by Todd, E. L.
“He’s a good friend of mine.”
“What are you saying, Mike?”
He sighed. “That I asked him to get with Penelope so she’d leave Sean then dump her afterward.”
I sat up and looked at him, my eyes wide. “You are the reason why Sean and Penelope broke up?”
“Yeah.”
I leaned back in my chair, winded by the information.
Mike sat up and looked at me. “I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me.”
I said nothing.
“I just wanted him to feel as bad as I did. To know what it’s like to love someone with your whole heart just to have them say they prefer someone else. I wanted him to feel pain, excruciating pain.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, suddenly nervous by the pounding in my chest.
“For what’s it’s worth, I feel like a jackass now and I regret it—truly.”
“She was everything to him, Mike.”
“No. He loves you way more than he ever loved her. And in the end, she still chose to cheat on him. She still chose to lie about the father of the baby. I didn’t force her to do anything. Christian just flirted with her, seduced her, and took her. So in the end, Penelope never loved Sean anyway. If anything, I did him a favor.”
“It’s still horrible, Mike.”
“I know,” he said with a sigh. “But I really am sorry for doing it. I was a person that I’m ashamed of.”
“I have no idea how Sean will react to this.”
“He won’t talk to me ever again. I wouldn’t blame him.”
“I don’t want that to happen.”
“So you don’t hate me?”
“No,” I said quietly. “I know you’re a different person now.”
“When should I tell him?”
“It’ll have to wait until all of this is cleared up.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell him at all.”
“No. Secrets are never the best way to go.” I immediately thought about my secret with Cortland. When that got out it was bad. It could have been avoided if I just told Sean the truth to begin with.
“The guy just forgave me. I would hate to lose that.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
He laughed. “You’re like his therapist.”
“Well, he’s been through a lot of shit from all of you.”
“That’s true.” He lay down and adjusted himself. “I thought you would be happy.”
I lay down. “Why would I be?”
“Maybe you and Sean wouldn’t have ended up together if I hadn’t done that. He would end up with a woman who didn’t really love him.”
“But Sean was happy. That breakup totally destroyed him. It was hell watching him go through it. I would never want him to experience that.”
“You’re the most selfless person I know.”
“No, I’m not. I’m very selfish.”
“It doesn’t seem like it.”
“No. I’ve had my fair share of being stupid and annoying.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t stupid and annoying. I just said you weren’t selfish. Don’t get carried away.”
I chuckled. “Fuck you.”
“Fuck you.”
I closed my eyes and felt my mind relax.
“Scarlet?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
I didn’t respond because I was too tired to speak. And I didn’t need to say it anyway. He knew I loved him like a brother. Now my family was even bigger. They filled a void in my heart, making my past pain and suffering dull with every passing day. One day the pain would be gone forever. None of that would have been possible without them.
When I fell asleep, Sean came to me. His lips were on mine, embracing me like he hadn’t kissed me in years. His clothes were torn away, his skin was one my own. He whispered his love for me in my ear, making my legs shake as I felt him inside me. Even though it wasn’t real, it felt like it was really happening. I felt whole and complete in my fantasy.
The sound of the crash made me jump. I fell off the couch and landed on the floor, stuck in my sleep bag. There was glass everywhere. I cut myself as I tried to get up. “Mike?” I yelled.
It was dark but I saw a shadow move beside me. Mike was caught in a brawl with a dark figure. They grunted as they tried to grab the upper hand, jabbing each other whenever an opening happened. I screamed with everything I had.
Mike shoved the guy against the wall, but the crash didn’t phase him. He charged Mike then pushed him to the ground. I saw the gleam of metal as something slid across the floor. It was a gun. The man tried to grab it but Mike kneed him. Without thinking, I sprinted toward it, trying to confiscate the weapon before the killer could reach it.
The intruder turned his head toward me and saw me reach for it. He kicked me in the face and sent me back, my nose and lip bloody. Ryan came into the room then sprinted toward the fight. He reached for the gun but the man slammed Mike’s head into the floor then grabbed the gun. Ryan jumped on him, putting on all of his weight on the guy.
Janice ran into the room a second later. Ryan looked at her and screamed, “GET OUT OF HERE AND CALL THE POLICE.”
A gun shot went off. I immediately touched myself, wondering if I had been hit. It was dark so I couldn’t see. I wasn’t even sure where the gun was.
Ryan looked at me. “SCARLET, RUN!”
The man turned in his grasp and another gunshot went off. A painting fell of the wall then crashed into a table, knocking that over. He was bigger than Ryan and jerked violently, rolling over. I felt my heart jump into my throat. Without thinking about my own safety, I jumped on his back, pulling his arms back. It was stupid and I knew it was, but it was either this or let my brother get shot.
Another shot went off, going through the window.
“Ryan! Are you hit?”
He was lying on the floor, not moving.
“Ryan!”
