Ink Pt. 01

"Among other things," I answered, blushing.

"Other things?" he asked curiously. "There are no other things in the file? I've read it front to back four times now."

"What does 'mami' mean?" I asked, changing the subject. "You keep calling me that. I can't imagine it means the same thing to you as it does to me."

"No Mami. It just means... like 'girl'. Like 'baby' or 'babe'. An affectation some guys use. So no answer about the other things?"

I looked away, blushing again. I stared at the window a little fearfully. "He tried. He... was going to rape me anyway, no matter how hard I fought. He wasn't a giant, but he was a lot bigger than me. He had me under him, he was ready to... Then while he was... forcing himself in certain ways... he discovered I was intact. It threw him. I couldn't be a whore if I was a virgin, it was impossible. So... he knocked me out. At some point he decided I was his soul mate. He let me get away and he ran. He has some plan, I just don't know what it is yet. He is smart. A lot smarter than I originally gave him credit for."

"Ah Mija, I am sorry. You are safe now though. He won't find you here."

"I will feel safer once he is found. When I can see my family again."

We talked about family after that, right up until shift change. Mason came in and gave me a once over as if he didn't understand something. I realized what it was when I showered before bed. I was still wearing make-up.

After that, Ramirez and I talked a lot more during his shift. He was the only one who volunteered for shifts with me, so they put him on day shift with me every weekday. It wasn't until six weeks in that I realized something was up with him. He came in on a Saturday, his day off in plain clothes. He had a large bag with him and I watched him curiously as he set it down on the kitchenette. He made me dinner and I realized he had a crush on me.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first, it hadn't occurred to me to look at him that way until he was frying some sort of bread in a pan and telling me about how his mom had taught him to cook.

He was cute, I guessed, but not really my type. Not to mention I wasn't in a place where I wanted to pursue a love interest. Still, the food was good and it was nice to have someone to talk to. I did not encourage him, but I did not discourage him either. I didn't know what I wanted.

The next week, on a Wednesday, he came in practically glowing with excitement. As soon as we were alone, he pulled me back to my bedroom, still grinning. At first I was alarmed, but then he put me against the blank wall, then messed with his phone before pointing it at me.

Ben appeared on the screen. "Rhett! Holy crow it's good to see you! Are you doing ok?"

"Yes! I am fine! It's good to see you too Ben! How are mom and dad? How is Danny and the boys? I miss you all so much!"

"We miss you too! We are all fine, all of us! Dad finally retired and mom hates it! I met a girl, she seems nice but we are taking it slow. Danny and Elaine are taking a break, he is staying at mom and dads. The boys spend a lot of time there and mom loves that. You look good Rhett! The cops won't tell us much of anything. I couldn't believe it when the one showed up and said we could speak for three minutes this morning if I didn't tell anyone!"

"Yeah, it's not really allowed, I guess they knew I needed to see a friendly face. I miss you and I love you all! Don't tell anyone we talked, that is important. Bye!"

"Bye Rhett! See you soon I hope, love you too!"

Manny hung up and his smile turned a little sad. I couldn't help myself, I hugged him, then cried in his arms. He held me all morning until I finally got up and pretended it had never happened. I made lunch and went about my routine as if it was all normal. At the end of the day, I did thank him. I knew what he had done was against the rules.

That weekend, he showed up again. He brought take-out and a bottle of wine. When I said I didn't drink, he left it in the bag, unopened, not pressing the issue. When he showed up Sunday morning, I was surprised. He had another bag with him, but this time it was a gaming system for the TV. He announced he was going to teach me to play video games. I tried it for a few hours and he laughed at how badly I sucked at it.

Lunch time came and Mason announced that if Manny was going to be there, he was going to go have lunch. As soon as he left, Manny went all serious and went to the window to watch out. I watched him curiously and decided that I did like that about him. He took his job seriously, even when he wasn't on the clock.

"How old are you?" I finally asked. I had been curious for a while. He could be eighteen for all I knew, a rookie like he was.

He grinned at me with his perfectly imperfect smile. "You thinkin you might be robbin' the cradle Mami?" he asked teasingly. I felt myself blushing, but I wasn't quick enough to come back with a scathing or sarcastic response. "Don't worry. I have you by four whole months. Would it bother you if I didn't?"

