Beware The Fury
Page 15
Belky smiled in response with a twinkle in her eyes, laughing with her Boss Lady. Looking down at her long cotton gown, she whispered, “Don’t be alarmed, Boss Lady, and no, I don’t usually sleep in this gown, but I’ve come to give you something you’ll need.”
In one swift movement, Miss Belky lifted her nightgown, where she had hidden underneath, a bag containing the clothes Yasmin wore the day she arrived. The bundle included her sandals, and most importantly, the handkerchief tied in a knot with the $500 Ofelia placed in Yasmin’s skirt pocket before leaving home.
Finally comprehending what was displayed in front of her, the overjoyed Yasmin quickly moved to hold her friend in a tight embrace, while tears filled both their eyes. Seeing those clothes again not only made her plans possible, but they brought memories of the innocent girl who arrived at that house, almost three years before. Yasmin ran her hands over the simple outfit, her tears unchecked. She took out the handkerchief with the money and returned the plastic bag with the clothes to Miss Belky.
“I can’t keep them,” she explained, thanking Miss Belky for her courage in doing what could easily cost the maid’s life. This time the two young women held each other for what might be the last time, remaining in that position long enough to give comfort to each other. Both knew there might not be another opportunity.
Yasmin said, “Now you should get rid of these items like you were ordered to do. I’ll never forget you, Belky. My only regret is leaving you and Prince here. You saved my life more than once.”
Miss Belky understood Yasmin’s intentions, and the danger her Boss Lady faced.
Yasmin smiled briefly. “Please, let Prince know how grateful I am for his lessons.”
Miss Belky knew that one of the guards might be monitoring the cameras, and with this in mind, she had to cover for her late visit to the Boss Lady’s room. She opened the bedroom door and spoke in her normal voice. “Goodnight, Mrs. Chacon. If you don’t need anything else, I will be going to sleep myself.” She returned to her small apartment behind the kitchen, carrying the tray with an empty glass, her eyes moist from the knowledge of the shared moment of farewell.
PART THREE
Chapter 1
Road Trips
Tomas informed Yasmin he was flying to Colombia. “Why don’t you come with me?”
Yasmin’s heart jumped in her throat. “I don’t think so,” she replied calmly even as her pulse throbbed erratically. “I’ve been feeling tired lately. I’d rather not.”
Tomas eyed her suspiciously, but Yasmin concentrated on remaining unruffled. Looking unimpressed, she turned back to looking at the magazine she was reading, while controlling her breathing. Yasmin knew if he were of a mind to insist on her going, she would have no choice in the matter. Her nerves were raw, and she waited breathlessly, hoping he wouldn’t ruin all her carefully laid plans.
“Suit yourself,” Tomas remarked coldly, hardly caring one way or the other. “I’ll be gone for a week.”
A sigh of relief escaped through trembling lips as Yasmin fought to suppress her excitement. Adrenaline tingled through her torso and limbs. She held back, not wanting to give Tomas reason to suspect anything.
Yasmin accepted his goodbye kiss, greeting his new apathy as she typically did.
Once she found herself alone in her room, Yasmin took a last look at the luxurious rooms that were her prison for the past three years. Lacking in regret, the girl sighed, “It’s time.”
Subsequently, Tomas would be part of her past as she prepared herself for her final departure from his house. Excitement suffused her bloodstream, but beneath it, there rose another more pronounced emotion; pure terror. She was scared to death, even with Tomas a country away, his presence was still as invasive as if he stood beside her. Perspiration began breaking out all over her, even as the air conditioner chilled her body. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach like a thousand pulsating wings inside her. Every sound startled her. Unbridled anxiety invaded her sanity at the thought of Tomas or one of the guards, discovering her attempt to escape.
