"What the hell, Rose!" Cal stomped in a torrid motion as he paced the room. She crawled up small in the corner. Shaking her head fiercely, she spoke no words.
"I will not acknowledge it. I will have no part of it! I will claim no whore's child!" In a rage of fury he left the room slamming the door so hard, the picture next to it came crashing to the floor in an impending clatter.
Rose shivered as she sat huddled in the small corner. Her hand came instinctively to her stomach. Silently cursing herself for ever thinking he would accept her child even if it truly had been his. Getting up off the floor shakily, she rushed to her desk and rummaged through the drawer. Finding the small wad of cash she had hidden, some of it rightfully hers and the rest, Cal's. Every time he left her after their rendezvous, she went rummaging for any thing that could help her escape. Cal absent-mindedly left his trousers a few times.
She quietly slipped the cash into her corset, then she reached for the fountain pen. She then clipped it to her garter stocking. Desperately searching the room for anything else that would aid in her escape, she heard the muffled voices coming from outside her room. Feigning fear, she rushed back to her corner where she lay back down as the door opened. Two of Cal's brutes made their way over to here where the taller man grabbed her by the shoulder and peeled her up against the wall.
"The boss says we're taking you for a little ride, miss." He grinned exposing his lucid teeth to her. She cringed at his words. But reluctantly let them lead her down to the automobile outside. As the taller man helped her in, he closed the door. He motioned to the driver. Rose knew exactly where they were going. She had heard of abortions. She knew it was a dangerous operation where the doctors killed a pregnant woman's baby. Lots of lower class woman tended to get them. As Rose stared helplessly out the window, the tall man moved very close to her. He whispered in her ear leaving her feeling the chills.
"The boss says you are too frail to carry a child. Says you need to be taken to the doctors. He's given me plenty of money to persuade the doctor to look after you." He smiled and breathed raggedly. Licking his lips he purred, "You know I don't have to take you if you don't want to, but it will cost you missy."
She felt nauseous even thinking about it, but she smiled anyway. She turned to face him.
"You would save my baby?"
"Just say the word, doll." He bit his lip seductively.
She raised her hand towards her thigh, "I just don't know." She slipped her hand underneath her skirt and wrapped her fingers around the pen. She knew the blow had to be perfect, otherwise he would be too strong for her.
In seconds flat, Rose pulled the pen out and plunged it deep in the tall man's throat. He cried out as blood splayed everywhere. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing it had hit the jugular. She pulled it out letting the blood spurt in all directions. As the man toppled over, the driver pulled the car over. Rose, knowing he would get her, lunged out and pierced the man in the shoulder with the pen. He swerved and ran out into a ditch as he yelled out in pain, Rose pulled at the pen, but it wouldn't budge. Frantic she tried her best to punch the man, but to no avail she quickly reached for the closest thing to her which was her coat. She grabbed for it and swiveled it around to cover his face. She pulled hard, restraining him to the seat. His arms flailed around wildly as he screamed in pain. Bracing her feet against the back of the seat she pulled tighter feeling the coat wrap tighter around him. She pulled with all her strength until his body finally collapsed. Letting go, and not wanting to check to see if he was dead, she reached into the tall man's coat and grabbed the money. Unlocking the door, she jumped out and ran as quickly as she could.
Luckily, Rose had managed to find country pastures to the north of her so she trekked undetected for miles until she found a small brush where she could rest. Caked blood clung to her. Her crimson hair was matted and tangled. The smell of dried and lucid blood danced around her nostrils. The sky turned dark and cold. Quivering, she collapsed in the brush. Shocked at herself, she crawled into a fetal position. She had killed at least one man, maybe another. But her child was in danger. She promised herself that no matter what the cost no one would hurt this child. She tirelessly fell asleep in the brush.
TBC...