by Quinn, Vera
I have Ty and I go to Callie’s room next. When I get there I stick my head in the door and Callie’s teacher knows me instantly. But she has a strange look on her face.
“Mr. Black, Callie’s mom picked her up around ten this morning. Her papers were all in order so we released her.” What the hell?
“What do you mean her mom? Who?” I am beyond pissed. It is beyond me a school would let someone else take Callie without calling one of us.
“Callie said her name was Karen. I thought it was odd she called her by name instead of mom, but Mrs. Monroe explained it was a game they played. She had a note signed by Mr. Monroe and we tried reaching Mr. Monroe by phone. The principle allowed it.” She passed that buck off real fast.
“Mrs. Tate all I can tell you is if one hair on Baby Girl’s head is hurt, everyone will pay. Look at your papers, Mrs. Monroe has no access to her daughter. None.” I get my phone out and call Dad. Then I call Tommy. No answer from Tommy. Probably no service where he is. Then I do the one thing I thought I would never do. I call the Sheriff’s office and make the report so they can get it on the wire.
Where could Karen have taken Callie? Callie has to be scared. I call grandma to come and pick Ty up. He is worried about her too, and it is only upsetting him. He has seen the damage Karen can do. I try to calm him by giving him encouraging words but my heart just isn’t in it. I know I’m lying.
I go to the parking lot to wait on everyone. Whiskey is the first one there. He’s glad I called the law even if he doesn’t like them. They are necessary this time. Grandma is here next and you can tell she has been crying. I reassure her even if I don’t believe it. I kiss my boy good-bye and hug him tight.
I keep trying to reach Tommy. After two hours he finally answers and I was right. No service. He turned right around and is on his way back. I could tell the news destroyed him. Bourbon and Trent have gone to meet him. That way he won’t be alone and go off on someone. Dad has everyone out beating the pavement looking, and calling in all favors to get Baby Girl back before she is hurt too much.
By the time Tommy is almost home we have checked every place we know. Then it comes to me. We find T-Bone we find Karen. I let Whiskey know and he sends Rye and me to get him. When I get my hands on him I will put him to ground if he’s hurt our girl.
We approach the rundown apartment complex T-Bone keeps his whores in. The word is that this is where they are at. We sneak up without being detected. We called for back-up. I hear the bikes pulling up in front, and Rye has texted them. I see Blake come up behind me. The others are going in the front and we are taking the back. Some grungy looking man comes running down the hall with his pants undone. Rye gets to him first and he shoots him in the kneecap, we don’t want him going anywhere just yet. The man goes down hard. I kick him in the face as I walk by and blood goes everywhere.
As I get to the door I push it open slowly. I step in with my gun pulled and look behind the door. The room is dark, probably black-out curtains. I try to find a light but I can’t find one. I hear whimpering though. I finally find a lamp but I nearly knock it over. I feel around the neck of it and finally find a switch to flick it on. When the light comes on I gasp. Baby Girl is in the bed with very few clothes on and her eye is black and she has bruises. I can’t believe what nearly happened. I yell and Blake comes in and when he sees Callie he goes back in the hall and I hear a gun go off. Blake has gotten a little justice. Now we need Karen and T-Bone.
I pull Callie to me but she is sluggish and tries to fight me. It’s like she doesn’t recognize me. Then I look at her eyes. The son of a bitches drugged her. I flip my phone up and call dad. I let him know we need a ride. No way would I put Baby Girl on a bike. I also fill him in. We need to get her to the ER. His last words chill me.
I walk out and our ride gets here. Rye looks to me and asks what dad said and I tell him. “Burn it. Burn it all, and when you’re done go and burn everything T-Bone holds dear. You see him or Karen put them to ground and then burn them, too.” When Whiskey has a message to give, he does it big. Karen has just signed her own death warrant. All of the BlackPath MC would be after her, no matter how long it took.
Chapter 8
Tommy
By the time I make it close to home, I have had hours thinking about what could have happened today. I’ve talked to Cam and I know how he found my baby sister. I could kill Karen for the way she traumatized Callie, and I know how much worse it could have been.
