Fearful Love

Chapter 10 - Phoenix

Author's Note: For those of you who don't know, Someburros is an Arizona based Mexican restaurant that I've grown up with and it's really good.  Hope you like the chapter!!

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions drugs

START SONG

"Shelly?" Cole asked. It was pouring rain and we were alone in an alley. An alley I didn't know. Things didn't need to be specific in a dream.
"Why?" I cried. Tears and rain slid down my face.
"I-"
Dave stepped in next to Cole. I was being shoved towards Cole by the drug men.
   "Cole, how could you?!" Dave cried. Deja vú set in and I - in my dream state - realized this was the rest of the dream. The dream I had the night after the hill. Our hill.
   In front of all the men Cole kissed me. Like he actually loved me.
   I pushed him away. "Cut the crap." I sobbed.
   "What crap? I love you!" Cole yelled.
   "No! You don't! It was all a lie!" My words echoed in my brain mercilessly and I awoke.

STOP SONG
                                      ***
   "Wake her up." Zach gruffly ordered.
   "No need." I grumbled. I ripped the stupid sack off my head and ruffled my hair.
   I was sweaty and in a bathroom somewhere. It was a women's bathroom.
   "Why the heck are you nasty people in the girl's bathroom?!" I yelled.
   Cody slammed me into the wall and clasped a dirty hand over my mouth.
   "Don't. Yell. Again." He rasped. I slid down to the cold tile and choked on tears. I buried my head in my knees and squeezed my eyes shut. I gasped for breath and tried to avoid hyperventilating. I settled down and breathed through my nose sharply before opening my eyes.
   I saw the decor and realized I was in a Someburros bathroom. I sighed.
   "Why am I in here?" I whispered again.
   Bryan nudged Sam, who was leaning against the counter picking something out of his teeth. His eyes were red and puffy. He seemed distant and high.
   "Oh uh." Sam mumbled. Bryan rolled his eyes.
   "Our next exchange is going to be in this restaurant. You and Cole are going to pretend to be on a date, th-"
   "No. I'm not going to do that." I interrupted.
   "Really now?" Cody added.
   "Yes, you are, pretty girl, because if you don't, well, you can guess. I'm sure your boyfriend told you the consequences already." Zach guffawed. I wasn't sure which boyfriend he meant.
   "As I was saying," Bryan continued, "you'll meet up with the couple who's making a purchase. The cover is it's a double date. You'll sneak you know what to them, get the money to Sam, and it'll be alright."
"How is Cole involved in this?" I asked.
"He'll tell you himself. Change into these," Zach threw me a bundle of clothes, "and meet him in the corner booth."
The men hopped out the window and I was left in the bathroom alone. I stepped into a stall and locked it.
With no audience, I broke down. I slid down the door crying. I sobbed into my hands, parts of my hair plastered to my face. I felt broken and destroyed. Like I had no heart anymore.
After a few minutes I drew a deep breath and resolved to do this trade. I would find out why Cole was involved in this and I would get these men taken down.
I changed into the clothes and swept my hair back into a braid. I splashed my face with some cold water and dried it off with scratchy paper towels.
I looked in the mirror. My face looked fresh and my hair was okay now. I was in a sunflower yellow summer dress and Birkenstocks. They really outdid themselves.
   I snuck out the door. I saw Cole waiting for me but I ignored him. I sprinted to an old payphone and dialed the cops.
   "Hello?" The responder greeted cheerfully.
   "Hi, I have something to tell you, and-"
   A hand clapped over my mouth and the phone was hung up. I saw Dave was my capturer.
   I squirmed and wiggled but I was trapped. He shoved me up against the wall and pinned my arms back.
   "What are you doing you filthy-" I began to say, but Dave's lips cut me off. He kissed me. But it didn't feel like with Cole. It was violent and like two people forced to kiss, as if there were no spark.
   I was trying to tell him to stop into the kiss but he didn't. He finally gave up when I kneed him in the groin. He whined and fell to the ground.
   "What was that for?" He shouted.
   "I should ask you the same thing!" I cried. He stood up and I shoved him down again.
   "I had to do that. Just once." He answered.
   "My gosh stop with the act. That's Hunger Games." I laughed.
   "Now I have some crap to attend to. So leave me alone." I shouted, pushing my way past him.
   He stood there. When I had speed walked a few yards away he stopped me.
   "What?!" I said exasperated.
   "Don't go Shelly! They'll kill you once you're done!"
   "I don't care!" I lied. I ran back to the Someburros and sat down in the booth opposite Cole.
   "You have to sit next to me, we're supposed to like each other." Cole meekly said.
   "I'm good here." I grumbled, fidgeting with my thumbs.
   "Shelly, this wasn't my fault." He said.
