Broken Road (45 page)

“Hey, what did I tell you about c-closing the door?” he yelled.

“Screw you!” she yelled back. “Now leave me the hell alone while I pee in peace!” She began to relieve herself, taking her time. She was surprised by her sudden burst of courage and defiance, yet regretted it just a little at the same time. The last thing she wanted to do was make him angry, but it was so difficult pretending to be meek and obedient when all she wanted to do was spit in his face and dropkick him to the floor.

She should have listened to that police officer who suggested she take self-defense classes. She should have listened to a lot of people. Ileana had advised her to inform Jarrod right from the get-go of all that was happening, but she didn’t because she didn’t want to burden him. Then, once she finally did, he had insisted she not go anywhere alone, but she did anyway, and thanks to her inability to follow simple instructions, she was now being held captive by an unbalanced, deranged lunatic. No more. No more would she sit back and just let things happen. She wasn’t going to just sit there and wait and pray for something to happen. She was going to make things happen herself. She would start off by getting herself out of this mess. She would do whatever it would take to get the hell away from this madman.

Angel wiped herself dry and flushed the toilet. At the sound of the flush, Benjamin knocked on her door and said, “Are you done?”

“Not yet,” she responded.

“Open the d-door.”

“No. I want some privacy. All I’m doing is freshening up. Now, will you please go away and leave me alone.”

“Don’t try anything. I boarded up the bathroom w-window from the outside, so if you have plans of trying to escape, think a-again.”

“Shut up,” she said, once again regretting her insolence.

“You better w-watch yourself. Looks like I might have to remind you of what happens when you don’t b-behave,” he said as he walked away from the bathroom door and sat down on the couch.

Angel quickly looked behind the shower curtain and attempted to open the frosted glass window as quietly as possible. She was able to open it about four inches and checked to see if he had indeed boarded it up from the outside. For a second time, he’d spoken the truth. She was able to determine it was dark out, based on the fact that only weak slivers of light shone through the cracks between the wooden planks. If it wasn’t late at night, then surely the day was nearing dawn. She slammed the window shut in frustration, not caring if he heard or not.

“Told you,” he laughingly mocked from outside the door.

She looked in the medicine cabinet to see what she might find. Perhaps there might be a razor in there that she could store in her pocket for later use. No razor. All she found were a few stray travel items someone must have left behind after spending a few days at the cabin. She picked up a small trial-size bottle of hair spray and pocketed it. It may not be pepper spray, but it could come in handy. She pictured herself aiming it toward his eyes and missing her target. With her luck, all she might accomplish in her attempt to defend herself would be to set his greasy, unwashed hair into a hard hold guaranteed to last all day.

She closed the cabinet and looked in the mirror. Her cheek was slightly swollen and was already taking on a purplish gray coloring. She gently touched it and cringed at the soreness.

“What’s taking so l-long?” he hollered. “Thinking of a way to f-flush yourself out of there?”

“No. I was just sitting here wondering how long it’s been since you’ve seen the inside of a shower curtain,” she responded loudly.

Damn it. She better stop articulating every thought that popped into her mind. He didn’t respond. Maybe he didn’t hear her. That would be a good thing.

She brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she had grabbed and placed in her back pocket before leaving the bedroom and attempted to comb the knots out of her long, thick hair, but the comb she found in the medicine cabinet snapped in two after just four strokes. What now? She lowered the lid on the toilet and sat down cross-legged. She leaned forward, resting her chin on the heel of her hand, while rhythmically drumming her fingers on her good cheek as she stared at the ceiling, then the walls and lastly, the floor. She contemplated barricading herself in the bathroom, but she knew that was unfeasible. Besides, she would be much more comfortable if she did so in the bedroom. Too bad it didn’t have a bathroom. She would have to make a point of not taking in too many liquids. The less time out of the bedroom, the better.

It was so quiet outside the bathroom. Too quiet. He hadn’t responded to her comment about the shower. Maybe he had stepped out. She stood up and quietly unlocked the door. She opened it slightly and poked her head out, looking for him.

“Benjamin?” she called out softly. No reply. “Benjamin?” she tried again, this time with more force. She stepped out and calmly walked into the living room area. She was standing silent and motionless in the middle of the room when suddenly she sensed an oppressive feeling that she was indeed not alone. Her worst fear was confirmed by a long shadow looming directly over hers. Slowly she turned and there he stood, a mere inch or two behind her. She jumped back, but he grabbed her arm, forcing her forward again.

“You w-want to repeat that comment you made regarding a shower?” he said menacingly.

Although quaking within, she lifted her chin high and said, “Go to hell, you fucking asshole.”

Glaring at her with intensity so profound and volatile that she instantly regretted her words, he pushed her with such force that she fell back and landed on the hard floor. Scuttling away from him, she tried to scramble to her feet, but he continually pushed her back down with his foot.

“You’re just like the rest of them. You’re no different.”

“Stop it,” she cried. “You’re hurting me!”

“S-stop it. You’re hurting me!” he said, mimicking her in an exaggerated high-pitched tone. He grabbed her by the front of the shirt and pulled her up, tearing the shirt. She stood and covered herself as quickly as she could by placing both her hands over her chest. She started to back away, but he kept coming toward her, his eyes gleaming with fury. She glanced behind her and saw she was only a few feet away from the bedroom door. If she was able to reach it before he caught her, she could barricade herself in the room until he calmed himself down.

