Aftermath (The Deceptions Trilogy Book 2)

by Dana Mansfield

  Other than these four times when they were visited, Jack and Penny remained quiet and still on the hard floor. Jack hated the few hours he was out of it from the heroin but Penny said she used the time to sleep. The floor was hard, though, and this was difficult for Penny. Going into this punishment, she was still so thin. With the further restriction on their eating, their weight loss sped up again. Penny had very little fat padding and what she did have soon disappeared and the cement floor caused extreme pain in her joints. Jack had to get into the habit of reminding her to ‘flip’ so pressure sores did not erupt. Even with this flipping, by mid-month, the sores formed on her hips bones that stuck out sharply along with her shoulder blades. Sitting and laying, the only two options for her, became a specific torture for her and even Jack felt soreness in his own hips as the month inched towards the end.

  When they weren’t sleeping or in a daze from the current horror, they were drinking to keep hydrated. The heat in the cell, especially with very little air movement, was a near constant worry for Jack. By late afternoon, they would be huddled by the water tap where in addition to drinking, Jack would take their tin cup and pour water over Penny and himself. He had to be careful with Penny. The starvation was wreaking havoc on her body in so many ways and one minute she would be drenched in sweat from the heat but if he used too much cold water on her, she would shake badly. It would take her an hour or two to warm back up again and when she was so cold, this caused her chest pain. The nitroglycerin had been taken away as part of the payment.

  To make the month even more intolerable and to humiliate them even more, only two buckets were left. As William put it, these were to be used only for their solid waste. There’s a drain, he said before sliding shut and locking the door for thirty-one days, piss there. Jack thought William had to be crazy. Only two buckets for thirty-one days? Within a week, Jack understood though. Their bodies were not happy with the hell and Jack’s bowels grew sluggish with what little food they were given. It was difficult for him to move anything but he managed although each attempt left him exhausted. And poor Penny. She had been unable to have a bowel movement in the last ten days.

  It was day twenty-seven; they only had to try to live through four more days but those four days stretched forward like four years. Jack did not feel well most of the time from the heroin and he was exhausted. It was difficult for him to stand at the small window opening to collect their measly food and Penny could no longer get to her feet. Something was wrong with her back near the titanium rods used to fix her broken back. Neither of them knew if it was because of the hard floor or more trouble from a hard kick to her back she took during her earlier torture but Penny’s legs were very weak and she had episodes of severe pins and needles. She also had lower abdominal pain and Jack worried maybe she was impacted which he knew was a medical emergency. The day before, when the abdominal pain first appeared, he had spoken loudly so to be heard through the camera. I think Penny is sick. She has pain. No one said anything when their next food delivery came.

  The temperature in the cell was oppressive combined with the heavy humidity of the day. Their next meal would be the apple but he thought they were a couple hours away. He and Penny were lying in their usual spots next to the tap.

  “I am a father. I am a friend. I am a son. I am a brother. I am a father. I am a friend. I am a son. I am a brother,” he continued whispering. The situation was once again damaging his soul and he had to remind himself he was a human being and not an animal.

  Jack heard a whimper next to him; Penny was awake. Very little light was coming in through the tiny opening – it was overcast outside – so he could only see her silhouette.

  “How are you doing, Penelope?” he asked in a voice that just didn’t sound like his usual one.

  “Okay,” she replied in a tiny voice. She was trying her best not to let the horrific experience get to her but he could tell she was weakening, especially with the leg problems. She was quieter, which honestly didn’t take much.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Bad dream,” she said. Even Penny’s nightmares grew exhausted and now she just experienced bad dreams. Instead of hysterical fear from the nightmares, the bad dreams just left her feeling scared and unsure although she tried to put up a front for Jack’s sake. She could never remember what the bad dreams were about – probably something related to the kidnapping – but all she knew was they were bad.

  “I am sorry,” he said and moved closer so he could hug her. The hug didn’t last long; it was just too hot. They were both damp with sweat and smelled horrific. Personal hygiene was such a thing of the past. Jack couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been allowed to bathe and shave although they both found a little relief when he would drench them with the cool water. Without soap, however, it was mainly just wiping the grime around on their bodies. He was desperate to remove his thick beard as that just made him hotter in the heat. “How are your legs?”

  “Tingly,” she replied.

  “And the abdominal pain?”

  “Still there but I don’t think worse,” she explained. Surprisingly, William had not ordered Penny’s medications laced with whatever messed with her mind. It was good to have Penny speak without problem but he knew it could always change. “And it feels like maybe I could use the bucket.”

  “Are you sure? I do not want you to harm yourself by straining too much.”

  “I need to try.” Jack heard a slight desperation in her voice and he wasn’t going to deny her. He helped her over to their odorous bucket. It was an awkward moment, as was all the moments where their private activities were done in front of each other, but Jack had no choice but to help steady Penny over the bucket. Her legs were just so weak. He turned his head while holding her up and by the time she finished, having passed a very small bowel movement, she was drenched in sweat and so weak she drooped in Jack’s arms.

