The Price of Trust

by Amanda Stephan

  "You belong to me," he said, unsuccessfully twisting the doorknob to the attic. "Open the door, Carly," he sang, jiggling the old knob, trying to force it open. "You're not playing very fair. You're supposed to come out when you're found!"

  He began kicking the doorknob over and over again as Carly cringed further behind her hiding spot, praying for a miracle.

  "Hello?" Joe said into his phone after the first ring, expecting to hear Carly. Nothing. "Hello?" he said louder, listening a moment. Todd turned to look at him apprehensively. "There's nobody there. Wait," he said, straining, plugging his other ear. He heard something in the background. "Todd. What is that?" he asked thinly, handing the phone over to Todd. Todd listened intently, his face going pale.

  "It's someone calling Carly's name," he said quietly, handing the phone back to Joe. He looked helplessly at Tom. "We've got to go faster," he said thickly, barely able to talk around the lump in his throat.

  Without saying a word, Tom pushed the gas pedal down as far as it could possibly go.

  "I know you're in here. Why don't you come out, and we'll talk about this like the adults we are," Ian said, stepping slowly up the stairs, the broken door swinging back and hitting the wall.

  "Carly. You know I don't like games like these. They make me a little angry. Come out, Carly."

  He stepped up another stair.

  "You know you love me and not this country hick."

  Another step.

  "I've got the plane tickets ready and waiting."

  Another step.

  "We can get married and be on our way to the Bahamas."

  At the top of the stairs.

  "Come out now. Your little game is over. I've won. You've lost," he said, starting toward the pile of trunks Kelly was hiding behind. Carly stifled a cry, afraid that he would find and hurt Kelly. Immediately he was at the roll-top desk.

  "Get up," he said, grabbing her roughly by the arm, glaring at her.

  "We've got trouble," Tom said, pulling the truck over to the side of the highway. Todd and Joe groaned as they saw flashing blue lights behind them, unable to believe they were getting pulled over at a time like this. Tom rolled down his window.

  "Hello, officer—"

  The officer interrupted him impatiently. "Do you know how fast you were going?"

  "Yes, sir, I do. But we've got—" Tom said as calmly as he possibly could.

  "May I see your license and registration," he said again, obviously aggravated. "What's the rush?"

  "Here," Joe said tersely, pushing the cell phone toward him. "Listen for a minute."

  "I don't want to hear any of your excuses…" the officer started, then listened for a second. He glared at them. "Is this some sort of prank?"

  "No. My fiancée is in trouble," Joe said with difficulty. "Her ex-boyfriend has been stalking her for years, and I'm afraid he's going to hurt her." The officer looked from Joe to Todd to Tom and back again, unwilling to believe their story. "Just listen!" Joe demanded impatiently, wanting to jump out and run the rest of the way. "If you don't believe us, then follow us home and give us the ticket there! Please! I'm begging you. We're almost there," he said, trying not to give in to the urge to curse.

  Todd looked helplessly at him, his eyes begging him to believe them. "Please."

  "Let me see that again," he said, reaching for the cell phone.

  Carly rose to her feet reluctantly, shaking uncontrollably, knowing a beating was about to happen. She looked at Ian as steadily as she could.

  Ian grinned. "It's nice to see you again, Carly." She was silent.

  "Aren't you happy to see me?" Silence.

  "We've got a lot to talk about you know," he said, gripping her arm tighter. "Why don't you just come with me, and there will be no trouble."

  "What do you want?" she asked, yanking her arm away.

  He reached out a hand to her face, she drew away, wincing as if he'd already hit her. "I told you what I wanted," he said, grinning at her coldly, taking her arm again, his fingers biting into her arm like steel. "I want to take you with me. We're going to get married. Remember?" He leaned down toward her, intending to kiss her. She pulled away, repulsed.

  "Don't you ever pull away from me!" he spat, slapping her across the face. Carly cried out, holding her stinging cheek.

  "You know," he said, softly. "If you would just do as I say, I wouldn't have to hurt you." Grabbing her to him, he kissed her hard, crushing her lips against her teeth.