She wished her pragmatic sister, Eva, were with her to lend her courage. She always had when they were growing up, but this was one time when Yasmin had to go it alone. She had no one to share the details of her plan for fear of implicating them. If Tomas even considered someone else complicit in her escape, they would surely be killed. Yasmin couldn’t forget the swift retribution Tomas had taken on the taxi driver after the accident that started it all. She knew what Tomas was capable of doing. From now on, she moved alone.
Giving Tomas time to arrive at his destination, Yasmin waited until the next day to make her get-away. The night proved a sleepless one that seemed to stretch endlessly, with intermittent dozing, blighted by terrible dreams that left her drenched with sweat. Often glancing at her digital watch, each time noticing that little time had passed since the last time she looked. When daylight began peeking over the eastern horizon, she was exhausted. Dragging herself from the bed, she stood a long time beneath the soothing splintering spray of the shower, washing away some of the lethargy, and clearing her thoughts. This day she had to be alert to follow every detail to the letter lest Pedro got wind that something was underway.
Since it was still much too early to put her plans in motion, she chose her clothes for the day with care. A comfortable suit and blouse. She decided to wear flat sandals, which she hadn’t used since the day she arrived at Tomas’ house. Even something as simple as a change in her choice of shoe might alert Pedro, but she needed comfortable shoes in the event, she had to move quickly.
Finally, finishing her daily routine of showering, putting on makeup, and dressing, she scrutinized herself in the mirror before going downstairs for breakfast. The expertly applied makeup she had learned to use with Rebecca, covered some of the dark circles under her eyes, although she could do nothing about her anxiety.
“Mrs. Chacon, you’re up early today,” the morning cook stated curiously, knowing she usually waited for Miss Belky to bring her a tray. It was a practice she had started mostly to avoid seeing Tomas in the morning but when Tomas was gone, she often came to eat in the kitchen. Noticing Yasmin’s listless walk, the cook continued, “Are you feeling well? You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep well,” Yasmin replied, wanting to avoid further conversation. She was confident everyone could look right into her mind and see what she planned. The feeling of transparency made her nervous and fidgety. She spilled her coffee, and the cook wiped it up. She dropped her bread knife when she was buttering her toast, and it clanked against the plate. Her hands shook so violently, she had to hide them in her lap whenever the cook looked in her direction.
She was too nervous to feel hungry. She ate heartily since she might not have another chance to eat for a long time, drinking several cups of strong black coffee to stimulate her senses. Her hands were clammy, so she kept wiping them on the linen napkin wishing the time away.
Back in her room, Yasmin once again stood looking around the room she’d occupied during the past three years. The closet full of clothes she would never wear again were the only signs that she ever lived there. Nothing in that room belonged to her. No pictures or personal items or any indication of her previous life were there.
Yasmin chose two outfits to take with her. She placed them inside her large purse for transfer into the duffel bag Rebecca was holding for her at the boutique. She would add the items already purchased by the complicit store-owner. At the time, the girl felt gratitude for having been allowed her shopping sprees, even if they were so she could buy clothes to please her husband. Over time, she had purchased some practical items.
Without those regular shopping trips, Yasmin would have been a virtual prisoner in Tomas’ house. One’s state of mind can be a worse prison than actual bars, and from that perspective, she realized how vital her three new friends had been. Rebecca provided her the key to her freedom, while Belky and Prince provided her with the strategy and willpower.
“Yes, Ma’am. What time?”
“I am ready now. I’ll be out in a minute.”
*
Pedro noticed the Boss Lady was wearing flat shoes as he held the car door for her. “Mrs. Chacon, you don’t look so tall without your heels,” he said, without intending discourtesy. His middle-aged, still handsome face, looking like sun-dried leather.
Yasmin’s heart gave a sharp lurch. “Yes, I turned my ankle last night while hurrying up the stairs. It’s still painful, so I decided against the heels today.” Her wet hand wrapped around the shoulder strap of her large purse, grasping it tight enough to cut off the circulation in her fingers.
“I’ve never understood how women could walk in those high heels anyway,” Pedro said, smiling, ever appreciating the lovely visage of his boss’s wife.