  “Good girl,” he whispered into her head and moved her over to the tap where he cleaned her up and then poured water over her to cool her off. He then made her drink two cups of water before he did the same. “Do you still have pain?”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice indicating just how weak she was. “I pooped a little. I thought it would help.”

  “Maybe the pain will go away now,” he suggested but he was worried the exertion may have damaged her on the inside somehow.

  “Thank you for helping me,” she said, as she always said. Jack touched her cheek – which was now cool – and then leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  “I will always help you when you need it.”

  “Did you drink some water?”

  “Yes. Now, you should rest until our apple comes.”

  “The pins and needles in my legs are worse now,” she explained. Jack moved to her legs and began to rub them. This seemed to help. He was careful as he rubbed, however, her legs were so thin he worried he might hurt her plus he had to be careful with her knees and ankles that had been smashed more than once by William and his terrible sledgehammer.

  “Is that better?” he asked and slowed his rubbing. The simple action of rubbing Penny’s legs in the extreme heat drenched him in sweat.

  “Yes, a little.”

  Penny drifted off to sleep and even Jack dozed a bit until he was roused by William yelling.

  “Wake up, you filthy animals!” Jack hated when William addressed them like that but he knew better than to complain. He got to his shaky legs and went to the window. His hand shook as he reached for the apple William sat on the windowsill along with Penny’s second heart pill.

  “Penny has some abdominal pain,” Jack dared to say.

  “Vivienne is aware of the situation,” replied William before walking away.

  “Damn it,�
�� Jack swore under his breath. He carefully picked up the small pill and walked it over to Penny. “Penny, I have your pill,” he said and gently shook her awake. He had to help her sit up and in doing so, he accidentally dropped the pill. “Syn suka.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I dropped your pill. Do not move. I have to find it.” Jack felt around the floor for the small pill. There was not enough light for him to see and his movements became frantic. “Where the hell is it? I cannot find it!” He kept running his hands over the rough cement but his fingers felt nothing. “I cannot find it!”

  “It’s okay, Jack,” Penny said but he ignored her.

  “Where is it? Where is it?” Over and over he ran his hands around the ground. “I cannot find it!”

  “Don’t worry.”

  “Giving you your medicine is about the only thing I can do to make sure you live through this. I cannot even stop them when they are hurting you. I have to find that damn pill.” There was so much emotion in his voice but he didn’t care; he just needed to find the pill. Over and over he ran his hands across the floor, ignoring the pain starting to grow in his hands from the roughness of the cement.

  “Jack, please stop,” Penny begged. “I’ll be okay.” Again, Jack ignored her, sliding his hands back and forth, back and forth from one end of the space to the other. He was careful near the two shit buckets and when he came to Penny he started pawing around her and then her body thinking he dropped it on her. “Stop!” she cried. “You’re scaring me.”

  “Ya dolzhen nayti yeye! Ya dolzhen nayti yeye!”

  “I don’t know what you’re saying!” Penny screamed. It was only at that moment, when Penny raised her voice, did Jack stop. He was breathing heavy; sweat rolled down his face and body. He heard Penny crying and felt like shit.

  “Ya izvinyayus’,” he said and moved his hands off of her. “I am sorry. I am so sorry,” he apologized. Penny’s crying did not stop and when he put his arms around her, she tried to move away from him but she was too weak.

  “You scared me,” she hiccupped into his shoulder.

  “I am sorry. I did not mean to. I just wanted to find your pill. I am so afraid you are going to die in this situation and there is only so much I can do to keep that from happening.” His tears fell and they cried together for many moments.

  . . .

  By day thirty, Penny was struggling and Jack was scared to death. She slept nearly all the time and woke up only when done so by Jack. Another urinary tract infection had settled in for a stay and the abdominal pain from a likely impaction was back and the pain from her emaciated body lying on the rough floor severe. Her hips joints, shoulder blades, and any bony point on her body were now covered with pressure sores. Jack did his best to clean the wounds but all he had was water. There was no soap or washcloth. What little food she ate did not sit well and she vomited what she ate. Eventually, she refused food.

  As day thirty ended, Jack held Penny on his lap, his arms wrapped around her. She was in so much pain she wept in his arms until she fell asleep. Jack felt Penny’s life was slipping away. He was numb. When Landon came by with their potatoes in the dark, Jack refused to move. He didn’t want to disturb Penny in any way. He forced himself to stay awake as she slept through the night. He focused on the sounds of crickets and cicadas and owls. He brought up the image of Penny lying in his arms the morning after they made love a second time. He took a deep breath to remember the scent of her beautiful hair – a comforting scent of citrus – and how soft her hair felt as he ran his fingers through it.

  Jack returned to the cell and focused on each breath Penny took. If he could hear her breathe, she was still alive, still with him in their hell. As the room lightened announcing the rising of the sun, Penny began shaking. The night had been on the coolish side, a nice relief from the extreme heat, and Jack realized she was running a high fever. He set Penny down just long enough to fill their tin cup and picked her back up when he returned.

