Survival Games

by J. E. Taylor

  “You have a son?” Tom asked.

  Jessica nodded. “And a daughter.”

  “Tell me about them,” he said, still holding her next to him.

  “Eric and Emily,” she began and smiled. “Em is thirteen. She is a handful. Smart, too smart for her own good, but she is also a bit sly, so we have to watch out for her. If she is anything like I was, we are in for a wild ride.” She sighed, wiping her eyes. “Eric, Eric is my angel boy. He is seven and has such a good heart. He is going to be a different type of handful, because he is such a little cutie, all the girls love him. He is going to break hearts when he gets older.” She started to cry. “I’m not so sure I’m going to be there to see it.” He pulled her closer and the hum of the shower ceased. “I miss them,” Jessica whispered and covered her face, turning into him, burying her head in his shoulder, trembling with unshed tears. He wrapped both arms around her.

  * * * *

  Ty walked out, and his heart dropped. Tom looked up still holding her tight. His eyes warned not to come closer and Ty heeded the warning.

  The door opened, tearing his attention away from Tom and Jessica. He met Marian’s glare. Her swift placement of the tray and subsequent scramble out the door didn’t give him much of a chance to reason with her, but he tried anyway. “Wait.”

  She hesitated, the hatred visible on her face. “You killed my father.” She closed the door.

  Tom stood and retrieved the tray. He brought it over to Jessica.

  “Ty needs some too,” she said.

  “Why?” Tom asked in frustration.

  “Because,” Jessica answered and looked at him. “Whether we like it or not, he is stuck in here, just like we are and I’m not going to just sit here while he starves to death.”

  Tom shook his head. “I can’t forgive him as easily as you can. He killed my wife.”

  “I haven’t forgiven him and I certainly don’t expect you to,” she said. “But that doesn’t make it right to hurt him either.”

  Tom stared into her eyes and nodded.

  Ty had been leaning against the far wall when he heard her say she hadn’t forgiven him, his legs gave way and he slowly sank to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  Jessica brought her portion of the breakfast over to Ty. “I know you are.” She sat next to him with the plate. She ate a small portion and handed him the remaining food.

  “You need more than that, Jess.”

  * * * *

  “I’m good.” She got up and started to pace back and forth lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts of Ty, thoughts of Mike, thoughts of her life before all this, occasionally she’d send a glance their way. Both of them were watching her with rapt attention, for lack of anything else to do.

  It was way to quiet in the room. She looked up at the camera. “Any way we could get some tunes?” she asked and continued pacing. Music filled the room and she stopped sending a nod of thanks in the direction of the camera. The track was familiar; it was what Ty played for her every day. Her lips curved in a sad smile.

  Now instead of just pacing, her hips swayed softly to the tune, her skirt swishing with each about face. No longer were her hands clasped behind her back, now they floated by her side, graceful arcs motivated by the tune. “Calling All Angels” started and she stole a glance in Ty’s direction as the melody escaped her lips, singing, she twirled, tilting her head back, looking more like Dorothy Hamel twirling on the ice than a woman in a concrete prison.

  The effect on Ty was immediate. He stood up and had her in his arms in a matter of seconds, his hands in her hair and his lips pressed to hers. She pushed him away at the same time that Tom yanked him from her.

  “No,” Tom said inserting himself between the two of them.

  “It’s okay,” Jessica said and put her hand on his shoulder.

  “No it isn’t.” Tom looked at her. His blue eyes warned her not to push and there was something else there too.

  Ty recognized the hunger in Tom’s eyes. “You want her too,” he said in disbelief.

  Tom looked back at Ty but didn’t say a word. “I told you not to go near her. You have done enough.”

  Ty took a threatening step toward Tom and it was Jessica who stopped him.

  “Don’t,” she warned stepping around Tom. She looked back and forth between them. “Just stop this.” She put her hands on both their chests, holding them at bay.

