The Neighbor's Secret (Closed)

[zydrate]

There were no taxis but… there must have been a wedding at the hotel across the street as there were some cars left unattended and Malinda pointed it out. She had never been involved in stealing a car directly (not if you counted taking that truck back on the farm that night Will was shot).

“Will, over there...” she said as they crossed the busy street…illegally…

No was really paying attention at the hotel with the crowd of people trying to get situated which was a good thing as the last thing they needed were the cops involved.

Quickly, Malinda made Lucy get in and then pushed her gently to the back seat as she herself sat in the passenger seat and Will got behind the driver’s side. The men who were following them saw them and started after them. But the time they caught up, Malinda and Will were already moving in the flow of traffic. Malinda figured that they didn’t think they would be able to get away in a car.

Hopefully they lost them for now… at least for a while anyway.

She was about to ask if Will thought they would follow them… but that was obvious. Of course, they would try to find them. They were quiet for a while and Malinda held onto Will hand as they drove. She held it because she felt like if she let go, he would disappear.

12 more days… just 12 more days and this would be all over.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Great idea Malinda. Go. Hurry up." They were in the car and on the road before anyone, including the bad guys chasing them, could react. Will headed for the freeway. He had to put some distance between them and the guys that were after Malinda. He had to do it quickly before the police caught them driving in a stolen car.

Will felt Malinda squeezing his hand as the rode in silence. Will's mind was racing. He started thinking about his time in the military and the survival techniques he had learned and used. When he first set off with Malinda back in Portland, he hadn't thought about using them. Now, he wasn't sure there would be any choice. If necessary, he might have to use the weapon he was carrying. Unlike in the military, however, he might have to defend his actions.

About an hour out of town, Will took an exit and pulled into the back of a pizza restaurant. He wiped down the areas of the car that he had touched. His fingerprints were on file due to his military service and his application to OSP. Taking Malinda's hand, they walked across the road to the bus station and got tickets on the next bus out of town. Will talked to the ticket agent and was able to convince her that Lucy was a service dog who "his girlfriend" needed to deal with anxiety. "He will just curl up at her feet and he will be alone." She gave him a document to hand to the bus driver allowing Lucy on the bus.

"No sir, he will not be a problem. He won't make a mess on your bus. He has gone over 12 hours inside the house with no problems." The bus driver was okay with it, and they got on the fairly empty bus and took seats toward the back. He had no idea where they were going. He figured they would ride for a while and then find a place to stay for a couple days.

Six hours later they got off the bus. He still had no idea where they were. There was a hotel across the street from where the bus depot was. They checked in without asking any questions. Will didn't want to draw any attention to them.

When they got into the room, Will looked around and felt comfortable in the room. He also felt pretty confident they put some distance between themselves and their chasers. "I am going to get a shower Malinda, unless you want to get one first."

 

[zydrate]

The travelling was hard on Malinda. She was starting to hate it but knew it was necessary. This was all because of her… well, actually because of her stepfather. A few times she had considered reaching out to him and talking to him… not to reconnect but to find out why he was doing this and to see if he could just forget her. She didn’t want anything from him so why waste his time?

But with the way things were going, she knew that would have been a call with no resolution.

Will asked if she wanted to shower first and Malinda told him no, she’d wait until later. When he disappeared into the bathroom, she got her backpack and opened it, pulling out Lucy’s collapsible dog dish. She had some in a small back also, just enough for tonight and tomorrow. She’d have to get another small bag sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Malinda heard the shower running and she just sat on the bed. She had no desire to turn on the TV. It was already late, and she was tired, but she was tensed up from everything. Lucy seemed fine and had curled up by the door. She wasn’t with Will when he got the room and she had hoped it was a for a couple of days, she just needed to rest before they planned where to go next. With that thought, she took her shoes off and then her jeans. She didn’t have any clothes to sleep in, but she didn’t care. Instead, she left her t-shirt on and crawled into bed. It was then she turned on the TV as the noise from it helped her sleep.

She hadn’t realized she fell asleep as she had wanted to talk to Will about what they were going to do next. She was so tired; she didn’t realize he had crawled in next to her. Almost out of instinct, Malinda moved into his arms…

 

[BeachBum25]

Will stepped into the shower and lost himself in the the spray of hot water. While relaxing under the shower, Will's mind ran over what had happened earlier. It was craziness. He was happy that Malinda saw the cars across the street from the hotel and they were able to get away. He worried about the location that they dropped the stolen car. Would it be found by those who were searching for Malinda? Was it too close to the bus station? Would the local police recover it and notify the owners, therefore those chasing Malinda wouldn't know?

Having booked the hotel for three days, Will was hoping to give them both a chance to relax. The hotel room wasn't great, but it was a place for them to stay and not be on the run for a short time. It would also get Malinda close to a week away from her birthday. Will knew, however, based on what Malinda had told him about her step-father, that the closer they got to her 21st birthday, the more desperate her step-father would become.

He got out of the shower and dried off, only then remembering that he did not have a change of clothes. Will put the shirt and boxerbriefs that he had been wearing back on. He carried the jeans out into the room where, as expected, Malinda was asleep in bed.

