Melissa lay back in the hospital bed, her legs encased in cement like casting and her wrist chained to the bed, as if she could go anywhere if she wanted to. The prison hospital was cold, white, and sterile. It smelled of cleaners and disinfectants, and the thin gown she had on wasn’t enough to provide any real warmth. They kept the blankets away in fear that she may try and strangle herself; Melissa had chuckled at the thought of that.
The only people she saw were the guards and doctors that rotated through her room. She had been in here a week and had determined her life was over. There was nothing after this. Riley didn’t want her, and now she would spend her days in prison. A knock at the door made her look up and break her train of looping thoughts.
A guard walked in and headed toward her bed.
“You have a visitor,” he told her as he came behind her bed, unlocked the wheels, and began to move her bed out of the room.
“Who is it?” Melissa felt her heart jump at the idea of someone, anyone coming to see her.
“Said his name is Mickey Rooskey.”
Melissa inhaled sharply. She had been dating Mickey before she met Riley. What could he possibly want? She had left him as soon as she realized he had lied to her about having money. They had been close, and he had been heartbroken when she had ended it. But Mickey just couldn’t understand that Melissa’s destiny was with Riley.
The hall was long with white walls and bright lights. The puke green floor tiles were dull and cracked, and Melissa traced the distorted patterns as they made their way down to the visiting area. Another guard opened the white metal door, and Melissa was rolled into a room with a glass barrier. A phone was on her side along with a row of others, but no one else joined her today; it was as empty as her room had been. But one person sat on the other side of the glass giving her a shy smile—Mickey.
Mickey had attempted to pull his scraggly, long black hair in a ponytail, but strands stuck out here and there with lumps along the top. He looked haggard, like he hadn’t slept in weeks, and those grey eyes dull with exhaustion and the wrinkles and lines on his face seemed rougher than they’d ever been. Melissa felt pity for the tall scarecrow of a man. She didn’t understand how she had ever dated him, but months ago he had been a different person.
The guard parked her bed along the wall of phones. The steel clicked and he looked down at her.
“You have 5 minutes.”
She nodded and turned back to the glass partition. Mickey watched her with the phone already in his hand.
“Hi Mickey, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Melissa sounded exhausted herself, the meds and new life already taking their toll on her mind.
“I know, Mel Bell. But, I wanted to come see you, tell you about my idea to get us back together.” He nodded and placed his hand on the glass that divided them.
Melissa sighed. “I’m sorry Mickey, but I already told you we couldn’t be together. I was meant to be with Riley, but now I’m just going to be here.”
She gestured at the building all around her, and Mickey frowned at the thought.
“I know, Me Bell. But, I’m gonna take care of it for you, I promise.” Mickey nodded quickly, hairs falling in his eyes as he gave her a quivering smile.
“Mickey, what on earth could you do to take care of me?” Melissa sighed sadly.
Mickey had lost his entire business when he had a meltdown last year. It was years in the making. He and his brother had laundered money for an online underground drug market. When the feds busted the ring, they had somehow missed Mickey and his brother. The two had managed to pass under the radar, but the money had dried up within days. Now Mickey lived with his mother and brother in a small apartment, and he only left to drink and buy smokes. When Melissa had met him, it was at the height of his money scam. She thought she had been set for life with a millionaire.
Mickey looked around nervously. He knew the cops were watching, and he couldn’t say much.
“Just trust me, darling. Problems will be dealt with.”
Melissa smiled at that. Mickey and his brother had used that line when it meant someone was going to get it, whether for not paying or being a snitch. Mickey had the intent of killing someone, Melissa realized.
“Yeah, is it going to help me get what I want?”
Mickey smiled a crooked grin and nodded furiously. “Yep, and what we want. And then we’ll be able to be together. You said if I could support you, baby, you’d be mine.”
Melissa nodded. She had told Mickey if he could bring his millions back, she’d be with him. When he had been cleaned up for work he was a handsome man, but the stress and mental break hadn’t done him any favors.
“Ok, my Mickey Bickey. You deal with the problems, and I’ll be waiting.” Melissa winked as she made problems plural, and the man on the other side of the glass nodded excitedly.
“You got it, my Mel Bell.”
She smiled and started to laugh. Maybe her stay wouldn’t be so bad knowing Mickey was going to kill that Rachel bitch, and Riley too.
…
Saturday.
“Mmmm!” Rachel hummed excitedly to herself, did she love that day.
It was bright and early on the weekend morning. She had just stepped out of the shower and begun to get ready for her and Riley’s all day adventure. Riley was driving over to her place with his bike and a custom bike for her he had surprised her with just yesterday. They were going to bike from her place in Cardozo to the National Mall where she could see all the monuments, and where the Cherry Blossom Festival was happening. The place was in full bloom, and the parade was today. Riley had said it would be crowded but still a fun place to pass.
