Chapter 15

You should really be more careful about what you say. That shit comes back to bite you in the ass later when you least expect it.

-Note to self

Ember

“Are you sure?”

 

Gabe was speaking to someone on the phone while he twirled a piece of my hair around his finger.  His arm rested across my stomach that was still quite small for my seventh month of pregnancy.  Really, it only looked like I’d gained weight, and was packing around a muffin top.  I could still fit into all of my jeans, as well as still wear all of my t-shirts; I just looked fatter in them. 

 

I was told that some women just don’t show the same way as other’s do.  Our boy was growing well, and exceeded all expectations at each sonogram. 

 

If Cheyenne and I stood next to each other, you’d never be able to tell that I was pregnant, and just a month behind her. 

 

Gabe’s tone of voice had gone from lazy happiness to tense readiness when he heard what the person on the other end of the line had to say. 

 

He eased my head off his lap before standing up.  “We’ll be there in ten.  Is she alright?”   

 

I got off the couch and hurried to our bedroom to get some shoes on.  I was in my usual yoga pants and t-shirt, and was ready as soon as Gabe hung up the phone.

 

“That was Sidney.  Cora was at daycare when she fell and hit her head on a metal toy.  They think she needs stitches, and she can’t go pick her up.  We’ve got to go get her and take her to the ER,” Gabe said as he jammed his feet down into his boots.

 

“Not that I’m complaining about this, because I’m actually really happy she called us instead of someone else, but isn’t this a little out of left field?  I mean, in the last three months, when has she ever done anything to help us?”  I questioned.

 

“She must really be in a bind to call me.  I’m just glad I know beforehand, and not this weekend when I go pick her up from school and see the cut.”

 

I nodded in agreement, and waited for him to finish lacing his boots.

 

We were out the door minutes later and headed to Cora’s school.  Pulling out of Free, we were minutes from Cora’s daycare, just about to pass an intersecting street when the blue car pulled out in front of us.  We didn’t have enough time to stop.

 

When you hit someone, time seems to slow.  You know you’re going to hit them.  You know that it’s going to hurt.  You have just enough time to brace yourself before the collision happens.

 

Gabe’s truck hit the blue car with the ferociousness of a train barreling into a stalled car on the tracks.  He had no time to brake, only enough time to throw his arm out, pushing me back against the seat.

 

The sound of crunching metal, popping and hissing filled my ears.  The airbag blew out, cushioning my head and chest.  The powder burned my eyes and face, but that was the least of my injuries.  My legs were numb, and everything hurt so bad that I passed out from the pain.

 

I woke some time later with the sound of voices filling my ear.  Tuning my head, I got my first good look at Gabe.  He was still in his seat, head slumped forward, chin resting on his chest.  He had a thin line of blood running down his temple.  I looked for signs of breathing, and saw his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

 

Some of the tightness eased from my chest, but not all of it.  It returned the next second as I watched Gabe’s door get pulled open, followed by a man with tattoos on his face, neck, arms, and hands cut his seatbelt with a knife and yank him out of the car.  He fell to the pavement with a hard thump

 

My door was yanked open the next second, and they did the same to my seatbelt.  They were able to hold me up though.  The jostling of my body sent pain radiating up my right leg and left arm.  Nausea rolled over me and I threw up all down the shirt of whoever had a hold of me.

 

A blow to my face knocked me back into unconsciousness.  Just as I passed out, I heard the OnStar come on and ask if we were all right. 

 

Fuck no.  Nothing was even remotely all right.

***

Water poured down my face, blindingly cold.  “Wake up, bitch.”  

 

My eyes open slowly, and met the eyes of a young Hispanic male who looked to be all of thirteen.  I took stock of my body: I was sore, bleeding somewhere on my leg if the blood on my pants was any indication, and I was tied to the chair with my arms behind my back.

