All I had to do was get free.
Waiting was daunting.
Failing wasn’t an option.
Chapter 5
It was late; probably past midnight when I heard the door opening to my room. I knew it was Mikael, but assumed he’d come to take me back to his secret love room and relieve some stress. I had no idea he’d toss a set of clothes in my direction and look back to verify he hadn’t been discovered. He put his finger up to his lips, warning me to stay quiet as he pinned me between his hard body and the door. Mikael’s lips grazed my ear. “It’s happening tonight, my love. You were right. I need to make a choice, and I’m choosing you.”
In so many ways I felt bad for taking advantage of him. He was risking everything to sneak me out, unbeknownst to him I had no intentions of returning. He’d lose his license, and probably his marriage because of me, and the poor doctor didn’t have a clue it was about to happen.
I’d never dressed so fast, all the while considering my next move, as if my life depended on it. Wearing nurses attire, Mikael led me out of the locked double doors. Even still inside, I felt free. We traveled down several different hallways, finally coming to another set of security doors. Mikael flashed his identification in front of the scanner and the lock unfastened. He took me by the side of my arm and pulled me outside, finally letting go as we made our way to the parking lot.
The cool brisk air felt great on my face. I hadn’t been out at nighttime in years. As much as I wanted to savor the moment, I knew he was in a hurry to leave the premises.
I should have known he drove a BMW – he was preppy to a fault. I snickered while ambling toward the passenger side door and climbing in. Once we were both closed in, he finally spoke. “When I came in tonight there was a new guy at the gate. He won’t know you’re not an employee. As long as I get you back here before seven in the morning, we’re covered.”
I leaned over and kissed him gently, thanking him for doing this. He’d never know how grateful I was, and it was in that exact moment when I knew I couldn’t involve him, not in the way I’d originally planned. “Give me your cell phone.”
“What? Why? You can’t call someone, Ivy. No one can know you’re out.”
“I know,” I said while reaching in his right pocket. I pulled out the device, rolled down the window, and chucked it into the lot. “That’s why I’m covering your tracks. You can say I held you at knife-point.”
“Ivy, you’re coming back tomorrow. There’s no need to make up excuses.”
I don’t know why, but I could feel a burning sensation happening in my throat. The idea of lying to him, even though I’d done it many times, was tearing me apart. His innocent eyes stared at me, waiting for a response. While I considered how to break it to him, he began to leave the parking lot.
He waved to the security guy, watching as he raised the bar so we could continue. I turned back and watched it slowly going back down. No sirens went off. It was silent. My plan had worked. I was officially out of the institution and free to go about my plan of reclaiming my life.
The burning continued, followed by tears forming in my eyes. Mikael, assuming we were about to spend the night together, reached over and placed his hand on my thigh. I kept my eyes focused on the road, unable to let him see how emotional I was becoming. For a moment I imagined the last three years, and out of that time, how much Mikael had brought something other than gloom to my life. Every bone in my body wanted to be selfish and cast him off, but I knew I wouldn't be able to without regret; much like the kind I felt for Rafe.
There was not time to think much more about it. "I need you to know the truth."
"What truth? Ivy, what are you talking about? The truth about what? Don't tell me you're having doubts about us after all I've done to risk this."
"This isn't about doubts. It's about divulging the truth about my intentions. I've led you on, and a part of me wishes I could have kept my feelings for you at bay. This all could have been much easier."
"I'm not following you."
"I took advantage of you from the beginning. At first, I remained focused, but now I know I was a fool to think I could deny myself human emotions just to follow my plan." I turned and looked out the window as I continued. "You were a pawn in my plan to escape. I seduced you for the privilege it would provide me. I knew it would take a while, but it would give me ample time to strategize."
"What are you talking about? We've been involved for years. Are you telling me you were faking?"
Determined to end the betrayal, I sucked out my fears and started explaining. It was unlike me to get emotional, especially considering how determined I’d been. “It wasn’t all a lie. I mean, at first I needed someone to believe me – to be on my side.”
He rubbed his hands over his face, and I could tell it was hitting him hard. “This is unbelievable. Do you have any idea what I’ve risked to be with you?”
“You said you loved me. I never forced your hand. You made the choices yourself. No one tied you down and pushed you to sleep with me.”
“We’re going back inside,” he ordered. Right away the car was being turned in the opposite direction. I grabbed the wheel to keep him from going further.
“No, please. You can’t.”
He was obviously stronger than me, taking my hands and removing them from the wheel. “You’re going back, and you can forget about me helping you. As of this moment I’m no longer your doctor. You’ll be reassigned, and I’ll make sure they know you’re nothing but a conniving bitch.”
In that moment I knew I had to get out of the car. If we hit the security gates I’d be back to square one, and also forced to spend some quality time in a padded cell. I wasn’t about to let it happen.
