by Terri Reid
He pressed a button and a harsh mechanical noise vibrated the building. “I apologize,” he said. “It does get a little loud. It’s our auger. We use it for making fertilizer. An amazing piece of equipment, not only does it mix and grind material together, but it also pulls them up a metal shaft filled with stainless steel blades to ensure the pieces are microscopic.”
He looked at Rosie. “Unfortunately, pieces that are too big to fit in the shaft get hacked up into smaller, less…” he paused. “…noticeable pieces of material.”
Walking closer to her, he ran a finger across her cheek and she moved her face. “I remember one of the first times I saw it in use, I was fascinated,” he said. “A rat had slipped into the bin and couldn’t get out. I watched as it was pulled closer and closer to the blades. It was mesmerizing.”
He looked at her, his eyes bright with enjoyment. “Finally it was caught, the blade ripped it up in a matter of seconds and the blood just mixed with the rest of the minerals.”
He chuckled. “Extra protein, that’s what my dad called it, extra protein.”
“This can’t be real,” Rosie whispered. “This doesn’t happen in the real world.”
She tried to look over her shoulder. “Wally, you can’t let him do this. I can’t die, I’m getting married.”
“I’m sorry Rosie,” Walter said, “I don’t have a choice.”
Chapter Forty-seven
Stanley’s phone rang and he stopped his conversation with Caleb to answer it.
“Hello,” he said.
“They’ve taken Rosie,” Mary said.
Stanley felt his heart drop to his feet and he looked at the old man in front of him. “Caleb,” he said, his voice shaking. “They’ve taken my Rosie. They’re going to hurt her. You’ve got to tell me…”
“Stanley, you don’t know,” Caleb said. “You’re not sure.”
“Caleb, I remember your wife and how much you loved her,” he said. “I love my Rosie. She’s my life. Please don’t cover up for him this time. Please.”
Caleb closed his eyes and bowed his head. “The fertilizer plant,” Caleb said. “On Henderson.”
“Mary, the fertilizer plant,” Stanley repeated, his voice shaking.
“Already on my way,” she said. “Tell Bradley.”
Stanley stood up on shaky legs. “I gotta go, Caleb,” he said. “I gotta go find my Rosie.”
“Godspeed,” Caleb whispered. “Godspeed.”
Stanley ran down the hall, towards the door to the parking lot. He pulled his keys out of his pocket when his phone rang again.
“Yes?” he yelled into the phone.
“Stanley, it’s Bradley.”
“They’ve taken her to the fertilizer plant,” he cried. “You don’t know what he does out there.”
“Ian’s on his way to get you,” Bradley said. “He’ll be there in a minute. I’m going to the plant.”
“Hurry Bradley,” Stanley whispered, after Bradley had ended the call. “Hurry.”
Chapter Forty-eight
Mary shifted the Roadster into fifth gear and whipped onto Henderson Road. The dust from the gravel blew a cloud behind her car as she increased her speed. Not Rosie, not Rosie, she prayed.
She nearly missed the entrance to the old plant, but sent the Roadster skidding in a curve and then punched the accelerator feeling it bite down on the gravel and jump forward. She drove over to the loading dock, threw the car into park and ran up the ramp into the warehouse.
“Mary!”
Mary looked up in the direction of Rosie’s scream and saw her on a metal catwalk two floors up that led to a giant steel bin, her arms caught in Walter’s grasp. “Give up now, Walter,” she yelled over the din from the auger. “The police are on the way.”
She started to run to the stairs that led to Rosie when her legs were knocked out from under her. She fell hard and landed on her back, the breath knocked out of her.
The floor was cold and damp against her back and the room was filled with shadows. The warehouse moved out of focus, suddenly she was back in the basement.
Ephraim stood over her, but all she could see was Gary.
“What do we have here?” he asked. He knelt down and leaned over her. “So nice of you to drop in.”
He ran his hand across her cheek. “Very nice of you to drop in.”
Mary felt her stomach contract and the panic set in once again. She was trapped. “Please,” she cried. “Please, don’t hurt me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I won’t hurt you,” he whispered, kneeling over her, “At least not much.”
“Mary,” Rosie screamed. “Help me.”
“She can’t help you, Rosie,” he taunted. “She can’t even help herself.”
Rosie needs me, she thought. Rosie’s in danger. I have to help Rosie.
She could hear Ian’s voice in her head. “You have to help yourself, darling, give him what for.”
Gary wasn’t going to win. She fought him last time and won. She could do it again.
Mary brought her knee up and crushed into his groin. He screamed in pain. She yelled with power.
She reached over and grabbed the piece of wood he used on her. He rolled on top of her and tried to wrestle it from her grasp. She fought against him, rolling on the concrete floor. She elbowed him in the solar plexus and he gasped in pain. She pulled the wood out of his hands and smashed it against his head.
He rolled away and pulled himself up on his feet. Breathing heavy, he ran at her.
“I’ll teach you to fight with me, bitch,” he screamed.
