by W. Ferraro
She let herself into her apartment, locked and chained the door. She walked into the bathroom and began the water. She needed the hottest of hot water and sometimes it took a bit to get it steaming. She walked into her bedroom and began to kick off her shoes, and she noticed the window shade closed. Perplexed, that’s when she saw it. The single, long stemmed white rose lay on her bed.
CeCe froze in place, the silence and darkness of the room made the hairs on the back of her neck and arms stand up. Her eyes would not, or could not, drag themselves away from the perfect bloom. He’s been in my house! She needed to run. She needed to call Jarod!
“Hello, Cees!” the voice came from behind her, she knew it like she knew her own.
CeCe whipped around to face him—her stalker—and scream, but the scream died in her throat as he pressed the Chloroform-soaked rag over her mouth and nose. She fought him, kicking and punching, but the effects took hold of her senses and knocked her out.
Jarod broke the bureau draw when he slammed it shut after pulling all his clothes out.
GREAT! Jarod decided he would just leave Mr. Burns an extra hundred dollars when he dropped the keys threw the mail slot.
He turned and threw the rest of his clothes into the duffle bag. Looking around the small apartment, he wanted to make sure he didn’t forget anything. His laptop sat open on the small table, it dinged indicating a new email.
Jarod walked over and punched the key to bring up the newest email.
Turn your phone on, Jackass! I was finally able to break the encryption. I know who the IP belongs to.
Jarod was tempted to give Idarraga’s phone number to Ryder, but decided he needed to know the name of the fucktard. He pulled his powered off cell out of his pocket, when it buzzed to life, he was taken aback at how many attempts she made to reach him. But there was no voicemail, or text from her.
She couldn’t have wanted to say anything that badly then.
Jarod listened to the voicemail Ryder left and his insides went cold. He knew the surname; Dylan ingrained it in him thirteen years ago.
SHIT!
Jarod drove as if the hounds of hell were chasing him. He broke every traffic law known to man, and it still felt like it took him too long to get to CeCe’s apartment. Glancing up to her window, he knew something was drastically wrong; the shade was closed to her bedroom.
He was out of his truck before the parking gear engaged.
“Get out of the way,” he screamed to the middle-aged couple coming out the security door. He pushed between them and took the stairs two at a time. When he reached her door, he made quick work of the lock and was inside four seconds later.
Her apartment was eerily empty, but the shower was running. He was in the bathroom a second later, but to his terror, she was not. He went to her bedroom and found the same emptiness. He picked up the rose from where it lay and spoke to it, as if it was a communicator to her, “I’m coming, Kitten, you can count on it.”
Jarod left the vacant apartment and rushed to his truck with his phone to his ear, “Ryder, give me everything you got. I want to know the last time he had his teeth cleaned because he isn’t going to have them much longer.”
CeCe’s dream was strange and left her feeling apprehensive, but the finger that caressed her cheek brought her out of it. However, when she opened her eyes her dream became a nightmare.
“Troy?” she squeaked as she squinted at the hazy form in front of her.
“Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a nice nap?”
His voice was so familiar, yet so disturbing, all at the same time. It had been thirteen years since she last laid eyes on him. Despite the small town they lived in, she never ran into him when he was home for visits, or heck, she never ran into anyone that said, “Oh, hey, I just saw Troy at so and so.”
Not that CeCe minded at the time, the further she put Troy Mitchell out of her head, the better off she was, until she met Jarod. Oh Jarod! You are the one I need right now. If only I wasn’t so stupid!
Her vision cleared and she was finally able to look at the man who has haunted her the last six weeks. Time had not been kind to him. His face was bloated and aged twenty years. His hairline receded, and the crown of his head was as bare as a baby’s bottom, with the exception of a few long hairs he tried to matte downward. Where his hair did grow on the sides, it was no longer the soft chestnut brown it had been in his youth, but now it was a grayish, wiry looking texture. His once fit body now carried around a belly, resembling a midterm pregnancy on top of skinny legs
“Did you hear me, sweetheart?”
