I watch as the girl looks at her surroundings, trying to spot me. I knew I was being watched all along. "He's gone" the woman spoke on the phone. Who the hell is she? I'm standing behind a tree right behind her. Should I step out? I did it anyways, and greeted her with "Hey there-"
"Oh my God!!" The woman shouts. She startles me with the screaming, but I should've seen that coming. "Sorry, I startled you. You startled me first" I apologize. "It-" she stops talking. She looks at me in the eyes as fright consumes her entire body. Her legs and arms begin to shake as she has difficulty breathing. I notice all of that and quickly ask "You okay, ma'am? I just wanna know why you've been following me" I said. Is she scared of me? Does she know that I'm Vick Cross? "V- Vick" she uttered.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, but then realized she might be one of Haney's crew members "You're one of the gang members, huh?"
Suddenly I hear another woman's voice on her phone "Veronica, did you find Vick yet?"
"Did you find who!?" I shout. Veronica jumps as she pushes me back. She sprints away as I shout "Hey! Who are you guys!!?" I watch as she disappears into the trees.
This actually scares me. Am I being watched by multiple people all at once? Not just Haney's crew? What do the other people want from me? An interview? I can give them that as long as they leave me the hell alone. I look far in the distance with my face tensed in anger.
TRAUMA OF '89
VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 7, TRUST
I continue walking; until reaching the neighborhood. Charlotte couldn't pick me up today; she told me. So, I had to walk home. I begin looking at my surroundings, trying to find out if I'm still being watched by more.
I don't think I am. I'm safe right now. Maybe. Maybe not from Haney's crew, though. Yesterday at the Pfluger Bridge, I got taken once again.
At the bridge, I waited patiently for whatever was about to happen to me. I'm doing this for Charlotte. I spoke with her earlier today about the note and she agreed that she'll keep herself safe. She didn't want me to go to the bridge, though. Here I am though.
From the other side of the bridge, a gang appears walking towards me. I turn my head to the gang. Don't be kidding me they're Haney's crew. Are they still active? I thought the police took care of them. The gang reaches me "What do you want?" I asked with anger "How do you know me?"
"How do we know you? We made you who you are today" the gang leader says with a smile. "What do you mean? Are you… Haney's.." I try to speak, but fear kicks in. They do give Haney vibes. That's it, they're back. "Haney's gang, yes" He replied. "I thought the police got rid of you guys! I thought I-" Suddenly, he punches me in the face and I fall to the ground in pain "Shut up and do as we say" he grabs and drags me with him. "Hey, stop!" I shout while getting up off the ground "I could walk"
"'Kay," the leader says.
I am taken to a new warehouse near Lake Travis. The warehouse is dark with only dimly lit lights. This reminds me of 1989. The first time I got taken by Haney's gang, they took me to a similar warehouse. I start to breathe heavily as my body begins to shake. I feel scared, but not as scared because I've already experienced something like this. I'm more worried about what's inside the warehouse.
They open the warehouse, pushing me inside. It's a huge warehouse with fancy cars, machines, and jewelry. "What do you guys want with me?" I ask. "Follow," the men say. I'm taken to an office in the warehouse; a very trashy one. I find papers all over the floor with dust and drink spills. It takes me back. The man forces me on the chair in front of the leader's desk. The leader is facing the other way, so I can't make out his face. "Haney, he's here," the man says. "Mmmm, hahahah" his deep voice sent shivers down my entire body as his chair slowly turned around.
I am dumbfounded by the information of Haney still being alive after all this time. His hair has aged in gray along with his face filled with wrinkles. I can't control my breathing. I tried to slow down my breathing, but nothing would work. "We missed you so, so much, Vick Alan Becker Cross" he gave me a chilling smile. "Haney" I called out his name "They didn't give you a death penalty?" I asked. "Of course they did" he leans back in his chair "I escaped, hahahah" Every laugh is slow and deep. Very unsettling to hear this after a long time.
Nothing's in my head except rage. I remembered what he did to me. He beat me. He hurt me. He forced me into crime. He made me hurt those young boys and girls. I curl my fists and jump out of my seat, aiming my knuckles at his face "Haney!! You motherfucker!!!" I shout out. The two men get a hold of me and pull me to the wall. They throw me as I fall to the ground; then violently stomp on me multiple times. "Hahaha" Haney laughs "Enough now"
"What do you want!!?" I scream at him as blood rushes down my nose. "Oh you know exactly what we want" Haney got up from his chair. He walks over to me on the ground and helps me up. "I want you to help us," he said. "Fuck you, Haney!! I'll never help you!!" I aim for another punch, but the two men grab me again, holding me still. "If you don't wanna help us" he slowly speaks "Then we should just take Charlotte away from you" he leans in closer "And make her go through all the terrible things we did to you"
My eyes widened "No" I said "No!!!" I screamed. "Like what I said to you a long time ago" Haney smiles "You'll never escape me and my crew" he punches me in the face. "You still look young; like in your mid-thirties. Take him for a makeover, Chris" Haney demanded. I was taken to a room filled with fancy suits. A mirror at the far corner of the wall with a sink. "Once we give you the perfect makeover. You'll continue doing what you used to do. You're stuck with us now and you don't have a choice" Chris whispered in my ears as I fell to the floor. Tears ran down my face "No, no, no!!!"
