Forever Altered

by D. J. Pierson

  Since her class wouldn’t be over for almost two hours, I decide to hit the gym. That would give me plenty of time to get in a quick workout, then rush back and shower before she gets out and we hit the road. Once I walk through the door of the locker room, I get a text from Alyssa asking me to meet her in the lobby of the Hamilton Building. Her class is across campus from that building. What the hell is she doing there? I try calling her to see what’s up, but my call goes right to voicemail. When I hang up, my phone starts ringing. Thinking it’s her, I don’t check the caller ID.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” I answer my phone.

  “Rocco Matthews?” asks a male voice. I quick check my phone and see that it wasn’t her after all.

  “Yes?”

  “This is Bryce Dolan, the private investigator your mom hired,” he announces. This is the first time I’ve heard from this guy and it’s been a couple of weeks since my mom mentioned him. “I was told to contact you at this number with any information about Victoria Callahan.”

  “Right. You have something for me?” I walk back outside the gym and start to walk down the path that leads to the Hamilton Building.

  “Well, I’m not sure about the importance of it right now, but I just uncovered the fact that Jack and Maggie Callahan are not her biological parents. The records were buried pretty deep, so it will take some time before I’m able to find out who her real parents are and what happened with all of this.”

  “Why would they go to all the trouble of hiding that she was adopted?” I ask because I’m confused.

  “I do not have that information at this time,” he responds.

  “Have you been able to find any clue as to where she is now?” It’s worth a try to ask, even though I’m sure it would have been the first thing he told me had he known.

  “I found out right after the incident at your house, Mr. and Mrs. Callahan checked her into a rehabilitation center in Tucson. I went there personally and was only told her status was unavailable. However, I used other methods to find out that she hasn’t been there in about two months. No one has seen or heard from her, including Mr. and Mrs. Callahan. I haven’t been able to find any phone records or a financial trail from them to her, either. Mr. Matthews, I want you to know that your mom only hired me if I agreed to work on your case and your case alone. I’ve been working around the clock to find you any information I can. I literally just got off the plane this morning from Arizona and happened to come across this about ten minutes ago.”

  “I understand. Please let me know the second you find out anything else. Thank you,” I tell him and disconnect the line. Right before I could push my phone back into my pocket, it rings again. This time, it’s Shane.

  “Where are you?” he yells into the phone without waiting for me to answer.

  “On my way to meet Alyssa. She just texted me,” I tell him.

  “I’m outside of the Hamilton Building and you need to get here now,” he says urgently.

  “Shane, what’s going on?” I panic and start to jog down the path.

  “Vicki’s here. She has Alyssa inside. She won’t let anyone in until you get here.” He pauses. “Rocco, someone said she has a gun.”

  “Call Tony. I’m on my way. Make sure you call Tony!” I yell into the phone. I hang up and run as fast as I can. I leave the path and cut across the extensive lawn.

  When I reach the front of the building, Public Safety has it all blocked off. No sign of the real police yet. The guy in charge knows who I am and tries to stop me from going in the building.

  “Rocco,” Shane calls through the crowd. “Tony said he is about ten minutes away.”

  “Rocco, let the professionals handle this. Their ETA is less than five minutes,” he says putting his hand on my chest.

  “My girlfriend could be dead in four,” I say pushing passed him. No one else tries to stop me.

  I run up the steps and open the door just enough that I can fit through. The lobby to the building is pretty large. The ceiling goes up to the second floor. The grand staircase to my right is one of two ways to get upstairs where the classrooms are. The other is down the hallway to my left hidden in a corner that only the original staff probably used. On this first floor, there are only offices and conference rooms. These rooms were once things like a billiards room, dining room, entertaining rooms or whatever they called them back in the day. The school has preserved most of the building except for the things to keep it up to code. The history of it is still pretty much alive.

  Across from the front door is a huge marble fireplace. Right now, Vicki is leaning up against it with Alyssa in front of her. I can see the gun Vicki is holding at her back. The moment I walk in the door, Alyssa’s eyes lock on mine. The fear and anxiety all over her face mimics the feelings that have been worsening inside of me since I got the call from Shane.