CeCe raised her gaze to his face, cringing as he touched her cheek once more. She went to bat his hand away only to find her hands and legs were immobilized.
She wiggled and strained against the zip ties, but it was useless.
“I picked up the tip of the zip ties from your muscle friend, I suppose of all his faults, that is one thing I should be grateful for: the good idea. If it was good enough for him in his security services, then it would serve my purposes.”
She may be bound to the chair but her tongue wasn’t, “You want to talk about Jarod’s faults, don’t you think that is a little hypocritical, Troy?”
“Don’t talk to me in that tone!” Troy raised his hand to emphasize his words.
The brazenness of her tongue and the strength of her personality couldn’t stop the flinch she made at the sight of his hand drawing backwards.
“No. No, Sweetheart, I know it is going to take some time for you to fall into line, but my temper will not be for bad, it will be only used to help you find your way back. I take medication now. My temper shouldn’t be an issue if you follow along, CeCe.”
This guy was out of his tree! “I hope those meds are antipsychotics.”
Rather than rise to her taunt, Troy just smiled and rubbed his middle finger along her cheek. With a snicker, he turned his back and walked several steps away from her and out the doorway. CeCe used the opportunity to take in her surroundings. She was in some sort of basement. There were small windows, like a home’s foundation, and by the looks of the amount of junk and boxes that surrounded her in the small room; it must be a much older home. A creak sounded from above her.
Someone is up there! CeCe screamed, “HELP ME! Troy Mitchell is holding me prisoner!”
Troy reappeared, the smile on his face was one of irony, “You might want to save your breath, she is,” indicating with his finger the floor above their heads, “deaf as a doornail.”
His words confused her, but she complied when she saw the scissors in his hands.
Come on, CeCe; keep your head in the game. Keep him talking.
“Why are you doing this, Troy? Why me, after all these years?”
“Because I needed beautiful and expensive things to capture your attention. I always spent my money on you, in one form or another, so what better way to show you I’m the same guy you were in love with then, than to remain the same now.”
I never liked those things, I was the happiest when you would let me sketch you and we spent time together. Jeez did he even really know her at all then?
“The truth of the matter is I need you, CeCe. I came up with a way to offer surveillance to companies to ensure employee loyalty. It requires very minimal additional hardware to most securities systems, which you and muscle dude know, considering you found the camera feed in your store, but still, even after its brilliance, it’s acceptance has not gotten off the ground. I did everything I was supposed to do. I made all the right connections in Los Angeles, yet still nothing. I’ve sunk every dollar I have into it, as well as most of my Mother’s money, and then it dawned on me, I needed something that would get me noticed. You! I knew if I called you, and told you my intentions, you would snub me. No one takes me seriously because of my looks. I mean if anyone could relate to that feeling, you should be able to, after all that is what everyone thought when you and I were together.”
“Is that a fact?” CeCe asked, but he
continued as if she didn’t say anything.
“No one can reject me, especially if I have you back on my arm. You see, I figured it all out; I can make something of myself if people know I’ve kept you in line. They won’t even think of rejecting me if they know what I truly am, and that is the most popular guy.”
Holy crackpot! “You are insane!”
“Don’t call me that!” Troy bellowed, making CeCe jump. She watched as sweat beaded at his temples, and stains began to appear under his shirtsleeves. She watched as he breathed deeply, like in a Lamaze class, he must of thought it had cleansed him enough as he began to speak again, “But regardless, CeCe, you shouldn’t speak to me like that. I am your man; you should respect me, always; obedience in its biblical form. You see, I think that is where we went wrong when we broke up.”
“Broke up? You pushed me out of a car, Asshole!”
The slap wasn’t hard, but just enough to stop the words flowing from her mouth.
