After I rinse off, I finally get out. Ty has given me a pair of his sweats and a shirt. “Jessica. Are you finished?” Ty knocks on the door. He and Sara must have been in the next room waiting.
Grabbing the towel and wrapping it around me securely I open the door a bit and peak out. “Yes.”
“Before you dress I need to change the bandages.”
“Okay.” Holding the towel in place I limp in the room.
Ty peels off the tape and the plastic wrap then finally the bandage. He cleans the area that I couldn’t wash and bandaging the wound again. He does the same with my arm. Sara comes out of the bathroom carrying my cloths. She and Ty quickly exits the room while I get dressed. It feels good to be able to wear something other than a sheet. Finally dressed I make my way back to the living room where Ty and Lazarus are making plans.
Sara comes out of the kitchen with an ice cream in her hand. She looks happy for someone who has gone through an ordeal as we have earlier. She walks up to me taking my hand. We stand there for a moment just watching Lazarus and Ty. They are whispering between themselves.
“Sara how would you like to help me with my hair?” Ty and Lazarus look up at the same time.
“Hey. Feel better?” Lazarus asks.
“Yes. Thank you.” Sara and I head to her room so that Lazarus and Ty can do whatever it is that they do. I’m sure whatever it is they don’t want me to know. Truthfully I don’t want to.
“Can I brush your hair?” Sara asks as she slurps on her ice cream.
“Only after you eat that.” I laugh.
Sara makes quick work of globing up her ice cream. She washes her hands then takes out her small hair brush. It will have to do. At this point I don’t care as long as it does the job. She pulls all my hair from around my shoulders and starts to brush. It pulls a little, but I don’t say anything. She does this for a while until it’s all brushed.
“Can I give you piggy tails?”
“How about a ponytail instead. Do you have a hair band?”
She jumps off the bed going to her drawer. She pulls out different colored bands bringing me a blue one. “I like this color.”
“That is a very pretty color.” She help me pull all my hair back and tie it in a ponytail. “How do I look?”
“Like a princess. That’s what Daddy calls me sometimes.”
“Well then little princess shall we go see what the guys are doing?”
Sara and I walk back to the living room. Ty and Lazarus stand. They have a funny look on their face. I look down at Sara then back to Ty and Lazarus. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Ty clears his throat, “umm…Tango has a chopper on the way. I need to pack a bag for Sara.” Ty says walking out of the room.
“What’s up with him?” I ask when he is out of ear shot.
“Umm…You look different.” Lazarus rubs the back of his neck.
I couldn’t look that much different. These two are acting weird. It makes me self-conscious. “I do?”
“Umm… I think Ty needs some help.” Lazarus walks out of the room leaving me more confused than ever.
What the hell is wrong with them? I look down at myself. Nothing different there except for Ty’s cloths. I had to tie the shirt in a knot at the bottom because it was so big and tie the sweats so they stayed up. Other than that I don’t see what the problem is. I shrug off the weirdness of the conversation and head to the kitchen.
It isn’t long until Tango has a chopper on the mountain. Ty is still looking at me strangely as well as Lazarus. Ty takes Sara in his arms and Lazarus helps me in the chopper. Once we are all in we head down the mountain. The ride is short and I’m glad. Once we are on the ground Ty rushes me and Sara in a waiting car.
“You are going to Colorado. Ash will be there with you at all times as well as Tango. No one will be able to get past them. Sylvia will be there as well and so will Dr. Bailey.”
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Don’t worry I will be there later tonight, you all are going ahead of us.”
“Daddy.” Sara looks lost.
“Don’t worry Munchkin I’ll be right behind you.” Ty reassures Sara.
He closes the door without a backwards glance. I don’t know why, but that felt worse than a slap in the face. Sara doesn’t cry this time, but she looks as sad as I feel. I don’t know what is about Ty that has my insides doing funny things. Maybe it’s where I have been through so much lately. Sara leans close to me snuggling into my side. She yawn closing her eyes. This is going to be a long ride. Whatever Ty and Lazarus was talking about must have something to do with him staying behind.
