Chapter 2 – Safe House
Authors note: I made up a place called Hillside County in New Jersey; I don't even know if there is even a place called that, but hey if there is, what a coincidence! I hope you enjoy the second chapter.
Also I apologize for the long wait on the second chapter.
Alex POV
A week later…
We arrived at the safe house not long after midday; it was a very ordinary town Hillside County, a very quiet town that no one seemed to live in. As we arrived some people turned and stared as if we were from another planet. Maybe we were since we came from New York and we were used to the rush and noise. This town was like a ghost town, a couple of people here and there but no noise traffic just silence.
"This is gonna be a long day," I muttered as I got out of the car. The house was a little run down, probably more than my apartment, although I did live in Queens. Bobby and I got all our boxes of clothes and some personal stuff. Deakins definitely didn't make anything up. The place was beautiful inside, the kitchen shined like a piece of jewellery first hand made. I smiled as I caught a glimpse of Bobby. He seemed to be checking out the place. He disappeared for a while, while I unpacked some stuff for the kitchen. He appeared in the kitchen when I was done.
"There's only on bed," he informed me.
"And the problem is…?" I teased him.
"Nothing, I like it," he grinned at me, childishly. "Just the way I like it," he added, quietly. I threw my hand book at him that I always carried around with me during investigations but he caught mid air and threw it back on the bench. Then our eyes lingered for a moment. I saw the love in his eyes that made me go all warm inside.
"So..." he started smiling.
Then the doorbell rang. Bobby and I exchanged annoying glances; before we left Deakins days ago he said to make up names when we met anyone in Hillside. Deakins chose my name to be Andrea and Bobby's to be Brad. Jesus, how original can you get? And apparently our last name is Jackson, another original name. Anyway I answered the door to find a woman smiling so wide it looked like her teeth were gonna fall out and her husband with the same expression planted on his face.
"Hey, there neighbour," she cried out and hugged me. Oh god, I thought. Bobby joined me with the couple at the door with me.
"Hey there neighbour," her husband said in the exact same tone as his wife, which seemed sort of strange to me. Bobby just smiled.
"Were we interrupting anything?" the man asked looking around. I just laughed.
"No, nothing important," I answered, half-wishing they were gone. Bobby smiled at me, he knew we were gonna have a very long talk tonight.
"Hi, we're the Johnson's, Maggie and Heath, we live next door," Maggie Johnson grinned and elbowed her husband, he grinned as well.
"Thank, god someone fresh has come in this town," she said cheerfully. "Glad to finally has someone new around here," she laughed.
"Would you like to come to Hillside's Cookout tonight with us to meet the rest of the town?" Heath asked a glint of hope was in his eyes.
"Sure, we haven't got anything planned honey, don't we?" Bobby asked, in his Brad voice. I knew he enjoyed planning a married person.
"I don't think so, sugar," I answered, sliding my arm around his waist. "We will be there," I added, making my hand slide down his shirt and near his jeans. In response his hand appeared near my waist. Maggie and Heath gave us a great smiles and goodbyes and headed to their house across the street. When I closed the door and gave Bobby a big grin. Now our little talk can finally begin.
We arrived at the cookout with welcoming faces. A lot our age but most of them seemed friendly. Most of adults had children running around like swarming bees in a park. We saw Maggie and Heath standing near the barbeque both of them grinning in excitement they ran over to us, like seeing us for the first time.
They dragged us to every couple and family and introduced us to them. One old man commented on me and wished he was my age again so he could see if I would date me.
It made me a bit uncomfortable but Bobby was right beside me.
He loved playing husband and wife, a game that maybe be played for the rest of our lives. Anyway, in an hour we met every person including pets occasionally even some toys on the way.
Dinner was served in half an hour and I was glad to finally meet new people instead of the same people every day at MCS. Maggie dragged me over to where the women were all sitting drinking wine. I didn't really feel like wine but I only had a quarter of the glass anyway. I saw Bobby having a beer with all the men, no matter what I thought of anything I always thought of Bobby.
"Your husband handsome," a voice interrupted my little daydream. I turned to see one of the women I met; I think her name was Julie Michaels.
"Umm…sure is," I agreed and sipped my wine. Julie smiled at me and asked me where I got transferred from. I told her my given background that Deakins wrote down for me. After I told her she gave me a questioning look that made me a bit uncomfortable. I smiled and changed the subject on her before she could protest.
Third Person POV
Bobby glanced across the yard and found Alex talking to all the wives of the men, he was standing around with drinking beer. He gulped another bit of his drink and smiled at her. He saw her glance his way and she returned the smile.
"Your wife is hot," a voice interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the voice and realized it was John Michaels. "Just as hot as mine, though," he added, grinning at Bobby. Bobby laughed and drank a bit more of his beer.
"Don't worry Brad, we don't blame you to keep checking on her," Heath reassured him. "She's a pretty little thing," he told him. Bobby cringed at the word little; he knew Alex wouldn't like people describing her that way.
"I met her in the park, walking my dog," Bobby answered.
