Seeking Safety (20 page)

******

Bob Kenner finds Barry several hours later
still sitting at the desk with his head handing.. "Barry, Scoot's
here with those papers for Melanie to sign. What's wrong boy?" Bob
can see Barry is suffering and his heart clenches.

With tears in his eyes, Barry looks up at
Bob, "She won't believe me Bob. I can't convince her that I truly
love her. She thinks I'm going to go back to the movies."

"You want me to handle this stuff out here
then?" asks Bob. He sees the pain in Barry's eyes and
understands.

"If you don't mind, I just need to be alone
right now," answers Barry.

Bob turns and leaves the study pulling the
door closed behind him.

******

A little while later, Bob comes back to the
study and finds Barry still sitting at the desk with his head
hanging. "It's done boy, the papers are all signed, sealed, and
delivered. I thought you might like to know that Melanie, Eric, and
her parents are going back to Seattle this afternoon."

Barry nods, "I expected as much."

"Are you going to see them off?" asks
Bob.

"No, I ...I can't. Make all the arrangements
for them please, the jet and a limousine. I ... I'm going for a
ride. I'll be back after they've gone," replies Barry, his heart in
shreds. He can't stay in the house and chance running into Melanie
or Eric and he can't bear to watch them drive away again. He exits
the house through the door leading to the outside from the study
and hurries across the yard to the barn.

******

Eric is so disappointed. He can't believe
they are leaving the ranch again. He doesn't want to leave. He
wants to stay here with Barry. He loves Barry. Something really bad
must have happened between his Mom and Barry because Barry didn't
even come to say goodbye and that is not at all like Barry. He
heard his Mom crying in the bathroom earlier too. As the limousine
drives away from the house Eric looks out the window with tears in
his eyes and sees Barry riding across the pasture away from the
house.

******

As the limousine passes under the gate at the
entrance to Rock Springs Ranch I am once again overcome with the
feeling that I have just made the biggest mistake of my life. I
shake my head in denial. No! Barry Farrady lied to me! He said he
wasn't going to make another movie but the script is all the proof
I need. I know I'm not beautiful. Darren told me often enough how
plain I am. I don't believe a movie star like Barry Farrady could
possibly care about a plain unsophisticated woman like me. Leaving
now before I get in any deeper is definitely for the best, for me
and Eric. I'll be all right in time.

******

Scoot sees Barry headed out of the barn on
his favorite gelding. He can tell, even from this distance that
something terrible is troubling him. He skips down the steps and
hurries to the barn, saddling his favorite mount he heads across
the pasture after Barry.

When he catches up to him he calls, "Hey
Farrie, mind if I join you?"

Barry glances over his shoulder, shrugs, and
looks straight ahead without answering.

Scoot pulls his mount up next to Barry and
asks,

"Would you like to talk about it? I know
something must have happened between you and Melanie. I could tell
she had been crying when she signed the papers this morning. Then I
saw them getting ready to leave."

Barry answers, "What's the point in talking
about it? She won't believe me when I tell her how beautiful she is
or how much I love her. She thinks I'm going back to the movies and
she said she can't live like that. Nothing I can say will convince
her. Oh God, Scoot, what am I going to do? How am I going to
survive without her?"

Scoot responds, "I know a little about what
you're feeling. I haven't really talked about it with you or the
other guys, but I think the time has come for me to share my story
with you."

He takes a deep breath and begins, "After we
left the Marines I went home to Amarillo, Texas and married the
woman of my dreams. Elena and I met in high school and I had loved
her for years."

Barry says, "I remember, she was the one in
the picture you always carried in your billfold. She was
beautiful."

Scott replies, "Yeah, that's the one. Anyway,
she promised to wait for me until I came home from the service and
she did. The day we married I was the happiest man in Amarillo
Texas. I thought we would be together forever. Then a few months
later, the day Damian, my son was born, I didn't think I could be
any happier. My life was complete."

