Post 20

Gerald limped forward ominously until he was even with the back of Laura’s car. His face was covered in blood from the gash in his forehead. He wiped it away absently, leaving a dark smear across his face. Peter looked at the car door, still standing open, and thought about the baseball bat in the back seat. Carrying Laura, there was no way he could get to it in time. Gerald stepped even closer. If Peter was going to do anything, he had to put Laura down first, and he was running out of time. He knew the ground was covered in debris – he kicked some out of his way as he made his way from the far wall with Laura in his arms. He had to hope that when he put her down, she didn’t land on anything that would hurt her.

In Peter’s ear, Laura whispered, “I’m so scared, Pete.” In the now quiet garage, her voice carried further than she wanted. It may have been coincidence, but she was sure Gerald heard her when he laughed a sinister laugh.

Gerald spoke again. “You’re not getting away until I get what I want, and I will get what I want.”

Peter looked back at Gerald for a moment. He didn’t seem to have any weapon in his hands. He was hurt, and he had a limp. There was a slim chance he could pull this off. He spun to his left, turning his back on Gerald, and bent over to set Laura on the concrete. As he did, he heard Gerald rush him, his irregular footfalls moving faster than Peter expected. He was too late! In his haste, he dropped Laura to the ground from nearly a foot up. Her body hit the ground with a thud, and she called out in pain. At the same time, he felt all the heat in his body retreat to his core. His arms and legs felt frozen and clumsy. He fell forward and braced himself with his arms on the ground on either side of Laura.

Gerald was upon him, knocking him over Laura’s body violently. The force of their fall forward drove Peter’s knee into the side of Laura’s head. She was knocked over, but stayed conscious. Peter and Gerald wrestled for a moment, but the much stronger Gerald was able to pin Peter to the dilapidated concrete floor quickly. Peter felt even colder than before, numbingly cold. He barely felt the sharp edges of broken concrete that dug into his neck, back and legs deep enough to make him bleed through his clothing. Laura was screaming, “Let him go! Get off of him!” Her shrill cries echoed off the garage walls as the alarm had moments before. Peter looked over to her, resigned to his defeat. He reached a hand towards her only to have Gerald crush his forearm under his knee.

Defeated, and now having lost sight of Laura, Peter looked at Gerald’s face again. It could have been the dim lighting, but he swore that Gerald’s face looked dramatically different than it had before, as though he were someone else. Gerald was able to hold Peter down with his body weight, and had an arm free. He placed his free hand on Peter’s chest, where Peter began to feel a sharp sensation. It wasn’t so much a pain as it was a drawing out of Peter’s spirit. At least that’s how Peter thought of it. It was as though Peter’s life force was being drawn away from his body. Peter felt a ripping sensation coming from that energy, and didn’t know what to do about it. Nothing he had experienced lately, even the strangest things that happened more recently, prepared him for this sensation and how to fight against it. In the end, he could only succumb. The tearing was an unbearable sensation until suddenly, a piece of Peter tore free. Peter lay transfixed, watching Gerald take some part of him. With the car light behind Gerald, Peter was able to make out the same type of shape that Peter had seen at the hotel, the one that was absorbed into Peter’s hand. That very same shape danced on the fingertips of Gerald’s right hand. His chest ached, and the coldness refused to subside as he watched the energy absorb into Gerald’s skin.

Gerald grinned as he watched it going in. Suddenly, his expression changed. The pressure on Peter’s arm diminished as Gerald’s balance was thrown off. The look on his face was at first perplexed, then pained. Then Peter’s arm was free as Gerald grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, seemingly to prevent this energy from entering his body.

“What the hell did you give me?” Gerald screamed at Peter, his voice tinged with pain.

Peter twisted his body and pulled his legs out from underneath Gerald. The warmth and feeling was starting to return to them. He planted his feet firmly on Gerald’s chest and shoved the larger man back. Gerald landed on his back and rolled to his side, writhing in pain and screaming. Peter took his chance. He got up and ran to Laura, helping her up. He pulled her over to the driver’s side of the car and opened the back door. He then placed her carefully inside. Nearby, Gerald was screaming incoherently. Peter did not know what he had done to him, but he was thankful as he closed the back seat door and jumped in the front.

