Transcending Queen (14 page)

Tony glances down the bar and the other men
are nodding as if they could use a go themselves. “Let me find
Clayton and ask.”

“No man, I need it now. Consider it my going
away gift, get them here!” Jack insists.

“Ok, since it’s your last night.”

“Alright, cheers fellas.” Jack said knowing
all is getting recorded and as soon as the girls arrive, money
exchanges along with his password, the bar will be raided.

The convent was raided next. They scored a
mixed bag within the compound walls which consisted of nuns, johns,
drugs and calling backup twice all while trying to keep it under
wraps so not to frighten the big whale. As proud and relieved as
Joseph was of that bust he abruptly became aware Clayton wasn’t
there either, this isn’t a good sign.

Melissa took off the rose colored glasses
long ago when it came to Clayton, but wondered how hard it would be
to see him taken away. In his quiet times, she could sense his
loneliness and almost hear as he questioned his path. She felt
empathy as some people get caught up in greed and let their egos
take over. “How can such a man start off on the right path and veer
so far off course along the way?” She still felt for him, just in a
different way. Even after all he put her through, she wanted to
hold his face in her hands and tell him it’s going to be alright
like an empathetic angel. She knew it wouldn’t change anything and
still wanted him to be someone he could never be. She then checked
her cellphone recordings of their conversations making sure she had
what the police were looking for. Jack insisted she not chance it,
but it’s another piece of evidence to get him out of her life for
good and provide the closure they all needed.

Father Clayton enjoyed a stroll before going
to collect from Tony and later over to visit Melissa. He came to an
abrupt halt when he spotted police cars outside Tony’s bar. “What
the hell is going on?” he mumbled. He waited until he saw with his
own eyes, Tony forced out in handcuffs by the police and Jack
trailing behind. He casually backed up and took off in the other
direction hoping no one had seen him.

Joseph made the call informing Jack only
Clayton still remained. Jack agreed his end was also secured.
“Let’s go fishing.” They said in unison.

Clayton ran back to the motel and barged into
her room slamming the door behind him as he leaned back onto
it.

“What are you doing?” I asked dressed for the
evening because he had promised to take me out for the night.

“The police, they’re closing in.” he stated
frantic.

I waited for him to explain as I studied his
demeanor.

“Wait, why aren’t you upset?”

“I’m just assumed you’d say more.” I said as
I took a couple steps back.

“What did you do?” he said practically
frothing at the mouth.

“Colin, you’re scaring me. Stop, please I
haven’t done anything!”

He turned as I hoped he would leave but
instead locked me in. I scurried for the bathroom when his grip
snagged my shirt and yanked me back to keep me close. I again sank
into survival mode as I demanded to know, “What’s happening,
Colin?”

“Don’t do this, you weren’t shocked.” He
surmised.

“Please, I shouldn’t be in the middle of you
and Jack. I’m here for you.”

“Bullshit!” he screamed in my ear practically
busting my eardrum.

“Colin, Father Clayton stop!” I didn’t know
which one he’d respond to so I used both which confused him for a
second until he cast me down onto the floor.

“Shut up!” He yelled.

I was so sick of being treated this way. I
rebounded and found my strength as I thrust my elbow into his
Adam’s apple striking a blow that left him literally speechless.
Again, I had seconds to spare and raced to the door as he snatched
ahold of me wrapping his forearm around my neck.

“I can’t deal with another Max.” I expressed
to myself coming to the conclusion I would do whatever made him
stop. I didn’t have any strength left in me to fight. God only
knows why I’m being held down again by a man like this after what
I’ve already been through. “I give up, he can finish me off and
this is how I’m going to die.” I thought to myself. It was just too
hard and my life has come down to this horrifying conclusion. I
knew Colin would feel proud of his accomplishment in all his
delusion.

“Ok men, there’s only one left standing. Our
mission is to take him down, but it’s late and we’re all tired.
We’ll have to attack tomorrow so no one gets hurt.” The police
chief acknowledged.

Jack and Joseph shot looks towards one
another but knew it was probably for the best. “It’s only one more
day.” Jack said as Joseph agreed.

