Saved by Grace

by TJ Rudolph

  Jerry was waiting for me when I walked in, “you did well, Grace baby, you did better than well actually.” He grinned. “Come,” he said grabbing me by the arm. “There are a few people who want to meet you.

  I pulled my arm out of his grip. “I am not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on here.”

  He laughed insincerely. “Don’t give me shit, Grace, you do as you’re told.” I folded my arms; I knew that he needed me to go out there, so he wouldn’t hurt me.

  “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “I have a few people willing to offer a lot of money to sign you to their record. We’re talking more money that I will ever see in my lifetime.”

  He was selling me off like I was his possession, I couldn’t believe my ears. “Well that is too bad, because I am not signing anything or going with anyone,” I told him.

  “Grace,” he said leaning into me, “you forget that one phone call from me and Daddy dearest time on this earth is over.”

  I shuddered, I knew Jerry would not think twice about killing him and he knew that I knew it.

  “So are you coming or not!” He said as he walked away.

  I walked behind him down the staircase, there were a few people standing in the foyer. A tall man with short light brown hair and deep set blue eyes was the first to approach me. “You were amazing tonight,” he said in a serious voice that did not match what he was saying. I didn’t respond and Jerry nudged me.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Someone called Jerry’s name and he walked away from us. I looked around, Tony also seemed to be missing and in that moment and I knew that this was my chance.

  “How long have you been singing?” Mr. tall and serious asked me.

  “Practically all my life,” I said as my eyes darted from Jerry to the rest of the people in the room. I turned my back to Jerry and smiled insincerely at the man who was looking at me like the contract I was.

  “Do you mind if I use your cellphone for a quick second, I must have forgotten mine in my room.” I laughed nervously.

  He looked at me sideways, “well who is it that you need to phone?” He raised a brow.

  “I umm… Need to call my driver. I sent him out for a few errands and I need him to come back to get me.”

  As he reached for his phone, in his suit jacket, I thought of all the people I could call, my father was a long shot; he might not have cell reception. Agatha and Chris knew nothing of this and I didn’t have much time to explain. The only other person was Chase. I quickly took the phone and turned my head slightly to ensure that Jerry still wasn’t looking. He was still talking. I dialed Chase’s number and my heart was pounding when the phone started to ring. He answered on the third ring. “Hello,” I heard his whispered voice on the other side as if he had been sleeping.

  Before I could say anything, I felt someone snatch the phone from my hand. I looked up and saw Jerry staring at me. “I am sorry, Peter,” he told the tall man. “I’m afraid we will have to go, I will get in touch with you soon.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the car.

  “Get in,” he growled. I thought of making a run for it, but the odds were against me.

  I reluctantly got into the car and Jerry climbed in opposite me. He stared at me and then started saying something but stopped himself. Then he took a breath, lifted his hand and smacked me so hard that my head whipped to the other side.

  “You could have lost me a lot of money tonight,” he growled. I put my hand on my cheek to ease the burn and tried not to cry.

  “I am not a patient man, Grace, and if it wasn’t for your dad being away at sea, I would have probably brought you a few of his fingers to motivate you. But,” he sighed, “I have decided to give you a second chance and the next time you try to screw me over, he will be a dead man. I will kill every last damn person on that ship if I have to.”

  I shuddered at his words. I didn’t know what I was thinking, putting my father in danger like that. He was never a part of this and the day I decided to help Cherry out that was my decision and I wouldn’t let him pay for my mistakes.

  Chapter 16

  “Get out,” Jerry ordered when we were back at the house.

  “I need a drink,” I heard him tell the driver as I climbed out and closed the door. I hugged myself as I was walking inside, it was a chilly evening and rain clouds were gathering in the sky. When I walked up to my room I was surprised that Tony was not guarding my door as usual. Jerry must have done something awful to him for not watching me closely tonight.

  I opened the door to my room and when I closed it, I saw Tony lying on the floor. He was out cold. I stepped back, wide eyed and then I felt an arm on my shoulder. I spun around quickly and found myself face to face with Chase. “Chase?” I almost screamed as he pulled me into his arms. I started shaking as the tears streamed down my face.

  “Shh.” He stroked my hair. “Everything is okay now.”

  I stepped out of his arms. “How did you find me?”

  “I’ll tell you everything later, but for now we have to get going.”