Looking around the room, Will realized that there was nowhere else for him to sleep. The desk chair would never work, so, Will moved around to the opposite side of the bed and slid in behind Malinda. He tried to maintain a safe distance between them. He did not want Malinda to think he was trying to take advantage of her.

As he closed his eyes, Will felt Malinda move back toward him. His eyes shot open. He looked to see if she was awake and realized she was not. He couldn't deny that it felt good to have her close to him. Will put his arm over Malinda and held her.

 

[zydrate]

For the first time in a long while, at least since staying with Will at his home, Malinda felt safe. Maybe even safer now in his arms. She hadn’t left his side all night and perhaps it was greedy of her but all she wanted was to be held right now.

They needed it from each other.

It was early morning, and the TV was still on, the news was over, and some random infomercial was playing when Malinda slowly woke up, still in Will’s arms only now, he was holding her from behind, his arm wrapped around her waist. She had to admit, it felt good… it felt right. She was going to get up but didn’t want to disturb him, so she lay there and hadn’t realized she had fallen back asleep…

Malinda was awoken again some time later. Lucy was scratching at the door, and it occurred to her that she needed to go out. Sitting up, Malinda brushed her hair out of her face. She needed to take out Lucy and, get her some more food this morning. As she was putting on her jeans, she glanced at the TV and saw her stepfather…

Damnit, he was starting his US visits this week and had apparently arrived in the US. Perfect. That meant he brought his men with him… extra men and no doubt, they would be looking for her now that they were stateside. Malinda let out a deep breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. She looked over at Will and saw he was awake. They were showing a picture of Malinda, one where she was wearing a traditional dress and her hair was pinned up with several jewels looking like they were holding her long hair up… it was very overly done and at the time, she had only agreed because of threats from her stepfather.

The news reporter was saying that the rarely seen daughter would also be making some public appearances throughout the US before her 21st birthday and upcoming marriage to a local leader.

That meant searches were probably increased.

Malinda stood up, obviously upset with this. She knew it was coming but she thought… she thought…

She didn’t really know what to think.

 

[BeachBum25]

Will watched Malinda closely as she watched the news report about her step-father's visit and about how Malinda was to be married. He could see her shoulders slump. He wished he could make her stepfather pay for what he was doing to her. Hopefully, Will would be able to protect Malinda long enough to get her to her 21st birthday.

He leaned up on his elbow. "Good morning Malinda. Please tell me that I didn't do anything inappropriate while we slept." He smiled at her as she buttoned her jeans.

"Listen, we have a head start on them. I know you are tired of running, but, you don't have to do it much longer. I am here for you. I will do whatever I can to help you and protect you. As if my shoulder taking a bullet wasn't enough." He tried to get her to smile.

"While you take Lucy out, I am going to go get breakfast for us. When I get back, we can talk about whether you want to stay here or keep moving. I have this room for a couple days."

He watched Malinda and Lucy go out. Will got dressed and went for a walk to find breakfast. There wasn't much in town, but there was a diner and he decided that was the place to get their breakfast. He went in, sat at the counter and ordered a cup of coffee and then ordered each of them a breakfast to go. While sitting there, he saw 2 men walking in wearing suits. He his his face. He wasn't sure who they were, but he wasn't taking any chances. It was possible that they were just travelling business men, but Will wasn't taking any chances.

The men sat at a booth in the back. When their breakfasts came out, Will paid for them and quietly left. Getting back to the room, Will decided not to tell Malinda. He wasn't certain they were anything to worry about. He wanted her to relax. He sat the breakfasts on the table. Will took the bacon out of his breakfast and fed it to Lucy. "I'll go out and get her food after breakfast."

 

[zydrate]

Malinda shook her head, smiling, “No, you were fine…” she had wanted to apologize for doing what she did and waking up in his arms, but she wasn’t… she wasn’t sorry at all as it felt good and it was something she wanted more of but of course, time.

Outside, Malinda waited for Lucy to do her business. She then took her on a walk around the street adjoining the hotel. It was a nice, cool morning. It was also quiet, which she liked… no one was out really so that was a nice thing. The last few days in the city did nothing for her nerves.

A few morning minutes out with no incident, Malinda and Lucy headed back to the hotel and the room. Since Will wasn’t back, Malinda took that time to take a shower herself. She had her backpack with her with one day’s change of clothes. In the shower, Malinda quickly washed up and then stayed under the hot water a few more minutes longer. It felt so good and as much as she wanted to stay there, she knew Will would be back with breakfast soon.

“I saw that,” she said, when Will gave Lucy his bacon. Although Lucy didn’t look one bit guilty.

Malinda purposely didn’t have the TV on. She was tired of hearing about her stepfather’s visit. It just put more pressure on her nerves. She wasn’t anxious but just… over it. She did wish this business with him would all go away. She wished he would just leave her alone.

They ate their breakfast, talking about what they saw around town. At least for Malinda, what she saw on her walk. It was a small town. A few stores, most closed and some getting ready to open. Nothing too major, just, as Will put it, an average small town.

