Broken Road (40 page)

She nodded nervously.

“Good. Now listen closely to what I’m about to t-tell you. I’m going to remove the gag and the blindfold, but I just want to f-f-forewarn you that even if you were to scream as much as you want and as loudly as you like, there is no one around that can h-help you. The closest neighbor or store is at least ten miles away. Even S-superman wouldn’t be able to hear you from here.”

Angel dropped her head a notch and then nodded slowly.

He began to gently and slowly remove the duct tape from her mouth. Even with all the care he took in removing it carefully, it still hurt dreadfully. She felt a slight pull on her lip, instantly knowing that he had taken a piece of it with the tape, and she cried out in pain.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, sounding sincere. He noted the blood coming from her cut lip and ran somewhere, returning with a cool wet cloth. He placed it on her lip and kept it there a few moments. She was still crying, but not so much from the pain emanating from her lip. She was weeping because she wanted to go home. She wanted to be away from this monster. She wanted to see her family. And most of all, she wanted Jarrod desperately. She never felt such a frantic need for anything or anyone in her life. It was as if there were a big, gaping hole in her chest and no one could fill it but him.

“Stop crying. Please, stop c-crying. I’m sorry.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She immediately turned her head away and let out a meek scream.

Anger flared in him. “What did I tell you about t-t-turning away from me? Didn’t I tell you not to do that?” He walked away and began pacing in a strange motion.
Not back and forth, but circular
, she thought. “I d-don’t want you to be afraid of me! I asked you to be a good girl and you said you w-would, didn’t you? D-d-didn’t you?” he screamed. She nodded obediently out of fear. “You’ve made me mad, Angelise. I d-don’t like it when I feel this way.”

She heard him pick something up from a nearby table or stand and throw it across the room. Whatever it was, it shattered into a million pieces. She stiffened in terror. He angrily grabbed her hair, pulled it so hard that her head was forced back, and bent down to kiss her on the lips. She automatically turned away in disgust and spat, not realizing what she had done. Suddenly,
bam
! Right across the left cheek. Feeling the awful force followed by the searing pain of the blow, she fell onto the hard floor and cried out in pain.

Benjamin looked at her as she lay on the floor crying. He hadn’t planned on hurting her, but she needed to take him seriously. She needed to know who was boss. He was. He was the man; therefore, he was the one in charge. He was sick and tired of women ordering him around, telling him what to do. It began with little Odalys Sanchez in kindergarten and continued all the way through to his last crush in high school, Antoinette Simpson. And it wasn’t any better at home. In fact, it was worse. His mother did it to him as well. Do this, don’t do that! Eat this, don’t eat that! Go here, don’t go there! Orders, orders, and more orders! Nothing he ever did was good enough for her. If he brought home straight As and one B, he was chastised for bringing home that B. He was made to feel inadequate in everything.

She made a point of shaming him on a daily basis due to his lack of coordination, which caused him to fail miserably in athletics. She would beleaguer him miserably at his Little League games, yelling at him in front of the coaches, team, and their parents “to take one for the team.”

He also remembered, in horrific clarity, that one execrable day when he was only eight years old, arriving home from school to find his wet bedsheet on display outside his bedroom window for the world to see. He had been mortified and teased by his classmates for months. Every day for over a year, he would be taunted during recess with a song that a group of kids had made up. They would chase him around the playground singing “Ben, Ben, the big dumbhead. He’s a wittle baby, he wets the bed.” When he told his mother what was happening, she laughed out loud and began singing the song to him at home.

Then there was Morgan. Thinking him the fool the whole time, believing he was incapable of getting the girl and keeping her for himself. He let her believe he couldn’t do anything without her help, when in actuality he was more than capable. Hey, if she was willing to handle the tedious legwork for him, by all means, go ahead. Less work for him. But he’d love to see the look on her face when she realized that he took her plans and ran with them, literally.

