Sins of My Father
Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N:
Chapter 3 (Regret and Remorse)
Tori could tell Trina wasn't to have Monica, Jack, and Holly tagging along. Trina even seemed upset that Tori was there as well; but this was the best way to help Jack reconnect with his family while also trying to locate Penelope.
Picking up the pace, Tori walked in stride along her sister, who was leading the pack. She heard a grunt from the woman and looked over to try and see if there was any discerning emotion coming from her. The expression on Trina's face was that of frustration and irritation, which seemed appropriate considering she was trying to find a woman that was an older sibling she'd never known existed.
"So…Do we have any idea what Penelope looks like?" Tori pressed her fingertips together and chewed on her lips. She flinched when Trina's eyes shot to the corners, peering at her with a strange intensity.
"Yes," Trina said finally, "Jet black hair going down to the chin, and thick framed black glasses. Pale skin, though not nearly as pale as Jade." Tori nodded, understanding and formulating a picture in her mind. "No idea what she'd be wearing at this point. Look for a woman nearing thirty. She's about twenty-seven years old."
"So she could be at the bar top."
The bar itself wasn't large. There was a patio outside that was fenced in by brown oak, it had vines going up the pillars. There were four tables scattered around, and various people sat at each; but right off the bat Tori couldn't see any women matching Penelope's description in their late twenties.
Inside of the bar was crowded, which made more sense for a stalker to hide. The interior resembled a hotdog of sorts, with a long hallway leading to the restrooms. It was sectioned off by wooden shelves and open doorways. The first section had a bartop on the right side, and a line of six tables on the left. The second section had a large rectangular table on the right and three tables lined up on the left. Finally, the restrooms were in the final section.
Before entering, Trina saw Miley Stewart in the back corner of the patio, sitting with her back to the building. She was sitting on a black stool and fine tuning a guitar. She had long her head turned sideways and eyes closed, her long brown hair fell in luscious waves towards her arms.
Behind them, Jack took a deep breath and held it. Miley was a world younger than he was, just a few years older than Trina and around the same age as Jason. Knowing the story, Tori knew how close in age Jack was to his father in reality, and the lie that was told by his father's family; but seeing how young Miley was in comparison still blew her away.
Miley raised her head and looked out as they approached the door. The woman's eyes froze and widened on Jack, and her mouth opened wide. Jack hesitated as she set her guitar carefully in its case and rose from the stool. "Jackson?" Miley did a double take and stepped forward. "Jackson, is it really you?"
Jack extended his arms and chuckled nervously. "In the flesh." Tears welled up in Miley's eyes and she took a few careful steps before rushing forward and throwing her arms around him. He stiffened and raised his eyes upwards.
"I thought you were gone forever." She leaned back and squeezed his arms while gazing into his eyes. "What brings you here?" She wiped her eyes.
"It's a long story." Miley nodded and looked over him, likely seeing how much he changed. Jack looked around slowly, clearing his throat. "Where is he? Dad?" The woman frowned and shrugged.
"Not here, anyway…we had a falling out." Jack's eyebrow rose. "I suppose he's either at his house or his favorite bar."
"Falling out?"
"Yeah. Once you left and everything, I was trying to piece everything together. I knew about our grandparent's lie about you and I didn't know why Dad forced you to say you were just a couple years older than I was and forced you to stay in schools well into his adult years." Miley stepped back and Jack tucked a hand under his chin. "I thought Grandma and Grandpa still controlled him; but no, he was still worried about his own fucking reputation." Miley's forehead crinkled and her eyebrows sank in the center. "Even when I confronted him about it, he still tried to put the blame on Grandma and Grandpa; but they told me they stopped controlling him whenever I was born. Then you left us and I hadn't heard from you in years…"
"I'm sorry. I had a lot of crap going on." Jack turned sideways and motioned to Monica, whose face was red and her eyes grew large. "This is my daughter, by the way." Miley gasped out and cupped her hands over her mouth. "We have a lot to talk about…but I imagine you need to get ready for your gig?"
Miley was starting to reach out for Monica, but stopped to look over her shoulder. "Oh yes."
