Southern Cross - Pt. 02

Later that night, Sara and Jack were naked in bed, holding each other. Nothing was said, but each held the other close while they kissed until falling asleep.

Hours later, Jack and his parents were woken up by what sounded like the scream of a trapped, wounded animal.

"No! Leave me alone -- you're dead. Don't touch me! Nooooooo..."

Jack was up in a second, holding Sara, who was shaking from fear and mumbling incoherently.

"Sara, wake up. You're ok. It was just a nightmare. I've got you, baby. Shhh -- it's alright."

Just then, Donna and John burst into the room, worried about what they heard.

"Sara, Jack -- are you two ok?"

"I think so, mom. Sara had a nightmare; something scared her but I think she's ok now."

"Ok, but the way my heart's pounding, I won't be going to sleep anytime soon. Why don't you kids get dressed and join us in the kitchen. I'll put some coffee on and Sara can tell us what scared her so."

Closing the bedroom door, Donna and John headed to the kitchen while Jack still held a trembling Sara.

"What scared you, baby? What did you see in your dream to set you off like that?"

"I saw Jeff, and it was so horrible. It was as if he was in the room with us, laughing at me like he used to, looking at me with those contempt-filled eyes. He kept saying 'now you're mine, now you're mine', over and over.

"But as he reached out to grab me, someone -- or something -- grabbed him instead. They were making horrible screeching sounds and they started to pull him away from me. It was just like that scene in Ghost where the bad guys die and are dragged into Hell.

"I feel so stupid and embarrassed, Jack. I'm not sure I can face your parents tonight."

"Embarrassed? Why?"

"One -- I screamed so loud it woke everyone up. Two, and probably the worst -- your parents saw us naked."

"First of all, I am, after all, their son, so that's not such a big deal. Mom won't care, and dad will be ok with it as well. I think he enjoys having such beautiful daughters-in-law to look at. So don't worry. But once you've calmed down, let's get dressed and head down and talk about this. Ok?"

"Yeah, ok. And Jack -- I love you."

After holding Sara for several more minutes, she and Jack slipped into t-shirts and shorts and joined his parents in the kitchen. True to her word, Donna had the coffee on and the oven warming up cinnamon rolls. It was almost 4:00, and John would be getting up soon anyway to start his day. As she poured each a cup, Donna looked at Sara with a worrisome eye.

"Sara, are you doing all right? Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Sara smiled at her future mother-in-law, marveling at how such simple words and a small smile made her feel so much better. She proceeded to explain her nightmare, and apologized again for waking everyone up.

"There's nothing to apologize for. Something you saw scared you and you reacted naturally. I'm just wondering why you saw him tonight and what it all means."

"Maybe something happened to him in prison and some how we got linked psychically because of our past together. I don't know how you feel, but I am a firm believer that ghosts exist. Is there some way we can check the prison system to see?"

"We can't, but I know someone who can. I went to school with the county sheriff and I can give him a call in the morning to see if he still has his FBI contacts. Unless he changed his routine, he usually gets to the office at 7:00 am, so I'll give him a call then."

"Sounds good, son. In the meantime, I need to get going. Rich and Isaac will be here soon, and I need to get a start on chores. Let me know once you find anything out from Alex. And Sara, don't worry -- we'll get this figured out."

As John got up to leave, he leaned down to give Sara a hug, which she gratefully accepted. He gave his wife a kiss and left the three alone in the kitchen, happily munching on Donna's cinnamon rolls and talking about nothing in particular.

After a while, Jack refilled their coffee and asked Sara to join him on the front porch to watch the sunrise. He grabbed a quilt off the couch and quietly led her outside. They sat on the porch swing and Jack wrapped them both with the quilt. All was quiet as the sky slowly began to brighten, as the first rays broke over the horizon. Soon the sky was a changing kaleidoscope of colors -- a dark violet at first, which soon gave way to reds, oranges and finally a bright yellow.

"That's a sight I never get tired of. In fact, it's one of the few things I can remember in perfect clarity from growing up here. And it's better now because I can share it with you."

At a bit past 7:00, Jack dialed the number of the sheriff's office. It rang twice and was answered by a voice Jack instantly recognized -- Belinda Mayfield, the long time office manager.