After that, they were going to go over the Arlington Memorial Bridge to catch a spring view of the river and the cemetery along the bike path. Rachel had always loved a good outdoor activity, and as it turned out, so did Riley. He loved to explore wild and unusual places outside of the city, places Rachel had never dreamed of being able to go. Tanzania, Patagonia, Greenland and so many more, but today, they would simply explore the historical sights of DC.
They were planning a trip out of town once the summer arrived, but right now Rachel wanted to settle in and get to know her new city. In the last few weeks, she had discovered so many great little treasures like Busboys and Poets, Daikaya, Fantom Comics, the wonderful content of the Portrait museum, and the nooks and crannies of the town with hidden bourbon bars, murals, and musicians on the corner in Chinatown. The place was really growing on her.
Rachel put on her comfortable workout clothes—a pair of tight grey capris with a neon pink stripe going down the side and her matching top—before quickly pulling her hair back and slipping on her biking helmet. Her phone buzzed, and she looked to see Riley was waiting down below. She smiled and skipped out of her room to the living area, before leaning down and giving Frankie a smooch.
“Aunt Sarah will be here in a couple hours. You be good for your Auntie.”
With that Rachel headed out the doors and down to the lobby, waving to Riley as she pushed open the door to see him holding two bikes on the sidewalk. He smiled back and cocked a brow at her.
“You ready, gorgeous?”
His silky voice made Rachel melt and give him a small smirk.
“Always for you, handsome.”
They started down the street, Rachel smiling like a child at an amusement park as the town rushed by in a new and exciting fashion. Many of Rachel’s biking experience had been in nature; in a city like DC, it was so new and different. Rachel had lived far from her office in Pittsburgh, so she had a car to drive into town and had never been one to take her bike to the city. She realized she could get used to this new mode of transportation on nice days.
Riley took them through Logan Circle and past the Major General John A. Logan Statue—the man with a thick mustache sat atop a prancing horse with a sword drawn and ready for battle. The red brick buildings rose a few stories above with white stone accents along the windows, the occasional building of another color sticking out. Construction was happening everywhere in the city, and they ducked through a makeshift tunnel along the sidewalk.
They passed Franklin Square then rode on to the White House, and finally they reached the National Mall. Up close, Rachel was amazed at how huge the place was; from the car, it all quickly went by, unless stuck in traffic. But the brick sidewalks seemed to expand forever, rolling into white stone steps, iconic monuments, federal buildings, and Smithsonian museums. Riley gave her a smile as she looked out at everything to explore, her excitement tangible as the fuschia cherry blossoms began to reveal themselves through the buildings, the fuchsia glow irresistible.
They approached the Washington Monument, and the structure was so tall in person. The cherry blossoms seemed to make the entire place glow a true spring pink. The place smelled sweet and floral, making Rachel think she could spend the entire day absorbing all of it in. They pedaled on through and onto the Mall grounds, bringing their bikes to a stop so they could take a look through the crowds of people.
“This is awesome,” she stated with awe.
“It truly is. It’s been years since I was able to take my time and enjoy it,” he replied as he looked around to the rows of fully bloomed magenta trees that set over the historical buildings that surrounded them.
Rachel got back on her bike and looked to Riley. “Shall we?”
He nodded with a smile, and they began their tour, headed east toward the Capitol. Riley looked to the approaching dome building and pointed.
“Do you want a picture to send to your family?”
“Sure!” Rachel stopped to take the photo. She parked her bike and then stood with her hands on her hips as Riley snapped a quick shot, the white building stark against the clear blue skies and puffy clouds, the cherry blossoms catching in the breeze.
Riley handed Rachel her phone back and she looked at the photo, gave a nod, and placed it back in her book bag. She looked up and noticed a man sitting on a bench, staring at her with intense grey eyes. She felt startled; it was the same man from the bar. She turned to Riley, but he hadn’t noticed, and she felt her gut twist with anxiety as the man’s gaze didn’t waver.
Rachel reached over and tugged Riley’s sleeve. He gave her a concerned look, and she nodded in the direction of the man.
“Do you know him?” she whispered, turning her face away from him so he couldn’t see her speak.
Riley didn’t turn his head, but he glanced in the man’s direction, then turned away from him completely and stepped closer to Rachel as if to shield her.
“No, haven’t seen him before.”
“I saw him at the bar the other night. I caught him staring at us then too.”
Riley stiffened and she felt him reach back to his bag. He hadn’t worn his mic with his workout clothes, so he pulled out his phone, opened it, and hit to call Tom’s number.
“Hey Tom, would you have the team keep tabs for a tall white male with long black hair? He’s at 6 o’clock to our current position.”
Riley paused and scanned the area. Tom was a few hundred feet away and stepped closer to them to get a sight on the guy.
“Yeah, you see him? Good, keep an eye on him for us, would you? Excellent. Thanks, Tom.”
Riley gave her a nod. “We’ll find out if he’s following us. Tom will keep tabs.”
