Protecting Abigail

by R. R. Banks

  "Are you mocking me?" he shouts. "Are you making fun of me? I'm not going to let you do that."

  Pain bursts in my head and I don't have the chance to figure out what happened before it goes dark and everything around me fades.

  ********

  Slow, heavy breathing is the first thing I hear when I regain consciousness. I shift my weight slightly and realize I'm still tied up. The weight pressing the mattress down beside me, though, tells me I'm no longer alone. Opening my eyes, I glance to my side and see Trevor stretched out, his head rested on the pillow only inches from mine. My heart jumps, but the reality of the opportunity runs through my mind. Trevor is usually a heavy sleeper, giving me a chance to try to get my hands free. I move carefully, stretching my fingers as far as I can, and grasp at the clip. Finally, I'm able to grab it with two fingers, pressing it to the back of my neck until I feel the lever release, and the clip open. In an instant, my neck is free. This allows me to move my head further and use my teeth to release the rope around my wrist.

  Beside me Trevor lets out a breath, and shifts slightly, causing the mattress to dip. My body brushes up against his, and I try to move away from him without waking him. Slowly rolling across the bed, I continue to chew at the rope until my hand falls free and the raw wounds on my wrist burn at the sudden contact with the cool air. Ignoring the pain, I pause for another brief second to gauge Trevor. When he doesn't move, I burst into action. Freeing my other hand from the rope, I climb out of bed and run to the window a few feet away, so I can avoid sneaking past Trevor to reach the door. As I approach, I realize the temperature is slightly different, and that the window must be open. Hope builds inside of me as I tear the curtains open, but immediately disappears. So little has changed in the house since the day I left, but the window certainly has. Stark black bars are fixed to the window in front of me, removing any chance I have of using it to escape out into the yard.

  I can't get out the window, leaving the door as my only option. For the first time since I woke up in the house, I think about my phone. When my purse fell from my shoulder as I scrambled up the fence, my phone fell out of it. I can only imagine it is now shattered on the pavement and soaked in the rain. Not caring that I'm in nothing but my panties and bra, I make my way across the room toward the door. It opens easily beneath my hand, and I slip out of the room. Heavy curtains on all of the windows block out any moonlight that might come through, leaving me stranded in complete darkness. I have to rely on my memories of the time spent in this house to get me through the living room to the front door. When my hands finally touch it, I feel for the chain locks installed along the edge of the door and start to release them. I move slowly and carefully, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking my captor. When the last lock is open, I reach for the knob. My heart sinks when it won't move. I shake it, then run my fingers across it and realize the knob has been replaced with one that requires a key.

  I move to the window beside the door and push open the curtains. The bars from the other window will be there. I know they will. But I have to be sure. As soon as I see them, I start across the room toward the kitchen and the back door. This is the door I ran out of months ago, and as soon as I get to it, though, I know I won't be able to leave this way, either. More locks have been added to the door, and the same black bars cover the windows in the kitchen and the living room. I open the drawer closest to the door and dig through it before opening the next.

  "Are you looking for these?"

  I whip around and see the dark silhouette of Trevor coming toward me. A ring of keys dangles from his fingers as he holds them up in front of him. I lunge for them, but he pulls them away, grabbing me by the waist as I stumble.

  "No, no," he says. "Not for you. That's why I keep them with me all the time. Can't have you trying to sneak away to see that other boyfriend of yours. Who does he think he is, anyway?" Trevor yanks me up so I'm standing with my back pressed against him. "I've seen the way he walks around with his expensive clothes, riding in a car with a driver. He must think he's special, doesn't he?" Trevor presses an almost violent kiss to my cheekbone right beside my ear. "But you like real men. I know you. You just got sparkles in your eyes because he confused you with the cash and the smooth talk. Eventually, you'd realize he wasn't your type, though. You don't need all that. You don't want a man who's more flash than substance. You want a man who can take charge. You want a strong man like me."

