Authors: MICHELLE LEE
Mj French got back late last night. She crashed in her hotel room after she got the message that Keller would be
occupied
for the evening. She is up and dressed waiting for coffee to brew in the small pot the hotel provides in the rooms. She finishes pouring her cup and she hears the door beep and open.
Keller walks in, throws her stuff on the bed and goes over to grab the last cup of coffee.
“Good morning. How was your night?” She asks smiling ear to ear.
“Fantastic.” Keller looks up over her cup before taking a much needed sip of hot caffeine.
“Wow, fantastic? Do I know him?”
“Nope.
Just a guy.”
“
Unhn
, well then since you’re not talking I will. I made some progress this morning. I ran a couple of Michael’s names through the database, and came across a man that bought some of the equipment Brody was talking about; the kind for growing flowers. I contacted the lab and the flowers found outside Brody’s house, where dyed with a special floral dye. It was given to the flowers through the soil for maximum absorption. There may not be a “true” black rose, but these are close. Anyway, the dye and the equipment were bought by different people; both the names used, come back to the names given to us by O’Rourke, that Michael bought from him.”
“Ok, so Michael is growing black roses; that does not prove he killed people. We need more.”
“I know, but at least it’s a start.”
“Yes, it is. I wish we knew where he was growing them.”
“That’s what I’m searching now. If I can find some place he bought, I think we may find Charlie.”
“How far have you gotten with the search?”
“Just the two names.”
Mj shrugs her shoulders, “I didn’t say it was going to be fast.”
“Well I’m going to shower and head back over to the house, are you coming?”
“I showered already, but I will go with you to the house.” She wiggles her eyebrows up and down.
“Mj, I left those days back in college. See ya in a few.”
“Ha-Ha. I am going to see if Fitz or Patrick has made any progress.”
“I doubt Patrick is awake, yet. He was pretty exhausted last night when I dropped him off.” Keller closes the bathroom door to a laughing Mj.
“I knew it, you dirty girl. It is the Boston accent, isn’t it?”
“Make your calls, Mj.” The shower turns on and the women go about their business.
Just when Mj is gathering her gear her laptop makes a beeping noise and she brings up the completed search. It is just what she has been hoping for. One of the ID’s that Michael used bought a rundown factory about 60 miles away from where they are now. Some lighting equipment used for greenhouses, was delivered there awhile back. It was bought by a man named Roger Warren. The man works in town at a home improvement store about 20 minutes from here.
“Hey, Keller, you need to hurry, I got something on an alias, and we need to check it out ASAP.”
“I’m coming.” The water shuts off and 2 minutes later a dressed Keller walks out of the bathroom. “Let’s go.”
I can’t take the feeling of his hand touching my hip. I roll to my stomach. That is a thousand times worse. His hand travels from my hip to the small of my back, and he rubs little circles under my shirt against my bare skin.
He leans on his side so he is facing me. I can’t see him; I have my head turned away. I know what he is going to do and I don’t think I’m ready. His hand travels from my back to my butt and down to the tops of my thighs. He slides his hand between my legs on the way back up, skimming over my center.
I roll over to my back and sit up. “Michael, I am not ready for anything to happen between us yet.” I reach over and touch his face trying to fill my eyes with some emotion other than the hate I feel for him. “Please, when it happens I want it to be perfect. I want to be able to see you, with both eyes.” I smile like I made a joke.
“I know. I won’t do anything; I just want to touch you, all of you. You are so beautiful, how do you expect me not to want that?”
“Thank you, I think you’re sweet for saying such things.”
He grabs my waist and pulls me down so I am on my back beneath him. “Please, Charlie, let me show you how I feel about you?” He grinds into me.
“Soon; Michael, just a little longer. Look I can almost hold my eye open.” I show him how close I am.
“Let’s get you some lunch. Are you feeling up to something a little more solid?”
“Sure.”
He rolls off the bed and walks out the door. I get up and go into the bathroom. I look around for anything I can use for a weapon. I look under the sink. Then I notice, like a beacon flashing on the porcelain of the tub, Michael left the razor. I take the razor quickly to the bed and stash it under the mattress. I know he watches me on camera somewhere, so I do it as fast as I can.
I sit down at the table and wait for him to bring me food. I don’t even think I can eat. I have to put on a good show; he cannot suspect anything is different.
Michael brings the food back in and he smiles when he sees me waiting at the table. He sits the tray down and serves me the same soup I have been eating but this time it also has a turkey sandwich with it. There is hot tea and iced tea; both look very appealing. I sip the hot tea first. The burning liquid running down my throat is like a suave for my raw esophagus; coating and soothing it from all the screaming the day before.
Michael watches while I eat. He looks a little bit crazier than he did when he left, this makes me extremely nervous. Halfway through my sandwich I feel a little weird. I look at the tea and panic.
“Did you put something in my tea?”
“Charlie, did you really think I was falling for your little act? What kind of fool do you take me for? I just gave you a small dose of something to help you relax. I want you fully awake for what comes next.” He smiles an evil smile and I know I’m in trouble. “I don’t want you to fight me though. I want you calm and aware of everything I am going to do to you.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I can hear the quiver in my voice; so I know he hears it, and I know he likes that it is there. “I just want to be good like you want. I don’t want to go back into that room. Please, don’t do this.” The tears are flowing freely now. I am truly and utterly terrified of the look in his eyes.
I jump up from the table and the Earth tilts on its axes. I try to run but he is so much quicker. He grabs me by my hair and pulls me into him. He wraps my long curls around his hand and holds tight. I can’t move my head without ripping out a handful, painfully.
He inhales through his nose as he runs his face along my jaw line; smelling me. “Mmmm, you smell like desperation and fear, Charlie. I love that fragrance.”