"I hear you're not all that active anymore."
"Yeah, I rather enjoy taking it easy and doing local shows at small bars like these once in a while. It's nice. Easier."
Watching the pair, Tori started to feel as though she were being watched. She pulled her gaze away and started to look around. Among the crowd on the patio was an older woman, about Holly's age, but younger. She bore a calm expression and piercing dark blue eyes that were being cast upon the group. She had a black leather jacket and dark black pants, and wore a crimson low-collar shirt.
Upon closer inspection, she saw the woman's gaze was piercing through Miley and Jack, focusing on something else. Tori followed the gaze to the window of the bar and saw a thin, pale woman sitting at the bar top with a book closed on the bar in front of her. She had her head turned, gazing through the window at Tori and the others.
On her freckled face, resting just above her long nose was a pair of thick framed glasses. Her short black hair curled inwards and kissed her jawline. The woman wore a purple sweater and long blue pants. "Trina." Tori hissed her whisper and nudged Trina sharply in the side. Her sister flinched and hissed at her.
"What is it?"
"Penelope. I think that's Penelope right in there. She's watching us right now."
Trina turned her head and raised her eyebrows. As Miley walked back to her guitar and chair, they watched Penelope's head turning. "You think she realizes Miley is not Amanda, right?"
"I think she's a very troubled woman." Trina started for the bar, but Tori grabbed her wrist to stop her. Trina rolled her eyes and looked back at her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Be careful. We don't want to spook her!" Tori didn't want to startle Penelope in any way, nor did she want to run the chance that a potential assassin would scurry off. She wanted Trina to catch whoever could be targeting Penelope, and she wanted to get the chance to talk to this woman.
She couldn't see evil in Penelope's eyes. She wasn't sure what she was looking for exactly, but knew there had to be something reachable in her. Trina studied her closely, then grunted at her.
"Tori, I see the intrigue in your eyes. This isn't charity. We're not trying to incorporate her into our already large group of siblings."
"But…But she might just want attention, she might just need a friend."
Trina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Tori." Trina growled out and Tori responded with a nervous chuckle. Before she could say anything, she saw the older woman rise from the table. Her gaze followed the woman into the bar, where Penelope was now focused on the book she had in front of her.
"Wait…Trina, look…" She pointed as the woman pulled something from her purse. Her heart stopped when she saw the woman reaching out with a tiny square object in her hand. "Oh no, that might be one of David's people!"
A strange white powder fell from the canister and into Penelope's beer. Tori heard Trina curse and started to rush towards the door. As Penelope started to look up, the woman bumped into her, causing a scene. Penelope shouted out and the woman immediately apologized.
"I've had a bit much to drink, it seems." The woman did a mock salute and walked forward. "Forgive me, dearie."
"Yeah sure…" Penelope shook her head and watched as the woman made her way towards the bathroom. "God." She started to reach for the beer, picking it up gently.
"No!" Tori screamed out and yanked the door open just as the rim of the glass reached Penelope's lips. Penelope froze, the glass brushing against her lower lip while her eyes traveled to Tori. "Don't drink it!" Without warning, Tori slammed into Penelope, knocking the glass out of her hand and watching as it shattered on the ground behind the bar.
"Are you serious?" Penelope smacked the bar and growled. Without missing a beat, the bartender started filling up another beer for her. Tori was panting heavily and unable to form any words.
Trina walked up behind her, picked up the silverware roll nearby, removed the cloth and extended it to Penelope. "Sorry for the sudden intrusion." Penelope grunted and started wiping away the beer that had splashed onto her shirt. "That was not planned." Trina shot a glare that caused Tori to shrink away.
"I didn't know what else to do," Tori explained with a sense of urgency in her tone. "That woman put something in your drink." Penelope blinked twice and looked down at the broken glass. "A powdery thing." The bartender bent over and picked up some glass, revealing a shard of glass with a wet, white substance on it.
Trina removed a pair of tongs from her purse along with a plastic bag and grabbed the shard. "I will take that." Penelope turned her head away, looking in the direction of the restroom. The back door was wide open, when it wasn't before, indicating the woman had gone through it.
