Not a Word Chapters 21-23

 

Chapter 21

 

Lucky's heart pounded as he followed Elizabeth out the front door and watched her trip as she ran quickly down the steps, and onto the sidewalk. When he caught up with her he grabbed her arm to stop her and turned her so she was facing him. He could hear her heavy breathing, and though she seemed oblivious to the cold he could see her breath in the night air. "Elizabeth, what are you doing?"

She pulled her arm away from his grasp and hugged herself as she said, "Lucky, please, I just need to be alone right now. Let me go."

"Where are you going?"

She looked down at the ground, avoiding his eyes. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore, Lucky, don't you see that?. Just let me go."

"I can't let you be alone out here this late at night. At least tell me where you want to go and let me take you there."

She raised her hands to her hair frantically and screamed, "No! Lucky, I'm going, and I'm begging you not to follow me. I just can't be with you right now."

He put his hand under her chin and tried to lift her face to look at him, but she avoided his gaze. "Elizabeth, please look at me. You know I can't take the chance that something might happen to you."

"I don't care!" She turned from him, hoisted her backpack on her shoulder and started walking again.

Lucky was desperate when he spoke again. "Elizabeth, I can't leave you out here alone in the cold with just your pajamas on."

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes then, her voice calm, but cold. "I'm going now, and I'm asking you not to follow me. Just leave me alone. PLEASE."

Lucky tried to reach out to her again, but she jerked her arm away from him and began to cry as she whispered, "Just let me go."

He pulled his hand back and ran it through his hair, wondering what had gone wrong, what had just happened back there in his room. She had never been so angry with him, had never run away from him like this. He nodded in resignation and whispered, "Okay, okay." He watched her run away from him as tears spilled down his face. It only took him a few moments for him to decide to follow her. Just as he started after her, Laura came outside and ran toward him. "Lucky, what's going on?"

"Elizabeth is kind of freaking out. I have to go after her."

"Maybe she just needs some time, Lucky." Laura put her hand on Lucky's arm. "Maybe you should let her go."

He looked at Laura. "I can't, Mom. She's still sick, and it's so cold out there."

Laura nodded and gave him a quick hug. "Be careful, okay?"

Lucky turned and in the few minutes he had spent talking to Laura, Elizabeth had disappeared from his sight. Lucky ran for awhile, trying to find her, but his search proved futile. Think, Lucky, think. Where would she go? He didn't think she would go home, not in the middle of the night, and certainly not after what had happened there earlier. She hadn't even been able to go inside the house. He went to the docks, thinking she might have gone there to think. He called out her name, but there was no answer, and there was a deafening silence as he sunk down on one of the benches and put his head in his hands.

He sat there for some time, unable to move, immobilized by his fear for her, having no idea where to look for her now. He heard a noise and jumped up, "Elizabeth?"

"No, Cowboy. It's me. What the hell are you doing out here this time of night?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Dad"

"Oh, you know me, I'm just a night owl by nature. So what's up? Why did you think I was Elizabeth?"

"She ran from Mom's house awhile ago after we had a fight and I can't find her."

"You guys don't fight. What happened?"

"I don't know. All I know is she isn't herself right now and she needs me, but she's shutting me out. She couldn't go in her house so I took her to Mom's and she must have been dreaming because she woke up she was really freaked out. Can you think of anywhere she might have gone, Dad?"

"Well, son, if I was feeling bad I'd probably want to go somewhere that had good memories for me, someplace where I was once happy." Luke stared out at the water. "Could be why I find myself wandering the streets in the middle of the night and end up staring at the old house. But that's a whole other story and equally as sad."

Lucky put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "Dad, I think you just helped me figure out where Elizabeth is. You gonna be okay?"

Luke laughed, "Yea, I'm fine. You just go find your girl and take care of her. We can talk about this other stuff some other time."

"Thanks, Dad."

Lucky made his way out of town, toward the woods. He found Elizabeth's backpack on the side of the road, and picked it up with fear coursing through his veins. Oh God, what if someone had gotten to her? What if she was hurt? He cursed himself for letting her go off by herself into the night. He continued on the path until the boxcar was finally in sight. He stood back from it at first so that if she were there she wouldn't be able to see him. He didn't want to frighten her. It wasn't long before he could hear soft crying from inside the boxcar. As he approached the boxcar slowly, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, and said, "Elizabeth, are you here?"

