Incredible Us

by Deanndra Hall

  “Sounds good. And Dave?”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Thanks for bringing me here. How many women have you brought here?”

  My heart is so full of love for this woman that I can barely breathe. “Just one.”

  Hands on waist, she looks up at me and says, “Then thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Thanks for coming with me.”

  Arm in arm, we head back to the car. An hour and a half and three hamburgers later, we pull into my drive. “This was a fun day.”

  She nods. “Yes. It was. I almost felt normal.”

  “Good. We’ll do it again.”

  “I’d like that.” She climbs out of the car and I walk behind her to the house.

  Twenty minutes later, we’re cuddled up in my big bed, soaking up each other’s body heat and thinking about the coming winter and what it will mean for us. I keep thinking about this thing with the police, and I like it less and less all the time. I’m just praying that it’ll be all right. I don’t want to lose this girl.

  She’s my heart and soul.

  Chapter Eight

  You know that feeling that you get sometimes when you wake up, like the day is going to hell and you just know it? You don’t know how, but you just know it’s going to. And before too long, those tell-tale signs start showing up, the ones that let you know your gut was right and you’re so fucked that you’ll never be able to sit down again.

  This is one of those days.

  I’ve had a weird, uneasy feeling in my stomach ever since this all started with the cops, and now I’m almost sick. I know she feels like she has to do this, but I truly don’t want her to. Something just feels wrong. Sure, it’s probably just fear, but I can’t help it. This girl is too important to me. If anything happens to her . . . well, it just can’t.

  Trish and Sheila show up early, and they’re carrying all kinds of stuff. “What the hell is that?” I ask Sheila.

  “I did theatrical makeup in college for the drama department. It’s a contouring kit. I can make her up so that you won’t recognize her at all. Seriously. You’ll be amazed.”

  “Good. I don’t want anyone to recognize her.”

  They pull her hair back and get started. Honestly, I’m so upset that I just leave the room. I can’t watch. I don’t want to be part of this, and I don’t want her to be part of it either. It needs to be over, and I hope this does it, at least until there’s some kind of court proceedings. With any luck, the guys will plead guilty and there won’t even be a trial. That would be the absolute best resolution to the problem. Of course, I don’t expect that, but I can still hope for it.

  “Dave? Dave, come in here and look,” Trish calls out. I walk into the kitchen and I’m shocked.

  Sitting at the table is a woman I’ve never seen before. Her lower jaw is square, her forehead almost Cro-Magnon wide, and she has half-rotted teeth. They’re fitting a wig on her head over her brunette hair, and it’s a kind of shaggy-looking thing with gray and blond in it, kind of a dirty salt-and-pepper mix. She looks up at me and grins. “Hi, honey!”

  “Holy shit.”

  Sheila smiles. “See? I told you that you wouldn’t recognize her.”

  “Holy shit. That’s pretty amazing.”

  Sheila hands Olivia a hand mirror. “Oh my god, I’m so ugly!”

  “Yeah. Amazing what the wrong makeup can do for a girl, huh?” Trish laughs.

  “Now, for the rest of the getup. Let’s go.” Sheila picks up a huge bag and heads to the bedroom. “Come along, Dave. We may need some help.” Once we’re in the bedroom, she starts spreading out a bunch of stuff that I can’t identify. Then I see something that makes me feel a little better – a Kevlar vest. If this is part of the disguise, I’m pretty happy about that.

  “Okay, let’s get these on,” Trish instructs. Olivia pulls off her jeans and works her way into the bottoms. They’re these padded things like you’d wear under a Halloween costume, and her ass looks huge. She’s handed a pair of sweats to put on over them. Then the Kevlar goes on, followed by another thing that’s kind of like the bottoms, only not as thick. It has bulky sleeves, and it’s topped with a zippered hoody. Trish is tugging and pulling. “When you get there, pull up the hood and pull the drawstring. Let some of the hair stick out. You’ll have on sunglasses too, so that’ll help. Just before you leave, we need to put makeup on the backs of your hands so they’ll be dark like your face.”