"Cute," one of the guys commented.
"I didn't see her coming and I pretty much smashed into her and spilled coffee all over clothes," Bobby told them, it was a lame story but he had to make up some sort of story so they could shut up about Alex.
"So how long?" John asked. Bobby got caught off guard by the question.
"How long what…?"
"Have you been married silly," he answered, laughing. "What do you think I asked, how long do you masturbate over her or something?" Bobby just laughed; he sure as hell didn't answer that personal question, a bit too personal for him.
"Oh, two years," Bobby answered, a bit embarrassed by the mistake he made by the question.
"You two seem like your still newlyweds by the way you act," Heath commented, firmly. John Michaels kept staring at Bobby. There was something different about him that he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Sometimes it still feels like we're just married," he joked. The men laughed around him. John made a laughing sound but still didn't believe the whole story about him and Andrea being married for two years. Of course they came from the city why would they be a bit different, there used to noise and traffic. Hillside County was a very quiet and small town with hardly any traffic or noise. But still John wanted to keep his radar on Brad Jackson to see who he really was or what he was up to.
Alex's POV
I was getting annoyed about Julie Michaels staring at me all the time. She was starting to get on my nerves pretty quickly, and that's first for any stranger, including her. I tried to talk to Maggie without getting just a shiver down my spine but I knew she was still staring.
Three hours later everyone was almost gone expect for us, the Michaels and Johnson's and still another family with us. Maggie kept talking about some place at childcare centre that I will love to work at since I like children.
"So…would we be seeing any little tots around anytime soon?" Maggie asked, out of the blue, while the rest of us were sitting around a small fire Heath made. I glanced across the fire at Bobby and he just smiled.
"Maybe…could be any day now," I answered, returning the smile. Bobby nodded. Maggie clapped her hands in joy.
"You'll love the experience," Maggie assured me.
"I thought…?"
"No, they're all grown up and left home," she interrupted me. I just nodded before I said anything else stupid. Everyone else would have had kids by now apart from me. That's including being a surrogate mother as well. Julie kept staring at me again, this time with a sort of anger in her eyes. I glanced at the clock and saw it was half-past eleven.
"Hey, Brad honey lets go home and get some sleep we need to get up early," I told him, getting up, Bobby followed.
"Bye everyone, nice meeting you all," I called out as we got closer to the car. Bobby and I got in and drove off. Bobby kept staring at me all the way to our safe house. It was weird I felt like a criminal the way he was staring at me.
"Why are you staring at me like that for?" I teased as we pulled up to the safe house.
"Wondering how in the hell I got a beautiful woman to love me," he answered, grinning. I laughed.
"Just by being you," I replied, thoughtfully and jumped out of the car with him. He came beside me as we walked up to the safe house and Bobby put his arm around my shoulders. My head automatically leaned on his arm, like we were a married couple, it certainly felt it. Anyway I got the keys out of my bag and opened the door and we kissed, just a soft sweet kiss and locked the front door.
The first day at the Lifeline Centre was fun. Maggie volunteered there three times a week and I met most of women and men at the barbeque. Everyone was curious how good Bobby was in bed, I felt a bit harassed about them asking that personal question. I told them at least half of things me and Bobby have actually done.
After lunch I was putting clothes away and sorting them out when a little boy came up to me, he looked like he was about to cry. His blond hair was creamy, yellow colour and his eyes were a deep green that seemed to have the word innocent written all over them.
"Hello, are you lost?" I asked him, motherly; I knelt down to get to his height, as I know how to approach kids in cases if they were daughters' or sons' of the criminals or the dead.
"He-he," he sobbed. His eyes suddenly widened in fear, looking behind me and I saw a man walking towards us. I stood up as if I were a wall between the man and the boy. As I turned to look, the little boy hid behind me. Suddenly the man glared at me in rage and disgust.
"C'mon son, don't be a little sulk," he said in a half-angry, half-sweet tone. I certainly didn't like the tone of his voice.
"Is this your son?" I asked, in curiosity and in deep concern of the little boy clinging to me like a life boat.
"What do you think?" he retorted to me, he roughly pulled the little boy off me, I realized his clothes weren't in the best of shape, the mans clothes looked brand new from what I saw or washed more often than his sons'.
They stalked away without saying another word to anyone and disappeared down the street. I didn't know what to do or to think. I wanted to run after the jerk and the boy but I was not on duty as a police officer. I was a normal loving wife, just helping out the community, playing the stubborn wife who is into everything that she sees. Well, I knew what shit I was gonna cause if I arrested him for what he was doing to that poor boy. I decided to tell Bobby when I finally got home.
I opened the door to see Bobby with that woman named Julie Michaels and her husband John as well.
"Hello, Andrea, you're home early," Bobby commented, smiling at me. I felt like a dear caught in the headlights the way Julie was looking at me. I felt like I invaded their whole conversation with me walking in.
"The Michaels if they wanted to have dinner with them," Bobby told me.
