Standing in the DC Sun – Chapter 36
"Shh, shhh." Olivia said to a crying Lilly as she bounced her on her hip and paced up and down. She didn't know what it was, but the little girl was fussier than usual that night, almost like she could sense something was wrong since she screamed out when Olivia tried to pass her off to her father, who was still shaken from the days events. He sat on the edge of the couch, looking kind of spaced out and barely paying attention to his girlfriends and daughter.
"Oh baby, what's the matter?" Olivia said to Lilly as she took her off her hip and placed her over her shoulder and began to rub her little back. The child rested her head comfortably on her mother but it didn't stop her complaining.
"Ugh, I know she's not sick again. She hasn't got a fever and she's eating regularly. I don't know what's the matter with her." Olivia explained to Jake as she sat down on the couch next to him and moved Lilly onto her lap.
She reached over to retrieve her daughter's toy lion and gave it to her in the hopes it would calm her down a little but she just took it from her mother's hand threw it on the ground. Jake laughed witnessing her little tantrum.
"That's it, I'm taking her for a stroll. I have to go to the store anyway." Olivia said frustratedly as she got up and placed the infant on her hip and walked towards the rack by the door where her little pink jacket was hanging.
"At this time of night babe? You don't think it's a little late?" Jake questioned.
"Yeah, well, it's the only thing that's going to get her down anyway." Olivia explained as she put the jacket on the tantrum throwing little girl. She wriggled and flailed her hands trying to get away from her mother.
"Uh, uh, uh young lady. Where do you think you're going?" Olivia cooed to Lilly as she tried to crawl off. She stood up and held the infant in her arms and walked over to the stroller. She placed her in and Lilly immediately began to calm down a little. She was still fussy but the cries weren't as out of control.
"You see? She's calming down already." Olivia said to Jake happily. "Right, I'll be back in a half hour." She told Jake before pulling the stroller towards the door. "You want anything?" She asked Jake.
He didn't seem to be listening to a word she was saying. He was zoned into the mediocre DIY show that was on the television and still had what his uncle had said to him running though his mind. He didn't scare easily, and that was normally because nobody had ever got the one up on him but after what his uncle did, and knowing what the man was capable of, he was terrified, for himself and his family. He had finally reached a point in his life where he had got what he always wanted, a family, and he was happier than ever, but now some scumbag was about to destroy it all.
His thoughts were interrupted by a cuddly toy monkey hitting his face, thrown by Olivia to get his attention.
"Jake?!" She repeated again.
"Huh? What?" He said as he snapped back.
"Did you want anything from the store?"
"Uhm, just some beer. And be careful okay?" He advised with a nervous look on his face.
"Sure. See you soon." Olivia said to him as she pulled the stroller out the front door and made her way down the garden path, letting the door shut on its own.
She walked along down the street before bending down and rubbing her little cheek and smoothing her cuddly toy attached to the bar against her cheek before resting it in her stroller next to her. She gleefully turned to corner taking the shortcut into the alley that lead to store, unaware of what or who was following behind her.
It had been an 1 and a half since Olivia had left for the store and where Jake would be wondering what was taking her so long, his uncles threats were still running through his mind.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound his phone ringing.
"I hope this is Liv." He mumbled to himself as he answered his phone. He swiped the answer button on the screen and raised the phone to his ear.
"Where did you go to get the beer? Georgia?" He joked.
"Hey Jacob." A smug and snide voice answered.
Jake's face immediately rid itself of any joy it had and his jaw was practically off the floor among hearing that familiar voice. "What the fuck are you doing with Olivia's phone." He gritted through his teeth.
"Not nice being screwed with is it? Not nice when your family's lives are in danger huh?" The voice continued.
"I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'VE LAID A FINGER ON OLIVIA OR MY DAUGHTER I'LL KILL YOU." Jake bellowed through the phone.
"I want $50 000 within the hour or I will hurt them." Billy paused as he turned around to look at a crying Lilly in her stroller and a tied up and gagged Olivia with a tear rolling down her cheek. She tried to scream but all that came out was a muffle, which Jake could hear on the other end, as well as his hysterical daughter.