  I struggle in vain against Trevor’s vicelike grip. The anger coursing through me lessens my fear. I have waited for this day for months, but now that it's here, I don't feel the same about it. Trevor might have me now, but he's going to have to fight to keep me here.

  Suddenly changing the direction of my movements, I thrust my elbow back. The satisfying crack of his nose accompanies the weakening of his grip around me as he yells out and stumbles back. I try to scramble away from him, but my feet tangle with his, and I end up crashing to the floor. I land on my side and roll to my stomach. Something hard and plastic presses painfully into my ribcage, and I realize I'm not completely alone. Trevor's hand clasps around my ankle as I try to crawl away, but I claw at my bra, dipping my fingers into the tiny pocket sewn there. I can't believe I have it. I don't even remember tucking it there in the first place. The panic button Xavier gave me finally pops out into my hand and I smash the button over and over as Trevor drags me across the floor. Tears flow down my cheeks as he flips me onto my back, and the impact of my head on the floor causes my hand to open and the button to skitter across the floor. I turn to look at it, my fingers stretching to reach it, and feel Trevor's foot press to the side of my head, holding me down.

  "What the hell is that?" he demands.

  I watch as Trevor leans down and snatches the button from the floor. My heart sinks, but I remind myself that I've pressed the button. I don't know if it's in range for Xavier to be able to receive the signal, but if it is, he’ll know I'm reaching out to him. It's the best chance I have. It might be my only chance.

  "What is this?" Trevor demands again.

  He moves his foot away from my head, his face comes down until it's inches away from mine.

  "Can you not hear me?"

  He's trying to intimidate me. He wants me to break. But I refuse. I look him directly into the eyes, my jaw set.

  "It's a GPS device," I say. "It signals Xavier."

  Trevor stares at me for a few seconds, and I realize I have no idea how he's going to react.

  "You really think that's going to reach him?" he asks. There's a laugh in his voice, but his eyes are still dark. "Do you realize how far we are from the city out here?"

  "He's going to come for me," I say. “It’s only a matter of time.”

  Fury flashes in Trevor's eyes and he yanks me up off the floor.

  "I hope he is," he says. "I hope he is coming for you. We'll see what he finds when he gets here."

  ********

  Xavier

  Thirty minutes earlier...

  The rain is still falling as I pull up to the curb in front of Joe's restaurant and dive out of the car. Running up to the door, I lean in to stare through the glass, hoping to see him inside. The tables are empty and the room dark, and I let out a frustrated shout as I step back. I've been looking for Abigail for hours but haven't been able to find her. Every few minutes I call her, filling the voicemail box that comes up immediately with messages until it won't even pick up anymore. But I still call her. As I run down the sidewalk. As I dip into the restaurants and shops still open as the night wears on. As I sit at stoplights and wait in the late night traffic. Every few minutes I call her again, hoping one of these times she'll pick up and I'll hear her voice telling me she's fine, asking me to come get her.

  "Can I help you with something?"

  It's a question I've heard several times tonight already, but this time it sounds genuine, rather than masking thinly-veiled suspicion. I turn to see a man stepping out of the tiny shop tucked next to Joe's restaurant
. I've seen him a few times, but never got his name before. Taking a step toward him, I gesture toward the restaurant.

  "Have you seen anyone here tonight?"

  "Joe closed up hours ago."

  "I know. But I'm looking for someone. A woman. Her name is Abigail."

  "Little thing? Dark hair?"

  "Yes," I say. "Have you seen her?"

  "Sounds like a woman who was here around closing time. If it was her, she walked off that way," he points down the sidewalk.

  "Was she alone?"

  "She was when she left, but a man was following her. He wasn't hiding or anything. I think he knew her."

  My chest constricts painfully, and I feel panic rush up the back of my neck.

  "Following her?" I ask. "What did he look like? Was he chasing her? Did you see where they went?"