Colin took it upon himself to tear the room
apart searching.

“What are you looking for?” I asked but as
usual he didn’t answer. I scooted over to a corner out of his way
watching as he smashed one item after the other and turning over
anything in his path. “He’s eventually going to find the
recordings.” I frantically speculated and maybe I wasn’t ready to
give up after all.

“Father, please look at me.” I said calmly
while standing behind him. “Please, take a minute to help me
understand.” He slowed as my words were having an impact. “Explain
how I can help.”

“It’s not easy to explain, Melissa. I
apologize for the fact that you’re stuck in the middle, but it has
to be.”

“No more games, Father. I desperately want to
be with you no matter who you are. It doesn’t matter anymore. I am
choosing to stand by you and only you. I need for you to
understand.”

“I do.”

“But you still don’t trust me?” I
questioned.

“Jack is a liar, he’s coming after me, don’t
pretend you didn’t know. You’ve been part of this.”

“I’ve changed and I’m with you now. Jack is
going to do whatever he wants with or without me. But you can’t
possibly think he’s hiding evidence in this room, do you?”

Jack came back to the motel and dropped on
his bed after long days and no sleep. He didn’t even bother to take
his clothes off as he dozed almost immediately. Shortly after, I
burst into his room and woke him, “Jack, he knows and is leaving.
He’s headed for the church right now.”

“What…who?”

“Jack wake up, this is serious. He’s leaving
and you’ll never find him again.”

“No, no, no. That asshole can’t leave we’re
too close, not now.” He uttered as he snatched up his shoes, a gun
and jetted out of his room. The first call he made landed onto
Joseph while the second woke up half the police department with new
information that caught their attention. He felt compelled to go
after Clayton before the others arrived, sure to keep his wits
about him he crept up the church steps questioning how to get
through those big doors without being heard.

“Shit, this sucks.” His other idea is to go
around back; however, it left a lot to be desired by being pitch
black and leaving him at a huge disadvantage. This is a bonus for
Clayton, hence probably why the lighting never got replaced.

Father Clayton bolted out the back door after
grabbing some vital paperwork and stayed en route back to the
motel.

Finally, Joseph arrived to give Jack some
help. He waved Joseph over and together they broke the threshold to
the front entrance searching every nook and corner.

Clayton rammed into Melissa’s door expecting
it to fly open, when in fact, he bounced off it jarring his body.
“Melissa, open this fucking door.” I swung it open trying to keep
his trust for survival sake when he took hold of my arm and pushed
me into the nearest corner. His gun slid into position against my
head being held by his grip. I didn’t blink, my mind went blank and
I didn’t dare to even guess why this was taking place now. He
lunged in only to plant a kiss on my lips, I jerked afraid the gun
might go off. He brazenly brought the gun down positioning it on my
inner thigh and then jabbed the cold steel upwards before coming at
me for more. I let him in an effort to stall, hoping someone would
check back and find him in my room.

Jack busted through the door, “Where is
he?”

“I don’t know,” I said lingering by the
window.

“You said he’d be at the church. Melissa,
who’s side are you on?”

“Jack, don’t you fucking question me again.
He came back here before he left again. I have no idea where he was
going and the gun he held to my skull kept me from asking!”

“Fuck! Where would he hide?” he turned asking
Joseph.

Joseph put his hands in the air feeling
defeated, “I don’t know. His house is too obvious, the bar was
raided, the warehouse is locked down, he’s not at the church, the
girls are locked up…the school, the one next to the church. Nobody
would think to look there.”

“What do you think?” He asked Melissa.

“He never mentioned the school to me.”

Clayton unlocked the doors making sure to
keep the lights off positive no one would guess this place. He
never spent time over here unless the children came for classes not
thrilled with the old, dingy rooms but it’s the only place they had
to teach. The building included two stories with a fire escape, two
bathrooms and plenty of wiggle room to find an exit, if necessary.
He climbed the stairs making his way to the second story and
entered into the bathroom to store his belongings. Outside and down
the fire escape led way to a huge playground and past the
playground stood his garage holding his car for another getaway. He
heard the door behind him creak open and immediately became
disappointed he hadn’t picked a better spot to buy himself more
time.