 

I closed my eyes slowly, trying to see if I could feel the baby kick, but couldn’t feel even the slightest movement.  Horror consumed me, and a tear leaked out of my closed eyelids.

 

My eyes snapped open as his taunting voice filled the air.  “Awww, look at the little woman, such a pussy.” 

 

Looking past him at my surroundings, I found Gabe in a similar situation as the one I was in.  However, his arms and legs were bound to the chair, as well as a gag stuffed into his mouth.  His eyes were blazing with a scary light that sent a shiver down my spine.

 

When he got loose, he was going to kill them all.  There was no doubt in my mind.  They would be lucky to be in one piece when he was through with them.  They’d still be dead though.

 

Gabe had blood drying on his neck, and blood dotting his face where shards of glass hit his cheeks and forehead.  His nose had a trickle of blood leaking out of it as well.  He was wearing no shirt, just his jeans and boots.

 

We looked to be in a large warehouse.  There were hooks on the ceiling, kind of like what they’d use for a meat packing plant to transfer slabs of beef around.  It looked dusty, and worn.  Trash decorated the floor.  Discarded beer cans stood in a pyramid tower in the far corner.

 

A younger man, with dark brown hair, dark eyes, and olive skin walked through the door and stood in between Gabe and me.  He looked us over slowly, and I wondered if he was the head honcho.  He was in a nice pair of slacks, and a black polo shirt; I assumed he wasn’t just some random gang banger.  His brown hair was slicked back on top of his head, giving him a greasy look.

 

He smiled a creepy smile.  “It’s so very nice to finally make your acquaintance.  You both have been at the top of my list for over seven months now.  Well, I guess we can take you off the top of the list since we’re going to kill you both.  I will save you, bitch, for last because I want to enjoy you first.”

 

Gabe strained at his bonds, muscles bulging, veins standing out against his arms and neck.  The bonds didn’t budge though.  However, if looks could kill, the man would be dead right now.

 

“Now, I would like you to sit very still.  Although, if you feel like fighting, just remember I haven’t had a woman in a few days.  She’s a little fat, but I could just flip her over and do her from behind; that way I wouldn’t have to see her,” the man sneered.

 

My heart skipped a beat, but I tried to keep a neutral expression on my face.  Gabe was anything but neutral.  He was livid.

 

Two other men walked into the room, each carrying a length of chain.  My heart pounded as I watched them both walk up to Gabe and wrap it around each of his arms.  He sat calmly, and stared into my eyes as they attached the two chains with a nut and bolt, and then hauled him to his feet. 

 

Gabe’s ankles were bound together, so they had to carry him backwards until they were directly underneath one of the hooks in the ceiling.  Looping the chain onto the hook, one went to the wall and raised him up until only his tiptoes touched the concrete floor.

 

I was crying silently at this point.  I wasn’t sure what they were going to do, but I could guess.  They were going to beat him, maybe even kill him, and I was going to have to sit here and watch.

 

Once Gabe was secured, the two men left the room, and Greasy walked up to Gabe.  Slipping his hand into his pocket, he withdrew a pair of brass knuckles, and slipped them into place on his right hand.  My breath caught in my throat at the first strike of the brass knuckles meeting flesh.

 

Gabe didn’t cry out though.  He watched my eyes with an inner calm that I wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t seen it.  Time after time, he was hit in the face, chest, stomach, and back.  I didn’t let my eyes stray from Gabe’s.  It was the only thing I had to offer, and I would do that for him, because I could do no less.

 

Leaning over as far as I could, I emptied the contents in my stomach onto the floor.

 

“I had hoped to hear you scream.  Perhaps you would scream if I went lower,” Greasy mused.

 

Crouching down, he used a pocketknife to free the bonds from Gabe’s legs.  He was standing from his crouch when he smiled.

 

Except, he made a fatal mistake.

