by Tony C. Skye
“I…love…you,” Tamara forces each word between shallow breaths.
“I love you,” Julianna answers, “Ask Him. I know you know how. Ask Him now.”
Julianna hears the helicopter’s final approach.
Tamara lifts her left arm and places her hand against Julianna’s right cheek. Julianna moves her knee to hold Tamara’s head while she frees up her hand to help hold the hand that tries to comfort.
“Asking…will not…change how I feel.”
Tamara falls limp.
“Nooo!”, Julianna screams out as strong hands rip her from Tamara’s body.
Captain Woods stands Julianna up and wraps his arms around her. She beats her hands against his chest in a weak attempt to get away, “Let me go! Let me go!”
“I can’t let you go,” Captain Woods does his best to remain clam, “We don’t know who did this.”
“David Snow!”, Julianna yells out, “It’s David Snow! I want him dead! He took! He took…”
Julianna’s legs give out from underneath her.
The Captain cradles Julianna as she collapses. She buries her face into his chest while gripping his shirt. Her verbal threats give way to her sobbing grief. The captain looks at one of the men, “Find him.”
As if on cue, Captain Woods hears his team speaking within the wire in his right ear, “We have a teen boy. He’s been stabbed. The victim said his name was David Snow before he fell unconscious. Close off the area. No one leaves before they’re cleared.”
“Julianna!”, Rebecca yells while running towards the commotion by the sand trap.
Captain Woods looks at his second in command, “Grab her and follow me to the station.
What’s going on?!”, Rebecca yells out. She sees Julianna crying. Another man quickly takes hold of her.
“Leave me alone!”, Rebecca hollers while attempting to yank her arm free.
“It’s for your safety, ma’am,” the man urges by tightening his grip.
“Becca!”, Caroline calls out.
Rebecca looks towards her guest house – the temporary station for the party’s security personnel. Caroline and Jennifer are being rushed towards the rear entrance. They are both being forced into the house by two large men.
“Where’s Tamara?!”, Rebecca calls back.
Caroline and Jennifer give each other brief looks of concern as they disappear into the house. Rebecca looks at Julianna. The girl is been carried and she can’t stop crying. Rebecca hears a helicopter disappear into the distance. Her blue eyes fill with tears as she begins to understand the gravity of the situation.
* * *
“She went into surgery about twenty minutes ago,” Brian Woods gives Julianna a quiet update. She sits on the floor in an empty corner of the living room. On a brown leather couch, Rebecca and Caroline sit holding hands. They have red noses and puffy eyes. On the floor between them, Jennifer is steadily weeping. Her knees are pulled up and her face is hidden within her arms.
“It’s touch and go right now,” Brian Woods continues, “I’ll keep you in the know as much as I can.”
Julianna numbly watches the Captain of her security team walk away to join the rest of the men in the kitchen. They have been cross-referencing everyone being searched at the entrance. Amy and her band were flown out safely. David Snow was rushed to the hospital with a Network ambulance.
For the past hour, Julianna can’t recall much of anything. She knows she’s used the restroom once, but other than that, she has spent her time within this corner. She doesn’t want water, food, or conversation. She wants Tamara. She needs Tamara.
“Sir, we have a problem. The boy stabbing victim disappeared from the hospital, David Snow.”
Captain Woods looks over by the table with the Network’s encrypted phone upon it. His second in command sits the phone down with uneasy eyes. Brian Woods walks over and stops a few feet from his trusted Lieutenant.
“What do you mean he disappeared? How could he escape our hospital?”
“That’s the thing, sir. No one gave an order for him to be taken there. So he was taken to one of the public facilities.”
Captain Woods rubs his forehead with closed eyes. He runs his hand over his head before opening his eyelids to look at the man in front of him.
“This will stay between us for now. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir.”
Ring. Ring.
“What now?”, Captain Woods glances over to the encrypted phone. He reaches over and picks up the receiver.
Julianna stares at Captain Woods as he glances towards her and looks away. He turns his back to her from his place within the kitchen. Julianna sees him shake his head while placing the phone down on the table. Her lips begin quivering. Brian Woods, reluctantly, turns and looks at her.
“No,” Julianna shakes her head, “No.”
She waves her right hand towards the man approaching her from the kitchen, “Don’t you say that to me, Brian – don’t you dare.”
Julianna hears Caroline and Rebecca begin crying again.
“You get out of here!”, Julianna yells at the man refusing to listen.
Captain Woods walks to the center of the room and stops. With heavy eyes, he says the dreaded words, “Tamara is gone. I am sorry. She did not make it.”
“Huh-uh,” Julianna denies the claim. She stands to her feet, “I don’t believe you.”
Captain Woods closes the distance between himself and Julianna, “I am truly sorry, ma’am.”
“You’re a damn liar, Brian!”
The Captain allows Julianna to swing her punch against his right cheek. Her small hand makes contact.
“She is gone,” Captain Woods, regretfully, says the horrible words again.
“No she’s not!”, Julianna screams out, “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”
“Julianna.”