Although isolation wasn’t for everyone. Malinda didn’t feel isolated. She knew what it was like to have everything given to her without asking for it. But she didn’t miss it. She liked being able to make decisions for herself. But she knew if she went back, this would all change. It worried her what would happen should she and Will are found. She knew what would happen to her, but she wasn’t sure about Will. Would they let him go? Perhaps.

Sometime after breakfast, Will had left to go get some food for Lucy. Malinda took Lucy on another brief walk so she could nap for most of the day while inside.

While walking, Malinda noticed two men in suits at their hotel… she didn’t panic, yet, instead, she watched from afar. Where was Will?

 

[BeachBum25]

Will saw Malinda and Lucy out walking when he was returning from the store with food for Lucy. He contemplated sneaking up on her, but he did not want to scare her. "There are my two favorite girls," Will said as he approached them.

He could see concern on Malinda's face as soon as she turned around. "What's the matter? Is everything okay?" Will listened as Malinda told him about the two men in suits at the hotel. "I saw two men in suits when I was getting breakfast. I didn't want to assume that they were looking for us. There are a lot of men who wear suits to work."

He tried to get a look at them. "Do they look familiar to you Malinda? Could they be men that are working directly for your step-father?"

Watching the entrance to the hotel lobby, Will saw the two men come back out and look around; each of them looking in both directions... obviously looking for something.. or someone.... Them... more specifically, Malinda.

"Okay, relax. Don't panic. They don't see us. By now I am sure they know that we have the room for 2 more days, because I am sure they bribed the clerk to give them information. They will go to the room. When they find out we are not there, they will be waiting for us to return to the hotel. We won't be going back."

Taking Malinda's hand and squeezing it, Will led her away from the hotel. They walked behind the bus station where Will gave Lucy some food.

"Now, I am going to go around to the bus terminal and check things out. I am going to see when the next bus leaves. I am not really concerned with where it is going, but we need to get out of here as quickly as we can. You and Lucy wait here. I will come back and get you."

He saw the worry in Malinda's eyes. He cupped her cheek. "I will be back. Trust me." He kissed her other cheek and then went around to the front of the station.

 

[zydrate]

Malinda trust Will. It was other people she was losing trust in. She had remembered when she first ran, she trusted a lot of people almost instantly. She had wondered how that would have come to be if she hadn’t met Will.

Probably not good. She probably would have ended up in her stepfather’s hands in no time.

These two guys had to be some that her father had sent or at least a branch of them… people who knew people that knew she was wanted home and soon.

Malinda was so deep in thought, she didn’t see a woman approach her and Lucy… the woman cleared her throat and smiled at Malinda, “Hi, sorry, I saw you and your dog and was wondering if I could pet… him?... her?”

Lucy’s tail was wagging happily, as it did to many people.

Smiling, Malinda smiled, “Hi, sorry, yes… she… her name is Lucy.”

“Thank you! Oh goodness, Lucy! What a cutie…” The woman looked up Malinda from her kneeling position, “are you OK? You look kind of worried… was that guy with you bother you?” She asked, suddenly concerned.

“What? Oh no… no, we’re together, he just went to check on something.”

“Oh, that’s good Malinda.”

Malinda nodded and then it hit her, “Wha—how did you know my na—”

The woman stood to her full height and grabbed Malinda, showed her a gun she pulled from the back of her waistband. She pointed the gun at Lucy, “Because, we’ve been looking for you Malinda… your father misses you. Make a sound and the mutt gets it. And if I have to kill the dog, then I’ll have to kill your boyfriend too, right?” She grabbed Malinda’s arm tighter, “Remember, don’t make a scene. My two colleagues will make sure that your boyfriend stays distracted. Now, tie the dog to the tree and let’s get going.”

The woman didn’t say anymore as she walked with Malinda to a nearby parked car, looked around and saw that no one was following her. She pushed Malinda to the backseat, but Malinda stopped, “No!” She tried to push against the woman, but she wasn’t having it. “Fine, you little bitch, we’ll do this the hard way.” With that, the woman took the butt of the gun and hit Malinda on the back of the head, knocking her out. With that, she pushed Malinda onto the back seat of the car she was driving.

“You fucking have me come find you in the middle of fucking nowhere so you deserve whatever it is your fucking boy toy gets. Hopefully those 2 idiots won’t screw their job up… so rest up sweetheart, we have quite a way to go.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Will went around to check the bus schedule to see how quickly they could get out of town. The walls were creeping in. There wasn't much time until Malinda's 21st birthday, and her step-father must be getting anxious. His people were closing in quickly even as Malinda and he had moved around the country.

He was able to get 2 tickets on the next bus.. It was headed for Maine. Nobody would find them if they went to Maine, would they? After paying for the tickets, Will walked outside and bumped into the two men in suits. "What the fuck do you two want?" Will was tired of running and coming face to face with these 2 pushed him over the edge.

One of the men reached for him. Will landed his right fist square on the man's nose, shattering it. The other guy swung at Will. Will was able to avoid it and land a counter-punch. The three of them started to go at it on the sidewalk. Broken nose guy was bleeding all over the place, but was trying to get back into the scuffle to help secure Will.