He started the car and backed it up, into what used to be a parking spot. The headlights had come on and now illuminated the scene in front of him. Gerald was on the ground, and debris was everywhere. It’s a wonder that the garage held the weight of the cars. Laura’s car jumped all over as it traversed the rough, broken ground, causing the light from the headlights to jump wildly in front of them. Tires chirped as the car fell hard as the back right tire entered a deep rut in the floor. Peter’s neck was snapped back by the sudden stop.

Peter turned the wheel hard to the left, trying to aim the car up the ramp again. He stepped on the gas and the tires chirped again as the car lurched forward some, but it was stuck in the rut. He let off the gas and the car rocked back into the rut. Next, he gunned the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The car jerked forward spasmodically, front tires screaming, finally breaking free of the hold that the pothole had on the tire. The car raced forward, nearly careening into the concrete wall. Peter hit the brake to get the car under control and glanced to his right. The light was much dimmer now, with the headlights aimed in another direction, but he could see that Gerald had gotten to his feet and was beginning to come after them. With the car now under control, he hit the gas and drove up the decrepit ramp. He turned the car hard to the right, around towards the exit, and drove out across the building’s parking lot to the street. They made it out!

Peter was very tired, but he felt like he could breathe again. He had no idea where he was going, though. As long as it was away from Gerald, he didn’t really care.

“Are you alright?” he asked over his shoulder to Laura.

“I’m bruised up a bit, but I think I’m going to be just fine,” she answered.

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital? Rose is just a little ways north of here.”

“I don’t know, Peter. I don’t want him catching up to us. It’s bad enough he knows where we live.”

“How the hell does he know that?” Peter asked.

“He followed your dad from the hospital to the graduation ceremony. That’s how he was there. After that, he followed your mom to the restaurant, and then to my house to drop off my dad, and then on to your house to drop off Sarah. He couldn’t have picked a better day.”

“He told you all this?”

“Yeah, while he was holding me. He felt all sure of himself. Peter, he told me he was going to kill you and make you live on watching everything he did to me.”

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Peter. He wished he could look into Laura’s eyes while they talked, but he had to keep driving. He was going south on Colorado Boulevard now, heading for the highway.

“I don’t know, Peter. I...” She was starting to cry. After a moment, she said, “I just don’t know.” Peter knew tears were falling from her eyes. He turned right down a side street and drove for a couple blocks before turning north again and parking on the side of the road in a residential area. He got out and opened the back door, helping Laura to her feet. She had gotten the ropes undone from her legs, and Peter helped her get the other ropes undone from her arms.

Peter looked up to see someone watching them from the front window of their house. “Someone’s looking at us,” he told her, then gave her a hug. She winced in pain from the pressure of his hug, and he loosened his embrace for her. “Sorry,” he whispered. He helped her around to the passenger side of the car and to sit down. She was bruised and bleeding slightly, as was Peter.

Peter closed the door and began to walk back around to the driver’s side. As he did, he walked past the back tire on the passenger side. It looked odd to him. It wasn’t flat, but the tire was sitting at a slight angle, which it wasn’t doing before. He wasn’t going to be able to drive far with the car in this condition, he knew. He walked around to the driver’s side and got in.

“We need help,” he said plainly. “I’m going to call my brother.” Laura nodded at him.

Peter took the cell phone from his pocket and dialed the number. He was actually surprised that the phone survived the encounter with Gerald. After three rings, Dan answered.

“Dan, it’s Peter. We just saw him again. We’re in Laura’s car near Glendale, and he might still be in the parking garage. Laura and I are hurt, but not bad.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said Dan. “Slow down, man. What’s going on?”

Peter started again. “That guy you saw on the plane? He kidnapped Laura.”

“What?”