  “Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Vicki says. Her voice is not how I remember it. It sounds totally unstable. She looks the same as the last time I saw her only a little thinner, but it’s hard to tell from this far away. Her hair isn’t done the way it always was which is saying a lot because she would go get it done religiously every other week. It’s disheveled and hasn’t been cut in a long time. Vicki is a lot taller than Alyssa. When I take a step closer to them, it’s easy for Vicki to put her arm around Alyssa’s neck and yank her back. “Don’t come any closer, Rocco.” I stop right where I am.

  “I’m here. Now let her go,” I say to Vicki.

  “Not going to happen,” she tells me.

  “Why not? Your problem is with me, not her. Let her go,” I demand. I should have walked Alyssa to her class. None of this would be happening if I had.

  “Since you decided to ignore my warning about staying away from her, now she is the problem.”

  I need to keep her talking. Tony will be here soon. He’ll get Alyssa out of here and she’ll be safe. “I’m not sure I understand all of this. I didn’t intentionally do anything to hurt you, did I? From what I remember, you and I just didn’t work out. We were both miserable. It happens.” Vicki tightens her grip on her and Alyssa reaches up with both hands grabbing her arm. “Come on, Vick. Let her go and talk to me.” I very slowly take a step forward with my arms stretched outward.

  “No. She’s not going anywhere.”

  “Okay. How about you put the gun down then? There is no need to have that damn thing.”

  “Oh, no?” Vicki starts laughing only it sounds more like a witch’s cackle. She pulls it away from Alyssa’s back and fires it across the room startling us. I don’t pull my eyes away to see where it hit.

  “No. You don’t need that. Now put it down,” I say trying to make my voice sound as relaxed as possible.

  “I finally got your attention, didn’t I?” She looks like she is starting to grow impatient. How do I calm her down? My phone starts to ring. “Don’t you dare answer that!”

  “If I don’t, the cops are going to come swarming in here. You don’t want that, do you?” She thinks about it. “Vicki, you are wasting time. They are going to come right through that door if I don’t answer it.”

  “Answer it on speakerphone.” I do what she says.

  “You’re on speakerphone,” I announce when I connect the call, so whoever is calling knows.

  “Was anyone hurt? We heard the gunshot.” Vicki nods for me to answer.

  “No. No one was hurt.”

  “Now they know. Hang it up.”

  “Okay,” I tell her, but I don’t. The call is still connected. I put it in my jacket pocket hoping whoever is there can still hear what is going on.

  “So, tell me what I did to make you so upset. I assumed we just weren’t happy together.”

  “You are the most narcissistic bastard I’ve ever met,” she starts with the evil laugh again. “How have you not figured this out yet? I thought you were so brilliant, Rocco Matthews.”

  “Obviously, I’m not. Please tell me, Vicki. Please just tell me what I did and
how to fix it. I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” I plead with her because I’m starting to worry Tony isn’t going to make it. I’m afraid I’m going to watch my girlfriend die right in front of me just like my dad did. Only this time, it will undoubtedly be my fault.

  “Fix it? You think you can fix it?” she yells. Fuck! I’m making it worse. Where the hell is Tony?

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Just calm down and tell me whatever it is you need to tell me.” I haven’t so much as peeked at Alyssa since I walked in because I’m afraid to look away from Vicki.

  “This has to do with what your dad did to my parents a long time ago,” she says. My dad? I’m guessing she means her biological parents, but I don’t let on that I know about the Callahan’s.

  “Vicki, what could my dad have done to Jack and Maggie? I don’t think he even knew them.”