Right now I just want to concentrate on how to help Callie. Once again I have to ask my little sister to be strong. Stronger than a lot of adults can be. I just hope she has more left in her to follow through. If Karen is not dead now, she will be soon. It’s the only way Callie and I will have any peace at all in our lives. I know this now. The woman is pure evil and she directs it all towards Callie.
I see the hospital ahead and I feel anxious to get there. I just need to feel her safe in my arms again. Cam said she hasn’t talked yet and her eyes are showing no emotion at all. They sedated her and she is sleeping now. I want to get to her before her nightmares begin. I know she’ll have them. She can’t even get peace from Karen in her dreams. It’s been some time since she has had one, but with today’s events I know they’ll be back. I want to be there to hold her through them. I know Cam will take care of her, but I just need to get to her.
Trent just turned into the hospital parking lot. We can’t get parked fast enough. I don’t know what I would have done without Trent and Bourbon today. We put Trent’s bike in the trailer while he drove back. I point to the drive in front of the hospital and I guess Trent already had that thought, because he stops the truck in front of the entrance and I hop out and take off in a sprint for the elevator. I get in and hit the third floor button and it seems like it takes forever to come to a stop and the doors to open. I see Cam talking to a doctor and I can’t get there fast enough.
“Mr. Black, I’m telling” I cut him off.
“I’m Callie’s brother, doctor, can you tell me how she is?” I know I’m abrupt and pushy, but right then, I could give a fuck less. The doctor looks shocked at my behavior.
“I was just telling Mr. Black that she will be asleep until morning with the sedative we gave her. She didn’t have any sign of head trauma so I thought it would be best for her to sleep for tonight. She did not have any signs of sexual assault. She was fighting us, so I thought the sedative was the way to go. She has some bruising and abrasions on her torso, buttocks, and face. Nothing that won’t heal, but her mental state is another subject all together. She has been severely traumatized. Tonight we watch her and we will know more when she wakes in the morning. I would suggest you get some rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow, because that little girl is going to need you both. I hope you’re ready for it.” With that he turns to leave. Cam and I go into Callie’s room.
I see Callie lying in a hospital bed, again. I have let her down, again. I promised her I would protect her. I should have never left her. I know Karen is unpredictable. I’ve had a feeling for the last few weeks she was going to try something. I should have taken Callie with me, or just not gone at all. She is mine to protect. How can I make this up to her? How can I expect her trust me again? No child her age should feel unsafe. No child ever should feel unsafe.
“Stop it, Tommy. This is not your fault. No one can predict what that bitch will do. You had to do your job. If it was your fault, then it was mine, too.” Cam always knows what I’m thinking. I know Trent and Blake always have my back but Cam is the brother I never had. We can always tell what the other is feeling.
“Cam, she is my sister. My responsibility. It’s my job to protect her.” There’s nowhere else to lay this blame.
“That’s a shit thing to say. I love her as much as you do. She may not be my blood but she is mine, and you can’t take that away from me.” I know Cam is serious.
“Or me.” Blake and Trent are standing at the hospital door, half in and half out.
�
�Me, either and I’ll kick your ass if you try. She’s always been all of ours and that will never stop.” Trent is as serious as the other two.
“Ok then, what do we do about Karen? She can’t hurt Baby Girl anymore.” We have to find a way to stop her.
“We will if it kills us.” Cam is serious. If he only knew a month later he would regret those words.
Chapter 9
Tommy
I’m lying beside Callie and she starts to shake in her sleep. I know the dreams have started. I don’t know if I should try to wake her or let her sleep until she wakes screaming. The doctor said she needed her rest, but how can this be good for her? To be trapped in her nightmares with no way to escape. I place my hand over her heart and it is beating a little fast. Though she’s shaking she looks peaceful. I just keep my hand on her and watch her face. If I see distress on her little face I am waking her. I can’t stand this. I look over and Cam is asleep in the recliner. He doesn’t look very comfortable. His big body is almost too big for the chair. Then I hear the slight whimper coming from Callie and I know I can’t wait any longer so I gently tickle her tummy. This is the way I usually wake her for school. That way she wakes with a smile on her face.