  “I can take care of myself,” she said to Tom.

  Ty smugly smiled at him in response, until she turned and looked at him.

  “You don’t get to do that anymore,” she said.

  His smile vanished.

  It was Tom’s turn to smile.

  “Go clean up,” she said to Tom, catching the smug smile on his lips.

  He looked down at her and back up at Ty.

  “Go,” she whispered and he did. He left her alone with Ty.

  They watched him leave the room and heard the shower turn on. She looked back at Ty; her hand was still on his chest. Just touching him made her ache for him. He stepped closer.

  “Ty,” she sighed and looked up at him. He went to kiss her and she pulled away.

  Anger flashed in his eyes and he yanked her close.

  She had seen that look before and it had come with the words, I can have you any time, any way I want. She flinched and pushed him away. “No.”

  “Yes,” he said and pressed her up against the wall. His lips crushed hers and he tangled his hand in her hair, the other sliding between her legs.

  Instead of fighting him, she just stood there, unwilling to respond to his touch, even though every fiber screamed for him, every cell wanted him. She swiped his hand away, mumbling “no” under the pressure of his lips.

  He slowly pulled back, taking a step away from her. “I lost you, didn’t I?”

  She shook her head and a single tear slipped out of her eye. “You can’t lose what you never had.”

  * * * *

  The crushing blow of her words buckled his knees and he dropped in front of her, hanging his head in defeat. His shoulders shook, hot tears burned his throat and what remained of his heart died, sealing itself in a gray tomb much like the concrete prison surrounding him.

  His pain seared her. She felt his heartbreak and the devastation that clouded his mind and she couldn’t help herself. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him and slowly ran her fingers through his hair.

  In that moment, in her arms, Ty Aris ceased to exist in his solitary self-centered world and he knew without a shadow of a doubt, he would die for her if that’s what it took to save her.

  * * * *

  When Tom came out of the bathroom, Jessica was back to singing softly and pacing and Ty was lying on the mattress with his eyes closed.

  “This is surreal,” Tom commented.

  Jessica stopped and looked at him. His hair was wet and hand-combed back, he had rough stubble from not shaving and the combination with his blue eyes looked really good. He was wearing a white button down shirt that he hadn’t bothered to button and jeans that Marian had brought for him. As he walked toward her, he rolled his sleeves up.

  “I need to move.” Jessica said, explaining her pacing. “There was a treadmill in the room before,” she continued. “I got used to running.”

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “It’s a free country,” she said looking at him like the question was absurd.

  He started pacing with her and after a while, she cracked a smile.

  “What?” he asked, smiling as well.

  “This is surreal,” she agreed with his earlier comment.

  Ty had opened his eyes when he heard Jessica’s voice. They looked ridiculous pacing back and forth next to each other. “Do you know how stupid you look?”

  “Fuck off,” Tom snapped, his smile evaporating.

  “My restlessness is your fault.” Jessica pointed at him.

  Ty sat up shrugging with his arms out. “How is it my fault?”


  “Uh, the daily run you made me do.”

  Ty laughed. “For the last few months you’ve been doing that on your own.”

  Jessica sent a glare in his direction. “What else did I have to do?” She turned and disappeared into the bathroom.

  * * * *

  Ty sighed. He glanced at Tom for a second then back to the bathroom doorway reminding himself that he would never have her again. His smile vanished slowly.

  “If you love her that much, tell me how to get her out of here.”

  Jessica came back in the room.

  Ty took a deep breath. “You can’t get out of here,” he said. “Doors operate on fingerprints and mine are obviously not ones that are in the system any more. I’ve tried both doors.” He paused. “The elevator has a higher level of security. Retinal scans and once you are inside, you need the key to operate it. There were only four scans that were approved for access. Chris, Frank, Marian and mine. There are cameras in every room and in the hallways, so monitoring activity didn’t require more than one of us at a time. The only place there aren’t cameras is the control room. That is where everything is recorded, edited, packaged and sent out.” He looked at the two of them. “I designed the place, there is no way out, unless you have someone’s eyes and a key. The only other way is to get access to the security system and that ain’t happening either.”

