43 Blacktop Obsession
Kaidyn's eyes opened and she looked around. She loved her room, blue silk curtains were up in the huge window overlooking the backyard. Her lush comforter felt so warm so she snuggled more into it. Just as she was about to drift back off to sleep, the door was busted down and she couldn't even count how many people were storming in the room in dark clothing. She screamed, being jerked out of bed. They threw her on the floor, hitting her head. She tried to talk to them but they kept screaming at her to shut up and be quiet. She looked at the female agent and pleaded with her to tell her what was going on.
"Who are you?" She cried, as they flipped her over, throwing her arms behind her back as she kicked and screamed. She tried to scream more and a hand was put over her mouth. She bit them and looked up, looking into a heavy gun. "Where's my mommy?" She screamed, tears running down her face as she struggled to get free.
"Your mommy is going to go away for a very long time." The female agent replied. Kaidyn reared her head up, hitting her in the face and making her slap Kaidyn. "You little brat." She hissed.
Her eyes went wide and she was knocked in the head with the gun. She felt a slap and a kick as she continued to fight against the hands that held her. She jumped up and was thrown on the floor, face first.
"Be quiet and be a good girl and listen." One of them told her as he held her down on the ground. She screamed again. She looked at all the guns as they ambushed her room. She watched in slow motion as Shayde rushed in and she was caught off guard, grabbed and thrown to the ground in a blur.
"Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with ANY of this." Shayde screamed, fighting to get loose. "You can't hurt a kid! What the hell do you want?" Shadye asked, trying to look up.
"Where's your brother?" They asked her, slamming her to the ground and stepping on her head like she was some kind of criminal.
"What are you talking about?" Shayde asked, confused. "You have to have the wrong house." She said, trying to look over at Kaidyn who was still screaming and fighting to get loose.
"Your brother, don't play dumb with us." The federal agent replied, standing her up and glaring at her, now face to face with her. They put a gun to her head and Kaidyn screamed out in a panic.
"You can't kill my mommy! Please don't!" She sobbed, tears flowing down her face as she gasped for air. She began to feel like her chest was tight and she couldn't breathe.
"Quit acting stupid. We are onto you." The agent replied to Shayde.
"I don't have...why are you here? What do you want?" Shayde asked, still trying to get free, her eyes on Kaidyn. "Kaidyn, it's okay. Just do what they ask you to do. Quit fighting, baby." Shayde said, her voice in a calm tone for Kaidyn's benefit. "Let her go and get her out of here and I will tell you anything you want to know." Shayde tried to negotiate.
"Tell us where your brother is or we will take her to an orphanage and lose her in the system. Tell us where he's at." The agent grabbed Shayde by her shoulders, shaking her.
"My brother?" She asked, confused. She had woken up to the chaos and was confused why they were asking for her brother. "Please just don't let her see this. She's only ten, she doesn't need to see this." Shayde begged.
"Don't play dumb with us." The agent slapped her, as she fought to get loose. "Where is he?" He asked, his temper getting the best of him." We have agents all over this house, we will find him. If I find him before you tell me, you're going down with him." The agent warned.
"I don't know what you mean." Shayde looked seriously confused.
"That's it, the kid is getting it. We tried to play nice." The agent shook his head, looking at the female with the gun to Kaidyn's head. He gave her a nod.
"LET ME GO!" Kaidyn screamed, tears streaming down her face, kicking the agent in the leg and a struggle ensued. She fought with her and rolled on the ground to get away.
"Don't hurt her. She has NOTHING to do with this. Let her go and I'll tell you." Shayde sighed, defeated, worried about Kaidyn. "She's just a kid, leave her be." Shayde begged.
"Get off of me!" Kaidyn yelled, hearing something in the hall. She kicked free, startled, and dashed for the door.
"Kaidyn!" She could hear Shayde yell her name. She stopped and turned around and things became a blur as Shayde ran to her after breaking free and covered her. Bullets sprayed everywhere. She touched her hand and felt a warm oozing from her hand where she had scraped it. She looked at the warm red stuff on her hands and looked at Shayde, who was laying in a pool of blood, before things began to swirl around her in a slow motion blur. She watched a guy walk up to Shayde and shot her from behind. Kaidyn couldn't count and things began to blur. She saw the blood trickle from Shayde's mouth and everything went dark. She felt time stop and things were in a blur.
"Shayde!" Kaidyn screamed out so loud that the truck driver swerved a bit. Hector sat up, unprepared for how loud her scream was or the swerve of the truck. She was covered in sweat and she had a slight bit of blood coming out of her nose.
"Shit. Kaidyn, Kaidyn, come on wake up, honey." Hector grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to shake her as she gasped for air. "Come on, girl." He gently tried to slap her cheeks. He wasn't sure if she was having a seizure or panic attack or both. He slapped her a bit harder as she began to pant and gasp for air.
"Do I need to pull over?" The truck driver asked, concerned.
"No, just keep driving please. We can't stop anymore." Hector said, moving to the back of the truck. "She's okay. Just a nightmare." He assured the driver.