As she turned to run, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled hard. She screamed and fell backward. He jumped on top of her and covered her mouth with his hand, muffling her screams. She tried to bite him, but he pulled away and slapped her hard across the face. Once, twice, three times in a row. She shrieked in pain. He bent down and tried forcibly to kiss her, but she twisted her head away from him and screamed as loud as she could.

“Stop screaming!” he yelled as he punched her with his closed fist.

In desperation she tried to fight him off, but he was more than twice her weight and was smothering her. She felt herself losing the battle as she continued to push, kick, and fight her hardest to get him off, but she only seemed to tire and weaken, while he seemed to gain strength and become more aggressive.

“Help!” she screamed. “Help!”

He punched her again and grabbed her by the throat with both hands, trying to silence her. He held his grip tight.

“I was never good e-enough, was I? You couldn’t just accept me for who I was. Always wanting more. Always wanting b-better!” He tightened his grip more.

Angel was gasping for air. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her eyes began to close as she felt the room darken. The sound of Benjamin’s voice became fainter and fainter…

It was dark when Jarrod neared the cabin. As he approached it, he saw lights were on, but the curtains were closed and some of the windows had been boarded up. He lowered himself into a crouching position and hid along the side of the car that was parked in the driveway. He placed his hand on the hood. The engine was cold. Just as he lifted his head to look inside the car for signs Angel had been there, he heard a loud, piercing scream. A scream for help. He recognized the voice immediately. It was Angel.

Jarrod stood up and ran toward the cabin. He heard her scream again, and then he heard a man yelling loudly at her. Her cries for help suddenly stopped, and all he could hear was the man hollering in rage. Jarrod ran up the steps, never slowing down as he rammed the side of his body with great force into the door. When the door burst open, he would never forget what he saw. Benjamin was straddled over Angel with his hands pressed firmly on her throat. She wasn’t moving.

Benjamin had turned to face the door when he heard it crash open. Jarrod jumped on top of him, knocking him off Angel. They thrashed about on the ground, rolling over and over. Jarrod was able to get from under him and stood, grabbing Benjamin by the shirt and lifting him easily off the ground.

“You son of a bitch!” he screamed as he pulled his fist back and let loose, hitting him squarely in the nose. Benjamin fell to the ground, knocking a lamp over. Suddenly the room was pitch black. The only light that entered the room shone from the moon outside and streamed through the cracks of the boarded-up windows and open door. Jarrod moved forward, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. He found Benjamin’s form and grabbed for him. They struggled, and Jarrod felt something cold and hard in his assailant’s hands. A gun. He grabbed for it, and they continued to struggle like fury. Suddenly a loud shot rang out.

Jarrod knew he hadn’t been hit. Benjamin hadn’t slowed down, so he hadn’t been shot either. The bullet missed them both. They continued to struggle, the gun still in Benjamin’s hand. Jarrod fought with all his might, thinking of Angel the entire time. Somehow he was able to turn the gun when suddenly it went off again. A deafening silence filled the room. Jarrod felt a cold wetness on his hand that was still clutching the gun, as well as Benjamin’s hand. The smell of rusty iron permeated the air. They both stopped struggling, and Benjamin’s body went limp and fell to the ground, taking the gun with him.

Jarrod stood for a second above Benjamin, alert to any movements. When he was satisfied there were none, he rushed over to Angel.

“Angel, are you alright?” he said as he scooped her up. “Baby, answer me. Are you alright?” She didn’t respond.

Jarrod was kneeling and holding her in his arms when he suddenly felt the cold wetness again. It was so damn dark, and he couldn’t see well, but he knew instantly what it was and felt an immediate sense of foreboding. Blood. She must have been hit by the stray bullet.

He lifted his hand to look at it and began to scream.

No! No!” He held her tightly and began to rock her unmoving body in his arms. “Angel, please…please don’t leave me,” he pleaded as he cried. “Please, baby. I need you. I love you. Don’t go. Fight. Fight it!” Driven by fear and desperation, he clutched her lifeless form tighter against his chest and whispered softly, “You can do it, baby. I know you can. Fight it. You can’t leave me. Please.”

He loosened his hold and looked at her pale, ashen face, caressing it softly with his hand. Her eyes were closed and he leaned forward to place a tender kiss on her forehead and a gentle, lingering one on her lips. He wiped the tears from his eyes and took a sharply drawn breath, releasing it slowly.

“My life is nothing without you. You’re what makes my heart beat,” he whispered shakily.

Suddenly a bright light shone from the doorway. Jarrod looked up through his tear-stung eyes, but couldn’t tell what it was or why it was there. For a moment he recalled the lambent light he had seen during his enigmatic twenty-five-second passing. Was the presence of this light an indication he was dying as well? He hoped so. He wanted to be with Angel, no matter where she was. Be it alive, here on earth, or be it dead, in heaven. It didn’t matter as long as they were together for all eternity.

But the feeling wasn’t the same this time around. Where was the sensation of peace, calm, and serenity? He couldn’t feel the warmth or the love that emanated from it the first time. All he felt now was emptiness coupled with pain and sadness.

The light abruptly turned toward the loveseat, and Jarrod turned his head to follow it. Standing there, clearly, he saw Benjamin holding a gun directly at him. When Benjamin saw the light focused on him, he turned the gun toward the light and shot once. The light fell to the ground, along with a loud thump. Immediately two other lights shone brightly on Benjamin, and four loud, consecutive shots were fired. With the light still on Benjamin, Jarrod watched as he recoiled with every shot and finally fell to the ground.

Chapter Forty-Three