  She tasted blood. "Stop it! You're hurting me!" she said, trying to wriggle away.

  He grinned with pleasure, tightening his grip on her arms. "You haven't seen anything yet, my love."

  "Please," she whimpered, blood starting to ooze out of the corner of her mouth. "You're really hurting me."

  He yanked her arm and slapped her across the other side of her face, enjoying himself. "Then come nicely, and you won't have to get hurt."

  "I don't want to go anywhere with you," she said, freeing her arm from his grasp. Roughly, he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her face close to his. "No matter what you do to me," she said bravely, "I will not go with you or marry you. It's over."

  "Sounds like this could be fun," he said mockingly, jerking her to him, kissing her bruised mouth again.

  "Stop it!" she said, kicking him as hard as she could in the shin. Yelling in pain, he momentarily let go of her and clutched his leg.

  As soon as she was free, she rushed toward the steps. Seeing she was about to escape, he reached out and shoved her as hard as he could, sending her sprawling down the narrow steps. Screaming, she tried to catch herself as she fell, pain shooting through her wrists as she came crashing down to the floor. He limped down the stairs, fury contorting his features. He stood over her a moment, watching her try to crawl away from him, tears streaming down her face.

  "It didn't have to be this way," he said, squatting down next to her. Smiling tenderly, he brushed hair out of her face. "Are you hurt?"

  Carly gasped for air, still trying to crawl away from him.

  "Your nose is bleeding," he said, reaching toward her bruised and bloody face. She pulled away. Angrily, he punched her in the eye, making it swell shut. "I told you to never pull away from me again. When are you going to learn that I'll always win. No matter what." He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "It'll all be better when we're married. You'll see."

  "No," Carly wheezed, starting to cry. "I'm going to marry Joe."

  Infuriated, Ian stood up and kicked her, causing her to roll toward the steps leading down to the kitchen.

  "No," he said through gritted teeth, kicking her again. "You're"— another kick to the ribs and she screamed in agony—"not!" He finished with a tremendous kick to the small of her back, sending her sliding head first down the stairs.

  "Beg me for mercy," he said, coming down the steps. "If you beg, I might stop." He grinned, his cold blue eyes glittering. "But then again, I might not."

  He looked into her unconscious face, picked up her hand and rudely yanked off the ring Joe had given her, leaving a welt behind. "You won't need this anymore," he said, stuffing it into his pocket. "It's a good thing I love you so much. You've really put me through quite a bit of trouble. But, to show you what a good guy I am, I'll forgive you and act like it never happened. Let's go for a ride, darling."

  He picked up her limp arm and dragged her across the floor to the door, out to the porch, down the steps, and into the snow, uncaring that she was without coat or shoes. They were halfway to his car when Carly came to and started struggling, trying to get away.

  Letting her go, he kicked her again and again, his face red with rage, unaware that a truck had pulled into the driveway, skidding to a halt just a few feet away from where they were. A police car followed, lights flashing.

  "Carly!" Joe shouted, jumping out of the truck before Tom could stop him. He tackled Ian, taking him by surprise and sending him sprawling headfirst into a snowdrift. Tom slammed the truck into park while Todd jump
ed out to help Joe, who was grappling with Ian in the snow.

  The police officer jumped out of his car and ran over to pull Joe off Ian. "Stop!" He yanked Joe up to his feet and shoved him toward Tom, who grabbed his arms, trying to restrain him. He roughly pulled Ian to his feet, put him in handcuffs, and marched him over to the squad car, shoving him in the back seat.

  "Kelly!" Todd yelled, running panic-stricken into the house, afraid of what might have happened to her.

  Joe jerked his arms away from Tom and kneeled down next to Carly, cradling her in his arms. "What did you do to her?" he screamed at Ian, who just smiled coldly and winked through the frosty glass.

  "Carly," Joe said, rocking back and forth, trying to wake her.

  "I'll call an ambulance," the trooper said with concern, reaching for his walkie-talkie.

