Burn to Ashes

by Brynn O'Connor

  After my clothes are dry I dress again and find a comfortable place to sit and relax and decide what to do. I have no way of contacting Adam or Doctor Mike so I’ll just have to sit here and hope Adam shows up. After an hour I can barely keep my eyes open. I decide to go to an upstairs bedroom and lie down. At least if someone comes in I should hear them in time to hide before they come upstairs. I seriously doubt anyone will come here though.

  My eyes fly open! I look at my watch; I’ve been asleep three hours. I can’t hear anyone but something woke me up. After sitting for a couple minutes I decide it is nothing and lie back down. No sooner than I close my eyes I hear a door close. Shit! Now I hear voices coming from somewhere downstairs. I can hear at least two people talking but I can’t make out what’s being said. Now I have to find someplace to hide. It has to be a realtor. The question is, where can I hide that they may not show buyers? Maybe there’s an attic. There are three bedrooms upstairs. The bedrooms don’t have anything but in the hallway to the bathroom I notice an opening in the ceiling. There’s a string with a knob at the end. I have to jump to reach it but I catch it on the first try. As luck would have it, as I pull the chord the hatch opens and a ladder slides down. I cringe as I grab the last rung of the ladder. There can be no way the people downstairs did not hear that.

  As I’m climbing up I hear people coming up the stairs. Then I hear something I really do not want to hear.

  “You heard that right?” Asks a man.

  “I think someone is upstairs.” Says a woman.

  “But the door was still locked,” Says the man.

  When I close the hatch behind me it cuts off the voices. If it’s a realtor chance are they’re not going to be showing the attic. It takes all my will power to sit here in the dark dusty enclosure and not just start freaking out. Who knows what could be lurking here in the darkness? Attics are perfect hiding places for Black Widow spiders.

  I wait upstairs for as long as I can stand it before venturing out. A quick glance at my watch tells me I have been up here in the darkness for 35 minutes. There’s no way a realtor is still showing the house. They probably left twenty minutes ago. Then a chilling thought hits me. What if they saw the broken window by the back door? A sudden chill of fear shoots its tendrils up and down my spine. I have to get out of here before the cops show up! I open the hatch and slide the ladder down, taking great care so as not to make any more noise just in case the realtor is downstairs waiting for the cops to show. I take a deep breath when my feet finally touch the floor then I cringe as the ladder returns to its position in the attic with a thud.

  I turn to go downstairs but stop mid- motion.

  A young man and woman is standing in the hallway seemingly frozen and watching me. They’re eyes are bulging out with fear, much like mine probably are.

  “Do you live—?”

  “Here…” We both ask simultaneously.

  The girl cracks a smile and so do I. They seem to be squatters just like me.

  “I’m June,” the girls says, offering her hand to shake. “And this is my boyfriend Roy.”

  “Kari,” I reply, shaking her hand, then Roy’s.

  “We don’t have anywhere to go.” June says. “So we kinda bounce from house to house; anything to keep from living on the streets. We’re hoping to find a suitable place for me to give birth.”

  “Oh my god, you’re pregnant?” She isn’t showing yet.

  “Four months,” She replies.

  June must only be in her early twenties at best. She’s quite pretty. She has long straight black silky hair, fair skin and dark almond eyes. She must be Japanese or something. She’s skinny as a twig and probably not eating enough for a pregnant woman.

  “Do you have a doctor?” I ask.

  “No. We can’t afford to see one and even if we did we couldn’t buy the prenatal vitamins either.”

  “But you’re determined to have your baby?”

  “Yes!” They both chime in together.

  “Then I can help.” I dig around in my purse. Last week I took out 5 grand from my bank for expenses on the run. These guys need money more than I do. I can help. “Do you have a cell phone?” I ask.

  “Sure.” June says.

  “Great, give me your number and I’ll put a friend of mine in touch with you. She’s an OB doctor. She’ll treat you and bill me.” Then I pull out a small stack of bills. “Here’s twelve hundred dollars. Use it to buy prenatal vitamins and anything else your new doctor tells you you need.”

  “But…I can’t. That’s too much money.” She protests.

  “We could never pay you back,” Roy confirms.

  “It’s okay. Everyone needs help now and then. Someone recently saved my life for nothing in return. This is what I can do to help you.”

  “You’re that woman.” Roy says. “I knew I recognized you. They say you tried to kill your sister. You couldn’t have done that.” He says emphatically.

  “No…I couldn’t and didn’t. We were being attacked and I accidently shot her in the dark. But I also saved her life.” Of course I leave out the part that it was because of me that she was in the room getting shot by me. They don’t need to know the whole story.

  “Don’t worry, we won’t tell a soul.” June promises.

  “I know you won’t. You’re good people and good people should stick together. There’s too few of us in this world.” I say to them, praying they really are good…or at least discrete people. At this point I could care less about good. Discretion is the key.

  “We’re you the one who broke the window?” Roy asks.

  I nod. “Oh…before I forget, my boyfriend and his friend my show up here later today or tonight so if two strangers show up don’t worry. My boyfriend is the one who checked out this house and made sure it’s safe for us to stay in.”