"$50 000. The warehouse by 42nd street, in within the hour, or they're both dead. And if you even think about calling the cops, I'll kill them both right here." Billy warned as he cut off the phone.
All Jake heard was the dial tone and he threw his cell phone across the room before yelling out in anger.
He needed time to think, to break things down and build a strategy. He didn't have that kind of money laying around but he knew that his uncle was serious and doing anything stupid could result in Olivia and Lilly's deaths.
His drive over to the warehouse was eventful to say the least as he was so gathered in his thoughts and fears for his family he almost got into two accidents and was pretty sure he went way over the speed limit, luckily enough he didn't get caught.
He pulled up to the warehouse and observed it from the car quickly. He knew he needed protection for whatever was about to go down. He pulled his gun out from under his seat that he hid from Olivia and stepped out of the vehicle before tucking it in his back behind him.
He nervously walked into the empty warehouse, unaware of what to expect. The place seemed deserted and very derelict and his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a muffled scream seemingly coming from the other side.
"Liv?! Olivia?!" He shouted as he raced to the end only to find her sat in a corner, duct tape around her mouth and tightened ropes around her legs and hands.
"Liv!" He yelled as he ran towards her, but her eyes quickly darted to her left and as soon as he got closer his uncle stepped out right in front of him.
"Look who made it." His uncle said snidely before grabbing a tied up Olivia by her shirt and standing her up in front of him with a gun pointed in her back.
The fear in Olivia's eyes was very evident. She normally did a good job at hiding her feelings and emotions but she never succeeded at that with Jake, and his heart broke in that moment seeing her in that position.
"Where's my money?" His uncle asked angrily, trying his best to sound threatening
"I'll wire the money to you when you let them go." Jake explained to him, he wasn't playing around, his family's lives were at stake.
"BULLSHIT!" His uncle yelled angrily. He moved the gun towards Olivia's head, eliciting a scream and tremble from her.
"Look, just, don't do anything stupid, you'll get your damn money! Just let them go, please!" Jake pleaded with tears in his eyes.
"WIRE THE MONEY! NOW! Or I swear to God I'll blow her brains out right here and then the kid." He said angrily.
"Fine. I'm gonna take out my phone, and go to my banking app, okay." Jake explained to him as calmly as possible, knowing what he was capable of, he didn't want to risk anybody getting hurt.
He slowly reached back into his waistband and immediately pulled his gun out, firing fast and shooting his uncle in the head. The man fell down immediately and the loud sound of the fired gun caused baby Lilly to start crying. He immediately placed the gun back before putting the safety on and walking over to a trembling Olivia, sitting her down so he could untie her.
"Hey, hey, look at me. You're safe, you're safe it's okay." He said to her softly as he untied her with one hand stroked her cheek with the other. He removed the tape from her mouth and she immediately burst out crying, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his shoulders.
He stood them both up and hugged her tightly before slowly letting go and going to comfort their daughter. He picked her up out of her stroller, keeping her pink fleece blanket wrapped around her and trying to calm her down.
"I know, I know baby, it's okay, Daddy's here, Daddy's here." He said softly to the infant before kissing her head.
Olivia looked on at the both of them, a little bewildered, tears still in her eyes and still shaken. She glared down at the body for a while before immediately turning to Jake as he called out her name.
"Liv? Liv, it's okay." He said to her as she glared at him. He stepped towards her to bring her into his chest to comfort her but she turned away and pulled Lilly from his arms.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay, shhh." She said to the infant and she lowered her head onto her mothers shoulder and slowly calmed down.
She held the infant and ran her hands through her hair before rubbing her back up and down.
"Come on, let's go. I'll deal with this in the morning." Jake said nervously. Olivia immediately stormed over to the door, leaving Jake to push the stroller out.
The car ride home was silent and Olivia was distant the entire time. Lilly was fast asleep in the back seat while Jake drove them all home. He rested his hand on her thigh and she didn't react, she instantly fell stiff.
