Chapter Eleven

Target

Looking up Trevor's family once I crossed the border was no easy task. I looked up the name 'Philips' in nearly every phone book, tried most houses under the zip code he gave me and came up with nothing, I felt a little less guilty now I knew he lied to me. Asshole. I managed to secure myself a room for a week at the nearest motel and kept to myself trying to figure a plan.

I had a couple of days meandering, taking in the rolling hills of green mixed with a sprinkling of snow, the nice people, the great cuisine, honestly I could easily settle down here maybe have some sort of a-... wait need a man for that. I checked into my room and sprawled out on the half sprung bed, flicking on the lil analogue TV and watched a few of the cops' shows that came on, opting out of reality TV.

I spent a couple of days looking out for a job, watching the Ludendorff news every chance I got. "Today was the funeral service for the victims Frankie and Jade Colins and their daughter Grace, earlier the daughter's ex boyfriend Trevor Philips was removed from the service by police after excreting faeces in Mr and Mrs Colins grave." I smiled to myself as the news finally moved on to talk about how the fire department thought the blaze may have started.

"Heh, heavy smoker my right fucking tit." I sighed to myself as I watched Trevor's gaze on the screen, it was so... lost? Like he couldn't comprehend exactly what was going on, honestly I wish I could just call him and tell him everything but not whilst I was still a suspect. I turned off the TV and started to appreciate the feeling of being free, I mean it sucked that I wouldn't see T anymore but to know I wasn't going to be harassed any minute or fired for being blackmailed, it felt good.

I stroked Toby's nose and thought of my little brother, I hadn't just gotten even for me but for the both of us. They cut his life short so I cut theirs short... Newton's 3rd law, only the part about equivalent exchange. My thoughts drifted around Toby, how would this have played out if he was still alive? Would we have got revenge together? End up dead together? What would he be like? Would he love guns like me? Or cars?

I squeezed the bear hard and tucked him back in my case opting to wonder around this motel I temporarily called home. The bathroom in my room was crap, consisted of a grimy toilet a dead goldfish couldn't be flushed down and a shower that looked as if it had accumulated at least 4 years worth of dead skin, yah I cleaned those first.

The room itself wasn't bad, the sheets were cotton fresh and fairly clean, the half sprung mattress was comfy enough and the TV was good, lighting was a little to be desired but I couldn't argue. The creamy floral walls were obviously half priced paper from a U-Tool or at least second hand stolen from a decaying shack, who knows?

A loud moaning and heavy squeaking caught me off guard, I mean I knew couples stayed over a night to fuck but did they have to be so god damn loud? I scoffed and grabbed my purse venturing outside and exploring around the other rooms until I noticed one had left a crack open, I couldn't help but be nosy I mean this is fucking Canada there's no way in hell this was gonna be- wait- no- Trevor's an argument against that maybe I shouldn't.

I peered inside the crack and noticed a large case showing off some kind of rifle, it piqued my interest and I started pushing the door ever so slightly, a light creak almost gave me away and I sighed in relief when I didn't hear anyone come to investigate, that was until the barrel of a gun nuzzled into my neck. "Don't say a word, go inside." I hesitated and nodded quickly as I heard the safety click off; I hurried inside and looked at the heavy sniper with nothing but admiration.

"She's beautiful..." He hesitated as he sat me down on the bed. "If you rape me it won't make a blind bit of difference." He scoffed and shook his head. "Fuck off, like I want to rape a damn kid." I growled. "I'm not a kid!" He laughed and patted my head. "Sure kid. Now... why the sneaking around? Anyone pay you to look?" I shook my head. "I just got into town, I'm staying in one of the rooms while I look for a place."

He scoffed and moved to sit in front of me, I won't deny he was kind of handsome in a mature way, he reminded me of a father figure rather than boyfriend material. "Now you seen my face means I have to kill you." I gasped and shook my head heavily. "You sat in front of me! I had no choice in seeing you!" He chuckled and tilted his head. "You were looking at my gun, you like guns?" I nodded.

"Used to run with a group, well more like they ran I was the arm candy, but man I fucking loved his guns." He smiled in approval and looked at my hands. "How'd you burn them?" I hesitated and looked at the closed locked door thinking of how this guy really couldn't exactly be on the side of the law. "The gun's a heavy sniper aint it? A modified scope?" He looked impressed and chuckled. "Man I think I can guess now-" I looked at him and bit my lip.

I wanted a friend, now's better time than any. "You aint exactly a cop so I'm thinking, a merc?" He shrugged. "Guess you could say that-" I but in. "I killed my parents." He blinked taken a back and furrowed his brow. "They- they killed my little brother, made my life a living hell, used me raped me-" He crouched in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders to steady me as I realised I was crying.

"Sh-sh-sh-sh... calm down. Sounds like they got what was coming to them to me..." I nodded. "Toby-... my baby brother, he was 2 and my dad pushed him down the stairs, everything was bent and I couldn't save him." He patted my shoulder and sighed. "You look like you could use a drink." I hesitated at this guys kindness, I should be suspicious right? "Look you found my fucking gun you got dirt on me, I got dirt on you, least now I don't have to kill ya."

I looked at his gun and reached out slowly to brush my fingertips against it when a card landed in my lap, a name and a number on it, no details just name and number. "Arthur... Nice to meet you, I'm Grace." He shook my outstretched hand and laughed. "I guessed, I watch TV too ya know? The person you look like ya miss, that the guy who shat in the grave?" I nodded quickly. "Yeah, Frankie harassed me and Trevor for years, Trevor weren't fond of them to say the least."

He chuckled and nodded. "Sounds like my Carol." He hesitated. "She didn't like a lot of things and she voiced her fucking opinion about it too, rubbed off on our son. He was a mouthy little thing. Well... I say little." I hesitated and pried a little. "You talk about them like... like they're gone too." He took a breath and downed his scotch shoving one into my hands.

"They are. I got sloppy one day and some mob guy got to them, seems my life was worth more than a few million dollars, the highest bidder won out and he killed them and left the evidence for me to find. It was a warning I should have listened to." I bit my lip and lowered my head. "I'm so sorry..." He shrugged and sat next to me. "Okay spill. What did they do to you, apart from killing your brother." I glared at him. "Does there need to be anything other than that?!"

He nodded. "It was a vendetta, it was personal, they did something TO you not something to upset you." I lowered my head slowly. "I don't want to say... not yet." He nodded slowly as I downed my scotch. "It's late; you should go get some sleep." I nodded lightly. "You need anything you come to me, got it? Cops after you, you come to me I drive them away, you get arrested I was never here, got it?" I sighed in acceptance. "The usual then, yeah I got it. Thanks Arthur."

It took a few weeks to finally settle down, since I was a fugitive and Arthur needed a good cover story he took me in, let me stay in his room, and introduced me as his daughter whenever we were away from the room. The real surprise was the night I accidentally called him 'daddy' for real as I woke up. He finally got to hear my story and he still looked at me with kind eyes.

"Jesus, those sons of bitches really did a number on you didn't they...?" He looked down at me with pity as he drooped an arm around me pulling me to him. "You don't have to grow up if you don't wanna Gracie. You want me to be ya daddy I will be, I won't do to you what they did. I'm here for you. Got it?" I found family away from family, and it was great.