“You look different.” Tango says after we are on the road.
“How?”
“You…just do.” He says turning around
I’m starting to think I have entered the twilight zone. All of them are acting weird. I ignore his comment and close my eyes as well.
Vancard is standing over me laughing. He smells of alcohol. He is saying something, but I can’t make out the words. He kicks me hard in the ribs and I lose my breath. “Answer me bitch!” He yells in my face and I want to gage. He pulls me up by my hair to meet his face and kisses me hard. This time I do throw up. All over his shinny shoes. That earns me a slap to the face. William steps out of the shadows.
“That enough.” He walks over to me and I think he might actually save me from Vancard. William pulls me up to stand in front of him. He slaps me hard. “Answer the question.”
The question? I don’t remember them asking me anything. William holds my face firm in his hand making sure he has my attention. I try pulling away, but his grip is too firm. “Please.” I beg.
“Sorry honey. I need to know what you over heard.”
“Nothing. I didn’t hear anything!” I scream.
He slaps me hard across the face. My head whips around to the side. William drags me by my jacket to the corner of the building where a car is waiting. My arms slip out of the jacket I’m wearing as William drags me. He’s taking me somewhere. I don’t want to go. I know if I get in the car I’ll never be seen again. I’m free of him. I roll out of his reach coming to my feet. I run out of the ally and down the street. I run inside a building. Opening doors after doors.
No one is here. I need to find help. I hear foot steps behind me. I don’t want to turn around. I’m afraid if I do I will see William or Vancard. I run out the back of the building to a dead end. I scale up the wall and over to the Ally next to me. Vancard comes around the corner as I hit the ground. He reaches for me. I’m too quick. I duck around him planting my fist in his jaw. He laughs as if it’s a game we are playing.
I run up the Ally screaming, but no one hears me. Turning the corner I am on the street again. I run and run. I can’t breathe, my side is hurting, but I can’t slow down if I do they will catch me. I am in a parking lot now. I find the first car I come too. Smashing the window I break in the car. Keys. I need keys. I don’t have long until they catch up with me. I search everywhere and come up empty handed.
“Jessica! Jessica!” Tango? Why is Tango here? He shouldn’t be here. Where is he? A warm hand shakes me. It’s firm, but not threating. “Pull over.” He orders. Where is he? “Jessica! Jessica!” A tap to the face.
My eyes pop open wide. I was dreaming. Tango is in the back seat. Sara. Where is Sara? I look around frantic. “Sara!”
“I’m here.” She says from the front seat. She looks scared.
Shit I had that dream again. It felt so real. Tango wipes the sweat from my brow tenderly. Shit I didn’t mean to scare them. “Sorry about that.” I am embarrassed.
These dreams are starting to consume me. I feel drained and a little raw. Tango continues to sit next to me. “Sara. You can ride up front with Ash.”
She turns around putting her seat belt on. Ash pulls out on the road once again. This is too much. I liked Tango better when he was scowling at everyone. Not this side. “That was a bad one.” I say referring to the dr
eam.
“I know.”
I have no idea if I was screaming out or not. I feel as if I have been crying. My stuffy nose indicates I have. Reaching a shaky hand up, I wipe at my eyes. Tango is looking at me with concern and I wish he wouldn’t. “I need to talk to Sylvia.” She can help me make sense of what is going on in my head. Right now, I don’t know what to make of the dreams and what I remember. Things had to have been so much worse than I remember.
“She will meet us in Colorado.”
We ride in silence. I don’t want to talk right now. I just want to forget the dream, but it won’t go away. It’s still fresh in my mind. What did I overhear? Why was it so important that would make them want to hurt me? It had to be something really bad. Something that they didn’t want anyone else to know. Something that I didn’t agree with. I need to remember. Do I even want to? Yes I do. I want to know why they were trying to kill me. I need to know. Whatever it is, they can’t get away with it. They have to pay for what they have done to me and every other person out there. Vancard was an abusive man as I’m sure William is too.