"Sheriff's office. How may I help you?"

"Good morning, Belinda. It's Jack Armstrong. How are you?"

"Jack Armstrong. I heard you were back visiting. I'm doing just fine -- how are you? What can I do for you?"

"I'm doing all right. Is A.P. in yet?"

"You know damn well he is. And you know, you're still the only person in the world who can get away with calling him that. Hang on -- I'll put you through."

A few moments later, a loud, baritone voice rang through Jack's phone.

"Jack, you son-of-a-bitch, how the hell are you? I heard you were in town and was hoping you'd call. What can I do for you?"

"I'm wondering if you could do me a favor? Do you still have your FBI contacts in Dallas?"

"Yep, sure do. I assume you have a good reason to ask?"

"Yes I do. But I'd rather discuss this with you in person. Can we come see you this morning?"

"Sure, but who's we?"

"We is my fiancée and me. How does 9:00 sound? I'll even bring some of mom's cinnamon rolls with."

"Fiancée? You mean someone finally got you under their spell long enough to break through that rough Texas exterior?"

"Yep, someone did, and the favor is really more for her than me. So will 9:00 work?"

"Yes, 9:00 will be great. See you then."

Several hours later found Jack and Sara walking into the sheriff's office where Belinda Mayfield greeted them.

"Good morning, Jack."

"Good morning. Belinda, this is my fiancée Sara Owens. Sara, Belinda Mayfield, the real power behind the sheriff's department."

"Nice to meet you, Sara. You can head down to his office -- he's waiting for you."

"Nice to meet you as well, Belinda."

Before they could reach the office, the door opened and a bear of a man came through, advancing down the hallway towards them. The scowl on his face quickly changed into a smile, and he and Jack hugged each other like long-lost brothers.

"Jack, it's good to see you again. Man, it's been too many years. And who is this beautiful lady at your side?"

"A.P., this is my fiancée, Dr. Sara Owens. Sara, this gentle giant is Sheriff Alex Pierce, or as I call him, A.P., which is what I've called him since we were first able to talk."

"Dr. Owens, very nice to meet you."

"Please, sheriff, just call me Sara."

"Then you can call me A.P., meaning there's only two people who can call me that. Come on into my office and tell me what's going on."

The three stepped into the sheriff's office and Jack began to tell his friend why they needed his help. He gave a truncated version of Sara's back-story with Jeff, including both attacks.

"Which brings us to last night. Sara had a nightmare where she saw her ex coming for her, only to be stopped and dragged away by what she called demons. It reminded her of the scenes in Ghost where the bad guys get dragged into Hell.

"So our question is this -- is there some way you can check into the federal prison database and see if something actually happened to that lowlife?"

Alex sat back in his chair, looking at Sara and trying to figure out if she was crazy or not.

"Sheriff, I can tell by the way you're looking at me that you don't believe what Jack told you. I don't know if you believe in ghosts or spirits or demons, but I do -- and I don't think you need to believe in something to give me the benefit of the doubt, because I believe in it. All we're asking is for you to check on this. If it's nothing, then it's nothing, and I apologize for taking up your time. But if there is something I need to know, then I think it's your duty to check it out fully."

Alex smiled at Sara as he reached for his Rolodex.

"My wife Holly loves that movie, and is always a crying mess at the end. And you're right, I don't believe in ghosts, but I do need to check this out for you. I need to make some calls to the FBI field office in Dallas. It might take me a while, so Jack, why don't you take your lovely fiancée down to Rosalee's Café for some breakfast. Give me your cell number, and I'll call you when I find something out. Oh, and be sure you leave your mom's rolls with Belinda. If I hog them all I'll never hear the end of it."

The three shook hands; Jack and Sara left the office to head to the café for something to eat. Walking hand in hand, Jack pointed out the different shops he knew of, and they window shopped as they walked.

As they sat in the café, Sara asked Jack if he thought Alex would follow through with their request.

"A.P. is many things, but one thing he is not is a liar. If he says he'll do something, then he'll do it. He might not believe in ghosts, but he believes that you believe. Just give him some time."

Breakfast and two pots of coffee later, Jack's phone dinged with a text message.

'Come on back, I've got news.'

Hurrying back to Alex's office, Sara's mind began to race.