  He swiftly ran toward the window and looked out. “There’s too many guards in front. We’ll have to go out the same way I came in, through the back.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here, Chase,” I told him, still thinking that this was all a dream.

  “Me too, baby,” he said as he pulled me against him and kissed me.

  We heard footsteps coming up the stairs and I froze. Chase swiftly knelt down next to Tony and pulled a gun from his waist. There was a knock on my door and I stood holding my breath as Chase pointed the gun toward it.

  “Would you like anything to eat, ma’am?” It was the maid’s voice on the other side.

  “No, I’m tired, thank you,” I said, my voice shaking with nerves I hoped she didn’t hear.

  “Of course, ma’am,” she said, and a second later, we heard her footsteps walking down the stairs.

  “We have to go, Grace. Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes, I’m ready,” I said, quickly slipping on my sneakers.

  Chase opened the door carefully and looked around. He motioned with his hand for me to follow him, and I walked behind him. “Stay here,” he ordered, and then he ran to the balcony to look down. He tucked the gun in his black jeans and gestured with his head for me to come. We walked quietly but swiftly down the stairs and Chase kept looking around every two minutes. I, on the other hand, was a ball of nerves. If Jerry caught us, Chase would be dead and I would not be able to live with myself. When we reached the back door, I noticed another guard lying at the entrance and I wondered how Chase took down these men who were twice his size. We stopped in the backyard and Chase’s eyes were darting all over the place. “You ready to make a run for it?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “I want you to run as fast as you can through the apple trees, down to the fence, follow this path and I will be behind you. Go now!” he said.

  I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and in that moment, I was glad for all the times Aaron forced me to run with him. We reached the end of the path and I noticed that there was a hole in the fence.

  “Climb through,” Chase told me.

  I ducked down and went through the small hole he had made. He flung a black backpack, which he was carrying through the fence, and then he climbed through. He unzipped the bag and pulled out black sweat pants and black hooded top. “We’re not going to get far with you dressed like that,” Chase told me. “You have to change.”

  I tore off the white dress and pulled on the clothes he had given me. “My car is just on the other side of the trees. We make it there and we’re halfway home.” He took my hand and as we were about to go, I stopped.

  “Grace, we have to go, baby,” he told me.

  “My mother… She is being held captive by Jerry too.”

  “Your mother?” he asked, confused.

  “It’s a long story, but she is somewhere here on this estate and I can
’t leave her.”

  “If we stray from this plan, Grace, there is a good chance we’re going to get caught. We can’t spend another second here.”

  “I know Jerry will kill her the moment he finds out that I have escaped.”

  “Do you know where she is?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then lead the way,” Chase said.

  I ran as fast as I could, it was dark and it took me a while to figure out where I was going, but I eventually saw the cottage in the distance. As we approached it, I stopped Chase. “There is someone guarding her door at the entrance,” I told him.

  “I will deal with him,” Chase said.

  We walked around the side of the house, careful not to make any sounds and the howling wind was working in our favor. We stopped at the corner of the cottage and Chase bent down low, he quickly stuck his head around and then brought it back. He lifted up his hand to signal that I should wait where I was. He stood up and ran toward the guard and I heard something falling to the ground. When I looked, Chase was on top of the guard, giving him blows to the head, until he eventually conked out.

  I ran toward him and he pulled some string out of the backpack. “Go get Cherry,” he told me while he tied the guards’ hands behind his back.

  “Cherry,” I called as I opened the door. “Grace?” she stood up from her chair, “is something the matter?”

  “We have to go,” I told her.

  “Go where?” she asked confused.

  “Someone has come to rescue me… us!”

  “Are you serious?” she asked with tears in her eyes. “You’re getting out.”

  “We both are,” I told her, “let’s go.”

  Chase was at the door. “We have to move,” he said anxiously.

  Cherry rushed to put on her shoes and then we saw headlights approaching and my heart skipped a beat. “We’re too late,” I told Chase.

  The fear was evident in his eyes, there was no way out now.

  Cherry ran out by the door and came back with a long black gun. It belonged to the guard. She shut the door behind her and opened the clip to check how many rounds were in the gun. “You two, climb through the back window in the bathroom, push the burglar bars off. I have been loosening them for weeks. Once you get through, swim across the river. There is a short trail that will take you to the main road. Flag down a car and head north to the closest police station.”

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “I will hold them off honey; it will give you two a chance to get away.”

