Jake
Jake entered the large home and dropped his bag of new clothes on the tile floor of the foyer. He took a deep breath and looked back at Ashley, who was striding across the threshold. She plopped her bag next to his.
“I don’t like this,” she said.
Jake just shook his head. “No…not at all.” He took a few steps in and turned back to her. “But for now, we’re going to have to play along.”
“Should we?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think we have another option.”
“See, that’s what I’m talking about. They made an offer we couldn’t refuse, quite literally, knowing we wouldn’t.”
“Yeah.”
“But what if we had?”
He met her eyes.
She stepped closer to him. “What if we had, Jake, then what? Where would we be?”
“I don’t know.” He knew she was right, and he knew this whole thing stank, but only a complete fool would pass it up. Only a fool would believe there was no hitch involved. A fool would also sell his soul to the devil.
Ashley sauntered through the archway into the kitchen. “Well, the place is nice.”
“It looks nice, but it feels all wrong.”
“Well, any new place is bound to feel that way.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s something more than that.”
She spun to face him, walking slowly toward him. “Are you okay with this?”
He sighed. “I don’t feel good at all, but if we don’t look after her, who will?”
Ashley slid her arms around his waist. “No, I mean are you okay with this?” She pulled him closer. “With this!”
He raised his shoulder and held it there as he thought. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
“We’re going to be living together here, not in the way we’d both probably wanted—under some bizarre circumstances. Technically, we’ve never even been on a real date. I just wanted to make sure. I mean, we haven’t really had the time to talk about feelings and things like that. This whirlwind has taken us away and thrown us into a world we’re probably not even meant for.”
“None of that matters. We don’t have to talk about anything. You know how I’ve felt about you for years. Just because we couldn’t be together doesn’t mean I never wanted to. This feels as natural and normal as anything I’ve ever known. Yeah, the circumstances are whacked out of reality. But what can we do? We just have to go with it for now and worry about all that other stuff later.”
She slid her arms up his shoulders and bent him down to her. “I just wanted to be sure. You know me. I never assume anything. I always need verbal confirmation. Maybe that’s very female of me, I don’t know. But be patient if I ask stupid questions.”
He laughed. “Of course. And be patient with me if I don’t get it. I’m historically kind of clueless with women’s feelings, so never be afraid to speak up. Don’t assume I know anything either.”
“Okay. So open lines of communication will go a long way.”
“A very long way.”
The sound of a vehicle hummed up the street. Jake knew it was probably the van bringing Ariel back to the house.
He walked over to the window and pulled the shade up. A white van waited at the gates near the driveway. He pushed the button near the door and let the gate swing open. The van crept down the slight hill of the drive and around the back.
They both went downstairs. Roger Pender was at the side door looking through the glass. Jake pulled the door open and Roger entered. He pushed his back into the door, holding it open so the two men dressed in white lab coats could carry Ariel into the room where they unceremoniously dumped her into the water in one motion and turned away.
Roger walked over to her. When she surfaced, he squatted down. “Now, Ariel, you’re going to behave. Right?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“You have to take care of that baby. She’s your legacy.” He stood and nodded to Jake. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he walked out the door.
Jake squatted down. “Are you okay?”
Ariel propped herself on the edge of the pool and looked around suspiciously. “I’m fine for now. As long as those creeps are gone.”
“Well, they’re gone. But they’ll be back every week to check on you and the baby.”
Ariel looked behind her. “Am I still locked in?”
Jake shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Ariel quickly went underwater and kicked away across the pool, disappearing into a tunnel of which he could only see the leading edge.
“Jake.” Ashley kicked off her flip-flop and dipped her toe into the pool. “We need some sort of exit strategy.”
He rose up, crossed his arms. “Like what?”
She twisted her lips to one side. “I don’t know yet. But we’ve got some time to think about it.”
Ariel popped up out of the water. “The gate is closed.”
Ashley questioned, “There’s a gate?”
Ariel spit some water. “It’s in the tunnel that leads to the river.”
“Was it locked before?” Jake asked.
“Yes, they’d locked me in when the baby started growing.”
Jake could see the look on her face and it was an uncomfortable consternation. “Maybe I can talk to them and see if they’ll open it.”
“It must open and close from somewhere in this house,” Ariel offered. “Because Father used to do it.”
Jake glanced around and then started to make his way around the pool area. “Where did he go to do it?”
“I don’t know.”
Jake scoured the pool area but didn’t find anything. He then went into the thin door near the rear of the pool next to the door that led outside. After opening the flimsy door, he found the circuit breaker box and several other buttons.
He flipped and clicked every button in that room but nothing worked. With a palm-up shrug, he walked back toward the pool. “I’m sorry. I’ll ask them.”
Ariel looked visibly nervous. Then she swam around in an angry circle of kicks and slapping arms. Jake couldn’t help but be reminded how young she was in terms of mental maturity.
Ashley squatted down at the edge of the pool. “Hey, we’ll work this out, no need to get all huffy.”
Ariel stopped, treading water a few feet away. “You don’t understand. I’ve been so bad they’re going to punish me. I’m just a baby maker to them now.”
Ashley glanced up at Jake but didn’t say a word.
Ariel looked around. “Where’s Father?”
Jake sighed. “They didn’t tell you?” Jake shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ariel.”
“Father is gone, isn’t he?” She looked despondent.
“Yes, he is.”
Ariel nodded. “I knew he was gone. I felt it.”
“I’m so sorry, Ariel,” Jake said. “I wish things were not the way they are.”
Ariel smiled. “Father used to say that same thing to me. He loved me a great deal. I wish you’d have known him during happier times.”
“Me too. I wish we all would have known each other during happier times.”