He pauses and takes another deep breath
before continuing, "But only three months later, I came home early
from work one day and caught Elena in my bed with the vice
president of the bank where she worked. It felt like somebody
reached right inside my chest and was trying to jerk my heart out
of my body. The pain was so great I wanted to die. I seriously
considered putting a bullet in my own head that day. I didn't,
thank God. Instead, I went to a local bar and got roaring drunk,
ended up in jail for trying to pick a fight. The next day when I
got out of jail, I bought the biggest bottle of Jack Daniels that I
could find and got drunk again. I did the same thing every day for
about two weeks. Then one day, I woke up and decided no woman was
worth what I was putting myself through. That is the day I called
the guys and we started Drake Security.

"The only advice I can give you is to keep
putting one foot in front of the other every day and keep moving
forward. Eventually, the pain fades. I guess what I'm trying to say
is if you ever need a shoulder to lean on or just someone to talk
to, I'm here."

With tears in his eyes, Barry says, "Thanks,
man. I appreciate it."

******

When Melanie and her family get back to
Seattle, they settle into a semblance of a routine. Mark and
Patricia are worried about Melanie because she is not eating and
she is losing a lot of weight. They didn't ask any questions when
Melanie insisted they leave the ranch the same day she signed the
papers. They had already guessed something had happened between her
and Barry. Now, a few weeks later, Mark decides the time has come
to bring up counseling. After dinner one night he says,

"Melanie, your Mother and I think you need to
get some counseling to help you deal with whatever is bothering
you. You're going to make yourself sick. You're not eating, and
you've lost a lot of weight."

"I'm fine Dad, really."

Eric interrupts, "No you're not Mom! I hear
you crying every night. If talking to some doctor can help you,
then you need to talk to them!"

I am shocked by Eric's outburst. "Eric,
that's enough. I am perfectly capable of making my own
decisions."

Belligerently Eric looks me in the eye and
says, "No you're not! I heard all of those mean things Dad said to
you at the compound. They messed up your head, Mom. If you were all
right, we would still be at the ranch with Barry!" He storms to his
room and slams the door.

I realize that Eric hasn't been happy since
we returned to Seattle but this outburst is totally out of
character. I look over at my Dad, "What do you think is going on
with him?"

Mark carefully considers his response, "I
think he's worried about you just like your Mother and me. You're
not yourself Melanie. You were very young when you were kidnapped
and we feel you are suffering from some lingering effects of your
time in captivity. Please won't you at least talk to a
counselor?"

Finally I reply, "Oh, all right! If it will
make you happy I don't suppose it can hurt. Maybe these doctors can
help me get past Barry Farrady!"

******

My Dad makes an appointment for me with one
of Seattle's premier psychiatrists. It doesn't take long for me to
realize that Eric was right. I soon understand just how much Darren
Calloway's mental abuse affected me. I am surprised at how easily
he was able to manipulate my mind. The doctor quickly showed me how
the statements he had repeated over and over to me had warped my
thought processes. He made me understand that I am a worthy human
being that deserves love and attention even from someone as rich
and famous as Barry Farrady. He convinces me that I am just as
beautiful as Barry had told me.

He helped me work through my fear of
expressing my emotions and taught me how to express them and my
opinions without fear of reprisal. My self confidence begins to
grow and hope flickers to life deep in my soul.

******

The same week Melanie, Eric, and the
Brentwoods went back to Seattle, the Drake Security team was called
out of town for another government operation and Barry is left at
the ranch by himself. Even after the encouragement of his buddy,
Scoot, Barry sinks deeper and deeper into depression often not even
bothering to put on clothes. He stops eating and exercising and his
mother and Bob are very concerned. Even Bud has expressed his
concern to Bob about Barry not eating or exercising.

The three of them discuss their concerns with
Jacob and Jason Murray and all agree they need to try to do
something. Jacob consults with Scoot and the other members of the
Drake Security team. Scoot tells Jacob that he will contact Mark
Brentwood to see if Melanie is having similar issues.