Jack slipped the door open telling Joseph to
go first since he knew the layout. Once inside, they split apart
each one taking a level to better their odds of beating Colin at
his own game even though Jack didn’t have firsthand knowledge of
the building, only what Joseph had told him.

Jack made his way downstairs trying to focus
his eyes in the dark feeling like a sitting duck. “This is not a
decent game plan”, he mumbled when he heard a shot ring out that
shocked his ears. Immediately he ran up the stairs, tripping on the
landing before rounding the banister and onto the second flight
until he found Joseph rolling from side to side in excruciating
pain. He leaned over to assess the damage when he heard Joseph say,
“Just go, it’s a shot in the leg. He headed down the fire escape.”
Jack rushed over to the escape door that was already hanging wide
open, leaned around to see something move in the near blinding
darkness. He slid down the escape stairs and hit the ground running
across the playground hoping to catch Clayton squeezing the gap as
they both sprinted for the garage that Jack figured was Clayton’s
disappearing act.

I couldn’t stand not knowing and had to break
out of that motel room to get a front row seat. As I crossed past
his house but before I snuck to the church I heard them, both
running as Clayton tripped and fell close to his garage. I then saw
Jack flying through the air tumbling on top of him, when behind me
cars were heard with sirens stinging the cool night air and lights
flooding the darkness while an ambulance was also heard not far
behind. I stood shocked and baffled at the circus being played out
before me.

“Where are they?” the police asked.

“Over there, by the garage.” I pointed. They
sprinted over guns drawn with flashlights bouncing around trying to
spot them. The officers pulled Colin off Jack as they quickly
grabbed his gun, cuffed him and read his rights. The ambulance
headed around the block to assist Joseph and take him to the
hospital if needed after a police officer informed them of the
situation on the two-way radio.

“Hey wait…” Jack motioned the officers to
stop Father Clayton in front of me.

“Melissa, do you see this right here with
your own eyes? They’re taking him, he’s in custody.”

“Yes.” I stated nodding my head.

“She has recordings, officers. In case you
need them along with Joseph’s testimony.” He informed as he made
his way over to comfort her.

I stood unable to move staring Colin down
when he uttered those words I had wanted so desperately to hear, “I
love you, Melissa. Don’t listen to them, you know what we
have.”

“Colin, why don’t you tell her what Joseph
told me. Tell her the last piece of the puzzle.” Jack
requested.

He quieted down and refused.

“What is he talking about, Colin?” I
asked.

Jack scanned the crowd until he saw Joseph
with the EMT’s as they were helping him limp towards us. “Come
here, Joseph.”

“Colin, what does he mean? What are they
going to tell me?” I asked thinking it had to be horrible after all
he had done, I didn’t know if I could handle anymore
revelations.

“It might destroy her, I don’t know if I
can.” Joseph stated sympathetically.

“Don’t do it, Joseph. She’s been through
enough, it’s over.” Colin insisted.

“No, she needs to hear it.” Jack
reiterated.

Joseph was reluctant, not sure how to present
it and then lifelessly stated the truth, “That night you were
passed out at Clayton’s…he took advantage of you sexually. I
witnessed, he didn’t know I was there.” He lowered his head
saddened that he had to say it at all.

I scanned around at each person in a state of
shock. Everyone just stood there like statues, unsure how to react,
like they were waiting for me to spontaneously combust. The shock
washed away as anger and humiliation set in when I leapt forward
breaking Jack’s grip making a beeline straight for Colin. I didn’t
know what would happen when I got to him, but I couldn’t stop
myself flush with regret of ever allowing him into my life. I stood
before him for a moment before beating his chest as hard as I
could. “You monster, I couldn’t defend myself! I put up with your
manipulation and allowed you to push me to the brink! Why? Why?! I
loved you! I am the only person who gave you a chance and this is
how you treat me. You can’t destroy me. Do you hear me? You can’t
destroy me!” Jack rushed over to hold me back as I screamed
demanding he say something.