Chapter 11
Kim felt herself regaining her senses. She heard the sound of Charlie next to her.
"Mommy, wake up," Charlie pleaded, tapping Kim on the shoulder. "Mommy, please," she continued as she looked across the room at the man sitting in the chair in the corner. He kept staring at her. She didn't know who he was, but she didn't like him. He hit her Grandma.
Kim was finally able to open her eyes. She reached out for her daughter and brought her closer to her. "Charlie! Are you okay, honey?" she asked, turning toward her and looking her over for any signs of injury.
She jumped at the sound of the voice coming from across the room. "She's fine. I didn't touch her," Tony said in an evil tone.
Kim started to sit up and then realized that one arm was cuffed to the bed, preventing her from sitting up all the way. She automatically pulled against the restraint as she looked to see if Charlie was restrained also. She wasn't. But, she knew that Charlie wouldn't leave her side when she was scared.
"What do you want, Tony?" Kim asked him, trying to see him in the dark. "What have you done with my mother?"
He didn't answer right away and Charlie said, "The bad man hit Grandma. She fell down."
"What? Did you hit my mother, Tony? Why?" Kim asked again, getting angry. "Is she okay?"
"She'll be fine. I didn't hit her that hard. Relax. The kid's over reacting," Tony said, downplaying what he'd done. "As for 'why,'" he said. "Well, someone has to pay for the years you took away from me. The years and my career," he sneered.
"You took those away from yourself when you almost killed my sister and Brooke, and burned down Bobby's mother's house," Kim said angrily. "Now undo these cuffs and let me take my daughter home."
"I don't think so, Kim. You see, you're the one that came back from God knows where and stuck your nose in where it didn't belong. You are the one that sent the cops after me - after one of their own - and I lost everything. EVERYTHING!" he yelled, causing Charlie to start crying as she moved behind her mother on the bed.
"It's okay, baby," Kim said, trying to soothe her daughter. "Tony, you're scaring her. Please, just let me go and I won't tell anyone where you are. You can leave and start over somewhere else," she tried to reason.
He didn't speak, just sat in the shadows, staring at her, trying to figure out his next move. He looked at his watch. They were sure to be out looking for Kim and Charlie by now. They had to figure that since they couldn't find him, he must have been the one to take them. He had to make plans to get away. The question was, should he take them with him, or finish it right here. He'd certainly be able to travel a lot easier without them, but where and how to get rid of them - that was the problem.
He suddenly realized that the bitch was talking again. "Don't you ever shut up?!" he said crossly to her, starting Charlie crying again. "And shut that brat up!" he finished, standing up and walking over to the curtains of the run down room of the low-rent motel.
Kim tried to comfort Charlie to stop her crying and prevent further agitation of Tony. "I'm sorry. She's just scared and probably hungry. Do you have to go potty?" Kim asked her daughter.
Her daughter's eyes filled with tears again as she whispered, "I already did," her face full of shame.
Kim brought her closer. "Honey, it's okay. It's not your fault. Really. It's okay."
"Can I take her into the bathroom and clean her up, please?" she asked Tony nicely. He just stared at her for a moment. He walked over to the bathroom and looked around to see if there was anything in there that Kim might use as a weapon against him. He reached in and took the glass off the vanity and motioned her in.
"Make it quick. And don't do anything stupid," he warned her.
"Thank you," Kim said as she led her daughter past the angry man and into the bathroom. She started to close the door, but he stopped her.
"No way. The door stays open," he said.
"Honey, we have to leave the door open," Kim tried to explain as she reached to the towel rack and took a washcloth and towel off.
"No, Mommy. I don't want the mean man to see," Charlie said, beginning to whine a little.
"Shut her up. I'm warning you," he said, moving closer to the bathroom. Kim noticed the gun stuck in his belt just inside his shirt.
"I'm trying. Look she's tired, scared and probably hungry. Just let me close the door and get her cleaned up. Then she'll probably relax a little and fall asleep. You'll have some peace and quiet," Kim said, trying to convince him to let her close the door.
He thought for a moment, again looking around the bathroom. There was a small window up high above the shower stall, but there was no way that Kim would be able to fit through it. Finally he gave in.
"Okay. You have five minutes. If you're not done, too bad. And don't try anything stupid," he said, moving his shirt aside to make sure she saw the weapon along his waist.
She looked at the gun and then back at Tony. "I promise. I won't try anything." She ran the water to get it warm and then slowly closed the door. She hugged her daughter again and began washing her up. She whispered in her ear that she be very quiet.
She looked up at the window. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to get Charlie out of here. She reached up and unlatched the window and opened it slowly, hoping that the old window wouldn't squeak. She looked around outside the window and saw the lights of an all-night gas station just down the side of the building. She looked back at her daughter and made a decision to take a chance.
She got down and heard Tony's voice on the other side of the door. "Time's up!" he yelled through the door. Kim was just finishing up cleaning Charlie up and forming her plan in her head. But, was she brave enough to put it into action?
"Tony, please, just a couple more minutes. She had to go again and I'm just starting to clean her up now. I promise, just a couple of minutes," she said, praying that he'd give in and believe her.
