by Danika Stone
“That’s not what I meant,” he said in a rush. “I’m with someone too, actually. Raya Simpson isn’t just my agent.” He paused, catching Ava’s eyes again. “I’d love to see your work.”
She shifted nervously, reaching for her leather jacket and pulling it on.
“You’ve seen my work,” she said acidly, nodding to the now-hidden canvases.
“Nah...” Kip said dropping his voice though there was no one to overhear. “I mean the stuff that actually means something to you.” He grinned, and for a moment he looked like the Kip Chambers she’d met at the gallery, all confidence and laughter. “I want to see your graffiti.”
Ava shrugged. This was one way to get him out of her studio, at least.
“Well...”
She glanced out the window. It was a deep, purplish black outside, the moon not up yet. The perfect time for illegal activities. Kip, as a graffiti artist, already knew what he was doing, so he would be easy to take along. She considered taking the spray cans along, but put the thought aside just as quickly. (She’d already had one close call this year and didn’t want another.)
“I guess I could take you out...” she said cautiously. “You want to go now?”
Kip nodded.
“Yeah,” he said, running a hand over the back of his neck, “I need to get my mind on something else.” He paused, peering out the darkened window and then back at Ava. “Do you mind if I call Raya? I don’t want her worrying.”
Ava nodded, feeling the last bit of her unease fade away. Kip and Raya being a couple made this a lot easier for her. Kip picked up his cell phone and stepped into the hall. She could hear him mentioning her name and then graffiti. Ava felt herself relax, her hands unclenching. Things felt normal again.
A moment later he stepped back in the studio.
“So, Booker,” he said with a wink. “You ready to show me the ropes?”
Ava grinned, zipping up her jacket and grabbing the keys to her truck.
“Just follow my lead.”
Chapter 31: Back to the Yards
It was strange going back to the train yards. Kip chattered constantly; as he made yet another joke, she realized that, maybe, in some other universe, she might even be attracted to him. He was funny and good-looking and easy to be around. But there was definitely no... click.
Not like with Cole.
She chewed her lower lip as she drove, a niggling sense of doubt rising inside her. Catching sight of the unmarked turnoff, Ava pulled hard on the wheel and headed onto the access road. A few minutes later, she flicked off the lights, guiding the vehicle by memory. Next to her, Kip squinted into the darkness.
“I remember coming here in the Fall with Raya,” he said quietly. “That’s when we first saw your work.”
Ava bit the inside of her cheek, saying nothing. The image of Raya Simpson in white suit and heels climbing a chain-link fence was funnier than it ought to be. Ava focused on her driving instead, taking the truck up the road as far as she dared. With Cole, it had been great, because they’d walked his bike almost to the fence. With Kip, they’d have to leave her truck further back.
She turned off the engine next to an industrial garbage bin that was her marker. There was a pathway leading to the river bottom crossing the road at this point. Hikers regularly walked this way, so if her truck was found, no one would necessarily assume trouble. She could, in theory, be out for a run.
That was Ava’s hope, at least.
Stepping out into the cold night, she shoved her keys deep in her pocket and headed toward the distant fence; her eyes and ears were acutely aware of her surroundings. Behind her Chambers got out, closing the door with a click rather than a bang. ‘He does have a little bit of experience with this,’ she thought. ‘That’ll make it easier.’
He jogged up quietly, coming to walk alongside her. He stayed silent, guarded and alert, conscious of the sounds around them. She was grateful not to have to point out the obvious to him.
In minutes they’d reached the fence. Ava unzipped her jacket, tossing it atop the spikes. She climbed up and over, turning back to check on Kip. He was already on the other side, stepping over to hand Ava her coat and shrugging his back on. The speed and silence surprised her, her begrudging admiration rising again. Motioning Kip to follow, she set off for the train-bridge.