  "I already did," Kelly said, running out, Todd close behind.

  "Were you here the whole time?" the trooper asked, surprised.

  Sobbing, she knelt next to Joe petting Carly's bloody hair. "Yes, I was."

  "I'll need you to give a report then," he said, opening his notebook.

  "Can I give it at the hospital?" she pleaded. Todd lay a comforting arm around her.

  "That'll be fine," he said kindly.

  "Joe," Tom said, coming into Carly's hospital room. "Have some coffee." Joe took the cup gratefully, rubbing his red eyes distractedly.

  "Did you see her? Did you see how frail and…and broken she looked, lying there in the snow?" Joe stood up and walked around the room, stopping beside her bed and taking her hand lovingly. "How could a man do that to a woman? How could he do this to her?" he whispered, his voice breaking. "What if she dies? What will I do without her? How will I survive?" He broke down, his shoulders heaving.

  "She'll be okay," Tom said, coming around the bed and hugging his son tightly, his voice wavering. "All we can do is pray and trust."

  "How is she?" Kelly asked, walking into the room, clutching Todd's hand as if for dear life. "Has she woken up yet?"

  "Not yet," Joe said, breaking away and walking over to the window, wiping his eyes.

  "Mr. Baird?" the doctor said, walking into the room, unannounced.

  "Yes?" Tom, Joe, and Todd all said at once.

  "I need the one that's engaged to Miss Richards," he said kindly.

  "That's me," Joe said nervously, shaking his hand.

  "The x-rays show that she's got four broken ribs, two on the right and two on the left. Her nose is broken, her left arm is fractured, her left wrist is broken, her right kidney is bruised, and she has a complex concussion. We don't know when she'll wake up, but when she does, we'll have to watch for dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, and disorientation among other things. Her spleen and liver aren't punctured, which is a miracle in itself. She took a pretty rough beating. You're lucky that you got there when you did, or he would have killed her."

  "Luck had nothing to do with it," Tom said quickly. "God got us there just in time."

  "Yes, sir," the doctor said compassionately. Turning to Joe, he said, "I assume the person who did this is in jail?" Joe nodded, unable to speak. "Good. After she wakes up, we'll run more tests."

  "May I stay with her?" Joe asked, his voice thick with emotion.

  "Of course. The couch pulls down to make a bed. The nurse will show you how it works, and she'll bring you sheets and blankets. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other quite a bit." He shook Joe's hand and left the room to see his other patients.

  Joe leaned over her bed, watching her anxiously for some sort of movement. "How did he know where to find her? How did he know she was there?"

  "You can't blame yourself, Joe," Todd said quietly, understanding what Joe was thinking. "We all did what we thought was the best thing for her." Joe nodded his head, unable to take his eyes from her face. "Just think what could have happened if she had been at the store."

  Joe stayed by her bedside, leaving only to shower for the next two days, waiting fretfully for her to wake up. No one could prevail upon him to leave for any reason, or any cost. Tom, Todd, Kelly, and various friends visited often throughout the days, bringing him meals, mail, and news to try to take his mind off his worries.

  "Joe," Kelly said softly the third day, laying her hand on his back as he slept fitfully in the chair.

  "Hmm?" he murmured wearily, trying to wake up.

  "Why don't you go home for a little while? You haven't shaved for the past three days, and I'm pretty sure that you haven't slept too well either," Kelly said kindly, sitting down in the chair opposite him, setting a book on the small table beside her.

  Tiredly, he rubbed his whiskered cheeks, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm all right."

  "You need a break," she said, not letting him off the hook too easily.

  He stood up and stretched, groaning from the stiffness before he answered her. "I want to be here if she wakes up," he said stubbornly.

  "Well, she's going to need you to take care of her, and if you're too tired you won't be able to do it. At least take a short walk outside and get some fresh air."

  "Kelly…" he said, his bloodshot eyes restlessly roved around the room as he argued.

  "Please," she interrupted before he could finish. "If she wakes up, I'll send someone out to get you. She needs you to be ready to help her."