With one hand still fighting him, I took the other and unlocked my passenger side door. It was a matter of managing the seconds just right. Since I couldn’t let him know what I was thinking, I began opening the door before speaking. He was too focused on the road to realize what I was about to do. It wasn’t difficult letting my body fall out of the moving vehicle. My feet hit first, shooting the rest of my body down, and then spinning it into a violent roll. Immediately I could feel the skin on parts of me stinging. I was scraped up pretty bad, watching as brake lights lit up the empty road. Then I saw the white illuminate, signaling he was backing up. I took in my surroundings, noticing a patch of suburban homes to my left. Darting as fast as my aching body would take me, I rushed toward them, praying I’d make it before he could catch me. I hid behind a set of high bushes, making sure he’d move on and give up.
As soon as he was able, I spotted him pulling the car over and climbing out. He looked around the yard, finally going to his trunk for some reason. A flashing beam let me know he’d grabbed a flashlight. I started to panic, peering around the yard for another place to hide. Mikael wasn’t going to give up. He knew his career was on the line. The sooner he found me, the better he’d be.
The constant burn of pain was relevant in my next moves. I knew my running game was damaged, and if I didn’t use my head, I’d be caught quickly. The last thing I needed was for him to spot me. With extra precision, I maneuvered through one yard, while he searched another. One by one I passed through landscaped grasses, and decks.
In the distance I could see his light. When I knew it was too far to see me, I came out onto the open road and crossed over a few blocks. Since I wasn’t exactly familiar with the area, I’d have to ask someone for my location. I decided to keep walking in one direction. Time was of the essence. The moment my parents got wind I’d escaped they’d come looking. My sister would be notified, and I could kiss my newest plan goodbye, because she’d be long gone.
Each time I saw a car approaching I’d duck behind something, in case it was Mikael. I wanted to feel bad, I swear I did, but my narcissistic tendencies wouldn’t allow it. This was my chance, and I was hell-bent on making this one work, no matter who I had to go through to see it happen.
My feet were sta
rting to hurt when I began hiking through a patch of woods. During normal circumstances I’d be the last person to venture inside of something so dark and gloomy. As my shoes sunk down into the dampened leaves, I started wondering how many insects would be crawling up my ankles when I was finally able to see again. Thick brush prevented me from running fast, but it didn’t deter me away. The further I ventured into the unknown, the harder it would be for anyone to find me.
Finally, after trekking for what seemed like an eternity, I came upon a house with an outside light on. Since it was the middle of the night, I assumed the homeowners would be fast asleep, making it easy for me to look around the property for a shed where I could find a flashlight, and maybe a jacket. The cool wind was causing me to shiver, mixed with the fear of being caught and locked up again. I couldn’t go back to that place and spend another night being held captive. All I ever wanted was to be free; free from everything that held me back from happiness.
Quietly I crept around the vicinity of the yard, staking out my surroundings with little light to do so. The shed door was locked, and it was impossible to think of anywhere someone would hide a key, though I did try the grill first before giving up. For as far as the dirt road went, everything was dark. This house must have been off the beaten path enough where they didn’t have neighbors. It was good for me, but bad at the same time. I needed resources, and with no other means to make it happen, I knew what had to be done. As quiet as possible I sauntered toward the rear entrance to the home, peering through the glass to see if I noticed any movement, or a prowling dog ready to pounce. After a few minutes I tapped lightly on the glass, just to be positive there were no lurking killer animals awaiting a redheaded late-night snack.
I twisted the knob, finding it wasn’t locked. It was fortunate for me, so I took it as my cue to be quiet and fast. I wasn’t there to harm anyone, but if they stood in my way of freedom, I’d have to do what was necessary. Since I’d never been in the house before, it was hard to not bang into things while blindly searching for something to use as a light without alarming the sleeping homeowners. Being in the kitchen allowed me to start pulling drawers open to feel what was inside. The first one, closest to the door had a small light inside. I prayed the batteries were still working as I pushed it to be on. Illuminating light filled the large area, giving me a better look at my surroundings. I kept the light low, hoping to keep from alarming the people who were still sleeping inside. I tiptoed quietly, tripping over a few area rugs strategically placed throughout the hardwood floors. I needed to find a computer, or some sort of cellular device I could track my sister down with. Sure enough I located the items I was looking for, only to discover they were all in the master bedroom, sitting on a charging station on a corner desk. I turned off my flashlight and waited a few minutes, just to make sure if they’d seen the flash of the light they’d gone back to sleep thinking they were dreaming. It only took me but a second to grab one phone and a wallet before exiting the room. After taking a bottle of spring water from the kitchen countertop, and leaving the wallet, minus sixty bucks on the table, I hauled ass out the door I’d entered in, never turning back to see if anyone was following.
Chapter 6
The couple would awake and wonder, but they wouldn’t be in danger. Like I mentioned before, I wasn’t interested in harming people, unless they got in my way.
I drank half the contents of my water bottle before I made it the first mile. I only know it was around that amount of walking because nearly twelve minutes had passed by.
I was approaching a residential neighborhood, and so was the early morning sun, peeping out from the horizon. The ground was wet, as were my shoes and socks. My ankles itched, and I didn’t dare look down to see what had hitched a ride on me as I’d been walking.
