Traffic

Ch 22: Dad

The clouds rolled in and rain soon began falling. It started out minor, but soon grew to a full on thunder storm. Kelly walked, hugging the paper to the only dry part of her as she held her stomach with her arms. She walked quickly, reciting the address over and over again in her mind as she walked, searching for the right house.

"Hey, lady! Get in!" a cab driver said as he pulled up beside her.

"No, thank you!" she called back.

"Hey, Kelly. Just hop in so I can get you dry at least!" he called back. She was startled to hear her name, so she looked.

"Wesley?"

He grinned at her, pushing open the door. She quickly got in, not fully knowing why, but wanting to get out of the rain.

"So. You gonna tell me where you're headed?"

"Main Street..."

"Which Main Street? There are at least a dozen."

"217 North Main Street, New York City, New York," she answered reluctantly.

"Now there you go. THAT'S a straight answer. I can get you there free of charge."

"I didn't know you were a cab driver..." Kelly broke the silence that had followed.

"It's just on the side. My dad runs the train station--well, I say runs, he owns it...I'm kind of well off, but I don't like to mooch off my parents, so I drive this hunk of junk."

Kelly nodded.

"What about you?"

"Just visiting a friend."

"Oh? So where are you from originally?"

"Virginia."

"Way up there?"

Kelly nodded.

"How come you came from the opposite direction, then? If you live in Virginia and you're visiting New York? You came from the wrong direction..."

Kelly glanced at him and didn't answer. He was too nosy for her opinion. He soon took he hint and shut up, driving a bit faster to get her to Peter's house.

She soon pulled up in front of a small house. They heard loud noises and banging coming from inside. She didn't recognize the house, so she thought maybe they'd moved or maybe Peter had moved out, but she hoped that it was at least going to put her in the right direction.

"Do you want me to wait? Just in case he doesn't have room for you or something?"

"I'll be fine," Kelly said, opening her door and walking towards the house. She knocked quietly, waiting for a few minutes before getting an answer.

"Who is it?" someone said angrily.

"U-um...It's Kelly...I'm looking for Peter Jeffreys?"

The door opened and Kelly saw an angry looking man standing there, beer gut hanging out and a cigarette in his mouth. She instantly backed up, scared for her safety. She suddenly didn't recognize anything from her one night stay in the house.

"What do you want with Peter? Didn't get you pregnant, did he? Peter! You asshole, get down here now!"

"Uh...No. He didn't. He's just a friend..."

"Wel, it's too late. Come back tomorrow."

Kelly began to do so when Peter came down the stairs, answering the man's call.

"What do you WANT, Uncle Jeff?!" Then he paused when his uncle moved aside and Kelly was standing there, "Kelly?!"

He pushed the man and hugged her, then remembered her fear and backed up, "I'm sorry...You don't like being touched--"

Kelly interrupted him by hugging him again, "Peter, can we talk?"

"If course! First, how did you find me?" He closed the door after sending his uncle back inside and the two sat on the porch in the rain. "I moved away from where I was before..."

"Why did you move?" Kelly questioned.

"My parents got in a car accident...but, that doesn't matter, what happened to YOU?"

"Peter, I'm so sorry...Is your sister okay?"

"She's fine, Kelly, how did you find me?"

"I travelled a long way to find you...I took a train, cabs, and a bus to get here. I got your address from one of my old nurses at the hospital...I need your help, Peter."

"Anything. You know I'll help you with anything you need, but--"

"I need to find my family."

"Hold on, Kelly, please. I need to know what happened! one minute you're with me and your brother in the airport and the next, you're gone. What happened?!"

Kelly took a shaky breath, feeling ready to cry yet again, "He found me. My Master found me and took me away again. He sold me and I've been with the same bastard for the past two years."

"How did you escape?"

"I didn't escape, he let me go."

Peter was dumbfounded. He stared ahead blankly, "What? Why would someone like that just...let you go?"

"He told me he wanted to marry me...I said no way...and he let me go..." Kelly stammered, "That's it...He gave me a ring and a necklace and money enough to get home and here I am."

"What...the hell? That doesn't just happen!"

"Peter, he let me go, that's all there is to it! Why can't you just move on and help me get home?"

Peter snapped back to reality, "Sorry. Right...Uh. Your brother...when you were taken again, he...well...he didn't take it well."

"Meaning?"

"Well, he went home, and when your mother and sister found out...they kicked him out. They claimed that he'd said he'd always protect you and when you were taken on his watch, they got pretty upset."

"What? Where is he now?!"

"He left. I don't know where he went...but..."

"But what?"

"But your mom and sister are another story."

"How do you know all this?"

"I was there. I tried to help, but I think I made it worse."

Kelly nodded, "Okay...What happened?"

"Well, they kicked him out, and after that...your sister...Well...she hung herself."

"What?" Kelly breathe out in disbelief, "It's not true...How could she have done that?"

"She couldn't stand all the hatred that was between your mom and Trace, and she felt so upset about what had happened to you...She kindof went off the deep end past the point of no return. She became distant and easily upset and when your mom tried to send her to a psychiatrist, she killed herself...And then your mom left. She moved to Italy to be with her brother and his wife."

"So...mom is with uncle Tommy, Fred is...dead...as Trace is M.I.A.?"

"Pretty much...So you see...your family isn't a family anymore."

"How could this all have happened?"

"See, I was wondering the same thing, so I did some digging..."

"And?"

"Your dad."

"My dad? I haven't even heard from him since I was like four..."

"Exactly. According to records everywhere, he's dead. BUT--"

"But what? If he's dead, he's dead...There's no but--"

"Kelly! Listen to me! I don't think he's dead."

"I'm listening."

"I think he's the one who kidnapped you."