  Joe went to the window and looked outside at the gray, forlorn world. A world that seemed destitute of all hope.

  "All right," he relented, knowing she was right. "But just for a minute. I won't be gone long. If she wakes up," he said, turning at the door, "don't let her go back to sleep until I get back. Tell her I love her," he said, his voice cracking.

  "I will," she said, settling back into her chair and opening her book.

  She was deep into her book when she heard a soft, almost inaudible groan. Surprised, she looked up to see Billy Pruit standing beside Carly's bed, trying to choke back tears but not quite managing. He was holding onto the railing to steady himself, his face ashen gray.

  He stared at her bruised and beaten face. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked, not looking away from Carly.

  "I don't know," Kelly said quietly, amazed at his reaction. She had never seen Billy so tenderhearted or worried about someone else before, not even his own family. "The doctors are concerned about her not waking up yet, but they're doing the best they can. All we can do now is pray."

  "Pray!" he spat. "What good will that do?"

  "All the good in the world," she said simply. "God still performs miracles, Billy."

  "God?" he asked incredulously. "God didn't protect her, did he? What kind of God is that?"

  "What Satan intends for evil, God can use it for good," she said calmly. "Carly loves God, and God always knows what's best."

  "Billy," Joe said, coming into the room and breathing heavily as if he had been running. Billy snorted hatefully and stalked out of the room, muttering under his breath. Joe and Kelly looked at each other, astounded.

  "Well. That was interesting," Joe said, sitting down in his chair beside Carly, taking her hand. "Did she wake up?" he asked, watching her face intently, hoping to see any sign of movement or evidence of consciousness.

  "Nothing." Kelly sighed, sitting back in her chair and picking her book back up. Joe lay his head on the side of her bed, needing to be as close to her as possible.

  "I'd do anything for her," he said softly, waiting for sleep to claim him.

  He lay sleeping until someone rubbing his head startled him awake. Sitting up, he looked around the room to see who was there.

  Kelly had gone home some time earlier, and not wanting to bother him, she had left him sleeping without saying good-bye. No one else was in the room.

  He looked at his watch, wondering how long he had been asleep—6:30 p.m. Three and a half hours. Had he been dreaming? Standing up and stretching, he tried to get some feeling back into his legs and arms.

  "Joe."

  He whirled around from the window, his heart skipping a beat.


  "Carly?" he asked, hurrying to her side. "Are you awake?" She nodded as he brushed her hair back, tears welling up in his eyes. "I didn't think you were going to make it." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

  "No such luck," she said thickly. "What happened?" she said, looking confusedly around her. "Am I in the hospital?"

  "You don't remember?"

  "Not really. I remember being out in the barn and hearing a car. I watched it drive by, and then I ran into the house thinking it was Ian. We hid in the attic and…" she trailed off, wincing. "My head hurts."

  Gingerly, he rubbed her hair. "Stop then. It's all over now. We don't have to worry about it."

  "Was I in some sort of an accident?" she asked sleepily, her eyelids drooping.

  "Kind of. Don't go to sleep yet, babe. I need to call the doctor so he can come look at you, okay? Can you stay awake?" he asked rubbing her hand, worried that if she fell asleep she might not wake up again. She nodded.

  "How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, responding quickly to Joe's call. "We're glad you're awake."

  She tried to smile, her swollen lips making it impossible.

  "Okay."

  "Does anything hurt?" he asked, looking at his chart.

  "It feels like I've been run over by a semi-truck. My sides, head, arm, nose. Body. Take your pick."

  "Do you remember why you're here?" he asked, taking her pulse. She shook her head. "Can you see well?"

  "It's blurry."

  "Does the light bother you?" She shook her head. "Are you tired?"

  She nodded, smiling up at Joe. The doctor nodded, pleased. "Why don't you go back to sleep then."

  "Will she wake up though?" Joe asked anxiously, still rubbing her hand.

  "She'll probably wake up quite a bit now that she's got the hang of it." The doctor winked, making Carly smile. "I think she's going to be just fine. I'll leave you two alone."