While I sat down to take a break and use the phone, I thought about Mikael. A part of me felt guilty for what he would go through because of his involvement with me. With any luck he’d use that brain of his to construe a story believable enough to make people think I’d threatened his life in some way. With a bit of effort he’d get himself out, by throwing me under the bus and putting an all points bulletin out to police for my immediate return.
I had to act fast. Time was running out for me.
Before I could do anything else, I had to figure out exactly where I was, so I could get to where I needed to be. I pulled out the fully charged cellular device and brought up my location on a map application. According to the screen I was about fifteen miles away from my parents home. It was six in the morning, and with some luck, Mikael wouldn’t alarm the institution I was missing until his shift was about to begin.
I used the address of the first home I came to and called for a cab. While I impatiently waited for it to show up, I began searching for Stoshua and Willow – an address, or some kind of news referring to where they were living.
Since I had a good feeling my parents visited them often, I knew they couldn’t have been very far. They’d never spoken of flights, or making long road trips. At first I found nothing. I searched Stoshua’s full name. I searched the website of his father’s company. I searched his parent’s zip code, and then went on to my sister.
When the cab showed up I’d gotten nowhere with locating them. Figuring I still had to go to my parent’s house to retrieve my emergency stash of items, I’d wait for them to leave and search the house for an address for them.
The taxi driver couldn’t have cared less what I was wearing. He’d assumed I’d come out of the house I was still crouched down in front of. I gave him the location of a nearby business park, adjacent to my parent’s neighborhood, just in case police would get involved in my search. I couldn’t lead them right to me, and I wasn’t about to make stupid mistakes so early on. He began to drive and he sipped at a steaming cup of coffee as we took off down the road.
I remained skimming search engines for a hint of where my sister and Stoshua had settled down. After coming up with nothing at all, I sat back and enjoyed the scenery, watching as local establishments I’d once been familiar with had changed names or been torn down. So much had occurred in three years. I almost didn’t recognize where we were headed.
The cab driver pulled up in the parking lot and told me what I owed him. I handed him the cash and climbed out of the car, pretending I was making a call while he headed on his way. Once he was gone, I made a beeline for the trees, knowing my parent’s community backed up to them.
Since I approached from the rear of the yard, I made sure to keep a look out for someone standing in the kitchen or eating at the breakfast bar. My parents had always been early risers, both of them being surgeons. Usually, by this time of morning, they were already off to the hospital. I crept to the side of the yard, ducking down so the neighbors wouldn’t spot me. When I reached the crawl space access panel, I pulled it ajar and climbed inside. The plastic liner on the floor had some standing water in it. The sump pump was running in the far corner, telling me they’d probably had a bit of rain within the past few days. I could feel the water going into my shoes, making a squishing sound as I stepped. When I got to the other side of the home, I lifted up into the wooden ceiling boards and felt around. The duffel bag was easy to locate, but hard to find if anyone were to go looking. I made sure there were no electrical or plumbing lines, just in case they’d hired a contractor, who would in turn discover my emergency stash.
Since it was wet in the crawlspace, I climbed back out and retrieved my extra house key I’d hidden years ago while in high school, in case Willow forgot to put the other one back. I snuck out a lot as a teen and wanted to make sure I’d never get caught.
If my parents knew me at all, the first thing they would have changed was the locks, but I knew better than to assume my mother would have time to take away from her busy life to schedule something like that, especially since they suspected I wasn’t capable of escaping the institution.
I peeked through the glass doors of the garage, finding both vehi
cles were gone. Then I made my way to the side door. More than likely, my parents would forget to change the locks on this particular door. Half the time they forgot to lock it. It was between a set of hedges, and led into the study, which no one ever went in. My parents would use it when they worked late and didn’t want to disturb the family. We’d come downstairs and find one of them asleep on the uncomfortable leather couch they kept in the room.
The familiar smell was actually welcoming. I took in the room, noticing nothing had changed. Pictures of my childhood were still displayed on several shelves. There was even some of a little toddler I was dying to meet. I picked one up and stared at her, imagining what it would be like to hold her in my arms and love her forever. Her strawberry blonde hair was full of curls, and she was smiling at a bunch of bubbles flying around. I shoved the picture in my bag and continued roaming around the house, hoping I could take a shower and change my clothes.
I didn’t waste precious time looking through my old room. For obvious reasons, time was crucial.
As I pulled my hair back in one of my father’s ball caps, I heard the doorbell ring. I came down the stairs halfway and peered out the large above window. A vehicle I recognized was parked out front, telling me exactly who the person at the door was. His loud knocking startled me, causing me to place my hand over my heart. “I know you’re in there, Ivy. I’ve called the police. They’re already on the way. Come back with me and I’ll do my best to protect you.”
I thought about dashing out the back door and through the woods like I’d done before, but something inside me told me Mikael was bluffing. As of right now he still had his job. Alarming the police would only put his career in jeopardy.
I walked down the stairs, taking my time, fully aware I still had to root through my parent’s things to get a location on my sister. With my hand on the doorknob, I knew this was going to either be the best decision for the situation, or the worst.
Twinsequences Ivy Page 4
