Headed for Hell III -- A Fight to the Death -- by Anne Shier

So, what were Caroline’s options?  Fight or flight?  If she stayed and fought him, Mark would surely win since he was much stronger than her, even if she had a weapon on hand.  She could also install an alarm system in her house or get a big guard dog.  Nevertheless, Mark was not someone who could be deterred easily from getting to her if that’s what he intended.  But, if she decided to flee, where else could she go with her daughter, Cathy?  She had already embarked on a witness protection program of her own making – changing her name to Jessica and the baby’s name to Janet (with the help of some acquaintances) - and changing her appearance as much as possible.  She was now living a brand new life.  It was a problem to which she did not know the answer.  Maybe nobody knew. 

Only time would tell what Mark would do to her when he got out of prison.  If he decided to let the past go, she would be home free and could then go on with her own life.  But, if he decided to come after her and do harm to her or the baby, she knew that she might have to fight back if and when it became necessary.  She couldn’t just sit there and wait for the inevitable to happen.  No, she resolved to fight to the death to preserve their survival because it was going to be a matter of her life or death at his hands.

One afternoon, when Jessica had just arrived home from work with her daughter, Janet, now six years old, she received a phone call.  No one seemed to be there.  She hung up, thinking it was a wrong number.  A minute later, the phone rang again; this time, she picked it and asked, “Hello?  Who’s calling?”  Again, no one answered and she hung up.  The third time the phone rang, she picked up the receiver and spoke into it sharply, “Look, whoever this is, lose my number!”  She shrugged it off, thinking it was simply another pesky telemarketer who wouldn’t give up.  She’d have to get in touch with the phone company as soon as possible and have a CSR enter her name into the “Do Not Call” list for telemarketers so that they would have to legally stop calling her once and for all.

While she was on the phone with the phone company, she asked the customer service representative (CSR) if she could get the number of any caller right after the call.  The CSR said that, indeed, she could.  The option Call Return (*69) would get her the number of any caller as long as she had the Call Display option, as well.  Then, the caller’s number would show up on her phone’s display screen.  The only time the call could not be seen is if the caller’s number was a private or blocked number.  Jessica decided it was worth a try to see if she could somehow trace the mysterious caller’s number in case he or she called back.

On Saturday afternoon, while at home, Jessica got a call from her close friend, Kristi.  Kristi asked, “Would you like to drop by my flower shop at about 4:00 and share a latte with me?”

Jessica replied, “Sure, Kristi, I’d love to come over.  Is it really my turn to buy this time?”

“Yes, Jess,” Kristi replied.  “I bought for you last week, so it’s your turn to buy for me this week.  See you at 4:00?”

“Okay, Kris, I’ll be there with two lattes.  I just have to call my babysitter, Amy, to see if she can come over to look after Janet for me this afternoon.  Lookin’ forward to seeing you, as always.”

Later that afternoon, Jessica walked into Kristi’s flower shop, which Kristi owned and ran herself.  Jessica was really happy to see her best friend, one of the few that she trusted.  Since there were few people Jessica could actually confide in, she regarded her friendship with Kristi as special.  Kristi had always been there for her and Janet; she’d help Jessica out whenever she could and she would never have told anyone else about the manyconfidential discussions that they had had between them.  Still, Jessica knew that she could never really tell anyone about her past – her family, friends and relatives from her old life.  Anything she said to anyone about her past could become a possible link to Mark.  That meant Mark might be able to find out where she had re-established herself with Janet and that was something that could not be allowed to happen.  Not without fatal consequences.

Nevertheless, Jessica also knew that Mark had the wherewithal and finances to do whatever he needed to do to find her if that’s what he decided.  Hiring a private investigator was not unheard of by abusive husbands.  Such husbands, however, would usually claim that they’d been deserted for no good reason by their wives, giving the impression that they werenever at fault for the separation.  It never failed though; the PI would become very curious about the husband’s true motive for his search.  So, he always documented his search activities clearly and completely, always keeping a hidden copy of the file for himself in the event that the husband either decided not to pay him or that the PI should be disposed of, permanently.The file would be evidence of foul play.  It was a dangerous job to be a PI, after all – a lot like being a police officer or security guard.  As a PI, you always had to be aware of possible danger to yourself and try to glean your client’s real reasons for hiring you in the first place.

“Kristi, what are you up to today?” Jessica asked innocently.  She knew that Kristi wanted to have a heart-to-heart with her and was a little nervous about it. 

“Jess, if you had something on your chest that you had to tell someone, but there was no one around that you could tell it to, what would you do?”

“I would hire a psychiatrist or psychologist who had to keep my file totally confidential and have him or her deal with my problems, meaning he or she would really be helping me deal with my own problems.  That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, Kris; I do, very much.  It means that there are certain things I cannot tell you because it would jeopardize my relationship with you and, in fact, my life with Janet.  Some things can never be discussed between us.  It’s better if you don’t know certain things about me.  Please forgive me for not being as forthright with you as I’d like to be?”

“Okay, Jess, I respect what you’re telling me.  So, what do you want to do this weekend together?  Can you get your babysitter, Amy, to look after Janet this Saturday night?  I need to go out to the bar and have some fun.  How about it?  Will you join me?  I really think we could use a fun night out.”  Kristi looked at Jessica with concern and caring in her eyes.

“Yes! I’d love to go out with you.  However, it’s just going to be girls’ night out.  I am not looking for a one-night stand with any guy or for a steady boyfriend.  My life is as complicated as I can stand it.  Janet is my primary concern.  As long as she is safe, I think I can handle anything else.  Having fun is part of life, right?  And you are a really fun part of my life!”

With that, Jessica who was facing the window of the flower shop at that moment looked out for what seemed like a millisecond, and saw the face she dreaded most – Mark.  The overwhelming feeling she experienced then was instant horror and alarm.  Was that really him?  If so, how did he find me?  Does he know where I live and work?  What should I do now? I can’t run anymore – that much I know.  That leaves only one option – fight.  I must find a way to fight him.  Janet - where is she!?  I’d better phone Amy right now and make sure that they’re both safe.  Maybe now’s the time to get that big guard dog. I sure could use a feeling of security around the house if nowhere else. Maybe an alarm system will be necessary too.  I’ll check it out……My God, what have I done to deserve this?!

By the time Jessica got home later that afternoon, she was on an emotional rollercoaster.  It was as if one minute, she had her life all figured out and had control of it, and the next second, her life had become a hurricane.  There wasn’t enough protection against what might happen to her and Janet.  If that face she’d seen belonged to Mark, he could only be here for one reason – to harm her.  Well, she would have to be ready for him because losing this battle was not an option.  Even if she had to kill him, she would do it if she had to.  She would do whatever she had to do to protect her family and her new life from total destruction.

copyright 2016 - Anne Shier - to be published in book format in the future (hard cover, soft cover, e-book / audio book)