Second Chances Ch. 01

Alexandria wasn't in a great hurry as she stepped out into the light of day sipping her favorite iced Starbucks coffee. The sun wasn't particularly hot and with the light, fresh breeze, it finally smelled and felt like spring. She wandered down the sidewalk, not paying any particular attention to where she was going. It just felt great to get out and walk around after being cooped up all winter. Most of the city seemed to have the same idea. Dozens of people were out and about.

She stopped in front of a bookstore window and contemplated going inside on a hunt for the newest book by her favorite author, when she saw the reflection of the man behind her in the glass. He was staring at her with piercing dark eyes. With his unruly dark hair, thick bushy eyebrows and a weeks worth of scruff on his face, he looked like trouble. She stifled the shiver than ran up her spine and calmly walked away.

She paid careful attention to the man's reflection in the glass of the next few stores. He kept a few feet back, and was attempting to walk in her blind spot, directly behind her. He never took his eyes off her. He was definitely following her.

"CRAP!" She thought to herself. "Why is this guy following me?" Before she could decide what to do about it, the man moved toward her quickly, and clamped a gloved hand on her shoulder. Before she could take a breath to scream, he had a long sharp hunting knife at her throat.

"Scream and you die, lady!" He growled in her ear. His hot, sour breath made her want to gag. He was pushing her toward the nearest alleyway. Her heart beat in an unsteady rhythm, first too fast, then skipping a beat, then too fast again. "Oh God, Oh My God...This isn't happening!" Her mind shrieked. But it was.

The end of the alley was closed off by a tall gate. He pushed her roughly past the garbage dumpster, the knife still at her throat. Once he got her facing the brick wall, he shoved her, hard, against the wall, twisting her arm back behind her. She gasped for breath as the sharp pain radiated through her shoulder. Her cheek bone scraped against the rough texture of the old fashioned brick. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Before she could catch her breath and try again, he stuffed a dirty rag in her mouth. He grabbed her roughly by the hair, and slammed her face into the brick. He counted out...softly, as he pounded her skull into the unforgiving brick. One...Her face hurt and somehow felt numb at the same time, her eyes blurry. Two...her eye felt like it was on fire, spots danced and her vision darkened. Three...Time seemed to slow...she slid into darkness. She didn't hear his laughter, or feel the double edged blade slice through her clothing, making shallow cuts on her ribs and legs.

When she woke, there was duct tape over her mouth. She was still in the alley. Her head was pressed against the rough ground. He had moved the garbage dumpster to the center of the alley. The boxes piled around it blocked the view of the street. Dimly, she knew that if she couldn't see the street, no one could see them either. Parts of her body felt as if it were on fire, while other parts were numb. He was on top of her, breathing on her. Her throat ached. She couldn't see very well through her blurred vision. One eye was swollen completely shut. Alexandria knew she was naked. The breeze on her bare flesh was cold, and she became even more aware of her surroundings.

His heavy body cut off the circulation in her lungs with every motion of him on top of her. She gasped for shallow breaths through her nose and moaned in pain through the duct tape. She felt every motion, her arms pinned in front by her own body weight, and her legs and hips pinned by him. She was on her stomach. The rough, cold gravel and rock dug into her ribs and chest. Shards of glass imbedded in the tender skin of her stomach and breasts. He grunted above her, pushing her down even harder. Her insides burned like fire every time he moved in her. He was so heavy. She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe...

"God...please...make him stop..." She prayed, silently. She screamed in agony when he slammed into her harder and faster. Finally, mercifully, he was done... He rested on top her back for a minute, breathing his sour breath into her face.

"Were you a virgin? That was great...for me..." He laughed, cruel and guttural. He stood and calmly zipped his pants. She was laying on her stomach, with her arms still duct taped in front of her. She lay still, barely breathing. He hummed as he shoved the garbage dumpster back to it original position against the wall. He threw the boxes on top of her, one by one, humming the whole time. Once he was sure no one could see her, he walked out of the alley, and ambled down the sidewalk. No one paid any attention to the man smiling as he crossed to the other side of the street.

Alexandria wasn't sure how much time had gone by. She drifted in and out of consciousness, but luckily, she was awake when she heard footsteps come into the alley. Someone lifted the lid of the dumpster, and slammed it shut. This was her chance. She kicked a box with all her might, shifting the pile on top of her.

Caleb jumped back in shock when the mountain of boxes slid to the side and stared in horror when the body of the young woman was revealed. She was bruised and bloody, naked and still. She was staring at him. He thought she was dead until she blinked her good eye and moaned through the duct tape.

"Oh my God!" He breathed. "Oh God!" He pushed the rest of the boxes away, and knelt down beside her. As carefully as he could, he peeled the duct tape off her mouth. She spat the dirty rag out of her mouth and choked in a deep breath of cool air. Caleb took off his Barnes and Noble work smock and laid it over her. It covered most of her body.

"I'll be right back!" He said. "I'm going to go call 911!" He ran around the corner and back into the bookstore where he worked. He shoved past a customer and grabbed the manager by the arm. He spun her away from the customer and toward the phone behind the counter.

