Moving a Little Heart (20 page)

"Easier said than done."

"That it is, my girl. That it is."

Terry returned several minutes later with a glass of fresh orange juice and some toast, which he made her finish before he lifted her from the bath. As he patted her dry, he told her that there was one last thing he was going to do.

"I told you that I had a special ice pack. Just a warning, you will not like it, but if you can give it five minutes, then I promise to leave your bottom alone for the rest of the day."

"Even a spanking?" she asked hopefully.

"No. That is always exempt."

"That sucks."

"Just be good. Lie over these pillows," he said, piling several on the bed.

With a tired sigh, Baylor obeyed. After all, what could be worse—or more humiliating—than what she had already endured? And it was just Terry this time, too.

"What the fuck?" she yelped, trying to escape the icy probe that suddenly slid inside her tender hole.

Terry held her in place. "I told you that it was cold and you wouldn't like it. Stay still."

"Get it out!"

"Five minutes. I'm moving it back and forth to keep it from feeling like it's burning. Stay put."

"No! Stop!" Baylor squealed, trying to escape his strong grip. He leaned over her back, pinning her down, and gently eased the long, slender icicle in and out of her tortured anus. She kicked and screamed, called him names, and made such a fuss that everyone in the house came up to investigate.

"Damn, I hate that thing." Matt shuddered. "Bay? It helps. I know how it feels. At least he moves it. That keeps it from burning."

Tears flowed from her eyes again. "Daddy! I need my Daddies."

"We're right here, baby. Shhh," Jake said, lying down and touching his forehead to hers.

Hayden joined them. "You poor thing. It's almost over. I'm sorry you had to go through all this. It's my fault."

"Mine, too. It was too much for you right now. Forgive me?" Jake asked.

"My bottom will never feel the same again," she sobbed.

"It will, I promise. Shhh," Jake cooed. "Let me tell you a story. When Dad told me that he was getting married and bringing me a kid brother, I was so pissed that I ran away."

"Yeah, and he went really far. Straight down to the basement, where he locked himself in." Hayden laughed. "Jakers hid out there for two days before I showed up. His dad was in a panic because he was all alone down there and wouldn't talk to him."

"Dad must have called Mom every ten minutes because he was so worried. Mom, though, told him to trust that I would sort things out in time. She said that everything would come together after the shock was over. She and Hayden arrived the next day."

"I was just as miserable. I mean, I'd been forced to leave England, my friends, my home… and was now in this place that was nothing but sand and rock. When we got to the house, I ran outside. I saw the basement window and heard video games, so I pounded on it. That's when I met Jake. I was so scared, and couldn't stop crying. He took pity on me and let me stay."

"They let an eight and nine-year-old stay in a basement alone?" Baylor asked.

"Yep. Really, there was no safer place for us to hide out at. To start with, there was enough food down there to supply us for a year," Hayden said.

"And a refrigerator, microwave, bathroom, a TV, ping pong table, video games. We had everything a couple of boys could need. Except girls, of course," Jake added, stroking her hands.

"Our folks just left us there to get to know each other. We became best friends. About three days after I showed up on his doorstep, old Matt here came tapping on the window and joined us," Hayden said.

Matt lay down next to them. "I remember that. Jake slugged me because I asked why the other kid talked so funny."

"We raised such a ruckus that the folks broke down the door and came down to investigate. That was when they discovered what we had been getting into. Dad had a freaking cow." Jake chuckled.

"That was because we busted into his stash of bourbon," Hayden reminded him.

"Oh, yeah," Jake said. "I forgot about that. I was thinking that his fit was because we ruined his Cuban cigars by experimenting with them. Anyway, once the air cleared from all the steam coming out of the old man's ears, Mom suggested that he give us his basement as a wedding gift. That was when we all saw how her influence changed our lives." He sounded sad.

"I miss her," Hayden sighed. "She made us a family. She even adopted Matt after his folks tossed him out. He lived with us for four years before he joined the Peace Corps."

"Why did they do that?" Baylor asked, so enthralled with their story that she didn't notice Terry had removed the ice pack.

"They found out I was gay. It was not something that people embraced in our part of the world, especially by that generation. My folks had me late in life, and were very set in their ways," Matt said.