“
Pleeease
, Michael, don’t do this.”
“I am going to do this, and just to make it better, you should know that everything I do, Brody will be watching as it unfolds.”
“I don’t understand; how can Brody see us?”
“I have a camera in your room linked to a laptop he is watching from your apartment.” He reaches up and holds my jaw pressing a kiss to my mouth. Then, he drags me back over to the bed; and throws me onto the mattress.
He stands at the end of the bed pulls my legs so they are hanging over the edge, and stands between them. He grasps the waist band of my shorts in his eager hands and pulls them off in one wrench. Next goes my shirt. I lay there in my underwear, frozen; still paralyzed by the reality that Brody can see everything.
I want to cry out for him to help me; as I am lying with Michael standing between my legs. I know what happens next. I am powerless to stop it. I look up and Michael looks off to the corner of the room, and that’s when I see the camera, on the ceiling. He smiles for Brody watching as he rips the tin material covering my most private and intimate parts, exposing me to the electronic eye.
My head is growing fuzzier, from the drug or the knowledge of what is going to happen, I can’t be sure of. I try to press my knees together but they don’t respond. Michael feels me trying and pushes them open spreading my legs wide open. I start to cry of humiliation, I don’t want Brody to see me defiled this way. I cry silent tears as Michael traces his finger down my uncovered, completely exposed center.
I try to move my arms, if I could just reach the side I could get to the razor I hid there earlier. Michael grabs my hands hold them above my head and looks at me. “I don’t think that is a good idea, Charlie. Now, let’s put on a show for Brody, shall we?”
He lets go of me to take his clothes off. He comes back over to me and runs his hands all over me. He takes off my bra, the only thing I had left covering me. Standing back he sighs, “I have been waiting so long for this.”
I use every ounce of strength I can gather together, and kick my legs at him. The more I move, the easier it is to move. I keep going trying to connect with any part of him. He bats away every assault I can make. I feel like a child trying to hit a man. He is so much faster and stronger than I am.
He grabs my hands and pins them again with only one of his hands. His other hand backhands my face, connecting with the already sensitive areas that have received his attention earlier, and stuns me for a second. That is all he needs. He plunges himself into me hard and deep. I scream as loud as I can. He wraps his hands into my hair holding me in place while he pumps in and out of me.
I yank my hands free of his hold for a split second, before he gets a better hold and rewards my attempt by smacking me so hard my lip splits open; I taste blood inside my mouth. He holds my arm so tightly I’m afraid it will break. “Charlie, I love how you feel. It is so much better than I remember. I am going to cum so deep inside you.”
I feel him tense up as his release hits him. He shudders and moans in my ear over and over as he spews inside of me until; when he is finally finished he collapses on me. I am
crying
so hard I can’t breathe. The sobs are racking my body. I push him off me and run for the bathroom. I barely make it, on rubberized legs, before I throw up over and over into the toilet.
**********
Brody is sitting on the floor he watches as Charlie stashes the razor under her mattress. “Good girl Charlie.” She goes over and sits at the table. When Michael comes in she smiles at him; I hate the way he looks at her. He undresses her with his eyes.
She smiles and they make small talk, “God, I wish I could hear what they were saying.” She stops eating and looks at the tea she just drank. She stands up from the table and tries to run. He tackles her and throws her on the bed. “NO! Charlie!” I am completely panicked. What do I do?
I watch in horror as Michael strips, and returns to the bed. He is touching her, he runs his fingers over her bare lips and I can’t catch my breath. I know what he is going to do. I trace Charlie’s face with the tip of my finger. There are tears of horror running from my eyes. I have failed her again. She is screaming and a sob rips from my throat. I can’t watch it anymore. I close the screen and wait for it to be over.
“I’m so sorry Charlie.”
I find the courage to open the laptop back up, just as Charlie is running toward the bathroom. Michael rolls over on the bed and looks at the camera. He lifts his fingers to his nose in inhales, and then he sticks them one by one, in his mouth; licking them very slow and dramatically.
I hate this man so incredibly much. I want to kill him slowly with my bare hands. I have never felt such pure rage toward another human being. He will be sorry for ever touching Charlie, for hurting her in anyway. Michael gets off the bed and walks over to the table. He writes something on a piece of paper and holds it up for me to see. It reads: 15231 Old Mill Road. Come alone, or I will kill her.
I stare at the screen, frozen in place, he said he’d call. This I didn’t expect. My lungs seize up; I can’t draw air into them. I inhale a deep breath, snapping out of my stupor, and jump into action. I take the paper out of my pocket and write down the address Michael gave to me. Running out the door I stop at Mrs. Clinton’s and give her the paper. “If the police show up here, give this to someone and tell them it’s from me, and that is where Charlie and I are.”
“Ok. Be careful.”
I run down the hall and get into my truck. I call Patrick and Chris, leaving them both messages. I tell them the address as well. I hope they are all close by; it is going to take at least an hour to get there depending on traffic. One hour and Charlie will be safe.
“Hang on, baby, I’m coming.”
**********
Patrick, Chris Fitzpatrick, MJ French, and Sarah Keller all sit in on an interview with the home improvement store manager, Brad Smart. He is 38 years old. He is telling the Agents how long Roger Warren has been working there.
“He is a great employee. He shows up on time, he works late if we need him to, he does inventory; no one does inventory. Why are you asking all these questions about Roger?”
“We just need to find him to ask him some questions about an investigation were doing.” French answers, she seems to put Brad at ease.
“He has been working here for about 2 years.”
Patrick looks at Fitz; they are both thinking the same thing, he has been here all this time. “Do you know where he moved from?”
“His application says he moved here from Florida.”
“Did you check his references?”
“No, I didn’t feel I needed to. He wasn’t fired, so I figured whatever he did there was irrelevant to this job.”