"Okay, but only five more minutes," he conceded and Kim let out the breath that she was holding.
"Charlie, honey. I need you to be a brave little girl for Mommy. I can't fit through that window, but you can. Honey, I'm going to lower you out of the window and I want you to run to the building with all the pretty lights on it. Go to the person that's inside and ask them to call the police. Tell them that a bad man has your Mommy and that you need the police," she said to her daughter. She didn't really want her out of her sight, but at least she'd be away from this maniac and hopefully to a better, safer place.
"No, Mommy. I don't want to go without you. What if the bad man hurts you again?" she said to her mother.
"Charlie, you need to go there and tell them to call the police. The police will bring your Daddy with them and he'll save us," she said, trying to play on her daughter's adoration and love for her father. "But, you have to hurry," she said, rushing her but trying not to.
"Okay. I'll try," she said. Kim hugged her daughter and brought her over to the window. She put her up to the window and said, "See the building that I'm talking about?" Charlie nodded her head up and down.
"Okay, big girl. Go bring Daddy back for Mommy. I love you, Charlie. Always," she said, giving the girl a squeeze and lowering her out the window. "Run baby. Run all the way and don't stop until you get to the person inside the store," she encouraged her and watched her run down the walk.
She was startled by the sound of the door being thrown open and turned quickly to see Tony standing behind her, gun in hand, with a vicious look on his face. "Please let her make it to the store safely," she prayed to herself.
"You lying bitch! You're no better than that sister of your's," he said angrily, grabbing Kim by the arm and throwing her out of the bathroom and onto the bed.
"Well, I'll just have to teach you a lesson," he threatened as he walked over toward her, the anger on his face growing.
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Charlie ran all the way to the store, just like Kim had told her to. She looked back at the window she just left and thought she heard her mother's voice. She stepped up to the door and the automatic door opened up. She walked inside the store and up to the young man behind the register.
"Well, hello there. Where's your Mommy or Daddy?" he asked, looking around the store. He didn't see a car out at the gas pump and couldn't for the life of him figure where the little girl came from. But, he did notice that she looked frightened. "Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Mommy put me out the window and told me to come here and call the policeman. A bad man has my Mommy and the policeman has to bring my Daddy to save her," Charlie explained.
The man didn't take his eyes off the little girl. He walked over to the automatic door and locked it. He returned to Charlie, took her hand and brought her around behind the counter with him, out of sight from anyone that may be lurking outside. "You stay right here next to me," he said to her. He picked up the phone and dialed 911.
Kim felt herself regaining her senses. She heard the sound of Charlie next to her.
"Mommy, wake up," Charlie pleaded, tapping Kim on the shoulder. "Mommy, please," she continued as she looked across the room at the man sitting in the chair in the corner. He kept staring at her. She didn't know who he was, but she didn't like him. He hit her Grandma.
Kim was finally able to open her eyes. She reached out for her daughter and brought her closer to her. "Charlie! Are you okay, honey?" she asked, turning toward her and looking her over for any signs of injury.
She jumped at the sound of the voice coming from across the room. "She's fine. I didn't touch her," Tony said in an evil tone.
Kim started to sit up and then realized that one arm was cuffed to the bed, preventing her from sitting up all the way. She automatically pulled against the restraint as she looked to see if Charlie was restrained also. She wasn't. But, she knew that Charlie wouldn't leave her side when she was scared.
"What do you want, Tony?" Kim asked him, trying to see him in the dark. "What have you done with my mother?"
He didn't answer right away and Charlie said, "The bad man hit Grandma. She fell down."
"What? Did you hit my mother, Tony? Why?" Kim asked again, getting angry. "Is she okay?"
"She'll be fine. I didn't hit her that hard. Relax. The kid's over reacting," Tony said, downplaying what he'd done. "As for 'why,'" he said. "Well, someone has to pay for the years you took away from me. The years and my career," he sneered.
"You took those away from yourself when you almost killed my sister and Brooke, and burned down Bobby's mother's house," Kim said angrily. "Now undo these cuffs and let me take my daughter home."
"I don't think so, Kim. You see, you're the one that came back from God knows where and stuck your nose in where it didn't belong. You are the one that sent the cops after me - after one of their own - and I lost everything. EVERYTHING!" he yelled, causing Charlie to start crying as she moved behind her mother on the bed.
"It's okay, baby," Kim said, trying to soothe her daughter. "Tony, you're scaring her. Please, just let me go and I won't tell anyone where you are. You can leave and start over somewhere else," she tried to reason.
He didn't speak, just sat in the shadows, staring at her, trying to figure out his next move. He looked at his watch. They were sure to be out looking for Kim and Charlie by now. They had to figure that since they couldn't find him, he must have been the one to take them. He had to make plans to get away. The question was, should he take them with him, or finish it right here. He'd certainly be able to travel a lot easier without them, but where and how to get rid of them - that was the problem.
He suddenly realized that the bitch was talking again. "Don't you ever shut up?!" he said crossly to her, starting Charlie crying again. "And shut that brat up!" he finished, standing up and walking over to the curtains of the run down room of the low-rent motel.