Rachel looked back to give him a nervous glance, but the man was already walking away. She sighed. She was relieved yet worried and felt the incident already gnawing at her. Riley noticed and set a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, try not to let it bother you. We can still enjoy the rest of our Saturday.”
She gave him an apologetic small smile. “I’m sorry, you’re right. Let’s keep going!”
The day went on without a glitch. Riley showed her through the Mall, along past the Cherry Blossoms, weaving through the crowds, past the Carousel, past the food trucks, over to the reflection pool, and up to the Lincoln Memorial. They walked up the seemingly endless stairs, stood at the feet of the President, and then headed over to the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Once they reached the other side, the greens, pinks, purples and yellows of spring flourished beside the river and along the cemetery. The white crosses stood against lush green grass, and the two of them slowly made their way down the path, musing on the countless hours of work spent taking care of the grounds.
Evening crept in and they made their way back to the French restaurant near the Mall, Central Michel Richard. The food was divine and they felt incredibly out of place in their biking attire, but they laughed and drank as they delighted in the evening. Before the last rays of sunshine disappeared, they headed north back toward Rachel’s place. Riley locked up the bikes, and they headed back up to her place, Frankie giving a few small woofs as they came through the door.
“Hello sir, did you have a good day with your Aunt Sarah?”
He wagged his tail in response as Rachel passed and headed for the shower, Riley trailing behind her as he went through his messages.
“Well, Tom said that guy didn’t come near us the rest of the day. He went on his way after the Capitol incident. Maybe he saw us the first time and just recognized us today?”
Riley pulled off his shirt, and Rachel’s lip pursed together as she thought it over.
“I suppose. He just gave me a weird feeling.”
Riley came up behind her and wrapped his bare arms around her. She could smell his salty skin and pressed against his damp warmth.
“I get it, gorgeous, but I don't want you to worry. The guys will remain on the lookout and keep us both safe.
Rachel nodded and tried to push away the worry. After everything that had happened with Melissa, she hoped Riley was right.
…
The next few weeks passed quickly. It was busy season for Rachel as companies worked to close tax season, and Riley kept pushing his projects further and further along. They couldn’t stay away from each other; whether they were texting, on the phone, or at one another’s place, they were becoming inseparable.
She couldn’t help the deep connection she felt to this man, so humble, smart, and handsome. And he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. She was down to earth, compassionate, and so excited about the little things. Riley only wanted her. Their dates were filled with conversation, their nights with long, hot sex, and the days with a flow of warm chatter. They were happy, and things were finally good.
Riley kept his security going around the clock. The team had grown with the Melissa incident, and they kept a vigilante watch. Erica had called them to confirm the hearing would proceed and let them know that Melissa was still secured in the prison hospital. She had just begun rehabilitation, but her future prognosis wasn’t good. Her legs had shattered and been weakened, and doctors warned she wouldn’t have full function even after they healed.
Rachel finally felt that she was putting the entire incident behind her. She no longer woke up in a panic, she didn’t get the sense someone was watching her all the time, and her body wasn’t wracked with fear. Riley had been an unwavering supportive boyfriend; he held her when needed and gave her space when requested. His guilt would fester when he saw the fear in her eyes as she remembered the incident. Had it not been for him, she would never have gone through the entire ordeal.
But the two of them worked to let it go; they talked about it, they relived some of it, and then they told each other that they were working together to move on. And it was working.
Rachel was taking an evening jog around Shaw. The weather was warm now, and she had recently started a new exercise routine that was more outdoors then indoors, and included Frankie joining her. She was just wrapping up and heading into her apartment complex, making a stop at the mailroom to collect her bills and statements. She was surprised when she reached in and found a large manila envelope waiting for her. She pulled it out curiously and headed for the elevator, Frankie trotting along beside her.
She stepped in and no one joined her on the quiet evening. Once the elevator began to ascend toward her place, she tore the package open and pulled out the heavy sheet of paper. Her heart immediately dropped, and she felt herself stop breathing. Her gut twisted and wrenched, and she felt bile creep at the back of her throat.
The elevator lurched to a stop, and the door opened with a ding. Frankie pulled to go forward, but Rachel was frozen in place, petrified with fear. Frankie whined and she snapped back to reality. She rushed out the door and sprinted toward her apartment, her heart now racing in her chest, the pounding so hard she felt like her chest would explode. Her blood rushed in hot fear, and she felt her mind buzz as adrenaline rushed into her every sense. She fumbled for her key, quickly opened the door, and ran in, scrambling to lock the door behind her and Frankie.
Rachel dropped the envelope and its contents on the table, then ran for the bathroom where she immediately threw up the contents of her dinner. She heaved and ralphed until there was nothing more, then she stood on shaky legs and rinsed her mouth out, the taste of bile on her tongue. She trembled as she headed back toward the dining room table, pausing as she neared it, as if touching the paper would bring the reality crashing down.