The man threw me off of him, pointing the gun at me. I kicked it out of the way just as he fired it, shooting a hole in the floor. I hoped someone had called the police by now. I couldn’t get to a phone and I was too busy running for my life. I moved out of the way and barely missed the next gunshot. I could tell the guy was injured because he had a difficult time getting to his feet. Mike stirred on the floor then grabbed him by the leg. He aimed the gun at Mike’s head and I screamed, jumping right into him. Another shot went off and I prayed he didn’t hit Mike too. With all the strength I could muster, I hit him hard in the face, feeling the cartilage in his nose break. The gun fell to the floor and he used both hands to grab me by the throat and throw me off him. He grabbed the gun again just as a bat came down on him. Janice swung it at his back, striking him as hard as she could.
“Hit him again!” I screamed.
The man fell to the floor then rolled out of the way. He pointed the gun at Janice but the gun wouldn’t go off. It was out of bullets. The sound of the click of the barrel was music to my ears.
“I’M GONNA KILL YOU, MOTHEFUCKER!” she screamed as she chased him.
He placed the gun in his pocket then ran to the door, Janice chasing him. I grabbed her and held her back.
“Let him go!”
“No!”
“Stop!”
He opened the door and disappeared.
“Even with a bat he could still overpower you. Just let him go.”
Janice dropped the bat and ran to Ryan, who was lying on the floor absolutely still.
I went to the door then locked it, making sure the killer couldn’t come back.
“How is he?” I asked.
She was sobbing hysterically. “Ryan, please say something. Ryan!” She shook him.
“Is he bleeding?” I said calmly. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t freaking out right now.
“I can’t find anything,” she said as she tore his clothes away.
I turned on the lights then came next to her. “Can you see anything?”
She pulled
his clothes away, not protecting his privacy. Right now I didn’t care what part of his body I saw.
“I don’t see anything.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “He must just be knocked out.”
I turned to Mike and looked at his body. “Mike, come on,” I said as I shook him. I pulled his clothes away but didn’t see any gunshots. “He wasn’t hit either.”
Janice didn’t care. She was still checking Ryan everywhere, feeling his heartbeat and listening to his lungs.
“Mike, can you hear me?”
He moaned.
I wiped the blood from his face. “Come on. Open your eyes.”
“Is he gone?” he whispered.
“You’re safe, you’re safe.”
He opened his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Everyone is fine. No one is seriously injured.”
He took a deep breath. “Thank god.” He reached up and touched my nose. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m okay.”
“Ryan?”
“He hasn’t woken up but he’s not bleeding. I think he’s okay.”
“Ryan, wake up, baby,” Janice said into his ear. “Please wake up for me. Please.”
Ryan groaned then opened his eyes. “What the hell happened? Baby, are you okay?”
“Everyone is safe,” she said through her tears.
“Scarlet, where is she? Where’s my sister?”
“I’m right here, Ryan.”
He didn’t look at me, not moving his head. “Are you okay?”
“Everyone is fine.”
Mike sat up then rubbed his head. “What happened to the guy?”
“He got away.”
“Did he take the gun?”
“Yeah.”
“That was so fucking close.”
Ryan sat up and Janice helped him. “Baby, are you okay? You’re sure?”
“I’m not hurt,” Janice said. “Only you and Mike seemed to be injured.”
“What happened?” he asked.
I looked at him. “Basically, he knocked you both out then he took a few shots at me. When he was going to kill me, Janice chased him with a bat and beat him a few times. But he escaped out the door.”
Ryan looked at Janice. “So you saved our lives?”
“Scarlet did too.”
He said nothing.
“You better not be mad,” she said quietly.
“Of course not,” he said. “I’m just happy everyone is okay. I hope no one was caught in the crossfire.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
Mike rested his heads in his hands.
“The police and paramedics will be here soon,” I said as I rubbed his back.
“I need some painkillers,” he mumbled.
“Me too,” Ryan groaned.
16
When the police arrived we gave them every detail possible. I even told them my theory of how it was related to Carl Rogers. They wrote everything down then observed the scene of the crime. Since we all had an injury we were required to go to the hospital. Janice and I were relieved when we found that neither of the guys had any serious brain trauma. After we were examined we were allowed to leave. Without anywhere else to stay, we went to a hotel.
We didn’t tell Sean or his parents because we were still in shock over what happened. Everyone was quiet when we got to the hotel. We were all thinking the same thing. Would he come back? Would it be the same guy or a different one? It was obvious he knew a great deal about us. That made me uneasy.
No one slept that night. Anytime I tried I just had a nightmare. Ryan wasn’t affectionate with Janice at all, sitting in solitude. Mike kept glancing at the door every few minutes, paranoid that something would happen at any moment. I really missed Sean. I needed him right now.
Now I knew without a doubt that Carl wanted revenge for what happened. He hired someone to kill me and Janice and his plan had almost succeeded. If Mike wasn’t there we would have all been killed.