"We'll love too," I answered, giving him the same smile he did before. Julie seemed to be staring at me again. God, can't she get over the staring already, I thought angrily. Even John seemed to be staring at me now. What did Bobby tell them? I thought anxiously, it made me even angrier that they both kept staring at me like they were in some sort of trance. Julie and John stood up and said goodbye and told us to meet them at their house at seven o'clock, which was in a couple of hours.
"So, did they come in and or did you invite them?" I asked, when they left.
"They were outside the front door when I got home," Bobby answered, packing away the dishes on the table.
"So how was your first day?" he asked me, turning around to face me.
"I think we have a problem," I told him.
"What?"
"I saw a little boy getting treated really badly today, I think he was being abused," I told him. "We have to do something," I added, angrily.
"You know we can't," Bobby told me. "We're not Bobby and Alex from the NYPD; we are Brad and Andrea Jackson from a little town in Ohio, ok?" I glared at him, but he was right. We weren't Alex and Bobby from NYPD; we were Andrea and Bard from Ohio. God, I hated not having my badge on me anymore, I felt like I was naked without it. I needed my gun to make me feel safe again. I know, I know I wanted to get the little boy safe but we couldn't we'll blow our cover quickly. Maybe, I will just be patient and go to the stupid dinner with the Michaels.
We arrived at the Michaels with a huge greeting from both of them. I brought over a soda from the corner shop near us.
The front counter person was the same man I saw with the boy. I almost cried out and was tempted to ask him questions like my instincts told me to. He narrowed his eyes at me and greeted us with a happy grin, I realized he recognized when he asked me how it was working at a Lifeline Centre. I gave him the best answer I could and made Bobby hurry. I don't what the hell he was looking at but he seemed quite interested in what he was reading. I saw the cover and surprise, surprise it was porn magazine. I gave him a glare and put it back. I think he was only teasing but I still didn't like him looking at those magazines.
The Michaels made us sit down at the kitchen table and they asked if we wanted anything to drink. I took up the offer and got a glass water.
Of course Bobby got beer from John and seemed fine talking to each other. They were mostly talking about stuff that happens around Hillside. Normal things like carnivals, and concerts and charity auctions. I was only half listening when Julie asked how good was Bobby or 'Brad', as he is, in bed. I felt a bit of pressure from her as she leaned in pretty closely.
"I'll rather disclose that information," I replied, quickly, she just smirked at me like I was a dangerous person. I felt a bit pissed off as she wanted me to tell her some personal information. I wanted to punch her that but she was one of the only people actually making an effort to ask us around to invite us to there place.
By the time we had dinner everyone but me were all way off their heads, but Bobby was the worst. He was really funny when he's drunk, he started getting a little horny at times but I just laughed. When Bobby fell asleep on the couch and Julie went to bed only John and I were up. John started acting like himself again after a couple of glasses of water.
"So, you like Hillside?" John asked, with a little slur in his voice.
"Yeah, it's different," I answered, glancing at Bobby sleeping. He looked really sweet when he was sleeping, I smiled at him.
"Different…how?"
"I dunno, just a little different than Ohio, fewer farms I guess," I joked. He smiled but a smile I never saw before.
"You mean, less crime?" he asked, eyeing me, with a firm tone. It felt like he knew something about me that I didn't know. I hesitated for a few seconds. Maybe he guessed that I was a cop, shit, if he did? What would he do if I didn't mention it now?
"Yeah…that too," I answered, laughing, trying to cover up my hesitation. John seemed more serious than me.
"All towns are the same," he whispered. "You know why, because no matter where you are, no matter how hard you try to hind, they can find you," he added, staring in my eyes and reached out to grab my hand but Bobby sat up before I could answer. I felt a shiver down my spine of creepiness.
"Hey, Brad boy you're finally awake," John laughed and pulled his hand away from me. I realized he acted like nothing ever happened. I tried to look him in the eye again but he ignored me. I felt very uncomfortable around John then, he seemed he knew something about me and Bobby.
"We should go," I said and grabbed Bobby's hand and led him towards the door.
"Don't forget your bag, Andrea," John said, almost sounding like he was mocking me.
"Thanks for dinner," I called over my shoulder and led Bobby out of the house and drove home.
Nicole's POV
I stretched in my prison bed. I smiled at my jail cell mate.
"Hey, Nicole, aren't you getting out today?" her cell mate asked me.
"Sure am," I answered.
"Why?"
"They decided to let the little Australian out for the holidays," I smirked to myself. But I knew the truth. I knew they didn't have enough evidence to keep me in jail for at least six months. Bobby and Alex tried so hard to get me in jail for her but they both knew what I was up to. I heard footsteps. The woman guard came up to the door and unlocked it.
"Miss Wallace, get your stuff," she ordered me. I just smiled to myself. Now I can finally mess with the detectives' heads. I know exactly where to start first. Always go for the people they love the most. I smiled and remembered the detectives so well. They are gonna pay so bad for what they did to me.
A/N: hey, I dunno about the stuff in this chapter, so if you think anything's off…like for instance the whole farm thing…you can let me know! Please review!