  “Put these on,” Sheila orders and hands her a pair of almost-worn-out work boots, complete with mud.

  I can’t help but be sarcastic. “Can we do that at the door? I don’t want vacuuming to be on our list of things to do before the funeral.” Olivia’s eyes rotate to me and go wide. “Well, I’m serious. I still don’t like this.”

  “It’s going to be fine. I have faith in everyone who’s working with this. They haven’t let me down yet.” She’s staring at the boots. “These are kinda big.”

  Trish scowls. “That’s the point. They need to fit poorly. You’re supposed to look like a homeless person.”

  Olivia’s face goes blank. “I could just go back to being me. That would make me look like a homeless person.”

  The air crackles with tension at her words, and Trish immediately says, “Honey, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know. I’m just not sure how you meant it.”

  My daughter-in-law squats in front of my girlfriend and looks up into her eyes. “I meant you need to look like what people think homeless people look like. Does that make sense?”

  Olivia nods as she looks at her hands in her lap. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m just kind of sensitive about it.”

  “I understand. I’m sorry if I offended you. That wasn’t my intention,” Trish tells her with a sad smile.

  “It’s okay. I know what you meant. Don’t worry about it.” She stands and looks in the mirror at herself all fattened up and frumpy. “I look like Griselda.” When we all give her a weird look, she explains. “We called her Griselda. She was down under the bridge with us. She couldn’t remember her own name, so that’s what we called her. She had this Hollister hoodie she loved.”

  “What happened to her?” I ask.

  In a voice so tiny that we can barely hear it, Olivia says, “We don’t know. She just disappeared one day and never came back.”

  And then I understand. She’s doing it for Griselda, for all the people she knew and tried to make into a family, the ones who disappeared without a trace or died in violent ways. Something happens to me in that moment that I never expect. “’Scuse me,” I manage to mumble and go across the hallway to the big bathroom. Once I’ve got the door closed and locked, I sit down on the toilet lid and do something I’ve never done, not in my entire adult life.

  I cry. I’m terrified that something will happen to her, but I also understand how much pain and heartbreak she’s been through. It’s something I’ve never experienced, and I hope I never do. My sobs are silent; I don’t want them to hear me. But then I see something slip underneath the door. When I pick it up and open it, it tears my heart apart.

  I love you. If anything happens to me, know that the last few weeks have been the happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve been loved by the finest man I’ve ever known. You’ll always be the one true thing in my life. – O

  I just clutch that little scrap of paper to my chest and cry. The fear is overwhelming, but so is the pride. What’s happened to me? I’ve never been this needy or emotional or attached to anyone. But I can’t deny it.

  This is the one woman I’m destined to be with. I know that now. If I can keep her alive, everything will be okay.

  The towel is soft against my skin as I splash water on my face to soothe my swollen eyes, and I walk out to find the women in the living room, and Clint and Steffen join us in just a few minutes. “Conference,” Clint calls out. When I step into the room, he takes one look at me. There’s a knowing in his eyes, and he gives me a slight nod to let me know he’s with me. I t
ake a seat at the table and turn my chair around. We’re all here. “I was just on the phone with Detective Roberts.”

  “That’s his name?” I can’t help but ask. I want to know who all the people are, who to hold responsible if anything goes wrong, so names are pretty important to me.

  “Yeah. So here’s the deal. I got some of the guys to come along. I’ve got Bruce, Gary, Tim, Cody, and Austin. Greg will be joining us at the site. They’ll be scattered around, looking like they’re just there like everybody else. Matter of fact, Bruce is bringing Valerie – she wanted to come and help. And I think Tim is bringing Leslie. So they’ll look like couples just out for a nice afternoon. Detective Roberts will be wearing a wire that’s strong enough to pick up Olivia’s voice too. He’ll have three men out there at each of the four corners, keeping an eye out and watching. They don’t want our guys there; I told them it’s this way or no way.”

  I breathe a tiny sigh of relief. “Good. Because that’s how it is. We have no one on the ground, she doesn’t go. End of discussion.”