“I got her back, but it was a fight.”

“Where are you, Peter? Did you call the police?”

“I’m near Glendale. You’re the only one I’ve called so far. He’s in the parking garage on...” Peter looked at the map that Gerald supplied. It didn’t have any street names. “Damn, I don’t know the street, but it’s only a few blocks east of Colorado Boulevard.”

“Do you see a street sign near you?”

“Yes, we’re just north of on Arizona on Jackson.”

Dan thought for a moment, then said, “I know where that is. Stay where you are. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

Dan hung up the phone, and Peter was supposed to wait. With the person that was watching them from the window, he didn’t feel comfortable staying here, so he did a U-turn and drove them a block south, just far enough away that the person who was watching them wouldn’t be able to see them now.

While they sat, they looked at each other and talked about what they went through.

“Peter, you’re hurt,” said Laura, her hand on the back of his neck. “You’re bleeding.”

“I know. It’s not bad. Did he hurt you?”

“He hit me a few times, a couple times in the head, and a couple times in my stomach. He’s pretty violent, Peter. He’s dangerous. I’m glad you called your brother.”

“So what did he say while you were with him? You mentioned something about killing me but making me live on as a witness to what he does to you.”

“I didn’t understand that. He’s not all there in the head, y’know?”

“It has to mean something, though. This guy has something similar to what I have.”

“You mean with the visions and stuff?”

“Yes. Remember at the hotel, when I saw that shape on the ground that you couldn’t see? It went into my hand.”

“I remember,” said Laura. “To be honest, I didn’t know what to make of that, because I couldn’t see anything.”

“He did something like that in the garage. I could barely make it out because it was so dark, but he pulled something like that right out of my chest and it went into his arm. It’s what made him start screaming.”

“Do you feel any different, Pete?”

“No, I don’t think I do.”

“What about your visions?”

“Well, I haven’t had one since then, but I haven’t tried to, either.”

“Why don’t you try now?”

“No, I’m too tired.” Peter remembered the vision he saw right before he went to the parking garage. “Hey, there is something. One of those visions saved my life, I think.”

“How?” asked Laura.

“Remember the hotel room? I saw myself walking into that room, but I wasn’t Gerald. I was the woman with Gerald. The one from the airport. I sat down on the bed, and he walked up to me and took a swing at me. He threw that very same punch in the parking garage, but this time, I was almost expecting it, and was able to duck. I think that saved both our lives.”

“Where did the vision come from?”

“You know, I had just asked myself the question of what I was going up against with this guy, and like an answer, the vision happened.”

“You mean, it was like talking to someone and they answered?”

“It was exactly like that,” said Peter.

In the lull in the conversation, they heard a police car siren going by on a nearby street. “That sounds like it’s coming from Colorado Boulevard, doesn’t it?” asked Peter. Laura wasn’t sure.

They were quiet for a moment. Then Laura said, “Do you think the redhead’s still alive?”

Peter turned his head abruptly towards Laura. He thought about the blood in the hotel, and the fact that Gerald and the redhead were staying there. Then he thought about the coroner’s vehicle, and the strange shape he saw outside the room, and how it jumped into his hand. He connected this with Gerald’s words to Laura, when she talked about him living on after death. He knew then that the redhead’s spirit was bound to him, at least for a while. Because after all, Gerald did take something from him, something comprised of energy that was torn away from Peter’s own energy. “No, she’s not.” Peter felt very sad admitting this to himself and to Laura. He got the sense from what the redhead had shown him in visions that she was a passionate, loving woman who just fell for the wrong guy, and it cost her.

Peter leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes for a moment. Laura reached over and touched his leg. He placed his hand on top of hers. Twenty seconds went by with them just sitting and holding hands. Then Peter opened his eyes and sat up straight. He squeezed Laura’s hand as he looked into her eyes. “Her name was Leanne, and she’s still with me,” he told her, smiling. “Gerald got the squirrel! That’s why he didn’t know how to handle it.”