The enraged girl looks towards the couch. Jennifer is walking towards her. She holds out her arms.
“My-my bff…”, Jennifer is unable to finish her sentence before her sobs overtake her.
Julianna begins crying. She steps into Jennifer’s hug. The two girls collapse to the floor together within their sorrow. They fall beneath the stormy surface of their great sea of grief. Brian Woods takes a deep breath and exhales. He looks at Caroline and Rebecca. They are both crying in each other’s arms. The man refocuses his attention towards the kitchen and exits the room. He, immediately, walks up to his second in command.
“I don’t care what it takes,” Captain Woods says with angry eyes, “But you find that boy and you find him now. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir.”
“You can tell the boys at the front gate that they’re wasting their time,” Captain Woods says, “Let them all go home.”
“Sir.”
* * *
Chapter 21
Cold Realities
“We are gathered here today…”, a man’s voice trails off in the distance of Julianna’s numbing fog. She stares through the large Ray-ban sunglasses Brian gave her. Two large portraits standing side by side present the purpose of those gathered. The one to the left portrays Tamara wearing her cheer uniform. The other is Tamara Stilliard’s senior picture. Below the portraits stands an urn of ashes...Tamara’s ashes. It is decorated with red roses at its base.
Julianna sits in the back row of the family only service. Jennifer, Caroline, and Rebecca sit on the second row behind Tamara’s parents. The four friends are the only ones invited to attend this first showing of Tamara’s ashes. The rest of the high school will see them tomorrow.
For the past three days, Julianna has been searching the Place of the Dead to no avail. Even Lilith and Julianna’s parents have been trying to help. But it has all been in vain. Tamara is a murder victim. And as Julianna has come to understand it, murder victims can appear anywhere because of the horrendous nature of their departure. They leave the physical realm in a chaotic fashion. And they enter the spirit
ual one in the same way.
She might appear as a sorrowful fading ghost or a wailing banshee seeking her revenge. She might not appear at all as she could have been rushed into the deeper depths of the Place of the Dead. Those of murder cry out in despair. Despair attracts those in whom attention is not wanted.
To add insult to injury, Julianna found out that Tamara implicated David Snow by name before being carted into surgery. His filthy name was the last thing her precious lips ever spoke. The bastard only required a few stitches to his self-inflicted wound. Then, he escaped and no one has seen him since. He is hunted, but free. Free to live his chosen existence while Julianna stares at the urn which holds the love of her life within its cold container.
Captain Brian Woods reaches up and touches his ear piece. He leans over and whispers in Julianna’s left ear. She nods. Taking one final look at Tamara’s photos, Julianna stands up and walks out of the church. Whenever she reaches the parking lot, she turns towards her Captain.
“I don’t care about the costs,” Julianna coldly speaks, “You get that piece of crap into my dungeon. Bribe them. Threaten them. Do what needs to be done. But he is not watching television somewhere in a prison.”
“Yes ma’am,” the Captain answers with sad eyes.
Julianna turns towards the limousine and begins walking, “Get Jennifer and Caroline’s teams secured. And put someone on Rebecca as a temp until I can deal with that. But remember to explain how I feel about not being seen.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Julianna stops at the open rear door of the Network provided limo. She nods at the driver and slips into the car. Captain Woods waits until the driver closes the door. Julianna rolls down her window. The captain steps up closer as the driver leaves for the front of the vehicle.
“Tell Jennifer, Caroline, and Rebecca where I live. Give them the code to the gate. Explain that it is their home as much as it is mine. I understand they still have school. But if they need to leave or just want to visit, they always have a new home. Grams is certified to teach. So that’s not an issue if they can’t handle being in the same school anymore.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Tell them…”, Julianna fights her trembling lips, “Tell them I just can’t walk back into that school.” Fresh tears fall from her eyes as she rolls up the window.
“Yes ma’am,” Captain Woods whispers to himself while listening to the sounds of fresh sobs. He taps the top of the vehicle. The limousine driver places the car into drive and pulls off.
Captain Brian Woods watches the vehicle drive away and leave the parking lot. He will do whatever he can to find that boy. The nationwide manhunt is not going to make it easy. But Captain Woods is not a man who accepts failure when success can still be achieved. He will get David Snow into her dungeon, or he will die trying.
* * *
“Hi,” Julianna sadly greets Martha and Frank at the airport. Frank walks over and takes her bags. He gently kisses his granddaughter on the forehead. Martha embraces her in a tight hug. Julianna’s arms remain at her side as she numbly accepts her gram’s greeting.
“Let’s get you home, baby,” Martha says quietly.
* * *
Frank pushes in the gate’s code. Two large iron gates swing inward. He drives down the driveway and stops at the top of the circle drive near the porch. The porch’s u-shape is an exact opposite match to the adjacent curve of the circle drive. Martha has explained that its meaning represents the balance between life and death.
“I’ll get the bags,” Frank informs quietly.
Julianna opens her door and steps outside. She barely notices her staff waiting by the front entrance of her castle-like mansion. She feels an arm wrap around her shoulders.