 

He took his eyes off his target, and got too close.  Gabe’s legs flashed out lightening quick, and wrapped them around the Greasy’s neck and face.  He thrashed for a good thirty seconds, trying to pry Gabe’s legs from around his neck, but his body gave up the fight and he went limp.

 

Gabe didn’t release him for a while though.  Mainly, I’m assuming, because he wanted to make sure he was actually gone and not faking it.  Greasy’s body hit the floor like a brick.  Gabe did a stomach curl and lifted his legs up and over his body.  Wrapping his hands around the hook with his hands, his legs curled over the chain at the top.

 

I stared, amazed, at Gabe as his muscles worked and bunched.  Using an unbelievable amount of strength, he gave one good heft and disengaged the chain from the hook.  He dropped down to his feet with a clink of chains, and hustled to me.

 

Just as Gabe crouched down, a young gang banger with his pants around his ankles walked into the room trash talking to someone behind him.  The other young man followed behind, and they laughed about whatever they were saying. The second one in licked the door closed behind him.

   

They got about six feet from me before noticing that something wasn’t right.  Seeing Greasy’s body on the floor and no Gabe, they went into a flurry of motion.  One threw himself towards the door, but a length of chain hitting him square in the face silenced him.  Moaning, he went down hard, clutching his face in his hands. 

 

The other boy tried to throw a punch at him, but Gabe was just too good.  With one well-placed fist, he took the kid down.  The kid’s body hit the chair Gabe had previously occupied, and crushed it to pieces.  Walking over to his prone body, he bent down and twisted the kid’s neck, breaking it swiftly.

  

“Gabe, watch out!”  I croaked, when I noticed the first boy.

 
The first boy stood on shaky feet to come after Gabe, but he was on a rampage.  He took the kid out with two hits, one to the kidneys and one to the temple.  I closed my eyes as I saw him bend down next to the kid’s fallen form.

 

Another audible crack filled the air, but I wasn’t upset.  Far from it, actually.  Opening my eyes, I watched as Gabe’s chest heaved.  He dropped down to his knees beside me and started untying my hands.  The chain clinked against the side of my chair, but he got me loose quickly, and I threw myself into his arms.

 

Tears streamed down my face, and I shook as I sobbed into his chest.

 

“Come on, we’ve got to go.  There’re more, and I don’t want to be here when they find out what happened here.”  Gabe said as he eased me slowly to my feet. 

 

Gabe went to Greasy’s body, dug into his pockets.  He produced a pair of keys, and a brand new iPhone.  Pushing him onto his stomach, he wrenched the pistol out of the waistband of his jeans, and palmed it expertly.  He checked the magazine and slide, making sure it had bullets, and was loaded before we moved.  We went to the very edge of the room, hugging the wall.  He put my hand to the waistband of his jeans, and started our progress forward.

 

“Call Sam.”  He whispered.

 

Taking the phone, I dialed the number for Free since I didn’t know Sam’s number. 

 

Jack’s terse voice filled my air.  “Hello?”

 

“Jack.”  I whispered.

 

“Ember.  Is Gabe with you?  Where’re you at?”

 

“We’re at some sort of meat packing plant.  We were in an accident, and a few of the gang members took us.  Gabe says there’re more, but we don’t see any as of yet.”  I explained.

 

“I’m running a track on this phone.  Put it in your pocket, but leave it on the line with me.  Be careful.”  Jack demanded.

 

I did as I was told, and followed Gabe.  Once at the door, he paused, listening to the sounds of voices coming from the left of the door indicating someone was coming in..  He pushed me back flat against the wall and stepped to the other side just before they entered. 

 

There were two men dressed in jeans that were around their knees and oversize blue t-shirts.  They never saw it coming either.  Two quick chops to the neck and both men went down hard.  I’d really have to learn this trick.  The next trick I didn’t want to learn though.

 

He placed a big booted foot on each man’s neck and pushed down, a loud crunching noise was the result; I was nearly hurling by the time he finished with them both.

