Chapter 3: No Forgiveness, Not Forgetting
"How can you forgive him?"
Tom stood across the room watching his young wife fling her clothes carelessly into the suitcase lying on the bed. They were leaving that afternoon from his mother's house in Philadelphia. Tom's father wasn't a very good person as he had always been a heavy drinker for many years, and also dished out physical abuse to his wife and two sons. Tom had visited his father on this trip. All the anger and resentment he had pent up inside for so many years was lifted with three life changing words.
"Because it was the right thing to do."
Tess gritted her teeth, eyes flaming. "Forgiveness isn't something you should throw around lightly."
Tom sighed, and shook his head. "Are you saying forgiveness is only for people who deserve it?" They'd had these types of discussions before. Tess was always a stubborn nut to crack. She was set in her ways and that was final. He loved her dearly and wanted nothing more than to make her happy, but there were some things that he refused to compromise with her about and his faith in God was one of them.
"Then what would be the point? We wouldn't have our salvation if we were not forgiven first."
Tess cupped her forehead in her hand as if to ward of an incoming headache while she rested the other hand on her hip. "Don't start with me on the whole Bible-God-Jesus issue again."
"As long as I live, I'll never stop talking about my faith."
"Where did it get you, Tom?" She asked out loud.
Tess stared down at the wallet size picture between her fingers containing a photo of her and Tom before they were wed. During their senior trip to New York City, he had brought her to an authentic boardwalk on Long Island. She spotted an automatic photo booth, and literally dragged him over to it. They both carried the pictures in their wallet of that special moment; Tess carrying the one with her laying a kiss on his cheek, Tom carrying the one where they both stuck their tongues out. That picture went down with him in the plane never to be seen again.
"Where did forgiving your father get you?" she asked the picture. "He's still alive and kicking over in Philadelphia, but you're dead and buried. It was pointless."
A white flash caught her eye. She quickly glanced over her shoulder. "Crap!" Lisa had gotten into her car and drove away from her home without Tess noticing. She turned the key in the ignition, shifted the car into gear, and pulled out down the road to catch up with Lisa.
She'd tracked Lisa for over a week now keeping an eye on where she went and who she met with. It wasn't until Tess caught a glimpse of Rippner a day prior lounging around the Lux Atlantic that she instantly became alarmed and went into action. Lisa was in danger, and she had to get to her before Rippner did.
Lisa drove a few miles down the highway before turning off into a neighborhood of moderate townhouse apartments. She turned to the right passed several houses until pulling into a driveway behind another car. She recognized the white Buick as the red headed girl's who worked the front desk at the Lux. Lisa climbed out of her car with a bottle in her hand, and walked to the front door.
Something was off though. The way the door came open on its own accord and Lisa's reaction caused an alarm bell to sound in Tess' mind. A minute passed then suddenly a light like a television flickered, and she could see a figure walking toward it. What she saw next made the hair on the back of her neck bristle in fear. Another figure appeared seeming taller and well built. She gripped the door handle, unconsciously grabbing her licensed hand gun from under the driver's seat.
She slowly approached the townhouse from where her car was parked across the street. Screams rang out inside the townhouse, and in an instantly Tess was on her cell phone dialing 911. She dashed to the front door; gun raised in one hand, phone raised to her ear in the other.
"911 dispatch," a woman's voice answered.
"There is a man attacking a woman in townhouse 8 in Palm Tree Estates off Hwy. 41. Hurry! I think he may try to kill her!"
"The police are on their way, ma'am."
Tess slammed the phone shut, sliding it back in its cradle hanging from her waistband. A struggle was going on inside now. She reached for the door handle only to find it locked. "Damn it!" She banged her palm on the door fruitlessly. She pressed her ear to the door, but found that the commotion had come to a halt. Panic flooded over her body, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She ran to the front window in two strides, but couldn't see anything save for the dim light of the television illuminating the room.
Without thinking, Tess slammed the butt of her gun into window shattering it all over her skin and the living room floor. Shards of glass scraped the flesh on her arms, but she ignored the stings of pain. She had to find a way inside or at least cause a distraction to stop Rippner from his devious plot. She knew it was risky without a definitive plan for he was by far much stronger then she was but every second she hesitated could make the difference in life or death.
She barely noticed the sounds of sirens coming up the street as she pounded away the remaining glass from the frame. A large enough hole was finally made, and she crawled carefully through it, being cautious not to touch the jagged edges sticking up from the bottom of the window.
The broken glass crunched under her shoes. She hurried across the living room making a beeline for the stairs.
"Looking for me?" a menacing voice crooned. Tess spun around, the gun gripped tightly in both hands aimed towards the kitchen doorway. There stood Rippner, smug and arrogant; an unconscious Lisa pressed against him, his hand around her waist. Tess' eyes grew wide at the sight, and it took all her strength to keep the gun from shaking.
"You leave her alone, Rippner," growled Tess through gritted teeth. "I will kill you."
The sirens were closing the distance. Rippner laughed mockingly. "Revenge is thine, huh, Tess?" He shifted Lisa to the front of him as if she were a shield. "I'd love to stick around, but you just had to spoil our fun. We'll pick this up later."
In a flash, he threw Lisa towards Tess causing Tess to drop the gun and catch the unconscious woman. Catching her, she carefully set Lisa down on the floor then snatched the gun up again to pursue Rippner, adrenaline coursing through her but he had already disappeared from the apartment.
"Damn bastard," she muttered as she knelt by Lisa's side. "Lisa!" She patted the woman's cheek and finally saw her eyes flutter. "It's Tess Connolly. You're safe now. Rippner is gone. The police are here."
Lisa moaned then sluggishly touched her forehead. "Cynthia," she croaked out, her voice raspy from being choked. "Jackson hurt her. She needs help."
Tess' face fell. She had completely forgotten about the other girl in the apartment. "Don't worry. The ambulance will be here in a few minutes. She'll be taken care of."
Tears began to flow down Lisa's cheeks as she trembled violently "He hurt her so badly, Tess. She can't feel her legs." She moaned. "What have I done?" Her voice was a whisper.
What have I done? Tess remembered asking herself the same question when she had heard the news of her husband's death. It was that very question that propelled her rage keeping her focused on the ultimate objective of taking Rippner's life.
She immediately put her arms around Lisa in the attempt to comfort the shaken woman. "Nothing Lisa. Rippner did this. Remember that...above everything else remember who truly is to blame."
The police and paramedics entered the room and the evening became a blur to Tess as she continued to sit on the floor clinging to Lisa's hand refusing to relinquish her last chance to finally avenge her husband's death.
