Forever Awakenings

by Lisa Bilbrey

  “Where are they?” Benson asked.

  Derek lifted his eyes to the two detectives. As much as he hated them, and he did hate them, they would have to make the trip to Briones, too. There were questions that would need to be asked.

  “Briones, near Concord. Said they’d walked for a long time.”

  “Did she say anything about where she’d been kept for the last three days?” O’Reilly asked, a note of irritation in her voice.

  Derek bit back a snarky retort. “She was kind of busy begging me to come get her, so if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.”

  “We’ll follow,” Benson said before his partner could argue with him.

  Derek simply waved them off as he shifted his attention to his parents. “Stay here with the girls. Do not tell them anything, okay?”

  “Of course, Mijo,” Felicia said, bringing her hand up to her chest. “Bring her home to her girls. They need her.”

  He followed Sadie, Callum, and Lydia out to Callum’s SUV. The rest of their family seemed to understand that, for now at least, it was better for them to stay at the house. Who knew what Elle and Samuel had been through?

  Nineteen

  Callum gripped the steering wheel as he sped down the John Muir Parkway. Traffic leaving the city had been thick and it had taken them nearly an hour before he could really put the petal to the metal, so to speak. All he could think about was Elle and the fact that she was alive.

  “Can’t you drive any faster?” Lydia grumbled from the passenger seat. She fidgeted with her seatbelt, something she had done at least dozen times since they left the house.

  “I’m already going ninety, Mom,” he said. “Only reason I haven’t gotten pulled over is because we have a police escort,” he added, gesturing to the flashing car in front of them.

  Detectives O’Reilly and Benson had cleared the way for them through traffic, something Callum was fairly certain went against regulations. Not that he was complaining, of course. All he wanted was to be with Elle again. To hold her, to never let her go.

  “Just hurry.”

  Callum pressed his lips together and sped up to ninety-five. He understood how she felt. The person she loved more than anything in this world had been missing for three days. She needed Samuel in the same way he needed Elle.

  Ten minutes later, Callum parked next to the late model sedan the two detectives had driven. The police station in Briones was located downtown, surrounded by several little souvenir shops that enticed tourists.

  There were several police officers, and at least a dozen spectators surrounding the front door of the station. Vultures trying to find out why the police were on red-alert.

  “Folks, I’m going to ask you just one more time to move back and let us do our jobs,” one of the police officers said, shuffling the large crowd out of the way.

  The detectives led them through the crowd, flashing their badges at the officers, who were eyeing Callum, Derek, Sadie, and Lydia with skepticism “This is their families.”

  The cops said nothing as they allowed Callum, Derek, Sadie, and Lydia to enter the building. There were another handful of police officers scattered at various desk, two of whom were talking to an elderly couple.

  One of the officers looked over at the group and stood. “I’m Officer Christian Brackens. I believe I talked to Derek on the phone?”

  “That’s me,” Derek said, looking around the station. “Where are they?”

  “We, um, we’ve put them in one of the interrogation rooms,” he said.

  “What? Why?” Sadie exclaimed, and Callum could see her temper getting heated, so he wrapped his arm around her. They needed to keep their heads about them.

  “Just to give them some privacy,” Christian insisted. “We wanted to take them to the hospital, but they refused. Said they weren’t going anywhere until you got here.”

  “The hospital?” Lydia asked, a look of horror on her face. “Why do they need the hospital?”

  Christian shared a look with another officer before taking a few more steps toward them. “There are wounds on their bodies. A lot of wounds, actually.”

  “Oh, my God,” Sadie cried, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

  “Take us to them,” Lydia said, and Callum could tell she was trying not to panic. “Please.”

  “Of course.”

  He turned and led them through the station, to a small hallway with several doors on each side. He stopped at the first door on the left, gripped the handle, and pushed it open.

  Callum was the first to step into the room. There seated on the floor, partially blocked by the table and two chairs, were Elle and Samuel.