'What if he escaped again?'

'What if he dares to come after me again?'

'What if nothing happened and Alex thought I was a crackpot.'

'What if...'

Belinda ushered them back to Alex's office where he was just hanging up from a phone call. He smiled as they entered the office and sat down, anxiously awaiting to hear what he found out.

"I have to say, Sara, that if you make Jack's life as interesting as you've made mine this morning, he will definitely have his hands full with you.

"It took several phone calls and calling in some favors, but I got some answers for you. First, I want to apologize to you for not truly taking you seriously. You would not believe the number of crackpots and cranks we get in here, and I need to take each one with a grain of salt. But I should've known that Jack would find himself someone who's smarter than that. So for that I am sorry.

"Now for the news. I took some liberty and did some digging around your ex's files, and I can't believe he was actually hired by a police department. He was a classic psychopath and never should've gotten that position. I can't imagine the pain you endured, and I'm glad you survived -- and he didn't.

"Jeff was a real piece of shit, as you well know, and that didn't change in prison. Apparently, he tried to muscle in on part of the prison black market, and that didn't go down well with the prisoner who was the kingpin. He got himself beaten up several times; being an ex-cop didn't help him any either. About a week ago there was a dustup in the yard, with Jeff and another con getting into it. Jeff ended up in the prison infirmary, and last night it ended. Two inmates somehow sneaked into the infirmary, stole a vial of morphine, and injected an overdose into Jeff's IV tube. But here's where it gets creepy. They woke him up so he knew what was happening and who was doing it. As his blood pressure slowly went down, he knew he was dying. But then the audio kicked in. It wasn't very clear on the copy they sent me, but the prison sent along a transcript. Do you want me to read it?"

Sara looked at Jack and Jack looked at Sara. Together they nodded yes.

"The morphine OD is from the boss. But the other is from me, because you disgust me, you piece of shit. Anyone, but especially a cop, beating his girlfriend up like you did deserves to die a slow and horrible death. I may be a con, but I still have some morals, unlike you. So right before your heart stops, when you can still feel pain, I'm going to cut your throat so you bleed out slowly and suffocate from a cut windpipe."

"There was several minutes of silence, and the final words heard were 'this is for Sara'. Jeff's eyes went wide just as his throat was cut. And then the tape cut off. The warden has no idea who it was or how they got in, but he told me Jeff was definitely dead. So maybe what you saw in your dream was real or maybe not, but either way, he is certainly on his way to Hell."

"So it's over? It's really over? Oh my god, Jack, it's finally over."

Sara stepped over to Jack and hugged him, tears welling in her eyes. Then she went to Alex and hugged him as well.

"Thank you, A.P., for doing this for me. I know you didn't need to and that you didn't believe me, but you will forever have my gratitude."

Sara quickly left the office while Jack and Alex said their goodbyes. Sara was sitting on a bench outside the building when Jack sat beside her. He kissed the top of her head as he pulled her close in his arms. They sat for a long while without talking until Jack asked the question he needed to ask.

"So how are you feeling?"

"I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders; like the pressure that has been pushing on my chest has been swept away and I can breathe again; like I can live my life without looking behind me all the time; like I can finally be yours without this dark shadow haunting me.

"And a piece of me is grateful to that SOB for what he did to me, because if he hadn't, I never would've met you -- you, the love of my life. I love you, Jack, and I can't wait for the day I can call you my husband."

For the rest of the week, Sara found time each day to spend with Tiffany and Susan. They mostly rode their horses to different areas of the ranch, showing Sara around. Susan was also able to hook Sara up with several veterans who were more than happy to talk with her about how they handled their PTSD. Tears were shed all around, but in the end, Sara thanked them for sharing their time and wisdom with her.

At the same time, the brothers were working together to figure out a way to cancel the contracts Pete had signed. Rich had spoken to their lawyers on Monday, and by Tuesday they had their answer.

"Apparently, in the first contract we signed, which is still binding, it stated that the only people who can make decisions and sign contracts are mom and dad -- because we were minors when we started and legally couldn't sign anything. So until we change it, mom and dad are still in charge... as usual."

"So that means no record deal and no touring, right? Unless mom and dad sign that contract, and I know they'll refuse to do so."