“Wearing heels is the price we pay to look glamorous, I’m afraid,” Yasmin replied, smiling sweetly, despite the raging tremors inside her.
“Where to, Mrs. Chacon?” Pedro asked the familiar question, starting the shiny black sedan. Without waiting for her answer, he steered it down the long expanse of the driveway bordered by trees and the expansive lawn behind them until they drove out through the iron gate.
With a sigh of relief, she felt a freedom that could only be compared to that of a prisoner when leaving his jail behind. An excitement grabbed her as she took a deep breath, feeling it was the last time she would see that view. The air she breathed felt sweeter and cleaner than it had in a long time. She opened her window to breathe it; instead of the stale air conditioning, she always breathed. As the sun shone on her face, the memory returned of the first day she saw Tomas’ house, under the darkness of a rainstorm, and how safe she’d felt, impressed with the beauty of the entrance.
“Take me to my favorite spot, Pedro.” She finally answered as part of their shared game.
Arriving at the boutique’s little parking lot, Yasmin gripped her purse, her knuckles white with the force she used as if expecting someone to snatch it away from her. She waited for Pedro to open the door. Appearing calm on her seat, the only difference being the excitement inside her. The time was precisely fifteen minutes to two.
“Pedro, I’ll be a while, why don’t you take lunch? I know the cooks were late serving, and you probably haven’t had anything since breakfast.”
“You’re right about that, Ma’am. Maybe I’ll have a bite to eat.”
“Take your time. There is no need to hurry. I’ll probably take lunch with Rebecca today, as it is her birthday, and they are having a small celebration.”
Pedro frowned at the thought of his boss’s wife fraternizing at the boutique, but then relaxed, seeing no reason to question her. He justified that it was a proper business obligation after having shopped there for three years. Often times, when she shopped through lunchtime, the pretty Boss Lady gave him time to eat at his hangout across the street from the store.
It had become a favorite eating place for Pedro, where he’d met some of the regulars, who like himself, sometimes spent two or three hours hanging out there. Mrs. Chacon’s habit was to spend more time shopping when Tomas was out of town, so this was not unusual behavior for her. Pedro sat at his usual spot where he comfortably watched the inside of the boutique, seeing his boss’s wife leisurely looking at clothing.
Yasmin wasted no time while avoiding any suspicious behavior. When Rebecca noticed her coming through the doorway, they greeted in their usual manner. Yasmin enquired about the duffel bag, now allowing the anxiety she’d been holding back all day.
“It’s all in place as you requested, Mrs. Chacon,” Rebecca answered formally in case any of the employees were listening. She wanted nothing to sound different between her and her favorite customer on this day. “Please, come into the dressing room to try on the new fashions I’ve saved for you.”
Once in the room, Rebecca whispered to Yasmin that the duffel bag was already in the supply room. She cracked open the door to the supply room for the girl to slip through. “Everything you asked for is in the bag. I’ll give you a moment to make sure it’s all you wanted, and then I’ll open the curtain steel door for you. We’ll head to the fitting room with some items to try on, but please be fast as I see Pedro looking our way.”
Yasmin didn’t want to alarm Pedro too soon, so she took a moment to pick at different outfits until she had an armful. Yasmin passed by the small hallway just before the dressing room. She dropped the outfits she was carrying over a brocade covered Louis X1V chair at the entrance of the dressing room, making a quick run toward the bathroom.
“Too much coffee this morning,” Yasmin explained, knowing anyone who heard understood. She had used the bathroom on other occasions, and Pedro had a full view of the sign that indicated the direction of it through a tiny hallway next to the dressing room. She used the bathroom to relieve her bladder, and then quickly, she eased into the dressing room where Pedro wasn’t able to observe her.