"What in the hell did I do to that bitch? Please." Penelope rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers at Tori and Trina. "Who are you guys, anyway?"
"Um…" Tori ran her hand behind her neck and looked to Trina for answers. Trina exhaled and removed a photograph from her purse. It was a picture of David. Penelope looked at it and her eyes grew narrow.
"Do you recognize this man? David Vega?"
"Do I recognize him? I saw everything about that asshole on the news. Goddamn lunatic. He tried to make contact with me too." Tori gasped and cried out, interrupting Trina.
"He did? What did he do?"
"Started going on about how he was my father and knew about my life, my crimes, and all that shit." Penelope downed her beer and looked to the bartender. "Hey Paul. Another beer, please!" She folded her arm on the bar and shook her head. "Of course, I wrote back, telling him to fuck the shit off."
Before Tori could say another word, Trina put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. She closed her mouth and looked away, letting Trina speak. "We have reason to believe he's targeting you, as well as his other children. His adult children." Penelope's eyes widened and she did a double take.
"Hold on. You're saying he's got other fucking kids?" She tilted her head. "And the way you say 'adult children', he's got younger kids too?" She waved her hand in a circular motion. "Explain, please!"
"He has almost thirty kids, most of which are unknown at this point." Trina crossed her arms. "He is a very dangerous man."
"But…" Penelope rubbed her chin and glanced sideways as Paul set a new glass of beer at her elbow. "But he's in prison, right? He can't harm anyone."
Trina pointed to where the woman from before vanished. "He's got connections. Some women from his past are still loyal to him. I'm investigating him, trying to locate all these older children-"
"Why not the younger ones?"
"Because I already know them, and have already established connections with them."
"Oh." Penelope furrowed her brow and glanced outside as Miley began singing. "So, how did you find me?"
"David revealed your identity, said you were likely stalking Miley Stewart because she resembled Amanda-"
"Fucking shit." Penelope's face tense and wrinkles formed on her brow. She slammed her beer glass down and started to cough on her drink. "The fucking liar's letter to me mentioned Miley." Tori's jaw dropped and she exchanged a surprised expression with Trina. "He said to me that Miley resembled Amanda, and might've been close friends with me. I started following her, trying to figure out what I could say to her. She doesn't look like Amanda that much. Please."
"So what are you doing, if not stalking another celebrity?"
Already she could sense the manipulation. Penelope was already known as a celebrity stalker, so why wouldn't David try to get her to focus on another celebrity? At the same time, why would he even bother? Was this a sick game for him?
"I could tell what he wanted in the letter." Penelope brought her drink to her lips. "I was obsessive, still am in a way; but I'm not stupid. That's why I wrote back to tell him to fuck off." She gulped down a large portion of her beer and then set it down. "He kept trying to describe everything about Miley, to get me interested in her." Penelope rolled her eyes. "Please, I was Amanda's biggest fan and I was young. I wanted attention from her and would stop at nothing to be acknowledged by her; but it scared her, I think. Then there was that stupid chase, I was just…" Penelope looked away, a heavy expression took over her and her lips grew firm. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm not a killer. Honest. I saw her stumble out of that car and I couldn't stop in time…"
"You drove off," Trina replied.
Penelope growled, a new anger flashed in her eyes. "I was in a state of shock for god sake. I was horrified." Tori didn't sense dishonesty in her voice, just anger and remorse. She could see it now, Penelope looking in her rearview mirror, tears flooding her eyes as she watched Amanda's bloody corpse on the ground. "She was on the ground, her body quivering…" Penelope gasped out, her entire body trembling. "Blood was pouring from her lips. I'll never forget it. I hated myself, I wanted to fucking die-I just killed my hero, my idol."
"So it was an accident," Tori remarked. Penelope closed her eyes and sighed. "I knew it wasn't malice. We're not evil just because of who our father is. Lost, sure, hurt and angry maybe." Trina rolled her eyes and Penelope jerked her head back, raising an eyebrow at her. "But not bad people…Not like our father. We don't have to be like him!"