Mary rolled on her back, and feigned fear, while she brought her knees up towards her chest. When he got close enough, using both feet, she kicked up and out, catching him in the stomach and sending him crashing back into the dumpster.
She jumped to her feet, walked across the room and kicked him again.
“Walter, help me,” he cried out.
“No. No! I’m getting out of here,” Walter yelled, releasing Rosie and running in the opposite direction.
Undeterred from the object of her wrath, Mary grabbed a heavy piece of lumber from the dumpster. She swung it sideways with all her might and hit Ephraim in the shoulder. He screamed and tried to crawl away from her.
“Stop,” he shrieked. “I beg of you, stop.”
She walked over, straddled his body and glared down at him. “You are not going to hurt me again,’ she vowed. “You are never going to hurt anyone again.”
Then she lifted the piece of lumber over her head.
“Mary, stop,” Bradley said, putting his hand on the piece of wood. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Mary jerked to her side, ready to defend herself.
“Mary, it’s me, Bradley,” he said calmly. “You did it. You won.”
It took her a moment, but Bradley could see the moment she snapped out of her flashback. She released her grasp on the wood and stepped away from the man on the floor.
“Bradley, I…” she whispered, holding her hand over her mouth. “I thought he was Gary. I was fighting Gary.”
“Yeah, you did a hell of a job. Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly and then turned towards the stairs. “Rosie?”
Rosie was across the room in Stanley’s arms.
“Is she okay?” Mary asked.
“Yeah,” Bradley said, “Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“You scared the hell of Walter,” Bradley said. “He came running out of the plant. Unfortunately for Walter, Stanley and Ian had just arrived. Stanley took Walter down with one punch to the jaw. He would have done more, but Ian held him back”
“Bradley, I went a little crazy,” she said. “I couldn’t let him win.”
“No, you couldn’t,” he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her while the paramedics took Ephraim away. “And you saved Rosie’s life.”
She put her head on his shoulder and then looked up. “Where are the kids?”
“I sent
Ashley Deutsch over to wait for them,” he said. “She’s great with kids.”
She reached up and kissed him. “Thank you.”
“Ready to go home?” he asked. “I want you to get a good night’s sleep tonight.”
“Why?”
He grinned and kissed her softly. “You have a hot date tomorrow night,” he said.
She smiled, “That’s right; I don’t know how I could have forgotten. But we have one stop first.”
Chapter Forty-nine
School had just ended for the week. The janitors were making their ways down the halls, pushing their brooms and picking up the trash that had been left behind. A few teachers stood and spoke with each other in the hall, as Mary, Ian and Bradley made their way to the Chemistry lab.
“I still think Rosie should have come with us,” Mary said.
“All she wanted to do was go back to your place and clean up the mess on the floor,” Bradley said.
Mary looked up, alarmed.
“Don’t worry, Ashley and the kids already had it handled,” he reassured her. “They have orders to sit her down and get her a cup of tea.”
“Did you hear what she said about channeling you?” Ian asked. “She nearly had Walter down. I’m hoping it doesn’t ruin her.”
“And what do you mean by that?” she asked.
“Well, if she’s channeling you, will she still be able to bake?” he asked. “Aye, she’ll be the toughest real estate broker in the city, but really what’s more important?”
Bradley chuckled. “And what is more important, Ian?”
“We’ll have to pick up more flour on the way home,” Ian said, after a moment, “And perhaps a new canister.”
Chuckling, Mary shook her head at him. “Perhaps you ought to make some cookies for us,” she said. “Good Scottish shortbread.”
“I would, Mary, I really would,” Ian replied. “But I don’t want to hurt poor Rosie’s feelings.”
They let themselves into the Chemistry lab. Mary took Bradley’s hand and they waited for a moment until Charlie materialized.
“We wanted to let you know we found out Ephraim Brandlocker murdered you,” Mary said. “He placed a bomb under your desk and waited until the last student was out before he detonated it.”
“Aye, and your friend, Ross Gormley tried to tell the authorities years ago that it wasn’t an accident, but no one would listen,” Ian added. “He still put together an evidence trail that will help the officials put Ephraim away for a long time.”
Charlie shook his head. “That’s amazing,” he said. “Why would he do that?”
“Lo thought it was because you told him no,” she said. “You had the courage to stop him.”
“Well, thanks,” Charlie said. “Thanks for letting me know.”
Mary looked around. “Charlie, don’t you feel any differently?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Um, no, like what?”
“Like your unfinished business has been resolved,” Ian said.
“No. No, I feel pretty much like I felt for the past forty years or so,” he said. “Dead.”
“Well, there must be something else,” she said and then she smiled slowly. “That’s it.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Don’t go away,” she said. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Really, Mary, I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
The next afternoon, the door to the Chemistry room opened and the small group made their way inside. They set up a small display at the front of the room and then waited.
“Is he here?” Lo asked.
Mary shook her head. “No, not yet.”
Stevo peered into the shadows at the back of the room. “I thought I saw something.”
Mary smiled. “No, really, nothing yet.”
