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| The Past Comes Calling By Juli |
| Chapter 5 MOVING IN Create as much curiosity as possible they'd been told, be bold, be brash, but most of all be loud, and it was working. Every lace curtain in the neighborhood was twitching at the sight of Ramon and Emma. And what a pleasing sight they were. Jake had done his homework well and found them a small house in a predominantly white suburb, inhabited by mainly middle aged couples and elderly widows. No these two creatures just didn't fit in with the swing on the porch and the white picket fence brigade, which was exactly how they wanted to play it. In the two weeks since they had moved in they had generated the interest,and now with just one day left on the clock they had to hope that it had been enough. Cody had equipped them with hi-tech tracking devices which had been implanted under the skin behind the ear, they were only the size of an aspirin and flat so they were undectable and painless. Vehicles were in place at strategic points around the neighborhood at all access routes. If the bait was taken, the plan was to follow at a distance and strike once the warehouse had been accessed. If they were taking them down they'd need the DNA that could be in there. In addition to the trackers , Alex had a tiny red microphone attached to her keychain made to look like a two bit toy but could pick up virtually anything. All they could do until twelve p.m. was wait. Then the longest day would begin. Donovan sat back in the van he was sharing with Monica, she was laughing, "what's so funny " he asked "just look at those two would ya, piggyback rides indeed, they're like a couple of kids , I have never in my life seen Alex as goofy as this ,and another thing............................................ Donovan didn't hear any more, his head had rested back on the side of the van . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "David Rosen if you don't put me down right now I'm gonna yell for help" she squealed. He'd picked her up and was running down the street with her over his shoulder ,laughing loudly. He was taking his beautiful wife to see her beautiful new home for the first time. He wanted to surprise her, in the same way that she'd surprised him the previous month. A baby! Boy he loved the thought of that, the visions running through his head of the little person they'd created, girl, boy, he didn't care, he was just so so excited. Gently he put Anna down in front of a large timber house with huge bay windows and a lovingly tended garden. "Welcome home Anna" he said as he turned her around to face the house. "What" she said "You mean, here, this house, it's ours?" He would never forget the sight of her running around the place, up and down the stairs, through all the rooms determined to take in everything in one go like an overexcited kid........................ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Frank...........Frank......" came the voice of Monica. Frank looked at his watch, six a.m. Jesus he'd slept for seven hours, he supposed it was his body's way of making sure he was prepared, but it hadn't been a dreamless sleep.......far from it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anna had been so excited over the house, she'd even managed to get him to go out shopping with her for silly little things to make it really their own, he agreed because he just loved seeing her so happy, even if it had meant trailing around town for the past six hours. They were both loving every damn minute of it. " David" she shouted excitedly "There's a package on the doorstep, quick let's see what it is, maybe it's the housewarming gift Mom said she was mailing" Anna ran on ahead leaving David trailing behind with all their shopping. He'd just managed to catch her up at the front door, when to both their surprises it opened. The next thing they knew they'd been dragged inside, their shopping strewn all over the hallway, and hit from behind. Through the black mist that was swirling in his head he was aware of something being placed over his face before the mist descended once more and he was no longer aware of anything. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Jake, Cody, anything yet?" questioned Frank. "No, nothing happening here, what about your end" was the reply. "Frank, you wanna take a look at this" said Monica. A black van was slowly making its way down the backstreet that passed behind the house, its windows were tinted, but then again they'd assumed they would be. It came to a stop about two doors down. This was going to be the hardest thing to do. How did you tell two people that you would protect with your life that the time had now come to put their own lives on the line. Frank nearly called all bets off there and then. He felt drunk with fear, fear for his friends, fear for himself that he wouldn't be able to see this through to the end. "Robert, Alex , this is it, you ready?" asked Monica "Jake, Cody , you guys in position and ready?" "Yes" was the reply from both questions. If ever one single word hung in the air for so long , Frank was yet to hear it. Two men slowly made their way through the backyard towards the backdoor and positioned themselves at either side, they wore scarves over their faces and baseball caps pulled firmly down. They waited until the backdoor finally opened and Alex and Robert , willingly accepting their fate stepped out. The sight of them both being felled with a single blow to the back of each of their heads nearly killed Frank. The two seemingly lifeless forms were then bundled one by one into the back of the van. "Cody please tell me the tracking devices are working" Frank prayed silently. "All systems go Boss, we're in business" said Cody "Monica, we'll follow at a safe distance, you hang back a block we'll radio you our exact