  “Penny?” he whispered close to her ear so as not to startle her. “Penny? I have some water. It has been a while since you have sipped some.” He waited for her response but there was none. “Penny?” he called louder but again, there was no response. “Penny!” His hand went to her neck to feel for a pulse. There was one but it was very faint. “No, no, no…,” he whispered and looked up at the tiny red light. “I cannot get her to wake up! Please, please come help her!”

  Jack held tight onto Penny and prayed, actually chanted. He kept his voice low to try to keep his emotions in check. Over and over he chanted in Hebrew. “El na refa na la.” Please, God, please heal her.

  Chapter 25

  Millie paced back and forth in front of the Suburban waiting for the bus to arrive. Danny and Matty sat on the hood with Little Sofie in between them while Annie, a pro now on her crutches, kept up pace with Millie. They were all anxious for the summer camp bus to arrive with Sasha, Natalya, Karie, and Leo. They headed off to camp in the middle of July and finally, after four very long weeks, they were coming back. Millie had missed the quartet something fierce for two reasons. The first, obviously, was she missed seeing their faces every day. And second, Millie hated the fact in the middle of their father’s kidnapping situation, they had gone away for a month and their wellbeing was out of her hands.

  Danny and Millie debated for a very long time about whether or not to allow the four older kids to go to summer camp. It was tradition, after all. Jack had sent Millie to the Jewish summer camp in the Poconos and other than the summer of the car accident, every summer saw the Petrov kids, at least those who were old enough, head off to camp. This was Sasha’s ninth year at the camp and first as a junior counselor. He was looking forward to the experience and begged his aunt and uncle to let him go. They spoke with Agents McLey and Reynolds who researched the security of the camp and found it adequate. Throughout the kidnapping ordeal, Millie and Danny tried to keep the children’s lives as normal as possible and finally agreed to let the kids go. Millie had been an emotional wreck the day the kids left just two weeks after Melanie and Danny’s wedding.

  Only having Annie and Little Sofie to take care of for four weeks had been very odd for Millie and most of the time it was just Little Sofie as Annie was off to day camp at the Jewish Community Center. Millie had time to think in the quietness of the house and her thoughts were on her own camp experiences. She had been super excited about the prospects of going to camp when Jack brought up the idea during third grade. It was her first school year in Voorhees and after they moved to the area and several of her classmates would be going too. She loved spending time with Penny buying all that was needed for camping and then packing and unpacking her big duffel bag. She was mad at Jack, however. He was on tour and couldn’t get away to see her off on the bus. It was the first complete headlining tour (from start to finish) for the Ivy Brothers and their tour schedule was packed. Penny was there, of course, to see her off along with Sasha and Ellie. Crystal had no desire to go along and stayed home with Natalya.

  When the charter bus arrived, that was when Millie realized what was happening and she was scared. She didn’t want to get on the bus. Nothing Penny could say swayed her so she got Jack on the phone. He was in Texas and although Millie was mad at her brother, she also needed to hear his voice.

  “What is going on, sestra?” he asked in a caring voice. “I thought you were excited to go to sleep away camp.”

  “I was but now I don’t think I want to go. Please can I stay home?” she begged with tears running down her face.

  “But what about all the fun you will miss? Hiking, swimming, games, arts and crafts. You like all those things. And several of your classmates will be there.”

  “I know but… but…” Millie hadn’t known what to say next and mumbled to a
stop. She sniffled and Penny wiped her nose for her.

  “I know you are mad at me because I am not able to be there today to say goodbye.” Jack paused and she heard him sigh. “This was going to be a surprise but when Penny, Crystal and your nieces and nephew come to see you on visitor’s day, I am coming too.”

  “You are?” she asked and suddenly, a little spark of excitement burned inside of her.

  “Yes. That is the week Carlos and Tracy’s baby will be born and we have a two week break in the tour. I wanted to keep it a surprise so that is why I would not let you see our tour schedule. Visitor’s day is just in two weeks. Do you think you could try camp out for two weeks?”

  “If I don’t like it, can I come home with you then?” Millie asked.

  “Of course, sestra,” he said.

  Millie got on the bus and when she saw Jack two weeks later, she could not wait to show him and Penny all around the camp. The amount of fun she had in those first two weeks was almost indescribable and when Jack asked her if she wanted to come home, her answer was quick – no way! She loved summer camp and two years later, she talked Jack into letting her stay for both sessions, a total of eight weeks. Part of the reason for her wanting to stay was she really did have a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting new friends. The other part was her relationship with Crystal was growing worse. Even though she had Penny, Crystal was just making it very hard for her. Jack insisted on all the kids having chores and although Penny was in charge of the chores when he wasn’t home, he also gave Crystal the okay to add new chores if she saw fit and Crystal took that as a green light to make Millie her personal slave. Penny tried as best she could to discuss each new chore with Crystal but Crystal’s word was law at the time and even Jack couldn’t do anything with her. Millie thought if she went to camp for two months, she could be Crystal free for two months. She missed Penny and her nieces and nephew but she couldn’t handle her sister-in-law.