by Jane Blythe
He considered this. It made sense, Jack decided. Laura would need therapy, and, more importantly, she would need support. She needed someone who could be one hundred percent focused on her.
“So,” Ryan was looking at him expectantly. “You want to talk about it?”
Although, Jack agreed that he was going to have to talk about it at some point—some point soon—he still balked at the idea.
Ryan sighed. “Okay, so you're not ready yet. But you better get yourself ready. You let Laura down once before, don’t do it again.”
He took the warning seriously. Jack didn’t feel comfortable discussing what had happened with his family or friends. Nor did the idea of seeing a shrink particularly appeal to him, although it may end up being a last resort. But maybe he could talk to Laura. He didn’t want to add to the heavy burden she was already carrying, but she might by the one person who truly understood.
“All right, I'm convinced,” he assured his brother. “But you don’t actually know what happened right?” he checked.
“No, I don’t,” Ryan promised. “I wanted to call someone and find out, but Rose said we shouldn’t invade your privacy, that we should wait for you to tell us yourself. Although, I don’t think she really thought we’d still be waiting three years later. Wow, I still can't believe Laura is back in our lives after all these years. I had the biggest crush on her in high school.”
Jack was pleased with the lightened change in conversation. “I know. Everyone had a crush on Laura in high school. She was drop-dead gorgeous. She’s still drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Remember how much fun we used to have playing together as kids? You and me and Mark, Laura and Mary, the Jensons from up the block, and the Tinkers from around the corner. We used to get up to so much mischief.”
“Yeah, we did. I think the whole neighborhood was thrilled when summer vacation ended and we all went back to school,” he wistfully reminisced. The Laura they’d known back then was fearless, energetic, playful. She had sparkled. To see Laura now, too terrified to leave her apartment, trapped in a nightmare that she didn’t know how to escape from, was heartbreaking. “Ryan, what they did to her …” He trailed off shakily. It literally brought tears to his eyes when he thought of the hell those men had put her through.
“I know, Jack. I also know what it’s like to see the woman you love battered and bruised and broken. But Sofia was never really broken, she was strong and she fought back and reclaimed her life. Laura is strong too. It might be a long road but she’ll get there, she’ll get her life back.” Sympathy filled his brother’s blue eyes. “Come on, I'm feeling in a reminiscent mood, let’s go and look up some old photos of us as kids. Maybe you can use them with Laura to try and get her to remember just how great you can be.”
“Worth a shot,” Jack laughed. Anything was worth a shot. Because he was determined to get his girl back.
JULY 25th
1:34 A.M.
Why was she even bothering to lie in bed?
Laura knew she wasn't going to sleep.
Maybe it was because she felt somewhat safe in her bed. She could curl up, pull the covers over her head, and pretend she was in a little cocoon where nothing and no one could get to her.
That was exactly what she was doing right now.
She was also sucking desperately on her thumb.
Thumb sucking had been a bad habit she’d suffered from most of her life. She had sucked her thumb up until the age of about twelve, despite her parents many attempts to get her to quit, and the many taunts of her peers. Even as a teenager she had sometimes resorted to the habit when she was particularly stressed. Then following her abduction, the habit had returned as a coping mechanism. Sometimes it would be the only thing that could calm and soothe her when she was overwhelmed by fear and pain.
Laura knew she should break the childish habit. Having just passed her thirty-first birthday, she was much too old to still be doing that. But given that she lived here on her own so no one ever saw her do it anyway, it didn’t really seem worth the bother.
Since sleep was obviously still out of the equation, maybe she should get up.
Only she wasn't sure she had enough energy to walk.
She had laid for hours on the floor in her living room, crying and panicking.
Then she had crawled to her bedroom and dragged herself up and into bed.
She decided she may as well give standing a try. If she couldn’t manage it, then she’d just stay here in bed. Maybe forever.
With grim determination, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her head immediately protested, swimming viciously until it was all she could do not to moan piteously and sink back down onto her pillows. Laura fought against the dizziness until it subsided to a somewhat manageable level, and then she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Another sickening wave of dizziness swamped her as she stood. But again, it soon wore off enough that she could just make it to the kitchen on badly shaking legs.
Laura knew she needed to eat something.
One quarter of a piece of toast was all she’d eaten in the last twenty-four hours. And before that, she couldn’t remember what she had last consumed.
She was just about to begin the mammoth effort of preparing some food when she heard voices outside her door.
“Relax,” she admonished herself aloud. Jack had said there were going to be cops on her door. That must be who was talking.
Someone hammered on her door, and an accompanying voice called her name, “Ms. Opal?”
She forced herself to answer, “Yes?”
“It’s Officer Lyle, we’ve been assigned to keep an eye on you, but apparently there’s some raucous downstairs, so we have to go and check it out. More officers are on the way and we’ll be back as quickly as we can. Ms. Opal, don’t open the door for anyone while we’re gone, and if anything happens, call 911 immediately,” the officer ordered.