Then, there were sirens. Three patrol cars pulled up. One of the men in the suit tried to take off but was quickly apprehended. Broken nose guy started to run, but realized it was useless. Will stood and waited for the police to come talk to him. He told them that he had just bought bus tickets for himself and a friend. When he came out of the terminal, the two suits accosted him. He used his military training to defend himself. When the police found out he was ex-military, they were sympathetic to him. They asked him where his friend was.

"She is around back with her dog. She was finding the dog while I got the tickets." One of the officers went to check out his story. Several minutes later, the officer returned with Lucy. He said there was nobody out there, but the dog was tied to a tree. "Fuck, that means friends of these two took her. These two were just the goons to distract me so somebody else could grab her. There has to be video cameras out there. Check them. See who took her."

Will was frantic. he was in the middle of nowhere, stuck talking to the police, and , with less than 2 weeks until her birthday, Malinda was on her way back to her step-father. He had no idea where they were taking her, and, even if he knew where they were taking Malinda, he had no way of getting there.

He looked at the police officer. "Please check the cameras. We have to figure out who took her and which direction they were headed."

 

[zydrate]

She stopped the car at the meeting place—a small rest stop about 4 miles north of town. As she stopped the car, she looked to the backseat and saw the girl still out cold. Good. She’d end up tying her up in a few minutes but first—

“Where the fuck have you been?!” Her partner asked, who walked up to her when she parked the car next to his.

“Fuck you! Your two goons fucked up and approached the guy, instigating a fight with him, I could only grab one.”

“But you know her father wants them both. He wants to torture him in front of his darling daughter.”

“I don’t give a shit what he does as long as he makes good on his payment. This—”

“Shut up! Now I have to go back and get him!”

The woman pushed him, “Then go get him asshole. I’m not waiting here.” She went to the back seat of her car and pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her belt pouch and cuffed the girl, hands behind her back.”

“She hasn’t moved… you better not have killed her.”

“Shut up, she’s fine. Now, you go get the guy and I’ll see you at the check point. 2 hours Sam. Don’t make me fucking wait any longer than I have to.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Will went inside with the police to look at the cameras. They walked toward the office; the police asking him questions about who his friend was. He was very vague in his responses. He was at a point where he trusted nobody. For all he knew, the police were in on Malinda's abduction.

When they got to the office, they were told that the cameras they had out back had never been connected. The manager said that they weren't even wired to anything. "They are just there to act as a deterrent. If people see the cameras they will move along and do their dirtywork somewhere else."

Will was furious. Now what? He had no idea where Malinda could be or who exactly had her. The police wanted answers about the friend who had been abducted. Will said she was someone who he had met on the bus. She had been travelling with her dog, they started talking and ended up sharing a room in town to save money. Without any real information, the police didn't even bother making a report about her.

Will untied Lucy and headed back to the hotel. "What the fuck, I have it for a few more days. Might as well use it. I don't have anything to go to now." He walked toward the room and opened the door. As he started into the room, Will got hit from behind. Falling to the floor, Will turned to see who it was that hit him. Will did not recognize the guy.

"What the fuck do you want asshole," Will said as he pulled his gone out of the waistband in the back of his pants. Pointing it at the man, it stopped the man from advancing toward Will. "If you make a move that I even think might be aggressive, you will die right here." Will could see the shock on the man's face that Will was armed.

As he sat up on the floor, Will brought his hand to the back of his head and felt the lump that was already there. "You are going to pay for that. Maybe not right now, but trust me, you are going to pay." The man smiled at him and made a comment about Will's "girlfriend" going home to daddy.

Will stood up casually.. calmly and then punched the guy in his eye. When the man fell, Will patted him down and removed the 2 weapons he was carrying. Will also grabbed the car remote and cell phone he found in the man's pocket. "Who's smiling now motherfucker. You better hope that nobody harms her in any way, because I am going to take it all out on you."

Will took the pillowcases off the pillows and tore them into strips. He then tied the man's hands behind his back and stuffed a strip in the man's mouth. Will then hit the panic button on the remote for the car, Will saw the SUV the man had been driving.

Dragging the man to his feet, Will put the barrel of the gun in the man's ribs and concealed it with his body. "Make any noise or try to draw attention to yourself and you will die. I have had enough of this shit. I am tired and I don't give a fuck anymore. So, for your own sake, I hope you understand that I will go to jail if I have to, but if I go to jail, it will be because you are dead."

Will and the man made their way to the SUV. Will made the man get in the back seat and lay down. Once the man was in the prone position, Will tied his ankles to the door. Will then fastened the seat belt through the man's cuffed arms. He wasn't going anywhere. Will drove out of the motel lot and onto the main road. He drove out of town in the direction he thought they may have taken Malinda.

After pulling into the parking lot of a vacant fast food restaurant, Will pulled the strip of pillowcase out of the man's mouth. "Tell me where you were supposed to take me. You already have the girl, so, you were there to get me and take me to the same place. You have 15 seconds to tell me and that started 5 seconds ago." With a little coaxing from the barrel of one of the guns Will had taken from him, the man told Will where he was supposed to be taken.