“I know what will do it,” Rosie said, lighting a candle and placing it in the middle of the table.
Immediately a soft wind blew the candle out and most of the occupants of the room shivered. Mary watched Charlie materialize next to her. “I told you I’d be back,” she said. “Last night when we told you about Ephraim and you stayed, I realized perhaps you might still have some other unfinished business.”
She pointed to the other people in the room. “So we gathered a big group together to see what we could do about it. You might not recognize these people, but they are your former students Rosie Meriwether, Stevo Morris and Lo…”
“Lo Johnson,” she supplied. “I was never your student, but I will never forget what you did for me.”
He smiled. “I remember them all.”
“He remembers all of you,” Mary said.
“Coach, we just wanted to let you know how much…,” Stevo’s voice cracked and he wiped away a tear. “How much we loved you. How much you meant in our lives and how we never forgot you.”
Lo slipped her arm around Stevo and nodded. “We named our first son Charlie,” she said. “We bought him a Chemistry set when he was ten,” she giggled. “…and he nearly burned the house down.”
“Performs Chemistry like his father,” Charlie said.
Mary chuckled. “Charlie said your son performs Chemistry like his father.”
Stevo nodded. “Yeah, I taught him how to play ball,” he said. “He actually made the major leagues. I thought you’d be proud.”
Charlie nodded. “I am proud,” he whispered, “Proud of both of you.”
“He says he is very proud, of both of you.”
“Mary, can he hear what I’m saying?” Rosie asked, speaking very loudly.
Charlie shook his head and chuckled. “She hasn’t changed a bit.”
“Yes, he can hear you Rosie.”
“Coach Thorne, I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for your example,” she said. “I might not have been the best scholar in the group. I certainly wasn’t the best chemist. But I learned a lot from you that was more important. I learned about kindness, about integrity and about playing fair. Those lessons have served me well all my life.”
“Thank you Rosie,” he said. “You were the ray of sunshine every day I taught you. Thank you for that.”
“He said you were his ray of sunshine every day he taught you,” Mary said. “And he wanted to thank you for that.”
Mary stepped toward the small display. “Your students wanted to show you just how much you meant to them,” she said. “When your former students found out what really happened they all wanted to do something to ensure what you did and what you stood for was never forgotten.”
“We set up a scholarship with your name on it,” Rosie said.
“Actually, Coach, two scholarships,” Stevo said, “One for Baseball and one for Chemistry.”
“We want people to know what you did for us for a long, long time,” Lo said, wiping away her tears, “Because we will never forget.”
“Your daughter, Dr. Thorne, is one of the contributors,” Mary said. “And when we all gathered this morning to decide on what we were going to do, they all took a moment to share with her how much you touched their lives. Louise told me she realized her father was a hero.”
Tears rolled down Charlie’s cheeks and he nodded at Mary. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much this means to me…”
He turned to the side suddenly and then turned back to Mary. “There’s a bright light over there,” he said. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Mary wiped the tears from her cheek. “I hate to sound cliche, Charlie, but you need to go to the light.”
“Thank you, Mary,” he said. “And tell Louise that I always loved her and I’m so proud of her.”
“I will,” she promised, watching until he faded away.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Rosie asked.
Mary nodded. “Yeah, he’s finally gone home.”
Chapter Fifty
Mary came down the stairs slowly, her four-inch heels clicking as she walked. Ian looked up from the cartoon sh
ow he and the children were watching. “Good Lord,” he gasped. “Quickly tell me the name of my fiance and why I’m so in love with her.”
Mary grinned. “Gillian,” she said, “And you love her because she doesn’t feel like your sister when you kiss her.”
He shook his head. “When you look like that, I’d be fair tempted to try it again.”
Mike appeared in the room, “What’s all the …good grief is it legal for you to go out looking like that?” he bit his knuckle. “If I wasn’t already dead, looking at you would have made me die and go to heaven.”
“You look like a princess,” Maggie said. “But an evil one cause you’re wearing black.”
“No, you look like an X-Man girl with mutant powers,” Andy said. “I bet you could kill people real good.”
“You are such flatterers,” she said. “And I admit I love every moment of it.”
Ian grinned. “Aye, well, you’re worthy of each compliment.”
“So, when is Bradley supposed to arrive?” Mike asked.
“Any moment now,” she said as her phone began to ring.
“Uh, oh, bad sign,” Mike said.
“Hello?” Mary said. “A train derailment? Is anyone hurt? Well, that’s good. No, no, I can wait. It’s not a big deal. Another forty-five minutes, no problem. See you then.”
She hung up her phone. “Who derails a train on the Saturday night before Valentine’s Day?” she asked.
“Insensitive slob,” Mike said. “They should have known you had something planned.”
Ian chuckled. “Don’t worry darling, once you see his eyes pop out of his head from just looking at you, it’ll be worth the wait.”
Mary nodded. “You’re right, I mean forty-five minutes, no big deal.”
She paced back and forth for a while and finally slipped off her heels.
Forty-five minutes later the phone rang again.
“This can’t be good,” Mike muttered.