“See what you made me do?” Troy became agitated; his extremities shook as he paced the tiny room like a caged animal. He spoke to himself quietly. CeCe couldn’t make out the words, but she knew it was the same words he repeated them to himself, over and over again. Just as quickly as he digressed, he stopped and turned back to face her, “Now, as I was saying, once you see that I’m right, we can forego this whole unpleasant, restraining thing; unless, of course, you like that kind of stuff?”
The implications of his last reference had her stomach curdling and threatening to spill out of her mouth. With the thought of being sick, thoughts of Kelleigh rushed into her brain. Oh my God! Troy is the one that did that to Kelleigh. He used her to get in to connect to the security system. Suddenly, sympathy for Kelleigh rose tenfold for having been subjected to this asshat.
“Why did you use Kelleigh?” CeCe asked. At the mention of her name, Troy just smirked.
“Figured out that connection, did you?” He raised his hand to his face; using the side of his index finger, he rubbed his chin back and forth. The sound of the five o’clock shadow being scraped by his dry skin sounded like nails on a chalkboard to her. “Once I decided I needed to put my plan into action, I needed a way into your store. It wasn’t hard to watch her and know she was the key to my entrance, a swamp donkey trolling for a carrot. Showed her some interest and she was eating right out of the palm of my hand. I played the part perfectly, if I do say so myself.”
“I know what you did to her! You really are a sick fuck! How could you?”
Her accusation didn’t seem to phase Troy; he just shrugged his shoulder and answered, “Collateral damage. For such a fugly girl, you think she would be just happy to have a man, but no, all she did was want to talk and shit. When she questioned my disappearance for those days I followed you to Boston, I just snapped.”
I want to snap YOU!
CeCe’s heart broke for the pain Kelleigh had yet to go through when she found out his identity and his true reason for courting her.
“But don’t fret, Cees, don’t feel sorry for her. Oh well, maybe you should, you are stealing her man after all.”
“Like I said, you’re a sick fuck! What makes you think I’m going to go along with any of this, Troy?” His face showed the strain her resistance caused. He actually thought she would just hop up and agree? Fat chance! “As crazy as you are, there is no way you actually think I would even consider this.”
“Well, then I guess we go with plan B,” he said simply.
“And that would be what?”
“That would be, I hope you are comfortable, you’re going to remain down here until you do agree. I’ve worked too hard in life to be back in this God-awful town. You’re the clean slate I need for my plan to work; for my life to go forward.”
Selfish then, self-centered always, he just upgraded to kidnapping now.
“Okay, I think that is enough for now, I need to go check on Mother, make sure she takes her medication. I can’t have that pain in the ass meddling in what I’m doing. Dosing her is much easier.”
Such cruelty to his own mother, he truly was a sociopath. CeCe was rendered speechless at his off-handed explanation of how he could condone such a sin. As she processed his inability to think like a decent human being, Troy walked out of the room he was keeping her in, closed the door, and CeCe listened as the lock turned.
CeCe’s wrists were raw from all the attempts she made of getting free. She was parched from the heat in the tiny room, and she really needed to use the bathroom. She didn’t know how long Troy had left her down here, but considering it was night when she was taken from her apartment, and the light outside was becoming dimmer, it must have been closing in on twenty hours.
The locked clicked then, and she held her breath.
“Miss me, Sweetheart?”
“Yeah, like a root canal.” CeCe said clearly.
“You really are making this much harder on yourself.” He chastised, as he maliciously took a sip of water without even offering her some.
FUCKER!
“Why the white roses, Troy?”
He nursed the drink for another few moments before draining the glass and wiping the condensation from the cool glass against his forehead, he smiled at her before he answered. “I wanted the perfect equivalent. The white rose represents your pristine appearance, and your virtuous state.” He looked at her as he answered, and of all he has said to her so far, these were honest words. His eyes changed, it almost looked as if he had a regret.
“You do know I’m not a virgin, Troy!”
