10. Sorting Priorities
After their meal, it was fully dark outside and Roger and Scarlett deposited the bowls in the kitchen sink. At that time, he looked out the window at the car and asked, "Is that your car? Or does it belong to your parents?"
She shook her head and blinked as she looked down. "It belonged to John," she said. "I took it from him when I k--, I mean, escaped from him."
The man looked at her and said, "Scarlett, if you really did kill someone who tried to rape you, I won't get you in trouble. You have nothing to worry about from me."
The redheaded teen blinked again and looked out the window. She finally said, "I'm just afraid that when things calm down, I'll get thrown in prison." Then she closed her eyes. "Or executed."
Roger snorted. "As far as I'm concerned, he got what he deserved. Just don't keep telling people that you killed someone. That will always get you negative reactions from some people. Some idiots believe that you should let yourself be killed before you do harm. I'm not one of those people. Neither are you, right?"
Scarlett shook her head and gave him a small smile.
"Good. That's a plus in my book. Now, is that all your stuff I saw earlier in the car's back seat?"
She shook her head. "Um, no. A lot of it was John's. I never took the time to dump it out. But I have quite a bit of stuff, too."
He thought for several seconds, then said, "We should bring it in and go through it."
The girl frowned and looked at him. "Why? Are you going to see what you want?"
The man sighed and shook his head. "No, but think about this. If that car breaks down, are you going to be able to carry all of your stuff? My car broke down about five miles from here, but all I have is a briefcase to worry about. If I find something better to carry my stuff in, then I'll switch it, toss the briefcase aside and go on. Now, if my guess is right, you need to trim down all that stuff to just what you can carry and no more."
The teen looked at him and said, "That's easy for you to say, Roger. I have precious items out there. Memories to protect."
"Scarlett, I think of all my belongings back in Virginia. There's no way I'm going to risk my life going after any of it, either." He looked at her. "I've seen too many people who risked their lives to protect their 'stuff'. Some of them even died for it. If I'm going to die for something, it's sure not going to be for my laundry or some photo albums. It's just not worth it."
The girl simply looked at him, then finally said, "O.K., I see your point. But I'll need help to carry it all in, please."
Roger nodded and said, "Let's go." As they walked to the door, he added, "It does hurt to lose stuff, though. I will admit that. I had my stamp collection there. Twenty years of work on it and now I'll probably never see it again." He sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "I do understand, Scarlett. I really do."
She nodded.
oooooooooo
The boxes were spread out in the living room. Roger and Scarlett sat among them, while Smokey sniffed each one, curious about what was going on.
Scarlett looked over the box of food, while Roger opened one box of John's stuff.
He looked inside for several seconds, then glanced at the teen girl. Then he sighed and shook his head.
She noticed his actions and asked, "What?"
"At any time, did you happen to look over any of John's stuff?"
"No." The teen shook her head and asked, "Why?"
The man pulled a paperback book out and tossed it to her. She looked at the cover and gasped. The title of it was Two Days of Terror. The book's cover art showed a partially disrobed schoolgirl, who sat on a school desk with her hands bound behind her back and a man opening her legs.
A disgusted expression showed up on her face. "Shit."
"This box is full of books just like that one." Then he pulled a drawing tablet out and opened it. His eyes widened and he closed it. "O.K. This just went beyond weird."
Scarlett moved next to him and opened it back up. Her mouth dropped open and she closed it as well. Then she took the tablet from Roger's hands, sat it on the floor, then sat on top of it. "All that time I lived beside him, he did all this stuff, and I never knew."
"How long did you live beside him?" he asked.
"Two years," she said. "I was fifteen when we moved from Indiana. He was the first person we met when we arrived in Lawndale." She closed her eyes and covered her face in her hands. "The whole time, I was his fantasy."
"Apparently, he was stalking you the entire two years," Roger said. "Was he married?"
The teen nodded. "Yeah. Lisa was real beautiful, too, you know? A real pretty face, prettier than mine, in fact. She had a slim waist, rounded hips and big, um...you know, boobs?" He nodded. "I don't see how I could even compare to her in his mind. She was what my dad called a 'real knockout.'"
He shrugged. "Sounds like he wasn't satisfied." He stood up and stretched. "Even if he had gotten you, he wouldn't have been satisfied. People like that never are. I'll be right back." He left the room.
Scarlett pulled the tablet out from under her legs and opened it back up. The colored drawing showed a man that slightly resembled John Fleming. He was on a highway bridge over a flooded river and threw a naked redhead girl over the side.
She stared at the drawing and after several seconds, a tear ran from her right eye.
Smokey came up and rubbed against the girl's right hip. She closed the tablet, picked up the cat and hugged it.
oooooooooo
In the end, Scarlett's belongings were trimmed to some photo albums, a couple changes of clothing, a blanket and her dad's pillow. She refused to part with it. She also had her apricot preserves and most of the survival foods to eat if she couldn't find or buy anything else.
