a time like this?

  I wish I drove myself. I could go faster. I could be there. I hate feeling this out of control. The car jerks right into a disgustingly cliché, wooded area. Once we’re virtually alone on the dirt road, Frances picks up his already fast pace, thank God. I'm leaning further forward in my seat the closer we get.

  “Ahead,” Frances says. We glance forward to see a small house in front of us. It's got a dark exterior, but its color is not quite clear at this time of night. It looks cozy. It looks like something out of a movie, and maybe one day it was but like many things, this man has tainted it. I don’t even know what’s happened here yet, but just the fact that he stepped foot in here is enough to ruin the good. Frances parks the car quickly right as another car pulls up behind us.

  Richard.

  I hurry out of the car.

  I don’t wait for Richard before heading inside. I don’t wait for anyone. Those who want to follow will. Every second I waste is a second Rain is suffering. When I reach the front door, I first check to make sure it’s a fairly flimsy wooden door. It is. With that confirmed, I kick near the handle. Hard.

  Hard enough to send the door crashing in.

  I feel someone behind me and from the energy emanating off him, I know it’s Richard. He rushes past me to check the rooms in the back as I check the office and small library.

  There’s no one. It’s quiet in here. Too quiet.

  “They’re not here,” I whisper, panicking. I was so sure Guy was right. “They’re not here,” I say louder so Richard can hear me. The terror in my voice isn’t hidden.

  Richard enters the room, looking ashen. “I thought Guy said…”

  “He was so sure.” Growling, I storm outside. Guy and Frances are searching the grounds.

  “She’s not inside,” I snap.

  “I warned Guy she may not be,” Frances says, shrugging. “Guys like this love to keep their victims secluded.”

  “Is a house in the woods not secluded enough?” Richard snaps.

  Frances looks at him and I swear, if looks could turn someone to ice, the coldness in Frances’s gaze would freeze him.

  “Well, it’s working, isn’t it? We found the house right away, yet your daughter is still missing.”

  Richard steps forward, furious, but I reach my arm out. “He’s not worth it,” I whisper.

  “Look for a shed or a small, isolated building. Keep quiet. Listen for any small sounds. Nothing is too insignificant,” Guy says. “Ajax, go left, I’ll go right, Frances, check around the house…” He turns to Richard. “Check the south side.”

  Richard’s gone before Guy even finishes, as am I.

  “Rain!” I scream. “Rain, chérie. Please give me something.”

  I keep walking, looking in every corner, behind every tree, behind every bush as fast as possible… and that’s when I hear it.

  “Mmmm-mmm…”

  It’s quiet, barely audible, but I'm certain I hear it. “Richard,” I yell.

  My head whips left and right searching for her. “Rain, keep going, baby. I hear you.”

  Nothing. Shit.

  I heard her. I know I did. I need to search the area. I know she's here. I heard her, I feel her.

  “Rain!” I scream.

  “Wait, shh.” Richard holds up a hand. “Rain has been found from this monster before. She heard you. Trust her to guide us to her.”

  It kills me to stand in silence but I do. I listen. I listen for what feels like too long and then I hear it.

  A man’s frustrated grunt and a thump.

  It’s coming from below us. My gaze snaps up to Richard, eyes wide. His face goes furious. We both search the ground, heads down. If the ground seems sketchy, we run our hands across it. That’s what I'm doing when I feel it.

  A handle.

  Not wanting to alert Reggie further that I found his spot, I gesture several times to Richard until he sees me. He runs over and nods. Holding up a finger… 1, 2, 3.

  I swing the door open and jump through without any preamble. I land hard but don’t let the rattle in my bones stop me from looking up at what I know will be an awful sight. I hear Richard land behind me as I look into Rain’s empty brown eyes. I have trouble looking past the emptiness in her eyes but when I do, the rage that takes over me is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. She’s tied down, hands above her head, vulnerable. She’s bruised and swollen all over. He hit her. He beat her. He kept her locked down here and did who knows what.

  But it’s the complete emptiness I see there that scares me most of all.

  “We got you, chérie,” I mouth. Tears are stained on her cheeks, but they’re old. I'm getting no response from her right now. Reggie freezes what he’s doing, scowling at us at first but when he sees Richard, he smiles. It’s the most twisted smile I’ve ever seen in my life.

  “Richard Brown, well, well, well… I thought you were gonna protect her from me,” he mocks as he traces his hand down Rain’s cheek.

  “Get your hands off her,” Richard says in a tone so low it sends chills down my spine.

  “Why?” he says. “Your ego just can’t stand that you failed.”

  “This isn’t about my damn ego!” he roars, and much to my surprise pulls a gun from behind him. “Let her go, Reggie.”

  He turns to me, keeping the gun on Reggie.

  “Go get her. I’ll have your back.”

  He doesn’t have to say it twice. Besides, even without the gun, I’d take this guy on for her. Moving carefully, I go towards her, not only watching Reggie to make sure he doesn’t pull anything (getting stabbed once was enough for me, thank you) but also making sure Richard doesn’t do anything he may regret.

  “I'm here, ma chéri. I'm gonna untie you.” As gently as I possibly can, I untie her wrists. They’re rubbed raw. She fought. Before her body took over to protect her, she fought. As soon as her wrists are free, her arms fall limp. “Oh, Rain.”

  I slide my arms un
der her, trying to avoid every bruise but there are too many.

  “I'm sorry. You’re safe. I have you.”

  I repeat that as I lift her and cradle her against my chest. I forget about Reggie. I forget about Richard. All I can focus on is her. Her black and blue empty eyes. Her limp body that I’ve only been able to touch a couple times before. Her matted, thick hair that’s damp with droplets of blood.

  But that’s how I miss it before Richard roars, “Stop moving, I will shoot!”

  But it’s too late. Reggie was behind me when I got close to Rain and I lost track of him. Richard got overconfident that his gun would prevent Reggie from trying anything. Our mistake results in a knife piercing my mid-back by my spine. The pain instantly cripples me. I don’t want to hurt Rain but my arms and legs give out, sending us crashing to the ground. Rain’s body falls to the ground beside mine. I hear a loud pop echo in the room, then a loud thump.

  Did Richard shoot Reggie…? Ugh. A wave of pain washes over me.

  Richard runs over. Through blurry vision, I see him move Rain to a seated position. He looks her over once to confirm there’s not anything that needs immediate attention, then he comes to me.

  “Ajax,” he says, pained. “I didn’t think he’d—I had the gun… Oh God.”

  “Call… 911,” I groan. “Get…” Wheezing, I continue, “Rain out of… here.”

  My eyes close. “Ajax!” he yells.

  “Do it,” I whisper as the pain starts to drift away.

  “Shit,” Richard curses. A moment later, I hear him on the phone with the 911 operators. I can’t make out what he’s saying. I'm barely here and I'm embracing that. The more present I am, the more it hurts. I let myself drift away until I hear it…

  “Ajax?”

  That’s not Richard. That’s definitely not Richard.

  Rain? RAIN.

  Can she hear me calling her?

  Rain, I'm here. I'm here. I'm…

  The world fades away.

  25