 

I knew why he was killing them, he didn’t want them to come up behind us or sound the alarm.  It didn’t make it any better to stomach though.  He turned left once he was satisfied with the look of the hallway, and we hurried along, following the glare of sunlight shining through a window.

 

He took stock of our surroundings as we went; his eyes never still.  We got to the window, and he hoisted me out after making sure all was clear.  We went to the back of the lot where there were trees, and hauled ass.

 

He made me run.  I haven’t ran in seven months, and you would think that being in somewhat decent shape before I got pregnant that I’d have some sort of stamina, but I didn’t. Plus, there was pain in both of my knees from the accident earlier. I was panting and gagging by the time we made it half a mile into the woods.  Stopping at a nearby tree, I rested my forearm against it, heaving breath in and out, holding my vomit at bay.

 

Reaching behind me, Gabe took the phone out of my pocket and started talking to whoever was on the line.  In the back of my mind, I discerned pickup, Jefferson’s, and hurt, but I was so sick, sore, and tired that I just couldn’t concentrate anymore.

 

I fell down to my knees, and then rolled over onto my back, hoping to alleviate some of the throbbing.  I placed my hand on my stomach, probing.  I was rewarded with a sharp kick where my fingers were poking, and I smiled hugely.

 

Thank God, he was okay.  I don’t know what I would have done if I went through all of the agonizing weeks of my second trimester, worrying whether I’d miscarry or not, just to get him taken away from me once I didn’t have to worry anymore.

 

Gabe dropped down to his knees beside me, placing his hand over my stomach, giving me a concerned look.  The baby kicked his hand, and his lip curled up at the side once he felt the baby move.

 

“Can you walk another mile?  I have Sam picking us up on Sixth Street.  It’s just through those woods over there.”  Gabe gestured to the woods behind me.

 

Groaning, I rolled partially to my stomach and pushed up on hands and knees before getting to my feet.  A hiss sounded from behind me, and I looked over my shoulder as Gabe watched me get to my feet.  He traced his fingers down my neck, and I flinched.

 

“That’s gonna need stitches.  Let’s go, baby.”

 

We walked for a little over fifteen minutes before Sixth came into view.  We stayed to the side of a Laundromat, and waited.  Gabe wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight.  I let my weight sag against him.  I was truly exhausted, close to tears, and I wanted a Coke.

 

Gabe didn’t say a word the entire ten minutes we stood behind the Laundromat.  Tires crunched on pavement, and a black Nissan Titan came into view.  The breath whooshed out of my lungs, and I let out a relieved breath as Jack pulled up beside us.  Jack hopped out, and he and Gabe gently eased me up into the truck.

 

The interior of the truck still had that new car smell, and I worried about getting blood on his seats.  “Jack, do you have a blanket?”

 

“Sweetheart, I don’t give a fuck about my seats.  Get comfortable any way you can.  Buckle up; we’re going to the hospital,”  he said softly.

 

The entire trip to the hospital Gabe and Jack discussed the accident and subsequent kidnapping; how he got out, and all the other details that I’d rather tune out.

 

Luke was at the ER entrance when we got there, waiting to take our statements.

 

“Hey man, just let me get Ember and the baby checked out, and we can come talk to you.”  Gabe said absently walking past him.

 

Luke gave a stiff nod and continued to keep watch.  My guess was he was hoping some of the gang members would be stupid enough to follow us here.  I was hoping for the exact opposite.

  

I hoped they all would go die somewhere.  I felt lower than dog shit for getting everyone into this.  It was entirely my fault that Gabe had been hurt.  My fault that our entire group was now locked down at Free.  My fault that I’d nearly gotten our baby killed.
 

“Whatever you’re thinking, knock it the fuck off.  This wasn’t your fault.”  Gabe said as a nurse showed us to a room. 

 

I nodded absently, but knew I didn’t believe him.  He wouldn’t see any of this as my fault.  Nevertheless, I did.