  “We’ve got it under control, Dad. I think it’ll be fine. Olivia, listen to me.” He locks eyes with her, and she’s giving him her total attention. “Behind where you’ll be, there’s a low retaining wall and some shrubs. If anything goes wrong, drop off the back of your bench and roll up against the retaining wall. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t forget this. When you get there, take a good look and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Remember, drop off the back of the bench and roll up against the retaining wall. Triangle of life style.” Living here where earthquakes are always a possibility, we’ve all been schooled on the triangle of life, so I know she understands. “We all set?”

  “No.” They all wheel around at the sound of my voice. “I want to speak to her alone. Please.”

  “We’ll wait in the car. Don’t be too long. They’re expecting us.” Clint shepherds everyone else out the door, and the house is quiet again. The young woman in front of me stares up at me, and even through the ghastly makeup, I see that spirit shining through. My god, if I lose her, what will I do?

  “You remember everything you’re supposed to do?” She nods silently. “You remember who loves you, right?”

  “You do. And I love you.”

  “And I want you back here in a couple of hours. And I’d kiss you, but I don’t want to mess anything up.”

  There’s that grin, the one that melts me down into a puddle. “I know. I’ll be back, I promise. Gotta go.” My heart is sinking into my stomach as I watch her open the door, wave at me, and disappear.

  No. Not without me. I grab my keys and run out the door, catching her before she closes the van door. “I’m going.”

  “Dad, we’ve had this conversation and . . .”

  “I’m going. I go or she doesn’t. I mean it.” Clint and Steffen look at each other and then back at me.

  “Then you’ll do exactly what you’re told. No variation. You’ll put her life, hers and Detective Roberts’, in danger if you don’t. Do you understand?”

  My nerves are shot and I have no self-control left when I snap, “I’m not fucking deaf.”

  Clint snarls back, “You were told you couldn’t go, so maybe you are.”

  “Guys!” Trish’s voice cuts through the racket. “Look, this is tense enough as it is without you fighting. Dave wants to go. I can understand that – surely both of you can understand that. I want him there too. Olivia wants him there, right, honey?”

  “I want to do whatever we’ve got to do but, yes, I would prefer it.”

  “Fucking get in,” Clint sighs. “And I’ve got a call to make.” He gets out of the van and we watch as he walks back and forth in front of it, then gets back in. “I’ve got a place for you to be.” When he turns to look at me, he snaps. “Out of the way. And you’d better stay there, you hear me?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. And I’m sorry if I’ve messed everything up. It’s just that . . .” My voice trails off because I can’t finish the sentence. It’s Steffen who saves me from myself.

  “You’re scared. We get that. We’re all scared. Matter of fact, the one person who should be the most scared is Olivia, and she seems to be the calmest.” He reaches a hand out to her and she takes it. I see her squeeze it, and he squeezes back and smiles at her. “You’re a brave woman, little one.”

  “Thank you.” Dropping his hand, she turns to stare out the window, and then reaches blindly over for mine. That soft hand in mine makes my stomach churn even harder. God, I’m afraid. I’m afraid of losing her, afraid of her being hurt and suffering, afraid of someone else getting hurt. I’m afraid of everything to do with this little operation. This detective had better be good and be on the ball, because we can’t do this again. Fuck everybody else; I don’t think I could survive it.

  We pull up to a modern-looking building, and I’m not sure why. As we enter, a security guard nods to Clint, and he nods back. The sleek, modern elevator takes us up to the eighth floor, where Clint opens a door. “The cops don’t know it, but I’ve got use of this suite for the day. The building belongs to one of my clients. We can watch from up here.”

  “You’re going down there with her, right?” Is he trying to tell me he’s sending her down there?

  “No. I’m staying inside. Everyone else is staying here. Steffen and I can’t go out; we’ve been in and out of the police station, so he could make us. And he saw me at the mall that day. He’ll know something’s going on if he sees one of us.”

  “You can’t send her down there by herself!” I know I seem frantic, and that would be because I am. Holy shit. This is not happening.

