by Jared Paul
Abby wiggled her free fingers, wishing that hand wasn’t still bound, that she could get her entire arm miraculously free, but even as she inconspicuously tried to wrench her bones beyond their physical limits, she knew it was hopeless. She was going to die tied to a kitchen chair next to the man she loved more than she thought possible and the last thing she would ever hear would be his screams of torment. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to be. She was supposed to tell Travis that he was going to be a father, and then they were going to get married and have a happy life together. It was supposed to be happily ever after.
“All right, kiddies, time to get this party really started!”
The sound of the world ending wasn’t what she thought it would be either.
********
Travis stared at Gun, who lifted the gas tank up above his waist as he came close to both him and Abby. It wouldn’t be enough, Travis realized, for Gun to just cover the house in gasoline; he would have to douse them as well. He heard Abby cry out as Gun covered her in the rank fluid. Apparently, she wasn’t able to keep still and quiet as cold fuel was poured over her head.
“Look at that, you’ve joined us after all. I thought you’d be out cold until I lit the fire at least.”
Travis did not enjoy the amusement this Gun guy seemed to be getting out of the situation he’d placed them in. It was clear that this man had done something similar to this before, that even if he’d begged for Abby’s life that there would be nothing he could say that would be able to reach him. The man didn’t have a soul at his disposal.
He could feel his binds with his fingers and again, he tried to wiggle hands free. There didn’t seem to be a hope of getting himself out of this mess, and yet he knew that he didn’t have it in him to give up. It was then that he remembered that Gun had said something about using zip cuffs and had added a little quip about no one being able to get out of them. Either this man didn’t know that he was a police officer, or he was so confident in his victim binding ability that it didn’t matter to him. However, and this caused him to smile, it should have mattered. Travis realized he knew how to free himself, that in the station, they often used zip cuffs instead of the metal handcuff because they were easier on flesh and struggling subjects had less of a chance to bruise themselves.
The trick was in creating enough leverage between your hands and using the force in separating them to make the catch in the cuff side so that the loop in the cuff could create enough give to let a hand loose. At least, it was the theory. With his hands behind his back and the imminent understanding that he was about to experience literal Hell, he wasn’t certain if he was going to get free in time to do anything more spectacular than scream.
The sudden splash of cold gasoline over his head felt like being born. Travis had to gasp, and as he did, some of the fuel went into his mouth and burned down his throat. The fit of coughing that ensued after it made the injury to his side and chest reassert itself. If there was one thing he could wish for, it would be to have his last act be to kick Gun in the balls.
“You know, you two have been great and all, but I’ve been here long enough.”
Travis watched unable to do anything as Gun touched Abby’s face gently and then leaned in close to kiss her. She fought him, but wasn’t successful in getting away from Stumpy’s misshapen mouth.
“It’s a shame I gotta do this to you, but there is such a thing as being in the wrong place my dear. You ought to have gone home and then all of this would have been something you read about in the newspaper.”
Travis could see now, as Gun lifted away from Abby, that he’d stuck one of his dishtowels in an empty beer bottle and had lit it. The situation then became real for him, and he realized that he was minutes from death, that Abby was going to die. He snapped, knowing that the lack of his ability to free himself must have been from the fact that he hadn’t let the reality sink in. It had been surreal to think that he’d gone to bed and woken up in a life or death situation. Hell, he’d just confessed to loving someone for the first timethere ought to have been a rule that allowed him a bit of a grace period against shit hitting the fan.
He felt, or rather heard the almost imperceptible sound of his zip cuff slipping in its catch and without waiting for his brain to catch up with the knowledge of it, he pulled his hand free. It was time to even the score with Gun, to see who the winner of round two would go to.
CHAPTER 18
………………………………..
Travis shot from his chair, knocking it over from the force of the action and he threw a punch at Gun, thinking to catch him off guard as the man had done earlier, but Gun dodged him at the last second, pulled his fist back and slugged him in the gut. The pain was blinding, white hot and incredible. Travis felt his knees giving and knew that if he crumpled to the floor that it would be a repeat of their first encounter and then he really would be dead since there would be nothing left in him to fight with. Instead of succumbing to the pain, Travis held his breath and reached out to grab anything that came in contact with his hand. When he felt the tail of Gun’s shirt, he yanked and pulled the man off balance, giving him time to force himself into a standing position. Still grasping Gun’s shirt, he used it to pull the surprised man toward him, and using the last of his strength disposed to him, be belted Gun across his deformed mug like a proper man. He had a second to realize that during their scuffle, Gun had dropped his makeshift torch and that the gasoline he’d spread on the carpet had caught fire.