"Call 911!" He said urgently, trying to catch his breath. "There's a woman in the alley! She's been attacked!" He grabbed a box cutter and ran back out the door before anyone could say anything.

Ellen Campbell starred after Caleb, shocked. He had never spoken much above a whisper in all the years she had known him. She grabbed the cell phone clipped to her belt, dialed and ran for the back room. She grabbed the multicolored afghan that hung on the back of the break room couch and ran toward the front of the store as fast as she could.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I'm at the Barnes and Noble, at Hollow and 12th street. One of my employees found a woman in the alley beside our building. He says she has been attacked." Ellen said as calmly as she could muster.

"Ok ma'am, where sending help now. Is the woman conscious?"

Ellen rounded the corner and saw Caleb peeling the last piece of duct tape off her wrists. She was shaking badly, crying, her dark hair matted to her face.

"Yes. Oh God...she is naked..." Ellen crouched over her, shielding her body from the view of the street. "She has cuts and bruises all over her body." Ellen told the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Where is she bleeding from?" Ellen repeated the question to Caleb.

"Everywhere!" Caleb ground out. He was picking the pieces of glass that he could see from her skin as carefully as he could.

"It looks like mostly shallow cuts, from glass." Ellen said, putting the blanket over her. "What's your name honey?" She said softly.

"Xandy." She whispered, hoarse. Her throat ached, her head spun. She was nauseated, and began dry heaving. Caleb held her hair back, rubbing her back gently. Crooning softly.

"Put pressure on the cuts that look the deepest." Came the voice from the phone.

"Ok..." She pressed her hand over a cut on Xandy's thigh. It was seeping badly, and it looked really close to the main artery. Xandy yelped, heaving again. Acid burned her throat as tears seeped down her face, stinging the abrasions on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. We have to stop that bleeding." Ellen said.

"A medic is on the way." The dispatcher said calmly.

Caleb was still picking glass from her skin when the sirens blared in front of the building not a minute later. Less than five minutes later cops arrived. They took the information they could before EMT's loaded her up on the stretcher. Caleb blanched and visibly winced as she told them what happened. The medics were ready to move her.

"Don't leave me again!" She grabbed Caleb's hand.

"I'm right here." He squeezed her hand gently.

"Are you her boyfriend?"

"No. I found her." He said. "I'm going with her to the hospital." He said firmly, looking from Ellen to the cop. The cop looked surprised, but relented when Caleb stared him down. "I'll follow in the cruiser."

"We will find the guy, miss. Don't you worry about a thing." He crooned, patting her hand. Frank Banning had a daughter about her age. He would gladly go to hell and back to track down the bastard who did this.

Ellen nodded. "Someone should be with her, and I have to stay here and manage the store." She said. "Don't worry about work, Caleb. Stay with her as long as she wants you to. I'll come to the hospital after my shift." By the time they loaded Xandy into the back of the ambulance, a crowd had gathered. The remaining cops taped off the area, gathering evidence while Banning began asking Ellen and the rest of the crowd questions.

Caleb held her hand all the way to the hospital, watching as the EMT' worked to clean her cuts and stop the bleeding. He rubbed his thumb over her hand and spoke softly to her. "You're safe. Your safe now." Over and over. He didn't know what else to say. Mostly, he felt useless, and he felt like crying with her. He had never seen a woman so badly beaten before. Rage burned in his gut.

He moved as fast as he could with the EMT's through the door.

"Sir, you need to stay here." A nurse said, blocking his path.

"No!" Xandy shrieked. "Stay with me!" They pushed her gently back down on the gurney, a flurry of activity as doctors and nurses swarmed over her.

"I want to stay with her!" He said.

"We need to examine her, and run tests sir." The nurse said firmly. "You can't stay with her now. Wait here!"

"Xandy...I'm here..." He shouted past her. "I'll come see you as soon as they let me! I won't leave!"

It seemed like hours later when they finally let Caleb in to see her again. Banning had come and taken his statement, and talked to the doctor, and spent almost an hour talking to Xandy before he left. He clapped Caleb on the back as he left. "You saved her life you know. Good job son." He said. He slipped Caleb his card. "Call me if you need to. I'll keep in touch on my end too." They both stared at each other, the weight of the situation heavy on both of them.

"Is she going to be ok?" Caleb gulped.

"Eventually...physically, at least. Her body will heal." Banning said. "Emotionally, psychologically, maybe never." He said. "She's strong though. Stronger than she realizes. Most women block it out, try to forget as soon as possible. She was able to give me details, forced herself to remember. We have enough for a sketch artist. There is an excellent chance we can catch the guy." Frank said.

"What can I do?" Caleb asked.

"Just hold her hand. Be there. She may want to talk about it, she may not. Speak calmly with her."

"I don't know what to say to her." He said. "I don't even know her."

"Just listen if she talks. Tell her about yourself. Don't push her to talk about it." Frank said. "She wants to see you. Been asking about you. I think she has a bit of hero worship developing." He said. "It's normal."

"I'm no hero." Caleb said softly, carefully, his own memories coming to mind. Frank stared at him. The boy obviously had secrets.

"Today you are." Frank said, nodding toward the door to her room. "To her, you're a hero." Banning walked away.