"I don't care how old you are as long as you do your job," I snapped, angry that he was assuming we were a thing. "I was making polite conversation."

"Hah. No Mami, you are interested. I see it when you look at me. When your face lights up when I come on shift, when I show up. You like me."

"Tell yourself what you want to, but you aren't my type."

"No? What is your type?"

"Smart."

"Ouch. Cops are stupid I guess?"

"I didn't say you were stupid... I just... like a certain type."

"You want me to read books and talk about the meaning of life and shit? Something can be said for a man who puts their life on the line every day."

"I wasn't trying to offend you..."

"You were. It's cool Mami. I got your message loud and clear."

He went quiet after that and when Mason got back, he left. I felt awful. I realized after he had gone that I hadn't wanted to offend him, and I hadn't wanted him to leave. I liked him hanging out with me. Not because he had to but because he wanted to. I felt horrible for hurting his feelings.

It surprised me when he came back two hours later with a folder in his hand. He threw himself onto my couch next to me and tossed the folder in my lap, making half the contents slip out. I caught them and slid them back before opening the folder.

Awards, certificates, pictures...

He was smart. I had to try and hide my smile as I looked through all of his highschool awards, his college awards, his police academy awards. Top of his class. All state athlete. Perfect GPA maintained through every school.

I handed it back to him quietly, not looking at him.

"Nothing to say?" he asked, almost offended.

I knew he wanted me to apologize. I knew I should apologize. I had made an assumption.

Instead I said something that was very hard for me to say since I didn't want to say it at all. "I am not in a place for... anything. You should go. You should ask to be taken off shift here."

He sat there for a moment, looking at me, but I couldn't look at him. I felt tears well in my eyes and I jumped up and went to my room, locking my door behind me. I was not going to let anyone see me cry.

He was quiet when he came in the next day, taking up his seat near the window. I finished my breakfast and went to my room to work on my laptop. That night, after he left, I moved my desk to the bedroom.

I worked in there all week, only coming out to eat. He still came every day and I was guessing he hadn't asked to be transferred.

The next week, on Tuesday when I came in for lunch, he looked at me and spoke for the first time. "You look like shit, Mami."

"Thanks."

"Really. You look awful. Are you sick? Not sleeping? What?"

"Doesn't matter," I answered, then went back to my room without eating. I laid in my bed and cried, cursing Brock, cursing my life.

It would all be over if I was gone. My family could move on, the police wouldn't have to babysit me anymore, Brock might be caught if he was upset enough to make another mistake. I didn't want to be here anymore. It was all pointless and everyone would be better off with me gone. Everyone.

I went to the bathroom and sat down in a tub full of hot water, wondering if I had the courage to end it all.

"Mija, come on," Manny said gently.

I hadn't heard him or seen him come in. He took my arms and pulled me out of the tub, then wrapped me in a towel. I was shivering, the water had gone cold while I was sitting in it. He put my robe on me and tucked me into bed, then sat next to me.

"Look at me, Mija. I'm not going anywhere. When this is over, I am going to take you to meet my family and they will all love you, this adorable little woman that I have found. You will love them. And then I will meet your family, and they will like me. I know, because family is as important to me as it is to you. And we will go on a real date. Maybe a museum or something boring for you, but then to a basketball game for me," he said with a laugh. "We can be different and still be happy. I want to see you happy Mami."

I looked up at him, wishing I could believe him. Wishing I could give in to his ideology.

"I am going to kiss you now, Mami, and you are going to kiss me back," he said with a grin.

"My name is Margaret. Rhett," I said, looking up at his beautiful face. He wasn't hot like Brock. He was attractive in a way that grew on you the more you knew him. I decided I liked that about him.

"I know your name Mami," he teased. I adored that teasing smile, the way his eyes lit up.

He leaned close to me and I held my breath, knowing he was about to kiss me. Knowing I was about to kiss him back.

His smile turned to a blank look of shock, then he fell on me.

Brock.

He was standing behind him, fuming. "You were going to let him kiss you!" he said angrily. "And you let him see you with no clothes on!"

I could only stare, then I tried to turn to see Manny. Was he alive?!?

