Fallen Angel, Part 1

by Podger, Tracie

  I heard his footsteps but I was already at the front door. I grabbed what I thought would be the right keys and headed for the woods. I could only hope I would lose him there and activate as many cameras as possible.

  I sprinted across the drive. The gravel dug into the soles of my feet. I ran through the trees and out of sight before he could fire his gun. I heard him curse and I kept on running, the sun was setting and rain had started to fall. I doubted I would find my way in the dark but could only hope that neither could he.

  I heard him behind me grateful for the little distance I had on him. I also heard him fall; his damaged knee was not supporting him. I stopped and listened, my heart hammered in my chest but he got up and I heard him search, pushing branches, and the undergrowth around, cursing, before he continued after me.

  “You can’t outrun me, Brooke. When I find you, I’m going to cut your throat, something your boyfriend wanted to do to me once,” he called out laughing.

  A chill ran up my spine at the sound of his voice. The fear I felt was immense, but I knew I had to stay calm if I wanted to live. I weaved around the woods hoping I would not get lost. Branches scratched my face as I pushed my way through. A couple of times I stopped to listen; I could hear sounds, rustling, but couldn’t be sure where he was, or if indeed it was him, I was hearing. I stopped running and walked as quietly as I could, moving from tree to tree and keeping under as much cover as possible. I tried to make sure every camera I passed saw me. I thanked God when I saw them move, following me. Someone was coming; all I had to do was stay alive until then.

  I was conscious not to double back at any time. I had no idea how large the wood was, would I at some point come to a boundary fence and what would I do? I doubted it would be something I could climb over. I knew I’d strayed off the path to the gun room, it wouldn’t have taken that long, and I guessed I had been moving a good twenty minutes although it felt like hours. I thanked my time in the gym for my fitness but I was so scared and that made my heart beat quicker, tiring me faster.

  I remembered the two buildings I had seen in my walk, if I could make my way there I might be able to back track to the gunroom. For the first time I was glad I’d had that small amount of practice. There was no way I was capable of shooting someone but if I had a gun, maybe he wouldn’t shoot me, it would be a standoff until someone found us.

  “Please, follow me,” I whispered to each camera as I passed, making sure I looked directly at it.

  The cameras would move, side to side, it was a signal, something to say they knew where I was.

  Finally in the dim light, I could make out the shape of the gunroom, could I make it that far? I reached the door and with shaking hands, unlocked it. I didn’t know the alarm code and hoped that it was a silent one; I didn’t want to give away where I was. Without turning on the light, I felt my way around.

  “Fuck,” I whispered, every cabinet was locked; of course they would be.

  I fumbled around a little trying to think, what had I seen Robert do. I tried the keys in my hand, first one then another until eventually, a click and the door to a metal cabinet opened. I reached inside and my hand touched the cold steel of a small revolver, similar to the one I had used. I turned to a shelf, bullets. I needed bullets and grabbed what I thought I recognised.

  “Okay, think,” I said to myself, unlock the chamber; slide the bullets in.

  My hands shook so much that I dropped most of them. The noise echoed as the metal casings hit the concrete floor. I stilled, holding my breath, listening for any sounds, any sign of him. The click as the chamber shut seemed so loud and reminded me what I was planning to do. To raise a gun to someone, I had to be able to pull the trigger, could I do that? That was something I couldn’t answer, I would have to wait and see. Forget about what I’d first thought, a standoff, that man would shoot me if I didn’t shoot him first.

  I quietly made my way out, praying that someone would get to me and quick, they knew where I was. My heart beat so hard I believed it could be heard, and I tried to take some deep breaths to steady it as I crept my way over to the range. Perhaps I could hide there, but as I made my way over, a hand shot out from behind a tree and grabbed my hair, dragging me backwards. I kicked out and tried to raise the gun around my side, could I get a shot this way? I pulled the trigger, more in panic than anything. A shot rang out but too wide, missing him completely. I felt a punch to my back jolting my body forwards and then he kicked my knees away and forced me to the floor. I still held onto the gun, my hand gripped it so hard my fingernails had embedded in my palm.