  Jessica and Tom looked at each other.

  “Why not?” Tom asked.

  “Because the security system is in Frank’s office, which is three stories above us on the ground floor of the warehouse. No one but the four of us knew this was down here and no one we ever brought down left alive.” He looked at them.

  “How many have there been?” Jessica asked.

  Ty shrugged and studied his fingers, picking at a hangnail.

  “How many are here now?” Jessica asked.

  Ty held up three fingers, raising his eyes to hers.

  Jessica looked at him for a long time. He held her gaze. “Where is this place?” she asked.

  “Just outside Albany. Ever hear of Aris Technologies?”

  Aris was one of the most successful privately owned communications companies in the world. She had worked with several companies who wanted to buy it. “Yes.” She nodded. “Why?”

  “Frank owns it.”

  “Holy shit,” Jessica said gaping at him.

  “What? Holy shit what?” Tom asked.

  “Frank is richer than God,” Jessica said and pondered this information. “Which means you aren’t hurting either.” Her face hardened a fraction.

  Ty shook his head and laughed. “No. Chris and I weren’t accounted for in the old man’s will but Frank took care of us anyway. At some level, we were grateful, but now looking back, I guess we would have been better off somewhere else. Money and power, that’s what it’s all about, at least that’s what my stepfather and Frank grilled into us. I never cared about the money.” Ty paused and closed his eyes. “But power.” He laughed. “Power. That was something I wanted. Maybe it’s because I was so powerless growing up. This little side venture gave me ultimate power.” He opened his eyes and looked at Jessica. “Frank told me what the customers wanted and I, up until you came along, was just fine with providing them with their black market videos. He let me have, um, creative control, but the bottom line was he ultimately called the shots. I do have to admit being in control, having that level of power was such a rush.”

  “You’re a sick bastard,” Tom said.

  Ty nodded and smiled a little. “Yeah, well, being on the other side sucks,” he said and looked around the room.

  “There has to be a way,” Jessica said, ignoring this little exchange.

  Ty looked over at her. “I’m working on it,” he said. “I’m working on it.”

  Chapter 52

  The next morning when Marian opened the door to bring in the food, Jessica was standing near the opening. Marian jumped in surprise and pulled out the gun she usually hid behind the tray.

  The men were still asleep.

  “Back off bitch,” Marian said, leveling the gun at Jessica.

  Jessica stepped back. “Um, I need something,” she whispered.

  Marian stared at her as she set the tray down.

  Jessica tilted her head and widened her eyes. “Period?”

  Marian’s face slowly registered understanding and she nodded.

  “Could I also have a couple more outfits for us too?” Jessica pushed.

  Marian nodded and closed the door. A few minutes later, she came back with what Jessica asked for. Jessica said “Thank you” as she picked up the box and clothing that Marian put on the floor for her.

  She took the items and went into the bathroom, showered and dressed in the shorts and tee shirt Marian brought. When she came out both Ty and Tom were awake. Tom had taken his half of the breakfast and left hers. Ty hadn’t touched anything. Jessica walked over, took the apple off the plate, and handed Ty the rest.

  He closed his eyes. “Jess, you need more than just an apple.” He handed back the plate.

  “Not today,” she said. “I’m not feeling that great.” She had killer cramps and didn’t want to eat. “I need to move.” She began her restless pacing.

  “Will you stop that?” Ty snapped at Jessica.

  “This is your fault so just shut up,” Jessica snapped back.

  “How is your not being able to sit still for five minutes my fault?” Ty inquired as he dug into the food, repeating the conversation from the day before.

  She shot a glare in his direction.