location at thirty second intervals okay? "No" thought Frank it's not okay but he knew he had to hang in there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He felt as though he was suffocating, although he was drifting in and out of consciousness he was still aware of the fact that his hands were now tied behind his back and there was something tied tightly over his mouth, the air was heady with the acrid smell of chloroform. He tenatively tried to feel his way around in the hope of finding Anna, but it was a difficult task as he was flung in all directions as the van weaved it's way on. Finally as he had all but given into the fear and desperation ,something or more distinctly, someone, brushed against him. He automatically reached out with the limited movement he had and managed to bury his hands in her hair. Relief flooded every vein in his body, she was there, but was she alive? The need to know was the only thing keeping him from giving in to the temptation to lapse back again into the blackness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They were heading for the very centre of town, having travelled only a matter of miles before they all realized that what had happened in the past was being re-enacted on their very doorstep. They now followed the target through a maze of small streets until it was impossible to follow any longer without the threat of detection. Cody put into use the hand held tracking device that was picking up the signals from Robert and Alex. The rest of the journey would have to be made on foot. Frank could only pray that they got there before any harm could come to his friends. The van negotiated a series of small alleyways before coming to a standstill outside a non-descript building. A large steel door dominated the facade of the exterior. The only distinguishing feature being a small brass nameplate completely devoid of any inscriptions. The steel door rolled open and the van began to edge it's way inside completing the journey. Steel doors rolled shut again and the outside world was left behind. Frank, Monica and Cody ran as if their very lives depended on their speed. Cody had gotten the exact location of the warehouse and the SWAT team were on the way, but the underlying thought in Donovan's mind was that they would arrive too late. Alex was suddenly aware of cold stone underneath her and flinched at the feeling, her eyes finally focused and she was terrified at the image before her........... Robert had been shackled to the iron beam above him, his wrists starting to bleed as a sign of the struggle he must have put up to try and stop it. Behind him all the players moved into place one by one as the torture began. Frank and the rest of his team reached the warehouse just in time to run straight into the SWAT team. He quickly briefed them as to their role and motioned for them to get into position. But what he now heard courtesy of Alex's microphone pinned him to the spot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The force of the first blow took David entirely by surprise, by the second he was ready for it, and by the third and subsequent blows he'd become immune to the pain, but he wasn't prepared for what was to come next. He heard the crack of the whip behind him as his shirt was ripped from his chest, his eyes locked with Anna's, they were filled with terror. He knew then that he couldn't let her down, that he couldn't show fear, for in his own mind he would be failing her if he did. Jesus he'd never felt pain like it and hoped he never would again, It was like every strike was tearing and digging into his skin, he tried to lift his head but was totally numbed by the pain, his long dark hair was sticking to the curves in his face, spatters of blood holding it there, still they carried on relentless in their mission. His chiselled muscles tensing in anticipation of the next blow, his smooth olive skin being ripped apart, such was the ferocity of the attack. As soon as one wave ended another one began, his arms were shackled above his head , sinking to his knees wasn't an option, his once strong arms burned with the pain of holding him up, but it wasn't over yet, it wasn't going to be that easy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alex prayed that everything that she thought would be in place WAS in place, she was scared beyond belief. Robert didn't dare cry out , they had him shackled to the same beam that had captured David Rosen ten years previously, the bitter irony wasn't lost on him. He heard the crack of the whip and steeled himself for the assault. The cruel crack of leather on skin brought him to his senses, but still he didn't cry out, Alex wasn't going to suffer for his outbursts. But he didn't know just for how long he could endure this. He knew that he couldn't cry out or Alex would be targetted next . No, that wasn't going to happen .It couldn't be allowed to happen but he was powerless to stop it. The team minus Alex were now assembled outside the warehouse, it was only a matter of time! Frank heard the muffled sounds of pain radiating from Robert and he knew that they had to act now. If they didn't it would be too late ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David was puzzled as to why they had stopped as they did, It was only when he saw them now focusing their attentions on Anna that it finally sunk in. He felt useless, for there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. One of the men that had beaten him now took up another stance and pulled Davids hair right back , forcing him to watch what they had decided his wife deserved. David Rosen watched as the wife he loved more than life Itself was violated repeatedly. Rape , the ugliest word on the planet, but even that word didn't do justice to what these bastards had done to her. He could only guess that there was something else left in store for them The sound of the knife being unsheathed just added to the tears he had already cried for his wife. The pain was excruciating. It was as though they were trying to re-write his entire life in pain, he felt the blood as it rolled down his back in torrents, as if the Gates of Hades had opened. "Daaaaaaavvvvvvviddd" was the cry He turned and looked upon Anna,, The first thing he was allowed to see was the vision of her being violated, and then all he saw was the blood, so much blood and he knew at that point that there wasn't going to be a happy ending, he was already grieving for their child. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next few minutes passed in a daze until Alex let out a scream of a variation they'd never heard before and they all knew that it was time to end this. The steel door was bulldozed in , the SWAT team descended from the skylight Donovan walked in on the scene and immediately had to run for cover. Snipers were now in place to take out the major players, but there was one obstacle ..............Robert He was still shackled to a beam, angry welts from the lash forming on his back, he was naked .........unprotected............ The sound of the automatic rifles jolted everyone, and for a split second Donovan froze. Big mistake! For the arm that now held him in a vice like grip and the sensation of the handgun that was embedded in his neck affirmed his mistake. A voice that radiated pure evil hissed in his ear "Didn't think I'd know you after so long, but I always remember filth". Frank tensed as he tried to keep control. Confusion reigned! Gunshots were being rallied from all corners of the building, in the course of which Jake had managed to take two of them down, the SWAT team had done for another, that just left the two, one who now held Donovan and the one who now held Robert. "How's that pretty wife of yours? Did she still want her filthy lover after she'd had us?" the man hissed again For the second time in as many minutes Frank froze, the mere mention of her catapaulting him back in time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He'd been held up at work yet again, sighing to himself as he opened the door, readying himself for the verbals he'd get for being late again. She'd been grizzly of late always picking up on the fact that she thought his job meant more to him than she did. But he had a surprise planned to cheer her up. He'd managed to get some time off work and had booked them a holiday, two weeks of un-interrupted bliss, well a guy could hope couldn't he? On their return he was getting promoted which he hoped would mean that he'd have a little more time to spend with her. She couldn't be mad at that, could she? He spotted a note on the stand in the hallwway and started to read it. " Dear David, Frank or whoever you are now I got some news today that I really can't handle, you have your work so you really don't need me any more, you couldn't protect me when I really needed you to and I can';t forgive you for that as hard as I've tried. You may have been able to put the past behind you, but I can't and never will be able to. Everything about it just leaves me cold. If you love me you'll let me go. I did love you once but now I feel as though the last year has been a sick farce. I'm cold inside and will never be any other way. Anna" "No no no she's got it all wrong" his head was spinning, he couldn't lose her, she didn't know what she was saying,he loved her and he knew that deep down she must still love him, she had to. They were all that each other had." He searched the house in the hope that she hadn't gone yet, but on opening the bedroom door a heartbreakingf vision in front of him confirmed that she had. She still held the gun in her hand, her chest was a mass of rapdily drying blood which must have been flowing for hours, her blonde hair was now streaked red as was the bed she laid on. The mask of pain was firmly etched on her once happy face. His legs gave way from underneath him, he slid down the wall onto the floor and curled himself up into a tight ball. He shouted and screamed for help until his throat was dry, only then did he give way to the tears. That was how the police found them after being alerted by a neighbor. It was only after the M.E. examined her body that Frank found out she had been six weeks pregnant. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The rage and fury was now building inside Donovan, to such an extent that he no longer cared whether he lived through this. Payback and retribution were now long overdue. With a speed he didn't know he still posessed he whipped himself around and made a grab for his captors gun, the man, caught off guard didn't stand a chance. Frank shot him where he stood, a single bullet straight through the heart and saw the look of fear on the man's face as he ripped off his mask and spat at him. Robert however had not been quite so lucky, he'd been caught up in the crossfire and had received a nasty gunshot wound to his chest. Frank took aim from his postion behind them and felled Robert's captor with a volley of shots to the head. The five ghosts now lay dead on the cold stone floor around him. IT WAS OVER............AT LAST! Frank ran over to Robert and unshackled him, taking his weight as he collapsed in pain, but when his eyes flickered and the killer smile appeared he knew that he was going to be allright. Frank knew that this was one thing best left to Alex , she'd just about broken the land speed record to get to Robert, he couldn't deny them their togetherness. As the worst chapter in Frank Donovans life came to a close, he found himself looking forward to the next one free of ghosts, free of the wall he'd built up to keep the pain at bay. JUST FREE! AND HELL IT FELT GOOD! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Past Comes Calling - Chapter 6 |