  I screamed, twisted, and turned to loosen his grip from my hair. I raised the gun above my head and before I had a chance to do anything, he grabbed my wrist, bending it back. I heard, as well as felt, the snap of a bone and the gun fell to the floor. He kicked it away and dragged me to my feet, then slammed me into something hard. His hand was around my throat pinning me against a tree.

  His face was so close to mine, and his eyes so full of anger that I didn’t want to look at him. As the moon cast its glow through the trees, I saw a glint of something shiny in his hand, a knife. I stilled for a moment, staring at the shiny object in front of my face, its serrated edge was so close to my eye.

  He was too close for me to defend myself. I tried to push him away but he was strong. I tried to bring my knee up to his groin but he moved closer, his body pinned mine. It sickened me to feel his erection push into my stomach. I placed hands over his and clawed, trying to pull it away from my throat as his grip tightened. I tried to punch but the more I fought, the harder it became to breath.

  He took the knife and deliberately, and slowly, drew it down across my eyebrow. It was a small cut, but one deep enough to scar. Blood dripped into my eye blurring my vision. The strange thing was, I felt no pain, just a crushing fear.

  “Robert will appreciate the significance of that,” he said, laughing.

  “He took what was mine, now I’ll take what’s his,” he spat at me.

  I stilled, my body was shocked to the core.

  “Joey, what are you doing?” I asked as calmly as I could, my voice was raspy.

  That startled him, “Don’t you speak my name, bitch,” he said. “He took what was mine.”

  “Joey, your sister will be here any minute. How do you think she will feel, seeing what you’re doing?”

  “My sister, that fucking whore? She took his side a long time ago.”

  Keep him talking I thought.

  “She talked about you the other day, she hasn’t taken anyone’s side, Joey.”

  I’d seen enough shows on TV, keep using his name, get him to relate to me, but I had no idea if it would work.

  “What did she say, eh? Did she tell you how our father shoved me aside for your boyfriend? Did she tell you how he beat me, left me in a pool of my own blood? How he threaten to cut my throat, did she tell you any of that?” he screamed at me.

  “No, she said how proud she was of you, starting out on your own,” I lied as the tears coursed down my cheeks.

  He raised the knife and placed the tip of it against my cheek. I felt a prick and a dribble of blood.

  “Do you know what I’m going to do, Brooke? I’m going to cut you from ear to ear, watch you bleed out. You’ll know you’re dying; you’ll feel your life’s blood draining out. I’ve waited for over ten years for this.”

  I whimpered, “Please, don’t do this, Joey. This won’t get your business back. Robert will spend the rest of his life hunting you down; you know that. What about Gabby?”

  “Gabby, she was just someone I used to find out about you. You came along at just the right time, an Achilles heel. You were so dumb, so much easier to get to, wanting to walk everywhere, dine out with your friends, little Miss Independent.”

  He was mad, stark raving mad. I didn’t think there was any reasoning with him and right there in that woods, with the rain falling on my face, I knew I was about to die.

  Thoughts of Robert flood
ed my brain, those images. It could have been the adrenalin; it could have been real. I pictured his dark eyes, the little flecks of silver I saw every now and again when he relaxed. I could smell him and I could feel him. Our souls, so entwined, were part of each other, true soul mates. Not even death would separate us. I thanked God for the short time I’d had with him.

  Joey placed the knife to my neck, and I felt it pierce my skin. A small trickle of hot blood ran down. My heart hammered so hard in my chest I could only hope I would have a heart attack first. I was too afraid to cry and too afraid to look at him. I closed my eyes waiting for the pain I thought I would feel. I wondered what it would be like, to have your life’s blood leave your body, how slow would be it, how long before my heart stopped and how aware I would be. I prayed silently in my head and then I screamed out.

  “I love you, Robert.”