As far as he was concerned, she managed and controlled Part A of the plan, and he processed and executed Plan B. She had the simple task of ordering flowers and having them delivered, capturing photos, making a few phone calls, and making hotel arrangements. He could have hired a secretary from a local temp agency to do what she did. Did she steal the car he and Angelise were now using? Did she find the cabin where they were hiding out? Did she purchase the stun gun and the nine-millimeter Glock he carried in the inside pocket of his jacket?

The answers to all those questions were unequivocally no. It wasn’t easy, but he did it. He had to drain his savings account, but no matter. In the end he would have Angelise for himself and that made it all worthwhile. It was amazing what money could buy. Add a little more to the bundle and suddenly questions were not asked. For example, the purchase of the guns. True, he was forced to spend a few tense hours in the seedier, crime-infested part of town, but eventually he was rewarded for his patience by leaving with an untraceable, loaded Glock and stun gun.

The cabin was easy to obtain as well. He knew that a coworker owned a vacation cabin and was always looking to rent it out. Benjamin innocently inquired as to the location so he could check it out, and the owner was more than willing to supply him with that information as well as the keys so he could peruse the interior. It turned out to be quite nice. Warm and cozy. Perfect little hideaway. Naturally, he told his coworker, “Thanks, but no thanks,” and returned the keys. But not before making another set.

Stealing the car was a cinch. He watched a man run in for a cup of coffee at a local donut shop one morning on his way to his boring, mind-numbing job, and Benjamin just put a little excitement into his otherwise dreary, lackluster day by stealing his ride. The man should be thanking him for that favor and for a lesson learned. Never leave an unattended car running. He brought the car directly to Lorenzo’s Detailing Shop, located one block from where he had purchased the gun three days earlier, and had the car stripped and painted a dull brown. Nothing too conspicuous. Lorenzo was even kind enough to throw in a set of Wisconsin license plates, free of charge.

Yes, Morgan would be shocked to see how much he’d done on his own. It would serve her right after ordering him around, telling him what to do and when to do it. He’d had enough, and finally he would have his chance to prove to everyone that he was and would remain captain at the helm of his ship. He wasn’t about to allow anyone, including Angelise, to commandeer his vessel. There would be no mutiny aboard his ship. Ever.

He looked down at her as she lay bound and helpless on the floor. He picked her up and placed her on the couch again. She was shaking and crying. He whispered into her ear, “I hate that you m-made me do that. I don’t want to have to hit you again. You’re f-forcing me to be like him. Will you behave?”

“Yes,” she said shakily.

“Good. Now, I’m going to remove the blindfold. It won’t hurt.” He struggled a bit loosening the knot, but was finally able to untie the silk scarf and gently removed it. She blinked many times, trying to clear her vision. She turned to look at him, but her vision was still blurred. She continued to squint and blink until she was able to make out his facial features. It was the man from the park.

“You’re…you’re the guy from the park. Benjamin?”

“Yes.”

She swallowed hard. Her voice was hoarse with dryness.

“I’ll get you some water.” He walked over to the kitchen sink, filled a glass with water, and brought it to her. He forgot she was tied up and handed it to her, but she said, “I can’t take it. My hands…,” and she motioned with her head toward her bound hands.

“I forgot.” He brought the glass to her quivering lips, and she gulped down the water so quickly he had to tell her to slow down. She did immediately. He was happy to see she obeyed him. Obviously she had learned her lesson. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to give her another one.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. She nodded and then said, “My arms are sore.” She hesitated and then continued, “Could you untie them for a bit? Just so I can stretch them out. Please?”

He was thinking about it. She could tell. He walked into the kitchen, where he started to take things out of some grocery bags, placing the items on the kitchen counter.

“I’ll make you a sandwich first,” he said. “Then I’ll untie you. But don’t get any ideas about escaping. Like I told you before, you’re nowhere near finding help.” He pulled out his gun from inside his jacket and showed it to her. “Besides, I’d hate to have to shoot you in the back.” She gasped in fear, but nodded.

While he made the sandwich, she took advantage of the time to study her surroundings. It appeared to be a weekend lodge of some sort, based on the fact that it contained only the bare essentials. The living room had a sofa and matching loveseat with hand-knit afghans draped over them both. An old television set in the corner of the living room on a faux wood stand. On top of it was a DVD player with various movies stacked on it. There was no coffee table, only a stained, threadbare circular area rug that had seen better days.