~~Elizabeth~~

I'm not sure how long I had been walking when I heard him. I whirled around and peered into the long stretch of darkness behind me, but the footsteps had stopped when I stopped, and I could see nothing. My heart began to pound in my ears, and I was almost too afraid to turn back around, but I did. As soon as I began to walk, I heard the footsteps again, and they weren't trying to be quiet. He wanted me to know he was there.

I spun around again. "Lucky? Is that you?"

I heard nothing at first except the wind soughing through the leaves on the trees. And then it came to me, a long low chuckle. "Not a word, Lizzie."

"No...no..." I thought I was saying it out loud, but there was no air in my lungs, and when I dropped my bag and tried to run the ground slammed into me hard. I didn't feel the pain, I didn't feel anything, only the all-consuming terror that froze everything in my body.

It's just a dream Liz it's just another dream you're only dreaming! But the gritty asphalt beneath my bleeding palms and knees was all too real, as was the breath squeezing painfully into my chest, and the horrible words I had just said to Lucky...

Run! Run!

I lurched to my feet and charged forward. No, it wasn't a dream. I would have woken up by now. This was me running for my life, and above my own desperate footsteps I could hear his pounding relentlessly behind me, yet remaining far enough away that he was not catching up. He was playing with me, torturing me. How did he get out? I wailed inwardly as the tears cooled on my cheeks. They promised! They promised!

I didn't know where I was going until I plunged into the undergrowth. A branch snagged my shirt and, sobbing, I ripped it away and stumbled out onto the railroad tracks. He was still there, crashing through the trees and bushes. The boxcar loomed ahead of me, silent and dark. I don't know why I thought I would be safe there, but then again I wasn't really thinking anyway. If I could just get inside I would be safe, wouldn't I? Wouldn't I?

I threw myself against the doorway and pulled myself up, scraping my stomach as I went. And then I felt them, two hands clamped tight around my ankles.

"Gotcha."

I screamed and kicked at him, but he only laughed and let me go. I scrambled to my feet and ran immediately towards the other doorway, but he was inside now, and he seemed to fill the entire open space with his darkness.

"I don't think you're going anywhere tonight, Lizzie. Oh no, little one. I went through too much trouble getting out of there to let you go now." He stepped closer to me and I couldn't move.

He leapt forward with lightning swiftness and had me pinned to the wall, his arm across my throat. His hand slipped beneath my shirt and squeezed my breast, and he pressed his hips to mine. I could feel his hardness.

"You got away without it once, you little bitch," he hissed, his breath hot on my face. He pushed against me and I whimpered. "You probably thought you'd never have deal with me again, didn't you?" His hips jerked. "Ha ha. Tough shit for you."

He threw me onto my back suddenly. Black spots formed before my eyes and I couldn't breathe, but I could see through the dim haze of my vision that he was unfastening his pants. I tried weakly to roll over, intending to crawl away, but he knelt over me, flipping me back over.

"Oh no you don't. What did I just tell you? I went through too much trouble to get here. You and me are gonna have fun tonight, little girl." He pushed my shirt up to my neck.

"Elizabeth? Are you here?"

His head came up sharply at the sound of Lucky's voice.

"Oh fuck..." Then a sly expression came over his face. "I really am gonna have fun," he whispered, smirking at me as he stood up and tucked himself back in. He placed his finger against his lips as he lowered himself out of the back doorway. "Shh. Not a word."

Chapter 22

Lucky approached the opening of the boxcar, silently praying that she would be here. He repeated his words. "Elizabeth, are you in there? Please, I need to talk to you."

"Lucky? Lucky?" He could hear her scrambling to her feet inside the boxcar as she made her way to the edge of the opening.

"Elizabeth? Baby, what are you doing out here all alone?"

She suddenly flew out of the boxcar and caught herself on him, nearly knocking them both to the ground. Her eyes were wild in the moonlight. "Lucky! We have to get out of here!"

He regained his balance and put his hands on both her arms, looking into her eyes, seeing the terror in them, feeling her body convulsing in fear against his. "Okay, sweetie, okay. It's okay. Come on, we can go back to my mom's house or wherever you want. Just tell me where you want to go."

