Beyond the Past (9 page)

Chapter 20

Gabby woke with a start to a sound, unsure of where she was. She tried to move, and it all came back to her. She prayed she would come to full consciousness and realize she’d had a horrible nightmare. Footsteps resonated from the floor above her. They moved slow, as if the person seemed unsure of where they were going.

She listened, uncertain if she had really heard anything or if it had been her imagination. Now fully awake, panic swelled within her as fear coiled in her gut. What if it was Jerrod? What if he’d come back to finish what he’d started? She had no idea how long she’d been out, and there weren’t any windows in the godforsaken basement to give her any indication of the time of day. She shivered as she remembered his promises of rape and torture.

The footsteps could now be heard directly above her, and as she stared upward, she reminded herself they couldn’t belong to anyone else—Jerrod had already told her the house wasn’t listed any longer. No point in hoping. The whole thing had been an elaborate setup to get her to this out-of-the-way place so that he could torture her into revealing Lucas’s whereabouts. Another thought struck her so hard, her breath caught—could Rachel be involved in this, as well?

Rachel had been the one to bring Gabby and Jerrod together. Had she done so without the knowledge of what a monster he’d turn out to be? Was she part of it, or had she gotten caught up in it without knowing who she dealt with?

The footfalls continued across the room upstairs. As the door at the top of the basement opened, the tears began to fall again as her body shook from the damp cold and searing fear she felt. She’d never know the answer to her question as death converged upon her and she heard her visitor descend; there remained no doubt in her mind.

She tried to control her labored breathing, feeling as though she may suffocate in the musty air. Shutting her eyes, she attempted to steel herself against what she knew was coming, and she had no doubt Jerrod would eventually kill her, whether he meant to or not.

Through closed lids, she saw the lights had been turned on. Sobs wracked her body as she waited for another fist to land, waited for the pain to tear through her body. She could only hope her death would be speedy, that the agony wouldn’t be too bad. Maybe she’d luck out and she’d be unconscious for most of it.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched and screamed. “Get away from me!” she yelled, trying to pull away from the touch. “You son of a bitch! Get away from me!”

“Gabby!”

Opening her eyes, she couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Sobs tore through her body as relief flooded through her. Certainly, she had to be hallucinating. “Garrett?” she whispered.

“Oh, Gabby,” he murmured, bending to his haunches in front of her. He gently touched her cheek and tears welled in his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, wiped his face with his hands, and stood. “Let’s get you the fuck out of here.”

Chapter 21

The ringing phone broke the silence, startling Lucas. He’d just come in from chopping more wood, about to make a turkey sandwich for dinner. Every day, he grew stronger, his mind becoming more focused. For the most part, he felt calm, relaxed, and sturdy. Each morning, his body screamed at him as he rolled out of bed, but he could already feel his muscles replenishing and building. He also hadn’t had a vision since the one of the woman being killed, which definitely helped keep his mental marbles in a row.

“Hello?” he said after locating the satellite phone. A glance around the kitchen showed him he needed to tidy up a bit.  A few dishes sat in the sink, a used pan on the stove, and two boxes of cereal had never made it back into the pantry.

“Lucas, this is Joe Smith.”

“I didn’t think I’d hear from you for another couple of days,” he said, unable to hide his surprise as he slathered mayonnaise on a piece of whole wheat bread.

“Yes, well, there’s been a change of plans.”

Curiosity piqued and hunger forgotten, he sat down at the kitchen table and realized Joe sounded as he’d never heard him before—rattled. “What’s up?”

“I’m afraid you will be receiving your first client later tonight.”

He looked around the cabin. He certainly didn’t feel well enough to have someone else’s life in his hands. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Joe. I need to get stronger and —”

“You don’t have a choice, Lucas. This is an emergency assignment, and you’re needed. There is no room or time for arguments.”

“I’m not ready, and neither is this cabin. I only have enough food to feed someone besides myself for only a couple of days.”

“It will all be taken care of, Lucas. Garrett believes you are strong enough both mentally and physically to handle this. It’s very high priority. We will be by later tonight with provisions and the person you are to protect.”

The phone went dead. He stared at it for a moment, then set it down on the table. Who would this new assignment be, and what would they be running from? Why was Joe trusting him after he’d only been at the cabin three days?

He stood and went back to making his sandwich, the questions swirling in his mind.

Chapter 22

Lucas paced the living room, waiting for his new client. At just after midnight now, exhaustion threatened to overtake him. To fight it, he’d gone through the house and tidied up a bit, hoping everything looked good enough. Gabby had always told him what a crappy housecleaner he was, and he agreed. He just didn’t see messes or notice things like empty toilet paper rolls and unmade beds.