The thrum of excitement pulsed along her nerves, leaving her with the breathless rush she always associated with graffiti. Fast cars did it for Ava too... and motorbikes. For a moment, the image of Cole atop his bike flashed through her mind, his fingers in her belt loops pulling her forward to straddle his knee. That memory played a part in many of her fantasies. She smiled to herself as they finally reached their destination.
‘Wish Cole was here...’ she thought again.
Beside her, Kip strode up to the cement wall, his eyes following the shapes and lettering along the vast expanse. Ava saw that someone else had added to the piece on the far end. Reaching the pools of light cast from the streetlamps overhead, she examined it. The painting was done in jagged, hard-edged lines, obscene phrases roiling with energy and frustration. Ava chuckled, recognizing the script and style immediately.
“You know that artist?” Kip asked next to her ear.
Ava jumped. Kip Chambers was almost too quiet. It unnerved her. Kip dropped to a crouch, following the illustration of a screaming face to where it evolved into a series of angry epithets. The imagery was powerfully present. It reminded Ava a lot of her earlier work, when she had too many demons to exorcise and hardly enough paint to do it.
“Yeah,” she muttered, noncommittally.
“M… O…” Kip muttered, pausing atop the twisting shapes of the lettering with his fingers, unravelling them like an ancient script. “R… A—”
“Her tag’s Morag,” Ava said. “Really talented artist... angry.”
Kip nodded, his gaze lingering on the images before him. He stood up to follow the lines of Morag’s painting with his fingers like a blind man reading Braille. He was completely drawn into the design, Ava realized. Kip Chambers really did appreciate the complexities of graffiti as an art form. It wasn’t a show.
“She’s got a good eye...” Kip muttered, “nice rendering of text… complex... though the overall style is pretty rough and inexperienced—”
“She’s still a kid,” Ava interrupted, riding a wave of annoyance. “Not even out of her teens yet. That’s not really a fair judgement.” Ava liked Morag and didn’t care for her artwork being treated as if this was some competition.
Kip turned to her, smiling bashfully, and stepped forward. She took a step back just as quickly.
“I’m not saying it like it’s a bad thing,” he said with a chuckle. “It reminds me of my earlier work, actually. I’m just kind of talking my way through it... you know? I tend to do that.” He shrugged.
“Oh...” Ava mumbled, uncertainty rising.
“Hey – I’m sorry, okay? Didn’t mean to sound rude. I was just thinking out loud... really, Ava.”
Kip reached out as he spoke, and Ava moved out of his way, stepping next to the wall before he could touch her. She liked an empty bubble of space around her, and she intended to keep it that way. Seeing her reaction, Kip frowned, but didn’t follow.
“What is it?” he asked.
“What’s what?” Ava snapped. She did not want to have another heart-to-heart with Kip Chambers. One freak out in a day was enough, thank-you-very-much!
“This,” he said quietly, gesturing between them, “ …and you. I just don’t get it. What is it about me that bugs you so much?” Annoyance flickered over the surface of his face, like wind on water, then disappeared once more.
Ava grimaced, not knowing exactly how to put it into words.
“Kip,” she said irritably, “I don’t even know you.”
He shook his head and mumbled something that sounded like “but I know you.” Before he could explain, a distant siren interrupted them.
“SHIT!” A
va barked, grabbing Kip's shoulder and tugging hard. “Run, goddamnit!”
Her heart rioted against the walls of her chest as the two of them sprinted toward the distant fence. Kip was fast, but she was faster, and the space between them grew. Her mind chattered in panic as she heard the sirens nearing. There was no way the police should be here yet... the train yard crew hadn’t even seen them. Ava knew this because she was extremely good at hearing them coming. Police were second... the crew was always the first warning. But there was no time to consider this.
Ava was almost at the chain link fence when something loud and dark surged forward on the other side of the barrier, growling and sounding the alarm. ‘The police are at the fence!’ her mind screamed in horror. They had the dogs out... and they were ahead of them.
She glanced back to Kip. His face was grim, feet pounding without stop. He had that hard look to his face she remembered from the night he’d fought with Cole.
“Gotta... change... course...” Ava panted.