  I heard a noise, a kind of dull thud, and felt a splatter of something hot on my face. Still I stood, with my eyes closed. The pressure on my throat lessened a little and finally I looked. The face in front of me registered shock; eyes were wide open and I saw a piece of skull missing, blood oozed down his face. For a moment I couldn’t take my eyes away from the horror of what I saw. I looked up. Robert was standing behind him with a gun in his hand, the muzzle was just millimetres away from Joey’s head. The grip on my neck released, and his hand dragged down my chest as he fell at my feet.

  I couldn’t get my breath, I gasped for air and my vision blurred. I heard noises everywhere, feet running towards me, lights from torches flashed wildly around. Finally, I opened my mouth and screamed and screamed, my voice was hoarse from his choking. I felt arms around me; I was being pulled into someone. I knew it was Robert from the feel of him, but all I could hear were my screams. I fought him, I punched him, and as his arms closed around me, I shut my eyes.

  The rain came down heavier and we stood in the middle of the woods. The water mingled with the blood and tears on my face.

  My legs gave way and I sunk to the floor, he crouched down with me. I kept my eyes closed but the image of that shattered face was stuck behind my eyelids. My whole body shook and at some point I moved my arms. My hands went to Robert’s chest and I gripped his shirt, pain shot through my broken wrist. My head fell onto his chest and as he bent down to my ear, he whispered to me.

  “Baby, it’s over, I need to get you out of here.”

  “I felt you,” the only words I uttered.

  I couldn’t move, my legs were paralysed with fear so he picked me up and carried me. I buried my face in his wet shirt, hearing voices and movement all around. I could hear the crunch of gravel under Robert’s feet and knew we were back at the house, and then it quietened. I felt Robert place me on the bed and I curled up into a ball, too shocked to even cry. My body wouldn’t stop shaking, and I was so cold, cold to my bones. He wrapped a comforter around me.

  I heard someone come into the room; there was whispered voices and then silence. At some point I opened my eyes and I saw Robert kneeling at the side of the bed, his head in his hands. I saw a tear fall through his fingers and I lifted my hand to brush it away, he raised his head and I looked into his reddened eyes.

  “Oh, Brooke, I thought I’d lost you,” he said, his voice caught in his throat.

  I couldn’t speak, I wanted to but no words came out. Instead, I let the tears fall and held onto his hand. I pulled it to my face and cradled it against me. He climbed on the bed next to me. He pulled me to him and the heat of his body radiating though his wet shirt warmed me.

  At some point someone came into the room. I didn’t know how long I’d been there, it was still dark outside, but I had no idea of time. My clothes and my hair had dried, my lips were cracked, and still I couldn’t speak. With glazed over eyes, I saw a man come to the bed, a hypodermic in his hand.

  I felt a prick in the crook of my arm and with Robert stroking my hair, a wave of nothingness washed over me. I welcomed it, maybe I was dying, but whatever it was I welcomed it. It stilled the screaming in my head, it wiped out the sight of that shattered face and I closed my eyes.

  ****

  I don’t know how long I slept, but when my eyelids eventually fluttered open I ached all over. Someone had undressed me, I had on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and I felt a sting above my eye. I raised my hand to touch it, the weight of a cast on my wrist made my arm feel heavy. Robert jumped up; he had pulled a chair close to the bed. He ran to the door and shouted that I’d woken, the loudness of his voice made me wince.

  “Baby, please tell me you’re okay,” he said gently, leaning over the bed to me.

  I raised my hand again to my head, felt the stitches on my brow.

  “Don’t touch, it’s just a few stitches, can you talk to me?” he asked.

  “Oh, Robert,” I croaked, as the bedroom door opened.

  Evelyn came in with the man I thought I might have seen earlier; she had a glass of water and they helped me to sit up. Robert held the glass to my dry lips.

  “Brooke, I’m Dr. James. I need to just check you over, is that okay?” the man said.

  I nodded.

  His gentle fingers checked the stitches and the cut to the back of my head where it had hit the tree, the nick to my neck and cheek. He took my blood pressure and listened to my heartbeat.

