The Wrong Side of Rock Bottom

by Jennifer Foor

  “She shouldn’t. She’s too young. Even if she did she’ll repress them.”

  “It’s why I want us to have a whole new start. I feel like if I can give her an amazing future she won’t be damaged from the past.”

  “Like you are?”

  I shrug. “I was damaged before this happened. My father is in jail for raping and murdering someone. Even though I have nothing to do with him, people judge me because of it. Take my in-laws for instance. They’ve assumed I’m bad news from the get-go. They never gave me a chance once they learned who my father was. They actually did a background check on me. What parents do that? I understand them being concerned for their daughter, but I was a good boyfriend. I bought her things, took her places, and treated her like she was the greatest part of my life.”

  “Some people like to be in control.”

  “Well, they overstepped. They are the reason I’m in this situation. They want to take the last piece of Etherly and keep her away from me forever. They hired some fancy lawyer who got them full custody. I wasn’t having supervised visits with my daughter for the rest of her childhood. What kind of father would she see me as?”

  “Damn.” I can tell she’s touched by my story. Worst of all, it’s the truth. Every single detail is exactly the way it happened. “Talk about shit luck.”

  “You’re telling me. I got locked up the second time for assaulting my father-in-law, but that wasn’t even the whole story either. They tried to throw me out of the funeral service. They told me I wasn’t welcome to pay my respects to their daughter. We got into a shouting match, and shoved each other. He went backward on the floor. Next thing I know the cops show up and take me away. Before that I was just trying to get rid of the drugs so that Etherly’s parents wouldn’t blame me for them being in the house. They took Mila away for child endangerment. I didn’t even know most of those drugs were in the house. They found a used needle in the bathroom where she’d overdosed and used it against me. That’s why I’m in this mess. Etherly was using behind my back. She was shooting up for only God knows how long. I wasn’t a bad parent. I just worked a lot and didn’t know it was going on. She’s was able to hide it from me. I guess asking her to quit forced her to bring it up. She didn’t want to stop.”

  “Damn, we’re two fucked up idiots,” she utters. “At least you understand why that money sounds like a good idea.”

  “If I had that money I could buy a little place on an island and raise Mila the way I want to.”

  “What did you do for a living before this?”

  “Mechanic. Well, not certified, but I worked on cars. Why the interest?”

  I watch as Sadie relaxes. She brings her long legs up to her chest and stares at me with those light brown eyes that are more of an amber in color. I can only imagine how pretty they are in the sunlight. “Just wondering. You could work anywhere, in any country. I’m surprised you didn’t head for the border right away.”

  “Yeah, with the whole country looking for me it wasn’t a good idea. I want to lay low for a while, let my hair grow out, maybe cut Mila’s.”

  “How did you get fake passports?” I remember she went through my things.

  “My cellmate in jail. He’s like a mastermind or something. He was in prison for identity theft, not the violent type. Anyway, he’s related to Melissa.” I point in the direction of the neighbor’s house in case she’s unaware who I’m referring to. “That’s how I learned about this place being a foreclosure with power. We planned it all out, I went and got Mila, and then came here to ride out the slews of people looking for us.”

  “Wow. Just wow. I never thought this house would be used for something good.”

  “I wouldn’t call running from the authorities good. Most days I’m scared shitless. I hate going to work, but it’s the only way I can make money.”

  “So the neighbor babysits?”

  “Yeah. She’s been extremely kind. Her husband drives a truck. He’s never home during the week. I think she enjoys the company. I’ve helped her do things around the house to repay her for her generosity.”

  “Are you involved?”

  A guffaw comes out, but only because it’s never crossed my mind. “No. Not at all. She’s old enough to be my mom, at least I think she is. I’ve never asked.”

  Sadie gets a kick out of what I say. “Yeah, you had no trouble asking me.”

  “Well, before you went all bounty hunter on me I thought you were attractive.”

  Her smile turns to something almost wicked. It’s a grin, but not one where she’s uncertain. She’s flattered. “Sorry about that.”

  The room is quiet. It’s awkwardly silent. The only sounds are the critters outside. “Are you going to turn me in?”

  She pulls her cell phone out of her pocket and hands it to me. “Here. You can hold onto it. I won’t be making any calls tonight.”

  “What about tomorrow?” I question.

  “I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe tomorrow I can help you figure out your next move. We can’t stay here much longer. The auction was listed in the newspaper last week. It’s happening on the twenty-fourth.”

  “That’s two weeks from now.”

  “I know. It sucks.”

  I hold out my hand as a simple gesture of peace. “I’m sorry about all of this, Sadie. Thank you for not turning me in. I know it takes a lot to trust a man who everyone says is a terrible person, but I assure you that’s not me. If I’m anything, it’s a man who loves his daughter enough to do whatever it takes to keep her with him. Everything is for her. It always will be.”

  Her next sentence gives me chills. “You’re the father I always wished I’d had.”

  “Yeah, lets hope Mila feels that way when she’s older and I tell her all about this.”

