When my phone rang and I saw it was Nova, my heart jumped. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and I was torn between my duties to my family and her. I wasn’t sure if I’d made my life any less complicated by trying to recruit her help. But I’d certainly made it more worthwhile.

“Hello,” I said but got no reply. “Hello?”

I listened as I heard the footsteps, heels on the hard ground. The swish-swish of clothing. She must have accidentally dialed my number. But then I realized she’d never called me before. I only just gave my number to her a short while ago.

Maybe she thought of dialing and changed her mind. Maybe she got busy or nervous.

“Hello?” I said again.

“Where are you taking me?” I heard her say. It was muffled but I was sure those were her words. I couldn’t make out the reply but it was a man’s voice. Suddenly I became very worried. I listened and felt my blood starting to boil.

“People will miss me,” I heard Nova say.

“Do you really think so? Do you really think people will be looking for you?” Oh no. It was Dante’s voice. I was sure of it. “You are no one. You have nothing. I had your entire history on my desk days before you even interviewed for the job. I had pictures of you. I know all about you and I know that you have no one.”

Then I heard something even worse. I heard Nova sniffle. He’d made her cry.

“Stop that,” he barked. “Save your tears for when you are really in pain.”

What was he going to do to her? Where was he taking her?

“I’m going to introduce you to my wife,” Dante said, making my stomach flip. “She doesn’t have much longer, I’m afraid.”

When I heard him start to laugh, I wanted to scream. But then I thought I should really be the one who was laughing. He didn’t know I was hearing all this. He didn’t know that I was eavesdropping on the whole conversation. Hell, I don’t even know if Nova knew. But now I knew where he was taking her.

I bolted out of my penthouse with my shirt flapping behind me. I didn’t even put socks on before I slipped into what I was wearing and dashed to the elevator. Once in the garage I ran to the car. The echo of my shoes on the concrete was the only sound – sounding as desperate as I was feeling. My nerves were jittery like I’d drunk too much coffee, and when I tried to get the key in the ignition my hand was trembling.

“Calm down, Alex,” I soothed myself. “You’ll be no good to her if you crash your car.” I took a deep breath. With my hands tightly gripping the wheel, I carefully pulled out of the garage, onto the street, and headed to the place I knew Dante was taking Nova. My mother’s home.

Part of me wanted to keep the phone to my ear but I couldn’t. I was afraid that I’d hear him say or even do something to Nova that would cause me to lose control. I set the phone next to me and drove. I didn’t see the road or the exits. I drove on instinct, my mind so used to the familiar journey I could practically do it with my eyes closed. The miles ticked by and I wondered what he was doing to her. What was he saying to her? How terrified she must be. And what kind of organization was this that she’d aspired to work for? It was a mess. For the first time in my life I was ashamed my family name was on that business. It wasn’t what my father had dreamed. It was supposed to be a proper business. They produced a product and made money from it. That was it. It was never supposed to fall into the hands of a man who would use his power over vulnerable individuals.

Without realizing it, I’d been hitting the accelerator pretty hard. I didn’t need a cop stopping me, either, but decided it was worth the risk. Finally, I made it to the exit ramp. Even though the scenery around me had become a blur, I did not miss the familiar landmarks that told me I was almost there.

When I finally pulled around to the driveway, I saw Dante’s car parked there. He was probably already aware I’d arrived. He had to have cameras installed, top of the line cameras. Still, I made no effort to hide my intention of getting in the house at all costs. If the cameras picked up my image, they also had to have seen Nova.

I parked my car at an angle to block his and ran up to the front door. It was locked. Of course it was. The windows along the first floor were designed to be aesthetically pleasing but they didn’t open at all. Access to the back of the house was cut off by a wrought iron fence. As panic started to seep into my bones, I thought back to all those summers I’d spent on this property, playing outside. There were many times I’d hidden somewhere on the grounds since they stretched back through several acres. But when I grew to a teenager, that was when the iron bars became a real nuisance. Funny, these iron bars bothered me just as much as the iron bars I sat behind for five years for a crime I didn’t commit. But unlike the bars at Joliet, I knew there was a tree located further down the property that would offer me an olive branch.

Sure enough, the mighty oak I’d climbed more than once as a teenager was still there; its branches were bigger and more gnarly, but I was still in good shape and quickly scaled its sides and branches. The feel of the bark and the smell of the tree itself was intoxicating. When I jumped down onto the grass I felt a sudden sense of sadness.

How long had I harbored so much anger at my mother, not knowing that she was also in a prison? Whether or not she was aware, and I was sure she was aware, she had been as locked away as I’d been. But at least I wasn’t tortured with the view of my things, my house, my garden, only to watch them be abused and neglected by a stranger who I’d believed trustworthy.

My eyes stung with tears. My only hope was to reach her in time. I dashed off in the direction of the house. When I could finally make out the grand structure, I could see the back entrance off the grand patio. That might be my best bet. Especially since I had a reasonable assertion that Dante didn’t know I was coming. How could he know that Nova had brought her phone and dialed my number before they’d left the office?

