Ages: Scott Carpenter-28, John Glenn-26, Virgil Grissom24, Gordon Cooper-22, Alan Shepard-17, Ada Lexis Kirk-23
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Ch3----
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The room smelled of rotting mud and mold. There was no escape visible in the dim light besides the entrance which was guarded by a huge man. Terror ran through her vein, as panic clouded her thoughts. Her heart was beating fast and she was shaking from head to toes.
She knew what was to come when one of the men in the room knelt inform of her and began to caress her neck. A single tear freckled down her face. There was no point fighting, she was alone, tight up and at the mercy of those bastards.
Her broken and soared skin burned everywhere the hand touch. She felt filthy inside and out. She shut her eyes trying to force herself to ignore the hand that was moving lower and lower still.
Petit, grand, gross, chico, grande, gordo, small, big, fat, she went over in her head. Quien? Que? Cuando? Who? What? When? Qui? Quoi ? Quand ?
"So sad I'll have to kill you later," a raspy voice before the hard hand pulled at her shirt ripping it, leaving her vulnerable.
A river began to flow down her cheeks as rough lips were pressed on to hers and the threatening hand moved down to unbutton her pants.
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Ada shot out of bed covered in sweat. She hadn't been hunted by those horrifying events in years. It seemed that the stress of meeting her future father in law combined with the fear brought about by the threatening letters had revived old memories.
"Ada?" John mumbled beside her, "What's wrong?" He continued more alert.
"Nothing," she told him, "Go back to bed."
He held her arm to prevent her from getting out of bed. Ada, who was still stuck in her nightmare, flinched, scaring John. "You haven't been yourself at all today," he told her.
"Just nervous about meeting your dad."
John shocked his head, it always surprise him how much Ada tried to keep things from him. "Ada honey, I know you too well, come on, tell me, what's on you mind?"
The look Ada shot him through shivers down his spine. His fiancé wasn't just scare, she was petrified. He pulled her to him and began to rock her back and forward. "Shhh, everything is going to be Ok" he told her, taking himself to a similar time when Ada had been consoling him.
It was right after the Hood's attack on the island and John couldn't stand being there. For a week the young astronaut had woken up screaming for his family and every time, Ada had gone to him and calmed him down. At first she didn't question him, but after the third night she had confronted him and had asked what brought about his nightmares. He couldn't tell her everything, but he did tell her a mad man had invaded their home and threatened the life of his whole family. The young teacher had been sympathetic and had helped him push past his fears.
Now he felt obligated to return the favor, not just because she had helped him, but because he loved her.
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The sun had yet to rise over the horizon when John was in the kitchen preparing coffee. He had not been able to rest the night before, not even after Ada fell a sleep in his arms. She had cried her self to sleep unable to tell him what had her so terrified.
"Everything alright son?" Jeff asked John. Ada had convinced him to stay the night by saying it would give them more time to get to know one another better.
"I'm not sure," John answered honestly, "Ada woke up yesterday covered in sweat and she was too freaked out to tell me what was wrong."
Jeff poured himself coffee and turned to look at his son, "Yesterday was great," he began, "but I couldn't help but noticed Ada was hiding something. Not once did she answer one of my questions about her family directly."
"You couldn't answer her questions either."
"John?"
Both men turned to see Ada standing in the kitchen's entrance. "Morning Sir," she said addressing Jeff. "Umm, John could we talk, please."
After a pat on the back from his father John followed Ada in the living room. She began to pace up and down, "About last night, I really wish you hadn't been there, easier to ignore, but you were and … I guess you deserve an explanation."
She didn't really want to share her secret right then and there but she knew that the longer she put it off the harder it would be to explain.
"Ada, you know you can tell me anything."
"And that's what scares me, what if you don't want to be with me after what I tell you? Please just let me finish. I can't even begin to explain how scare I am you won't want to be with me." She turned to look at him, "Any way, might as well get it over with. You remember me telling you I was kidnapped the summer before my junior year, and how I had promised not to have sex until marriage?" John nodded, "well there's more to it then that. You see, they, well he, one of the guys, he … h…he raped me."
John took her in to his arms. He had suspected it was something like that, but knowing was different then suspecting.
"It's Ok," Ada went on, "I'm over it now, well as over it as I can be, but that's not what yesterday was about. Remember last time you were here I told you one of my students had written me a love letter?" Again, John nodded, "I'm not sure it's one of my students any more. See, I've gotten more notes, and they aren't loving anymore. They talk about…here," she finished, handing John a note.
Anger flared through John as he read the letter. No wonder Ada was afraid, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I didn't want to worry you plus I have it under control."
