Put your jeans back on,” he said, as he pointed to them on the floor of the car.
I didn’t say anything; I was too embarrassed. I only nodded and started to put my pants back on. I could see that bruises had formed on my legs from Steve’s assault. I lifted my shirt slightly to see the bruises on my stomach and chest; I was a mess. I pulled on my jeans just as Damien pulled into the gas station.
“I’ll get gas and you get food,” he said as he handed me money. “Do you think you can move that much?” he asked with a gleam of worry in his eyes.
“I can,” I said as I stumbled to get out of the car. Damien was immediately at my side, even though I didn’t want his help. I had to do this on my own; it was for my pride. “I’m fine.” I walked away from him and into the convenience store at the gas station.
I was browsing the food aisles when I came across a payphone in the back of the store. I looked at the money Damien had given me, I had enough for one phone call only. I could only hope someone answered. I dialed my home phone number and waited. There were so many rings I thought for sure that it was going to go to the message machine, but just as I was about to hang up, my dad answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Dad, it’s Audrey,” I said as tears sprang into my eyes. It was so good to hear his voice again, I never thought I’d be able to talk to him again.
“Audrey, are you okay?”
“No, I’m being chased by Steve Bennett. He’s after Damien and me,” I explained, as I turned back to see Damien still filling up the car.
“Who’s Damien?”
“He’s the one that took me. He’s on the news, he’s been labeled as a kidnapper.”
“Because he is one, Audrey. He took you from us,” my father cried, not understanding what I was trying to say.
“He was doing it to find his sister, but he’s not working with Steve anymore. Damien got me out of the burning house, Steve’s old house, your old house, Dad.” I conveniently skipped over the part where I would have told him that I came willingly with Damien, I was sure my father didn’t want to hear that part of the story.
“How do you know about that?” he asked curiously.
“Damien read mom’s book, he told me, and I found your journal. I have it with me; it’s in a bag that Damien gave me when he let me go.”
“He let you go?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes, just before that news story came out. I spent a night in the woods, and that’s when Steve found me. Without Damien I would have been taken by Steve.”
“The police are using Steve to get you back home, sweetheart,” he said in a frustrated tone. “I don’t like it, but I don’t trust this Damien person.”
“Dad, you said yourself that the police are in on it. Do you think that purge really got rid of all of his supporters? I can tell you that whatever Steve is doing, it’s not to get me home. He’s after mom and me. If he captures me he is going to trade me for mom. If that doesn’t happen, he’s just going to keep me,” I said, as tears ran down my face.
“He went after you already didn’t he, Audrey?” he asked. I noticed that he purposefully went around the word rape, but I ignored it.
“He tried. Damien knocked him out before he could start. We’re on the run now, but I don’t know the plan. We can’t go back home because then Steve will have mom and me in one spot, and know where we live.”
“I knew the police were still rotten,” he growled. “Audrey, I don’t like this. It’s too risky, but please stay with Damien. If he has truly turned over, I’d rather you be with him than alone with Steve after you. If you get any hint that Damien isn’t there for you, you run, and run straight home. We’ll deal with Steve Bennett, do you understand?”
“Yes, Dad...”
“Don’t cry. Be brave. We will figure this out. Where are you?”
“Damien gave me a map when he let me go. I’m somewhere in Virginia. I was close to Charleston, I
I didn’t say anything; I was too embarrassed. I only nodded and started to put my pants back on. I could see that bruises had formed on my legs from Steve’s assault. I lifted my shirt slightly to see the bruises on my stomach and chest; I was a mess. I pulled on my jeans just as Damien pulled into the gas station.
“I’ll get gas and you get food,” he said as he handed me money. “Do you think you can move that much?” he asked with a gleam of worry in his eyes.
“I can,” I said as I stumbled to get out of the car. Damien was immediately at my side, even though I didn’t want his help. I had to do this on my own; it was for my pride. “I’m fine.” I walked away from him and into the convenience store at the gas station.
I was browsing the food aisles when I came across a payphone in the back of the store. I looked at the money Damien had given me, I had enough for one phone call only. I could only hope someone answered. I dialed my home phone number and waited. There were so many rings I thought for sure that it was going to go to the message machine, but just as I was about to hang up, my dad answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Dad, it’s Audrey,” I said as tears sprang into my eyes. It was so good to hear his voice again, I never thought I’d be able to talk to him again.
“Audrey, are you okay?”
“No, I’m being chased by Steve Bennett. He’s after Damien and me,” I explained, as I turned back to see Damien still filling up the car.
“Who’s Damien?”
“He’s the one that took me. He’s on the news, he’s been labeled as a kidnapper.”
“Because he is one, Audrey. He took you from us,” my father cried, not understanding what I was trying to say.
“He was doing it to find his sister, but he’s not working with Steve anymore. Damien got me out of the burning house, Steve’s old house, your old house, Dad.” I conveniently skipped over the part where I would have told him that I came willingly with Damien, I was sure my father didn’t want to hear that part of the story.
“How do you know about that?” he asked curiously.
“Damien read mom’s book, he told me, and I found your journal. I have it with me; it’s in a bag that Damien gave me when he let me go.”
“He let you go?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes, just before that news story came out. I spent a night in the woods, and that’s when Steve found me. Without Damien I would have been taken by Steve.”
“The police are using Steve to get you back home, sweetheart,” he said in a frustrated tone. “I don’t like it, but I don’t trust this Damien person.”
“Dad, you said yourself that the police are in on it. Do you think that purge really got rid of all of his supporters? I can tell you that whatever Steve is doing, it’s not to get me home. He’s after mom and me. If he captures me he is going to trade me for mom. If that doesn’t happen, he’s just going to keep me,” I said, as tears ran down my face.
“He went after you already didn’t he, Audrey?” he asked. I noticed that he purposefully went around the word rape, but I ignored it.
“He tried. Damien knocked him out before he could start. We’re on the run now, but I don’t know the plan. We can’t go back home because then Steve will have mom and me in one spot, and know where we live.”
“I knew the police were still rotten,” he growled. “Audrey, I don’t like this. It’s too risky, but please stay with Damien. If he has truly turned over, I’d rather you be with him than alone with Steve after you. If you get any hint that Damien isn’t there for you, you run, and run straight home. We’ll deal with Steve Bennett, do you understand?”
“Yes, Dad...”
“Don’t cry. Be brave. We will figure this out. Where are you?”
“Damien gave me a map when he let me go. I’m somewhere in Virginia. I was close to Charleston, I
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