But then I saw something better. Along the back of the house the ivy had grown up along the trellises beautifully. My mother loved how the ivy looked, even in the winter when it just left black, veiny lines on the house. It had grown thick and healthy while I’d been gone. As luck would have it, from where I stood I could see one balcony with the French doors wide open. I tried to visualize what room it was and I shook with terror as I concluded it was the guest room where Dante had stuck mother. I had to get there.

Without hesitating, I followed along the tree line and came to a blind spot where there were no doors or windows. The chances of there being no cameras was pretty good. So, taking a deep breath and praying that my guardian angel keep my grip tight and my foothold strong, I began to scale the ivy.

I didn’t know what was happening but inside me something changed. I was desperate to find Nova and rescue my mother. That was all that mattered. And with my hands full of the green, leafy vines, the smell of fresh air and grit dirtying up my clothes and shoes, I realized that I’d forgotten what truly mattered in life. I’d been so wrapped up in revenge, I’d forgotten that there were natural miracles to witness. There were birds to watch and flowers to bloom and people to love. Nova. Did I love her? I barely knew her. But something inside me said yes, it was love. It might have been lust at first but I loved her now. And I was sure my mother would love her too, once she was weaned off the drugs Dante was filling her with.

The thought of that made my stomach turn and I lost my grip for a moment, slipping down along the wall a few feet before catching myself on one of the slats of wood the ivy climbed on. I held my breath and listened for someone to come outside, snooping around to see what the noise was. But no one did.

Finally, I reached the roof and pulled myself up. My shirt was sticking to my skin along my armpits and across my back. My arms and legs ached with relief when I was able to rest them momentarily on the slanted roof.

The going would be easier, so long as I moved slowly. I was not wearing the right kind of shoes for this type of activity. The bottoms of my Italian shoes were hard and they slipped along the shingles which were so tightly laid on the roof, they almost felt like glass.

It wasn’t safe to walk so I got on my hands and knees and inched my way towards the balcony. I almost had to laugh as I was breaking several rules of my probation with each inch I covered. When I got to the area, I thought I’d start my descent though when I looked over the edge, I nearly lost my nerve. I was up higher than I’d thought. My vision shifted and for a second I felt sweeping vertigo send the whole world spinning.

I was going to have to climb down several feet before I could even jump to the balcony.

“What were you thinking?” I muttered. But I had no choice. This was taking far too long.

I swallowed even though my mouth was dry. I felt a soft breeze waft over my wet shirt sending goosebumps up my arms and legs, making me shiver even though it was warm outside.

With one final deep breath, I swung my legs over the edge of the roof and wedged my right foot deep inside the ivy. Then, with one hand holding the roof, I grabbed hold of a thick vine with the other hand and shifted my weight.

Before I could stop myself, gravity took over and pulled me over the roof, nearly forcing me to let go. But I pulled myself tightly into the wall and hung there for a few moments. My heart was racing. I was drenched in sweat. My fingers were splayed as they dug into the vines and my thighs screamed in pain as my feet began to slip. I’d have to move fast.

Slowly, I adjusted my feet. The trellis was buried under the ivy. It wasn’t that much stronger than the vines but it was something ladder-like I could feel somewhat safer scaling my way down. But just as I was about to reach the balcony, just as I was about to have my feet firmly planted on a solid flat surface, I heard voices.

“You monster! How can you do that to her?” It was Nova.

“What do you think? She’s just a kind, older lady who wants nothing more than to see her son marry a slut like you, and then dote on your litter of kids? She’d hate you. You’re a nobody who gets her rocks off in a parking garage.”

“You make me sick.”

“Oh, well, that’s not very nice and I wouldn’t say altogether true,” Dante purred. He was doing something that I couldn’t see. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“It’s going to be hard for anyone to think you are just a helpless victim after they see what kind of girl you are.”

“You said you weren’t going to release that if I came with you.” Nova’s voice sounded desperate.

“You don’t think I just wanted to talk, did you? Come over here and sit on the bed,” he said.

“No. I’m not going anywhere near you.”

“I said get over here!”

“Is there a problem, sir?” I recognized that voice. It was that Donald Kaye fellow I’d had a brush with.

“Hold her down!” Dante yelled.

Nova started to scream but her voice was muffled. This was the room my mother was situated in. What were they doing to both of them? I couldn’t waste anymore time. Shoving my vertigo, my fear, and even my anger deep down inside, I gathered up as much courage as I could and made it to the balcony. I balanced one foot on the cement railing. It was only about six inches wide but six inches of solid material that would hold my weight. I hoped the curtains were not pulled all the way open. If they were even just a few inches on either side of the French doors I might be able to slip down undetected. Otherwise, Dante and his secretary might catch me before I even had a chance to ready myself. It was a chance I had to take.

When I lowered my foot onto the six-inch beam of cement railing, I heard something I hoped I wouldn’t. I heard Dante.

“What is that?”