She pointed toward the West where the train yards dropped away to a hill and the river bottom below. Nodding, Kip picked up speed.
Their new path swung away from the fence. They were almost to where the flat plain dropped away when she heard the baying of dogs up ahead. Seconds later, she saw the bright bounce of flashlights as a group of officers hit the crest, coming toward them. She heard shouts, but she had no time to process their words.
Ava skidded to a stop, and Kip stumbled, catching her arm to hold himself steady.
“FUCK IT!!” Ava shouted, swinging her head back and forth in frustration. She turned in a circle, her eyes taking it all in. There was no way out if the police were ahead of them… not yet! Turning the other way, she could see the same thing coming from behind. More flashlights. They were trapped.
She looked over at Kip, her expression grim. His eyes were narrowed, furious.
“When the dogs come, lay face down on the ground and cover the back of your head,” Ava snapped. “Do not fucking run! You are not going to get away and the dogs are...” she grimaced, remembering. “They aren’t trained to be gentle.” He nodded at her, and Ava let a defeated breath.
Up ahead, voices called, dogs barking in response and lunging on their leads.
“This is the police!” someone with a megaphone shouted. “Put your hands on your head and lay down on the ground!”
Without a word, Kip and Ava lay down on the frozen ground, side by side.
Chapter 32: At the Station
Ava stood at the phone in the police station, staring at the numbers, panic a tight ring around her chest. Her fingers were stained with black ink from being fingerprinted and they hovered over the keypad uncertainly. Though she’d been interrogated on the way over, she’d refused to answer questions or make a statement.
This was her one phone call.
With a frustrated sigh, she punched in Cole’s number, waiting while it rang again and again...
“C’mon Cole, pick up...”
There was a crackle of connection and then his voice, brusque and businesslike, came through the receiver:
“You’ve reached Cole Thomas. I can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message after the beep, I’ll return the call.”
“Fuck!” Ava snapped, waiting for the beep, her fingers pressed against her temple.
“Hi, Cole... it’s me. Look, I’m in trouble... I was at the train yards and the police came… Shit! Look, if you’re there, Cole, I need you to—”
There was the sound of fumbling and Cole’s sleep-thickened voice was suddenly there.
“Ava? What’s going on?”
Closing her eyes, she let out a sob of relief.
“Oh, thank god,” she gasped. “Cole, I need help.”
“Okay...” She could hear him moving around. Covers being shifted.
“Look, Cole. I’m at the police station,” she said shakily. “I’m… I’m in trouble.”
“So I gathered,” he muttered, and she heard the change in tone... his words growing cool.
“I was out at the yards, and the police caught me and Kip Chambers but we weren’t even—”
“You were what?!”
“I was out showing Kip some of my work. I was just—”
“Fuck, Ava!” His tone was furious. “Kip Chambers?”
She knew exactly what Cole looked like as he shouted it. ‘His father,’ her mind hissed. Ava wondered if this had been the right choice... maybe she should have called her Dad’s agent, Alex. He was a family friend, and he would certainly would given her some legal advice. She winced.
Alex’s first call would have been to her father… and Ava didn’t want Oliver to find out about this unless she absolutely had to tell him.
“Cole,” she said, voice rising. “I need you to... to...”
She had no idea what she expected him to do about this. She wanted to say “call Marcus” but he and Suzanne were still on vacation, so there was no help on that front. Her thoughts were interrupted by Cole’s voice, angry and bitter.
“Goddamnit, Ava, I can’t fucking believe you took Kip Chambers out with you to—”
“Just STOP!” she yelped, her voice breaking. “I fucked up, okay? I get that. I don’t have time to argue right now.”
“What do you expect me to say,” Cole growled. “Going out with another guy when—”
“It wasn’t like that!” Ava snapped, voice rising. “It was just business.”
“Fine.” The word was hard.
For a second, she considered hanging up, but this was it. There was no second call.
