Authors: Micki Fredricks
The hallway was empty except for the trash that lay along the wall between each apartment door. The darkness of the hall seemed almost inescapable and the grime and dust hung in the air like a blanket.
“What if someone is in there?” My panic rising before I could control it. I turned toward Marcus and rocked back and forth – the room started to fade out. “I can’t do this.”
“You stay with me. Pull it together!” He shook both of my shoulders. I met his eyes and he whispered, “Please don’t leave me now – I need you.”
I closed my eyes and took in a ragged breath. I saw Katie’s face – I could do this for her. I would live through this and bring her killers to justice. When I opened my eyes, I felt more in control. He looked at me with hopeful eyes and I nodded to him letting him know that I was okay. I turned toward my door and started down the hallway. We crept along, trying to avoid making any noise. As I stepped in front of Becky’s door, it opened. Her facial expression dropped and panic crossed her face. She started to slam her door but I stopped it with both hands.
“Becky, wait!” She pushed against the door as I tried to keep it open. Suddenly, she stopped and the door flew open. Marcus’s fearful eyes darted back and forth between her and me, not knowing what to expect.
“Please leave – I don’t want your kind of trouble.”
“I’m not trying to get you in any trouble; I just wanted to know if you’ve seen anyone coming from my apartment?”
She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms in front of herself as she glared at me. “No.”
I nodded my head at her and stepped out of the doorway as she started to close the door.
Before it was shut completely, she looked out and whispered, “Do you remember the advice I gave you that day?”
I nodded my head and she shut the door.
I stood staring at her closed door. Marcus leaned in and asked, “What advice did she give you?” Goosebumps rose all over my body as I her words sunk in.
“She said, ‘when you live in a neighborhood like this, it’s very important to know exactly who your neighbors are, and then go about your business acting like you have no idea who your neighbors are.' We can’t trust her, we have to get our stuff and leave now!”
I rushed to the apartment door and Marcus stepped in front of me, unlocking the door and pushing it wide open. Angel rushed in and jumped on the bed.
“You get the bag, it’s in the shower - and I’ll get the paperwork.”
I ran into the bathroom and pushed the shower curtain to the side – I gasped. It was there, just as he said it would be. There was several hand guns in the bag with what appeared to be a couple boxes of ammo. The guns lay on a bed of more money than I’d ever seen in my life.
Sweat beaded on my forehead as I took the whole thing in. There it was the rest of my life in a black duffel bag. I adjusted the top gun so I could zip the bag, but noticed an envelope with my name on it. I recognized the handwriting right away … it was from Ryan. I tentatively reached for it, unsure if I wanted to know what was inside. I took a deep breath as I pulled out the hand written letter.
Dear Jenna,
If you are reading this letter, it means you are still alive and I’ve done my job. I now pass that responsibility to Marcus. He will keep you safe, I have to believe that. I know he’ll explain all of this to you, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.
Jenna, I do love you. I know right now there isn’t a part of you that could ever believe it, but please try to understand … you are the most important thing in this world to me.
When I was trained, I was told I would be a body guard. I believed my job would be to keep people safe. I never imagined what that actually meant.
I became suspicious when Cale told me to spend as much time as possible with you. He said I should make sure you trusted me, but I could never tell you what my assignment really was. I decided to dig deeper into what the business side of The Brotherhood actually is.
I put it all together the night I found you in the basement. A part of me always wondered if The Brotherhood’s business was illegal; but prostitution and high-end escorts? It makes my stomach turn to know what generations of my family have been involved in.
I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you then, Jenna – I should have. I just wanted to protect you, and I thought if I could get enough information and go to the DCI myself, you would never have to be scared again. I wanted you to know I could and would protect you no matter what. I wanted you to believe I would always be the person that would come to save you.
I went to Cale and pledged my loyalty to him. I promised him I would bring you in. I’m sorry; it was the only thing I could think of to keep off his radar.
