I want to announce the publication of my second book, Being Brave Again. You can find it on Amazon!
Gabriella sat at a steal table, somewhere in the back of police station in room dimly light space. She'd been in two integrations rooms so far and was now in what Troy had called, holding. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling numb inside. She'd woken up that morning with the intention to help out the police in any way that she could. However, the longer she sat there the more time she had to count the shadows lurking in her memories.
The federal agent had explained everything before she'd been ushered into this room and left to wait. They were going to contract Michael and trace the call. If they could pinpoint where he was then they could catch him and bring him in. And, from the look on Troy's face, she knew that all this was far from being over. But the important parts were almost done. Once Michael was caught they could be together. She'd file for divorce and then she could be with Troy. She'd do anything at this point to put this nightmare behind her, but at the moment she really just wanted to go somewhere and throw up.
She watched through the window on the door as Troy and the federal agent discussed something in the hall. She didn't know what was going on, and she knew better than to ask. Things were different at the station. Troy was always nice; he never got too close, constantly afraid he might give off the wrong impression. Sometimes during his brief visits she'd catch him studying her as if he wanted to say something, but he never said it. And neither did she.
For a moment her vision blurred as she tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. She wanted him so bad. It was the craziest feeling she'd ever felt about anyone. She just wanted to crash into him, to give into loving him all over again with no secrets. And at the same time she was terrified because her only experiences of love this far were all tragic.
Her mind kept running over all the things she learned so far about her husband since the last time she seen him. Things they told her about Herman, his daughter and that Michael had offered the girl protection in return for the job he asked Herman to do. The thought of that job made her shift in her chair. Knowing that Herman was only doing what he had to, to keep his daughter alive didn't earn her forgiveness or understanding for the things he'd done.
It did, however make this whole situation more tragic for everyone involved.
Bringing the crumpled up tissue to her nose, she gently wiped away a small sniffle. The last time since she had seen her husband felt like years rather than two months. She spent so much time running and constantly being afraid that she couldn't believe there would ever be an end to it. She kept thinking about Troy. About Jack. Odd, how she'd grown to love that man, a surrogate father of sorts. Although he wasn't really anything like her father.
And that house. She had absolutely no idea what to do about that house. Surely her father had the best of intentions when he left it for her, but she wasn't all that sure she'd need it. She couldn't see herself living there, not with the memory of finding Betty's body in her backyard. She couldn't see herself feeling safe there.
The door opened and she looked up to see Jack sneaking inside. Pushing the door shut behind him as he looked back at her and smiled. "How are you holding up Chicago?"
"Something tells me you're not supposed to be here Jack?"
"Yeah, well they can kiss my ass," he said walking towards her. "What's going on?"
"They want me to testify against my husband."
"You know you don't have to do anything you don't want to, despite the jackass in the suit and tie." Jack wet his lips before scratching the back of his head, "Seriously the F.B.I is just a factious bunch of Idiots if you ask me."
"I know," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "But, what's he going to do? Send a hit man to kill me?" her laugh didn't quite reach her eyes as she looked down at her glass of water.
Jack let out sigh as he pulled out a chair at the table and sat down, "Don't take my advice. Or anyone's advice. Trust yourself. For good or for bad, happy or unhappy, it's your life, and what you do with it has always been entirely up to you."
Gabriella smiled at him knowingly as she glanced at the door, "I get the feeling there's a lot more behind that statement than just what's going on here."
Jack tilted his head as he motioned behind him, "The two of you are breaking an old man's heart," he murmured quietly. "Not to mention the wife, she really wants grandbabies."
"Oh come on Jack, we both know you don't have a heart," Gabriella said jokingly as she reached out a hand placing it on top of his.
They exchanged laughs for a moment before silence consumed them again.
"The truth is," Gabriella said, "the world isn't easy for either of us. It never has been and it never will be. What do think is going to happen if I stay here?"
"You've never been just someone he loved back then. You were his best friend, his best self, and I can't imagine that the two of you would just give that up again." He hesitated searching for the right words. "You might not understand, but take it from an old man. You two were made for each other."
"Dad?" Troy held the door open, his eyes wide with annoyance as he placed a hand angrily on his hip. "I told you to wait in my office."
"Ah shit," Jack mumbled as he let go of Gabriella's hand. "Be cool," he whispered as he winked in her direction.
Gabriella couldn't help the laughter from festering up inside her as Jack made his way out of the room. Troy shut the door behind him a folder in his hand as he approached the empty chair his father had been sitting in.
"I swear," he shook his head as he tossed the folder on the table. "He acts like he owns the place."
"He's only trying to help," Gabriella comforted.
"Right," Troy huffed as he took a seat and opened the folder, "How are you doing?"
Gabriella shrugged as she un-crumbled and re-crumbled the tissue in her hands. "How long do I have to keep him on the phone?"
"Not long at all," Troy said quietly, "In the digital age, it's immediate, as soon as the call is placed; it can be tracked and traced to where it is being originated."