Today, I make it to Charlotte's house, but I've been noticing her distancing herself from me. Is there a reason for that? Did I do something wrong? I thought for a moment as soon as I got the makeover, I'd impress her with my looks but looks like the opposite. Maybe she liked how I used to look; like a homeless man. I think I might be in love with Charlotte because I care about her so much. She's so sweet, caring, and kind. I want to talk to her about her distancing herself from me.
The night I came home after the warehouse, she tried distancing herself from me. It sounded to me like she didn't care about me, but herself. I told her that the criminals were forcing me to do work with them, but she thought I was lying. I tried to talk to her and tell her the truth, but she wouldn't buy it. What's wrong with her now?
I ring the doorbell and stand there awkwardly. They have a camera on the doorbell and it feels awkward to just stand here waiting. I get impatient and begin tapping my feet on the ground. Charlotte opens the door. "Hey Charlotte," I said. "Hey," she greeted back. I walk inside as she shuts the door. She begins walking through the hallways as I stop her "Charlotte" I called out.
I'm gonna find out what happened. Why she's acting like that? But first, I have to tell her what happened today. The girl I saw. Veronica was her name.
"I'm scared," I said. "The lights are on" she turned around and said. Now is not the time to joke around. "No, it's not that" I replied "I feel like I'm being watched by many people"
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Can you come talk to me, please" I walk to the dining table and open a seat for her. She followed my trail and sat down. "I feel like I'm being watched all the time. Every time I'm outside or at work, I see people staring at me, sometimes trying to hide, but I can obviously see them. I feel that at any moment they can come out and attack me. Or they'll come out and attack you" I explained. "I see" she responded. "I feel like there's two groups of people watching me. The criminals I talked with yesterday, and the woman I saw today" I said.
"Why were you with a woman?" Charlotte asks. "I wasn't. She was the one who followed me. I spotted her and asked her why she was following me. But, on her phone, I hear a voice asking her if she's found me yet. They know my name. They know me somehow" I explained even more "I'm so scared right now, Charlotte. I don't think I should be near you if I really am being watched because what if they come for you?"
"How…can I trust you?" she catches me off guard with that question. What kind of question was that? She can trust me. Is she losing trust? "What do you mean? Charlotte, please talk to me. What happened between you and me? Is it my hair? The way I dress? What is it??" I questioned, "Why have you been distancing yourself from me, Charlotte?"
"Vick, please tell me the truth. Have you been continuing your crimes?" she asked me. "No. I would never. I'm not gonna do what the gang told me to. I'm gonna try to take them down tomorrow when I meet up with them again" I answered. "Are you sure that they're even real?" she asked "Are you sure you're not lying to me so you could continue doing your crimes in secret? Vick, I don't know who to trust" she started tearing up. "Charlotte" I got up and kneeled next to her "Tell me what happened?"
It got quiet as she slid her chair a bit away from me "Yesterday, a woman came up to me. She looks about my age. She had bruise marks all over her forearms, and she was crying" she explained.
"What does that have to do with me?" I asked. "She claims that you kidnapped her and beat her. You did horrible things to her. She told me I have to stay away from you or else you'd do the same. She said you're lying to me about everything and just using me!" she cried out "It makes sense. You never smiled ever since the day we met. Do you even like me?" She asked.
I was stunned by the story she told me, and by her question. "Charlotte" I step away from her, respecting her boundaries "Of course, I like you Charlotte, you treated me very kindly the first time we ever met and I appreciated your kindness. You're so sweet, you're so kind, you're so beautiful. I'd do anything to protect you"
She looks at me with those teary eyes "I've never done what the woman claimed. I've learned from my past and I will never do such a thing again" I begin to shed tears as I fall to my knees "Charlotte, she's lying to you!"
"Vick, I love you," she says. My eyes widened "I don't know who to trust anymore" Charlotte added. "Me" I immediately say as I crawl to her, placing my hands on hers "I know how you feel, but that never happened, I promise. I'll prove to you that it never happened, Charlotte. Do you know what I think is happening? It's revenge. It has to be that. I think that they might be old victims of mine from the past and they're hunting me down; trying to take me down emotionally first, and then physically" I said.
"I'm sorry, Vick," Charlotte says. "No, I am. I'm sorry for dragging you into my drama; into my life. I'm truly innocent and I will never hurt you, Charlotte. I'm truly scared for me and you" I said as I got up. I don't know what to do to make her regain my trust. But, maybe this would be good. This distancing can be good for both of us because that means she won't be in danger.
"I love you too, Charlotte, but I'm scared that they'll hurt you. I feel like we shouldn't be seeing each other anymore" I said. "Huh?" Charlotte looks up at me with teary eyes as she attempts to wipe it away. She gets up along with me as I walk towards the door and she follows me from behind "Charlotte" I turn back one last time "This is goodbye"
I open the door and step outside until she grabs my hands. "Vick!" She shouted as she pulled me in. She wraps her left arm around my waist as she leans her face close to mine while pulling me closer. Our lips touch as a rush of emotions overwhelms me. My eyes widen in shock as she closes hers. In that moment, everything around us fades away. It was as if time stood still. In that kiss, I could feel her pain and her trust slowly being restored. I wrap both my arms around her and pull her closer. I feel warm, safe, and loved.
Our lips separate as she leans her head back, but we're still very close "Vick" she said "Don't leave me, please" Tears streamed down her face. As I watch her tears fall, I feel mine coming. I join her and hug her tighter "I'm not leaving, Charlotte. I'm not going anywhere"
TO BE CONTINUED....