Suffer II

by E. E. Borton

  “Please, Bullet,” said Emily. “I’m sorry I upset you. Don’t make me do this.”

  He pushed her into Chris’s chair. She tried to resist, but Brad and Eddie held her down. She closed her eyes, traveled as far away as she could, and went limp. It didn’t stop them from being rough with her.

  Emily lay on the floor while the three men returned to their seats to watch TV. After a few moments, she gathered her clothes with shaking hands and dressed herself. Bullet was watching from a chair in the corner. When she turned to face him, he smiled and opened his hand. It was only enough to get her through the night.

  In the morning, as soon as she could get up, she went home to be with her mother. Karla knew something was terribly wrong with her daughter, but didn’t want to push her away. Knowing that Emily was in trouble was enough to keep her away from the pill bottle.

  Abuse at the hands of Bullet’s brothers and strangers became Emily’s routine for ten months. When they would hurt her, she tried harder to stay longer at home with her mother. Karla asked Tyler to come over more often to help with the house, but she really wanted him to help with Emily. One friend was better than having none.

  He was reluctant to get involved after Bullet’s men had threatened him at the beginning of their harassment. After some time had passed, he felt more comfortable being around Emily. He convinced her to try rehab again, but once again Bullet sabotaged her attempt. A month later, she was arrested for prostitution and possession for the second time. Bullet had nothing to do with the arrest, but bailed her out at Judge Hall’s request.

  As her mother grew stronger and was winning her battle against addiction, Emily wanted to win hers. She turned to the only friend she had. She asked Tyler if he knew anyone that would let him use a cabin for a week. The more isolated the better.

  He came through and took care of her while she fought through the initial dope sickness. Quitting heroin cold turkey is the most effective, and most painful, way to slay the dragon. A photo of her and her father taped to the wall motivated her to stay the course.

  After seventy-two hours, the worst was over for Emily. She went for short walks during the most painful phase, which turned into long walks. Walking turned into jogging on the fourth day and then running hard on the sixth. She found that pushing herself to keep moving quieted the voices of her addiction. On day seven, both she and Tyler believed she was beginning to win her life back.

  She never told Tyler of her plans. Emily knew nobody would believe her story that a district judge, who was becoming a federal judge, struck a deal with the town pusher to destroy her life. She knew the only way anyone would believe her was to get a confession from the judge. With a clear head, she focused on the weakest link. She needed Bullet’s brother, Brad, to make the plan work.

  Emily was aware that Brad knew about the arrangement between Bullet and Judge Hall. The Simmons brothers were tight and Bullet trusted them with his business. Brad wasn’t as sharp as his other brothers, but he was just as ruthless. He was her best option for gathering the information she needed to execute her plan.

  “Look who’s back,” said Bullet, answering his front door. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  “I tried to get myself clean,” said Emily, forcing fake tears.

  “How did that work out for you?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “Don’t get smart with me, bitch,” said Bullet, shoving her off the porch and knocking her to the ground. “I don’t take no lip from a junkie whore.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Emily, struggling to get to her feet. “I’m just sick.”

  “The boys have missed you,” said Bullet. “I’ll make sure they take real good care of you this time.”

  “I have money,” said Emily, walking back onto the porch.

  “Fuck your money,” said Bullet. “You want my shit, you gotta pay with that worn-out pussy.”

  She followed him inside to where his brothers were cutting drugs. After they took their payment from her, she cooked the heroin. Instead of using hers, she injected the heroin into the arm of the chair. Brad was a night owl and outlasted his two brothers. Emily asked if it was okay to sit next to him on the couch.

  “You know, I don’t mind it with you,” said Emily, moving in closer to him.

  “Mind what?”

  “Can you keep a secret?” asked Emily.

  “Depends,” said Brad.

  “No, really,” said Emily. “They’d get pissed if they knew I liked you the best.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, you,” said Emily, smiling. “You’ve always been the nicest, and you’re definitely the best looking brother.”

  “Shit, you’d say anything to get another dose,” said Brad, laughing.

  “That’s not true,” said Emily, taking his hand. “I’d have sex with you for nothing. I’d let you do whatever you want to me, and I wouldn’t fight it, Brad. I’m not kidding.”

  “I ain’t paying for your drugs,” said Brad.

  “I have money,” said Emily, pulling out a roll of cash from her pocket. “Bullet just makes me do it. I’d rather do it with someone I really liked and use this money for drugs.”

  “What?” asked Brad. “You want me to ask him if I can have you?”

  “Do you like me?”

  “Yeah,” said Brad. “You’re the hottest girl I’ve ever been with. I just figured my brother was being cool with us.”

  “You know why I’m here, right?”

  “Because that judge and Bullet got a deal going,” said Brad.

  “They do,” said Emily. “And she got what she wanted. I’m not going to the police about what her son did to me. That was a long time ago. I just don’t understand why she’s still being so mean to me.”

  “I don’t know anything about that,” said Brad.

  “That doesn’t matter anymore,” said Emily. “All I want is a normal boyfriend. I’m not looking for you to pay for anything for me. I just want to stop doing it with your brothers and just do it with you. Is that so bad?”