“No! No! No!” Callie is yelling out and I try to get just as close as I can and sooth her. Her eyes aren’t open yet, but she is fighting someone in her dreams. Cam comes up out of the chair. He almost goes face down on the floor but he catches himself.
“It’s ok Callie, I’m here. You’re safe I promise. Open your eyes sweetheart. Can you do that for me?” She’s still thrashing. Cam walks over to the other side of the bed.
“It’s ok, Baby Girl. We’re here for you. We love you and you are safe. I promise.” Cam is trying his best to stay calm, but I can see the pain he feels for Callie.
“Bubba, never ever, never ever.” She’s crying so hard. She crawls right up me and has her arms around my neck. I’m crying with her and I don’t care who sees it. Callie is hurting and I will do whatever it takes to stop it.
I look over at Cam and he has tears running down his face. I know then that the both of us would do anything to make sure this never happens again.
“I promise Callie. I promise never ever again. Uncle Cam is here too. We promise.” Cam gets as close to us as he can and Callie pushes up off me and goes into Cam’s arms. I knew right then that I made the right decision in picking Cam to care for Callie if anything happened to me. She would always have his unconditional love, just like she would have mine. Cam was rubbing Callie’s back and soothing her and she had quieted some. Then she twists around and comes back over to me.
“I want a drink. My throat hurts. Bubba my face hurts.” Cam pours her a small amount of water in her cup. She drinks it down and then snuggles back into my chest. How could anyone hurt such a beautiful child? Her hair is almost white and it hangs down her back. She keeps rosy cheeks from being in the sun so much and she has big beautiful blue eyes. She lost her second tooth this week. Her front tooth. One on the bottom and one on the top. She’s such a good child. She’s never fussy, except when she’s sick, but then she looks so pitiful, we overlook it. I just don’t understand the monsters in this world.
“Tomorrow I will see if Felix, Sarah, and Hanna can come see you.” She looks horrified. “What’s wrong sweetheart?”
“Will they know what happened? I don’t want anyone to know.” Cam and I both look at her. Surely she doesn’t think she did something wrong. Cam rubs his hand up her back in a reassuring way.
“Baby Girl, you did nothing wrong. It doesn’t matter if your friends know or anyone else.” I don’t know what to say.
“But I don’t want them to know Karen is so mean. I don’t want them to know the stinky man tried to take my clothes off. They’ll laugh at me. I hit him like my martial arts teacher told me, but I felt funny after I drank the water he gave me. My arms felt like I couldn’t move them. I tried hard. I really tried hard.” Callie was getting upset again. Cam had murder in his eyes. I knew the feeling.
“It’s ok. We won’t tell them. You can see them later.” That’s all I knew to say.
Chapter 10
Cam
Callie has been home for two weeks now. She seems to be getting back to normal, but sometimes Tommy or I will catch her looking as if she is miles away in her head. We worry. She’s told us the sound of guns scare her, so today Trent and I are taking her and Ty out to the old home and do some target shooting so maybe we can help her with the nightmares. The doctor said maybe if she heard it with one of us handling the gun she might lose her fear easier. At this point we will try anything. I know people are opposed to guns, but it’s not guns that kill. It’s people who kill. All we’re going to shoot is some cans and targets with a 22.
We drive our old truck way back in the pasture. We have a place set up back here that has been here since before we were born. Dad has owned this place forever. He taught us how to shoot back here years ago.
We have round hay bales that are replaced every so often with steel sheets behind them. The hay is easy to move. The steel sheets not so much. We also have deer dummies. We have skeets, too, which I love to do, but I can go through a couple boxes in no time.
Ty is excited, but Callie is still trying to shy away. I would never make her do anything she didn’t want to, but I just want to help stop her nightmares and show her a gun is not always bad.
