Reign of Fire: Rising from the Ashes
Chapter Twelve- Lies
Kayleigh sat in Creedy's room waiting for him to return after putting the kids to bed. Her plan was working well so far, after her and Holly had had their "talk" she hadn't seen hide nor hair of her. Now it was time to start phase two, she was gonna enjoy this bit the most. OK, so she was slightly deviating from the original plan but it was about time she did something for herself. After all she had spent the past few years doing what Mark and the others told her to; and that wasn't going to secure her future. Luckily they understood when she told them what she was planning, if it also meant that it prevented Holly from foiling their plans then it was fine by them. So she set to work. Pinching her cheeks to look flushed, Kayleigh bit her lip to make her eyes well with tears. Right on cue, Creedy came in.
"Alright lass, how can I help you this evening?" He chuckled.
Kayleigh turned to look at him, tears pouring down her cheeks. Flooded with concern he rushed to her side and enveloped her in hug.
"What's happened luv!"
"It's nothing don't worry," she sniffed.
"It obviously is something, what's upset you?" He coaxed.
"I was just trying to be nice." She burst into tears.
"Nice to whom love? I'm afraid your not making much sense..."
"She was so mean, the things she said. I don't understand what I have done for her to hate me so!"
"Are you talking about Holly?" Creedy prayed she wasn't.
She nodded. Oh dear God, now what is it this time.
"What did she say to you." He commanded, Creedy felt anger begin to build up inside him. Curse your temper Holly Matthews!
"She said I must be stupid to end up getting raped. She said I'd better leave soon 'cos she didn't like me being in her castle and that if I didn't do as she said...she threatened me." Kayleigh wailed into Creedy's shoulder.
He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. Rocking her back and forth he tried to restrain himself. It didn't sound like Holly to say such things but then she had changed a lot in the last few days. He didn't know what to believe any more; Holly had seemed to kind and compassionate when she first arrived, but Kayleigh didn't seem the type to cry without a good reason.
"You get in the bed and try to get some rest, I'll be back in a minute."
"Where are you going?"
"To have a chat with Holly."
"Oh no! Don't! I don't want her to think I made you go." She pleaded.
"I need to have a chat with her anyway." He kissed her gently on the lips, "I won't be long."
"OK" she smiled meekly at him.
Creedy charged into Holly's room and practically threw the girl off her bed and against the wardrobe.
"What the fuck are you doing!" she screamed at him in shock.
"Answers first, questions later love. What the fuck were you thinking!" he replied.
"What are you going on about? How dare you barge into my room like this, I could have been butt naked!"
The thought stirred his mind pleasantly for the briefest of moments, before he shook it off and narrowed his eyes at her.
"What was I gonna do? You made her cry with your horrible remark- and then there is the threat. She told me everything Holly!"
A cold hand gripped her heart and her face turned a sickly shade of grey, a thing Creedy could only interpret as a sign of her guilt. Oh no, please, no don't let her have told him! Steadying her legs she tried to remain cool.
"Kayleigh? I should have guessed she'd try something like this."
"That's what she said you'd say."
"So what is it I've been charged with doing this time?"
"You know what you said- that she was stupid for getting raped. And then threatening her to get out of the castle. How could you Holly? You don't know what she has been through." His voice was softer than before- he was really hurt himself.
"And I imagine you do?" She hissed. Creedy faltered, truth was he didn't know much about Kayleigh at all. He actually knew more about Holly than Kayleigh, it was only because Kayleigh never wanted to talk about her past that he assumed she had had a terrible life. All of a sudden he felt more confused than ever.
"Look Holly," he said suddenly rubbing her shoulders gently where he had pushed her against the wardrobe so hard, "I don't understand what you have against Kayleigh, I don't think I ever will. But this hostility, this frankly cruel behaviour towards her has to stop."