  “You have it all wrong. Jack and Maggie are my aunt and uncle. Not my parents, Rocco.” Sadness crosses her face. “Before I turned one, my parents were already way in over their heads with drugs and the lifestyle they needed to maintain their habit. Maggie, being my mom’s sister, adopted me. She and my uncle have been great parents. They never told me my parents’ real names, so they could keep the truth from me and everyone around us. It wasn’t good for my uncle’s political career. There were fake adoption papers from another state and all. When Jack and Maggie heard we were dating, they thought it was time to tell me my parents didn’t actually die in a car accident like they had once told me.” I wish she would get to the point. I want to know what happened and why this girl has been torturing me for so long.

  “My dad died the same day as your dad and my mom died of a drug overdose two days later,” she tells me.

  “Who is your dad?”

  Vicki starts to cry. “Joe Monroe.”

  The shock of hearing that come out of her mouth couldn’t have been worse if she turned the gun on me. I know that name. I couldn’t forget it if I tried. That name has haunted me in my worst nightmares as well as most of my waking moments ever since I was seven years old. At one point in my life, I dated the daughter of the guy who killed my dad.

  After he pulled the trigger, he took off. Other people who were at the lake that day were able to identify him as the shooter. Within ninety minutes, he was gunned down by police a short distance away. He died about fifteen minutes before my dad did.

  “He killed my dad,” I manage to get out. Vicki knew I would recognize the name as soon as she said it, but Alyssa wouldn’t. She needs to know. “How the hell is any of this my dad’s fault? Your dad was a criminal. My dad was just doing his job when he put him away. He murdered my dad in cold blood. He deserved what happened to him. More importantly, how is any of this my fault?” I feel myself losing it. Right now my main priority should be to get Alyssa out alive. I’m so pissed off over how crazy this bitch is.

  “I want you to be as miserable as I am,” she says through her tears.

  “You want me to be miserable? I have suffered every day of my entire fucking life because of that guy, Vicki. At seven years old, I watched as the life drained out of my dad. Why are you so miserable? You were rescued from a shitty life by people who care about and love you more than anything. What have Jack and Maggie ever done to deserve any of this crap you have put them through?” I have no idea what would make her snap like this. Who would choose the life she would have had with her real parents over the one Callahan’s had given her?

  Out of the corner of my eye, I can see someone approaching from the hallway to my left. “Vicki, I need you to put the gun down slowly and let Alyssa go,” Tony says. His gun is also drawn and aimed right at the two of them.

  Vicki directs her attention to him, so I take a few more steps toward the two of them. For the first time, I’m able to concentrate on Alyssa. She was probably staring at me the whole time. The terror in her eyes breaks my heart. I attempt to take another step, but Alyssa shakes her head no as a tear falls down her cheek. It was so slight, I almost missed it. She’s afraid of what will happen if Vicki sees me getting closer.

  That’s when I hear the gunshot. I couldn’t tell where it came from because of the echo in the lobby. It sounded like it was coming from every direction at the same time. Both girls are slumped against the fireplace and sliding down to the floor. Vicki’s arm is still wrapped around Alyssa. Alyssa’s eyes are wide open and unblinking. Crimson red is everywhere. It’s all over the fireplace, the wall next to it, and the floor. My feet are moving before my mind tells them to. There is yelling all around me, but I’m not comprehending any of it. I’ve stopped breathing. My heart refuses to pump one more time. As I’m running to her, my eyes are searching every part of her body for where she was shot. When I finally reach Alyssa, I fall on my knees to the floor in front of her.

  “There’s so much blood.” When I look at her face, she finally blinks and her eyes focus on mine right away.

  “It’s not mine,” she tells me. Confusion spreads through me. “Rocco.” Her hand reaches up to me when I don’t move. “It’s not mine. I’m okay.” Realization replaces the confusion. Despite the fact she has Vicki’s blood all over her, I scoop her up and carry her to the other side of the room. There are police and paramedics running in through the door. Tony is directing everything. Two female EMTs come over to where I am holding Alyssa.

  “Can we just check her out and make sure everything is okay?” one of them asks me. I cannot see Sunshine’s face because she buried herself in my chest.