  “She will. If you’re half the man you say you are, she’ll feel lucky to have you. My dad and my mom drank. They’d fight, sometimes all through the night. On occasion they’d become violent. When I was little it was normal. I became accustomed to it, assuming every single relationship was like theirs. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized how horrible it was. When my mother and brother died I thought it would get better, but it didn’t. Dad drank himself to death. It sucks.” She stands and grabs her bag from across the room. “I’m going to head up and get some sleep before I start crying and make a mockery of the tough girl I’m trying to portray.”

  Our gaze meets, her smile almost friendly as she reads mine. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  I can sense her pain, but only because I can relate. I only trust this girl as far as I can throw her, and it’s not that far. I have to keep my guard up. Almost sleeping with her turned out being a huge mistake. I won’t let it happen again. For tonight I’ll sleep with one eye open and pray she doesn’t have a second opportunity to get the best of me.

  Chapter 12

  Since Sadie threatened me with a knife, I have a hard time taking the smallest of naps throughout the night. By morning I’m exhausted. Mila pounds on my head to get my attention, giggling when I struggle to sit up. I’m wiping my crusted over eyes when I hear the sound of Sadie’s voice from outside the locked bedroom door. “Are you two awake?”

  I get up and open it, noticing how she looks in a tank top without a bra, and a pair of shorts I know can’t possibly cover her whole ass. Her hair is up in a messy bun on the top of her head, while her face still shines the way it did the night before. “We’re up.”

  She waves to Mila, who shyly hides behind me. “I was hoping I could talk to you about something.”

  I move out of the way, offering the bed for us to sit and chat. It’s not like I mean it as a sexual innuendo. My daughter is here with us.

  “What’s up? Decided to call the authorities after all?”

  She shakes her head. “No. Nothing like that, actually. I was wondering if I could tag along.”

  I almost want to jump for joy at the offer, because I need another
person to make me look less guilty. I’m sure a single man with a toddler looks suspicious, but a female in the mix suggests a family. “Are you sure you want to?”

  She shrugs. “I need to start over.” Sadie seems unsure of that. “No, I want to. Like you, there’s nothing here for me but bad mojo. Plus, you’re going to need help. I’m not saying I’ll admit to knowing who you are if we’re caught, but I’d like to tag along. I don’t mean that as being rude. I just can’t take the chance of…”

  I cut her off. “No, I get it. It’s fine.”

  “I could help with Mila.”

  I’m not sure I want a mixed up girl near my child, but I can’t refuse the offer. “Yeah, okay.”

  “There’s just one problem.”

  “What?” I ask.

  “I don’t have a passport. I’ve never been anywhere. I’ve never even traveled.”

  “I was hoping to head to Mexico first.”

  “What about Alaska?” She offers.

  “We’d still have to cross the border.”

  She taps on her chin while thinking, seeming disappointed that it may not be possible for her to come with us. “Can your friend get one for me?”

  “He lives in another state, and I don’t want to contact him. The first thing authorities look at is people closest to the suspect.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “Do you have any friends that look like you that may have one? That would probably be better. You could always mail it back to her.” It doesn’t make me feel good about myself to ask this woman to break the law for my benefit, but she’s willing, and I’m desperate.

  “Maybe. I mean, they may think I’m crazy, but I’m sure I could make up something, like I met a sexy guy who wants to take me away, but I don’t have a passport. One of my girlfriends and I get mistaken for sisters. Her parents do annual cruises, so I know she has one.”

  “I’d like to go south.”

  “You said Mexico?”

  “Further. Costa Rica. It’s cheap to live there, plus our currency is worth so much more than theirs. I’ve looked into a couple properties online at Melissa’s house, and even spoke to a realtor who assured me they’d still be available. One is near the beach, while another I really like is in the middle of a jungle near a town called La Cruz, Costa Rica with lots of room for Mila to play in. They have full furnished rental properties for less than four hundred a month American, and their health care programs are preferred over the United States. They aren’t the richest country to live in. Most of the places would be considered shacks in the states, but it’s enough for us. As long as we’re together I won’t care. Some of the places are for rent on large farms, where I could easily get work. I’ve done a lot of research though, and the best paying jobs are driving a car for tourists. The companies pay you a base salary, but the tips are astronomical and I can make my own hours. I don’t have much saved, and it’s going to cost a ton to get us there, but I think we’d have enough to pay a couple months rent. You could stay with us until you figure out what you want to do, that’s if you still want to go. I’ll use my new identity to land a job and Mila can go to school and never know any different.”

  “Except that her name is Willa.”

  “Yeah, I’m working on that. It’s hard to remember.”

  “I bet.” She taps the door as she thinks. “So, I have a car. It’s paid for. It was my grandmother’s. We can take it across country, switch driving every hundred miles to make it easier.”

  “Are you sure you’re up for this? It’s dangerous. You’ve got enough on your plate.”

  “What I have is a lifetime of regret. You need help, and I want to get the hell out of here. Once we’re out of the country we can part ways. It’s a win-win.”

  “Perhaps, but it could go bad quick.”

  She stares at Mila for a second. “We could change her appearance too.”

  “How?”

  “Cut her hair.”

  I’m already regretting having asked. “I knew you were going to say that.”

  “Well, it’s just hair. It will grow back. They’re using two photos on the news, both where her hair is long and curly. She’s too young to use dye.”

