Alone

Chapter 14

Chloe

The younger cop comes back into the room and sits with me while the older man leaves. I can still hear my parents fighting across the hall, and I am grateful for the company of the silent policeman. Neither of us says a word for almost an hour before the silence is broken by the radio on his belt. The words make no sense to me, but the policeman stands up quickly and starts out of the room. I jump up and follow him. "What's wrong?" He hesitates, his hand on the doorknob, before he answers. "Your friend, Riley? There is a domestic disturbance at her house. Come on." I follow him out the door, without saying a word to my parents, and climb into the passenger seat of his patrol car. The grating behind the seat reminds me of the SUV Joe drove from the school to the motel, and I finally think to tell the cop about the Suburban, which, so far as I know, is still abandoned at the motel. He nods, but doesn't do anything about it. We head east out of town, following the highway for about twenty minutes before the cruiser slows and turns onto a rough dirt road. At the end of the road, two vehicles sit between a white house and a sheet metal barn. A man I recognize as Riley's father is sitting on the steps of the house, glaring at the vehicles, which I recognize on further inspection as the Bronco we drove back from Colorado and David Baker's pickup. The cop stops between the pickup and the house, and I see Riley and Peter in the front seat of the pickup. Riley has her arms folded across the top of the steering wheel, and her face buried against them. Peter is staring at David Baker, fury in his eyes, and I suddenly remember hearing him say, "Why did she take that whipping for me? I wouldn't have done it for her, so why did she do it for me?" and I know he was lying. He would do it for her, would do about anything for her. The officer cracks open his door, then turns to look at me. "Stay here, okay? Just let me see what is going on first." I nod and he climbs out and shuts the door behind him. I look over at Peter again. He is still leaning forward, glaring at David, and beyond him I can see a dark stripe across Riley's hunched shoulders. I jerk the door open and stomp toward David Baker and the young officer, who is speaking to him. Neither of them seems to notice me, and I stop about ten feet away, listening to their conversation. Almost instantly, I realize that the two are at least acquaintances, if not friends. The cop looks up at me and beckons me closer, turning to David. "David, this is Chloe Pierson. She is the girl who was kidnapped with your daughter." I am already starting to back away when he turns back to me. "Don't worry, Chloe. It was just a misunderstanding." I know I shouldn't say anything, but I find myself opening my mouth anyway. "Oh, yeah? A misunderstanding that left Riley with more scars?" David jumps to his feet and I bolt for the pickup where Riley and Peter are sitting. I hear the click of the locks just as I grab the back passenger door handle, and I slam it behind me just inches from David's outstretched hands as Peter presses the lock button again. Riley finally lifts her head from the steering wheel and turns to look back at me. "Where are we going to go?" There is utter defeat in her voice, and something inside of me breaks. I answer with defiance, even though I really don't know. "Anywhere. Anywhere without dads who beat their kids, and parents who are too busy fighting to realize that their daughter is missing again." David is still standing outside my window, but he suddenly narrows his eyes and starts back toward the house. Riley draws in a sharp breath as her dad disappears into the dim interior. "The keys!" Peter and I both turn toward her, but before either of us can speak, Riley starts the pickup and jams it into gear. I scramble for a seatbelt as the pickup careens backward, around the patrol car. I look across the seat and out the opposite window just in time to watch David Baker run out the door, a set of keys dangling from his hand. The young officer is still standing at the steps where I left him, gaping at the pickup as we start forward. We speed down the driveway, flinging gravel. Just as the main road comes into view, so does a small silver car, just starting up the driveway. Riley hits the brakes. The car, which by now has come close enough for me to recognize as Simon's, is blocking the driveway. Behind us, I hear the Bronco fire up. Defeated, Riley turns the pickup off and sets the brake.

Riley

The car pulls up in front of us, and I hear Peter draw in a sharp breath. Joe is in the passenger seat beside Uncle Simon. Dad pulls up behind us, turning sharply to make sure that he is blocking the entire driveway, and climbs out. He sees Uncle Simon as he walks up to my door, and I see the expression on his face change from anger to absolute fury. He walks right past my door with no more than a warning look at me, headed straight for Uncle Simon, who has climbed out of his car and is standing, facing Dad. Joe climbs out the passenger door, a little late and uninvolved in the confrontation. The three men are so involved in each other that none of them look at the pickup or us. My hands are clenched around the steering wheel, and I can see Peter leaning back, trying to disappear into the seat of the pickup. When I quickly turn my head back to look at Chloe, she is leaning forward, staring at the three men. I remember the cop that Chloe rode up with and glance into the rearview mirror, but there is no sign of him. Even though the men's voices are muffled, we can hear every word. As Dad speaks, I notice for the first time that he is carrying the strap in one hand. He glares angrily at Uncle Simon as he speaks. "Get off my place!" Uncle Simon does not back down. "No! I am not leaving without Riley." Dad takes another step toward him. "You aren't taking Riley anywhere!" Uncle Simon slams a hand on the top of his car. "I'm not letting you kill her like you killed Lacey!" Dad goes white. I double check the door locks. Dad spins away from Uncle Simon and heads for my door. Uncle Simon shouts after him. "You are not going to beat that girl again!" Dad ignores him and fumbles with his keys. I glance sideways again. Peter is still staring at Joe, frozen with fear. Uncle Simon closes the door of his car with more force than necessary and starts for Dad. I turn my attention back to Dad when I hear the lock click. For an instant, my eyes meet my father's through the window, and fear knots in my stomach. Before I can do more than gasp, Dad pulls the door open and grabs my arm. As he pulls me out of the seat, I look at Joe. His eyes are locked on his son, who looks even more frightened than I feel. Uncle Simon comes after us as Dad starts to drag me back up the driveway, but since Joe was riding with him, I know for sure that Uncle Simon was the one who had me kidnapped. I certainly do not want to go with Dad, because I know the damage the strap in his hand can do, but I don't want to go with Uncle Simon, either. Everything considered, I would rather be at the cabin in Colorado than with anyone related to me. Halfway up the driveway, I remember Peter, Chloe, and Joe, left at the vehicles. Peter's terror of his father strikes somewhere deep in my soul. If Joe takes Peter back with him, Chloe will be left alone again. She said her parents did not know she had disappeared again. Dad is bad enough, but even he noticed when I went missing. I have spent too long living in fear of Dad's temper. Chloe has spent too long with parents who don't care. Peter has spent too long with Joe. We all need out, but I think I should have made that decision before I came home. I should have driven west from Colorado, not east. Bringing Chloe home may not be the same as leaving Peter with Joe, or coming home myself, but in a way, it is just as bad. Chloe needs someone to care for her, just like Peter, just like me. Uncle Simon is still trying to talk to Dad, struggling to keep up as Dad drags me up the driveway. "David! Come on! You don't want her here! Just let her go back with me!" Dad stops suddenly, knocking me off balance. "Why wouldn't I want her here?! She's my daughter!" Uncle Simon is panting a bit, but speaks immediately. "David, she looks just like Lacey. I can see how much it hurts you to look at her!" Dad's face tightens and we start up the driveway again. Uncle Simon does not move after us. "But I can tell you, no matter how much it hurts either of us to look at her, you are hurting her more!" Dad makes a visible effort to ignore him, but his hand tightens to the point of pain on my arm. I raise my shoulder, trying to relieve some of the pressure, but Dad just holds on tighter and keeps pulling me along.