 

“Ember, honey, what the heck happened?”  Cheyenne’s mom bustled in.

 

 “I’m okay, Daina.  I just want to make sure the baby’s okay. My knees are throbbing and Gabe says I have a cut on the back of my neck.  I think I may have one on my leg right too.”  I gestured.

 

She tossed a gown at Gabe.  “Alright, Gabe.  Help her into this.  Use the scissors to help her get the pants off if you need to.  They look beyond saving anyway.  Call me if you need help.”

 

Once the door closed, he helped me out of my t-shirt, carefully easing it over my head.  The bra went next; this one he cut so he wouldn’t put me into any further pain.  One shoe, and then the other.  The yoga pants were cut too, and then he slipped the panties off next. 

 

He studied my bruised and battered body.  Noting the bruise where the seatbelt ran across my chest and lower abdomen.  My leg had a deep slash in it, most likely from a piece of glass.  He slipped the gown over my shoulders, and tied it at the back of my neck.

 

He sat down on the bed, and then drew me down into his lap, cradling me like a sick child.  A thought popped into my head, and it flared into alarm

 

“Jesus Christ, Gabe.  Cora!”  I jack knifed out of his lap. 

 

His eyes flared, and he reached for his phone that was no longer in his pocket.  I went out to the hallway, closing the gown at my back, to find Cheyenne’s mom again.  She was standing at the nursing station, speaking with a doctor.

 

“Daina.  I need to use your phone!”  I whisper yelled to her.

 

She handed the phone over without comment, and continued her conversation with the doctor.  His eyes flicked to me, running a catalog of my injuries, and then went back to the conversation as well.

 

I handed the phone to Gabe who started dialing as soon as he got it into his hands.

 

“I’m calling to make sure Sidney was able to get Cora to the ER alright.”  He said gruffly.  His stance stiffened.  “What?”

 

Uh oh.  I knew that what.  That what meant someone was about to be in trouble.

 

“Thank you.  I appreciate it.”  He said as he hung up.

 

His intense stare did nothing to relieve the hot knot of fear that lodged into the pit of my stomach.  “She was never hurt.”

 

His words dropped like a bomb between us, and I started getting light headed.  I wasn’t stupid.  How convenient that we go to pick her up, and never actually make it there.

 

We watched each other.  Neither one of us knew what to say to the other.  Daina rolling an ultrasound machine into the room broke our silence.  The doctor she was speaking to earlier followed her.

 

“Hello.  I’m Dr. Stephens.  I’m here to look at you.  Your chart says that you’re twenty-nine weeks pregnant.  Have you had any problems during this pregnancy?”  He asked.

 

Gabe explained all of the problems we’d had so far, and some of the concerns we were still dealing with.

 

“I understand.  Your doctor is actually on his way down here now.  You were in luck, he was delivering a baby, or he’d be at his practice right now.  Let’s go ahead and check the baby out.  I’m going to have a PA come in and check your other injuries.  They’ll sew you up if needed.”

 

I laid on the bed, and held Gabe’s hand as the doctor ran the wand over my stomach.

 

“You sure don’t look like you’re so far along.  It’s odd to see someone so small this far into their pregnancy, although it does happen.  Normally, those are the ones that never even knew they’re pregnant.”  The doctor mused as he looked at the screen.

 

I didn’t answer him.  Same old story, different person.

 

“The placenta looks fine.  The baby’s heart rate is great.  Its 143 beats per minute.  Looking good.  I’m not seeing any other signs of bleeding.  We’ll wait for your doctor to do the internal exam to be sure you’re not dilating.  Little guy here looks really healthy.  Chubby.”

 

I smiled at that, and squeezed Gabe’s hand.  He squeezed back, and we watched as the doctor left it in place so we could see his face and upper torso.