Gun was on the floor, smoke was making his eyes tear, and still the only thing that Travis thought of was Abby’s safety. That woman was the most important thing in his life, the only person he knew, that made his life worth living. Strangely, his brother’s vows flitted through his head and he understood the meaning behind them. It literally could be true that the one person in your life that you loved more than yourself could be the one thing that kept you going, that gave your heart a reason to beat.
Trying not to choke as the flames grew and licked their way from the carpet to the couch, Travis flung himself at Abby’s chair and struggled to wrench her hands free from the chair and the zip cuffs that held her there. He hadn’t realized that the cuffs had been strung through the wooden spindles that made up the chair’s back until he noticed that his own chair had been broken.
“Travis! Behind you!”
Abby’s screams were a second too late as he felt a pressure hit his head and his knees hit the floor. Gun had recovered from the slugging he’d taken to his gnarly face and had come up behind him and thumped him good in the back of the head. The force of the hit, not to mention the pain was enough for him to see literal stars, but still he knew that there wasn’t an option to give up, that when this was all over he could pass out like he deserved but not a minute sooner.
As he was on his knees, Travis pushed out with his legs and felt himself collide with Gun’s body. Together they fell to the floor, and all there was, was a grunt beneath him to let him know that he was the one that had landed on top. The smoke was so thick now, that seeing through the clouds was difficult, and certainly breathing was impossible.
Travis rolled off of Gun, and not leaving a thing to chance, and because he was desperate, he began to hit out with his fists and strike like a battering ram into anything they came in contact with. It was only when he saw blood that he knew it was over, that Gun wasn’t about to get back up and go after him a second time.
“Travis!”
Travis could see through the smoke that the flames had made their way to Abby, that they were now close enough to begin flicking their heated points at her enough to singe her skin. He hadn’t realized that she was dressed only in a T-shirt, that the majority of her flesh was exposed. Knowing that he didn’t have the time to get her free, he forced himself to his feet and ran at the front door to open it. Once it was open and he could see the morning light pour its illuminating rays over the Hell his house had been turned into, he was moving away and
grabbing Abby and the chair together to lift it enough to carry it through the door and out into the yard.
Travis was certain that once he felt grass on his feet and could hear Abby’s whimpering in his ear that she was safe and he could finally slump to the ground. The darkness that overtook him now was frightening, but at least if he died now, he could tell Peter at the Gates that he’d done all he could.
********
Abby sat next to Travis in his hospital room, observing his sleeping face. The doctor told her that he’d suffered two broken ribs and smoke inhalation. She had been treated for getting smoke into her lungs as well, but since Travis had been moving around and fighting for their lives, he’d gotten the worst of it.
Jon had been by, along with Cory and Louis, and the three of them were able to give her more of a rounded picture of what happened after the fire rescue had showed to put Travis’s house out of its misery.
The body of Geraint Naismith had been found, burnt beyond apperception of distinguishing features, and the only way that they were able to tell who he was, was from old dental records.
Abby told Jon what she’d learned, that she knew for a fact that this Naismith guy had been responsible for killing Norma’s husband and the old maid that had worked for her father. She told them she didn’t know why he did it, only that he’d be hired to do it by someone. She didn’t think that since Naismith was dead that they would be able to prove any other wrong doing, since the only person who had known who hired him for certain had been Naismith himself and the man was hardly able to talk now that he was a charcoal briquette.
She closed her eyes and let the mess of all that had happened drift out of her head. What mattered was that she was alive and that Travis was going to be all right.
“Abby?”
Abby felt Travis stir and his eyes caught hers. They were a little unfocused, and Abby could see that the painkillers the doctors had given him were doing their job like they were supposed to do. She lifted Travis’ hand and gripped it.
“Hi there, tough guy.”
Travis’ voice sounded like it was being pulled over gravel, but it was firm as he asked, “Are you okay? You’re okay, aren’t you?”
Abby kissed Travis’ forehead. “I’m just fine. They gave me the works when we got here and then gave me a clean bill.” She leaned forward and put her head to Travis’ belly as she pouted. It was probably the one thing on him that wouldn’t hurt if she touched it, even with his pain killers and she had to hide her face so that Travis wouldn‘t be able to see her gears turning.
“What?”
Abby chuckled. But didn’t respond.
“Abby, you make that face when you’re hiding something. What is it?”
During her check up to make sure her lungs were going to survive the smoke beating they’d suffered, Abby told the doctors that she feared she might be pregnant and that if she was something might have happened to the baby. They confirmed what she already knew, and now there was nothing she could tell herself to keep from having to tell Travis. He deserved to know.
“I love you, Travis.”
Travis chuckled. “I know that, Honey. You don’t have to say it.”
“I love you, so I think we should move in together.”
“Well sure. It was my idea. What are you trying to get at?”
Abby lifted her head. “We’ll have to find a new place, since yours is a pile of ashes now. And, it’ll have to have more space.” She lifted her chin. “It’ll have to have more room because we are going to have a baby.”