  “You’ll have a sore head for a couple of days and your wrist is broken. It was a simple break, so I set it in a cast, but I would like to come back tomorrow, if that’s okay,” he said. Robert showed him to the bedroom door, talking quietly to him.

  Robert sat to one side of me, and Evelyn on the edge of the bed.

  “How long have I been asleep?” I asked. My voice became a little stronger with the sips of water, but my throat felt so bruised.

  Stroking my hair and pushing it away from my face, Robert said, “A couple of days.”

  “It was Mark, he helped them,” I said, fresh tears pooled in my eyes.

  “I know baby, but don’t talk about it now. Let’s get you stronger first. Can you eat something?” he asked and I nodded.

  He didn’t leave my side. I ate, I drunk a cup of tea, and I cried. He wiped away my tears and held me to his chest. We sat that way for what seemed like hours, him whispering words of comfort.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” I said, and he helped me get out of the bed.

  He walked me to the bathroom and stayed while I peed. My legs and back ached, I guessed from the punches, the kicks, and probably from sleeping for so long.

  “Can we go upstairs?” I asked.

  I wanted to walk a little, loosen up, and he nodded at me. He helped me pull off the shorts and replaced them with my joggers.

  “For the first time in my life, Brooke, I was so fucking scared,” he whispered, his voice cracked. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “I felt you, I knew you were there,” I said.

  He looked at me, nodded, and kissed me, so gently.

  We made our way slowly upstairs. Travis came rushing over, and with his hands on my shoulders, he kissed my forehead, I smiled.

  Sitting on the sofa, I asked, “What happened?” I needed to know, closure I guessed.

  “When you ran across the room, it triggered the camera. One of the guys from security immediately triggered the alarms. We got here as fast as we could, and I guarantee I get a speeding ticket now,” Travis said.

  “We watched you kick the shit out of him, we can watch the cameras on the monitor in the car so we knew where you were. You did good, Brooke,” he finished.

  “What about Gabby?” I asked.

  “Mack found her in the woods, she was trying to find a way out. She told him everything. Joey had been following our businesses for some time, at first he hoped to have found something there, maybe blackmail us, who knows. When he couldn’t he changed direction, getting Gabby to take the photos and send them to us. He had befriended her at the hotel; got her to transfer to the office once he learned about you to see what she could find out. I�
�m so sorry, Brooke,” he finished and I could see that he was, sorry.

  “He shot Mark in the chest, in front of us,” I said, the memory painful.

  “Why did Mark help him?”

  “We won’t know, but everyone has a price,” Robert said, sadly.

  I didn’t want to know what happened to Gabby.

  “I thought I was going to die,” I said quietly.

  “It’s over, Brooke. He can’t hurt you now.”

  “What was the significance of this?” I said, touching the stitches on my eyebrow.

  “He said you would appreciate the significance.”

  Robert looked at me, then Travis. He closed his eyes but shook his head. Travis left and, Robert turned to me, his fingers ran down my cheek.

  “If you want to leave me, Brooke, I’ll understand, I won’t like it. I love you, I always will, but I’ll understand. You didn’t deserve to get caught up in this,” he said sadly.

  We sat quietly for a while.

  “That wasn’t the first time you’ve killed someone, was it?” I asked.

  He closed his eyes for a moment. “No, no it wasn’t.”

  I nodded gently, “I’m glad,” I said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A couple of days later, I was curled up on the sofa with my feet tucked under me, and logs blazed in the hearth, warming the room. I had my books, magazines, and Evelyn fussing over me like a mother would. I thought back to the previous night, how tender and caring Robert had been. I needed him to make love to me, to erase the memories of the past couple of days. He hadn’t wanted to at first, he was worried he would hurt me. My back, legs, and neck were still bruised, my face was scratched from running through the woods, and the stitches still stung from where Joey had cut my face, split my eyebrow.

  I needed Robert; I needed our lovemaking. I needed him to know I was not going anywhere, despite what I knew about him, and despite someone from Robert’s dangerous past trying to kill me.