Roger found a bookbag for himself and sorted through his briefcase. He ended up dumping half of what he had and even took some of the MREs that Scarlett had brought. He also took one of her blankets.
John's stuff was put back in their boxes and placed back into the car. Roger told her that if they took the car later, they could trash it in a dumpster sometime later.
oooooooooo
A little later, Scarlett and Roger found some cocoa mix and made some hot chocolate to drink as they sorted her belongings.
He took the time to give her more of his background. "When I failed with Rita's assignment," he said, "she accused me of conspiring with her sisters against her. She was a beautiful woman, but very paranoid at the same time. I didn't want or need to deal with those kinds of issues, so I left her and went on my merry way."
He saw the teen's expression and added, "I don't mean to make that sound so cavalier, Scarlett, but Rita had some real problems that I couldn't help her with. She had some real self-esteem issues and needed some professional counseling."
The redhead shook her head and said, "I'm not judging you, Roger. I understand what you're saying."
He smiled at her. "I have to admit that my relationship with Rita was mostly physical. Good looks are a start, but if there's nothing else to go on from there, you're just wasting your time." He cleared his throat. "Well, on Saturday, I was near Mt. Airy, following a woman on behalf of a jealous husband. He had nothing to worry about, because his wife really was visiting a sick friend.
"I called him up and told him the good news, only to have him chew my ass off because he didn't believe me. Then he was cut off right when there was a flash from D.C." He gave Scarlett a small smile. "He worked at the State Department and was there when I called him."
She blinked and cleared her throat. "I was washing the dishes when it happened," she said. "Mom and Dad were...in Philadelphia to enjoy a day off together." She looked down and took a deep breath.
Roger looked at the teen and said, "I'm sorry for your loss, Scarlett."
She wiped her eyes and looked at him. "Thank you," she said. "I loved my parents and they loved me. I just don't know what I'm going to do without them."
He thought for several seconds, then asked, "Do you have any relatives that you can go to?"
A weak smile crossed her face and she nodded. "They're in Indiana. That's where I'm headed."
Roger blinked and looked at her. "That's a long way for a teenaged girl to drive by herself."
Scarlett frowned at him. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I can't do it?"
"Oh, I'm certain that you can do it," he replied. "What I'm implying is that you shouldn't do it. Scarlett, that's some five hundred miles away. A long way for a teen girl to drive even before Saturday. Now...I think it'll be a lot worse. Teen girls who are out alone will be very tempting targets. Add to that the fact that all the police forces within at least a hundred miles of a bombed city will be too busy to help if needed. I say that you should count on anarchy until they sort out what's happened."
The girl looked at him silently as he stood up and stretched. What do you think I should do then? Stay here and let the authorities take care of me? No, thank you.
"Scarlett, it's almost ten o'clock," he said. "I think we should stop and get some sleep. There are three bedrooms in this house. Which one do you want to use?"
She blushed and bit her lower lip. I thought you were about to suggest sharing a bed. I'm glad you didn't.
He held out his right hand and she took it. Then he helped her to her feet and they walked to one bedroom.
This room had the feminine touch of a girl at least twelve or thirteen years old. She looked at Roger and said, "I'll sleep in here."
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I'll let you sleep in the master bedroom if you'd prefer it."
"No. I'll sleep in here."
"Very well," he said and nodded. "I'll make sure the doors are locked and go to bed myself. Good night, Scarlett."
"Good night, Roger."
oooooooooo
Scarlett opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows. Smokey was already up and had her head behind a curtain at the window by a small desk.
"I heard something," she whispered. "I know I did, and it wasn't the cat, either."
--Hope there's a couple of teenaged girls in there. I need some pussy!--
She gasped at the unfamiliar thought that hit her. Then the others joined in.
--Beer! I want beer or whiskey. Hell, I'd even drink a wine cooler if they have one.--
--A girl wearing a dog collar. But first, a steak or some chicken.
--...like this has some home-canned food, like some corn or peaches or even jelly.--
--Women! Maybe the farmer has a hot wife or an even hotter daughter.--
--Chocolate! I'd kill for a Snickers bar or some M&Ms right about now.--
The redheaded girl hopped out of bed, still fully dressed. She moved to the bedroom door, pulled away a chair that she had propped against the doorknob and left the room.
She ran down the hall to the master bedroom, opened the door and rushed inside.
Roger was asleep, huddled under a thick comforter on one side of the bed. She quickly grabbed his left arm and shook him. "Roger!" she whispered, her voice panicked. "Wake up! Wake up!"
The man threw the comforter off his head and sat up. His white T-shirt stood out in the darkness. He blinked his eyes several times. "What?" he asked and looked at the girl in front of him. "Scarlett? What's wrong?"
Scarlett found herself shaking and fought to keep her voice steady. "There's a bunch of men outside!" she said, her voice fast and nervous. "At least five of them.
He was wide awake now, sighed and got out of bed.
The teen saw his bared legs and realized that he was in his underwear. She blushed and looked away as he grabbed his pants and put them on.