Troy walked to the door a few feet away, turned and leaned back against it and spoke solemnly, “I know, and I am not happy about it, but I’m willing to forgive you for that, as long as you are mine now. See, CeCe, I can be reasonable.”
The door was shoved open, Troy flew into the pile of boxes in front of him, hitting his head and landing on all fours.
“Reasonable? Don’t know where you learned the definition of the word, but your Mama needs a refund for that screwed up piece of education, Fucktard!”
Jarod!
He stepped over Troy’s huddled form; retrieving a knife from his pocket, he leaned around CeCe cutting the zip ties and freeing her arms.
“You okay, Kitten?” Jarod lifted her so she stood, as he examined her from head to toe.
“Yeah, I’m good…just…WATCH OUT!” CeCe yelled as she tried to warn Jarod, but she wasn’t fast enough, and Troy stabbed the scissors through his left shoulder.
Jarod let out a howl, but remained on his feet, “Seriously, Dude?” Jarod kicked out his leg backwards, connecting with Troy’s groin. He grumbled as he slid to the floor, holding his package, lying in the fetal position.
CeCe stared at the scissors sticking out of Jarod, “Oh my God!”
“Close your eyes, Kitten,” Jarod clenched his teeth together, and with a groan he pulled the scissors up and out. CeCe watched, wide-eyed. “When are you ever going to listen?”
CeCe moved her eyes from his shoulder to his eyes and just stared at him. She knew the question was meant for her watching, but it reminded her of their last conversation, and all the things he told her.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Jarod ushered CeCe out through the cellar door he had successfully picked.
By the time they reached the front yard, Max and four cruisers pulled up, along with Dylan and Natalie.
Once Dylan and Natalie hugged her, and ensured she was all right, Max needed to take hers and Jarod’s statements. Wrapped up in the retelling of what occurred CeCe was unaware Jarod removed himself from her side, while Natalie held her hand the entire time. Commotion came from behind them and they watched as three officers carried Troy out of the basement, as he claimed he couldn’t walk.
CeCe was in the middle of arguing with the EMT who arrived that she didn’t need to be checked out, when Derrick pulled up. Given all the cars, he had to park a bit away, but she heard him call to her as he ran toward her. CeCe looked to Dylan, who had
never ventured far from her, and silently questioned him.
“I didn’t call him,” Dylan said, looking just as bewildered.
When Derrick reached CeCe, he immediately embraced her. He then lifted his hands to her face as he kissed her lips and said, “I died three times over when Gates called me.”
At the mention of Jarod, CeCe turned and noticed Jarod was no longer there. She craned her head looking this way and that way, but coming up with no sign of him. Her eyes continued to search through the commotion and chaos of the scene and then she saw him walking away—from the scene and from her. With a cry trapped in her throat she watched as he climbed into his truck. Their eyes met for a moment, but then he looked away. She watched as he pulled away and all the while until his truck vanished from sight.
Suddenly, the floodgates opened, and tears poured down her face.
It was Derrick that caught them, “Oh baby, let them fall, you must have been so scared,” he crooned as he held her.
But as CeCe buried her face in his chest she knew this wasn’t the chest she wanted to be leaning into, nor would tears be falling if she were touching that chest.
“Thanks for meeting me, Gates, you are a hard man to track down,” Max said as he indicated the seat opposite him in the small diner where he was having lunch.
“Jesus, man you are worse than a teenage girl, you blew up my voicemail with all your messages.” Jarod complained as he sat down and waved off the waitress that tried to take his order.
“Be that as it may, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help. Mitchell has been arrested for kidnapping and aggravated harassment. The judge insisted on holding him without bail for a psych eval, should not be hard to get a conviction. I received all the documentation from your guy, Ryder, on the IP address and dummy companies Mitchell worked under. How dumb can one man be to link everything, including his system passwords, to his Mother’s address? Then, the kicker is that’s where he took Ms. Cervetti, what a dumbass.”