Kim tried to comfort Charlie to stop her crying and prevent further agitation of Tony. "I'm sorry. She's just scared and probably hungry. Do you have to go potty?" Kim asked her daughter.
Her daughter's eyes filled with tears again as she whispered, "I already did," her face full of shame.
Kim brought her closer. "Honey, it's okay. It's not your fault. Really. It's okay."
"Can I take her into the bathroom and clean her up, please?" she asked Tony nicely. He just stared at her for a moment. He walked over to the bathroom and looked around to see if there was anything in there that Kim might use as a weapon against him. He reached in and took the glass off the vanity and motioned her in.
"Make it quick. And don't do anything stupid," he warned her.
"Thank you," Kim said as she led her daughter past the angry man and into the bathroom. She started to close the door, but he stopped her.
"No way. The door stays open," he said.
"Honey, we have to leave the door open," Kim tried to explain as she reached to the towel rack and took a washcloth and towel off.
"No, Mommy. I don't want the mean man to see," Charlie said, beginning to whine a little.
"Shut her up. I'm warning you," he said, moving closer to the bathroom. Kim noticed the gun stuck in his belt just inside his shirt.
"I'm trying. Look she's tired, scared and probably hungry. Just let me close the door and get her cleaned up. Then she'll probably relax a little and fall asleep. You'll have some peace and quiet," Kim said, trying to convince him to let her close the door.
He thought for a moment, again looking around the bathroom. There was a small window up high above the shower stall, but there was no way that Kim would be able to fit through it. Finally he gave in.
"Okay. You have five minutes. If you're not done, too bad. And don't try anything stupid," he said, moving his shirt aside to make sure she saw the weapon along his waist.
She looked at the gun and then back at Tony. "I promise. I won't try anything." She ran the water to get it warm and then slowly closed the door. She hugged her daughter again and began washing her up. She whispered in her ear that she be very quiet.
She looked up at the window. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to get Charlie out of here. She reached up and unlatched the window and opened it slowly, hoping that the old window wouldn't squeak. She looked around outside the window and saw the lights of an all-night gas station just down the side of the building. She looked back at her daughter and made a decision to take a chance.
She got down and heard Tony's voice on the other side of the door. "Time's up!" he yelled through the door. Kim was just finishing up cleaning Charlie up and forming her plan in her head. But, was she brave enough to put it into action?
"Tony, please, just a couple more minutes. She had to go again and I'm just starting to clean her up now. I promise, just a couple of minutes," she said, praying that he'd give in and believe her.
"Okay, but only five more minutes," he conceded and Kim let out the breath that she was holding.
"Charlie, honey. I need you to be a brave little girl for Mommy. I can't fit through that window, but you can. Honey, I'm going to lower you out of the window and I want you to run to the building with all the pretty lights on it. Go to the person that's inside and ask them to call the police. Tell them that a bad man has your Mommy and that you need the police," she said to her daughter. She didn't really want her out of her sight, but at least she'd be away from this maniac and hopefully to a better, safer place.
"No, Mommy. I don't want to go without you. What if the bad man hurts you again?" she said to her mother.
"Charlie, you need to go there and tell them to call the police. The police will bring your Daddy with them and he'll save us," she said, trying to play on her daughter's adoration and love for her father. "But, you have to hurry," she said, rushing her but trying not to.
"Okay. I'll try," she said. Kim hugged her daughter and brought her over to the window. She put her up to the window and said, "See the building that I'm talking about?" Charlie nodded her head up and down.
"Okay, big girl. Go bring Daddy back for Mommy. I love you, Charlie. Always," she said, giving the girl a squeeze and lowering her out the window. "Run baby. Run all the way and don't stop until you get to the person inside the store," she encouraged her and watched her run down the walk.
She was startled by the sound of the door being thrown open and turned quickly to see Tony standing behind her, gun in hand, with a vicious look on his face. "Please let her make it to the store safely," she prayed to herself.
"You lying bitch! You're no better than that sister of your's," he said angrily, grabbing Kim by the arm and throwing her out of the bathroom and onto the bed.
"Well, I'll just have to teach you a lesson," he threatened as he walked over toward her, the anger on his face growing.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Charlie ran all the way to the store, just like Kim had told her to. She looked back at the window she just left and thought she heard her mother's voice. She stepped up to the door and the automatic door opened up. She walked inside the store and up to the young man behind the register.
"Well, hello there. Where's your Mommy or Daddy?" he asked, looking around the store. He didn't see a car out at the gas pump and couldn't for the life of him figure where the little girl came from. But, he did notice that she looked frightened. "Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Mommy put me out the window and told me to come here and call the policeman. A bad man has my Mommy and the policeman has to bring my Daddy to save her," Charlie explained.
The man didn't take his eyes off the little girl. He walked over to the automatic door and locked it. He returned to Charlie, took her hand and brought her around behind the counter with him, out of sight from anyone that may be lurking outside. "You stay right here next to me," he said to her. He picked up the phone and dialed 911.