"Sorry about that," he muttered. "I can't sleep in my clothes too much. It irritates me." He held out his right hand. "My pistol?"
She handed him the weapon.
Roger smiled at her. "Stay calm, Scarlett. Maybe they're just after your neighbor's car."
"No!" she said and shook her head. "They want women, food and booze."
He moved towards the door and she followed him. Then he stopped and looked at her. "How do you know that?" he asked.
She blushed again and her chin quivered. "I just do, Roger! I just do!"
He looked at her for several seconds, then placed his left hand on her right shoulder. "Calm down. It'll be O.K. But now's the time for you to get your bug-out bag. Sling it over your back in case you have to run."
"What?" she asked. "What about you?"
The man smiled at her and said, "I'll hold them off so that you can get away."
"NO!"
"Don't argue with me, kid. I can take care of myself. But it'll be a lot easier if they don't even know that you're here."
Tears blurred her vision and she wiped them away. "What about Smokey?"
Roger shook his head, a sad expression on his face. "She's a housecat, Scarlett. I tried to put her outside when I first got here and I couldn't even get her near the open door." He touched the girl's arm and gave her a small smile. "She'll hide herself. Now, get your stuff and let's see what the deal is, huh?"
The teen put on the backpack and looked down as Roger led her through the darkened house to the kitchen.
"They're at the car," he whispered. "Better go down to the basement. You can get outside through the cellar door. If you have to, run to the woods and hide." He looked at her face and saw the tears run down her cheeks. "Oh, Scarlett..."
She sobbed and suddenly hugged him. "I'm scared for both you and Smokey!"
Roger returned her hug and whispered in her left ear, "I'll catch up with you if it gets bad. Smokey will hide, so don't worry about her."
They broke the hug and moved to the basement stairs. He whispered, "Wait at the door, and be careful."
"Thank you, Roger. I'm glad I met you."
He smiled at her. "I'm glad that we met, too, Scarlett."
"You promise that you'll catch up with me later?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yes. Now go downstairs and wait."
oooooooooo
She couldn't "hear" the men's thoughts while she was in the basement, but she could hear their laughter as they broke the windows.
As quiet as she could, Scarlett moved to the cellar door, opened it and climbed out into the back yard.
When she moved around a shed, a gunshot lit up the inside of the kitchen. She looked back at the house and whispered, "Roger?"
Three men moved into the backyard and she felt their thoughts assault her.
--I know there's a pussy here somewhere. I just know it!-- --Hey, little girl. Want some candy?--
--Hope we find her soon. I'm tired of humping boys.--
Scarlett stood still in the shadows and gasped when she heard John's car start up. Oh, crap. They hotwired it.
A second gunshot made her jump and a man's voice yelled out, "There she is! Get her!"
--Shit! That asshole nearly shot my nuts!-- --Where are you at, jerk? I've got a .44 Magnum to answer you with.--
She ran out of the yard and into the woods followed by the men.
"Whoo, hoo! Hey, baby! I've got something for you!"
She ran further into the woods and fought to keep from panicking or tripping on tree roots and other hidden obstructions.
"Get her!"
She didn't look behind her, either, as she ran. She didn't have to, because she could still hear them come after her.
"Why do we always have to chase them?" one man complained.
"Shut up, Everett!" another said. "We've been over this before."
"You shut up, Joe! I hate running! I hate having to chase down girls and boys all the time!"
"That does it!"
Suddenly, a gunshot behind her made Scarlett cry out.
"Shit, Joe!" another man said. "Why'd you shoot him for?"
"I'm tired of hearing his whiny ass complain!" Joe said. "Lazy bastard always wanted us to do all the work, then demanded that he always goes first! Now he won't do that shit anymore!"
"Never mind that!" a fourth man said. "She's getting away!"
Scarlett managed to get far enough to leave her pursuers out of sight. But she could still hear them behind her.
After what seemed like an eternity, the teen came to a clearing and a darkened house that stood in the middle of it.
--Wait till we get our hands on you, little girl! We're gonna--
The redhead ran to the house and found the front door open, as if it had been kicked in. She rushed inside, shut the door behind her and stopped.
The house itself was clean - and totally empty of all furniture and belongings, except for a plastic stand on a countertop. It contained papers describing the property that had been left there by a local real estate company.
Where do I hide? she thought and rushed through the house in a rapid search.
The master bedroom had a large closet with two wooden sliding doors. She opened one door, stepped inside, then slid the door shut behind her.
The sudden darkness and silence had a calming effect on the girl, and she concentrated on relaxing.
Then she remembered seeing a string attached to an incandescent light bulb and reached around for it until she found it.
When she turned the light on, she was temporarily blinded. But after a couple of seconds, Scarlett saw a small alcove overhead built above the bedroom itself. Without another thought, she climbed up into it and laid down.
As she heard the men come into the house, she reached down and unscrewed the light bulb until she was in darkness again.
(To be continued...)