Sing a Song of Love (15 page)

I felt like punching the idiot, “Why the fuck didn’t you say
something sooner, especially since you knew Jess was getting those letters?”

Gem looked taken aback, “I never thought the two things were
connected.  I mean sure he went on about his wife but I had no reason to
believe he had anything against Jess.  He never even mentioned her to me.  If
he had I’m sure I would have made the connection.  Shit I’m sorry man but I
just never saw this coming.”

I took a breath as upsetting everyone with accusations
wasn’t going to help Jess.

“Look I’m sorry, but if you think of anything else let
George know.”

“Sure, absolutely, and for what it’s worth I really hope we
find Jess soon as she doesn’t deserve this and she is a top lady.”

I gave Gem a pat on the back as I walked off as I couldn’t
risk talking.  My throat felt hoarse and my chest tight from holding in the
emotion that was threatening to overwhelm me.  Come on Mack, hold it together.

I didn’t want to risk driving while I felt like this so I
asked one of the guards to organise me a ride back to the station.  I knew they
wanted me to wait quietly at the hotel but I sure as fuck wasn’t taking that
advice.  I needed to be there when they heard something.

Alarm bells started when I noticed we were heading the
opposite way to our hotel.

“Is there a detour driver?  Just I noticed we turned the
wrong way at the last intersection.” 

I tried to keep the panic out of my voice as I was sure
there was a logical explanation.

I heard the click as the central locking was activated and I
tried my door.  It was locked from the front and I was trapped in the car.  I
could feel my heart starting to race and the panic set in. 

“What’s going on?  Why have you locked the doors?” 

My voice sounded high and screechy but I just had this
horrible feeling that something was wrong, very wrong.  Why wouldn’t the driver
answer me?

I looked out the window trying to get my bearings and could
see we were heading towards the harbour bridge, to the north of Auckland.  I
had about twenty minutes to get out of this car before we got to the motorway heading
towards Northland.  Think Jessie think. 

Was it the security guard all along who was sending me those
letters?  There was something really strange about the way he was looking at me
in the rear view mirror.  Like he knew me and hated me. 

“Were you behind those letters I was receiving?”

“Why, did you like reading them?  Was it good foreplay?  You
and I are going to have so much fun baby.”

He spoke slowly and calculatingly and the chill I felt was
nothing to do with the air conditioning.  He had been planning this and I had
fallen in hook, line and sinker.   Mack wouldn’t be back to the hotel until
much later so no one would know I was missing.  By the time someone sounded the
alarm I would be long gone.  I felt my stomach contract as I realised I was on
my own. 

We pulled up at a red light at the next intersection and I
looked out the window.  There were lots of cars around and I tried to wave to
them, to let them know of my situation.  The people seemed to be looking
straight at me, but through me at the same time, and I realised that they
couldn’t see anything through the tinted windows. 

“Help, help, somebody help me.”  I shouted and banged on the
window, willing someone to hear me.

“You’re wasting your breath baby, these cars are tinted and
sound proofed.  We could be fucking like bunnies, with you yelling your head
off and people still wouldn’t know there was a problem.  You’d like me to be
fucking you, wouldn’t you baby?  Girls like you like that sort of thing.  I can’t
believe I ever loved you.  You’re nothing but a filthy whore!” 

The more he talked the louder, more aggravated he started to
sound.  Who did he think I was?  All I knew was that I needed to get out of the
car before we got to his intended destination.  This guy seemed capable of
anything and I did not want to be alone with him.

“Do you know me from somewhere, as I’m sorry, I don’t
remember you?” 

“What the fuck do you mean you don’t remember me?  How can
you marry someone then just walk out and forget them?  After all we went through,
how the fuck do you do that?  I’ll tell you how.  You meet a man who you think
can give you more than I can.  You are just another dirty, fucking pussy.  I
should have known all women were like my mother.  They all deserve to be dead.”

“But I’m not your wife.  I’ve never even been married.  You
have the wrong person.” 