  Elle tilted her head back at the sound of the door opening, and his eyes met her. They had blankets wrapped around them, but Callum was gutted by the sight before him. Both looked pale and tired. Elle’s hair, which had reached the bottom of her back, had been cut to mere inches. They had bruises along their jaws, around their eyes, and cheekbones. Speckles of blood covered Elle’s face, too.

  Lydia pushed passed them, dropping to her knees next to Samuel, who pulled her onto his lap as they cried together. Callum, however, was transfixed on his wife, his Elle.

  Almost in a daze, she shrugged the blankets off stood. The front of her shirt, most of her arms, and her hands were also covered in blood.

  Elle walked up him. “You came.”

  “Of course we did,” he said.

  Elle suddenly reached out, grabbing the front of his shirt and all but screaming, “The girls! They had the girls!”

  “Shh,” Callum whispered, covering her hands with hers. “The girls are fine. They’re at home with your mom and dad, Ivy, Nick, Carlos, Felicia, Lucia, and Aaron.”

  “They took them,” she cried. “They took them away from me.”

  “No, they didn’t.” And when she started to argue with him, he slid his hand up to her face. “Witnesses said they saw . . . Trixie at the school, but Andrew protected them, okay? Flora and Willow are not in danger. I swear, Elle, they’re at home.”

  Silent sobs rocked through her and Callum placed one hand on the back of her head, while supporting her weight with his other arm as he pulled her into his embrace. She was trembling, though he wasn’t sure if it was because she was cold, scared, or relieved. Maybe all three.

  “Elle,” Sadie whimpered, drawing her attention to where Sadie stood with Derek. “Oh, Elle.”

  Keeping one arm wrapped around Callum, Elle reached for Sadie and Derek, who quickly embraced her. They didn’t care that people were watching, probably judging. All that mattered was having Elle back in their arms.

  —FA—

  “Um, excuse me,” Detective Benson said, clearing his throat. Elle tensed as she looked over her shoulder at him, her upper body angling to her right.

  “Elle,” Callum whispered, drawing her attention back to him. He was looking down at her exposed chest. The lash marks, cuts, and cigarette burns bleeding from behind ripped open during the struggle to survive. “They did this to you?”

  Her head dropped forward as she reached down and pulled the sides of her shirt together. The last thing she wanted was for them to see her like that.

  “It was Trixie, right?” Callum pushed, placing his hand under her chin and tilting her head back. “Trixie and who else? Who was helping her?”

  Elle sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked for Samuel, finding him a few feet away from them. Lydia had her arms wrapped around him. He closed his eyes, but nodded, giving her permission to tell them.

  “Um,” she said, her mouth dry and her throat sore. “He . . . I didn’t know he’d been released. I . . . I wasn’t expecting . . .”

  “Who, sweetheart?” Callum asked.

  Elle’s shot up to his and rage filled her. She threw her arms up, placing her palms on his chest and pushing him backwards as she shrieked. “Don’t ever call me that again! Not ever!”

  “I’m sorry,” he insisted, putting his hands up in f
ront of him.

  Samuel shoved Lydia against the wall as he rushed to Elle, pulling her body behind his. Elle curled her fingers around the back of Samuel’s shirt, trying to hide her face. She wanted them to stop looking at her, stop judging her for surviving.

  “Hey,” Sadie said, calmly stepping between them and Callum. “Look at me, Elle.”

  She peeked around Samuel so she could see Sadie.

  “It’s okay. None of us will use that word again, okay? Just tell us who he is.”

  “I . . .” Elle tightened her grip on Samuel’s shirt and forced the name out of her mouth. “Leo.”

  Sadie gasped. “But . . . I thought he was still in prison?”

  Elle’s lips trembled as she shook her head, tears sprinkling down her cheeks.

  “Who’s Leo?” Detective O’Reilly asked.

  “Leo Donavon,” Sadie said, sadly. “He’s an ex-boyfriend of Elle’s. Eight years ago, he went to prison for assaulting and attempting to rape her. She ended their relationship after he physically abused her. We had no idea that he’d been released.”