After stuffing the strip of pillowcase back in the man's mouth, Will headed out. He was going to the location where he believed Malinda was. He had no idea what he was walking into.

 

[zydrate]

Malinda's arms were hurting from being handcuffed behind her back. Her head was also killing her from the hit to the back of her head.

"Can I have some water please?" Malinda asked.

The woman looked up from her phone briefly and then focused on her phone, "No."

"But I -"

"Listen, I don't care, ok? You're not getting anything until my partner comes back."

They were waiting on a side road, about a mile off the main road and the woman was getting restless. She was having a hard time getting a signal on her phone. It was sketchy at best. She looked at the time and cursed, where the hell was Sam? It was getting dark.

Damn, she hated this state.

There was no one else around and that’s why had picked this spot. The purpose was that they would take the SUV with their 2 captives back to the airport where the girl’s stepfather had a private plane waiting. He wanted his stepdaughter cleaned up before presenting her to the world.

Oddly enough, the woman didn’t care about that. She just wanted her cut and then she was out of there.

Malinda could feel the cuffs cutting into her wrists so she tried not to move them too much but they were hurting and she was afraid to say anything. Why were they waiting?

After about another 15 minutes passed then a car could be heard driving up slowly. By now, it was very dark. The woman had her hand on her weapon which was tucked in the back waistband of her jeans. She had an alternative plan in mind. She was going to get the guy from Sam and then from there, eliminate Sam. No one would miss him.

The SUV turned off but the headlights remained on. The woman took a few steps forward, “Sam?! Did you get him?”

 

[BeachBum25]

She barely got her question out when the bullet entered her forehead and blew the back of her head all over the deserted road. Will turned around and looked at the man laying across the back seat of the SUV. "If you even think about doing something stupid, you will end up laying next to her."

Will put his window back up and then got out of the SUV. He was not sure if there was anyone else in the vehicle, so, he approached it slowly... carefully. Looking inside, he saw Malinda handcuffed in the back seat. He opened the door and sat Malinda up. He looked her over. "Hey Malinda. Are you okay? Wait here for a second." Will went around and checked the dead woman's pocket for keys. He found the key fob for the car and he found a handcuff key.

He ran back to Malinda and uncuffed her. Then he hugged her tight. "Go sit in the SUV with Lucy. She is in the front seat. There is a guy tied up in the back seat. Don't look at him. Don't say anything to him. I will be with you in a second."

After watching Malinda get in the SUV with Lucy, Will went back to the dead woman in the road. He dragged her over and put her in the front seat of the car. He cleaned out her pockets of the cash she had and took the credit cards out of her purse. Using the fob, he locked all of the doors and went back to the SUV. "I have some cleaning up to do, and then we will get out of here. It will also give me a little time to figure out how I am going to dispose of the body we have in the back seat." Will looked over his shoulder and saw the man's eyes widen. "Remember what I said about even thinking of doing anything stupid."

Turning the SUV around, Will headed out to the main road. He drove past several gas stations, before pulling into one that had a convenience store. "I'll be right out." Will went inside and bought a couple bottles of water along with 2 gas cans. After paying for them, and for gas to put in the cans and the SUV, will went outside, filed the cans and put them on the floor in the back of the SUV.

Returning to the vehicle with the woman in it, Will unlocked the doors and tossed the fob into the car. Then, he poured an entire can of the gas around the interior of the vehicle; leaving the can in the car. He took the second can and poured some of it over the exterior of the car and then left a trail of gas back to where the woman had lay bleeding in the road. He saved a little of it in the can and went back to the SUV.

Will drove away without lighting the car on fire. He drove a couple of miles down the deserted road and got the man out of the back seat. He dragged him down into the ditch along the side of the road, and took him to a tree about a hundred yards from the road. Will used the remaining strips of pillowcase that he had to tie the man to the tree like he was hugging it. Then Will poured the remaining gas over the man's head. "I am not sure how long it will be before someone finds you. Maybe the gas will keep the animals from eating you alive."

Returning to the SUV, Will Drove back to where the car with the woman was, and tossed the second gas can inside. Then, he lit a match and tossed it inside. As he drove away, he saw the flames shooting up. He had used enough gas to make sure that nobody would ever be able to identify who was in the vehicle of how that person had died.

Will got back out onto the main road and headed for the interstate. They had a full tank of gas and he had to put as much distance between them as possible. Once on the interstate, Will made sure he was doing the speed limit as they travelled mile after mile. He had no idea where they were going. He just needed to find a way to protect Malinda for another week.

 

[zydrate]

Another hotel. Well, a motel. Once this was all over, Malinda would be happy not to see another hotel or motel again. This time, it was a little L shaped design where they could park and the SUV would be hidden. It was off the way and only consisted of 3 other cars. Hard to sneak up on anyone, at least she thought so.

Once inside the room, Malinda threw herself at Will and wrapped her arms around him, finally letting it all out, crying after all that had happened. She apologized to him for it, “I’m sorry Will.. I’m sorry I’m so much trouble…” she said in between sobs. He had guided her to the bed and sat her down with him and just held her.

