Page 52 of Tormenting Me

My plan was to wait for Bannister to leave so I could go through his apartment. Now that plan has changed. I need to ensure the safety of this little girl. My car follows behind, but not close enough to where they can spot me. Their car stops in front of an older house and Bannister escorts the girl up the stairs to the door. I hold my breath, watching and hoping this is not what I think it’s about to be. I wanted more time to plan his death. I wanted Layne to get the closure she rightfully deserves.

While reaching for my mask, a woman opens the door and the little girl rushes towards her. The scared woman is yelled at by Bannister, pointing towards the little girl. Is this a child of his? The little girl runs inside the house and moments later a light flickers on upstairs. The door to the balcony slides open and the girl sits down. Hugging her knees to her chest I watch as she cries.

After slapping the woman, Bannister heads to the car. Instead of trailing them, my priority is the safety of this girl. I slip my balaclava over my head, opting to not wear my mask. I don’t need to scare the poor kid. Quietly, I exit my car and cautiously approach the side of the house where the little girl is sitting on the balcony, tears still streaming down her face.

“Psst,” I whisper-yell to the little girl.

She pops her head up; her face peeking through the metal bars of the balcony. “Are you a cat burglar? Because we don’t have a cat.”

I chuckle. I guess I need to update my ensemble if I am looking like a cat burglar. “No princess, I’m not. The neighborhood cats are safe from me. I’m here to make sure that you’re okay. Did those men that brought you here hurt you?”

She looks up, startled, her eyes wide with fear. “I – I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

I try to reassure her, assuring her I’m here to help and that she’s safe now. “You can tell me, princess, I am one of the good guys.”

“No such thing, all boys are bad,” her voice trembling with vulnerability. Bannister has caused her some kind suffering, just like he did to Layne.

My anger builds, but I push it aside for now, focusing on the immediate task at hand — getting this girl to safety. “I work with the police. I can make sure you’ll be safe. Is that your mommy in the house?” She nods hesitantly, her trust in me growing.

“Mommy loves him, but not me.” The sadness in her voice breaking my heart. No kids should ever feel like this. I loathe shitty parents that put their own selfish wants over the safety of their flesh and blood.

“Do you want to go someplace safe, where he can’t hurt you anymore?” I ask, checking to ensure they haven’t returned.

She nods.

“Is your mommy awake still?” Not really giving a shit about her mother, but it will make things easier on me getting this girl to a safe house without her fighting me.

“I’ll check.” She gets up and goes inside. A few moments later, she returns, “No, I think she took her medicine. It makes her go to sleep.”

Medicine, right! God some people don’t deserve to be parents.

“Okay, I want you to listen really good. Get a backpack, princess, and fill it with some clothes.”

Time is of the essence. The girl goes inside to gather her belongings. Ten minutes later, the door to the house opens, she slips out of the house. I hold out my hand to her and make our way to my car, carefully avoiding any attention. I drive us to a nearby safe house that my uncle and I set up when I started, where she can find temporary refuge and support. Occasionally, I have had to bring people here to get out of dangerous situations. Gloria runs a foster home, so she is fully vetted and I would trust her with my own kids.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” I ask, as I grab her backpack and help her out of the car.

“Tell me yours first,” her eyes narrow at me.

Clever girl.

“Promise not to tell?” I raise my eyebrow at her. She nods.

“My name is Wes, and the kind lady who runs this home is Gloria. She’s going to take good care of you. I’ll make sure of it.” I hold out my hand to her. With hesitation on her face, she still slips her hand into mine as we make our way to the door.

“Evie. My name is Evie.” she looks up at me as we stop before the door. Under my balaclava, I smile.

I knock three times on the door and stand back. A short Hispanic woman emerges as the door opens. “Evening Gloria, miss me? I’m in a bit of a pickle. Can we come in?”

“Hijo de puta,“ she mutters under her breath before stepping aside to let us inside. “What do you need? It’s late Wes.” she gives me that look that moms give their kids when they’re in trouble.

“I’m working a… job. This is Evie, she needs a safe place to stay until I can get everything lined up with my uncle. Just a few days, maybe a week.” I know she is already almost at her max.

“Okay…okay put the damn puppy eyes away.” She turns to Evie and says, “Sweetie, the first door down the hall is the bathroom, and the left door is the girls’ room. The top bunk is yours. Go ahead.” Gloria smiles at Evie. I hand her the backpack and she makes her way down the hall.

After she enters, I take off the balaclava. I run my hands through my hair, pushing it out of my face. “Sorry to drop this on you, but couldn’t leave her there. I just couldn’t.” I drop into the chair, leaning forward, head in my hands.

“Está bien,“ she says, patting my shoulder, “you just have a big heart. Just make sure we get her somewhere safe.”

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