Seeking Safety (7 page)

Laughing, "Well, somewhere in this house is a
big tank that has the water in it. The tank has electricity to it
that keeps the water constantly hot so when we turn the faucet, it
runs through pipes to where it its needed. Oh Eric, you have so
much to learn about life in the real world. This is only the
beginning. They even have machines that wash the clothes and
another that dries them without my having to hang them on the line
to dry."

"Wow, I can't wait to learn about all this!
It is really interesting!"

After his bath, I apply antibiotic cream to
the lacerations on his back. Crying the whole time I spread the
cream, I apologize again for not being able to stop his father from
hitting him.

Eric responds, "Mom, it's all right. You
couldn't have stopped him from hitting me any more than I could
stop him from hitting you. It's not your fault. I love you
Mom."

I am crying openly now, "Oh, Eric, I love you
too. If something happens to me, please never forget that I love
you."

After Eric returns to the great room where
Barry is waiting, I decide to pamper myself with a long soak in a
tub full of bubbles. I really didn't realize how much I missed the
comforts of home until now. Having a huge bathtub to soak in is
real treat. After my soak I spend extra time blow drying my hair
and applying a thick layer of moisturizing lotion to my skin. Wow,
I could get use to this!

******

As darkness approaches, Barry makes beds for
both Eric and I on the floor of the great room in front of the
stone fireplace. After Eric is settled on his pallet, Barry pulls
me to the side,

"Melanie, do you know how to shoot? Well,
even if you don't I want you to take this." He hands me a two shot
derringer. "It only has two shots, so if you use it, make them
count. All you have to do is pull back the hammer then pull the
trigger." He shows me how to pull back the hammer and then points
out the trigger.

I look up into Barry's deep blue eyes. I am
sure he can see the fear shadowing mine. My hand is visibly shaking
as I take the derringer from his hand and place it in my pocket.
Barry lays his hands on my shoulders to comfort me.

I step into his embrace taking comfort from
his strength. "I am so scared. Darren is crazy and I can't even
imagine what he is going to do. What if he brings a bunch of
members from the area to help him?"

"I know you're scared, Melanie, but don't
forget you're not alone anymore. Scoot and the guys are prepared
for multiple adversaries. Don't worry." He just stands in front of
the fireplace holding me not saying anything. After a few minutes I
pull out of his embrace and go to my pallet and sink down to my
knees. Barry turns out all of the lights in the house and assumes
his position in his favorite chair with Ringo at his feet.

In the dark Barry asks, "Melanie, would it
help to talk about it?"

I take a deep, shuddering breath and have to
grab my ribs to keep from crying out in pain. After I again gain
control of the pain I whisper, "I really don't know, I have never
told anyone about my life at the compound." I pause for a few
minutes and then begin speaking into the darkness, "Darren Calloway
is a horribly cruel man. He brutally raped me that first night in
the compound when I was only fifteen. It was horrible for me. I had
never really even been kissed and I was a ... a... virgin." My
voice cracks on the last word. I take another steadying breath and
continue, "When I woke up from the drugs, he had me tied to the
bed, naked and spread eagle. He beat me when I resisted and raped
me over and over. During the day he left me tied to the bed so I
couldn't escape. The only time I wasn't tied was when one of the
women came to help me bathe and eat. She told me he had guards
posted outside the door with instructions to shoot me if I stepped
outside the cabin. The same thing happened every day and night for
weeks."

I take another calming breath. I am surprised
by how easily the words are flowing from deep within. "If it hadn't
been for the support of that one special woman, I would have died
during those first few days. She convinced me to accept my
situation. She told me I had to choose to live and I did. With her
help, I learned the only way to survive was to cooperate, to submit
to his sexual advances and do everything he asked of me without
complaint."

I take another breath, "Life in the compound
is very primitive. The winters are harsh and the only source of
heat is from wood burning stoves. We cooked over open fires or on
the wood stoves. None of the cabins where we lived had indoor
plumbing. The only functioning toilets were in the communal shower
house and it is relatively new. The only electricity is to the
compound office and communal shower. The women aren't allowed in
the office at all and are only allowed to shower once a week.