She grabbed his arm and started to run, tripping and nearly falling, pulling him with her as she wailed. "He's here!"

Lucky pulled on her hand to make her stop and look at him. "Who's here, Elizabeth? I don't see anyone else here." Her eyes darted wildly around them and she did not answer him. He grabbed her arms with both his hands. "Tell me!! Tell me who's here, Elizabeth."

"Tom! He's hiding on the other side of the boxcar. He was going to rape me again then he heard you and now he's hiding....Oh God..." She spoke so quickly that her words ran together and were lost in a wail of misery.

"Tom's here?" Lucky felt his blood go cold at the thought of him on the loose again, the monster who had invaded Elizabeth's life not once but twice, and now again. God, we should have killed that bastard when we had the chance, he thought as he ran his had through his hair quickly, and whispered, "Jesus....oh Jesus. Elizabeth, do you think you can run? 'Cause we need to get out of here, and we need to do it now."

"I'm scared, Lucky. We have to hurry." He grabbed her hand again and they began to run, both of them looking back every now and then, expecting to see him gaining on them. Lucky tried to listen for his foortsteps behind them but was unable to hear because Elizbeth was trying to talk as she was running. She was sobbing and out of breathe at the same time. "I don't know how...they said he....they promised....he thought it was funny.....he was going to do it again....he's going to to it again...."

Lucky's voice was desperate. "Elizabeth, I'm not going to let him hurt you again. I promise."

"I don't believe you, Lucky. I don't believe anyone anymore." She stopped running and pulled her hand from his, falling suddenly onto her hands and knees. She did not try to get up; she only stayed there, her head hanging down, her sobs harsh in the darkness.

Lucky knelt down and took her hands in his. "Elizabeth, honey, we have to get away from here. He could be following us right now. It's not that much further. Come on, please, don't give up now. Here, let me help you up."

She screamed almost involuntarily and glanced behind her before she bolted to her feet, beginning to run quickly again even before she was completely standing. Lucky had to run to catch up with her, grabbing her hand as he did, and they kept running until they reached the docks. They stopped for a moment to catch their breath. Lucky leaned over, his hands on his knees to get his bearings, while he looked around them and then said, "I think we may have lost him." Just then they heard footsteps approaching from behind them. Elizabeth looked at Lucky with a wild, panicked look in her eyes as she heard him say, "Shit. Come on, Elizabeth, we have to hurry."

He stopped in his tracks when he heard the voice calling to him from behind them. "Lucky, is that you?"

Elizabeth tore away from him and began to run again, her fear so deep now that she could barely breathe. She slowed down but did not stop running when she heard Lucky's voice.

"Dad, thank, God."

"Lucky, what the hell...."

"There's no time, Dad...." They both took off after Elizabeth and finally caught up with her. "Elizabeth, wait, please. It's my dad, we're safe for now." She stopped and looked at both of them briefly, confused as she listened to Lucky explain toLuke, that he had found her in the boxcar just as Luke had suggested, and that she had seen Tom, that he had escaped and had tried to rape her again.

"Holy Christ, Lucky. Elizabeth, wait up. I'm going to go with you to Laura's. You'll be safe, I promise."

She began shaking her head back and forth and then started running again. "No! No!"

Lucky finally caught up with her again and grabbed her from behind, holding her with both arms around her. She screamed, her nails raking his arms, her heels pounding against his shins...fighting like she couldn't fight before.

"Elizabeth, it's me, it's Lucky. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Let me go! Let me go! Please don't hurt me again...please!"

Lucky continued to hold her for fear she would run away. Luke reached out to touch her arm and said softly, "Elizabeth, darlin', it's Luke and Lucky. We're not going to hurt you. We're taking you to Laura's house. You'll be safe there."

She froze suddenly, staring at both of them...and then her body went limp in Lucky's arms as she sobbed. He held her for a moment, smoothing her hair and whispering to her that they were almost there now and that as long as Luke was with them, they were safe. Finally, with his arm around her, helping her walk, they started toward Laura's house again, Luke following close behind. She was shivering, shuddering, every so often glancing behind them.

He voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. "What are we going to do Lucky? How did he get out? He'll kill us this time....he'll kill us."

Lucky started to speak, but Luke interrupted him. "Elizabeth, as long as Lucky and I are with you, no one is going to hurt you. I don't intend to leave you alone for a minute, and I know Lucky isn't going anywhere. And we'll call the police as soon as we get to Laura's house, okay?"

She only nodded, but the fear did not diminish in her eyes.

When they reached Laura's house she was opening the door as they climbed the steps to the porch. "Lucky, is she okay?" He nodded as he helped her inside the house and Laura saw Luke climbing the steps behind them, her eyes questioning.

Luke closed the door behind him and turned to Laura. "I'll explain everything, but first, do you have anything that would help Elizabeth sleep? I think she could really use some help with that about now."

Laura nodded. "I have something that should help her sleep." She went to the kitchen and returned quickly with a glass of milk which she offered to Elizabeth as she said. "Here, Elizabeth. This is just a mild sleeping pill, I think you should take it and get some rest." Elizabeth stood, staring blankly, arms hanging at ther side, not responding to Laura's offering.

Lucky took the pill from Laura and put his arm around Elizabeth. "Sweetie, will you take this for me, please? I'll take you upstairs to my room so you can sleep and I won't leave you, I promise. Please?"

Finally she looked at Lucky, still shaking from her sobs, and nodded. She took the pill and one swallow of the milk, then handed the glass to Lucky and pushed it away. "He's coming for me, Lucky. I can feel it."

"He can't get to you here, baby, I promise. Come on, let's go upstairs and get you settled." She nodded in quiet resignation as he led her upstairs. Luke watched until they had reached the top of the steps, then turned to Laura, telling her that he needed to make a phone call first and then he would explain the nightmare that seemed to be invading their lives once again.

Lucky sat on the side of the bed in his old bedroom and gently smoothed the hair back from Elizabeth's face, watching her as she slept, tears streaming down his face. He looked to Luke and Laura as they stood in the doorway watching, and nodded, letting them know that she was finally asleep.

Laura touched Luke's arm lightly and motioned for him to go downstairs with her. Once downstairs they sat on opposite ends of the couch. "I wish they'd hurry up and call for Christ's sake. How in the hell long is this poor girl supposed to live though this nightmare?"

"I know, Luke. I'm sure Detective Taggert will call just as soon as he finds out something. He's worked so diligently on this case from the beginning."

"I know. He and I may not get along all the time, but he sure does care about those kids."

"You know, it's the middle of the night, Luke. How is it that they ran into you anyway? Explain that to me will you?"

He looked away from her and laughed bitterly. "I must have some of that Cassadine vampire blood in me, baby. I wander the streets most nights."

"Any particular reason why you do that? Although it doesn't matter, really. I'm just grateful that you were out there tonight when they needed you."

He rubbed his hand over his face and then looked at Laura. "Well, let's just say that I do my best thinking and remembering at night. In fact, I find myself outside this house most nights, just thinking and remembering."

Luke saw Laura's eyes fill with tears as they looked at each other for a long moment. Just as she whispered, "Luke..." and reached out her hand to touch him the phone rang.

Luke jumped and reached for the phone, but stopped when he heard Lucky running down the steps. "Wait, Dad, let me get that, please."

Luke handed the phone to Lucky and watched as he spoke to Taggert, his face registerinig shock, then disbelief as he listened. "You're sure? Cause I have to be absolutely certain of this before I tell Elizabeth..." He listened for a few more minutes and finally said, in barely a whisper, "Thank you Detective Taggert. I appreciate all your help." He hung up the phone and looked at the concerned faces of Luke and Laura.

"What is it, son?"

Lucky pressed his lips together, tears spilling down his face as he looked down at his feet, then back at Luke and Laura.

"Tom Baker is sound asleep in his prison cell."

Chapter 23

 Luke stared at Lucky in disbelief. "How can that be, son? Elizabeth saw Baker, right?"

Lucky nodded. "When I first found her she was hysterical. She said he tried to rape her again and that he ran when he heard me. She told me he was hiding on the other side of the boxcar."

"Did you see him yourself?"