"What if he has some kind chip in his cell phone?" Gabriella felt the panic begin to fester, "Or what if he's moving or-"
Troy reached out a hand to grab hers, "Ella, it's going to be fine. We used a GPS chip in your phone to find you that day, remember?" he offered with a tender smile. "Even if Michael's not moving, we can track it down to one house away from where he is, and when it comes down to that, we can surround the neighborhood and go door to door to find him if we have too. This will work."
Gabriella was quiet for a moment before she let out deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."
"Okay," Troy pointed at the folder in front of him "You're going to tell Michael that you want to talk to him about Eliot and a custody hearing that you've arranged," he said pulling out a sheet of paper. "Here's all the general information you need, in case you need to look down and remind yourself."
Her eyes glance down at the sheet to skim the information just as four other men dress in various suits came into the room with lots of equipment. The federal agent came in after them with a coffee mug in hand as he made his way to Gabriella's other side, across from Troy.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Catania, hope we didn't keep you too long."
"Oh no," Gabriella said leaning back as she lifted her glass of water and held it between her palms. The urge to throw up was slowly coming back to her. She mentally went over what she had to do again. There was a strong urge to just drop her head on her arms against the table and listen to the sound of her blood pounding in her ears.
"You can do this," Troy let out a breath as he grabbed the phone from one the guys behind him and placed it on the table in front of Gabriella. "This is the phone you'll be making the call on. We'll let you know as soon as we got him."
Gabriella raised a brow, "Then I can hang up?"
"Actually," the agent chimed in smugly. "Let's try to keep him going. Our best chance to catch him is if he's at a standstill."
"If Michael thinks something's up he not going to keep talking to me," Gabriella said as she looked over the script.
"Let's hope we Chad and Donny can find him before he catches on then," Troy said as he motioned to the other guys who just about ready to go.
Chills tap-danced up Gabriella's spine. A deep breath later, she looking back at everyone as they watched her pick up the phone. She listened as the phone rang. Once, twice… then it clicked.
"I was wondering when you'd call."
"Hello Michael," she said a little breathless at the sound of his voice. She heard it so many times in her nightmares she almost felt herself flinch at the sound. Looking around the room she inhaled sharply as she tried to get a grip. "I need to talk to you about Eliot."
"I want you back Gabriella."
"I've scheduled a custody hearing for us with the state next Wednesday at noon. You'll be expected to show up and if you don't you'll be forfeiting your rights."
"This is a family matter my love, whatever happened to privacy?"
"Well," Gabriella murmured as she tried not to stare up at everyone else. "I guess its dead, along with chivalry and fidelity."
The sound of his chuckle made her sick, flooding her with memories of him laughing at her. Laughing at her while she laid there on the ground defenseless and at his mercy. "You've changed since you left, I can see that now. But you will come back to me."
Gabriella looked over at Troy who held up his thumb. Her eyes jumped across the room as he motioned to the man in the corner who was on a cell phone talking to someone else. She moved the phone away from her ear, eager to slam the phone on the cradle. However there was a hand on her arm before she could lower the phone. Her eyes peered into man sitting beside her as he urged to her to keep talking.
Hesitant Gabriella lifted the phone back to her ear. "That's not going to happen," Gabriella said taking a deep breath, "things are not going to be like they were Michael. I'm not coming back."
"Well that's pretty stupid," Michael's voice was a harsh whisper. "Do you know why?" he taunted. "Because if I can't have you, no one will. Like that jerk who's there with you? Don't think I don't know about him."
Gabriella's grip on the phone tighten as she glanced over at Troy.
"He's going to be nothing but fish food when I'm down with him."
"I don't know what you're talking about Michael," Gabriella said as she moistened her lips.
"Of course you do your nothing, without me. You've never been self-sufficient , I've always had to take care of you. You can't do anything. How long do you think it will be until he gives you up huh?"
"Screw you," she bit out. "I was self-sufficient enough to leave you."
"You think you can leave me? Remember this, when it comes to murder they need a body. They're never going to find yours. They're just going to think you ran off like you always do. You'll never see Eliot again."
"New flash Michael, I already did leave." Gabriella stood up from her seat, "And you're never going to see Eliot again you sick son a bitch. If you ever come never us again, I'll hand deliver a body. And the last time I checked self defense is not murder."
"You don't have the guts."
"Rot in hell." Gabriella slammed the receiver down in the cradle her breathing intensified and her hands began to shake.
"They got him."
Right then she felt herself falling. She wasn't the kind of woman who fainted, but lately she'd been the kind of woman who'd done a lot of things she didn't think were possible. She felt someone grab her, someone that smelled a little spicy. Someone that made her feel safe. "Troy?"
"Are you okay?"
The words seemed to echo in her head. "They got him," she repeated, feeling dizzy and seeing black spots float before her eyes.
"Help me get her to the couch in my office."
At least this time she recognized what was happening. The shaking, the jitters, this was shock, but she'd get over it. After all, now she could finally start her new life.