Above the sofa hung a large landscape portrait framed in cheap wood, the kind a person finds at a garage sale or flea market. There were also two large windows, one situated on each side of the front door. Deer, bear, and moose decorated the outdoor-themed, heavy, green curtains that hung on thick, wooden rods above the windows. Angel began to wonder how long it would take for her to reach the door once he untied her. She estimated she could make it there in less than five seconds, but by the time she unlocked and opened it, he would be right on top of her. And then he would be angry.

She shifted her glance toward the kitchen, where Benjamin stood. It had plain wooden cabinets and an ancient oldfangled white refrigerator with a large silver handle reminiscent of the ones seen in old black and white movies. The stove was fairly new but cheap looking. A small black microwave nestled in the corner of the L-shaped counter. It reminded her of the one in her dorm room. Small, but practical.

The dining area was directly across from the kitchen. There wasn’t much to it. It contained a small red and silver oval-shaped Formica table with four matching chairs, one placed on each side. Had the table been in better condition, it might be nice, being that retro fifties-style furniture was now the thing. There was no centerpiece, no paintings on the wall, no windows. Just a table and chairs.

To the right of the dining room was a door situated between that area and the living room. The door was closed. She assumed it was the bedroom.

The bathroom was to the left of the kitchen, but the door was not open wide enough for her to see in it. She wondered if there was a window in it.
Please let there be a window in it
, she thought. He would eventually have to let her go to the bathroom, and now that she thought about it, she did need to go.

“Benjamin?” she called out meekly. “Is that really your name?”

“Yes.”

“I need to use the bathroom badly.”

“I’m sure you do. It’s been awhile.”

“Please? I need to go now. I’m in pain.”

With an exasperated sigh, he dropped the knife into the mayonnaise jar and came toward her, stopping directly in front of her. She prepared herself for his touch and secretly vowed not to flinch away. He bent down onto his haunches and said, “I’m warning you. Don’t t-try to escape. You can pee in the bathroom, but you have to keep the door open the entire time. W-wide open.”

Angel looked at him in shock. “I can’t use the bathroom with you right there watching me. I need privacy. Please don’t degrade me that way…,” she said pleadingly as her eyes began to well up once again.

“I won’t stand there w-watching you. I promise to have my back to you the whole time. But either you go with the d-door open or you can just pee in your pants. Rather a simple choice, d-don’t you think?”

She agreed grudgingly, and he began to untie her. As soon as her hands were loose, she brought them forward and began to rub them together to ease the stiffness and numbness. Once they felt better, she moved to her shoulders while she turned her head in a slow circular motion to work out the kinks in her neck. While she was doing all this, Benjamin worked on removing the binding around her ankles. He was having trouble with the knot, and she was so desperate to get to the bathroom that she said, “Let me, please? I really need to get to the bathroom.”

He nodded and stepped away while she brought her legs up onto the couch, bending at the knees and leaning forward to work on the knot. She was much quicker than he was. She jumped up so quickly from the couch that her body protested violently from the abrupt movement. She cried out in pain, but quickly recovered herself. Quickly glancing at the semi-open door near the kitchen, she turned to Benjamin and said, “Is that the bathroom?” He nodded and directed her to it with a simple pointing of his finger.

“Keep the d-door open,” he reminded her.

“Turn away, please,” she reminded him and he did. She could see his back the whole time. She quickly glanced around the bathroom, but did not see a window. She glanced quickly at Benjamin again and saw he was still facing the opposite direction. Although the bathroom appeared clean, she wasn’t about to sit on the toilet seat, so she hovered over it in a squat position and leaned to the side a bit to reach over and gently pull the curtain aside to sneak a peek behind it. She hadn’t gone to the bathroom in such a long while that her flow was still going strong, so he wouldn’t question her delay. She pulled the curtain open a bit wider and saw there was indeed a small window.