Take On Me

by Stacy Claflin

Nick readied his gun and approached the vehicle. Empty. But unlocked. He yanked the driver’s door open and shone his light around. Fast food wrappers lined the floors and other random junk was sprawled on the back seat. He pressed the lever to unlock the trunk.

  Shone the light inside. His heart sank.

  Blood. It was sprayed across the inside like someone had received a hard blow to the head—but he was no expert.

  He called it in. Some nearby officers came to secure the scene before Nick and Fischer raced into the woods. Forensics were already on the way to process the car, and at least one K9 unit was on the way to the forest.

  Fischer turned to Nick. “We’re finally going to catch this guy.”

  “You’d better believe it.” They made their way through, looking for any signs of Brock or Ayla. Freshly snapped branches indicated someone had been there not long before.

  Then Nick saw something that made his throat close up. A single pink sock stuck to a sticker bush. It was the right size for Ayla.

  He snapped a picture while Fischer called it in.

  Nick’s heart thundered as they pressed on. Ayla had already been through enough trauma and torture, it was too much to think about her enduring more. Especially at the hands of her father—someone who was supposed to love and protect no matter what it cost him. Unfortunately, genetics didn’t make a man a dad. Or in Nick’s case, thankfully. Otherwise, Parker would be flat out of luck.

  He and Fischer followed the path of disturbed plant life until they came to a matching pink sock smashed on the ground. This one had red splatterings.

  Nick’s stomach knotted. More pictures. Fischer called in the newest update.

  Crack!

  Fischer and Nick exchanged a glance before heading in the direction of the noise. They both muted their radios to stay silent.

  Crunch!

  Nick pressed on, his heart thundering. Would they find Ayla and Brock or a wild animal? He wasn’t sure which was more of a threat, but he wanted to arrest the poor excuse for a father personally.

  Crack!

  The cracking noises were the ones that most concerned Nick. He pictured a skull hitting something hard, or rather, being struck.

  He wanted to call out to Ayla that everything would be okay, but held his breath and listened. Watched his steps to keep from making any noise.

  Crunch!

  That was behind them. Were they being surrounded, or were those other officers? Preferably the K9 unit?

  Nick wasn’t about to wait around and find out. He pressed on toward the noises they’d been following, listening for any more sounds. There were plenty, making it hard to keep tracking the original ones. But then he saw more freshly broken branches. Footprints.

  He and Fischer exchanged another glance and kept going in the same direction. Picked up their pace. Broke twigs of their own.

  They were getting close. Closer.

  Crack!

  It was in front of them. Definitely the right way. Nick readied his weapon and pressed on. Wanted to burst into a run. Plant life made it impossible. He raced as fast as he could, scratching himself with nearly every step.

  Then he saw it. A human figure. A man.

  Nick aimed his gun. “Freeze!”

  The man picked up a girl. Then he ran.

  Collateral

  Ayla squirmed to get out of Dad’s hold.

  He pinched her. “Hold still!”

  She tried to see behind him. It was hard to hear over his heavy breathing. The running. The branches brushing against them. If only she could say something to let the other people know she was there. They were after him, but did the guy who said ‘freeze’ know if he shot Dad, it would also get her?

  Despite Dad’s protests, she kept trying to get away. She’d rather take her chances with strangers than him. They were after him, so they couldn’t be all bad.

  He pinched her again. “Do you want to run in bare feet? They’ll shoot you, too!”

  She froze. They would? Or was he just saying that? Surely, they wouldn’t shoot a girl. But then again, a dad shouldn’t have done the things he’d done to her.

  Anything was possible. The world wasn’t the safe place she’d once believed it to be. He’d proven that much.

  The men behind them yelled for Dad to stop.

  “This is your fault, you know.” He pinched her again, this time digging his nails into her flesh.

  She cried out, but there was no sound.

  Bang!

  Gunfire.

  Her ears rang. Tears welled up in Ayla’s eyes. Dad kept running. They didn’t get hit.