First we go over all the rules about touching guns. Never without adult supervision. All the safety procedures. How to tell if a safety is on and what a safety is for. We cover every subject that is in the handbook for beginning hunters. We have gone over and over it to make sure they understand. Callie is warming up to the idea. Then we go a step further and take the little 22 completely apart and teach them how to put it back together. They both like this part. They like working with their hands. They think they will get to fire the gun by themselves today, but that’s not the way it works. They only get to fire it with our help today. They have a lot more practice to put in before they get to that step. Safety first. Always safety first. Maybe it will help Callie though.
Chapter 11
Tommy
I have been working my ass off this week. Putting money back so Callie can start her tumbling classes and martial arts competitions. That little squirt is good. Just a little more and I’ll have it covered.
It has been almost a month since the shit with Karen and T-Bone. Neither have been spotted. They must have found a hole to crawl into. I have been keeping a close eye on Callie, because I have a feeling something bad is coming. It’s almost the same feeling I had before Callie disappeared. I feel like we’re being watched. At times, I feel chills going down my back from the eerie feeling. I shake it off, but it’s in the back of my mind.
Tonight I am doing a repo for my boss and then home for some much deserved sleep. Grandma Sue is watching Callie until I get home. My day off is tomorrow and Callie and I are going to the park for a picnic.
Trent is out of town on a run, he’s been promoted to SAA since Bourbon and Rye moved to Oklahoma. They are opening a new chapter there. Blake is gone for the weekend on a fishing trip. Ty is spending the night with a friend camping and Cam is doing club business. He’s been busier since he was promoted to VP. Tomorrow is just Callie and me. I love our little family, but sometimes I like it just us.
The more I get into the night the more I want to get home. Callie has been on my mind all night. I’ve got the car and all I have to do is drop it and then I’m home.
The drop was easy and I make sure I lock everything up tight. My whole drive home I was edgy. I don’t know what is wrong. I flip my lights off before I pull up in the drive. I notice a black van pulled up the road from our drive and it sets off warning bells in me. I shoot Cam a text with the tag number and another to Whiskey. I don’t want unnecessary people close to our house. The lights are out outside. Usually Grandma Sue leaves a light on for us. I fish my keys out of my pocket and my phone vibrates sign
aling a text message. I look at and it is from Cam. They are at the clubhouse and Fish ran the tag and it’s stolen. They are on their way. Now I have a real uneasy feeling. I go to put my key in the door and it isn’t locked. Now I know for sure something is wrong. I send a SOS message to Cam. It’s our signal for bad things happening.
I slide in the back door and try to be quiet, but I see Grandma Sue in the kitchen floor with a small pool of blood around her head. Then I hear Callie scream. That’s it, I sprint up the stairs that go to her bedroom. I know she is in her cubby hole. Both Callie and Ty have a hiding place in each of their rooms. It is a small place hard for adults to get to. It’s just big enough for a small child but it is deep so it’s hard to get the child out. We have taught both of them to go to these places if an intruder breaks in. Where is the prospect that is supposed to be watching out front? When I get to the top of the steps I see the body of the prospect lying beside Callie’s door. He’s had his throat cut. This makes my blood run cold. I feel a fear I have never felt before take over my body. I know I have to get to Callie, she needs me.
I kick her door wide open and look around but I see no one. I call to Callie and she is running for me before I realize my mistake. I forgot to look behind the door. I was in such a hurry. I just wanted to get to Callie. Callie is almost to me when I feel the sharp pain in my back. It’s in the middle of my back and it hurts and it burns. Callie is screaming and I spin and I see the man and he has a bloody knife in his hand and a sickening grin on his face. Callie is trying to climb me but I can’t help her. I feel like I can’t move. I think I’m going to be sick. The man charges me and I instinctively fight back. Where’s Callie gone? Then I hear a gun shot. It’s not real loud but I know it is a gunshot. Then I see Callie has a gun in her hand. I look at the man on the floor and it is Chaz, T-Bone’s brother. I scoop Callie up or I try to. My side is hurting so bad and I twist my hand back there and try to look. I look at my hand and there is blood.