“Okay,” she said because she knew he wanted a response.
Footsteps headed away from her door, and Laura went on wobbly legs to check the deadbolts were all in place. Before dragging herself to bed earlier, she had, of course, first had to lock herself back in.
Her gaze fell on the card Jack had left with his number on it.
She was sacred. She didn’t want to admit it because admitting it was like admitting that he was right and this ordeal wasn't yet over.
Tentatively, she picked the card up.
Should she call him?
Taking the card with her, she returned to the kitchen and sank down into a chair.
Call or not call? She was still debating it several minutes later when she heard someone outside her door again.
Assuming it was just the officers returning, she didn’t pay it much mind until the door handle rattled.
Someone was trying to get in.
Panic rushed through her.
The doorknob rattled again.
Someone definitely wanted in.
And it wasn't the cops.
Officer Lyle would have announced himself.
She grabbed the phone, her decision made for her, she dialed Jack’s number.
“Detective Xander,” his sleep-laden voice spoke in her ear seconds later.
“Jack,” it was a whimper and all she could manage.
“Laura?” Instantly awake. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone at my door. Something happened downstairs. The officers had to leave. And then someone was trying to open my door,” she explained in a rush.
“I'm calling more cops to come, okay?” he told her, and she could hear him moving about.
She took a deep breath. “Jack, I need you to come,” she admitted.
“Already on my way,” he assured her.
Jack said something else, but she didn’t hear him–whoever was outside her door was pushing something underneath it. An envelope.
“Laura?”
“He put something under my door,” she whispered haltingly, she was u
tterly terrified.
He muttered something unintelligible. “Just hold on; I'm on my way.”
Panic pulsed through her again, she didn’t want to be alone right now. “Jack, don’t hang up, please.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he soothed. “I’ll stay on the line with you until I get there,” he promised.
Jack babbled away at her for the next ten minutes. Laura couldn’t really make out any of the words he was saying, but the sound of his voice was like a balm on her fear.
“Laura, I'm outside your door,” he said at last, giving a soft knock on her door so she would know it was indeed him.
Laura rushed the door, throwing open the deadlocks as quickly as her trembling hands could manage. Then she yanked the door open and all but flung herself into Jack’s arms. For the moment, she was happy to just rest heavily against him, letting him hold her up, not thinking of anything other than that she was safe with Jack.
“It’s all right, angel,” he whispered in her hair, holding her tightly in his arms. “I'm here now.”
Hearing him call her angel, his pet name for her since they were teenagers, again after all these years melted her heart. But it also annoyed her. She didn’t want him to make her feel safe. She didn’t want to still like him. None of that mattered. They weren’t going to get back together, no matter how much Jack might want to.
Jack disengaged her arms from around his waist, keeping one arm supportively around her waist as he guided her away from the door so he could lock it behind them. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” But even she could hear the tremble in her voice.
His eyes raked over her as he shook his head. “Go and sit down before you fall down,” he ordered.
“I'm okay, Jack,” she protested.
Jack merely raised an eyebrow and prodded her in the direction of her couch.
Feeling worriedly light-headed, Laura thought maybe she better comply. So, as she sank down into the soft sofa cushions, Jack slid on a pair of gloves and picked up the envelope that had been pushed under her door. His expression grew dark as he looked at whatever was inside and Laura thought she didn’t want to know what it was. Jack made a phone call, and then once he’d slipped his phone back into his pocket, he came back to her, standing in front of her and looking down at her.
“Come on, I’ll make you something to eat.” He took her good hand and pulled her to her feet, keeping hold of her so she didn’t crumple into a ball at his feet.
Once he’d sat her down at the table, he set about rummaging through her fridge and cupboards. Deciding on soup, he took a can of chicken noodle, and set it to heat on the stove. Then he disappeared briefly, returning a moment later with the first aid kit she kept in her bathroom.
“I'm checking out your hand,” he informed her as he took the chair beside her.
Ordinarily Laura hated when Jack was bossy, but right now she was so shaken that she was okay with him telling her what to do. Having him take care of her gave her a semblance of security that she hadn’t felt in years.
So, she offered no protest as he gently took her hand, even though she usually hated for anyone to touch her, and unwound the bandage, wincing as he took in the burn on her hand. Using the contents of her first aid kit, Jack cleaned the wound, applied some antibiotic ointment, and re-dressed it. His touch was tender and careful as he dealt with her injury, taking care to cause her as little pain as possible. And the burn really did hurt.
“Your hand doesn’t look so good, you know,” Jack told her mildly once he’d set her hand gently back down on the table. Despite the mild tone, Laura could see the concern in his eyes. “I know you can't go to the doctor, but what if I brought someone here to check it out?”
Unsure, Laura’s instinct was to say no, but she agreed with Jack; the burn on her hand wasn’t doing so well, and it probably did need to be looked at by a professional. “Maybe,” she murmured tiredly.
