Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles Book 2)

by Tawa M. Witko

  Madison gasped and Olivia turned to her, tears streaking her face.

  “It is with great difficulty that I am letting him go. I know he is an adult, but to me, he will always be the little boy I abandoned to a crazy mother and an abusive father.”

  Madison shook her head. “Olivia, there is no way you could have known what would happen to him or that you would not have another chance.”

  Olivia winced and continued to watch the two most important people in her life.

  “But I will say this; you have been more of a mother to him in this short time than your sister ever was,” Madison continued with conviction.

  Olivia turned away and wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to control the overwhelming feelings she was having. Andrew and Aaron both walked up to them. Aaron was well familiar with Olivia’s body posture and knew this was related to Andrew. He immediately kissed her temple.

  “I’ll let you say goodbye,” Madison said as she walked to the car.

  She got behind the wheel and watched as Andrew hugged both Olivia and Aaron. They talked for a few minutes and then he walked over to the car. He slid onto the passenger seat and immediately grasped Madison’s hand. He turned to her, his eyes bright as the sun.

  “You ready to hit the road?” he asked with one of his sexy smiles.

  Madison nodded. “I’m ready if you are.”

  “I’m ready. I love you,” he replied sincerely.

  She immediately felt better. “I love you, too.”

  Madison pulled out and they started their trek towards New York. She handed him her phone and he immediately dialed Jamal, leaving a message telling him that they were on their way. That was the condition of his travel. He had four days to arrive before a warrant was issued for his arrest and in those four days he was to check in when he left an area and when he arrived for the night. Madison had loosely mapped out their route figuring on driving no more than twelve hours a day. It was, after all, almost three-thousand miles away and approximately forty-five hours. Madison had done it in three days on her way up; she slept very little and drove extremely fast. She couldn’t do that this time though, not pulling Andrew’s Harley. Her plan was to make it to Grand Junction, Colorado that evening as she had no desire to cross the Rocky Mountains at night.

  “Do you want anything?” Madison asked as she pulled into the large parking lot in Barstow where the Starbucks was located.

  “Just a plain coffee, none of that fancy stuff you like,” he said with a smile.

  Madison laughed as she entered the coffee shop and ordered their drinks. When she returned with their coffees, she found Andrew leaning against the car, looking at a gas station across the way a bit. He looked deep in thought and she almost didn't want to disturb him.

  “Here ya go, Helios,” she said handing him the cup. “You okay?”

  “I hitched a ride from this really nice older couple, right over there.” He pointed across the street to the Chevron station. “They tried to convince me not to run away, that whatever my parents did, they were sorry for.” He shook his head slightly. “That seems like a lifetime ago,” he said almost reverently.

  “It was a lifetime ago. You are a different person now than you were then, and you know what?” She paused until he turned to her. “We are on this new journey together.”

  He smiled and kissed her lightly. “Come on, babe, the sooner we get on the road, the sooner we will get to Colorado, and the sooner I get you in bed,” he said before kissing her soundly.

  “Mmm, I like the way you think.” She grinned before tugging on his perfect bottom lip.

  ~*~

  Madison and Andrew had been driving for two days. They had made it to Grand Junction in good time but the drive to Omaha was long and tedious. It took over three hours to get through the Rocky Mountains alone, and by the time they were done, Madison’s nerves were shot so they had stopped at a truck stop outside of Denver to stretch and settle down before getting back on the road. Madison had driven through Nebraska at night when she came to California just three months ago and thought the place must be desolate because there were so few lights to guide her. As she had gone through it again in the daylight she felt that driving at night was almost an easier ride. Andrew had dozed off midway through the state and, for the first time, Madison considered killing him. That drive was the longest stretch of road she had ever been on, endless fields, which had been beautiful on mile one, were monotonous and deafening by mile three hundred and eighteen. She had never been more thankful than she was when she parked at the Days Inn just outside of Council Bluffs, Iowa right on the border of Nebraska. As they entered their room, Andrew dropped their bags on the floor and plopped on the bed.

  “I saw a steakhouse a few blocks away, want to go there to eat?” he asked as the back of his head hit the pillow.

  Madison nodded. “Sure, that sounds good. Do you want to walk or take the bike?” Madison asked, knowing he would want to ride.

  “Pssshh, ride, of course,” he said, jumping off the bed and coming up behind her.

  Madison grinned. “Then let’s go, baby, I’m starving and I don’t want your sexiness to distract me.”

  He laughed and swatted her behind as he headed for the door. “Meet me outside, woman.”

  Madison laughed and gathered her things before locking the door. They traveled the short distance to the restaurant nearby. Dinner was light and fun but both were quick to finish their meal, wanting to be alone. Once they arrived back at the room, Andrew tried to lead her to the bed but Madison shook her head.

  “Just a minute, Helios, I need to book our room for tomorrow.”

  He sighed dramatically and plopped on the bed in an exaggerated gesture, causing Madison to laugh. He then sat up and watched as she went to the little table and fired up her laptop.

  “So I was thinking Cleveland, that’s about eight hours from New York,” Madison suggested.