After a few more minutes, she calmed down a bit more. “A few more days, just a few more days.” She said, taking a deep breath.

“I often thought, while with that dreaded lady that I should just give it up and go with them willingly but then I heard they wanted you too because my asshole of a stepfather wanted to torture you in front of me… what kind of person does that?!” She said, more to herself than to him. “I’m basically nobody and he’s doing this shit.” She stopped and looked down at her wrists, which were red and bruised from the handcuffs.

Both were quiet a moment longer before Malinda’s eyes locked with his, “Why do you keep coming back for me? Why do you care so much?” She really wanted to know. He could have just left her to her own resources. She could have just let that awful woman take her and he could have hid from them. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful... I really am Will."

 

[BeachBum25]

Will held Malinda closely. "Relax Malinda. We will get through this. Together, we will make sure that you get through these days and then we will celebrate your birthday together. You and I are going to have an incredible celebration for your birthday."

Then, he touched her head and felt the lump where she had been hit in the head and knocked out. "Malinda, I keep coming back because it is the right thing to do. I joined the military because I wanted to be able to help people who needed help. It was the same reason I signed up for the state police. Unfortunately, signing up for the state police ended up with me being used as a pawn to help them find you. Now, it is my responsibility not to let you get taken, again. I should never have left you alone."

They sat quietly for a little while; Malinda still held close in Will's arms.

"I have to get the smell of the gasoline off me. I am going to get a shower. You climb into bed and get some sleep. We are going to leave here before the sun comes up. We need to keep moving and putting distance between us and them."

Will made sure that Malinda was under the covers and comfortable before he got up and went into shower. After getting out of the shower, he put on the only clean clothes he had left; a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He went out and sat in the chair; looking over at Malinda sleeping in the bed. He now had a small collection of weapons at his disposal after taking guns off the man and woman. He wondered about the man tied to the tree. Will wasn't concerned with his well-being though. Will was wondering whether he should have killed him and burned him in the car with the woman. Leaving him to live might have been a bad decision. The way Will was thinking reminded him of how he thought when he had seen combat. Yes, Will felt like he was at war.... war against Malinda's stepfather and all of his agents and all of the greedy motherfuckers that were helping her stepfather. "They WILL NOT win."

After giving Malinda a couple of hours to sleep in the bed, Will woke her up and told her they needed to get going. "You and Lucy can lay in the back seat. You can go back to sleep. We just can't stay here any longer." As they pulled out of the motel parking lot, Will noticed a group of homeless people sitting just off the entrance to the freeway. He pulled over and walked over to them. "Listen, I don't have any cash to help you, but I have this." Will held out the credit card that he had taken from the woman. "You can use this to get yourselves something to eat and get some other things you might need, but you can't go buying things all at once. If you do, it will be rejected. Buy a little at the grocery store when it opens. Then later on you can go back, or go to another store and use it. Use it 3 or 4 times today and then get rid of it."

Will got back in the SUV and got on the freeway. He had no plan of where they were going. He just hoped that the use of the woman's credit card would have Malinda's stepfather's people looking around this area for them and slowing down their pursuit. As he came to a cloverleaf intersection with another freeway, Will got off and headed north. Canada?

 

[zydrate]

Although Malinda’s headache wasn’t going away anytime soon, she ignored it. She had been awake, and they had been traveling awhile now. She wasn’t sure how long, but it had to be a while.

She sat in the passenger’s seat and had been looking out at the scenery as they rode. She then turned and looked at Will. He was so focused, but she still watched him. Taking in his profile. He really was a very handsome man. It wasn’t just his looks that she liked. It was the fact he was doing so much for her, protecting her. She did wish they could have stayed on his farm. That would have been ideal.

That idea made her mad all over again. Not mad at Will but at her stepfather. Malinda wasn’t a vindictive person or someone who wished bad things upon others, but she wished her stepfather would just up and die.

All thinking made her wonder what would happen once her birthday passed. Would he automatically stop looking? No… he wouldn’t. He would probably want revenge. All his previous dealings were riding on her and she felt kind of powerful that she could bring him down in that manner but… could new dealings be made? More than likely, yes. Hopefully without her in the picture.

She didn’t want any of it. Any of the royalty crap that all went with their traditions. They were out of date traditions for a time when women were told what to do. How they would be treated. None of it was for her.

“Does your shoulder still hurt?” She asked quietly, wondering about it. He never really showed any irritation to it hurting or maybe he was just hiding it?

She listened to him and reached out, touching his shoulder. Yes, he had been shot because of her. Another regret she had. No one should have gotten hurt because of her. He had told her earlier that they were trying to cross the border into Canada. Could they do it without being caught or questioned?

They both had IDs, although Malinda’s was fake but still passable, would they notice or realize? It was well pass 11pm and there was a line of cars waiting. That was odd.

There were also lights, police lights and some cars with their hazards on… some people on the side of the road. Malinda’s heart raced. What was going on?

Then they saw it, an overturned semi-truck. The police were there for them, helping them as were the people who had pulled over. Would they have to wait for this to all be cleared up?

It seemed in the chaos, they were just waving people through… Malinda and Will made brief eye contact and didn’t bring any unwanted attention to themselves.