When I told the police my suspicions, their response was pretty vague. They said they would investigate all suspects, but they didn’t mention Carl. I was starting to feel helpless. It didn’t seem like they had any leads. None of us could give a description of the man because it was so dark. I’m pretty sure it was the same creepy man in the hallway, but the police didn’t seem to be too interested in his appearance. The experience reminded me of my tenure at R and R. Carl harassed everyone in the office but there was nothing anyone could do. If we called the police he would just come after us. If we went to human resources we would be fired. The situation was the same as now. The police didn’t seem to take my claim seriously. I didn’t feel safe. When I told them the guy would be back, they said one cop would monitor the outside of their hotel for a few days, but that was all they offered. It was unacceptable. I was scared and I knew everyone was just as frightened. The man would return eventually and he wouldn’t stop until the job was done. There was nothing to do but wait. The fear and anticipation was the worst part.
The trauma had affected us all in an irrevocable way. We were scarred and emotionally disturbed. The memory of that night would linger inside me until the day I died. It was an experience that made my heart beat at a quicker pace indefinitely. The fact that it wasn’t over made it a million times worse. Our fate was already destined. The men could abandon Janice and I and save their own skin, but they refused to do that. There was nothing we could do, and nothing anyone could do for us. We were screwed.
When I was staring outside the window, I came up with a few ideas, but none of them were viable. Everything led to a dead end. But there was no idea that stood out the most. It was unlikely to work. If anything, it might make the situation worse. But I didn’t have choice. I was fighting for my life.
No one slept the following night. We all agreed to stay in the same hotel room because we were too scared to be apart. Being together is what saved us last time. It was a lot harder to kill four people instead of just one or two.
The next morning I made my decision. We got ready then got inside the cab. No one spoke on the drive. There was nothing to stay. We argued in circles about this decision, but we eventually agreed that we didn’t have any other option.
When the view of the prison came into view I felt my heart accelerate. My hands tied together, nervous and spastic. The car stopped and we all got out. My family walked inside then reached the counter.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m here for visiting hours.”
The officer looked at the list. “Scarlet?”
“Yeah.”
The officer will escort you in the speaking room.”
“Can we be in the same room together?”
“We don’t recommend that.”
“Please.”
“Okay. An officer will stand outside the door and watch.”
“Thank you.” I hugged my family goodbye then walked down the hallway. The officer led me into a plain room with a table in the middle. There were two chairs glued to the floor. The walls were made of cement. The door was made of pure glass so I could see into the hallway. I took a seat and waited.
A few minutes later, the door opened and I saw the face I despised most. It was greasy and chubby, stretched tight. His hair was short and messy like he hadn’t bathed and washed himself in a very long time. He was still fat. The hair on his knuckles still grossed me out. The officer placed him in the chair with his handcuffs still on. He walked outside the door and stood in front of it, staring directly at us. His eyes never left us, watching us carefully. His presence made me feel better.
I looked at Carl, who was staring at me with equal fascination.
“You are even more beautiful than I remember.”
I didn’t react to his comment. I wanted to slap him then knee him in the groin but I kept a stoic appearance. I had to force myself to be pleasant. “Thank you.”
If he was surprised by my cooperation, he didn’t show it.
“How are t
hey treating you here?”
“It’s prison. How do you think they are treating me?”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I tried to seem as compassionate and sincere as possible. I took one acting class in college to fulfill my theatre requirement so I hoped my education would help me in this moment. “I didn’t want this.”
“It seemed that way.”
“No.”
“So, what is the purpose of your visit, Scarlet?”
I hated hearing him say my name. It got under my skin. “I wanted to see you. See how you were doing.”
“To gloat?”
“Definitely not.”
“You are the reason why I’m in here. You and that friend of yours.”
I shook my head. “Janice and I had nothing to do with what happened.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Then who was that man who attacked me?”
“What man?” I lied.
“The one who tackled me after I was trying to talk to Janice.”
It irritated me that he used “talked” and “assaulted” interchangeably.
“It was probably her boyfriend and he didn’t appreciate the way you were treating his girlfriend.”
“Then how did it get on camera?”
“They put them in the office recently.”
“I would have known about that.”
She shrugged. “Maybe the notice was filed into your spam folder. I really don’t know Carl. I came here to visit. I had nothing to do with your arrest and neither did Janice. We aren’t stupid enough to rat you out to anyone.”
“Then how did the video get on the servers?”
“I don’t know. It could have been a glitch in the security department. If it came from Janice’s computer, the company would have known. And she and I know nothing about technology other than how to use word and check our email. You are assuming that we planned this heist. She and I didn’t even testify against you in court. Why do you assume that she and I had anything to do with it?”
He leaned forward and rested his hands on the table, the metal of the handcuffs clanking against the surface. The officer continued to stare at us through the window. “I thought I saw you.”
“When?”
“When I was lying on the floor in the office.”