Brock shoved Manny off of me onto the floor, then shoved his hand over my face. I immediately recognized the smell of the cloth in his hand, but had no time to react at all.

I woke in a closed in space, tight and dark. I tried to move and couldn't, not really. The space had give, but not much. I was in a bag, I realized, like one of those army duffels. I was moving, in a vehicle of some sort. I started to panic as I tried to struggle out of the bag, and was relieved when the top unfolded and I could poke my head out.

I was on the floorboard of a truck and I looked up at Brock as he drove.

"Stay down," he commanded.

For the moment, I was content to breath. I looked back and realized it wasn't a truck. It was a camper. Ricky was sitting between the seats, looking at me and wagging like he was waiting for permission. I wiggled my arms out of the bag and pushed my hair out of my face. Brock glowered at me again, but didn't say anything as he looked back to the road. I looked back at Ricky and that was all the invitation he needed as he closed the distance and gave me puppy kisses all over my face.

"Ricky!" Brock snapped.

"Where's Lucy?" I asked softly.

"Those are your first words to me? Not that you are happy to see me or that you are sorry you almost cheated on me?!?"

I swallowed hard. Cheated on him? Happy to see him? He was delusional.

"I wasn't going to cheat on you. He took me out of the water because I was about to kill myself."

"Why would you do that?" he asked angrily. "No one gets to kill you but me!"

"I was sad. I am sad. Heartbroken. I wouldn't have let him kiss me. I told him to switch shifts, that I wasn't interested," I said quietly, slipping up into the seat and buckling my seatbelt. We were on a backroad somewhere. "How did you find me?"

"I have always known where you were. I was waiting for the right time."

"How did you know?"

"Does it matter? Did you want to hide from me or were you forced to?"

"They didn't give me a choice in the matter. Where are we going?"

"Home. I have clothes for you in the back. Go get dressed."

I nodded as calmly as I could and slipped out of my seatbelt and into the back of the camper. There were two bags of clothes on the tiny table. I took off the robe and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt before quietly trying the door on the side of the camper. It was locked. I sat back down and put my seatbelt on.

"That's how I like you. I never liked the tomboy look until you. The jeans fit. Good. Turn around here and face me. I've missed you Little One. Are you excited to be back with me?"

"No, Brock. You know I don't want to be here. Where is Lucy?"

"She died. I think it was heartworm or something, I couldn't take her to the fucking vet. I want you to be here. I want you to want to be here."

"Brock... you kill people. You kill women... you hurt my family when..."

"They were all whores. And I stopped. I won't kill another woman unless you make me."

"Unless I make you? What does that mean?"

"Unless you make me. Unless you try and lie to me and tell me you don't love me and you don't want to be with me."

"So you are holding them hostage. Saying you will kill innocent girls if I don't fake wanting to be with you."

"It's not fake! You just don't want to let yourself because you are afraid, Margaret. You think I will treat you like the others, I won't. I want you to be my wife. My real wife. True and wholesome and good. Don't you want that? I won't hurt you, but if you keep trying to deny me, I will find a whore to punish!"

I was gripping my seat in horror. He was completely gone. Fine. I could get through this until I could get away.

"Ok Brock," I said softly. "So where is home?"

"You'll see," he answered tersely. He was upset now.

"Is it a long drive? Should I see about making something to eat for the trip?"

"It is, no. I will stop. Will I need to put you down again?"

"No, Brock. I will be good. When we get there, home, can we get another dog? A pit like Lucy?"

"We'll see. I am going to pull off up here at this old barn. I am going to fuck you."

"Brock! I told you I..."

"Shut up! I know what you told me. Fight all you want, I am going to fuck that tight little cunt. I have been dreaming about it and I want it. Stop yanking on the door, it won't open from the inside."

He pulled over behind the barn and I darted to the back, yanking on the side door again, searching for a lock.

"Padlocked from the outside," he said, picking me up around the waist. He tossed me on the bed, then stood hunched down in the camper, looking down at me. "This doesn't have to be rough," he said softly. "You're my wife now. You can fuck your husband. You said you'd only ever fuck your husband."

"You are NOT my husband, you can't just say it and make it true! And I said I would only make love to the man I loved!"