“Look,” she whispered. (There were officers around the room, some of them watching her.) “I need you to call my Dad’s agent. He’s in the phone book under Alexander Munroe – he's in the yellow pages under Entertainment, I’m pretty sure. If you call him, he could probably help.”
“It’s two in the goddamn morning, Ava. Do you get that?”
Sarcasm dripped through the phone.
“Yes, Cole, I GET that,” she snarled. “But do you realize that the police are about to charge me and I need some fucking LEGAL advice?”
There was a pause, and then Cole’s voice, slightly calmer, came back through.
“Don’t tell the police anything for now. I’ll deal with it.”
Ava let out a shaking breath, closing her eyes. She could feel angry tears behind her lids. She was furious with Cole’s reaction, but she needed the help, damnit!
“Thanks,” she said tightly.
He didn’t answer, and a wary silence dragged out.
“I’ll be there in a bit,” Cole mumbled, then hung up. She stood, phone in hand, fury leaving her breathing hard.
He hadn’t even said goodbye.
With shaking fingers, she returned the headset to the cradle. Ava’s legs wobbled with the after-effects of adrenaline and the unexpected two mile dash, but Cole’s voice left her feeling like she was ready to collapse.
‘Dad’s going to be absolutely furious…’
For the first time since she heard the sirens, she let the emotions rise up, tears of regret pooling behind closed lids. She knew, without a doubt, that tonight was a deal-breaker.
: : : : : : : : : :
Hours later, Cole still hadn’t arrived and neither had her so-called “legal representative.” Since she still wasn’t talking, the police left Ava in a cell. She’d had a frenetic night, and with the stress slowly wearing away, she curled up on the narrow cot in the cell and nodded off.
Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she began dreaming almost immediately. It was a mishmash of colours and light at first, though it coalesced into a shape she recognized: dark blues and greys lightening in the centre. There was a hint of buildings and shipyards. The painting of hers that had terrified Kip so much... The image shifted until it was only the masts of two ships out on the open sea…
She stood on the ship's deck, staring out across the water to the other ship following them like an uneasy gh
ost. Thomas was there, but he might as well be on the far shores of the Americas, for all that it mattered. She was a married woman now, their friendship over.
“Just a few more days and we should make landfall,” Jon said patting her hand.
“A few days?” she repeated dully.
She felt like she was trapped inside a box. As her husband, Jon came to her at night (he always did), but the marriage didn’t feel real. It would when they arrived. Ava blinked away bitter tears. She didn’t want to reach the Americas. Didn’t want the journey to end. Standing on the deck, she could pretend that things had been different. That she hadn’t had to trade off love for security.
Next to her, Jon chuckled.
“I know it is a burden for you, my dear,” he said quietly, “but we are called to spread the word of God. I know you will adapt to the challenge with grace and humility. Never forget, Ava, the Lord has blessed this voyage.” His hand tightened atop hers, a shackle. “As I hope, one day, he shall bless our marriage.”
She didn’t answer, just let her eyes slide to the horizon where the other boat followed, as if tethered together.
‘Away… away… away…’
It wasn’t that Jon was unkind. He was everything she’d expected him to be: patient and good, unassuming and gentle with her. It was that he wasn’t Thomas. He never would be. Each day bound them closer together. She had bled only once on her journey… and that could only mean one thing.
Escape with Thomas – the melancholy hope she’d held since they’d left – was no longer an option.
Jon stepped closer, and she held back the urge to pull away. (She’d become adept at hiding her emotions these last weeks.) She waited, eyes downcast, as he leaned closer, his breath against her ear.
“Ava, I know that you are missing your sisters, but will you… try to be happy when we arrive?” he asked.
She glanced back, finding him watching her. His face was hopeful and full of trust.
“I will… try,” she said weakly.
Up above, a sea bird wheeled circles in the sky, free and alone. Ava blinked back salty tears seeing it. Inside her pocket was a single token of Thomas’ love. She wrapped her fingers around it, grasping so tightly she could feel the wood cutting into her palm.