  My rapid-fire questions seem to confuse the man, and he takes a partial step back toward the shop.

  "He was just behind her," he says. "Not very tall. Skinny. That's all I saw. They went that way down the sidewalk, but I don't know what happened after that. I was working. I've been doing inventory tonight, so I've spent most of it down in the basement."

  "Thanks," I say, and take off down the sidewalk in the direction he pointed.

  As I walk, I try to imagine what Abigail must have been feeling as Trevor followed behind her. If she knew he was there, she would want to get away from him as quickly as possible. My eyes fall on a gap between buildings ahead of me, and I realize it's an alley. I turn into it and notice the tall razor-topped fence ahead of me. I know she couldn't have gotten away down this alley, but before I turn around to keep looking, I see a flash of pale blue on the ground. It's the same color as Abigail's favorite bag. I rush toward it and crouch down. The bag is wet, sagging against the concrete. Her phone lays smashed a few feet away. The fear inside me only increases as I reach for it, turning into fury when I pick it and the bag up. Abigail was here. She ran down this alley, trying to find safety. I don't know what happened to her while she was here, but it was terrifying enough for her to drop her bag and leave it on the ground like this. I gather her belongings and start to head back toward my car. I'm most of the way back when I hear an alert come from my phone.

  Tossing the bag and smashed phone onto the passenger seat, I dig my phone out of my pocket and look at it. My breath catches in my throat when I see the alert notification crawling across the screen. Abigail's panic button has been pressed. Somewhere, someone has the button I gave her and has activated it. I have to believe it’s her, and that she needs me. I open the app on my phone to track her, and a few seconds later, I have her exact location. My belly burns like I've swallowed fire and my hands shake with an anger and a sense of protectiveness I've never felt. I crank the engine over and turn sharply away from the curb. Rather than driving back toward my apartment, I head toward my business headquarters. When I've turned away from the busier street, I pick up my phone again and call Evan.

  "I know where she is," I say when he answers the phone. "I'm going to get her. If you don't hear from me in half an hour, call the police."

  "What do I tell them?" he asks.

  "I'm sending you the map," I say. "Stay with Anna. I'll call you as soon as I can."

  Before he can protest or offer a different solution, I end the call. Sending him the image from the app, I toss my phone back into the passenger seat and speed toward the office building. I lean out the window to type my code into the keypad to access the parking deck, but the gate takes too long to respond. Slamming my foot down on the gas in frustration, I smash through the wooden barrier and pull into the nearest parking spot. I'm back on my phone by the time I get to the elevator, willing it to somehow move faster as it glides to the top of the building. I feel the lurch as it hits the last public floor and pauses. The screen and keypad to one side ask for the access code that allows the elevator to go through the three restricted access floors at the top of the building. I type it in as quickly as I can and the car moves up to the final stop. The doors slide open, and I step out onto the roof. The sound of blades chopping through the air greets me, and Alexander rushes away from the helicopter toward me. He looks tired, but he's dressed, and I realize I called him just as his day began.

  "It's gassed up and ready," he says. "Do you want me to come with you?"

  "No," I say. "Thank you, Alexander."

  I run past him, ducking down to push past the intense pressure of the air coming from the blades so I can climb into the cockpit. I put my headset on as quickly as I can, and within seconds I'm lifting off the pad and flying through the few remaining minutes of the night. By the time the sun has fully risen, I should be reunited with Abigail.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Abigail

  I don't know how many times I've faded in and out of consciousness since Trevor dragged me out of the kitchen. I have no idea how much time has passed since then, or what else I’ve gone through. The curtains over the bedroom window are still open from when I pushed them aside, and I see the pale light of morning beginning to come through. I'm tied to the bed again, and the ropes feel like pieces of glass slicing into my raw, inflamed skin. Short bursts of footsteps bring my attention to the other side of the room, and I see Trevor pacing back and forth across the open bedroom door. He's muttering to himself, but I don't understand anything he’s saying. It sounds like gibberish. He suddenly turns to look at me.