"What! Creedy, I might be hostile in a sense but I just can't go around trusting people I have just met because they seem unfortunate. My behaviour has never been cruel towards her, or anyone. If you knew me as well as you claim you do then you would know that I only put up my guard if I feel threatened in anyway- but you don't. So go back to your girl, after all she is the one that has been suffering so terribly right?" She pulled away from him only to be thrust back into her former position against the furniture.
"...are you jealous?"
"Don't flatter yourself..." Holly spat, Yes I am! More than anything, but how am I supposed to tell you that?
"I might have been hurt about what happened between us and that it obviously meant nothing to you but at least I can say that I'm not using it as some fuel to aid a random and pointless vendetta against a girl I don't even care about."
"I didn't mean to hurt you Holly. But lass, you're so hard to understand, tell me what I am supposed to do? How can I help you?"
"I don't want your help damn it! I don't want your pity, or your understanding and I certainly don't want your little sympathetic kisses!" I just want you and all of you, your heart, your soul and your strong arms around me telling me I'll be OK, for someone to love me wholly and completely- is that too much to ask for? Doesn't everyone deserve true love, even a freak like me?
"Holly..." Creedy could see the despair in her eyes, his frustration at her and her inability to let him in rising.
"No get out Creedy! I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Creedy just stood there, frozen, watching her as she fended off her emotions. I really have hurt her...
"Fine, then I'll leave." He grabbed at her again, but his attempt was half hearted and she slipped through his grasp disappearing out of the castle.
The sun had gone down many hours before but it didn't bother Holly, she just trudged through the mud to the gate. She needed to get out for awhile, away from everyone and the castle.
She walked up the road, letting the cold air and silence wash away her problems. Holly found a slope to sit on that was out of sight from the road, but still close enough so she could see it. Pulling the Beretta out of her boot she checked the magazine- it was full. Well if I get attacked at least I'm armed, she fiddled with the gun, staring out around her, keeping alert.
Holly wasn't sure when it was that she had dozed off on the slope but she was damn cold and stiff when she woke. She groaned as her ligaments snapped in protest at being stretched so suddenly after lying on the cold, damp ground for so long. Just as she was about to stand at full height the sight of a person trudging along the road away from the castle. That's odd, who is that? She squinted in the early morning light, recognising the man as one of the refugees, Mark. He wasn't overly tall and his wiry frame underneath too large clothes as well as his flame red hair made it easy to figure out who he was. Where is he going? If he's leaving shouldn't the others be with him? Frowning, Holly kept low and walked in the opposite direction, back to where he was coming from. She wouldn't dwell on it now, she had to find a way of getting through the six or so months for Alex and the baby's sakes.
As she came back through the gate the first sight she was greeted with was that of Alex frantically talking to Eddie. Walking silently up to the pair she listened in to Alex's panicked rambling.
"If you see her come back please come and get me!"
"Everything OK?" Holly asked, her hands shoved deep into her combat pockets.
"Holly!" Alex shouted jumping onto the confused young woman hugging her tightly.
"Where have you been! No one had seen you since last night and I couldn't find you this morning- are you all right? You're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I needed to get out for a while that's all."
"But you've been gone all night!"
"I do that when I need to think sometimes." Alex seemed slightly assured by that.
"But I am starving and I need to change out of these damp clothes."
"I'm setting you up for a hot bath, you're supposed to see me through labour remember? I need you to stay alive a bit longer!"
Holly smirked at Alex's motherly cares, but couldn't deny the idea of a rare hot bath was too tempting to pass on.
Not much later the bath was steaming away, making her tiny room look even smaller. It was basically the tub and the bed right next to it, on which Alex had now comfortable settled herself, looking up at Holly expectantly.
"Jump in girlfriend, don't want it getting cold now, do you?"
Holly looked worriedly at Alex, uncomfortable to undress in front of a stranger once again.
"Oh, right…" Understanding, Alex closed the door completely and locked it.