They had crossed into Canada…? They did it. Actually… Will did it.

Now what?

 

[BeachBum25]

They made it into Canada. Were they safe? Will had no idea. He had to believe they were better off here than back in the States. Would her stepfather find her here? A lot of questions, but there were no certain answers. However, Will believed that they would be able to make it to Malinda's birthday.

Will did not want to tell Malinda that his shoulder hurt and at times it hurt a lot. He didn't want her to worry about him. He didn't want her to think that it was her fault that he was hurt. "My shoulder is doing well, Malinda. It gets a little stiff sometimes, but it doesn't really bother me."

He had no idea where they were going. He was not all that familiar with Canadian geography. He drove for a little while and found a motel for them to stay in. They both needed to sleep. He hadn't slept in almost 48 hours and he was starting to feel it.

After checking in, they went to the room. He got Malinda settled in and then took Lucy for a walk. "Poor girl. You have been caught up in all of this and have had to spend so much time riding in cars. It will get better soon. I promise girl." He took her for a long walk; giving her plenty of exercise and plenty of time to do her business.

When he returned to the room, Malinda was asleep in the bed. He looked at her. She looked so peaceful. Why couldn't her asshole stepfather leave her alone? Will climbed into bed behind her. He faced away from her; once again he was worried about what she would think if he got too close to her. In no time, Will was sound asleep.

 

[zydrate]

So far, so good.

Their hotel stay had been uneventful, and Malinda was glad of that. Even though they stayed in most the time, only to leave to take Lucy on her walks and of course, to get food, Malinda relaxed a little.

She and Will had spent most of their time watching old movies on TV or playing one of the 2 boardgames they were able to get from a small thrift shop in town.

At night, they would lay in bed and talk. Malinda would talk about her childhood and tell him why certain things took place and that’s when she realized, as she talked about it how much sense it didn’t make that they were still having to follow tradition. It sounded crazy but he had assured her that it was OK, he didn’t mind at all hearing about it.

He hadn’t talked a lot about himself and that was OK. Malinda didn’t push it. It wasn’t her place but that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious about it. She hoped he would, in time, open up about it more.

 

[BeachBum25]

Will knew Malinda was getting tired of spending time in the hotel. Hell, so was he, but it wasn't going to be much longer. Two more days. That is what it has come down to.......48 hours.

Will had no idea what would happen after Malinda turned 21. Would she return to her country; now free to make her own decisions and not having to worry about a life that her evil stepfather planned out for her? Would she remain in America and carve out a life of her own? Would he ever see her again after that?

He held off telling her too much about himself. He did not want her to feel she knew too much about him and needed to do something to protect him once she turned 21. If she wanted to spend time with him beyond her birthday, it would be because of what she already knew about him... everything else would come after that.

They occupied their time with the board games and idle conversation. There was also a little trash talking that went on between them as they played the games as the competition became more intense. Of course, it was all in fun.

There were also some awkward times where they touched one another or bumped one another. There were also the times when one would get out of the shower and have to come out into the room to get clothes they forgot to take in with them before the shower. Will found himself attracted to Malinda more and more, but he resisted those feelings. He did not want it to appear that he was trying to take advantage of Malinda when she was vulnerable.

 

[zydrate]

Now they were down to 12 hours to go.

Malinda thought about what to do once she was free to do what she wanted. She’d be able to fully access her trust with no one stopping her. The money her grandfather left her with was still there also. But she’d give all that up in a heartbeat if she could just get her stepfather to back off. Would he after this?? She wasn’t sure…

One thing was for sure, she didn’t want to go back to her country. There was nothing for her there. But could she stay in the US? Or even stay with Will? Yeah, there were a lot of possibilities… all seemed out of reach right now. Perhaps she was just over thinking all of it.

It was well after 4am when she was thinking of all this. As lay there, not moving, she looked over at Will. He had stuck around for so long and even with everything that happened, they still were able to find each other. She thought of the kiss back at his house… it was wonderful. She knew she wanted more but with everything going on, now wasn’t the time to pursue any thing with him… maybe when this was over, would he want her?

Lucy must have sense Malinda was awake… she felt her nudge her back. Quietly, Malinda patted her leg and Lucy jumped up and settled herself against Malinda’s legs and with the comfort she felt, Malinda also fell asleep.

 

[BeachBum25]

Will woke up next to Malinda. He looked over and saw Lucy on the bed snuggled to Malinda's legs. It was funny how the two had taken to one another. Despite everything that was going on with Malinda, she always made sure Lucy was okay. There had been a couple times when Malinda took Lucy for walks that upset Will, because he wanted her to stay inside.

Quietly, Will got up out of the bed and made a cup of coffee in the little in-room coffee maker. He was exhausted despite getting several hours of sleep. Being on the run for so long, and doing everything he could to protect Malinda had him worn down. In spite of everything, he would not change a single thing. Malinda needed help, and he was happy that he could be the one to help her.

Looking at the time, Will realized there were only 7 hours left. He could almost see the finish line. Almost. Will had come to understand the lengths that Malinda's stepfather would go to find her. This wasn't going to be over until she was officially 21. Will also wondered if it would really end there. Would her stepfather just give up? Or would he keep after her just to make her life miserable and to extract some revenge?