  “Naw,” said Brad. “I can understand that. I don’t think he’ll agree to it, but I’ll ask him.”

  “No,” said Emily. “Let me ask him. It’ll look better for you if I do. Can we please just keep this a secret for now?”

  “Sure,” said Brad. “I do like you, you know.”

  “I like you too,” said Emily, using all her strength to blush.

  “Do you know when your brother is going to see Judge Hall again?” asked Emily.

  “No, but I can find out,” said Brad. “Why?”

  “I want to try and ask him about us before he sees her again,” said Emily, setting the hook. “But he can’t know that I asked you to find out. That’s part of our secret, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I want to show you that this is for real,” said Emily, taking off her shirt and straddling him.

  She went to the same faraway place she always went, but stayed close enough to make him believe that she was giving herself to him, instead of being forced. For the first time since Conner stole the kiss that destroyed her life, she was using her beauty against them. Brad believed her and wanted her for himself.

  They stayed up for hours talking. Emily directed the conversation with hidden questions. By the time he fell asleep, he had answered them all. She knew where and how Bullet and Judge Hall met. She knew if it was good weather, it would be on his boat. He would pick her up from a seldom used ramp of her choice. She would tell him a day before the meet and then Bullet would tell his brothers. She was a judge, but Bullet never trusted her. Eddie and Brad would never be far away.

  Two weeks had passed before Brad let Emily know that Bullet wanted to meet with the judge. A large drug shipment was scheduled to arrive, and they needed the judge to make sure there would be no interference from law enforcement. Emily checked the weather when Brad told her the night they were going to meet. The forecast was for clear skies and calm winds.

&nbs
p; Emily often took walks around the property, so nobody cared when she made her way down to the dock at sunset. The tiny microphones would be easy to conceal. There was no hesitation when she took six hundred dollars from her mother’s bank account. Emily needed two high-quality digital voice recorders with wireless microphones that would record for at least eight hours. Hiding one microphone in the front of the boat and one in the back would ensure any conversations would be captured.

  When Bullet left for the meeting with Judge Hall, it took all of her willpower not to run to the dock as soon as he returned. She didn’t expect the urge to ease her anxiety to come in the form of using. Emily held the photo of her father in the palm of her hand until the moment came to recover the recorders.

  A more powerful urge to listen to the recordings beat the urge to get home. Less than a mile from her house, she pulled into a gas station. After parking in a dark corner, she pressed play. Several minutes passed before she located the point on the recording where there were voices. Twenty minutes later she was crying.

  They were tears of joy.

  Chapter 39

  Burn

  (June 15th, 2014)

  Emily shot out of the front door and ran down the steps when Brittany arrived. They embraced as tears streamed down their cheeks. Emily’s were real.

  It had been months since there was any communication between them. Brittany’s parents had forbidden their daughter from seeing Emily, but the girls stayed in touch through the occasional phone call or text message. Judge Hall’s need for Brittany to monitor Emily had diminished since Bullet became her primary – and most effective – tool to destroy Emily’s life.

  When Emily reached out to Brittany with the news she had solid evidence that would clear her name and end the nightmare, Brittany reached out to Judge Hall as instructed. The judge told her to meet with Emily and find out the details of that evidence.

  “Oh my God, it’s so good to see you,” said Emily, pulling her in for another hug.

  “It’s good to see you too,” said Brittany, wiping a fake tear. “You look great, Em.”

  “I feel great. I’ve been clean for weeks, and my mom is off of those pills. She can’t wait to see you, Brit. Come on inside. I have something to show you.”

  Brittany walked into the house to find Karla putting cookies on the table. That was followed by more tears and hugs. Emily and her mother were on the road to recovery. Brittany became more furious with each smile and laugh they gave.

  The house wasn’t the scene of agony and despair that she had expected and wanted. It turned her stomach that Emily seemed happy. Her only solace was knowing Judge Hall would be putting her back in the gutter where the backstabbing, boyfriend-stealing slut belonged.

  They chatted for a few moments before Emily took Brittany into her room and closed the door. She motioned for her to sit on the bed while she found the place on the recording that would finally change her life for the better. Brittany acted excited when the conversation was finished.

  “How did you get that?” asked Brittany.

  “I planted a couple of microphones on Bullet’s boat,” said Emily, beaming. “I knew they were going to meet and talk about a drug shipment. I had no idea they were going to say so much about what they did to me.”

  “I’m so happy for you, Em,” said Brittany. “Who have you told about this? Does your mom know?”

  “No,” said Emily. “My mom doesn’t really know much about anything, and I’m going to keep it that way for now. She’s been doing so well, Brit. She hasn’t taken a pill in weeks. I love being at home again. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve felt this way. I really think all of this is about to be over.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I called the FBI yesterday and talked to an agent,” said Emily.

  “Really? Wow. What did you tell him?”