Satisfied, Holly quickly dropped her clothes to the floor before tiptoeing her way into the old wooden barrel that now served as a tub. Now that felt perfect. She felt her muscles clench before relaxing completely, the soap bubbles tickling against her fresh scares before popping and disappearing. Her scars…
"Alex? You didn't happen to mention your little nursing career of yesterday to anyone, did you?" The words had come out quite bitter, and Alex wasn't sure where the venom suddenly came from.
"No, of course not. I promised you that was between me and you remember? Are you saying someone knows? Did they confront you about it?" In her head it already started to dawn as to who Holly might be referring to, and she knew it was the last person she wanted to know. If only those two could see how right they were for each other.
"Kayleigh…"
Alex seemed stunned. The refugee? How would she have…"The door Holly. I pushed it back but it wasn't…I mean I didn't check if it was closed. She must have been right outside while I was working on you!"
Holly seemed to relax. It felt good to be able to trust someone. Of course she could have known Alex hadn't talked and she whipped herself mentally for even thinking it.
"I'm so sorry Holly, I should have been more careful… but what does Kayleigh want with such info?"
Holly gave her an annoyed look, like a teacher who doesn't understand why her pupil hasn't caught on yet. Another one-word sentence: "Creedy…"
"Right…so good old Creedy suddenly sparked an interest eh? Creedy and Kayleigh, who would've guessed…"
Her attempt at lightening the atmosphere went unnoticed. "Oh, so they actually aren't audible in your wing of the castle? Maybe I should talk to Quinn about moving rooms…"
"You mean they're...okaaaayy. Sorry for being just a little bit slow. Must have to do with my raging hormones, it tends to slow me down BIG time! That and I tend to fall asleep right after dinner…"
Holly looked up from her reverie at hearing the sudden softness in the older woman's voice and felt a pang of guilt at only thinking of her own problems. You agreed to stay and help her you bitch! Great assistance you are!
"Are you OK hun?"
Alex gave her a shy smile. "Yeah I think so. The idea of becoming a mum is finally setting in. Bit of a change going from choppers and machine guns to…well, a baby!"
Holly slowly rose while grabbing a towel, trying to hold on to that comfortable warmth as long as possible before the cold draft would ice her up again. She sank down next to Alex, squeezing her shoulder shortly before quickly starting to dry off.
"You'll be a fabulous mother Alex, look how well you look after me! Oh and don't forget those babies calling themselves soldiers in here, a snap of mummy Alex's fingers and they start pouting!"
"Thank you" she hugged Holly once again, looking a lot more relieved.
She allowed herself to fall back against the pillow as Holly quickly started to dress. "So what do we do with Kayleigh, I mean, did she confront you with her information? Is she threatening you, or just playing the good old blackmail game?"
Holly didn't immediately answer, reluctant to tell Alex all that had been happening between Kayleigh and her from the girl's arrival. Alex however needed only to put one and one together and reminded herself of her earlier thought: Holly would die of shame if Creedy came to know of her secret and that gave a certain young lady a lot of power over her.
"Let's just say I have good reasons to believe her to have a very interesting agenda. One that includes more appointments than simply her nocturnal ones with Creedy…"
The memory of the two of them in bed made her nauseous once more and she started to wonder who the pregnant lady in between the two of them really was.
"And the fact that the very guy who allegedly saved her from her rapists snuck out of the castle in the dead of dawn just now, doesn't really silence my brain either…"
"You mean Mark? Kayleigh says he got jealous of her and Creedy and decided to move on…"
"At four in the morning? Why not just wait till after breakfast then? Maybe he'd hoped no one would notice him gone in the crowds…"
The woman stood pensive for a while, not sure what to do or who to tell.
"OK, I get what you're trying to say, and I trust your judgement. Lord knows it saved us all on more than one occasion. And that's more than I can say from little miss goody! I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you and see what I can establish with Quinn, OK? Now lets get you some food."