  She hit and kicked, squirming with all her might.

  “Stop!”

  She didn’t. Ayla bit him again. It had been effective last time.

  Dad hollered. Pulled himself away from her but didn’t let her go. Instead, he skidded to a stop. Turned around. Held Ayla out in front of him. “You shoot me, you shoot her!”

  Ayla shuddered. Would they get her?

  “Let Ayla go!”

  “Hands up!”

  She stared at the other two men. They knew her name? It was too dark to see their faces. The only thing she knew for sure was she didn’t recognize Uncle Alex’s voice. He wasn’t one of the two men.

  Dad shoved her forward a little. “You aren’t getting me without first hurting her!”

  Ayla shivered. Had to pee really bad. Needed to get away. Was frozen in fear.

  “Let her go, and we can talk.”

  “I’m not doing anything.” Dad let go of her with one hand, but squeezed her tightly with the other.

  “Hands where we can see them, Brock!”

  Something clicked behind her. “No, you put your hands up!”

  “Don’t do this.”

  A cold round thing pressed against Ayla’s temple. A gun!

  Dad pulled her close, forcing the barrel against her skin. “Leave now, or I’ll shoot!”

  She peed. Tears threatened, but she couldn’t even blink. Couldn’t move. Just smelled the urine.

  The men all spoke. Made threats. The other two wanted to save her. Dad wanted to kill her. Or at least, that was what he said.

  The others stepped closer. Demanded he let her go.

  Dad moved the gun a little, but kept it shoved against her head. “Go away, and I’ll tell you where Robin is.”

  “She’s already been found.”

  Ayla’s breath hitched. They’d found Mom? Was she still alive? The tears finally spilled, running down her face.

  “Liars!” Dad wrapped an arm around Ayla’s neck, making it hard for her to breathe.

  “No.” One of the men stepped closer. “She’s in the hospital, recovering.”

  “That isn’t possible.”

  “Why not?” The man’s voice was taunting. “Did you think you’d killed her? Or that she was just barely hanging on, able to be used as collateral?”

  “Shut up!” Dad yanked the gun away from Ayla and aimed it at the men. “You don’t have her!”

  Ayla shuddered. Struggled to breathe. Who was telling the truth? Was Mom safe and recovering or still lost and hurting?

  Dad was screaming like a madman. Half of what he said didn’t make sense.

  That meant he was distracted.

  It was her chance to get away. To try, at least. She had to do it. No time to think.

  Ayla braced herself to run. Expected his grip to be too tight. It wasn’t. She pulled free.

  “Stop!”

  She raced into the thick trees, scratching her face and arms. Rocks dug into her feet.

  Bang!

  The sound echoed around her. A horrible pain radiated in her arm. It was unlike anything else she’d ever felt. Sharp, explosive, and hot all at once. The ringing in her ears wouldn’t stop. She gasped for air. Kept running. Cradled her arm. Blood dripped down.

  Her dad had shot her. Her dad. He really didn’t care if he killed her.

  Hot tears blurred her vision. She ran into more scratchy branch
es. Crashed into a tree trunk. Slunk to the ground and drew in shallow breaths. Tried to listen. Ears wouldn’t stop ringing. Couldn’t hear anyone else. Twigs, leaves, and dirt stuck to her skin and clothes.

  Warm, sticky blood kept dripping down her arm. She smelled like pee. Everything was taking on a white hue. She gasped for air. The white wouldn’t go away. The air was getting warmer. Her eyes growing heavy. She fought to keep them open, but they won.

  She closed her eyes. Tried to stay awake, to listen. Tried to call out, but her voice still wouldn’t work.

  If the other men didn’t find her, nobody would help her. The blood would keep coming until there wasn’t any more. She had to try to get back.

  Ayla struggled to open her eyes. There was so much white. So much of it. With shaking limbs, she forced herself onto her hands and knees. Crawled back in the same direction she’d come.