  “Where are Leo Donavon and Trixie Maxwell now? Where did they hold you? Was it here in Briones?” Benson asked.

  Elle closed her eyes. “We were in Hell.”

  Christian cleared his throat. “The couple that brought them in, Hazel and Earl McKendry, live about three miles northeast of town, out on Creak Road. Said Elle and Samuel walked in from east. There’s only a couple houses that direction, both abandoned a long time ago. I’ve sent units to both. If this Trixie and Leo haven’t ran yet, we’ll find them.”

  “They can’t run,” Elle whispered, drawing everyone’s attention back to her.

  “How do you know that, ma’am?” Christian asked, cautiously.

  “Dead people can’t run,” she said.

  A collective gasp filled the room.

  “They’re both dead?” Derek asked.

  Elle nodded. “Leo killed Trixie, and I . . . I . . . I killed him.”

  “You killed this Leo Donovan?” Benson asked.

  “I . . . He . . .” She could feel her chest heaving, and she brought her hand up to her throat, trying to quill the panic that burn inside.

  “She had to,” Samuel snarled. “He was a monster! Death was too fucking easy!”

  “Okay, everyone, calm down,” Sadie said, once again putting her hands up in front of her. She peeked around Samuel at Elle, smiling softly. “We don’t have to talk about it right now. Let’s . . . let’s get you to the hospital, all right?”

  “The sooner we find out what happened, the quicker we can close this case,” Detective O’Reilly groused.

  Sadie kept her smile on her face, though Elle could see the irritation behind it. “This is not the time. They’ve been through enough. Let’s make sure they’re okay. You can talk to them in a few days.”

  “If they chose to, of course.” Derek raised an eyebrow, almost daring them to challenge him.

  While they didn’t look thrilled with being shut down, they didn’t push the subject. Instead, the two detectives simply nodded and walked out the room.

  “I’ll, um,” Christian paused. “I’m going to arrange for an escort to the hospital, and I’ll call ahead to let them know you’re on your way. They can provide you some privacy.”

  “Thank you,” Sadie said. “We’d appreciate that.”

  “I’ll come get you once we have everything set up.” Christian walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  Elle uncurled her fingers from Samuel’s shirt, but stayed behind him. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want to go home. Can’t we just go home?”

  Callum, Derek, Sadie, and Lydia, who was still leaning against the wall, shared a look before Callum spoke. “Sw. . . Elle, the . . . the cuts and wounds . . . we should make sure they’re not infected. Get some antibiotics.”

  “I just want to go home,” she said again.

  Samuel turned and faced her, blocking their view of her with his body. He wrapped his arms around Elle, tugging her against him so that his lips were just outside of her ear. “They won’t take us home until we do this. Let’s just go, okay? Humor them, or whatever.”

  “I don’t want to,” she whimpered, grabbing the front of his shirt. Her knuckles brushed across one of the many cuts on his chest, causing Samuel to hiss in pain. “I’m sorry!”

  “Its fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  Elle nodded.

  “I won’t let them leave you behind, but we have to go.”

  Sighing, Elle said, “If you’re sure.”

  “I am.” Though, he didn’t sound very confident to her.

  Christian knocked on the door and told them they were ready to leave. Elle still didn’t want to go to the hospital, but Samuel promised not to leave her behind.

  Lydia picked up the blankets off the floor and held them out to them.

  Samuel frowned as he took them and said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she murmured, stretching her hand out to him. “Shall we?”

  With a nod, Samuel clutched the blanket to his chest before slipping his hand in with hers. Callum and Derek placed their hands on Elle’s back as they followed Christian out of the small room, down the hallway, and into the main part of the police station. Earl and Hazel were seated at one of the desks, but stood when they spotted Elle and Samuel.

  “Um, we’ll make sure you get your blankets back,” Elle muttered.

  “Don’t worry about it, dear.” Hazel waved her off. “You just take care of yourself, ya hear?”

  Tears filled Elle’s eyes and she tried to smile, but it felt fake, and she found herself feeling uncomfortable once again.