Lucky paced back and forth in front of Luke and Laura, running his hand through his hair. "No, I didn't. I didn't see him." He stopped and looked at Luke. "And you know something else, dad? I never sensed him. You know, the way you taught me how to sense if someone is following behind you?"

Luke nodded. "And you have a keen sense for that, Lucky."

"Exactly. I never felt it, never sensed anyone close behind us until I heard you on the docks. You saw her. You saw how scared she was, There was no reason for me not to believe her." He slumped down on the couch, his head in his hands.

Laura sat down beside him and gave Luke a worried glance as she put her arm around Lucky. Finally he looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. "What the hell is going on? Do you think she just imagined that he was there?"

"I think that's very possible, Lucky. I think Elizabeth is in a lot more pain than any of us can imagine."

"I don't know how to help her anymore. She doesn't trust me to keep her safe anymore. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"I know, sweetheart. But it isn't really that she doesn't trust you. I think she doesn't know what to think or feel or trust anymore."

Lucky nodded as she wiped a tear from his cheek. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "I'm just relieved that Tom isn't really out there. Before she went to sleep, she told me she could feel him coming for her. I can't even imagine the fear and pain she must be in if she thinks that's true."

Laura took his hand in her two, rubbing it gently. "Lucky, do you want me to call Kevin in the morning? Maybe she'll talk to him."

He thought for a moment. "Yea, that's a good idea, Mom. Would you mind? Do you think she'll talk to him?"

"We can only try, and I think Kevin would be happy to help. I think she's going to need someone in addition to us to help her get through this. Someone a little more objective than we are."

Lucky stood up. "Okay. Okay. That''s a good idea. Maybe she'll talk to him and tell him how she's really feeling. Listen, I'm going to go back upstairs. I don't want her to be alone when she wakes up. Is it okay if we just stay here for a while? I don't think she's ready to go back home yet."

Laura hugged Lucky and said, "Of course, Lucky. You can stay here for as long as you need. We'll take care of Elizabeth together."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll see you both later."

Lucky went upstairs and Luke touched Laura lightly on the arm. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, wiping a tear from her face. "I'm okay, it's them I'm worried about. I just hope Elizabeth can find her way back from this. If she doesn't, I don't know what will happen to Lucky."

He smiled at her. "Our son is a strong boy. He got that trait from his mother, you know. He'll find a way to help her and bring her back. It just may take some time."

Laura nodded. "I know you're right, but you know me, when Lucky's hurting, I'm hurting."

"I know that. Listen, I think I'm gonna go on home now and let you get some sleep."

She nodded as he headed for the door. "Luke? You'll come back? Soon?"

He looked back at her and smiled, sadly. "Yea, baby. I'll come back real soon. You call me if you need anything, okay? Anything at all."

"I will. Thanks, Luke. Lucky's really going to need you now, you know."

Luke nodded and they looked at each other for a long minute before he turned and opened the door to leave.

Upstairs, Lucky pulled up a chair beside the bed and watched Elizabeth as she slept, fitfully, wondering what demons she still had to face before she was well again, before she was no longer afraid. He didn't want to sleep so he watched her for a long time, remembering the events of the last week, wishing he could take away all of her pain. But he knew he couldn't. This was something that she would have to work out on her own, and he would be there beside her every step of the way, no matter how long it took. After a while, he felt himself begin to doze but awoke some time later with a start. Something was wrong, he could sense it. The bed was empty, the covers thrown on the floor in a heap. "Elizabeth? Where are you? Elizabeth?"

He looked frantically around the room, yelling for Laura as he did. She appeared in the doorway, "Lucky, what is it? What's wrong?"

"She's gone, Mom. She isn't answering me." Suddenly he heard a faint whimpering sound from inside the closet. He opened the door slowly and found her crouched in the corner, behind the clothes, a look of wild panic in her eyes, shaking her head back and forth, her hands tearing at her hair.

She began to whisper then. "Please don't hurt Lucky again. Please, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt Lucky again."

"Elizabeth, it's me....it's Lucky. I'm okay. I'm right here." He reached his hand out to touch her and she recoiled further into herself.

She let out a long, low, mournful moan and said, "Don't you touch me....please, please just go away and leave us alone. I can't take anymore....."