  I turn to glance at Mila. “I can’t risk them recognizing her.”

  “They won’t. I’ll say she’s mine. Of course, because of her last name you’d be the father.” She snickers. “Don’t tell me you haven’t considered using a female to help get you out of the country.”

  “Yeah, it’s crossed my mind, but I feel bad for involving innocent people.”

  “Don’t feel bad about me. If I stick around I’ll probably be dead or worse in a couple weeks. We met because I am running from dangerous people. Maybe it’s not a coincidence. Maybe your wife guided me here to help you.”

  I wave off the assumption. “I don’t believe in that kind of shit.”

  “Well you should, because it’s real. Anyway, I’m going with you. If I change my mind I’ll let you know on the way. At least we’ll be out of Virginia.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “Good. I’m going to head out to see if I can get that passport.”

  Then it dawns on me. She’s leaving. She has every opportunity to call the authorities. I know what has to be done.

  Sadie leaves around nine in the morning. Collecting everything I’m able to carry, a stroller, and Mila, we start on our trek to the nearest bus terminal. It’s going to take hours to reach a safe place for me to call a cab company, and even longer to wait for a train going south, but at least I won’t be at the abandoned house when the police arrive. I’d be a fool to assume this girl will keep her word. I can’t trust anyone except myself. Even if we arrive in Costa Rica with the clothes on our backs, I know we’ll be together. That’s all I care about.

  It’s difficult writing a thank you letter to Melissa that shows how much I appreciate her hospitality and the lengths she’s gone through to help us. I’ll be forever in her debt, but also relieved she’s no longer involved in my escape. Hiding the note where we’ve agreed in case of an emergency, tucked away under a floorboard in a playhouse, I start pushing the stroller down the long country road. It’s been about two hours since Sadie left, so I know I’m running out of time to be in the clear. With only one road in and out of the location, it’s going to be tricky to hide if I see police vehicles heading in my direction.

  Near noon, and only a couple miles from the house, I see a car in the distance. I’m rendered speechless when I recognize it to be the same one Sadie left in. She almost passes before realizing it’s me walking. Backing up to meet me, she rolls down the automatic window and gives me a once over. It’s fall, but I’m sweating up a storm from so much physical exertion. “What are you doing? I said I’d be right back. Did someone show up?”

  “Why? Did you call someone?”

  She shakes her head like she’s worried. “No. Seriously, did someone show up?”

  “No one came. I just couldn’t trust that you weren’t going to go after that reward money.”

  “Fuck you for thinking that. I’m going out on a limb to help you…”

  I stop her. “I have to think this way. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. It’s nothing personal. Last night you tied me up and wanted to…” My voice trails as I see another vehicle coming in the distance, and this one in particular has lights on top of it.

  My heart races as I motion for Sadie to take a look, and then struggle to get Mila out of the stroller and into the backseat.

  Sadie is already watching out the rearview as I rush. “You’re good. It’s at the stop sign.”

  I climb into the back with my daughter and duck down get her hooked while Sadie starts driving again. Mila whines about being restrained in the seat belt, while I fight to not turn around and watch the cop car approaching. “Oh, God. I think I’m going to be sick,” Sadie admits from the front.

  Just as my senses can feel there is a vehicle behind us, the car passes on the left side, blowin
g by us to head down the road. “Holy shit. We need to turn around and get out of here,” I announce.

  She tries to relieve my worry. “I don’t think it’s us. When you were walking did you pass by that trailer with cars in the yard? It had flowers growing out of a toilet?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Bunch of criminals live there. Probably serving a warrant.” She does a wide turn and we’re quickly out of danger, all while looking at every intersection for more police vehicles.

  We make it to the Tennessee border about nine and a half hours later, only stopping to fill up the gas tank, and of course bathroom breaks. It’s not until we see that sign when we start to relax. Each time we heard an emergency vehicle in the distance we’d have a little freak out.

  For the most part Mila has been good. She’s had a few fits, especially when Sadie ran into a Walmart to buy her a car seat. We didn’t want to chance getting pulled over for speeding and having a kid not properly secured. It would suck to get so far only to be taken in for a stupid charge like that.

  For nine hours on and off we’ve tried to convince Mila that her name is Willa. Sadie asks, and she responds, but I’m not sure it’s going to be easy for it to stick, so we start calling her Willa constantly, asking her things to see if she responds to it. It’s just the beginning, but anything is progress.

  Since I’m exhausted, I take the first turn sleeping as the night sky begins to darken our drive. I wake up to the vehicle turning off and notice we’re at a motel. Mila sleeps peacefully in her new safety seat, while I notice Sadie turning around to speak to me. “I’m going to get a room. You good here for a second?”

  I climb from the car and stretch my arms. “Yeah. I’m good.”

  “I’m telling the clerk that you’re my husband and she’s my kid.”

  I smile and nod. “Okay.” The girl is a godsend. She’s exactly what I need, but also a consistent danger to my plan. Even though she’s gotten us out of danger, I still can’t shake the feeling I get when she walks away to do things. I’m paranoid, and I think it’s normal for me to feel that way.