  Sadie led them through the tunnel of police officers holding the spectators at bay to Callum’s SUV. Sadie climbed into the backseat first, followed by Elle, Samuel, and finally Lydia. Derek and Callum were in the front. They kept looking back at the two. Elle both liked and hated it.

  Samuel reached down and wrapped his fingers around Elle’s hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they made the short drive to Briones Medical Center, which didn’t look much like a hospital. More like a large doctor’s office.

  Outside stood three women: one wearing blue scrubs under a white doctor’s coat and two wearing pink scrubs. Elle was shaking as she slid out of the backseat after Samuel, hiding behind him. All she wanted was to go home, to see for herself that the girls were okay.

  “I’m Dr. Tara Clark. I understand you’ve been through quite the ordeal. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to make sure that you’re both all right.”

  “Um, yeah, sure,” Samuel muttered.

  Dr. Clark peered around him and looked at Elle, who nodded. She smiled and gestured for them to follow her inside, which they did. Dozens of doctors and nurses stopped and watched as they passed, gawking at the poor schleps who had been victims of horrible abuse. Elle hated them.

  Dr. Clark paused outside the exam room. “I’m going to ask your families to wait out here while you change in the gowns we laid out on the bed. There’s a private bathroom inside for one of you to use. I’ll knock twice before I enter, okay?”

  Samuel and Elle nodded and stepped into the room. It wasn’t special, just your standard examination room: a bed, couple chairs, counter with a sink and a jar of tongue depressors on top. Two green hospital gowns had been placed on the bed. Elle blew out a heavy breath as she picked up one of them, clutching it to her chest.

  “Isn’t this place just cozy as can be,” she quipped, turning and looking at Samuel. “Do you think they’ve found them yet?”

  “I don’t really care,” he replied, picking up his gown. “You take the bathroom. I’ll change out here.”

  “You sure?”

  He nodded.

  Elle walked into the bathroom and closed the door, though she wondered why she bothered. During their time in captivity, they’d been exposed and degraded. She’d
seen all of Samuel, and him all of her.

  Elle stripped off her clothes and pulled on the gown. She left her torn and filthy clothes on the floor and opened the door, stepping back into the examination room.

  Samuel was sitting on the bed, the gown pulled tight around his shoulders and a blanket covering his legs. Elle took two steps toward him, but stopped when she spotted her reflection in the silver paper towel holder.

  Her hands shook as she lifted her hand to her head, feeling just how short her hair was now. She’d always worn her hair long, taking great pride in how healthy it looked. But now, now it was short and ugly — just like her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Elle shifted her attention to Samuel. “Why are you sorry?”

  “Because I couldn’t stop her, him, them. I . . .” He trailed off and shook his head. “You told me you were scared, told me they were going to hunt you down and kill you. I didn’t believe you. I admit that now. I thought there was no way two people can be that vicious. I was wrong, and for that I’m sorry.”

  Elle hummed and sat on the bed next to him, tugging half the blanket over her legs. She slid her arm in with his and rested her head on his shoulder. There weren’t any reassuring words to utter. She had told everyone just how dangerous Trixie and Leo were, and nobody believed her. Even now, only Samuel could truly understand how she felt, and that was because he’d been in hell with her.

  Twenty

  Nearly five hours passed before Elle and Samuel were allowed to go home. Dr. Clark and her nurse, Kami, had poked and prodded every wound, and interrogated them for every sordid detail they were willing to tell.

  Dr. Clark wanted to do rape kits, but neither Elle nor Samuel allowed her. What was the point? So they’d feel sorry for them? So they’d know what hell they’d been through? They didn’t need to know. It wasn’t like they’d understand, anyway. Elle didn’t even understand, and she’d suffered through it.

  Kami bagged their discarded clothes, muttering under her breath about the police needing them for evidence. Elle didn’t care. All she wanted was to go home, so clad in a fresh pair of blue scrubs that were too big for both of them, Elle and Samuel were released to their families.