  The ringing in her ears was letting up. She could hear shouting. Sounded like more than three men. Dad was still yelling. Using bad words. Saying something about Mom.

  Pain from the bullet made it impossible to crawl with that arm. She put all her weight on the other one. Struggled to keep going.

  Footsteps sounded. Twigs crunched. Steps grew louder, closer.

  “Ayla?” called a friendly male voice.

  She tried to respond. Tried to get to her feet. Nothing worked. She collapsed. Landed on some branches. They banged together and against her.

  The man ran over, shining a flashlight. “Ayla!”

  He scooped her into his arms.

  She gave into the fatigue and closed her eyes.

  Aftermath

  Alex looked at the time again. “They were supposed to be done an hour ago.”

  Zoey squeezed his hand. “It’s a complicated surgery. The nurse said things are going well. It’s just taking longer than expected.”

  Alex drew in a deep breath and held it. “You’d think they could give us more updates.”

  “I think they’re more concerned with trying to give Ayla her voice back.”

  He nodded. “You’re right. Time feels like it’s moving ten times slower in this waiting room.”

  “Always does.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.

  Macy texted him for an update then told him she’d be there as soon as her shift was over.

  Alex sighed. “Maybe I should’ve gone to work, too. At least I’d have something to distract me.”

  “It meant the world to Ayla that you’re here.”

  “I know.” Guilt stung for his impatience. None of this had anything to do with him. His young cousin had been through a nightmare, then had to undergo several surgeries in addition to her traumas. The first two had been to fix her arm where the bullet had done significant damage, but thankfully nothing permanent. Once that had been resolved, they were able to work on her throat—and that was what they were waiting to hear about.

  “Alex?” came a familiar feminine voice from behind.

  He spun around, unable to believe his eyes.

  Robin stood there, her arm in a sling and a patch over one eye, but she was standing.

  Alex jumped up and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to hurt her. “How’d you get here?”

  She returned the gentle embrace then nodded toward the nurse’s desk, where Alex’s parents were speaking with one of the nurses. “They drove me over since I can’t drive yet.”

  He stepped back and looked her over. “I’m surprised you’re even out of the hospital yourself. It sounded like you were in pretty bad shape.”

  “You think anything could keep me from seeing my baby?”

  Alex smiled. He knew that feeling all too well. “I imagine not.”

  “They said she’s still in surgery?”

  He nodded. “But it sounds like things are going well.”

  Robin breathed a sigh of relief. Her face paled.

  Alex put an arm around her. “Let’s get you seated.”

  “Thanks. I’m supposed to rest, and unfortunately, the ride wasn’t too restful.”

  “Dad was driving, huh?” Alex teased.

  She smiled. “He was fine. I couldn’t get comfortable. Or stop thinking about Ayla.”

  He helped her into the seat next to Zoey. “We’ve been taking care of her the best we could, but nothing compares to a mom’s touch.”

  Zoey gave Robin a hug. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Snack?”

  Robin returned the embrace. “No, thank you. I just want to see my daughter.”

  “Can’t blame you there.”

  Alex sat on the other side of Robin, then she looked at both of them. “What exactly happened to Ayla? I’m certain I didn’t get the full story.”

  Zoey exchanged a glance with Alex, and it was clear she was thinking the same thing—how much should they tell her?

  Robin frowned. “Don’t hold back. I know firsthand what my husband is capable of. I’m the one who told Ayla to get away as soon as she had the chance. What happened?”

  Alex started with him finding out about Ayla being discovered in the woods. He and Zoey explained everything as best they could, still not fully certain of what happened after Brock broke into the house and abducted her.

  His parents joined them about halfway through and added in bits and pieces.

  Robin closed her eyes for a moment. “This is all my fault.”

  “Not even close,” Alex’s dad said.

  “It is.” Robin’s expression tightened. “I saw Brock’s temper grow worse and worse. Instead of just getting Ayla and me out of there, I stayed and tried to calm him down. To get him back to the old Brock, the one you all knew before he changed.”