  “How about... Detroit?” Andrew asked in almost a whisper.

  Madison spun around in her chair. “You want to go to Detroit?” The shock in her voice was evident.

  He looked down and then got up, walking over to his backpack. He pulled out his sketchbook and then the two pictures Olivia had given him. He sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for her to sit with him. As she sat down, he handed her the pictures.

  “That’s my mom and Olivia.” He tapped said picture. “And these are my parents. This was when we lived in Chicago. I was four in that picture.”

  Madison smiled as she focused on the little boy sitting on his father’s lap. They all looked so happy. She couldn’t imagine, looking at them in the picture, that they would be capable of doing the things she knew they had done. Andrew looked a lot like his dad, except he seemed to have his mother’s hair and eyes. The other picture was a cute one of Olivia and his mom as little girls and she couldn’t help but grin at the reckless abandonment his mother seemed to have even at that young age. She had this air about her that said 'oh, just try and hold me down'.

  “My mom is buried in Detroit. I...” He swallowed deeply. “I would like to go to her gravesite.”

  Madison nodded. “Of course.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Whatever you want, baby.”

  He tapped his head to her temple. “Thank you.”

  He brought his lips down her jaw line until they were on hers, enveloping her in a searing kiss, breathing her in as his mouth molded to hers and their lips became one. He laid her down, moving his hands underneath her shirt. She fisted his hair while their kiss intensified.

  “Madison, I…”

  She didn’t allow him to finish as she pulled him back to her. His body seemed to be trembling and then suddenly he had flipped her over, undressing her quickly. Their lovemaking became wild, almost primal as Andrew tried to fight the fear that was rising within him. For now, he would release it through sex, and tomorrow, well, he would figure that out then.

  4 Ghosts of Detroit

  The
y left early the next morning. Detroit was a twelve-hour drive, depending on traffic. Madison started out the trek, taking the first six hours, stopping several times along the way before finally switching over in Joliet. Madison noticed that the closer they got to Detroit, the tenser Andrew became, as evidenced by the grip he had on the steering wheel. Finally, Madison placed her hand on his leg and rubbed soothingly. He glanced over at her with a nervous expression on his handsome face.

  “Baby, it will be okay,” Madison said reassuringly.

  He nodded and continued to drive. After a while, he pulled off at the Jackson exit, which wasn’t where they were supposed to go. His face looked determined; he swallowed and pulled to the side of the road. He stared outside for a long time before opening the door. Madison got out as well and tried to figure out where they were and why they had stopped. As they crossed the road, she saw it. Two large towers, twelve-foot fences, and razor ribbon wire were a clear indicator to her that they were at a prison.

  “Are we... going inside?” Madison asked unsure.

  He shook his head. “Baby, you can’t just go to a prison. It has to be pre-approved. They have to run background checks and I’d never get approved anyway.”

  “Oh,” Madison replied, looking at the huge fence and the entwined wires. “Why wouldn’t you get approved?” Madison asked curiously.

  “Because I have a criminal record,” he stated plainly.

  Andrew continued to stare at the concrete wall, unsure why he felt the need to pull off in the first place. He sighed as his eyes closed, remembering in detail the day his father was sent to prison. There was still a part of him that felt guilty. If he had done what his father had told him to do, which was watch for police, instead of looking for food to feed his starving belly, then maybe things would have been different.

  “Andrew,” Madison said, touching his arm, lightly. “Baby, someone is coming.”

  Andrew shook his head and his eyes opened slightly as he tried to get his bearings again. He glanced at Madison, who had a look of panic on her face. His brows furrowed as he pulled her close to him, trying to ascertain the threat and then noticed two guards coming their way.

  “You’re not allowed to loiter in this area,” one of the guards said in a deep voice.

  Andrew moved Madison behind him in a protective manner. “We were just passing through. We’ll be leaving now.”

  “What’s your name?” the other guard asked.

  “Andrew Harrison.”

  The guards looked at each other and then back at him. Andrew knew then that they were familiar with his father, which could be either good or bad.

  “We’re on our way to Detroit...” He sighed. “Look, my father is in there. I was... curious.” He grabbed Madison’s hand. “Come on,” he said firmly as he started making his way to the car.

  The guards watched until they got inside the vehicle.

  “Geez, what was that about?” Madison asked, terrified.

  “We must have been too close. They have sensors that alert them if anyone is too close to the fence. Did you see the look on their faces when I said my name?” Andrew asked as he pulled the car out.

  “No, I was too busy trying not to freak out,” Madison replied with a nervous chuckle.

  He smiled but only slightly. “They knew my father. I could tell.”

  “Do you think they will say anything to him?”

  He shook his head. “I doubt it. That’s not how guards interact with prisoners.”

  “Skylar Chase’s husband was nice to you.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, that’s true.”

  Andrew drove the rest of the way to Detroit in relative silence, lost in his own thoughts. When they arrived at their hotel, he parked in an area that would be easy to get the car and trailer out of. They checked in and Andrew quickly unleashed his Harley. Since they had left so early from Council Bluffs they had arrived in Detroit close to six in the evening. Madison walked out to him and smiled.