Headlights from across the pond caught his eye, and he went to the window. The van slowly crept up around the drive and he smoothed his hand over his black sweater. Unbelievably, nerves wracked his body. For someone who had been in the actual theatre of war, this should be a cakewalk.

“You really need to get over it,” he mumbled as he studied his reflection in the window one more time. “This is going to be simple. Make some small talk, chop the wood, and keep them fed. Easy.”

He walked over to the front door and flipped on the porch light. Thomas stepped around from the driver’s side and nodded to him as he opened the sliding door. He could see two figures seated on the bench seat, but couldn’t make out their features in the dim porch light. Joe rolled himself out of the van.

“Good evening,” he said as he pushed himself toward Lucas, a hard, determined look on his face. “Please, come inside with me.”

Lucas glanced back at the van and saw movement inside, but still couldn’t make out any features of anyone in there. He followed Joe inside.

Joe rubbed his temples as he asked him to shut the front door.

“Lucas, this assignment is going to be difficult for you, but frankly, I didn’t know what else to do, where to turn to. I’m short on people who hold positions like yours as there are so many people who are looking for protection.”

His knot of worry morphed larger as he closed the door and listened to Joe. “What’s so special about this person? What have they done that has you so concerned?”

“It’s not what they’ve done. I’m certain they’re innocent and have just been caught in the wrong place and wrong time. It’s just that—”

The front door opened again and Lucas turned.

Garrett came in first, his arm around a woman wrapped in a blanket. Her auburn hair fell around her shoulders, covering her face.

His world began to spin as he stared at the woman, her hair reminding him of Gabby’s. “No,” he whispered, taking a step back.

As she slowly raised her head, his gut clenched as recognition set in. Except, the woman before him looked like a battered and beaten version of his Gabby. Her black and purple left eye had swelled up, blocking the beautiful blue of her irises. A large welt covered her right cheekbone.

Surprise shone in her face as their gazes met. Anger overrode his shock as he stared at his wife.

“What happened?” he asked, hearing the gravel in his voice as he tried to wrangle the rage within.

“Lucas?” Gabby whispered.

“What the fuck happened!” he bellowed, feeling as though he were coming completely undone from the inside out as his whole body shook. Who would do this to his Gabby? What kind of monster would hurt a woman like this?

“You son of a bitch!” she yelled as she pulled away from Garrett. “You bastard!”

Tears streamed down her face as she lifted her arm and hit him in the jaw. She struck him again and again as she held on to the blanket with her other hand, and Lucas thought she seemed drugged as she slurred her words.

“What did you do? Where have you been?” she screeched.

He took each of her feeble blows without trying to stop her. Each weak fist felt like a knife to his heart as he peered at her distorted face, not knowing the facts, but understanding deep in his soul that he must somehow be responsible for her apparent suffering, although he hoped he was wrong.

The tears continued, each one salt to his wounded soul. Indeed, what had he done?

After a moment, Gabby quit hitting him and sunk into his chest. Her tears soaked his shirt as he put his arm around her and pulled her close, feeling as though he may shatter apart. His Gabby, who had been hurt so brutally by an unknown assailant, now felt familiar, yet strange, in his arms, as he never thought he’d see her again. He’d left, thinking that by doing so, he’d protect her.

How wrong he had been.

Chapter 23

After she finally calmed down, Lucas said nothing to the others gathered in the living room, but led Gabby down the hall to his bathroom and ran a hot bath. She kept her arms wrapped lightly around his waist, and he held her as he seethed inside, wanting to shoot, knife, and skin whoever was responsible for her wounds.

Then, he wanted to do it all over again.

When the bathtub filled, he slowly removed her blanket. She didn’t meet his gaze as he helped her undress, and he winced at the sight of the black and blue bruise on her torso. She stepped into the water and slowly lay back, closing her eyes. Silent tears cascaded down her battered face, and he took note of the nasty dark marks on her ribs and collarbone. Rage welled within him as his gaze traveled down the rest of her familiar body, and he wondered what else had been done to her.

“Don’t look at me,” she slurred, slowly turning her back to him and facing the wall.

He didn’t know what to do or what to say, so he shut the toilet lid and sat down, resting his head in his hands. Oh, how he’d failed the one person in life whom he loved, the one person he’d tried so hard to protect.

A few moments later, he heard water sloshing, and he looked at her. She sat up, wrapping her arms around her shins and laying her cheek on her knees. Saying nothing, she stared at him.