"What did you just say?" Penelope rubbed her ear and twitched a bit. "Repeat yuourself, please."
Trina sat beside her and shot another glare at Tori, causing her to bow her head. "While I am investigating David on behalf of the CIA, there is more to it…My name is Katrina, and this is my sister, Tori." Penelope raised her beer to her lips, taking a long drink. "And that man…is our father." Penelope's eyes shot open and she clutched her chest, coughing loudly while lowering her beer. "Total, with me being the eldest, there are ten of us who are the ten youngest of his children. With the tenth not yet born…"
"Holy shit."
"He's mentioned four children to me; but not given me any identities except yours. I'm still in the process of locating them and anyone else. I have reason to believe he may be targeting them."
"Okay…That is…" Penelope sucked in a deep breath and looked outside. "I need some fresh air, I think." The woman stood up, holding her forehead in her hand. She moved outside and Trina glanced at Tori, slowly shaking her head.
Without hesitation, Tori followed Penelope outside. Penelope was walking the parking lot now, scratching her head and looking around. "Penelope!" Tori waved her hand in the air. She knew it was a lot to take in, but she didn't want the girl to be by herself. "Wait. Hold on!"
Penelope eventually leaned against a car, which Tori assumed was hers. It was a silver sedan, with four glossy windows. Penelope was leaning against her right shoulder and still rubbing her forehead.
Tori started for her, trying to think of what she would possibly say to the woman.
Suddenly, the older woman from before jumped out from behind the car, startling Tori and stopping her in her tracks. "No…" The woman had a thick towel wrapped around her hands. "Penny!" Penelope raised her head out and screamed as the woman wrapped the towel firmly around her neck. The woman grabbed at the towel and lurched forward, struggling against the elder's tightening force.
Tori screamed at the top of her lungs for Trina, who was just exiting the building. "Trina help, the lady's back!" Trina froze, her eyes growing wide.
"Shit." Trina clenched her fists and bolted forward, screaming out at Jack and Monica. "Someone call the police and ambulance! Now!"
Penelope was gagging as the woman overpowered her. "P-Please." Being closer than Trina was, Tori rushed forward to try and help. It was against her better judgment, but she didn't see that she had much of a choice. She heard Trina screaming at her, but ignored it.
"Get off her!" Tori wrapped an arm around the elder woman's stomach and began to pound her fist sharply into her neck and upper back. Meanwhile, Penelope was dropping to her knees and looking upwards, her body appeared to be tensing and her teeth were clenched together. "Get off of her!"
The woman tried to shrug her off, but Tori stepped away only to circle around and try punching at the woman's forearm. Eventually, Trina arrived and dealt a swift kick in which the heel of her shoo landed directly in the front of the woman's neck.
The woman's body lurched back, her hands released the towel and she collapsed onto the ground. Penelope gasped out and clutched her throat, her entire body trembling violently.
"Christ," Trina uttered, "Are you fucking insane?" Trina reached into the elder woman's purse and raised an eyebrow as she removed her wallet and looked at the driver's license. "Who are we dealing with here? Ramona Parker?" She returned the wallet and looked at Tori, who seemed just as confused. "No doubt one of David's women; but check on Penelope…"
Tori nodded and knelt beside Penelope, placing a hand onto her back. Penelope flinched and jerked away, her wide and terrified gaze flew onto her. "Sorry," Tori said, "I didn't mean to startle you."
Sirens echoed in the distance and Penelope leaned sideways, letting her head fall onto Tori's shoulder. Monica and Jack made their way over as well, with Miley in tow. This was one hell of a night. "Close call as any," she whispered, "Glad the woman tried to be silent and not use a gun or something…"
"Yeah." Trina flipped the woman onto her back and studied her. "Probably wanted as little blood or DNA splashed onto her; but her method is by no means quick. That, plus the poison from earlier tells me David may just want them to torture his targets. Quick means they don't know what's happening to them. We have got to find out who the others are."
Well, that's the action for you, you know what's going on.