"Right, so Pete has no say so in this, and if you ask me, I vote to kick his sorry ass out of the band as of today. I'm sick of his bullshit, and the way he looks at Tiffany sickens me."

"Yeah, he looks at Susan the same way, but I think he's afraid if he says anything to her, she'll just give him some animal injections or something like that."

"That's fine with me, but I'm not going to tell him, because if I do, I just might hold him down for Susan. And if he gets near Sara again, I won't hold her back.

"So that's that. Rich, why don't you call the lawyers and tell them to take care of this matter with the label. I plan to spend the rest of the week relaxing since I'm still on vacation."

The rest of the week passed quickly, and soon it was Saturday. Their plane was scheduled to leave Houston early evening, so Donna invited the family to come over for brunch and to say goodbye. Rich was going to drive them to the airport, so once brunch was over, Sara and Jack started to say their goodbyes. Jack started to talk to his brothers and parents, and Sara led Susan and Tiffany outside. Once there, all three joined together in a hug.

"Tiffany, Susan, I just want to thank you for showing me such kindness and accepting me into your family. I was afraid that you'd treat me as an outsider, as someone who didn't belong here. Instead, you treated me with respect and friendship and made me feel part of the family right away.

"I love both of you, and will miss you terribly."

By now, all three girls were softly crying together, hugging each other tightly.

"We both feel the same way, Sara. All we ask is that you take care of Jack. He loves you like no other, and I'm sure you feel the same."

"I do and I promise you both I'll take care of him.

"And now I have a request for both of you. Will you do me the honor of being my bridesmaids at our wedding? I can't think of anyone else I'd want to have by my side that day."

Tiffany and Susan looked at each other, and together they responded.

"Yes! We'd love to!"

At the same time, Jack was saying goodbye to his parents.

"Mom, dad, thank you for the way you treated Sara. Despite what I told her, she was so afraid she would be treated as someone who didn't belong here. But you surprised her by accepting her right away as a member of the family. And thanks again for having my back where Pete is concerned. It's going to be a long time before I can forgive him, if ever. I hope you can understand. I love both of you."

After hugging his parents, Jack turned to speak to his brothers. At the same time, Sara began saying her goodbyes to Donna and John. Nothing was said as she gave both a big hug. John kissed her head and whispered in her ear 'welcome to our family'. He quickly walked away before anyone saw the tears welling in his eyes. As she began to softly cry, Sara hugged Donna.

"Donna, thank you so much for everything. These two weeks turned out far better than I had expected. Thank you for the kindness you showed me, and of your accepting me as one of the family. You have a beautiful home, and I can't wait to have you see ours. And as soon as we set a date, I'll let you know so you and my mom can help with the wedding plans. My mom has been so anxious after marrying off my three brothers to finally plan for her daughter. And I would be honored if you would help."

"Nothing would make me happier. Send me her contact information so we can get talking. And thank you for making Jack so happy. Despite all you went through, I am so happy it brought you to him. Have a wonderful life together, darlin' -- you deserve it."

And then it was time to leave. With some final hugs to the nieces and nephews, the Tahoe was loaded up and they were on their way.

Arriving at the airport, Rich found a place to park and he and Jack unloaded their luggage.

"Thanks for the ride, bro. It was good to see you all again."

"You're welcome. And it was far too long between visits. Let's try to make the next one sooner rather than later. And Sara, it was so good to finally meet you."

"You too, Rich. Jack told me a lot about his brothers, and it's nice to see the real thing. Please be sure to give Susan and Tiffany another hug from me. They're truly special ladies."

"Yes they are, and I'll pass the hug along. Be sure to let us know the wedding date as soon as you can so we can start planning to come out for it. Save travels, you two."

With a final hug, Jack and Sara grabbed their luggage to begin their long way home.

*****

Arriving home, Jack and Sara only had three days to get ready for their next outing. While Jack worked on getting the boat ready, Sara was shopping for the needed supplies. As she left the store, she stopped as she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Good afternoon, Mlle Sara. I see you and Jack survived your long trip to the States. I trust you had a good time? Welcome back."

"Jean-Pierre, thank you. Yes, we had a very enjoyable time, for the most part. But it's good to be back home."