  Ty finished off the breakfast sandwich and got up, putting the empty plate back on the tray by the door. He stretched and turned, watching her pace. “Stop.” He grabbed her arm as she passed him again.

  Tom shot to his feet.

  Jessica looked at the hand on her arm and back up at Ty. “Let go.”

  “Stop pacing,” he warned.

  “Or what?” Jessica ripped her arm from his grasp and continued to pace.

  * * * *

  Ty looked at the ceiling silently asking for patience. He glanced over at Tom who looked like he was ready to pounce if he made the wrong move. “Cool your jets scout,” he shot at Tom. “I’m not going to touch her.”

  “You’d better not.” Tom warned and sat back keeping his gaze on the brewing storm.

  Ty looked at the mirrored wall and then around the room for anything. When his eyes landed on the tray, he glanced back at the mirror. He leaned down and picked up the tray, dumping the empty plates on the ground wondering if what he was thinking would work. He crossed the room and walked along the mirror counting out his steps. When he was three quarters of the way down the wall, he stepped back and pitched the tray with everything he had. The tray bounced off the mirror and hit him in the shin. “Shit!” he swore, hopping away and limping off the sting in his shin.

  Jessica stopped pacing and just stared at him.

  Ty picked up the tray again and this time swung it like a baseball bat at the mirror. The impact echoed through the room and Ty felt it reverb all the way up his arms. “Goddamnit,” he swore, looking at the undamaged glass. He turned and pitched the tray at the door, the anger and frustration getting the best of him. “Marian, let me the fuck out of this room,” he bellowed at the camera.

  “Not on your life,” the response boomed through the speakers.

  “Fucking bitch!” Ty glared and then disappeared into the bathroom.

  Ty leaned over the sink with his head down and when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head, meeting Jessica’s concerned gaze.

  “What?” he snapped.

  Jessica put her hands up. “Just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

  Ty looked down again. “Well I’m not. I’m about as far from all right as you are,” he answered as his eyes found hers. And it’s my fucking fault, if I hadn’t said anything we wouldn’t be here right now. The muscles in his jaw tightened and his tee
th ground together in frustration. He stood up.

  “You don’t know that,” Jessica said.

  “The hell I don’t. I would have gotten you out, Jess,” he stated.

  Jessica’s mouth dropped.

  “I was going to get you out of here,” he said again, his anger ebbing away at the look on her face.

  “Ty,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.

  Ty walked to her and looked down into her strange eyes. “Happy birthday,” he said. “I’m sorry this isn’t the gift I planned for you.” He leaned down, kissed her cheek, and then retreated into the main room, leaving her standing with her mouth hanging open in the entrance to the bathroom.

  * * * *

  Jessica wandered to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She looked at her reflection and back at the doorway. “If you were going to get me out of here,” she began as she walked out of the bathroom. “Why the hell did you yank him out of his life?” She pointed at Tom.

  “I needed a diversion.”

  “Do you honestly think I would have let you sacrifice an innocent man to get me out of here?” she balked.

  He sighed. “You wouldn’t have ever known he was here.”

  Jessica’s jaw tightened and she looked over at Tom. She glanced back at the man who destroyed her life. “You son of a bitch,” she swore and launched herself at him.

  Ty grabbed her swinging arm and swiveled her around, taking hold of her opposite arm as she struggled, screaming in his grip with her back to him. All of the frustration, fear, and anger that had built up over the past six months blew out in a snarling wail. Jessica thrashed in his grasp until her throat was raw and her snarl turned into a sob.

  * * * *

  He sent a warning glance in Tom’s stopping him from coming any closer. A strange blend of remorse and sorrow gripped him and he watched her struggle furiously in his arms, growling and spouting swears.

  Jesus, I did this to you.

  Jessica stared to sob and Ty let go of her arms. She surprised him, spinning around and burying her head in his chest. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and kissing the top of her head. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. “I’m sorry.” He combed his fingers through her hair and glanced at Tom.