  “Right,” June begins. “So, what room do you want?”

  I point to the one at the end of the hall. “How about that one?”

  When I wake up the next morning the hair on the back of my neck stands attention. Something’s not right. I go out of my room, walk down the hall and past the young couple’s room. They’re gone so I go downstairs and when my foot touches the bottom step I hear the front door open. I freeze. Adam would not have used the front door.

  “Hi officer,” June says. “We’re the ones who called you.”

  “You said on the phone you know where she is hiding?” Says a male voice; probably the police officer.

  “Is there still a reward?” June asks.

  “Ten thousand if she is actually here.” The officer replies.

  “She’s asleep in the upstairs bedroom at the end of the hall.” Roy replies.

  I can’t believe it. I gave them over a thousand dollars and they go and turn me in! I am so angry I can’t believe it. I can feel a scream of rage building up inside me and I have to swallow to keep it down. I have never felt this betrayed in all my life. I swear to god, someday when this is all over I’m going to track them down… And do what? I’ll tell them what a fucked up loser they are! I have their cell number. There has to be a way to find them again and I will; when I’m out of trouble.

  “The stairs are this way,” June is saying, and I’m still standing on the stairs.

  I move as fast as I can away from the stairs and down the hall to the pantry and the back door. I’ll wait till they are at the top of the stairs before I dare open the door otherwise they’ll hear it. I stand by the door and soon as I hear footsteps overhead I open the door and step out. It’s a beautiful warm sunny day and I am on the run again and I have no way of contacting Adam or Dr. Mike. Unless…unless I buy a burner phone. I should just wait till dark then go to town and get a phone and call Adam. He’ll know what to do. Now that an award is being offered for me I may not be able to safely take a taxi anywhere. I need to get out of this neighborhood and find another house for sale that is unoccupied. I can stay there until nightfall then make the trek into town to buy a phone. Or I could
use a pay phone and call him. I finally decide to find a house to hole up in, and then make the trek to town. If I find a working pay phone first I’ll just call Adam and tell him which house I’ll be holed up in and just wait for him to show up. Seems like a pretty good plan to me.

  Twenty minutes later I find a likely candidate. It’s another two story home that seems to be partially furnished. There’s a realtor lockbox on the front door but none on the back one. A quick search turns up a key hidden under a rock. Whoever is selling this house forgot about their secret key. Once inside I discover that it is pretty much unfurnished save for an old coffee table and a mattress in the upstairs master bedroom. It looks fine so I decide to just lie down for a bit to pass the time. Come six I’ll come out of hiding and hike into town. At first I think there’s no way I’ll sleep without a pillow but I’m out like a light as soon as my head touches the mattress. When I finally wake up it’s dark outside. A quick check of my watch tells me it’s nearly nine o’clock. That’s longer than I was planning on. I doubt I’ll find a store open that sells burners at this time a night. That leaves me with just one choice; a pay phone and those are getting more and more scarce.

  Two hours later I limp into town and find a liquor store with a payphone outside. It looks like it hasn’t been used in twenty years but maybe it will still be in working order. With high hopes I pop in two quarters and dial Adam’s number. When he doesn’t answer I begin to get worried. I leave him a message with the address of the house I’ll be squatting in but I have no desire to make the two hour plus walk back uphill to the house. I should have picked a house closer into town. But I don’t feel like searching all over town for another house then coming back here to leave yet another message with the new address. Dammit! I am not made for this kind of life.

  I call again but there’s no answer. I have but one choice. I have to walk all the way back to the house and just wait there for Adam. The good news is that eventually he will show up. I just have to hope he shows up before I get any unwanted visitors like I did before.

  The walk back ends up taking over three hours thanks to it being an uphill trek and getting lost. I’m about to give up when I just happen across the right street and in twenty minutes I’m in the backyard opening the back door. What a freaking relief! I do a quick search of the house to make sure it’s empty before lying back down to sleep. Before closing my eyes I check the time; it’s almost one in the morning. I probably shouldn’t be sleeping here. The cops may be checking empty houses now since I am known to have hid in one but I am tired beyond caring. At this point I’m willing to face just about anything so long as it comes after ten hours of sleep. Little did I know that that statement was about to be put to the test.

  Chapter 13

  All’s Well That Ends…At All

  Once more I bolt right up in bed! Something is wrong…again. I look at my watch; it’s nearly ten in the morning. I way overslept. Quickly I get out of bed and locate my shoes. I’m in an upstairs bedroom once more. I tip toe over to the window, draw back the drapes just enough to peek out. Parked across the street is a cop car. I can also make out the bumper of another car parked on my side of the street but from my angle I can’t tell if it’s a cop car or not. All I know is it wasn’t there when I went sleep last night because I looked out this window. I leave the window and am crossing the room when I hear the last thing I wanted to hear; the crackle of a police radio! Shit! They did do a house to house search. What the hell was I thinking, coming to this house? I knew they would send the police to all the for sale houses that weren’t occupied. I guess I just thought it would take them longer to work their way to this house being that it was so far from town.