We have been driving for hours I’m guessing. The sun is starting to rise over the horizon. Tango is looking out the window. He looks to be in deep thought. Sara and Ash are silent in the front. She looks back at me every so often. I always give her a smile to let her know I’m okay. I must have scared her. I feel bad that I couldn’t keep the dream to myself and she had to witness it. I lay my hand on her small little shoulder squeezing gently. She smiles at me. I want her to feel comfortable around me. I think she is a little skittish now that she has witnessed the bad dream that came out. Hell if I were in her shoes I would feel the same way. I must have looked and sounded like a mad woman.
“Pit stop.” Ash announces.
We pull in a gas station. Tango and Ash exits the car first. After they are satisfied that we weren’t followed Sara and I get out. We head to the ladies room. Sara holds my hand while Tango and Ash wait outside the restroom. I guess they don’t want us too far away. I’m glad for that. I don’t think Sara or I could handle another encounter with William.
Chapter 22
We are on the road again. This time Sara and I are in the back seat with Tango driving and Ash on the passenger side. “We will be meeting up with Ty and Lazarus in the next hour. We will be staying at a hotel on the out skirts of town for a couple of hours.” Tango inform us. He doesn’t mention the name of the place where we will be staying at. I guess we need to rest before continuing our journey. I feel a little relived that Ty will be there. He must not be too far behind us. I don’t understand why he didn’t ride with Sara and me.
Ash has a map out looking over it. I get a glimpse of it. Red lines are marked in different areas. I know the thing wasn’t made that way. He must have drawn them on there. I feel as if we are running. Does William know where we are? What has he already done to Aaron? I know Ty will do everything he can to get her back. He can say whatever he wants, but I know he cares deeply for her. He is blaming himself for William taking Aaron. It wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I should have insisted that William take me instead.
William knew exactly who I was when he saw me. He called me by my name. Jessica Martin. He had a look in his eye that chilled me to the bone. His smile was fighting and his cold brown eyes look hollow, as if he has no sole. The first time I met him his hair had been longer. He had since gotten it cut. He seems so much talker now than he did then. He still holds himself in a confidant way, but he seems much more…arrogant then before.
We pull up at a hotel and I’m not surprised it looks abandon. The sign is hanging down and looks as if it’s going to fall at any moment. The siding is green with mold covering one side. No other cars are parked in the parking lot. Tango drives to the back, parking out of sight. I wonder how long it’s going to be before Ty makes it here. I don’t want to ask. I don’t want Ash or Tango getting the wrong idea. I do have a thing for Ty, but I would rather not admit it just yet. As Aaron had warned me he still has feeling for her and I believe her. He is doing everything he can right now to get her back. I’m sure once she is safe again I will be another person he can write off his list.
She will make sure of it if anything else. I won’t fight her on it. A piece of my heart breaks a little knowing that. Would he work so hard to get me back if William had chosen me instead of Aaron? Probably not. I’m really just a stranger to him. Yes he wanted me, but I think it was just a passing moment. Adrenaline will do that to a person and he had a lot of it running through his system. He really didn’t mean that he wanted me as a … girlfriend… a permeant fixture in his life. No he just wanted sex. Plain and simple. If we had had sex then that would have been the end of our relationship.
Once I am safe from William. I will just been an afterthought. No thank you, I’m no one’s after thought and that is exactly what I would be. I was fooled by William once and I’m not that naive anymore. No Ty will go right back to Aaron. They will make a go of it again. Tango will dump my ass once William is out of the picture and Ty won’t even fight for me. He will wave goodbye and that will be it. I will probably never see him again.
“I will check us in.” Tango exits the car leaving me, Sara and Ash in the car.
Ash checks his phone typing a message back to someone. No doubt it’s probably Ty. My spirits are at an all bottom low. Maybe it has to do with everything going on, but I know better. It’s all about Ty. How did I let myself fall for a man like him? It isn’t fair. Maybe if I’m lucky I will come out of it with my sanity. Tango comes back out motioning for us to follow.