***

I was released from the hospital two hours later.  Gabe left after he knew the baby was all right to go speak with Luke.  Cheyenne had shown up, and was walking out with me now.  I’d yet to see Gabe since he left, and I was getting worried that he went back to the warehouse himself and killed the rest of the ruffians that were still in the building.

 

He was right outside the entrance, though, talking with the redhead that I now knew as Downy, and Luke.  At some point, he must have changed his clothes and had his cuts cleaned, because there were a few white strips on his face and neck.  Both officers looked relaxed.  However, Gabe did not.  His shoulders were tense, and he was nodding his head to whatever Luke was saying to him.

 

They stopped when they saw us, of course, and turned towards me to watch my progression.  Once there, I curled around Gabe and hugged him with everything I had at that moment.

 

“Let’s go home.  I don’t want to be here anymore.”  I pleaded.

 

“I can’t.  Apparently, I’m needed for questioning.  I have to go down to the station.  You can go home with Cheyenne though.  The cops arrested everyone else that was left at the warehouse.  They questioned a few of them, and they squealed on their friends when they were faced with the charges that were set against them.  No one is left to hurt you anymore.”  He said softly.

 

Relief poured through me.  It’d been a long seven months, and I was finally free to go to the fucking grocery store by myself again.  No more listening to Max whine about how embarrassed he was by my couponing.  No more bodyguards following me around while I buy my granny panties.  I was so relieved; I almost forgot what else he said.

 

“What do you mean, you’re being questioned?”  I hissed.

 

Not giving him time to answer, I turned to Luke and Downy and glared at each of them.  “What’s the meaning of this?”

   

“Down, Mama Bear.  It’s only routine.  We need to get his account down, and the easiest way to do that’s down at the station.”  Downy explained with his hands up.

 

“Well then that means I can come with him.  Don’t you need mine as well?”  I said sweetly.

 

Gabe laughed and gave me a soft kiss on the forehead.  “Go rest, sweet cheeks.  I’m gonna go.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

 

 “You better.  You’ve got until three.  That’s four hours, before I come down there myself.  Trust me; you don’t want me to come down there.”  I said, giving each man a good glare before turning and walking to Cheyenne’s truck.

***

The bed dipped behind me, and soft lips ran up the side of my face.  Gabe smelled freshly showered, which reminded me I needed one too.

 

“Why didn’t you wake me?  I need a shower too.”  I said to Gabe.

 

“Sorry baby, I’ll take another one with you.”

 

He helped me up, and stripped off his boxers before helping me out of my clothes and into the shower. 

 

“So, what happened?”  I asked.

 

He soaped up my hair, being careful to avoid the stitches on the back of my neck. 

 

“Apparently, killing four people causes a lot of paperwork.  They wanted to make sure it was a righteous kill.  Which it was.  They dropped all charges that were against me.”

 

“What?”  I screeched.  “You had charges brought up against you?”

 

“Uh, yeah.  Sorry for not explaining that earlier.  I didn’t want to worry you.”

 

I rolled my eyes at his attempt at levity.  Of course, he would keep the fact that he was being arrested from me.  Max had stopped by and stayed with me until I got tired and fell asleep on him.  Literally on him.  I used him as a pillow, and he let me because he was worried about me.

 

He wasn’t the most touchy-feely kind of person, but he’d do anything for his baby sister. 

 

“Max went home?”

 

“Yeah, he stayed until I got in and then went home.  Said you had a rough couple of hours.” 

 

I had.  I cried on and off for the rest of the afternoon, and then fell asleep.  I’d wake up screaming, and then Max would soothe me back into sleep again.

 

“I almost got you and our baby killed.  I almost lost two of the most important people in my life.”  I whispered.

 

“Oh, Em.  It’s all right.  It wasn’t your fault, and you know it.  All you were responsible for was making friends with a stupid kid.”  He said gruffly into my hair.

 

I believed him, too.  For the first time in hours, I felt like I could breathe again. 

 

“I love you, Gabriel.”

 

“I love you, too.”