  “Not much,” said Emily. “It’s hard enough for me to believe all of this has happened, so I didn’t want to sound like a paranoid, crazy person. I just told him I had information about a judge who was protecting a local drug dealer and that I had evidence to prove it.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Well, he didn’t call me crazy,” said Emily. “He told me he had business in Houma in a few days and that he’d come to Boudreaux after. That’s why I called you.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I’d like for your parents to be with me when I meet him,” said Emily. “I wanted you to hear the tape so you could tell them that I wasn’t lying. I’d feel more comfortable with them there. I can’t ask my mom. I’m not ready to tell her what’s been happening. I’m afraid it might hurt her recovery. I want her to be stronger when I tell her everything.”

  “Of course,” said Brittany. “Once the FBI finds out what the judge and Bullet did to you, they’ll help you, Em. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Did you make copies?”

  “No, but I need to,” said Emily. “The more people that know the truth, the better. It’ll be harder for them to come after me with all of this out in the open.”

  “Okay,” said Brittany. “This is really great news, Em. But I don’t think you should tell anyone else about this until I talk to my parents. There’s no telling what those people will do to you if they find out about this.”

  After Brittany left, Emily’s mood went from good to great. Her mother laughed at her silly daughter who couldn’t go more than a few minutes without giving her a hug and telling her how much she loved her. Emily was glued to her side while they cooked dinner. When they finished, Karla pulled out a stack of photo albums. For hours they laughed, cried, and then laughed again.

  The cycle repeated itself until they both grew tired. Emily stayed on the couch to browse the last photo album while her mother went to bed. Engrossed in the pictures, she didn’t notice the car pull into the driveway. A light knock on the door got her attention. She exhaled when she saw it was Brittany’s car.

  “I’m sorry to come by so late,” said Brittany.

  “Is everything okay?” asked Emily, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind her.

  “Better than okay,” said Brittany. “I talked to my dad. He’s going to help us, but he’s worried about you staying here. He wants you to stay with us and put those recorders in his safe. He said you can bring your mom so she won’t be alone.”

  “No,” said Emily. “She’ll know something’s wrong. Does he want me to come now?”

  “Yep,” said Brittany, smiling. “He’s really excited about this and wants to make sure nobody messes with you until the FBI agent gets here. He wants to circle the wagons around you, Em. I think that’s so cool of him. He can’t wait to see you and neither can my mom.”

  “I can’t wait to see them,” said Emily. “This has been one of the best days of my life.”

  “Mine too.”

  “What do I tell my mom?”

  “Is she awake?”

  “No.”

  “Let her sleep,” said Brittany. “Throw some stuff in a bag. We’ll come back early tomorrow morning and tell her you’re coming on a trip with me and my family for a few days. I think she’ll be excited for you.”

  “Yes, she will.”

  After packing, Emily and Brittany left the house. When they were far enough away, Brittany blasted the radio when they heard their favorite song. On an isolated stretch of the road, Brittany turned off the car when Emily was looking away. She coasted onto a dirt road flanked by thick woods.

  “Shit,” said Brittany, shaking the key in the ignition as if she was trying to restart the car. “This happened to me last week.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s no big deal,” said Brittany, opening her door. “My dad was supposed to fix it. It’s just a loose cable. Come hold the flashlight for me.”

  “I didn’t know you were a mechanic,” said Emily, laughing. “You never cease to amaze me.”

  “There’s
a lot you don’t know about me,” said Brittany, stepping out of the car. “Come on. It’s spooky out here. Let’s get this done quick.”

  While opening the hood, Brittany locked the doors with her remote. Emily held the flashlight as Brittany wiggled a cable. When she finished, she closed the hood and then sat on the front of her car.

  “You know,” said Brittany, “if you had just told me the truth, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “What?”

  “I asked you if anything was going on between you and Conner, and you lied to me,” said Brittany, looking over Emily’s shoulder as Brad and Eddie stepped out of the darkness. “And you kept lying.”

  “Brit, nothing happened between –”

  Brad wrapped his arm around her throat as Eddie walked in front of her. Brittany flinched when he landed a heavy punch to Emily’s stomach. She fell to the ground, unable to catch her breath. Brittany stood over her as she curled into a ball. Headlights turned a corner up the dirt road and headed towards them.

  Brittany stopped the car as planned when she saw the orange flag on the side of the dirt road. Brad and Eddie were lurking in the woods behind it. Bullet was behind the wheel of the approaching car. The abduction was on schedule.

  “And you’re still lying, you fucking dirty skank!” said Brittany, kicking dirt in Emily’s face.

  “Where’s the recorder?” asked Bullet, stepping out of his car.

  “Her stuff is in the back seat,” said Brittany, unlocking the doors.

  “Get it, Brad,” said Bullet, walking up to Emily. “You stupid bitch. You didn’t think we’d find out? You done fucked up now.”

  “I want you to know something before they gang rape you,” said Brittany, pulling Emily’s head up by her hair. “I was the one who drugged you, paid them to fuck you, and took the pictures. I’m the one that ruined your life for trying to ruin mine.”

  “They’re going to kill me,” said Emily, pushing out her words through the pain.

  “No, they’re not,” said Brittany. “Quit being so fucking dramatic. But they are going to put you back in the sewer you crawled out of.”