He pulled up outside of their home and Olivia immediately got out of the car and grabbed Lilly out of the car seat.
"Go. go back and take care of it now." She advised to Jake coldly before bringing Lilly inside and putting her to bed.
Jake had dug up and concealed many dead bodies before and he had felt massive guilt over all of them, but not this one, he couldn't wait to stick his uncles body in the ground and just be done with it.
He returned home to find Olivia slouched into the couch with a large glass of wine in her hands.
"Did you handle it?" Olivia asked as he crept through the front door. She could barely look at him, and to be honest she didn't want to.
He nervously walked over to her and set his keys down on the table in front of her before standing in front of her. He knew something was up so he thought it would be best to keep his distance and not remain too hands on at the moment.
"Where's Lilly? She okay?" He asked with a concerned tone.
Olivia kept her head down and held her hand head in her hand, with her glass of wine in the other. She refused to look up at him.
"Fine. Upstairs." She said sternly. "Who was that?"
"Look, Liv. I know you probably…."
"Answer. The damn, question." She said to him
"My uncle! Okay! He was my father's brother." Jake explained nervously.
"And what the hell did he want?!" Olivia yelled as she stood up.
"I can't get into that right now, trust me Liv, but I….." Jake tried to explain
"Your daughter and I almost died tonight because of that psycho, you better start talking right now, I don't wanna hear any bs." Olivia explained to him.
"You're right, okay, okay." He said trying to calm her down. "This isn't easy - " He began before being cut off by Olivia.
"SPIT IT OUT!" She yelled.
"Olivia, please…."
"Just start talking!" She yelled out in tears.
Jake took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm not gonna like this?" Olivia said nervously as she continued to glare at the wall. She couldn't even look at him.
Jake took a deep sigh before continuing. "Look, he came tracking me down, because he wanted revenge, okay?" He quickly got out. "But look that doesn't matter. You're safe, Lilly's safe and he's dead, we can let this go." He exaggerated trying to comfort her but she brushed him off.
"No, don't touch me right now. Revenge for what?!" She yelled out, snapping her head around to the baby monitor as it lit up and some whiny noises followed, indicating that Lilly had awoken. It was no surprise to her since she was being quite loud.
"You should get her." Jake suggested.
"No! She'll settle!" She said sternly. "Revenge for what Jake?"
"When, I was 17, shortly after my sisters death, I was so broken. I…went off the rails, I need you to understand - " He continued.
"Just get to the point!" Olivia yelled angrily
"He was just sitting there, so smug, didn't even seem to care that his own daughter, the same daughter he was abusing, had just killed herself because of him." Jake continued with tears in his eyes
Olivia glared at him with her eyes welling up. Yes she was raging with him at that moment she couldn't help but feel bad for him.
"I couldn't handle it any more, so I just, grabbed a baseball bat, and I hit him so hard that….." He didn't finish, he just broke down in tears and held his head down.
Olivia stood up in disbelief with a trembling lip and shock all over her face.
"I….I didn't mean to kill him, I was just so…."
Olivia interrupted his rambling. "So, you're telling me, you killed him?" Olivia asked still trembling.
"Yes, and that's what my uncle had against me. He - ". he was interrupted by Olivia storming out of the room and immediately upstairs, presumably to Lilly.
"Liv?! Olivia hang on." He yelled out racing up the stairs towards her. He finally found her in Lilly's room carrying her out of her crib.
"What are you doing?!" Jake asked her as he watched her run around the room with Lilly on her hip, still in a bit of a state and grabbing Lilly's changing bag and coat.
"I….I can't be here right now, I can't be around you right now." She said frantically.
"Where are you taking Lilly?" Jake asked worriedly. "Look, please just lets talk about this, we can talk about this!" Jake begged and pleaded as he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back.
"Get your hands off me!" She screamed. "It doesn't feel right, being here, leaving her here with you, I'm sorry."
With that she stormed out of their home with Lilly on her hip, leaving Jake sat on the stairs in tears.