******

A few weeks later Barry is working in the
barn mending tack when Bud Wilkes hunts him down and says, "Barry,
some citified character is up at the house looking for you."

Barry frowns but responds, "Thanks Bud." As
he steps out of the barn he recognizes his agent's Mercedes and
dread washes over him. Walking into the great room he says, "Frank?
What brings you all the way to Wyoming? I've already told you I am
not going to make a movie, so don't even bother to ask."

The agent looks Barry over from head to toe.
He is aghast at the deplorable condition of his famous client.
Jacob Murray had told him Barry was depressed and neglecting
himself and now he can see it for himself. He is wearing a ragged
pair of sweat pants and a muscle shirt that is hanging loosely on
his once muscular body. His hair is shaggy and he has at least a
week's worth of beard covering his jaw.

He takes a deep breath and then says
excitedly, "Barry, you need to come out of this funk you're in! I
have the perfect opportunity to put you back in the spotlight and
it doesn't involve making a movie!"

Doubtfully, Barry says, "And just what would
that be?"

"It's one of your favorite philanthropic
endeavors ...a charity auction! The National Cancer Society is
enlisting eligible bachelors to auction off. All the proceeds will
benefit the society! It will only mean a few hours of your time and
it will keep your name in the spotlight! Not to mention how much it
will benefit the National Cancer Society to have someone of your
statue in their auction."

Shaking his head Barry replies, "Don't you
understand? I don't want to be in the spotlight. I just want to be
left alone."

Frustrated with Barry's response, Frank
retorts, "To do what? Dry up and blow away! When was the last time
you really looked in the mirror? You look terrible! You've dropped
at least twenty pounds and your beautiful body is getting
down-right flabby! You've got dark circles under your eyes and you
look downright sickly. Come on man, it's for charity!"

He looks down at his shaking hands, then
takes a deep breath and audibly exhales before asking, "What would
I have to do with whoever purchases me?"

"As far as I know nothing is set in stone.
You can offer dinner or a date, whatever you want to give. Come on
Barry, please?" He is counting on the fact that Barry has always
had a big heart and was always eager to participate in charitable
events.

"Oh, all right! Let me know when and where to
be!" he says petulantly.

The agent takes a relieved breath and says
excitedly, "Fantastic! You won't regret this, I promise!"

After his agent leaves the ranch, Barry goes
into his bathroom, strips, and really takes a long look at his body
in the mirror. Oh my God! Frank is right! He really has lost weight
and his muscles do look flabby. His six pack abdominal muscles are
no longer even visible and his face looks at least twenty years
older. He quickly shaves off the full week's growth of facial hair
and makes his way down to the state-of-the-art gym and weight room
where he starts a workout routine. After all, he doesn't want to
embarrass himself at the charity auction and he only has a few
weeks to get back in shape.

Scoot and the guys return to the ranch a few
days later and he consults them about his dilemma and they agree to
put him through the paces they go through to maintain their
readiness. The four former Marines are shocked and worried by how
far Barry has sunk in the few weeks they have been gone.

The day after they return to the ranch, Barry
has a visit from his buddy, Pinky. Pinky finds him in the study
sitting at his desk, his head hanging. He knocks on the door and
says,

"Hey Farrie, can I talk to you for a few
minutes? Scoot told me he shared his story with you. I want to tell
you mine too."

Barry looks up surprised because Pinky has
never told anyone about his past. All the guys know about him is
that he is from the bayous of Louisiana and he is one of the most
unemotional guys they have ever met.

Pinky sits down in the chair in front of the
desk, takes a deep breath, and says, "I know you guys think that I
am cold and unemotional, and I am, but I haven't always been this
way."

He takes another deep breath. This is the
first time he has ever tried to talk about the worst day of his
life and he is not sure he'll be able to get through his story. He
looks over at Barry and his heart hurts for the pain he sees in his
eyes. Yes, for Barry, he can do this.