  "Where is he?" he asks mockingly. "Where is your knight in shining armor? You know, I really want to meet him. I thought it would be fun for him to find you here if he ever made it. I want him to see what he's caused. The happy family he's destroyed. But then, I thought about it again and realized that wouldn't teach him anything. I want him to hear you say you never should have left me. I want him to know that you love me and that you always have. He needs to know that he never meant shit to you, and that you're sorry for letting him manipulate you, and how much you hurt me. Once he's heard that, then he can see what I have planned for both of you."

  Trevor's words send a chill through me. Not knowing how much time has gone by since I pressed the panic button makes it impossible for me to know if I should have any hope of Xavier coming or not. It's entirely possible the device has too short of a range for him to find me, but I have to hope. I will cling to the belief that he's coming for me for as long as I possibly can. I feel in my heart that Xavier is coming for me. The steady, peaceful calm I feel inside lets me know that even though I pushed him away, he won't abandon me that easily. Just the thought of being near him again fills me with a steadying warmth.

  Trevor’s about to say something else when he suddenly pauses, his eyes lifting up to the ceiling.

  "What’s that sound?" he asks.

  I think I hear something in the distance, and I sit up slightly. A few seconds later, I clearly hear the noise, and instantly know what is responsible for the low, throbbing sound.

  It's a helicopter. He’s coming for me.

  Trevor's eyes snap to me again.

  "What the fuck is that, Gail?"

  The throbbing rhythm suddenly gives way to sounds of destruction, and I realize it's cutting through trees as it finds a place to land in the overgrown field next to the house. Trevor throws himself against the window and stares out. A few seconds later, he pushes away from the frame and runs over to the side of the bed. He tears me out of my bindings and pulls me to my feet. Holding me so tightly my arm is twisted painfully behind me, he drags me through the house and toward the front door. He pulls the keys out of his pocket and uses them to unlock a series of locks on the door. The sound of the helicopter becomes deafening after he opens the door. We stumble out onto the front porch and he turns me toward the field where I see the helicopter easing down on the ground.

  "Get away!" Trevor shouts, trying to be heard over the sound of the machine. "Leave us alone!"

  All the bravado from before is gone. Apparently seeing Xavier arrive has changed Trevor's mind about wanting to face hi
m, and instead, he has returned to desperation, and his disturbing delusion that he has won back my love and devotion. He is gripping me so hard I can barely move. All I can do is scream Xavier's name.

  ********

  Xavier

  I haven't even landed when I see the door to the tiny, sagging house open, and a man dragging Abigail out onto the front porch. I can't hear them, but I see their mouths moving. I can't tell what the man is saying, but I don't care. All that matters is Abigail, and my name on her lips. The second I feel the helicopter rest on the ground, I bolt out of the seat toward them. Within a few seconds, I'm close enough to hear Trevor's words.

  "Go away, or I swear I will kill her!"

  I can barely contain myself from running after him and pummeling him into dust. I wish I had remembered to bring my gun with me. It's a thought I rarely have. Buying the gun was something I did many years ago with the intention of never having to use it. This is the only moment since buying it I wish it was on me.

  "Let her go, Trevor," I command, the sound of the chopper blades continuing to die down behind me.

  Even as they slow, the blades push out a tremendous wind, and dirt and debris are flying into Trevor's face. He wipes it off with his sleeve, releasing his arm from around her for long enough that I hope Abigail will try to break free and run from him. The dirt is hitting her as well, but she seems too exhausted to fight. What the fuck has he done to her?

  "I won't let her go, lover boy. She's mine now. Mine forever. You just get back into that thing and go away. Go back to your palace in the city."

  I take a step toward them, but Trevor grabs onto her again. I see his hand give a sudden, sharp movement, and the glint of a blade appears beside Abigail's neck.