I could feel the panic escalating and I tried to breathe
through it.  I needed to figure this out.  He had seemed in control at first,
and rational, but with each word he was starting to sound crazier and more
delusional.  This guy seriously thought I was his wife. 

“Shut the fuck up and save it til we get home, then you can
moan and cry all you want.  I might even give you something to moan about.” 

He paused and caught my eye in the rear view mirror and I
could see the anger and the hate he felt for his wife, for me, on his face. 
But it was something else that chilled me to the bone.  He was enjoying this,
savouring it.  For him, this was just the beginning.

“I’m going to make you feel as fucking miserable and
degraded as I’ve felt over the last six months.  But worse.  So much worse. 
You’re going to wish you were dead by the time I’m finished with you.  Did you
really think you could just leave me, you stupid fucking bitch?”

He started to laugh as if he had cracked a joke which only
strengthened my resolve to get out of the car.  With every word and look I knew
I needed to escape from what this crazy guy was offering.   

We had just gone over the harbour bridge and were almost in Takapuna
which was probably my best place to try and escape.  It was full of cafes and
bars and would still be busy at this time of night.  How to do it?  The doors
were locked so my best plan was to try and engineer a crash.  I looked at the
driver and realised any chance of getting the wheel from him were slim.  He
wasn’t much taller than me but he was stocky and looked strong. 

Suddenly I remembered a movie that I had seen recently where
the daughter had put her hands over her mum’s eyes and she had crashed.  Would
it work? 

My survival instincts must have kicked in as I felt calm and
focussed.  I knew I would rather die trying to escape than subject myself to
what this man had planned.  There was no doubt in my mind that he was seriously
delusional and thought I was his wife and from his letters over the last month
I knew what he was capable of.  What his fantasies were.  I knew I never wanted
to be alone with him.  That would be worse than death.  My faith in humanity
destroyed.

I knew there was a police station a few blocks from here and
that would be the best spot to try this.  We would have passed most of the
cafes and bars and it would be quieter on the streets. 

I wished I had told Mack I had loved him this morning.  Why
do I keep waiting for the perfect time and playing this game of being casual
and hip.  The games of love were pointless if you missed the opportunity of
saying what you felt.  Please god let me live to tell Mack how I feel.

I quietly undid my seatbelt and slipped behind the driver
seat.  And as he accelerated on the green light I squeezed my hands over his
eyes, covering them.  I felt him stiffen and then with one hand try to rip my
hands away but I just pushed my fingertips deeper into his eye sockets; using
my nails to inflict pain.  I felt his hand reach past me to my hair and he
grabbed a handful trying to pull me off. 

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?  You will pay for
this you stupid bitch.”

There was a blinding pain in my head as the hair came loose
and I sunk my teeth into his arm.  It tasted warm and salty and instinctually I
wanted to take my mouth off and spit.  I could feel blows to my head and more
yelling but I just hung on.  Time slowed and seemed to stop.  Like we had come
to a fork in the road and my future direction was being decided. 

Then I felt rather than heard the impact and all the breath
was forced from my body and blackness overtook me.

I felt so hopeless waiting at the station for news.  I
wanted to be out there doing something but George had persuaded me to stay.  And
he was right.  I would be in the way out there and probably a liability as
well. 

Shit it felt like my life had been tipped out of its nice
comfy box and stomped on.  How could anyone have a vendetta against Jessie, let
alone kidnap here?  I wanted to find this guy and smash him.  And if he had touched
one hair on Jessie’s head, hell he was as good as dead.  I had never felt such
intense rage.

I was almost at the point where I couldn’t sit anymore when
the call came in.  There had been an accident on the north shore and it was one
of our security cars.  It took only moments to confirm the plates were the same
as the car Jessie had been in.  I could hear talk of injuries and ambulances
and I thought I would go insane.

George came over and filled me in.

“Mack the car they were in has collided with a lamp post on
the way out of the city.  They don’t know what caused the accident but both are
injured.  I don’t know how extensive they are but the ambulance is already on route
to take them to hospital.  And Pete is under police escort, so Jessie is safe.”