Accordingly, Rebecca grabbed the clothing Yasmin draped over the chair to move the garments into the vestibule. They were arranged the way she always did for Yasmin to begin making her selections. When in the vestibule, in a quick and casual move that Pedro could not see, Yasmin stepped through the slightly open door into the supply room. Once there, she saw that everything she’d requested was in the duffel bag. Almost immediately, she heard the sound of the security steel door slide up after jerking from the floor. It gave just enough room for Yasmin to slip out onto the sidewalk before the supply truck arrived.
While Yasmin was supposedly trying on the large assortment of clothes she’d picked previously, Rebecca returned to the central area of the store looking for more selections for the Kingpin’s wife.
Pedro observed that Yasmin was still in the vestibule so wasn’t alarmed, recognizing the regular routine of the store owner. Consequently, Pedro felt confident that Yasmin was going to take some time trying on clothes. He began to eat his hamburger and fries.
Being outside alone made the girl feel like running the moment her feet touched the pavement. She knew better than to do anything that might attract attention. Instead of running, she walked at a fast pace, keeping her head down. The butterflies were taking a rest now as Yasmin’s mind intently concentrated on following the carefully laid plans reviewed dozens of times. Once across the street, she planned to climb into the two o’clock bus that would take her directly to the terminal.
A few minutes after arriving at the terminal, she would board another bus. This would not deliver her to her hometown, or even to the highlands, but to an insignificant town in between. She would immediately switch buses to towns that would zig-zag to her destination. The point of that being to confuse Tomas if he checked the tickets purchased that day.
For a second her heart froze in her chest as a long dark car, looking exactly like the one Pedro drove, crossed the street right before her eyes. She wasn’t able to see the driver because of the dark-tinted windows, nor could she determine whether the person in the car looked in her direction. The car drove on, soon being beyond her sight. Yasmin hailed a passing cab, which offered immediate concealment instead of standing at the bus stop. She breathed more easily once inside the cab, although she couldn’t help remembering the sad fate of the last taxi driver who drove her.
As a precaution, the girl gave the driver directions to take her to the address Rebecca provided for her. She had memorized it—a block away from the bus terminal and on the street behind. If the cab driver were asked if he took a woman to the terminal, he wouldn’t think of her. From there, she could dash through the back yard to the terminal.
While she reviewed her plan, Yasmin noticed the taxi cab s
eemed to have come to a standstill. The traffic crawled at a snail’s pace, with police directing cars around a minor accident ahead, which caused one traffic lane to be closed.
With only one lane of traffic moving at a time, they waited for their path of vehicles to be allowed forward. Yasmin’s watch told her it was only two-thirty, so Pedro wouldn’t be concerned about her absence yet, although he liked to see her whenever he looked into the store. She knew Rebecca would keep him calm by continuing to bring more dresses into the dressing room, and taking some out, supposedly for Yasmin’s selection.
Once safely in the cab, Yasmin had twisted her hair around and tied it up so as not attract as much attention. Finally, arriving at the address given to the cab driver, Yasmin quickly paid him without looking directly at him. She moved away toward the entrance to the house. When the driver was out of sight, she hurried through the yard, feeling that time was slipping by faster than she had anticipated. The address Rebecca gave her was just as the store owner told her, located one block directly behind the back of the terminal.
From there, she hurried to the terminal, immediately slipping inside into the woman’s bathroom. Yasmin locked the door and flung off her clothes and tore into the package containing the most disgusting clothes the young girl would likely ever wear. She draped the blonde wig over her head, making sure none of her own hair showed, added the giant sunglasses and earrings, and inspected herself in the mirror. Another look at her watch let her know it was time to buy her ticket.
She stuffed the clothes she’d just taken off into the duffel bag. For the first time since Ofelia had handed it to her, Yasmin untied the handkerchief which contained the $500 in cash. She carefully pulled out one $20 bill, tying the cloth again, allowing herself a few seconds to hold the hand-embroidered handkerchief in her hand remembering the sweet Ofelia, wondering what she was doing now. She deposited the handkerchief deep in the duffel bag and secure in the pocket of the skirt she’d just taken off.