"I'm so sorry."

"The Patersons had known me since I was a kid, and always had a place for me. I spent a lot of time over there, mainly to avoid my father's insistence that I make something of myself other than being a naturalist. He didn't understand that I sought refuge in the desert because I didn't fit in anywhere else."

"Did you have feelings for Jake?" Baylor asked cautiously.

"I love Jake. He's like a brother to me, but nothing more. Hayden, too. I really didn't have feelings for anyone until they introduced me to T-Bear," Matt told her.

Terry lay down next to Matt and wrapped his arm round the man's shoulders. "It was my birthday, and these smartasses thought it would be funny to have a handsome, naked man jump out of a cake for me. Neither one of us suspected that it would be love at first sight."

"Aww," Baylor said.

"You're done here, baby. Let's get you dressed and then we can go downstairs and finish that movie," Jake said, kissing her palm. "We're going to start a new routine with you. Homework, movie night, family time, rewards and, of course, discipline. We will give you the layout tomorrow when you can pay better attention, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Baylor rose slowly, shocked to see that she had been lying there naked without feeling uncomfortable. Jake pulled a warm shirt over her head, Hayden helped her into sweat pants, and Matt slipped a pair of socks over her feet. She felt nothing but the love coming from them, and her heart filled with joy. Maybe Uncle Terry was right after all—it did feel good to be taken care of.

"Baylor? Where is she?" Jake called, tossing his keys on the shelf. "I want my hugs."

"I haven't seen her. I was gone all day. I had to grab some quiet time in my office on base and sort through those stupid files," Hayden said. "Did you look next door?"

"Yeah. The house is locked, the lights are off, and her car is in the driveway. Did she go for a walk?"

"Without telling us? She never does that. Have you tried her cell?" Hayden asked.

"No answer," Jake said.

"Maybe she's in her room taking a nap."

"She hates naps, remember? She wouldn't do that unless she was sick. I'll go check." He returned several minutes later. "Not a trace. Do you think she's hiding? I noticed that she didn't finish unpacking her box for today, and I don't see that budget I asked for on my desk."

"I don't know, bro," Hayden said, plopping down on the couch. "She'll be fine. You are such a mother. What is that stupid lizard hissing at?"

"Who knows? It's probably thinking of how to make you its next meal," Jake retorted.

Baylor hid behind the couch in the living room, pretending to be invisible. She glared back at the Gila monster, who seemed to be intent on revealing her location by staring at her from the enclosure. She stuck her tongue out at it, and wrinkled her nose as it returned the gesture.

As part of their new routine, Jake and Hayden had been assigning her chores to complete before they came home from work. Some of them were fun, like processing photographs in the new darkroom everyone had built for her. Others—not so much. She was supposed to be sifting through the boxes of crap from her move and getting rid of old things. One box a day, any size she wanted. Over the last three weeks, she had finished all the small ones, but the larger ones still loomed over her like skyscrapers. She was also supposed to do this nasty, ugly thing called a budget that she had found one excuse after another not to complete—the holidays, a headache, work, slowing of her tablet, a thundercloud on the horizon which was a bad omen, a spider in the bathtub… she had been very creative, but Jake had finally put his foot down. It had been due yesterday afternoon but, because she had been called out on an assignment and was completing the department's newsletter, Jake had allowed her an extra day. However, he'd also promised her an 'ass whooping' if she procrastinated again.

Even though it was Saturday and she was not working, she'd wasted the day playing in the darkroom and practicing Photoshop techniques on the new computer the boys had bought her for Christmas. Before she knew it, Hayden had left her a message that he and Jake were on their way home, and since Terry and Matt were gone for the weekend, he would call out for pizza. Suddenly aware that she was out of precious time to save her bottom, she'd raced next door to find her tablet and try to finish her 'homework' by making up a bunch of numbers. After all, Jake hadn't said the budget had to be
right
! Just done. Now, she was stuck behind the couch without any means of escape.

"How was your day?" Hayden asked his brother.

"Not good. There is talk of a deal going down in Sector 7, and the DEA is antsy. They want surveillance on all the roads, in and out."

"Do they suspect when it's going to happen?" Hayden asked.