After we left Katie, I knew I was in over my head, so I spent the next day gathering everything in this bag. My plan was to go back for her that night and the four of us were going to disappear.
I messed up Jen. I messed up badly and it got Katie killed. I had no idea they would do something like that. I should’ve never left her; I should’ve made her come with us.
Marcus lost his mind when he found out about Katie, and I can’t blame him. I would’ve been the same way if something like that happened to you. The Brotherhood knew Marcus had been in the house and the kind of information he had. According to them, he had to die. They were crazy about trying to find him.
Cale told me if I didn’t deliver you that night, they would not only kill my brother, but they would kill your mom. I was never a big fan of your mom, but I knew you wouldn’t want her harmed in any way.
I’d planned on telling you everything that night, but when I got there and saw Marcus, I knew he wanted to kill me – and would if I didn’t do something – and that meant you both would be dead for sure.
I panicked; I had to calm you both down. After I made you pass out, I waited until Marcus woke up and I explained everything; then we came up with a plan. We needed more information and more time.
I would take you to Cale
–
I hated this part, Jenna
…
please believe me … this was not an easy option
,
it nearly killed me.
I would sneak Marcus in and he would get you out of the house. Once the alarm goes off, everyone would rush to find you and I would grab all the information I could get from the files that Marcus had discovered.
I plan to fax all the info to the main office of the DCI and hope someone important sees it. Then I will do whatever it takes to get close enough to Cale and kill him. He will pay for his part in Katie’s death. I will do this for you and for my brother. I don’t know how else to make it right.
Marcus is to leave with you to help you start a new life. He knows what he needs to do. I understand that you’ll never want to see me again, and I can accept that – as long as I know you’re alive. I love you and you being alive and safe are the most important thing to me.
Thank you for walking into my life that day. I’m forever changed because of you. Please understand my heart is broken and will never heal … it will never stop wanting you. No matter how long my life is, your face will always be the one I see every night, your love will be my craving, our memories always precious to me.
This isn’t easy ... saying goodbye. Every part of me wants nothing but to be near you, to hold you, to love you – and to feel your love back. I’m sorry I failed you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the one to come when you needed me the most.
All of my heart,
Ryan
Marcus’s arms were suddenly around me. I turned in toward him, grabbing onto his shirt.
“We have to go get him,” I pleaded.
He shook his head, “No. He doesn’t want that, Jenna.”
I started struggling and he tightened his arms around me. “They will kill him,” I yelled as I pounded against his chest. “There’s no way he’ll get close enough to Cale to kill him. As soon as they figure out you’re the one who took me, they will know he helped you. They will torture and kill him.”
He was silent, avoiding my eyes. “You know that don’t you? He knew that! What did he do Marcus? What did you both do?”
He grabbed my face in his hands and made me look at him. “Yes, he knew that, we both knew it. The only way to get close enough to possibly kill Cale was to get caught. He knew they would start looking for him as soon as they knew it was me that came for you.”
My legs buckled and Marcus caught me.
“He’s dead isn’t he?”
Marcus laid his head on top of mine. “Maybe the DCI got there first or maybe he was able to get Cale alone or …” his voice cracked and faded out.
“Marcus?”
He just shook his head against mine and I knew – Ryan was dead.
There are times in your life when reality is just too painful and even your own heart can’t allow you to feel it. I held Marcus as he cried – I felt nothing. I was completely broken. I closed my eyes – a thought crossed my mind. I reached around Marcus and grabbed a gun. I watched the light reflect off the cold, gray metal as I lifted it to my head and pressed it against my temple.
“What the hell, Jenna,” Marcus screamed as he pushed me against the sink and pulled the gun from my hand. I looked at him with no emotion … I wanted to die.
“You don’t get to do that!”
My body started to shake.
“My brother died so he could save your life. You don’t get to do that!” he said again. Tears suddenly started and ran in steady steams down each side of my face. I pushed him away from me and he fell against the opposite wall, just as defeated as I was.
I walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway, stopping in front of Becky’s door. I banged as hard as I could until she opened it with the chain attached. Her eyes were crazy with panic.
“Come with us,” I said.
“What? No, go away!” She started to close the door and I pushed against it.
“We have money and guns. Come with us – we can save you from this life.”
She paused, staring at me through the slit in the door. “Why?”
I dropped my eyes to the floor. My chest heaving with the heaviness of what I knew I was going to say next. “Because, someone saved me from this kind of life and I want to save you too.”
Marcus was suddenly behind me. “We have to go now.”
I looked at Becky again. “This is your one chance. Please, come with us.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me one last time … and closed her door.
I closed my eyes and shook my head; I had failed her too.
Marcus reached out and touched my arm with urgency. “Now … we have to go now.”
We ran down the hall but, slid to a stop when we saw Angel. Something wasn’t right. He stood at the top of the stairs, staring down and growling ferociously. Every fiber in my body knew what was about to happen. That’s when we saw him, slowly climbing the steps toward us. Our eyes locked and he smiled like he had seen his best friend “Hello, Jenna,” Cale said calmly.
I fell back onto Marcus like I’d been shot in the chest and he grabbed me, trying to keep me on my feet while he drug me backwards.
”No! “I screamed. My feet shuffled along the floor, trying to regain my balance, but the terror that flooded through me wouldn’t allow it.
Angel stood his ground, barking a feverish warning for Cale not to come any closer. He shifted his weight on his haunches, ready to attack. I wanted to scream and call him back, but I had no voice – no rational thought formed. Marcus continued to scurry back to the room, holding onto me.
“Jenna,” Cale sang out my name like he was so happy to have finally found me. “There’s no use hiding. There’s nowhere you can go where I can’t find you.”
My whole body vibrated with fear. The top of his blonde hair was barely visible above the stairway… he climbed once step at a time, getting closer and closer to me. I watched as Angel ran, in what seemed like slow motion, and lunged toward him.
In one swift move, Cale reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a gun.
“No!” I screamed as the deafening sound of a gunshot echoed off the walls of the open staircase Angel let out a yelp as his body twisted abnormally and then slumped over, falling forward. I heard every step his body hit on the way down.
My knees gave out. Marcus pulled me the last few feet into the apartment and slammed the door, locking every lock. He reached into the bag and pulled out two guns, shoving one into my hand. I grabbed it and held on tight. He switched the safety off and suddenly, it registered what he was saying to me. “Just aim and pull the …”
Marcus spun toward the door lifting his gun at the same time as the wood door splintered. Cale busted in and fired at Marcus without hesitation. The impact of the gunshot threw Marcus backward and onto me, causing us both to fall onto the bed.
“Marcus!” I screamed, trying to get out from underneath him to see where he had been shot.
Cale marched over to us, pulling Marcus off of me and throwing his lifeless body to the floor. He stood over him, shooting several more times, making sure he got the job done.
Quickly, all of his attention was on me. I made a move for the door but he grabbed me by the hair, throwing me back on the bed. Climbing on top of me, he straddled my body, using his weight to make sure I couldn’t move.
“Beautiful Jenna …”he seethed while pushing his gun against my forehead. Rage overtook him and spit spewed from his mouth as he spoke just inches from my face.
“I’m going to kill you slowly and painfully. It won’t be quick like those low-life Kitson Brothers or that mutt.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long-bladed knife. I bucked against his body weight, desperate to escape my fate. My eyes searched frantically for any type of weapon I could use against him
He grabbed my chin, holding it in place and forcing me to look at him. I whimpered, “Please…”
“Oh, we are so past that.” He smiled as he pressed the tip of the knife to the skin just under my eye. I let out a blood curdling scream as he slowly moved it down my cheek, slicing open the skin until he reached my jaw line. I felt the warmth of the blood gush from my open wound.