Someone To Run To

12

After soaking in a hot bath for a good half an hour, Gina was refreshed. She flopped down on the king-size bed in her motel room and laid back to relax. Alan had only been gone for two hours, but it felt like an eternity. She wondered whether he had gotten home alright and if he had run into any problems. She got her cell phone out of her duffel bag and started to call, but thought better of it. She needed to forget about him and start focusing on how she was going to keep herself safely away from Jack Keebler.

It saddened her a guy like him could get away with murder and a sweet and kind guy like Alan Collins continued to be persecuted for something completely beyond his control. It was his instinct to help those in need. It wasn't fair. He had never hurt one of those girls and she knew it. She could see it the day she met him. Alan had a heart of gold. He simply was not capable of murder.

Gina sighed out loud. There was nothing to do in the room around her. Dull wallpaper, a few channels of cable, and a bed were all that was in the room. There was a desk, but there was nothing she could use it for. She had no paper to write on or work to do. It was something she had to think about. She needed a job when she finally found a place she could stay permanently. She also needed to stop thinking about the past two days.

She missed Grace and Kate tremendously. Those were the two she knew the best. She missed Maggie a little too. She had been nice to her right before she left. She did not miss any of them though like she missed Alan. She could still feel his arms around her and his lips on hers. She never knew there could be so much emotion attached to one simple gesture.

Suddenly she thought of her bag. There was something in there she had nearly forgotten about. She hurriedly unzipped it and shoved her hand inside. After feeling around her clothes for it, she finally clasped her hand around it and pulled it out. It was the leather-covered picture Maggie had given her of Alan. Tears came to her eyes as she opened it up. He looked so handsome and thoughtful. It was one of those pictures where the subject wasn't looking, but it was probably the best picture in existence. She hadn't seen many pictures of Alan in his house, so there was nothing to compare it to, but she was sure there would be none as beautiful as the one she held in her hand. She stared at it, wondering where he was.

Out of the blue, a knock came at the door of her room. Gina jumped, startled by the noise. She wasn't expecting anybody. The knock came again, this time more urgently. She got a little nervous as she got up off the bed and eased over to the door. There was a peephole there at the top and she peered into it cautiously. Was it Jack? Had he already found her? Or was it someone else, like the front desk clerk? She narrowed her eyes when she saw who her visitor was. It was someone she knew, but she had no idea what he was doing there or why. It was not one of the people she had thought it would be.

It was Agent John Harmon.

She unlocked the door and opened it. He stood there for a moment staring at her before he said the first word. He seemed a little shocked to see her.

"Can I help you, Agent Harmon?" Gina asked icily.

He smirked. "I didn't expect to see you, Ms. Turner. Not alive anyway."

She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I was coming to collect a body, but here you are alive and well."

"Sorry to disappoint you." She searched around the darkness outside. She didn't see anybody suspicious at least, but her curiosity didn't go unnoticed.

John's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," she lied. "Would you just come in if you're going to?"