Laura giggled at the thought of Gerald expecting to pull a person’s spirit from Peter and ending up with a squirrel. Then Peter chuckled. Then they both broke into peals of laughter over it! They were still laughing when Peter looked in the rear-view mirror to see his brother’s car turning left, moving away from them. “There’s Dan,” he said. He started the car and turned it around to meet up with him. As he was driving, his phone rang. Dan was calling him to see where he was.

“Hey, Dan. I’m just behind you. I thought someone was taking a bit too much of an interest in us, so I moved.”

“Alright,” said Dan. “Keep following me up to the hospital so we can get you two checked out. We’ll have a welcoming committee when we get there.”

“What about mom and dad’s house? He knows where that is,” said Peter.

Laura reminded him, “He knows where my dad’s house is, too.” Peter relayed this to Dan.

“Don’t worry. They got the heads up. Hopefully this guy is dumb enough to show up there. That’ll make him easier to catch.”

“We might have to ride with you. I kindof messed up Laura’s car.” Laura looked at him with concern. He held a finger up to her, saying he would explain it to her soon.

Dan pulled over to the side of the street, saying, “Okay, I’ll give you guys a ride up.”

“Did you call the cops about the parking garage?”

“Yes, I did. They got there pretty fast, but your friend was already gone. They started to search the lower level and saw some definite evidence of your visit. There was tape, blood marks and a pretty healthy stripe of rubber where somebody tried to leave in an awful big hurry. I assume that was you and that’s why you need a ride now?”

“Yep. I’ll see you in a sec.”

Peter hung up the phone and told Laura, “your back right tire is a little bent. I don’t think we should be driving on it.”

“All things considered, that’s okay, Peter.”

They pulled up behind Dan and parked. They got out of Laura’s car and walked up to Dan’s. Peter opened the front door for Laura, who sat down in the front seat. Peter then got in the back seat.

“You guys are a mess,” said Dan.

“We would’ve been much more of a mess if your brother didn’t kick this guy’s butt,” said Laura.

Dan looked in the rear-view mirror at Peter. “See? All those years of picking on you paid off!”

“Actually, it was baseball that did it. I beaned him with a chunk of concrete better than I got Tommy Fincher.”

“Nice one, Peter P...” Dan caught himself. He had new respect for his brother.

“Are you able to drive with that thing?” asked Peter, indicating the cast on Dan’s arm.

“It’s a little more challenging, but it’s not bad. I’ve only got to wear it for a few weeks, they tell me.”

On the drive to the hospital, Peter recounted his story about the lower level of the parking garage. When he finished, he started to talk about the connection to the hotel room. He wanted to lay out as much as he could at once to gauge Dan’s reaction. “Just out of curiosity, the woman that died in the hotel room on Sixth and Federal: was she a redhead named Leanne?” asked Peter.

“How did you know that? Wait, how did you know anything about that?” Dan said.

“Nice poker face, Dan,” said Laura.

“You know about it, too?” Dan asked. Laura nodded.

“So it’s true, then. It was a redhead named Leanne?”

Dan hesitated for a moment, then said, “Yes, and we’re a little short on leads last time I checked. So how the hell do you know so much about it?”

“It’s the same guy. The guy that kidnapped Laura and attacked me in the parking garage is the one who was staying at the hotel room.”

“There’s no way, Peter. The guy that was on my flight back from New York? No way. I got a look at that guy. He came back to the room because he left something, and he looked nothing like him.”

“What? How is that possible? What did he leave behind?”

“I have no idea. I mean, whoever it was that attacked me appeared out of nowhere, hit me like a bulldozer and I was out like a light.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t kill you. I’d hate to carry you around like that for the rest of my life,” he said cryptically.

They got to the hospital and both of them were checked over and bandaged up. Police were there to take a statement from them about the kidnapping and the fight in the parking garage. They both left out any sort of supernatural explanations, sticking to simple facts: Peter hit him with rocks. They wrestled a little. Peter kicked him away and they got away in Laura’s car while he tried to chase them on foot.