  “She has to go. It’s the only way. But trust me, I’m going to be in that alley. When she’s done and she leaves, I’ll be at the back corner of this building to meet her, you can bet on that.” Clint pulls out his forty-five and checks the chamber. “The only time she’ll be alone is when she’s going from the back door to the commons. No other time.”

  Everything inside me is screaming when Steffen pulls me to the window. “Look.” Olivia starts toward it, but he barks, “No! You can’t see where they are. You might accidentally look at them and jeopardize everything. Turn with your back to us.” When she’s turned around, he points. “Look. There’s Tim over there. And over there is Bruce. That corner is Gary. This corner is Austin. Greg’s over there where you can’t see. Cody’s out there on the far side. And look again; there are cops out there too. See that big red bush? There’s a cop there in camo, and another one over here by the trash can. Roberts will come in from the other side, so that’s where Falco would come in if he’s following. He won’t see them over here.”

  “I don’t feel any better.” And I don’t. I’m a wreck.

  Clint watches. “There he is. The guy with the white hair.” We watch as a tall, white-haired man walks out into the outdoor seating area and looks around like he’s looking for someone. He glances at his watch, and then he sits down at one of the concrete tables. True to the plan, he’s facing the outside and the concrete retaining wall; if she has to, the wall is right there to shield her. He’s got something in his hand, and it looks like a bag from a fast food restaurant. “Okay, honey. It’s time.”

  She hugs everyone until she comes to me. “Promise me you’ll wait right here for me. I’ll be back in just a little while.”

  My voice is more of a whine, but I don’t care. “Baby, please don’t do this, please? I don’t want you to do this, Olivia. Don’t.”

  “I have to. I have to do this for Mrs. Sullenger and Griselda and Elizabeth. They’re counting on me. I’ve got to go.” Her eyes gaze steadily into mine when she says, “If anything happens, I love you, Dave. I’ll always love you.” I watch her and my son leave the room and the door closes behind them.

  My heart wants to stop beating. My lungs want to stop breathing. My god, I don’t know what to do. Full-blown panic consumes me, and my knees get shaky. Trish gets me a chair
and Sheila fans me with her jacket. When Steffen stoops beside the chair and looks into my face, I can barely speak when I whisper out, “Cothran, I beg you: Stop this right now. Go down and make this stop.”

  “I can’t. This is Olivia’s decision. It’s what she wants to do. I’m not going to argue that point with her. She’ll be fine. Come over here and watch.”

  It’s not what I want to do, but I feel compelled by an unseen force. Can they see me if I press my hands against the window? I decide I don’t want to take a chance. A woman comes out from between the buildings, her too-big boots causing her to kind of stumble along. She looks around, approaches the table, and stands warily at a distance while the man tries to persuade her to sit. When she does, he holds out a bag, then takes it back when she reaches for it and begins a conversation.

  This is it. I hope she’s telling him everything this time, everything he needs to know. If not, I can’t go through this again. I see the two of them chattering, her making arm gestures, him continuing to ask questions. He opens the bag, hands her a couple of French fries, and then takes it back again.

  It seems like forever. Is this never going to end? How much information can he need? They talk and talk and talk. Finally, he hands her the bag and I see her clutch it to her chest. He rises to leave and leans across the table to shake her hand. I see her struggle to get up in all the crap she’s wearing, but she wobbles a little and lands on her butt. He’s still standing there, hand outstretched, when I hear the “pop.”

  And he falls. Backward. A red spray goes everywhere, and I try to make sense of everything as I see a flash from a muzzle, then another. Clint hasn’t come back up, and I wonder where he is and if he’s safe, but I can’t see Olivia and I’m terrified. Where is she? What’s happening? That’s it. I can’t do this. Before Steffen can stop me, I’ve sprinted for the door and I’m down the stairs.

  I take them two at a time. It’s eight floors, and I contemplate taking the handrails down, but they’re those damn fire stairs where every level has a landing, and that won’t work. I’m out of breath by the fourth floor, but I can’t stop. If I could’ve skydived out of the upstairs window down to the ground, I would’ve. Nothing could get me there fast enough.