"That's how they used to do it. Say the words, it was done. I am saying the words. You are my wife. It doesn't have to be more than that, not for us. You do love me, you just have to admit it. You love me like I love you. It's hard to understand and backward... but you do. You are what I need and I am what you need. Take your clothes off for me."

"You just had me put these on!"

"I wanted to see you in them. Looking the way you were that night. Take them off."

"I won't!"

His grin said he had been hoping for that answer. He grabbed me and yanked me close to him, but he was actually gentle as he pulled the clothes off. He shoved me back down to the bed and his eyes drank me in.

"It's funny..." he said softly. "Those tits... they wouldn't be huge on someone bigger. They would be small even. On you they look a little too big. Fucking perfect. Small C I am guessing?"

"Let me go, Brock, please!"

"Did you like your poems? I wrote you some more."

I blinked and shook my head. "Yes, Brock. You are actually an amazing poet. Surprisingly, or I guess really not that surprisingly. Please, let me go?"

"No. I want to look at you a little longer... I have been waiting for this. I want to savor it. How can you be so... you aren't what I like at all. Not even close, but I can only see perfection when I look at you. That's how I know I love you."

He bent over me and started to kiss me, but I bit down on his lower lip the second he was within reach. He managed to yank back before I had bitten hard, but he was still furious.

"Do NOT do that again!"

"I will! You will not lay a hand on me! Get OFF of me!" I screamed, then started struggling for all I was worth.

With a roar of rage, he yanked me across the bed and across his lap as he sat down. He landed a heavy blow on my bare ass, then another as I screamed in outrage and pain.

I wasn't sure what happened then, there was a snarl and a yell of surprise as I was shoved to the floor. I scrambled up and away as Brock tried to get Ricky to let go of the arm he was savaging. I didn't wait, I snatched my tshirt and bolted to the front driver seat and jettisoned myself out the door.

I was never a fast runner, or particularly athletic, but right then I felt like nothing could catch me. I ran full tilt away from that camper, then angled toward a distant treeline. I didn't care that I was barefoot or could step on something gross or sharp, I kept running. I didn't look back, I could only hope that Ricky was still holding his attention. I had to make the treeline before he could catch me. I didn't even bother trying to pull my shirt on, I ran with it in my hand, butt naked. I didn't care.

When I made the treeline, I finally looked back. Brock was only just making it out of the camper and I could see blood on his arm from here. I turned and fled deeper into the woods, yanking the shirt on as I dodged branches and bushes. I made it to a creek and I knew there was a trick to walking in the water to hide your tracks, but the water was freezing. I hesitated and when I did, I could hear him crashing through the woods behind me. He would catch up in moments. I looked around and there was a small shelf over the creek. It was going to suck, but it was my only chance. I dropped into the icy water and wriggled under the shelf. I was covered in water all the way to my face that I had pressed up the dirt on the bottom of the shelf.

All he had to do was run by me, keep going. Not look back, not look down. Please please please!

The crashing came closer and I saw his feet hit the creek, then stop in the middle. He was looking both ways, listening. I could see blood dripping into the water.

"Little One!" he called. "Where are you? This isn't a game you want to play with me right now!"

He waited for a moment, listening.

"Fuck!" he whispered, then turned and headed back towards his camper.

I was not fooled. I knew he would be hovering, waiting, listening. I shivered in the water long after my adrenaline gave out to misery and what I was sure was going to be hypothermia soon. I kept listening, but there was no sound at all. For all I knew he could be sitting right above me on the shelf, watching and waiting, or back at the camper, driving around and hoping to find me on the road.

I had to take a chance, I would freeze to death if I stayed here. I peeked out, flinching and expecting the worst. There was no sign of him. I lifted my head higher, but still no sign. I carefully stood, looking every way at once, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

It was starting to get dark, and I did not want to be stuck in the woods alone and wet after dark with no shoes or real clothes. I was torn between trying to hurry and trying to be quiet in case he was still out looking.

When I finally made it to the edge of the woods, it was almost dark. About a quarter of a mile away, I could see another barn and some lights near it. A house. Staying to the woods, I crept up to it as stealthily and quietly as I could, but as soon as I got past the barn, I was crestfallen.