“Good.” Jack looked pleased with her response. He opened his mouth to say more but paused and pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. “Sorry, angel, it’s Rose. I already ignored her calls twice, and she knows I'm here, so she’s going to be worried about you. I have to take this. Pop your head down and rest until your food’s ready,” he instructed.
Balancing his phone between his shoulder and ear, Jack moved to the stove to stir the soup, talking in a quiet voice to his partner while keeping one eye on her. When he saw she hadn’t followed his orders, he frowned at her and motioned for her to lay her head down. With an inward eye roll, Laura did as she was told, folding her arms on the table and resting her head against them, letting her eyes fall closed.
Sometime later, Jack tapped her shoulder. “Soup’s ready,” he informed her. “You eat all of it,” he ordered as he set the bowl down in front of her. “Here’s some apple juice,” he added. “This first, the sugar will help get your blood sugar up, and then you can have some water, I don’t want you getting dehydrated.”
Jack’s fussing was irritatingly comforting. Laura knew she was safe as long as Jack was here.
Sitting across from her, Jack ate some soup, too. Neither of them spoke, settling into a comfortable silence. When she was finished—she ate every drop because she knew Jack was going to insist on it—he took their dishes, rinsed them, and set them in the dishwasher.
Then he set a glass of water and two pills on the table. “Painkillers,” he told her. “Drink all the water.”
Again, Laura did as she was told, noting just how out of sorts she was these days, given that she had never let Jack boss her around when they were kids.
Once she was done, he disposed of the glass, then sat across from her again. “Okay, angel, talk to me.”
And to Laura’s surprise, she did.
* * * * *
2:57 A.M.
If Jack had known getting Laura to talk was as simple as asking her, he would have done it two days ago.
It was like the tap had been turned on and words were tumbling out completely out of her control.
“I knew as soon as I opened my front door that something was wrong,” she was saying. “You how you get that feeling sometimes?” She continued when he nodded. “But before I could do anything about it, someone grabbed me. I’d taken some self-defense classes, I managed to get away from him for a moment. But he got me. He slammed my head into the door and I must have blacked out.”
Laura shuddered and Jack’s concerns about her increased. She clearly wasn't doing well. She had been shaky and weak looking when he’d gotten here, barely able to remain on her feet. She was still wearing the same clothes she had been dressed in when he and Rose had been here yesterday morning. It didn’t seem like she’d eaten anything, which was probably the reason why she was so wobbly on her feet. The fact that she was following all his orders didn’t make him feel any better. The old Laura would never have let him boss her around like this.
“When I woke up, I was in this hole in the ground. My head ached and I wasn't wearing my clothes, only my underwear. I could tell that I’d been …” She paused awkwardly, but she didn’t need to say the word; he knew what she meant.
“I'm so sorry, angel.” Jack wanted to take her hand, to offer her whatever comfort he could, but she clearly didn’t like being touched, even though she had thrown herself into his arms when he’d arrived. However, she’d been scared then, she had needed reassurance. And she had also let him tend to her hand. Perhaps, given their history, she was comfortable enough with him to allow him to touch her. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and took her good one. She glanced at his large hand covering her small one, but she didn’t pull away.
“I tried to get out, but I couldn’t. Then they came.”
The way she said it had his blood boiling. Frank and Francis Garrett deserved to suffer as horribly as they had made Laura suffer. “It’s all right, angel, you don’t have to tell me about what they did to you, I read the case file.” Jack didn’t want to hear Laura verbalize w
hat he’d already read. He knew it would tear him up inside to hear her describe what she’d been through, but if Laura needed to get it out he’d listen, no matter what it would do to him—she came first.
Laura shivered and her violet eyes filled with tears. “Before those hikers found me, I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. I was so weak. So exhausted from running through the woods. After they would finish …” She paused and seemed to search for a suitable word. “… hurting me, they would tell me to run. They thought it was fun to chase me. They’d pretend to count like when you play hide-and-seek. I’d run as fast as I could, but I didn’t have any shoes. My feet got so sore, but I knew I couldn’t stop. But each time they hurt me, I got a little weaker, until I could hardly move at all. Then at night, they’d put me back in that hole in the ground. It was dark in there. And cold. All I could see was a small circle of stars above my head.”
No doubt the reason for the stars left on Tarek Milford’s ceiling, Jack thought. “Angel, are you sure there couldn’t have been a third man?” he asked her.
The look she gave him clearly showed that she wasn't sure. “I don’t know, Jack,” she whispered. “The man in my house, I don’t think it was Frank or Francis. I always thought that, only I told myself I had to be wrong. I never saw anyone else in the woods. Just the Garrett brothers and then those hikers.”
“You didn’t regain consciousness between the time you were knocked out in your house and waking up in that hole in the woods?” he confirmed. Laura nodded. “So, there could have been someone else there during that time. The police never found any evidence that you’d been in the Garretts’ truck. Maybe this third person is the one who abducted you and took you to them.”
“I didn’t know that.” Her huge, scared eyes found his.