  “What happened?” Zoey asked.

  Robin squeezed the arm of the chair. “It started after he lost his job several years ago. His confidence took a huge hit. He got depressed and started drinking more and more. Wouldn’t look for work for a long time. Finally, he started looking, but nothing compared to his old job—the salary, the prestige. He started blowing up randomly. We’d be having a nice family dinner, then wham! He’d be yelling, maybe even throwing something across the room. Argued with me constantly. Nothing I did was good enough, and he let me know it.”

  Alex’s mom put a hand on Robin’s arm. “You could’ve reached out to us. We’d have helped.”

  Robin nodded and wiped at her eyes. “I was looking for an apartment, but then he found out. Blew up like I’d never seen before.” She looked lost in thought for a moment and rubbed her jaw before speaking again. “He threatened to kidnap Ayla. Said if I ever took her away from him, he’d take her somewhere nobody would ever find him. Told me there was no way I’d ever see her again. That he’d make sure of that.”

  Zoey put her arm around Robin.

  Robin sniffled. “I was scared, and every decision seemed like the wrong one. If I moved out and filed for divorce, there was no way I could keep Ayla from him. We both knew it. Not with the custody laws in this state. I’d likely get hit with child support payments since he’d had a lower income for so long. Nothing was in my favor—especially with his threat to kidnap her. The last thing I wanted was to lose her. She’s my everything! Besides, with us all together, at least I could protect her from him. Or at least, that was what I told myself. Obviously, I was wrong.”

  “It’s all over now,” Alex’s mom said. “Now it’s in the past, and you can both move on and heal.”

  “What if he gets out of jail?”

  Alex shook his head. “Not with all the charges against him. Kidnappings, attempted murder, breaking and entering, shooting an officer. Even if he were to get parole, he’d be an old man before that became a possibility.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Trust me. I am.”

  Robin threw her arms around him. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of Ayla. It means so much.”

  “I’m glad I was able to. It was a surprise that I was the only one she remembered, but it all worked out.”
Assuming she got her voice back. He would never forgive himself if it wasn’t reversible.

  Return

  Alex closed the lid to the grill and fixed his burger. Everyone was spread around the backyard, enjoying the afternoon. The adults were talking and the kids were running around. The one thing they all had in common was they were celebrating.

  Ayla was laughing with Ariana and Tinsley. Actual laughter. Such a beautiful sound, especially after the scare of potentially losing her voice forever. It had taken several surgeries, but she could finally talk again.

  In between two of the procedures, Alex and his dad had helped pack and move their things from the house in Spokane. Neither of them wanted to see their old home again, and Robin had been able to sell it from this side of the mountains. She and Ayla now lived with Alex’s parents while Robin was working to get back on her feet.

  Nick came over. “Got any more burgers?”

  “Aren’t you trying to lose weight for the wedding?” Alex teased.

  “I’ll work out twice as long tomorrow.”

  Alex nodded toward the grill. “There are a few more in there.”

  They made small talk while Nick fixed his burger.

  “Parker seems happy. He hasn’t mentioned Dave lately?”

  Nick shook his head. “Not to me. He and the therapist are still meeting weekly, and it’s going well. Parker hasn’t had any real issues in a while.”

  “Good. I was hoping since you hadn’t said anything, things were improving.”

  Nick took a bite and nodded.

  That gave Alex comfort for his future talk with Zander.

  Alex’s phone buzzed with a text alert. It had to be from the precinct. He reached for his phone. “Don’t they know the meaning of a day off?”

  Nick swallowed his food. “No rest for the weary.”

  “Never.” Alex gave his screen a double-take. His text wasn’t from the department.

  From an unknown number.

  “Not from work?” Nick asked.

  Alex barely heard him. He clicked to read the text.

  You haven’t responded to my comments or done what I demanded. Beware. You can’t watch your entire family all the time. ~Stalker420