Running from a Vengeance

The next morning I woke, lying on my bedroom floor. At least this time I had gotten close to my bed. It was very rare that I was even in my bedroom when I fell asleep. I gripped the beige carpet and hauled myself up. The time was eight thirty. At least I had awoken in time to get to work. Groaning, I rubbed my face with my palms and stood. My shoes were still on I noticed as I trudged across the carpet into the kitchen. The news was still on, like it always seemed to be these days. My subconscious always had it on while I was drunk it seemed. I rolled my eyes at the television and stepped onto the hardwood floor of the kitchen. Oh how I wished I had someone to make me coffee in the morning so I didn’t have to do it.

My answering machine blinked to let me know I had a message waiting for me.

“Why can’t everyone just leave me the fuck alone!” I yelled up to the ceiling.

I pushed the button and listened to the robot tell me that I had one unheard message.

“Belle, it’s me again. I don’t know if you got my last message, but I need to see you. They’re going to find you.” He sighed and I imagined him staring at the floor. I was staring at the floor now, studying the lines of where the wood meets. I didn’t want to hear anymore of this. “Please ca-“ I deleted the message before I could hear more.

There was too much going on in my head right now for me to even bother with Matt. I wanted to just have a normal life. I knew that wasn’t entirely possible, but the less contact I had with him or anyone else before this, the better. My feet carried my hung over body to the shower. Miraculously I was able to stand the entire time.

“Fuck.” I murmured to myself.

Now that I was in the shower, I remembered that I hadn’t made any coffee. Hearing Matt had made me completely forget everything. How he was capable of that I would never understand. I wondered if my father had heard of anything yet. I was afraid to tell him, because all he would want to do is have me go to his house and live there for the rest of my already miserable life.

With a groan I exited the shower. Wrapping a towel around myself I proceeded to the living room. I picked up the remote and turned off the television. I jumped as the phone rang. The kitchen floor felt cold on my warm feet. I picked up the small ringing device and looked at the caller ID. “Walter Smith.” It read. I pressed the green phone.

“Hi dad.” I said monotone to him.

“Hey Fran. What are you doing?” He asked.

“I’m getting ready to go to work.” I replied, rolling my eyes.

I really hated talking to my dad now. Every time he called he insisted on giving me a list of things to make sure I do. ‘Lock the doors, shut off the stove, lock the windows, check the fire alarm batteries.’ He hadn’t been this bad until the situation four years ago. Not only had they ruined me physically, but they had ruined both me and my father’s lives.

“Oh, well have you seen the news?” He sounded concerned.

I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before he saw the news as well. “Yeah dad, I did.”

“Oh, so you know...” He gulped loudly. “You know that they escaped right?”

“Yeah I’m well aware. Just keep your cool and we can move on and forget it okay dad?” I was trying to keep him as calm as possible.

In all reality, there was no way they were going to find us. They would have to dig way down deep into the FBI and CIA and shit to find us. Our names, birth dates, looks, addresses, and even our parents on our birth certificates were different.

“I’m just worried Fran.” He said to me.

“Yeah I know you are, but it’s all going to be okay. We don’t have anything to worry about.” I said, reassuringly.

“Okay, I’m going to believe you on this one. Have a good day at work.” He said with a lighter tone.

“You too dad. Love you.” I said to him.

“Love you too.” He hung up the phone.

I clicked the red phone button and returned it to the receiver. This whole deal was stressing me out. It wouldn’t hurt to sneak in a couple drinks before work. I pulled the Jack’s out of my freezer and poured myself three shots. I took one right after the other with no breaks in between.

“Ahh.” I said after taking the last one. “That hits the spot.”

With my morning routine done, I left my apartment and headed to work. Johnny wasn’t there. It was only myself, Heather, and Rory.

“Hey Rory, hit me up.” I said, walking into the back to punch in.

I picked up my card, punched it into the clock, and it took my time in. When I went back out to the bar, Rory had my drink all made up for me. I loved the dark golden color Jack and coke made together.

“You really should take it easy on drinking while you’re at work Francis. If Johnny ever finds out...” He began.

“Johnny isn’t going to find out. Besides, I don’t care if he does or not. I really don’t.” I was being completely truthful.

“Yes, but we don’t want you to be fired Fran, we all like you here.” He sounded truly happy about me working here.

