Suffer (24 page)

46

GREY TORE THROUGH EVERY COMPARTMENT on the boat, looking for a full tank. When none was found, he stood defeated on the open space on the back of the boat. He shifted his gaze from his watch to the water when he knew she was out of air. He understood why she wanted to be with her family, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from screaming at the water and breaking down in tears.

After ten minutes of standing in wait, Grey turned and walked to the console. As he reached for the ignition, he heard a noise behind him. When he turned, the other flipper vaulted over the side. His instincts directed his hand to the gun nestled in the back of his belt.

“A little help, please?” said Kate, bobbing out of sight behind the boat.

Grey tripped as he bolted for the stern. He recovered to see her holding up her vest. He slung it onto the deck and then reached down for her. He came close to dislocating her shoulder pulling her onboard. Grey held her in a tight embrace.

“I wasn’t gone that long,” said Kate, unable to inhale.

“Shut up,” said Grey, grabbing her shoulders. “You emptied my tank and you were down there forever. I though you…do you have any idea what you did to me? How in the hell was I going to explain that to Abby? To your parents? What the fuck is going on in your head, Kate? And no bullshit. Talk to me!”

She took his hand and sat him on the bench seat along the bulkhead. Kate saw the panic and sadness in Grey’s eyes. Tears filled her own as she turned away to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

“I knew it would end up like this,” said Kate. “Just you and me. I knew you would be my knight.”

“Being your knight sucks,” said Grey.

“I’m sorry I sabotaged your gear; I’m sorry I scared you, Grey. But I needed to know.”

“Know what?”

“That I could live without them.”

“Well, I’m glad you figured it out.”

“I don’t want to lie to you. Let’s just take it day by day.”

“Are we good for at least tonight?”

“Yes,” said Kate, smiling through her tears. “Let’s go home.”

*****

Kate kept her promise to Abby and stood on the steps leading up to the Municipal Center in South Miami. She stared at the corkboard announcing the meeting for Victims of Violent Crime. She turned to see Abby pulling away from the curb and waved. It had been two weeks since she sent Diego to the bottom of the Gulf.

Kate took a moment to think about the people who had risked their lives to save hers. She knew her sister was excited about leaving in three days for a two-week vacation in Mexico with Grey. He was still in Atlanta getting his house ready to put on the market; Chief returned to Sugar Loaf to appear in court for a case he’d closed before he quit the force. He planned on returning to Miami after the verdict; Evan was in Orlando helping his crew prepare a soundstage to start filming a new movie. He also planned on returning after Abby and Grey’s vacation.

She smiled, thinking about all the excuses they gave her for coming back. Kate knew the real reason was to keep an eye on her. Some days were better than others. She was still struggling to find reasons to carry on without her boys.

Walking into the meeting, she saw several faces turn to welcome the new arrival. Smiles erupted, but all of them seemed to be forced. She took a seat next to a woman holding a photograph of a young girl. The woman looked at Kate, but then returned to the picture.

An elderly woman standing behind a podium started the discussion. A brief history of her experiences was followed by two more testimonials. All of them were women; all of them were heartbreaking. At the end of the third story, the woman sitting beside Kate stood and walked to the podium. She looked to be the same age as Abby.

The young woman introduced herself as Claire. She was a battered wife who lost her daughter to the man had she married, who relentlessly raped and beat her. Claire talked about how the marriage started as a fairy tale, but dissolved into a nightmare. She went to the police once, but was silenced by her husband’s law firm. He was a well-known and respected criminal attorney in Ft. Lauderdale.

She broke down in tears, speaking about how he gained sole custody of their daughter. He did it by getting her arrested for drug possession with intent to distribute. She believed the private investigators for the firm planted the drugs in her car. During the custody hearings, he paraded several men in front of the judge who testified they paid her for sex. With her head lowered to the group, Claire said she would gladly take the beatings if it meant she could still be with her little girl.

When Claire finished and returned to her seat, Kate looked around at the other faces in the room. They were all defeated; they were all thinking about their own hopeless situations and how the system failed them. In that meeting, Kate found her purpose.

“Excuse me, Claire,” said Kate as the meeting adjourned. “I don’t mean to bother you, but can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” said Claire.

“What would you be willing to do to get your daughter back?”

“Anything,” answered Claire without hesitating. “I would do anything to get her back.”

“My name is Kate Freeman. I can help you.”