"All I heard was, 'any moment now.' We are all on call, so I need to stay close to the phone."

"Is Bay going to be called in, too? She's on the surveillance team," Hayden said with concern.

"I asked them to keep her off the list. She's too new in the department, and it's too dangerous. We're looking at a drug deal—and possible gunfire—and I don't want to worry about her being caught in the middle."

Baylor simmered with anger. This was her chance to show everyone that she had what it took to be a forensic photographer, and Jake was interfering with it! The phone rang and she listened carefully to the conversation, her heart pounding inside her chest.

"That's the call." Jake sighed. "I'll let you know any updates as I get them. Please find Baylor."

"She's around. Don't worry about her. Just be careful," Hayden said. "I'll walk you out."

Baylor heard them clapping each other on the back as they hugged, and held her breath as they left the house. She slipped out the back door and through the hedges to her house, grabbed her car keys and camera equipment, and waited impatiently for Jake to drive off on his motorcycle.

The houses were well insulated from the outside noise, so she was not concerned about Hayden hearing her car when she left towards Sector 7; a barren strip of land about fifteen miles northeast. She knew the spot fairly well since she had started exploring the area. There was a steep, rock covered mountain that provided a viewpoint for miles, and would allow her the perfect vantage point to set up her equipment and take long distance photos without putting herself in any immediate danger from the criminals.

Leaving her car parked behind an abandoned couch and pile of rubbish located about a mile east of her destination, she flung the heavy backpack over her shoulders and hiked through the arid desert spotted with Joshua trees and dried brush. Once reaching the small mountain, she began to scale the rocky wall to gain a better view. The rubble under her feet caused her to fall several times and bang up her knees and scrape her hands, but Baylor was determined to make it to the top and get her shots.

By the time she'd finished setting up her equipment, she saw a row of Harley Davidsons leading a large van coming into view. Using the non-reflective telescopic lens, she began to photograph faces and license plates, sending them digitally to her home computer. Another group of motorcycles and a second van came from the opposite direction and met with the first group, enabling her to obtain a complete photo-report of the exchange. The final pictures of the arrival of the DEA in full regalia, and a video of the bust, including the fleeing vehicles, was the icing on her cupcake.

Pleased with her work, Baylor packed up her gear and began to traverse back down the steep slope. The camera equipment threw her off-balance and, before she knew it, she was sliding down the edge and straight through some rotten boards that covered an old mine shaft.

Except for a couple of small cuts and bruises, she was undamaged. Her equipment, likewise, suffered only a few minor bumps. Cursing loudly, she used the light of her cell phone to view her surroundings, swallowing hard when she saw that she had just missed falling deeper into a dark, black pit. Carefully, she backed away from the ledge, uncertain of its strength and stability, trying her best to keep calm.

"Panic is the thing that will kill you," Matt had told her once as he'd shared some of his experiences. "Keep your head and you'll stay alive. Use the resources around you."

Resources. Cell phone. Baylor growled as she tried to find a signal that deep in the ground. None. Likewise, the digital camera could not send a video of her plight. No sunlight penetrated the shaft, and she knew that it was only a matter of another hour or so before the sun began to set and the frigidity of the desert winter crept in. The deep chill of the dark mine was already uncomfortable, and Baylor feared she would be stuck there through the duration of the night.

"Please, God," she whispered out loud, the sound of her voice echoing in the depths below, "don't let them lose me like they lost their mom. It would kill them. I promise to be a better little girl if You help me out of this. Please? For them, not me. For all of them."

Her prayers were sincere. The fear for how her boys would handle their loss was overwhelming to her, but there was a deeper, more urgent need to survive that took over. Whatever it took, she knew that giving up was not an option—she had too much to live for now.

Baylor huddled against the wall, icy fingers tucked under her armpits as darkness settled in. She listened above for sounds of life, but the only thing she could hear was the wind whirling through the empty caverns below.