"Anytime Darren got angry about anything, I
was his punching bag. When he would drink alcohol, the beatings
would be worse. As I said before, the night we left Eric witnessed
him beating me. He tried to stop his father, and Darren beat him
too. He kept hitting him and hitting him with a belt across his
back." I can't stop the tears that are slowly seeping out of my
eyes. "I knew I had to get Eric out of the compound or he would end
up being just like his father."

After her story, Barry says, "I am so sorry
Melanie that you and Eric had to go through that." Then all is
quiet.

After I finish my story, I feel cleansed. It
seems that telling Barry about the heavy burden I have been
carrying lifted it from my shoulders and allowed me to share the
weight with him. I am grateful.

******

Darren Calloway has enlisted the help of two
militia members from the Cody Wyoming area by the names of James
Bragg and Billy Newman. They meet at the roadside park and make
their way down the old logging road through the deep snow to where
Melanie's car sits abandoned. He picked James Bragg because he has
always seemed a little slow to catch on to things and Calloway
feels he is expendable. Billy Newman is a friend that James had
asked to help. Darren didn't know he was coming until they arrived.
He really doesn't know him very well but he can't be very bright if
he is friends with James Bragg.

Calloway says, "Guys, the way I figure it,
whoever owns that house is going to be expecting me, so be very
careful. Both of you go straight toward the house. I am going to
circle around and come from the other direction. Give me about a
half hour's head start so I have time to get into position. If
something happens to me, kill Melanie and take Eric back to the
compound where he'll be safe. Do whatever you have to do to rescue
Eric."

James Bragg grins and says, "You can count on
me Darren." He is so excited that the boss has asked him for help.
That means he is well thought of in the group.

Billy Newman is not too sure about this whole
mess. He thinks he and James are being set up as the fall guys and
he doesn't like all this talk about killing people. He has been
having doubts about Calloway for a while now. He thinks the man is
probably crazy. He originally joined the group when James did
because he was fed up with the government and the high taxes but
they are doing absolutely nothing to change things. Most of the
time all they do is sit around, complain, and drink beer.

He only came tonight because his friend,
James Bragg asked him to help. He didn't know what this was about
until now and he doesn't like it even a little bit. He realizes
though that he is trapped. He has no doubt that if he tries to
leave Calloway will kill him. He shakes his head in disgust.

******

The Drake Security team members are watching
from the upstairs bedroom windows. All have night vision goggles
and with the moonlight reflecting off the snow, they see two me
approaching the house from several hundred yards away. They watch
them advance from tree to tree.

Pinky, the sniper in the group takes his shot
at the larger of the two men when he is within one hundred yards.
The targeted man falls to the ground dead before the sound of the
shot even reaches the other man's ears. That man, Billy Newman,
immediately falls to the snow face down, spread eagle, and throws
his gun several feet away.

Darren Calloway is slowly advancing toward
the front of the house when he hears the sound of the rifle. He
stops, shakes his head in disgust then continues toward the house.
Damn! He had hoped to be inside before any gunfire erupted. That
was just one shot so maybe at least one of those two idiots got
through to the house.

Scoot and Goose head out to check on the kill
while Pinky keeps his rifle trained on the other man. Scoot radios
back to the house. "Neither of these are Calloway. Be alert." They
bind Billy Newman's hands in plastic cable ties and start leading
him back toward the house.

Newman balks and says, "No man, I don't want
to go in that house. Calloway is crazy and he's going to shoot up
the place. He's coming in from the other direction." He doesn't
have any qualms about ratting on Calloway. He had been right. He
set up James and him and now James is dead. The bastard!

Scoot says as he pushes Newman toward the
house, "You know you really don't have a choice in the matter. Be
grateful we spared your life."