"I don't know, you sure?" He asked.
"Yes, I am sure. Just keep driving." Hector frowned.
"Okay, if you say so. Just worried about her." He admitted.
"Just drive and ignore whatever happens back here, please." he asked as he reached up front for a duffle bag. "She has these episodes, it's okay. I can handle her." He promised.
"Shayde's shot. They are gonna kill us!" She screamed, rocking back and forth. Hector tried to wipe the small amount of blood from her nose. She shook her head, slapping at him. It was as if she was looking at him but couldn't see him. "Don't touch me!" She screamed, scooting backwards, breathing heavily.
"Kaidyn, wake up. Wake up. I need you to wake up." Hector coaxed. She was fully sobbing now. "Come on, Baby, please wake up." He pleaded.
"Shayde, Shayde." She screamed. "Come back, Shayde. Please come back. You can't leave me. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeee." Kaidyn howled, curling up in a ball, rocking back and fourth. In her flashback, she was still seeing Shayde bleeding out and on the floor as they drug her past her out of the door.
"Tell Mommy dearest goodbye. You're next." The female agent smirked, pulling Kaidyn out of the door past Shayde. Kaidyn fell to her knees, sobbing and throwing herself over Shayde. She wasn't sure when she had woken up but the agent had made sure she woke up and had snatched her up to drag her out of the room. "This one has to die too." She said, looking at the other agent.
"I hate having to kill a kid." he admitted.
"Damn, you have gone soft. Give me the gun. I will do it." The female agent remarked. Kaidyn looked up and looked at her in the eyes.
"Please get my mommy help. Please." She begged, still hugging Shayde.
"I'm okay. I am okay." Shayde whispered weakly.
"Mommmmy!" Kaidyn yelled as the female agent grabbed her, pulling her up and off of Shayde. Kaidyn screamed.
"It's your time, little girl. Very happy to be rid of you and do this." She smirked, pulling up the gun and aiming for Kaidyn's head, dead on. Kaidyn took in a deep breath.
"NO! Over my fucking dead body!" Shayde yelled, somehow gaining strength to get up and cover Kaidyn as the shot was fired into her skull. She took the bullets meant for Kaidyn as the female agent fired again and again. Kaidyn felt the warm oozing blood trickle down her face as it all went black.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to go to Florida! I can't do this! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" Kaidyn screamed, sweat pouring down her face.
"No, it's a nightmare. Come on, baby, wake up." Hector shook her a bit more. He pulled the phone out and dialed Shayde's best friend. "Come on, Kaidyn, snap out of it." He worked fast to dial the number. "KAIDYN. WAKE UP." He pleaded. "Come on, answer. Answer." He said under his breath as he waited for him to pick up.
"What's up? Everything okay?…" The voice answered, interrupted by Hector.
"Try to talk to her, man. I need help. I can't get her to wake up and she's having a bad, bad flashback. It's worth a try." Hector pleaded, grabbing a black bag of meds.
"Yeah, put me on speaker" He replied.
"Go! Talk to her! Do something, I need some help." Hector said, as he tried to get the vial of correct medication he needed out of the bag.
"Get that dose we talked about if needed." He said with a worried sigh. Hector put him on speaker.
"Working on it. Trying. We are in a truck and it's dark. Man, this one is the worst one I have seen. She's not coming out of it for nothin." He said, frantically drawing up the medication.
"Kaidyn, it's okay. Can you talk to me? It's not real, Kaidyn." The voice on the other end said with deep concern and with nothing but calmness.
"It's very real! They shot me. They killed her." Kaidyn sobbed.
"Yes, a long time ago. You need to wake up and look around, Kaidyn. Come on, Kaidyn. KAIDYN. Come on, come back to the truck. You are in a flashback." He tried to coax her out of it.
"They shot Shayde." She cried. "They shot her." She said, tears flowing down her face."They shot my whole world." She sobbed, her heart breaking.
"You are breaking my heart, lil one. Oh my god, Hector. How is that med coming?" He asked, shocked she wasn't coming out of this.
"I can't live without her. I can't. I won't. I don't know why they did it. Why? Please tell me why." She screamed, rocking back and forth. She tried to get up and hit her head on the ceiling of the cab.
"It was a flashback, baby. You are okay. I promise you are okay." The voice soothed.
"No, nothing is okay." She gasped for air, trying to grab her throat. "It is not okay at all." She sobbed, shaking her head. "I can't...breathe…" She screamed, sweat still pouring down her face. She saw Hector drawing up a needle and she scooted back on the bed, away from him.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME." She yelled, cowering in the corner of the semi's bed. She was starting to shake. "GET AWAY. Please. GO AWAY." She sobbed.
"A lil help, man." Hector said, trying to plan his next move to get this done without causing more panic for her. "Talk more." he requested. "She can see me now. Talk more." Hector ordered.
"Kaidyn, come back to us. It's a flashback. I need you to wake up. Shayde's okay." The voice promised. "Come on, deep breath, Kaidyn. You got this. Deep breath." He said, his tone so even and relaxed, she looked around as if she just realized where she really was.