Her stomach grumbled hungrily, and she thought about how good the pizza would taste at that moment. Hot, steamy, dripping with sauce and stringy cheese—piled high with Canadian bacon and chunks of roasted pineapple. Her thoughts drifted then to how the boys teased her about her pizza habits; first having to drench it in red wine vinegar, and then eat it 'from the top down'. She always left the 'bones' for last, and she and Jake would literally wrestle over the crust like it was the best thing on earth. She would be smeared with tomato sauce by the end of their meal, and need a bath filled with fragrant bubbles and a cup of hot cocoa perched on the edge of the tub. Her teeth began to chatter and she closed her eyes, wishing with all her heart that, just this one time, she had obeyed her daddies.

It usually took twenty-four hours before the SAR team was sent out, and she knew that with the temperatures dropping near to below freezing, and having neither fire or a coat, there was a real possibility of her not surviving before she was found. Her mouth was dry and her throat parched, reminding her of Hayden's rules of survival—never go anywhere without some food, water, matches and an emergency kit—all of which she had left in her car.

She turned the Wi-Fi off on her phone to conserve what was left of the battery, mentally kicking herself for not paying attention to the discussions the boys had had over the dinner table about using cell phones to make fires. It had bored her, like so many of their discussions. She made another silent promise; to learn from their wisdom and experience and stop trying to be an island unto herself.

That had been her problem all along. Her reluctance to accept that relying on other people and their strengths did not mean that she was dependent or weak. It also did not mean that she lost her own identity. This battle against submission to her 'family' had been one out of pride and fear. She trusted them, all of them, as much as she was able to trust anyone. But trust was foreign to her, so the trust she gave always had a condition. Would she ever be able to completely release herself in their hands? She would try. If she was given a second chance, that was. She
had
to have a second chance; there was too much for her to lose.

Her shivering began to decrease as the hours ticked by, and she felt herself becoming lethargic and unfocused as hypothermia set in. She fought against the sleepiness, knowing that it would be her downfall.

It was shortly after five in the morning when she thought she heard voices. Was she hallucinating?

"Help!" She pulled together the little energy that remained and yelled hoarsely. "I'm down here! HELP!"

"Baylor! I found her!" Matt yelled. "Honey, are you okay?" he called down.

"I fell into the shaft yesterday afternoon. There's just a little ledge, and then a drop, and I can't get out. Help me!" She started to cry.

"Did you break anything?" she heard Hayden call down.

"No, just some bruises. But I'm freezing. I can't feel my feet." She could imagine what was going through all their minds at that moment. She would definitely have some bruises when they were done with her. And she wouldn't need her feet, because she wouldn't be walking after her 'assectomy'. She didn't care. She just wanted to go home.

"Hang on, sweetheart. We'll drop you a rope in just a second. Get a light over here!" Matt ordered. "I'm the lightest. I'll go down for her."

He slithered down the line and wrapped her in his arms.

"Oh Matt! How did you find me?" she asked, hugging the breath out of him.

"We traced your location through the computer downloads. The images helped us pinpoint the point of origin and the last known signal. You are just so lucky you didn't break your neck or fall into that hole. The drop is over 150 feet. Let's get you out of here. Put your arms around my neck. Ready up!" he called.

Baylor nearly strangled him as they began their ascent out of the shaft. She kissed his face over and over again, apologizing for not minding them and for being so foolish.

Once she'd clambered back onto solid ground, Hayden and Jake felt all over her, crying as they kissed her and checked her for damage at the same time. The SAR team stood silent, watching the exchange.

"If you haven't guessed," Hayden addressed them, wiping his face, "we're a threesome. If anyone has anything nasty to say, do it later."

"Why would we, Boss? She's a great girl, and she makes you happy. We're all for it," one of the men said, patting his shoulder and looking around at the others, who were also nodding. "Just promise us something. Spank the tar out of her so she doesn't put you through this hell again."

"Oh, we will," Jake said, gathering Baylor lovingly in his arms. "After we make sure she is okay. Terry!"

"I just got the message and came right away. Honey, are you all right? Look at me," Terry said.

"I'm fine. Really cold and hungry, though. Please take me home. I want a hot bath, food, and lots of cuddles."

"We're taking you to the hospital first to get looked at. No arguments this time," Terry ordered.

Baylor sighed, her arms wrapped tightly around her mid-section as her teeth began to chatter again, and just nodded.

***

"Over the bench, young lady. This will be one lesson that you will not forget in a while," Jake said sternly.