Once the coffee was ready, he poured it into the old, well-used mug and sat in the chair. He looked at Malinda, sleeping so peacefully. She deserved so much better than what she had been subjected to. She was a great person. Oh, and she was very attractive, too. For most of their time together, Will had avoided thinking about how beautiful Malinda was. Yes, there were moments when he looked at her and thought about her attractiveness, but he tried to keep those thoughts out of his mind. Was he attracted to her? Absolutely. He had no idea if she felt that way toward him... probably not.

The clock was ticking. Will was ever vigilant. Every time he heard a noise, he froze and listened carefully. He was getting paranoid. He had to, though. He had to get her through these last few hours and then see where things led. He hoped it led him back to the farm, but who knows what would happen if he tried to go back there.

He looked at the clock again. Still 6 hours and 55 minutes..... "come on time.. speed up. Get Malinda to her birthday," he said out loud in a whisper.

 

[zydrate]

*** 2 hours to go ***
Why did it seem so dreadful? Counting down the time to one’s birthday should be full of happiness…right? Not for Malinda. Things were already tense, and she could tell Will was more on edge than she was. Poor Lucy could sense it all and kept walking between Will and Malinda, not knowing who to sit with.

They stayed in the small motel room and even with the TV on, no one was watching it. No more news. Malinda didn’t want to see any news right now, so they had it set on some local shopping network.

Right now, they were waiting for dinner to be delivered. Malinda was going to take Lucy out for a walk but Will had insisted. They were able to compromise, and everyone went for an evening walk. It was nice to get out, even for a bit but still, the atmosphere was tense. They had gotten into the habit of holding hands when walking. It wasn’t a romantic thing but more of an anchor for both so the other wouldn’t go anywhere without the other.

When they got back to their room, Malinda removed her jacket and tossed it on the chair. She then fed Lucy before sitting on the bed, “Will…? What are you wanting to do after all this? Are you going to go back home?” She traced the bedspread pattern as she spoke, “I was just wondering… did you think things will be normal…for you at least.” She wasn’t sure about her future but she knew it would probably be normal.

 

[BeachBum25]

It actually felt good for all of them to get out and walk a little together. They had been cramped into the hotel room for so long. The only time leaving the room had been taking Lucy for short walks to do her business.

Being isolated in that hotel room had given Will plenty of time to think about his situation, and Malinda's situation. He never thought of it as their situation, because they were different. They were not together. They were not a couple. Will had just taken it upon himself to help Malinda. What happened in a couple of hours he was not sure.

Once back in the hotel, Will listened as Malinda asked him about future plans. They had avoided having that discussion. Now, Malinda was asking him about his plans.

"Well, I have to be honest Malinda. I am not 100% sure. I have been so focused on getting to this point, I haven't thought about what happens after you turn 21. Every time I start to think of it, my mind has wandered to something else that was more pressing."

He paused and watched her tracing the pattern on the bedspread with her finger. There was something so innocent about her. Yet, she acted with a maturity well beyond her years when it came to surviving the threats against her.

"I would love to go back to the farm. I would love to make it work. I want to prove the people wrong that say the farm can't be successful. It would take a lot of doing. There are people there that I owe a payback to, but I would still like to give it a try."

Looking directly at Malinda. "It might be crazy, but I actually have thought sometimes about you joining me at the farm."

He saw Malinda look up. Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. "That must be dinner. Heck, we can call it the Last Supper."

 

[zydrate]

She listened to Will intently. Malinda looked at him...really looking at him and focusing on him... not just his looks but also...him. The way he talked… the way he sat and just the way he was around her. The way he did so much just to protect her.

When he said he thought about her joining him on the farm, she gave him a genuine smile. In her mind, that would be what she wanted to. She had wondered if he would want her back with him on the farm and that he confirmed it, she was feeling happy, more so than she had in a long while.

There was a knock at the door and immediately, Lucy's head went up on alert. She watched Will look out to make sure it was safe; Malinda patted her leg to get Lucy to calm down. She never barked like that before. Lucy growled low so Malinda went to her and rubbed the back of her ears to see if she would calm down.

Malinda caught a quick glimpse of the guy who delivered the food, he quickly looked away from her as Will paid him in cash and closed the door. Lucy calmed down when the door closed. What was that all about? Perhaps this was all getting to her too?

OK, relax… Malinda told herself. They were OK so far… only a couple of hours to go. It would be over in no time. Malinda got up and grabbed her bag and removed a chew toy for Lucy and gave it to her. She seemed satisfied with that for now.

At least dinner was there now. For some reason, Malinda was starving. She hadn’t eaten well since they were on the run. Some days it was the stress when she just didn’t feel like eating and other days…well, they were just days…

Malinda noticed Will wasn’t calming down either. She tried to keep a positive head because if Will got worked up, then she would get nervous and then Lucy… well, Lucy would get agitated. It was like a trifecta of emotions going on. “Will… sit down, it’s OK. Let's just eat and then... it'll be over soon, OK?"