“Let’s get you inside,” Martha coaches.
Julianna begins stepping as her grams gently nudges her along.
“I love you,” Julianna says the words with an empty void left in their wake.
“I love you, Julia,” Martha answers somberly, “You’re home now. Let your grams do her job. You just worry about a nice hot bath. I’ll inform the cooks to make something light to eat.”
Julianna doesn’t answer. She walks up the stairs of her stone porch – ready to give her grams complete control. After all, this is why she came back. She knows Martha will help to put her broken pieces back together as best as they can be. And right now, Julianna needs all the help she can get. Her life has lost its purpose. Her future, destroyed.
* * *
Knock. Knock.
Julianna looks towards the white door of her master bathroom.
Knock. Knock.
“Julia, are you decent?”
Julianna turns her head and stares at the bubbles blankly.
“Bubbles,” she forces the word.
Martha opens the door and steps inside. She closes it back while looking at her zombie granddaughter. The young woman is dipped below her lilac-scented bubble bath up to her neck. Martha walks the sixteen-foot distance to the iron bench positioned along the right side of the wall. She turns and sits with her blue eyes fixed upon her granddaughter.
“How are you doing?”
“Horrible,” Julianna answers while staring at the bubbles, “My body feels like it’s trying to die, but won’t.”
“What was she like?”
“Grams,” Julianna shakes her head, “I can’t.”
Martha watches her granddaughter’s eyes fill with watery tears.
“She must have been something really special. Your eyes are hurt much deeper than when you first came to my home,” Martha makes a reference to Johnathan’s death.
Julianna begins crying. Her right hand, she brings out of the water to cup over her face. Her shoulders shake in rhythm with each sobbing release heard from her mouth.
“I don’t - I don’t understand,” Julianna forces the words from her mouth.
Martha’s eyes water as she covers her partially open mouth.
“I - I thought the broken bleeding branches were for me.”
Martha’s heart feels like breaking when Julianna lowers her hand and looks at her with begging eyes.
“Grams,” Julianna continues between sniffles, “She…it was her. It was her.”
Martha’s water frees itself from her eyes as Julianna uses both of her hands to bury her own face. The young woman breaks down within her grief once more – releasing another series of endless tears.
Martha remains quite as her granddaughter spends the next ten minutes fighting to regain control. Julianna lowers her hands and looks at her grams with a pout.
“She was great,” Julianna says with her eyes tearing up again. She pauses as her lips tremble against her will.
“Ta…”, Julianna can’t say her name yet, “She completed me.”
Martha watches the young woman use her hands to cover her face again.
“I’m so lost.”
“What did she look like?”
Julianna’s cries intensify. It takes her another five minutes to regain control.
“Damn this sucks,” Julianna sighs. She leans back and closes her eyes. Martha remains unspoken. A few minutes later, Julianna laughs awkwardly.
“She was beautiful. Tall. Short blond hair. Gorgeous brown eyes. Dark tan. Her legs and hands were so beautiful. And she was strong.”
“Heh-heh, damn she was strong.”
Martha watches as her granddaughter’s only glimpse of a smile suddenly hardens. Julianna opens her eyes and stares at her grams within her rage.
“That coward took her from me. He blindsided her. She would have kicked his ass. I know it.”
Martha’s subconscious causes her to wipe at the goosebumps on her arms. She has never seen Julianna with such hatred before. Not on this level.
Julianna closes her eyes while facing her head forward.
“Grams?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want to upset you,” Julianna calmly explains, “But if I get my hands on him,
I’m going to do a lot of terrible things.”
Martha remains silent while looking at Julianna. Her eyes are still closed, but after her recent statement, the young woman’s face has seemed to relax. The woman with red hair understands that this is the point in which she should attempt to talk her granddaughter out of such thoughts. She leans against the wall, closes her own eyes, and sighs.
“If it was my Frank,” Martha concedes to the truth within her, “I’d make that boy suffer, nurse him back to health, and do it all over again. If I killed him, it would be out of shear boredom.”
Julianna laughs, “She got so mad when her sticks kept breaking.”
Martha opens her eyes. She looks at her granddaughter curiously.
“I kept making fun of her knowledge about timber and she would get sooo mad. Damn she was beautiful.”
Martha’s right brow lifts slightly as her granddaughter continues talking with her eyes closed.
“Ha-ha. She would run out, grab another stick, run back in, use it – it would break and she’d get so angry. Heh...she’d run back out again. So beautiful. And when she found the one that wouldn’t break, the glow in her eyes sent electricity through my whole body. I started falling in love with her right then and there.”
Julianna opens her eyes. She looks at her grams who remains speechless.
“What?”, Julianna question is followed up by a sniffle.
“Nothing. Well, actually, what?”
Julianna looks away.
“Don’t act like you don’t know.”
“You heard us?”, Martha questions.
“Heard what?”
“Um - your grandfather – you two are a lot alike.”
“Huh?”, Julianna looks at Martha, “Oh – ewwww. Why’d you tell me that?”
Martha chuckles, “I thought that’s what you were saying. Sorry dear.”