"Judging from last night, I have to disagree." Ada refused to meet his gaze, "Ada, if we are willing to make our relationship work and go though with the wedding, we are going to have to be more opened with one another."
"Don't you think I know that?" Ada snapped after a minute of silence. She had to calm down first as to not throw in his face that he too had many secrets. "Damn it John, I've been on my own for years, not having to share with someone what goes on in life, not, it's just a hard transition. Look, I didn't tell you because there's nothing you can do. You live thousand of miles away, and well, this is something I need to take care of on my own."
John looked at her, ready to argue before giving in and saying, "So what have you done to handle this?"
After a quick pause, Ada came clean, "I called the guy who was in charge of my security back when I was in high school and had him delivered and installed a top of the line security system. I know where everyone is in the house at any given moment and can tell when some one gets with in five yards of the house. It's not much but it gives me an advantage."
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The sun rose and neither took noticed. Both sat in front of the computer going over all security details. "This is almost as advanced as what we have on the Birds," John said with out thinking.
"The birds?" Ada said with a raised eyebrow.
"Our planes," Jeff said. He had been watching the young couple work amazed on how easily they went from being mad at each other to talking computers. "May I ask how you have access to this technology?"
"My father," Ada simply said, as if that answered every question.
Before Jeff could response a phone rang. All three pulled out their cells but only Ada answered.
"Hello?"
"Ada, good, sorry I wasn't able to call sooner but you know how things are," a familiar yet strange voice called from the phone.
"Dad?" Ada exclaimed causing Jeff to turn to look at her in awe. "What…it's …great to hear from you."
"Yes, yes, now listen, I've received word that you have asked to improve the security system in the house and I need you to tell me what is going on, you know your not suppose to call on us unless it's an emergency."
Ada snorted, "I haven't heard from you in over a year and now you call to lecture me?" She glanced at Mr. Tracy before leaving the small study and heading up in to her room. "I don't believe this."
The man on the other line chuckled, "Some things never change uh? Now, tell me why you called Zip."
"I've been great father, thanks for asking," Ada retorted with a bit of anger, "If you must know, I just needed a new security system installed, the other one fried, and well I figured I might as well get the best."
Her answer made her father curse, "Have you know idea how important secrecy is for my operation?"
"No I don't," Ada informed him, "It's not like I know what your 'operation' is."
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!"
"Why? Its not like you taught me better!"
There was a moment of silence. "You're right," her father admitted, "but your mother sure did." A muffled sound was heard before her father spoke again, "I have to go, but I'll call you later."
"Sure you will" Ada spoke into the dead line.
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John and Jeff looked at one another confused. They hadn't meant to over hear the conversation but as the saying goes; thin walls, loud voices.
"Everything OK?" John asked as soon as Ada re-entered the room.
The young woman looked at them before nodding, "Yeah, just… my father and I don't always see aye to eye."
"What is it your father does for a living again?" Jeff asked not missing a beat.
John glared at his father but the ex-astronaut ignored him. Instead he focused on his could-be-daughter-in-law.
Ada forced herself to not roll her eyes, "Frankly sir, I do not know." That earned her strange looks from her fiancé and future father in law. "My parents divorced when I was young and I have rarely seen my father since then."
The night before she had realized that if she wanted to be part of the Tracy family, she needed to treat them like family, which meant opening up to them. It had only taken 3 years, an awkward dinner and a long discussion with John, but no body is perfect.
"The only times he had contact with me was when he moved, to give me his new contact info, and occasionally when I was sick or when I was in trouble, big trouble."
The Tracy men nodded, "What about your mother?"
By then all three had sat down, Jeff in a recliner chair, John and Ada in the loveseat. Ada's head rested in John's shoulders as she told them about her mother. "She owns a cyber café/restaurant in Boston, that's where I'm originally from. My stepdad is a math teacher at the local high school. I have a younger sister and two stepbrothers. One is a priest the other…"
Most of the stuff she told them John already knew but he knew all was being said for his father's benefit. That's why he stayed quiet and listened and the love of his life opened up to his father and earned his trust little by little.
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Tracy One flew high over the US territory, Jeff on the pilot seat, John assisting him as co-pilot. Few words had been spoken since they had taken off. Finally John broke the silence, "So what do you think?"
"Son," Jeff began, "What I think does not matter. I will say this, Ada, mostly her father, has a lot of secrets but it is unfair for me to judge her based on that, seeing who and what we are." Seeing his son's face fall, he continue, "That does not mean I don't approve, I just think you might need to take more time to think things through."