“I’m so sorry this happened, Gabby,” he whispered, kneeling by the tub. “Who’s responsible for this? Just tell me, and I promise you I will hunt them down and—”

“Don’t say anything else,” she murmured, and he wondered again if she’d been drugged as he could barely make out her words. “Just don’t. Not now.”

He slowly reached out and took her hand, unable to hold back his tears of rage and hurt while she stared at him, her eyes finally dry.

“Where have you been, Lucas?”

He shut his eyes. He remembered that New Year’s Eve night in the convenience store twelve years ago. He’d made a promise he’d never intended to break, but then again, he’d never thought he’d return home from the call of duty with a threat of death hanging over his head if he ever told anyone what had happened in the jungles of Guatemala. Nor did he ever think he’d have the curse of watching people die. “You need to sleep,” he whispered.

“Did you leave me, Lucas? Or did someone take you, like they did me? How did you get away? Why didn’t you contact me?”

It would be best to talk when she’d be more coherent. “Gabby, let’s get you settled. We have plenty of time to talk tomorrow.”

“Who’s that man in the wheelchair, Joe? How did Garrett find me?”

Her thoughts seemed to be all over the place, reaffirming his suspicion she had been drugged.

“I promise I’ll answer all your questions, Gabby, but not now. You need to rest, honey. You need to heal.”

“Okay,” she whispered, seemingly resigned she wouldn’t be getting any answers tonight.

He met her gaze and had to smile. He stroked her hair as they sat there for a long time staring at each other. He could see the exhaustion taking over, and hoped she would rest peacefully, but he doubted it. She’d most likely wake with nightmares, which was understandable after what she’d been through.

“Am I staying here tonight?” she asked.

He nodded. “I have a bed made up for you.”

She studied him for a moment. “Is it the same bed you’ll be in?”

“Do you want it to be?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Her words hit like a proverbial kick to the groin that he’d have to man up and deal with. He nodded. “Then no, it’s your own bed.”

“Help me up, Lucas.”

He got to his feet and held her hand while placing his other hand on her waist. She gingerly stood, wincing.

After helping her out of the tub, he wrapped her in a beige towel. He pulled another one from the rack and dried the ends of her hair. She moved to look in the mirror, and he stepped in front of her.

“Don’t,” he pleaded. “Not yet, Gabby.”

She stared at him a moment. He couldn’t bear for her to see herself this way, to witness the damage that had been done to her beautiful face.

“Okay,” she said.

He led her out of the bathroom and sat her down on his bed. “This is my room,” he said as he rummaged through the drawers trying to find something clean for her to wear. Finally, he came up with the same sweats and sweatshirt he’d been given on his arrival. He helped her slide them on, and then led her to the bedroom next door.

Larger than his, it housed a king-sized bed draped in a purple and yellow patchwork quilt with yellow flannel sheets. He turned on the sideboard heater to low as she watched him.

Going to the bed, he pulled back the covers and motioned for her to get in. She slowly sat down and lifted her feet up, finally getting comfortable.

He went to the bathroom and found some Motrin, ran water into the glass, and brought both out to her. “Here, honey. Take these.”

She tried to sit up, without success.

Setting the water and pills down on the nightstand, he placed his hand behind her neck and helped her sit up. She sipped the water and took the pills, and he gently lay her head down again.

He settled down on the edge of the bed as she closed her eyes.

Words couldn’t describe the guilt and anger that raged within him. He wanted to know exactly what had happened and who was responsible, and he had a feeling Garrett, Joe, and Thomas had some answers, but he didn’t want to leave Gabby. When he emerged from this room, Joe, Thomas, and Garrett had better be sitting out in the living room, ready to talk.

A few moments later, a soft knock came at the door, and Gabby jumped.

“Shhh,” he whispered, lightly brushing strands of hair from her forehead. “You’re safe, baby.” He laid his hand on her shoulder and her body trembled. “It’s okay, honey,” he murmured. “It’s okay.”

She nodded, and he went to the door.

“Are you going to be here when I wake up?” she asked before he could open the door.

He turned and met her gaze. “I’ll be here, Gabby.”

She rolled over to her side. “I hope so, but I’m not holding my breath,” she mumbled. A few seconds later, her breathing evened out. He stared at her another moment before opening the door.

Garrett stood on the other side. Lucas glanced back at Gabby again, and then slipped out of the room.

“Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on,” he hissed.

Garrett nodded. “That’s the plan, man. Let’s go to the kitchen.”