  “No! They will kill you,” I said.

  “It’s the only chance you have to escape, baby. Jerry will likely kill all of us if he catches us anyway.”

  “I can’t let you do this,” I said.

  Cherry stroked my face. “Baby it’s the best thing you could ever let me do for you. I owe you so much more. Now go!”

  I walked away with tears welling up in my eyes and as I was about to walk into the room, I stopped and looked at her and she looked at me. “Thank you, Mom,” I whispered.

  “I love you, baby.”

  “Grace, we really have to go,” Chase shouted.

  I ran to the window, Chase gave me a boost and lifted me up. Chase followed and we ran toward the river. Before we jumped into the cold water I heard what sounded like a hundred gunshots and tears streamed down my face because I knew that my mother was dead. Chase looked at me with sympathy in his eyes and then held out his hand.

  “I’m sorry, Grace, but we have to go.” I jumped in and we swam for about two minutes and when we scrambled out, we could see the road ahead. We ran toward it; my chest was on fire and as we past the last tree, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was Jerry. Chase immediately pointed his gun toward Jerry and Jerry had his gun pointed at him. Jerry stared at me and he looked murderous. Chase stepped in front of me.

  “The two of you have caused me a lot of trouble,” Jerry said through clenched teeth, “and someone is going to die tonight.” He lifted the gun and pointed it straight at Chase’s head.

  I went to stand next to Chase. “I am the one you want, so why don’t you get it over with,” I told Jerry.

  “Grace, what the hell are you doing?” Chase said without looking at me. “Get behind me now!”

  “I won’t allow another person to die for me. As soon as he pulls the trigger, you put a bullet straight in this bastard’s head,” I told Chase.

  “Grace, please just get behind me,” I could hear the desperation in his voice. “I don’t want to lose you, baby, please do what I say.”

  “Oh, what a tragic love story this will be,” Jerry laughed. “Such a tough decision.” He pointed the gun at me and then Chase. “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” he said as the gun landed on me. “We have our winner.”

  I looked at Chase, I could see his finger moving toward the trigger and then he pulled it and at the same time Jerry pulled his trigger. I felt Chase diving into me and we both fell to the ground. I could feel something warm running up my sweater and when Chase rolled off me, I saw blood gushing out from his chest.

  “Chase!” I screamed, as I went to kneel next to him, “why did you do that. Help, somebody help us!” I screamed.

  I looked to see where Jerry was, it looked like Chase had shot him in the shoulder because he was leaning to one side and holding it.

  “Grace,” he said looking up at me, “baby you have to run.”

  “I am not leaving you here, Chase, can you get up?”

  He tried to sit up. “I don’t think I can,” he said. “Where is Jerry?” he asked weakly.

  “You shot him, but he’s not down.”

  “Grace, please go, I need to know that you are safe.” And before I could answer Chase closed his eyes.

  “Chase!” I cried as I shook him. I felt a dark shadow over me and when I looked up I saw Jerry towering over us.

  “You see, Grace, this entire mess is your fault. You could have avoided all this if you just did what I asked. Now you have caused me to kill everyone that you love and I will be going for your father next. Maybe I should let you live your life alone; maybe the regret will kill you or maybe you will be begging me to kill you.”

  “No.” He shook his head as he pointed his gun at me. “After what you did today, you deserve to die.”

  I closed my eyes as I held Chases head in my arms and as I took a deep breath which I thought would be my last. I heard a helicopter above me and someone shouting: “Drop your weapon!” I opened my eyes and saw that we were surrounded by about fifty armed police officers and there was a helicopter hovering above us.

  “I said drop your weapon,” one of the officers told Jerry again. But he didn’t move.

  “This is your final warning,” he told Jerry. “Drop your weapon!”

  “If I am going down you’re going down with me, bitch,” Jerry seethed and as he put his finger closer to the trigger. A few of the police officers started shooting Jerry and he fell to the ground. He lay with his eyes open for a few seconds looking at me and then he closed them.

  I was shaking like a leaf when the police came running toward me. “Are you okay?” the police officer asked me.

  “I need you to help him,” I whimpered, “please help him.”

  He called someone over and two men with white uniforms came rushing over to Chase. I wasn’t sure if he was still alive, because he didn’t seem like he was breathing and he lost a lot of blood. They put him on a stretcher and lifted him into the ambulance and I ran after them. “I want to go with him,” I told them.