I decided to stop drinking for the day and work. By the end of my shift, my feet were sore. Rory was nice enough to make me a couple drinks so I could unwind before I went home for the night. Besides, I had already punched out, so I was just like a regular customer. By the time things started to pick up, and this place turned into the perverts’ hangout, I decided to leave. I would just have to get something more to drink when I got home. The pavement on the sidewalk was cracked right down the middle. I tried to test myself and walk down the line and keep it as straight as possible. By the time I reached home, I was not longer on the line at all.

“Whatever.” I mumbled to myself.

I fumbled in my pocket for my keys and then sighed. I must’ve forgotten them inside. This wasn’t good. It’s not like I had to worry about anything though. I was in a good part of town. I stepped inside and kicked off my shoes. Falling asleep with my shoes on always sucked. It happened to me more often than not unfortunately. As usual, I walked into the kitchen, the soft pitter-patter of my feet echoed on the walls. My messages weren’t blinking, oddly enough.

“I’m going to bed.” I looked at the clock.

It was only nine, and my usual bed time was upwards of two in the morning, but I had had a long day, and I needed some sleep.

“Just one more drink though.” I said before opening the fridge.

I opened my freezer and pulled out the Jack. I groaned at the sight of the nearly empty bottle. At the bottom sat enough for maybe a shot, and a small one at that. I sucked it down and felt the cool liquid begin to warm my body from the inside out. That was going to have to be good enough for the night. I wasn’t about to go ahead and get more.

With the alcohol reaching to my head, I cuddled up on the couch and turned on the television to watch the news. I nearly fell off the couch in a rush to get closer to the screen.

“Today, twenty two year old Ayla Bickford has gone missing. Police believe the suspects to be the men who recently escaped from prison, but no one can tell for sure.”

My heart felt like it fell through my toes and hit the floor.

“It was them!” I shouted at the reporter on the screen, as if she could hear me. “I know it was them!”

With my last shout I collapsed on the floor, tears flooding over my face and breasts. Why did they have to bring Ayla into this? Why couldn’t they just leave everyone alone? I was at the point now where I would gladly give them my life. I didn’t care to live anymore if I had to be Francis Smith for the rest of my life.

“Mother fucker!” I screamed at the television.

I was going to have to do something about this. I was going to have to save her. Without further contemplation, I ran to my room. Under the bed I had what looked like a small black briefcase with a combination lock on it. After punching in the combination I pulled out a small silver pistol. The rounds were already loaded into it, now I just had to go to and find them. I knew one person to ask. I had to go find Johnny.

I jumped when I opened the door and just the person I was looking for was in the doorway.

“Oh shit Johnny. I was just going to look for you.” I sighed, trying to recollect myself.

“I told you guys that she was in here. But you don’t listen to me ev-“

“Move it!” Came a very familiar voice.

Johnny got pushed out of the way roughly. There were the killer green eyes. They stared at me, and were accompanied by a malicious grin.

“Vengeance.” I whispered, running away from the door. I pulled my gun up and pointed it in his face. “I-I’ll shoot.”

With one swift movement Vengeance punched my arm, causing me to drop the gun. I gasped, now powerless.

“No Vengeance.” I backed up into the kitchen.

He was looking at me like I was something to eat. He was the predator and I was the prey. He was going to pounce soon and I just knew it.

“You put me in jail for four years.” He said in his smooth voice.

“Please don’t kill me.” I begged as my back hit against the countertop.

Vengeance gripped my belt loops and pulled my hips into his. We were so close that his breath was heating my face.

“I’m going to make you spend the rest of your miserable life with us.”

He backed up from me and clenched his fist. He punched me, hard in the face causing me to fall to the floor.

“You...” I gasped as I struggled to speak. “You kidnapped Ayla.”

“Yep.” He was grinning as he looked down on me. “And she’s going to have a good time with us. Just like you.” He brought his face down to mine and looked at me deep with his green eyes. “Tell me where Shads is.”

“I haven’t spoken to him.” I managed to get out through my tears.

Vengeance gripped my hair, lifted my head, and smashed it back onto the hardwood floor. I screamed from fear and pain. “Bitch, you’d better tell the fucking truth.”

“No Zack, she hasn’t. I can’t tell you how pissed she was when she found out that I’d told him her number.” Johnny said to Vengeance.

“You gave him her number?” Vengeance sounded like he was growling at Johnny.

“Yes, but I didn’t know he wasn’t with you guys anymore. Honestly. When he said he wanted to help Fran I thought he was meaning like, come and get her or something.”

So this was great. Of all the places I chose to work, I worked at the place where these guys went to hang out. The police did a great fucking job of deciding where to put me. In these guys’ home town.

“Well, looks like we’re just going to have to get him to come here then.” Vengeance said to me with a sly smirk.