"I can't breathe." She gasped, looking around as though she was lost.
"Keep going, it's helping." Hector said, almost ready to corner her. He finished drawing up the medication and nodded with satisfaction as he scooted closer to her.
"Kaidyn, do you remember talking to me earlier?" The voice asked.
"I'm so scared." She said as her teeth chattered, wrapping her arms around her knees that were now drawn up to her chin.
"Kaidyn, do you remember our talk earlier? Come on, deep breaths." The voice coaxed.
"Yes, I think so." She said, her breath slowing a bit. She was shaking now and her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was rocking. Tears poured down her face.
"What would Shay say to do, Kaidyn?" He asked, quietly and very calmly, using her name to keep her attention and in the present.
"Count to five and find five things that are around me." She swallowed, her mouth dry.
"Good, let's do that, okay?" He asked. "Come on, I can't hear you." he said, coaxing her in an even tone. "Count with me, please?" he asked as she began to sob again.
"One...Two….It was so real." She put her hands over her eyes and shook her head. She held her head. "Make it go away. Please. I can see her laying there." She started to breathe heavy again and sob. "The blood is warm and sticky. I can't do this. I can't say goodbye to her. I can't lose her." Kaidyn shook her head, starting to sweat again.
"Kaidyn, focus on me. You remember me right? Not yet, right? Come on, Kaidyn. You can keep calm. I know you can." He promised, trying to shift her focus, making her look around again.
"Why do you sound so familiar? Why can't I remember you?" She asked in a sob, her throat tight like it was closing up. "Why?" She asked, hitting the bed in frustration and trying hard to remember.
"Hey, let's not be too hard on ourselves, okay? Deep breaths. We got time to figure this out. Everything is fine. Everything will be okay." The voice promised.
"Noooo, nothing is okay. You don't even understand. Nothing is ever going to be okay." She shook her head.
"You are safe and everything is fine. Hector wants to give you a hug for me, can he do that? Would that be okay?" he asked, his voice still calm and even.
"I don't want a hug." She cried. "I want Shayde." She whimpered with a low cry. "I want me and Shayde to leave Florida. Pleaseseeeeeeeee." She cried.
"Come on, Chica. Let me hug you. I"ll play with your hair just like you like, how about that?" Hector asked, the needle behind his back.
"Why can't I remember, Hector? Why don't I know him? Why'd Shayde get shot? What's wrong with me?" She asked, looking Hector in the eye. He pulled her into a gentle hug and injected her in the arm with the medicine.
"Nothing's wrong with you, baby. It's the choices others made and it is all going to be okay. I promise. Everything will soon be fine." he promised in a low voice as he got closer to her.
"OWWW." She rubbed her arm, whimpering quietly, looking at him like he had betrayed her for a moment. She buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed.
"There, everything's gonna be just fine, Kaidyn. Why don't you get some rest now? Keep slow breathing. No more bad flashbacks." The voice promised.
"Please make them stop." She begged.
"Hector just took them all away." The voice promised.
"I'm scared." She tried to keep talking but couldn't say anything else as Hector played with her hair, her eyes rolled back in her head. She tried to open her eyes once more and tried to talk, grabbing Hector's arm.
"Shhh, count to five for me." the voice on the phone requested. Her body finally relaxed and her eyes closed, making Hector thankful it was over.
"We're all good now." Hector breathed a huge sigh of relief. "That was one of the worst ones yet, Holmes. Not good." He sighed.
"You think her talking with me triggered this?" The voice asked, sounding concerned.
"No, this has been happening more and more. They just seem to be getting worse. Her memory's worse with real time stuff too. I don't know, it's just all worse. Shayde was keeping it on the downlow. That's why she has been so tired and worn out. It's gotten pretty crazy lately." Hector informed him.
"Wonder why she hasn't told me." The voice asked, clearly perplexed by this information.
"She didn't want you to worry. She knows how you are and you know she's always being watched." Hector replied.
"She's remembering the past quicker than they said she would. You need to let Shayde know that as soon as you can." the voice said, sounding worried now.
"We're almost to our destination. I'll let her know." Hector promised. "She started as soon as we hit that state line, if that isn't some weird coincidence, I don't know what is." Hector shook his head.
"That is one hell of a coincidence for sure." The voice agreed. "Can you please give my girl back her phone, would you?" The voice said, making Hector roll his eyes.
"Yeah, will do." Hector agreed. "Sorry I took it from her. I just know she needed her sleep and she would give up sleep if she had the chance to talk with you." Hector explained.
"Makes sense. Yes, she needs her sleep and all the rest she can get before she steps in the ring for this crazy bullshit that is about to go down." The voice agreed.
"Yeah, that was my thinking too." Hector grinned, glad they were on the same page.
"Hector, thanks for keeping them safe. Please call me back if you need anything or I can help in any way. I hope she will be able to keep me posted but if she can't, can you please?" he asked, feeling bad he couldn't be there.
"Of course." Hector promised, holding Kaidyn and rocking her gently.