I could feel the shakes overcome my body and George helped
me to a seat.  Please let Jessie be alright.  I wanted answers, but there was
none yet to be had.  Focus Mack on the positives.  She was safe.  We had found
her. 

“Thanks George.  Can you organise a car to get me to the
hospital and can you ring Cam and the boys and let them know she is safe and
where she is.”

 My voice sounded shaky and I knew I was close to tears.  My
throat felt hoarse from the pretence of being ok.  I just wanted to hold Jessie
in my arms and hear the words that she would be alright.

It took half an hour to get to the hospital and by the time
I arrived Jessie was in theatre.  The nurse did not know the extent of her
injuries so it was back to waiting. 

The police filled me in on what they knew and I was
astounded at Jessie’s bravery and resourcefulness and if anything, loved her
even more.  She was the kind of person you would always be able to rely on, what
ever happened.  Jessie didn’t give up or lie down and take things.  And I knew
without a doubt that this was the person I wanted to live the rest of my life
with.  Have children with and wake up every morning beside. 

I rang Lance as an idea formed in my head and was glad to
hear the excitement and approval in his voice.  They were already on their way
to the hospital so he assured me it would be a small matter to do as I asked.

A nurse came out with an update on Jessie.  She had broken
ribs, collar bone and some internal bleeding but was out of immediate danger.  They
were also monitoring her concussion as there was mild brain swelling but they
wouldn’t know the full extent of that damage until she woke up.

I was digesting this news when the boys turned up.  I filled
them in on what had happened and that Pete was also in hospital, but in police
custody.  They were as astounded as I had been at Jess’s bravery and
determination.

“Did they find out why Pete had it in for Jess?”  Lance
inquired. 

“They are slowly joining the dots.  One of the guards I
spoke to had said he was constantly nutting off about his ex, who strangely
looks a lot like Jessie.  Also the police said when Pete regained consciousness
in the ambulance he was raving about where his wife was.  They seem to think he
was delusional and thought Jessie was her.  Christ I am so glad she is safe.” 

I took a shaky breath as the feelings threatened to overtake
me again and I felt Lance sit down beside me. 

“She will be ok Mack.  And we stopped and got a ring.  The
other guys know as well, hope that’s ok, and we kind of did a joint effort in
the choosing.  You want to see?” 

I looked up at Lance’s excited face and envied his ability
to move on so easily.  But he was right, it was over, Pete would never bother
Jessie again.  It was time to stop dwelling on what might have been as that
wouldn’t help Jessie.

“Go on then.”

“Ok Mack, prepare to be dazzled!”  And Lance ceremoniously
pulled out the case and opened it.

It was beautiful.  I took it from the case and had a closer
look.  It would look fantastic on Jessie.

“Great choice, Jessie will love it.”

“Well it’s mainly Cam you should thank.  To be honest Josh,
Robbie and I were a bit overwhelmed and were going for the bling, but Cam
seemed to know exactly what she would like.”

Cam laughed, “It’s from having gone shopping with her a
hundred times.  Girls like to window shop and tell you exactly what they would
buy!  And I knew Jessie would like subtle rather than flashy!”

“Thanks Cam, I love it!  Now I just have to get her to say
yes!”

“Don’t think you are going to have problems on that front!”

I looked up to see the doctor walking towards us and I had a
moment of apprehension before he smiled.

“Everything went well.  Bleeding is all under control and she
briefly regained consciousness and was lucid.  So things are looking good for a
full recovery, in time.”

I could have hugged the man, but instead I held out my hand
and took his, in both of mine, “I can’t thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome.  They’re taking her through to the recovery
ward now and I will get a nurse to take you up when she is settled in.  She
will be very weak so keep conversation to a minimum and let her sleep.”

“Will do and thanks doc.”

After the doctor had left it dawned on me that we hadn’t got
in touch with Jessie’s parents.