  “Outside,” she says barely loud enough to hear. “Please get me outside.” They both nod at me and walk out ahead of me. There are so many people out here. I don’t want them to see her this way, but she will lose it if I keep her inside the lobby. Shane comes out of nowhere before we make it half way down the front steps holding a blanket. He drapes it over her, but is looking to me for answers.

  “She’s okay,” is all I can say at the moment and he nods his head. He stays on one side of me holding the blanket, so it doesn’t fall off of her. A few police officers have come over to block the view of the crowd until we get to the back of the ambulance. Once we get there, they all walk away and the one EMT directs me where to put her. I lean over to put her down and she latches on to me even tighter. My eyes squeeze shut and I inhale deeply as I try desperately to hold the tears back. I kiss her on the head and tell her, “Sunshine, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here with you. I promise. Please, just let them check you out and then we’ll go home.” Slowly, she loosens her grip from around my neck and she lifts her head up off of my chest. Gently, I set her down and take her hand in mine, when I sit next to her. I lean over, kiss her on the forehead and whisper, “I love you.”

  “I love you,” she whispers back as a single tear escapes from each eye.

  They set to work going over her vital signs and asking her some basic questions. Alyssa answers every one of them, but she doesn’t lift her eyes from the spot on the ground she is staring at. Just as they are finishing up, Tony comes around the side of the ambulance with another officer. I look up at him, the unspoken question on my face. He glances from me to Alyssa, then back to me. He motions for me to come with him.

  “I’m not leaving her,” I tell him. The look on his face shows he understands why.

  This causes Alyssa to look up to see whom I am speaking to. “It’s fine. You can tell him whatever you need to,” she whispers to Tony.

  “She’s on her way to the hospital. It doesn’t look good, though,” Tony says. “Alyssa, are you okay? Can I get you anything? Do anything?” She shakes her head.

  “Alyssa? Where is she? Where is Alyssa? The police told me she was over here.” We hear Leah’s voice loud and clear. “There you are,” she says when she finally reaches us. Instantly, she throws her arms around her roommate and Alyssa reaches up with the one arm not holding me to hug her back. “What the hell happened? Why is there blood all over you? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine, Leah.
It’s not mine,” Alyssa tries to assure her.

  “Are you okay?” Leah looks at me.

  “Yeah,” I tell her. No need to tell her I’m still freaking out.

  “This officer and I are going to ask you a few questions, Alyssa. We are going to keep it as short as possible,” Tony looks to the uniformed man standing next to him. “Then we’ll make sure you guys get back to your apartment. They were able to get most of what happened after you left the call open. We just need to know what happened that led up to it.”

  “I’ll be close by if you need anything,” Leah says kissing Alyssa on the cheek.

  Over the next twenty minutes, Alyssa recounts what happened. Somehow Vicki knew when Alyssa would be coming up the steps and was waiting for her. She revealed who she was then directed Alyssa to the Hamilton Building, which is the closest one to where they were and had her text me to meet them there. There were people everywhere. Some noticed the two of them, but most didn’t. Shane happened to be coming back from the Student Center when Alyssa was being led up the steps to the building. He called out for Vicki and she instructed him to get me there as soon as possible. When they were in the building, she threatened everyone who came through the lobby to keep them out. Alyssa said Vicki didn’t say much until I got there. I told the rest of the story from there.

  As promised, Tony escorts us back to the apartment building as soon as they finished up. We get out of his truck and he meets us on the sidewalk. Tyler drove Leah and Shane back and they are walking up from the parking lot. Paige is standing at the side door, holding it open for us. Tony walks over and hugs Alyssa who is still wrapped in the blanket and attached to me. “I’m so glad you are okay,” he tells her. “If you need anything at all, either one of you, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “Thank you so much for coming,” she says to him.

  “Always,” he says before kissing her on the head. He pulls away and hands her phone over to her. “It was on the floor.” She takes it from him and thanks him, again. “Take care of her, Rocco. And really, call if you need anything. I’m sure Carla will be calling to check on you later. Are you guys staying here tonight?”