  “Where to first, baby?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  All of a sudden, his calm and cool demeanor shifted. He stepped back from her and his hands went to his knees. He took several deep breaths and looked completely lost.

  “Hey, babe, ya know, I’m kind of hungry. Can we eat before we do anything else?”

  Madison wasn’t really hungry but she was hoping to distract him a bit from whatever ghosts were haunting him. A few seconds later, Andrew stood up, seemingly relieved. Madison smiled and got on the bike, patting the front seat. He nodded and took a deep, steadying breath before he got on the bike as well. Madison’s arms locked around his waist and Andrew squeezed them before finally starting the Harley. As Andrew drove through Detroit, he was flooded with memories as they passed places he remembered as a child and adolescent. His stomach was turning, and he questioned whether it was such a good idea to come to Detroit after all. He felt his heart sink as he slowed down, realizing where he was. He immediately pulled over, needing a second to regroup.

  Andrew jumped off the bike, nearly taking Madison with him. He was staring at a building across the street. Madison heard noises and turned momentarily to see several people playing basketball in the run down court behind her. She was worried about Andrew and was now very concerned that maybe it was a bad idea to be there. His expression at the moment was strained, a mixture of terrified and lethal. She touched his arm softly, as she had done earlier at the prison and he blinked several times.

  “We lived right across the street. Right where that store is,” he said slowly.

  Madison looked across the way. She took his hand in hers, gripping her fingers around his.

  “That’s where... it happened,” he continued.

  Madison took a deep breath and watched him, his face twisting into something hostile and fierce.

  “I don’t know why I came here. This is stupid,” he spit out angrily.

  “Then let’s go, Andrew. Screw it and screw them for hurting you and making you feel like crap. I know they were using and that they were unstable, but you were a little kid. They were supposed to protect you. You don’t owe them anything,” Madison spilled without thinking.

  He closed his eyes. “Come on, let’s go,” he said, jerking her hand as he moved back towards the bike.

  He drove down several more blocks before stopping at a diner. They ordered quickly but were quiet throughout their meal. Andrew only picked at his food, eating very little, not sure if his stomach could actually hold any food at the moment.

  “Maybe we’re here so you can say goodbye to them once and for all,” Madison said quietly.

  He looked up. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s like that story Aaron told you about the Phoenix.” When he looked even more confused she continued, “Well, Aaron said prison was your ashes but maybe you can’t truly fly until you let go of the ashes here as well.”

  He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes.

  “There’s a part of you that’s still here, Andrew, and, I don’t know, maybe it will always be here, but I think there was a reason you wanted to come to Detroit in the first place and until we do whatever that reason was, you will carry this anger with you. I mean damn, baby. Your whole body posture has changed in the short time that we’ve been here, it’s like your whole aura is off or something.”

  He quirked the corners of his lips up, just slightly. “My aura?” he questioned.

  “Yeah, your aura, I heard it on Oprah so you know it’s true,” Madison said with a wink.

  “I’m sorry,” he said with a sigh.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about. I just don’t know how to help you.”

  “I don’t know how to help myself,” he said with another sigh and then motioned his head towards the street.

  Madison turned around and looked across the street. It was then that she noticed that there was a cemetery there and wondered if that was where his mom was buried. She turned back to him, reaching for his hand across th
e table, which he willingly gave her.

  “I will support whatever you want to do. Do you want to see her?”

  He closed his eyes and after a moment he nodded just slightly.

  “Okay, babe, let’s finish up first, okay?”

  He nodded again and started slowly eating his food. When they had finished, they held hands as they walked outside the diner.

  “Should I get flowers or something?” he asked, swallowing hard as he looked down the street at a floral shop.

  “That’s up to you, Helios. Whatever you do is okay.”

  “She liked those purple flowers. Do you know what they are?”

  “Mmm, could be a few things. Why don’t we take a look and see what they have.”

  She led him towards the florist and after perusing the flower store, they came out with a bouquet of purple orchids. They walked across the street and Andrew stood at the entrance. He had never actually been inside the cemetery. He closed his eyes, trying to picture where she was buried and remembered the only time he had come there. At that time, he didn’t want to go but he remembered his social worker telling him that one day he might want to visit her gravesite. Andrew opened his eyes suddenly and looked at the flowers in his hands.

  “Her grave is in the fourth row on the southeast side,” he said with determination.

  He took Madison’s hand and they strolled leisurely through the graveyard. Truth be told, Madison hated cemeteries. She only visited her dad's grave once and had not gone one single time while she was in California. When they found the fourth row on the southeast side of the lot, they looked at each of the markers trying to find hers. Andrew inhaled sharply when he saw her name.

  “I’ll give you some privacy,” Madison said tenderly and then added, “I’ll just be right over there, okay?” He nodded slowly.

  Andrew kneeled down and removed the weeds from her headstone, which was simply a plate in the ground that said Kimberly Anne Harrison, Beloved Wife and Mother. He wondered why it didn’t have sister on it and then he remembered that she had said she had no family. He set the flowers over her name and then dug in his pocket for the picture that Olivia had given him. He placed the picture underneath the flowers.