   "Oh was it now? You need to explain, Cole! I - I trusted you. You are the one person I've opened up to for so long! And you screwed me over! I could never trust you again!" I said with as much passion as I could quietly. He looked down at the table, drumming his fingers.
   "Do you really want the answer? The real reason?" Cole looked up at me. His eyes were bluer than ever, tears pooling up. His golden hair was combed over slightly, like the day we first met.
   "Yes." I replied.
   "Zach is my uncle. My Dad is his brother. I had no idea about this drug ring of his, I just knew that we didn't ever visit him and he never visited us.
   "My Mom had warned me not to go to Helena this summer, but I ignored it. I missed my Dad and I missed Helena.
   "One day my Dad got a phone call early before he left for work. I had been awake already, so I overheard.
   "Zach needed something from us, there was a girl coming to town named Shelly. She needed medical attention and it was our job to keep her there until he got there. At the time, I had no idea there were more of them.
"So when I saw you in the candy shop, I bumped into you. My Dad took you to the hospital and we fixed you up.
"I didn't ask questions about the operation Zach was planning. My orders were to keep you here.
"When you woke up on my couch and I saw your expression, I - I knew the only way to keep you here was to make you love me.
"So I took you to the hill. And I accidentally fell in love with you. I forgot what I was supposed to be doing because I was with you. When you told me about the drug men, I remembered.
"I wanted to help you, because I was seeing what Zach's business really was. But I couldn't get out of it, I was in too deep and Zach had threatened my Mom and siblings.
"So I've been playing along. But last night when I was driving you here it was you, me, and Dave in the car."
I cringed when I heard that the two boys I had issues with were in the car with me.
   "Continue." I said. Cole took a deep breath.
   "Dave said they were going to kill you after this. He doesn't want that. Neither do I. So we called the police and told them about this deal. They'll be here once the other couple gets here."
   I felt confused. "I tried calling the police earlier and Dave stopped me!"
   "He has to keep up the act." Cole shrugged.
   "But what's going to happen to you? You'll both go to jail!" I said. Of course I didn't care what happened to Dave. But I cared about Cole. I slapped myself. No, I thought, Don't do this again.
   Two well dressed people walked in. The girl was wearing designer shoes but looked gaunt. Same with the man. I decided that those must have been the drug people.
   They waved to the waiters and waitresses at the front counter and sat down across from Cole and I. As much as I was mad at him, these people scared me more.
   "We should order now." The lady said.
   "Yeah, how about the women go and order and we'll have a chat." The man said. I understood what was happening.
   "Let's go. And act like we're friends." The woman viciously whispered in my ear.
   I put on my best smile and we walked up to the counter. In line, we talked and laughed about fake childhood experiences. We were still smiling when we ordered food.
   We carried the chips and salsa to the table and sat down in our original spots. Cole seemed shaken up.
   "If you'll excuse us for one moment." Cole politely said, grabbing my arm and pulling me put of the booth. I was ripped away from the only thing keeping me reasonable: delicious Someburros salsa. We stepped out front and sat on the benches.
   "Shelly." He simply said.
   "Yeah?" I asked, quickly swallowing the chip I'd taken with me.
   "I have been stalling for as long as possible, but the police still aren't here."
   "What did you tell them about coming?"
   "I said to follow us and to come once we exchanged the drugs. We've exchanged them already and they didn't come."
   I cursed under my breath. Then I slapped myself because I never swore.
   Cole laughed. I laughed too. Soon we were both in tears and smiling.
   "Cole."
   "Shelly."
   And in that moment I remembered Helena and the old Cole. My Cole.
   We heard sirens in the distance and it broke the moment.
   "We need to get back inside before they suspect anything." I urged. Cole nodded and we slid back into our booth.
   "Where did you guys go?" The woman snarled.
   "Relax. They just went outside and they were talking." The man answered. He was most definitely high on weed. He also reeked, which was a dead giveaway.
   The woman still sat tensed but wasn't frowning.
   The police busted through the door. People gave them sideways looks. The drug customers at our table repeatedly swore.
   The police asked for a Debbie and Richard McLeaonard. I realized these were their code names.
   They tried sneaking out but the police caught them. The woman steeled her face and didn't say anything. The man broke down in tears and  confessed. They now had the names of my kidnappers and the two buyers arrested. I was questioned and the real investigation of the dangerous drug ring began.