He stops in front of a door unlocking it. “You and Sara will be staying in this one. Ash and I will be right next door.”
Sara and I enter the small room. It’s dusty and smells like mildew. I don’t complain. No reason to. We won’t be here long anyway. I’m sure once Ty gets here he and Sara will have their own room if we stay longer than what Tango says. It’s just as well. It will give me some time to think about things. I have nothing but time. We walk a little further in the room. There’s only one single bed and one side table with an antique looking lamp sitting on top. The curtains are dingy brown and the ceiling has satins where it leaks when it rains. The floor is wood and dusty. I won’t be taking my shoes off.
“Yell if you need anything.” Tango says closing the door behind him.
“I don’t like this place.” Sara holds my hand tight.
“Me either. I’m sure we won’t be here long.” I try to smile cheerfully, but it comes out more of a frown.
“Do we have to sit on the bed?”
“Umm…” I look around nothing, but the bed and floor. “Looks as if that’s all there is.”
“It stinks in here.”
“Yeah. You want me to sit on the bed you sit in my lap?”
She nods her head yes. We shuffle over to the bed and I slowly sit down. It creaks under my weight. Sara sits on my good knee holding my hands tightly around her. We don’t say anything for a moment. “Sara. Do you like Aaron?” I don’t know why I asked that. For god sakes she’s only a child. I want to grab the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“She’s okay. Will Daddy get her back?”
“How did you know she was gone?”
“I heard Azarus and Daddy talking.”
“Oh. I’m sure he will honey. Don’t worry.”
“I miss my real Daddy and Mommy.”
This is the first time I’ve heard anything about her real parents. I have no idea what she is talking about. I thought Ty was her real Dad. So all this is news to me. “Ty isn’t your real Dad?” I should just keep my mouth shut. But I’ve heard somewhere that a child won’t lie at this age. I don’t know if it’s true or not.
She shakes her head no. “He found me. He’s my new Daddy now.”
Found her? Where the hell did he find her? Then I have a sudden back flash. Sara in a room with me. She’s crying and I hold her close. We are both scared. I try to not let my fear s
how for her own sake. “Sara I don’t remember much, but did the bad guys have us in a room together?” I don’t know how else to ask her.
“Yes.”
“Is that how you knew my name?”
“Yes. They had Mommy in there too, but they took her away.”
Shit I remember now. Her mother was hysterical when they took her away from Sara. She cried and pleaded for them to let her baby go. She promised to do anything. Then she made me promise to take care of her baby. Her little girl. I did. This new revelation just about knocks me back. If I weren’t sitting I would have hit the floor. That is the reason Sara has taken to me so quickly. That is the reason for the weird questions she asked me the first time we met. Did the bad guys hurt you to?
“It’s okay the bad guys won’t hurt us anymore.”
“I know. Daddy said they wouldn’t.”
“Your Dad is supposed to be here soon.”
She snuggles as best as she can into me. I rock her awkwardly considering I’m as lame as I am. I don’t know how long we sit here until a knock comes at the door. Sara slides off my lap and I hobble to the door. Slowly opening it I’m faced with Ty. He doesn’t look happy. He pushes his way inside taking Sara in his arms. He doesn’t say a word to me.
“Hey munchkin. How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” She squeezes his neck kissing him on the cheek.
“Hungry?”
She nods her head yes and he walks out. I close the door behind him. Not a hello or how are you. Nothing, from him in the way of a greeting to me. That’s okay though. I have already decided that I would keep my distance from him. I know he is worried about Aaron and that his feelings are confusing right now. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. He probably realize that I’m just not worth it and that he is still in love with Aaron. I can sit here and feel sorry for myself, but I know it’s only going to bring me down. I need to get my shit together because soon I will be living my own life and hopefully this all will be a distance memory.
Secret Ops: Ty's Revenge Page 17