  Suddenly I can’t breathe. It’s like my lungs are constricting and at the same time my throat seems to be closing up. I used to watch cop shows and I always wondered what it felt like to be on the run and finally get caught. I tried to imagine what that dreadful feeling must be like and I have to say, my imagination fell far short. It feels a hundred times worse in reality! I can’t believe this is happening to me. I’m going to prison for shooting my sister and I will never get a chance to make it right with her. She will always believe I shot her on purpose I guess. She must think that or she wouldn’t have turned me in.

  I can hear people moving around downstairs now. It’s only a matter of time before I’m caught and on my way to jail. I sit back down on the bed to try it on for size; the feeling of me going to prison. It doesn’t fit me. This cannot be happening to me. I’m Kari; I’m a respected trauma nurse. How did I end up hiding out in an empty house on 4321 Cloverdale Lane? I’m starting to shake. I’m cold and shaking uncontrollably and I feel like I’m going to vomit. In fact I am. Without regard for the noise my feet may be making I charge to the bathroom that’s connected to the master bedroom. I barely make it to the toilet before my stomach comes up. I offer up a silent prayer that I will have time to wipe my face before I’m arrested. I don’t want to be handcuffed with snot and food hanging out my nose.

  Prayer answered. When I finally get my face out of the toilet bowl and wipe it off I listen for footsteps coming up the staircase. Nothing yet. I get up slowly and take a look at my face in the mirror. So far I have been able to keep back the tears so my face isn’t all swollen like it gets when I do cry. I walk over to the edge of the bed and sit down to await my fate. I don’t have to wait long. Just about the time my ass hits the bed I hear the first footfall on the wooden staircase. In about thirty seconds I will be facing the music and I’m quite sure I’m not going to like the tune. I burry my face in my hands and wait. I don’t even look up when I hear the soft footfalls on the carpet of the room I’m camped out in. My stomach is starting to churn again. I really don’t want to start vomiting when they put the cuffs on me but I’m not so sure I’ll have a choice. I take a deep breath and open my eyes. Adam is standing in front of me; a genuine look of concern is written all over his handsome features.

  “Hi Kari.” He says softly.

  “Hi.” I whisper back.

  The compassion in his voice and the look on his face is my downfall. The tears come and they just won’t stop. Several times I open my mouth to speak but words fail me. He walks up to me and circles me with his powerful arms and suddenly I’m crying even harder. All the tears I should have been shedding are finally coming out. When my sister was kidnapped I hadn’t cried. All those times I was running for my life and being shot at I never shed a tear. When I had to quit the job I loved and go on the run my eyes stayed dry. When my best friend in the world died I was unable to feel a thing and I even missed her funeral. When I nearly killed my sister and she gave me over to the police I just felt empty; void of any emotions. All those bad choices I have been making for the last year and not a single tear shed; until now. And now that the faucet has been opened I feel like I’ll never be able to stop. All the fear, the loss, pain, anguish, and remorse; is pounding me like the surf of the ocean. My feet are rooted in the sand and there’s nothing I can do but stand there and let wave after wave of hurt and heartache wash over me. I am vaguely aware of my body shaking with each heart-wrenching sob. I am also keenly aware that the only thing keeping me from drowning in sorrow is Adam and I love him for that if for no other reason. A long time ago I chose him over Dr. Mike and even though it makes little logical sense I know now without a doubt that I am with the right person. It’s just too bad I’m only just now figuring it out.

  I have no idea how long I have been crying when my faucet finally runs dry. My cramped muscles protest as I try to sit back up. It feels like I have been hunched over weeping for hours and maybe that’s true. Adam takes an experimental step backwards and stretches his cramped muscles. The look on his face tells me it’s time to go. I nod and stand shakily, before taking a step forwards.

  “So I’m going to jail?” I ask. Nothing like stating the obvious.

  I search his face for signs before he answers but he is a mask of uncertainty.

  “It’l
l depend on your sister’s testimony. Well, hers and Marco’s but his won’t carry as much weight as your sister’s will.”

  “Then I need to talk to her then. Is she still in the hospital?”

  “I believe she is getting out tomorrow but they’re not going to let you see her. She’s a witness to a potential crime so they won’t risk you talking to her. They won’t let me talk to her either.”

  “And what about Marco? He actually helped me Adam.”

  I know, and for that I owe him big time and he’ll be cashing in soon I’m sure. I can’t talk to him either. He is also a witness so he’s being kept somewhere safe too.”

  “So my fate rests on my sister who turned me in and an enemy… Wow, what odds…”

  “I know it sounds bad, but I think Marco will help you to curry favor with me. Although if they come after him for the underage girls, it they really were underage, then he may not cooperate in exchange for his testimony. It’s all pretty complicated Kari, and I really have no idea which way this is going to go.”

  “I guess my career as a trauma nurse is gone.”

  “I wouldn’t go there yet. We’ll get you a good lawyer and who knows, you may just come out of this smelling like roses.”

  “Why me Adam? I’m not of your world. I’m no biker chick and I probably will never own a motorcycle. I don’t have tattoos and may never have one. I don’t own a single pair of leather pants or a vest and there’s not a single concert tee in my closet. I don’t belong in your world Adam so why am I in it?”