The expression on Travis’ face would have been priceless if she hadn’t been scared to death that he was going to reject her. The second his eyes went wide, they settled the moment after and he said the last thing that she’d expect. “Is that all? Geez, I thought you were going to tell me that weasel Gun was still kicking. Whew, you really had me going there.”
Abby stared right at Travis’ face to make sure that he wasn’t joking. “You’re okay with this? You know what it’s going to mean.”
Travis lifted his hand and put it to Abby’s face. He caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. “Abs, when we were in my house, facing death, there was only one thing I knew for certain. I knew that I couldn’t ever lose you. Having a baby is nothing compared to the thought that I might have lost you.” He paused, and said, “I told you I loved you; that meant I was in it for good. You’re mine, that’s all there is to it.”
Travis kept his eyes on Abby so that his words hit home as they should. He meant them, and he was surprised that the knowledge of his impending fatherhood hadn’t knocked him for a good loop. He thought it was because everything with Abby had felt as natural to him as breathing, and that even if his conscious mind hadn’t known it, his subconscious mind knew it was an eventuality. They had gone about it backwards, but the only choice was to move forward and try to build a future. He knew beyond a doubt that Abby was going to stay and that he‘d keep her as close to him as possible for as long as she would have him.
The battle was over and the war was just beginning.
PART 3
………………………………..
MATCH MADE IN COLLIE
CHAPTER 19
………………………………..
Louis Kale leaned forward on the bar’s smooth surface and eyed his third vodka shot as if it was going to spontaneously lift from the table and pour itself in his mouth. With a finger, he poked at the new badge he’d been given and he frowned. Even with the noisy atmosphere surrounding him, he couldn’t seem to get his mood to lift.
The badge had been the last of a series of wonderful surprises thrown in his direction. The first of them had been his best friend’s decision to leave Collie with his new fiancé; something he never thought the guy was capable of.
Travis Harper was as much a part of Collie as the dog from the fire station that had inspired the town’s name had been. The place wasn’t going to be the same without him around. As he knocked back his shot, Louis realized, sadly, that he wasn’t going to be the same either.
“You usually this depressed after work, or is it because of me?” Said a hopeful and delightfully feminine voice.
Louis rearranged his gaze, and focused on the figure of a beautiful woman who was batting her eyelashes as if she were a gigantic butterfly. Her hair, like lacquered hay crowded her shoulders and enhanced the rich brown of her eyes which were brought to his attention by her actions. He blinked and forced himself to try and see her differently, to see her as one of the guys from the station, which is the only image he should have of her. It was a laugh God was having at him for taking away his best friend and then saddling him up with this breathtaking woman as his new partner. If he wasn’t so sad, the humor of the situation would have induced fits of amused smirking that would have left his face permanently disfigured.
Louis kicked the stool beside him away from the counter he was sitting at and motioned for Rebecca Tabb, newly transferred police officer and hottie, to sit next to him.
“I’m not depressed. I’m not particularly overflowing with happiness, but I’m not depressed.”
Rebecca placed her hand on his shoulder as he returned his eyes to the bar. She said, “I’m sorry that I didn’t have a chance to meet your last partner. I hear he was quite the guy.”
“Whatever you heard, it’s not true.”
Rebecca squeezed his shoulder. “I know you’ll miss him.”
Louis sighed and shirked Rebecca’s hand from him. He’d only known her for the single shift he’d worked with her, and while she seemed like a decent person, he didn’t want to be talking about himself with her, or hear how she knew anything about him when she didn’t. He also wasn’t used to a woman making the first move or being the handsy one
“Let’s not talk about it, okay? Why don’t you grab a shot and we’ll drink to our health or some bull like that.”
Rebecca scoffed. “Golly, this town is just full of friendly people. Every man I�
�ve met since stepping foot out of my car has had his eye on my derriere and not my face. The first time I think I might meet a friend, he’s a morose jerk.” She paused, waved the bartender over and added, “I feel very welcome.”
Louis ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, be fair. I didn’t know I’d be getting a partner so soon, and it‘s made me irritable. I’m not used to the changes and I think Jon Harper is lying in bed right now, cuddled up to his wife and having a good giggle about what he’s done to me. He knew I’d be attracted to you.”
Rebecca lifted both of her eyebrows and giggled. “Did you just hit on me? How many of those things have you had?”
The bartender appeared just as Louis would have answered with a witty comeback. He sighed. “Two more and whatever the lady wants.”
“Rum and coke, please. No ice.”
The bartender nodded, gave Rebecca a second glance as if he’d had to get his eyes full of her appearance because he’d never again see someone so beautiful and then went to find the alcohol they’d requested. On his way to the bottles, the bartender slipped and fell into the counter. As he righted himself, he looked around to make sure no one had seen him exercise both of his left feet.