He radios Stump and Pinky to let them know
Calloway is coming from the other direction. Stump assures him they
have already spotted him.

My heart is pounding with fear. I jump when I
hear the first shot and begin shaking from head to toe..
Oh God! Please keep Eric safe!

Eric is lying quietly on his pallet on the
floor in front of the fireplace. His body jerks when he hears the
first shot.
Please God! Don't let my Dad hurt
my Mom!

Ringo growls and alerts Barry to an intruder
in the house. He is in position and waiting with his weapon drawn.
All of the lights in the house are out and Barry also has donned
night vision goggles. The only light in the great room is what is
coming from the remnants of the fire in the fireplace. Barry places
his hand on Ringo to keep him quiet and still. All of a sudden they
hear a loud crash in one of the rooms at the front of the house and
the sounds of a struggle. I scream and throw my body on top of Eric
sobbing.

After a few short minutes, all is quiet.
Stump calls, "All clear." He managed to get Calloway from behind
before he ever reached the great room. Once Calloway is positively
identified and verified as deceased, some of the tension leaves the
group. They don't let their guard down though because they still
aren't sure they won't have more intruders to deal with even though
their captive assures them otherwise.

Once I am sure that Darren Calloway is dead,
I burst into tears, sobbing with relief. Barry sits down beside me
on the sofa and pulls me into his arms. "It's over, Melanie." He
holds me wrapped in his arms for a long time while I cry.

Eric is watching silently from his mat on the
floor. He is so relieved. He hated his Dad for the way he used to
hurt his Mom. Now he can't hurt her anymore. She is finally safe.
Thank you, God!

******

Billy Newman watches from the chair where he
has been secured. Observing the men that captured him, he realizes
he, Calloway, and James never had a chance. These men are obviously
professionals and very skilled at what they do. He is relieved to
be still alive.

Once they turn on the lights in the room, he
can see the bruises on the woman's face and he sees how she
grimaces every time she moves. He doesn't have a good view of the
kid, but it looks like he has black eyes. Damn! Calloway must have
beaten them pretty badly. He knew the man was crazy. It turns his
stomach. He doesn't believe in hitting women or kids. He believes
when a man hits a woman, it is a sign of weakness.

He is relieved this is over and he is still
in one piece. Maybe with luck he can get his life back on the right
track.

A short time later a group of agents from the
Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms arrive at the ranch. Once they question
everyone, receive answers to all of their questions, and verify the
identities of the dead men, they load Billy Newman up in their
vehicles and haul him off to jail.

******

Before noon the next day agents from the
government's witness protection program arrive by way of the Murray
ranch to take Eric and I to a safe house until other arrangements
can be made.

As we are leaving, I turn to face Barry,
"Thank you so much Barry. If you hadn't found us that first night,
I would be dead by now." I rise up on my tip toes and brush a quick
kiss across his lips then I turn and get into the back seat of the
black SUV with dark tinted windows.

Barry is so shocked by the kiss that he is
speechless and frozen in place. He just stands in the drive with
Scoot and the other guys and stares at the car as it drives away.
Never in his life has any kiss, much less one so brief, affected
him the way Melanie's kiss just did. He has never felt the
immediate zing of sexual attraction with any other woman. It was
like she touched his lips with an electrical wire that sent a
charge all through his body. Wow!

As we are driving away in the car, I know I
will never see Barry again but I am thankful that we met him when
we did. I would be dead without his intervention. He is a genuinely
nice man, and very good looking too. When my lips touched his this
morning, I felt a shock all the way to my toes. My experience is
very limited, but that was some kiss. I will remember it
always.

******

Once Melanie and Eric are safely away from
the ranch, Barry and Scoot go to the front gate where Barry makes a
statement to the Paparazzi and allows them a few pictures. He tells
them that he had two intruders at his home the previous night. He
explains that the two intruders were killed by his security service
but no others were harmed. He explains that the FBI and ATF were
involved because the intruders were members of a militia group from
Idaho.