Page 14 of In the Light of Day

A voice like silk rings out from the other side of the door interrupting the sheriff's speech. One that he looked intent on completing, trying to take back control of the room. It didn't exactly make me feel any better that we were in a communication lockdown or whatever he called it. But when the door to the interview room abruptly swung open, and a woman who looked exactly like Miss Honey fromMatilda, only older, stood in the doorway, I immediately felt I had another person in my corner. She took everyone in and it brought a smile to my face when she stood next to me, half behind Ace's back, and began to scold the sheriff.

“Seth, you better have a good explanation for why this poor girl is standing here sheltering away from you two brutes. I will not stand for this, you hear! I could hear you rambling all the way out in the foyer.”

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a thermos and some sort of thermal container, easing me back into the chairs behind us, she opens up the containers and places them on my lap. The smell of freshly cooked eggs and hashbrowns wafts up at me and I almost drool on them. My mouth is salivating at the first home cooked meal that doesn't come from a can in years.

“Don't you dare look at me like that, and you too Eric. You should be ashamed,” She scolds. “Neither of you deserves my cooking this morning. Why on earth didn't you call me straight away? I swear the men in this town are idiots sometimes.”

Her gentle voice is full of sass and confidence and I've never seen anything like it. I can feel my cheeks getting hot over the way she talks back to the men in the room and a small grin appears from the blatant disobedience she is showing.I love it. The way she has everyone in the palm of her hand. She is soft and firm, confident and comforting all wrapped into one. The way she walked into the room and took control was everything, and I don't know if I want to laugh or cry from it.

“Martha, you can't call me an idiot in front of people,” he sighs, still looking at her with affection.

“I’ll call it like I see it, thank you, and right now you're both scaring this poor girl after god knows what she's been through this evening.”

Turning her gaze to me, her eyes soften. She sits in the chair to my left and takes the thermos from my hand, replacing it with a fork, motioning for me to start eating.

I stare at her in wonder but also hesitation. I so desperately want to believe that this meal comes without strings, that it’s something she's doing from the goodness of her heart. Staring at the fork, it feels unnatural to hold it in my hand, this foreign tool that I'm expected to use, but it makes me nervous. I'm worried I’ll spill some of it and I don't want to make anyone upset. Placing the clean fork down next to my thigh, it's safely tucked away so it won't fall to the floor. I tentatively pick up some of the scrambled eggs with my fingers, slowly bringing it to my mouth before pure buttery ecstasy explodes in my mouth. Closing my eyes, I let the flavours dance with my tastebuds. The idea that food could taste this good is long forgotten for me.

She leans into my side and gently says, “I want you to eat until you're full, you hear me? These two old lugs don't need any of it. It would do them good to miss a meal or two every now and then.”

A loving smile shines at me and I'm lost in the comfort of it. Her eyes look to where Ace stands, tears threatening to fall.

“I’m sorry…” I start to say. I feel bad that I’ve made her sad. Looking over to Ace his lips pressed into a thin line and a concerned frown on his face, so I avert my gaze, staring down at the food and taking a piece of hashbrown this time. When I'm with Ace I can breathe, but when I’m with the woman who I can only assume is Martha. It's like my whole heart is full of love because hers is overflowing with it.

“Once you're done, we can sort out a nice hot shower and decide on a plan forward. So between me and the international space station hovering around you ...” she says, flicking her gaze to Ace who looks down at us with amusement. “We're not going anywhere until this whole mess is sorted out. As long as it takes, I’m with you.”

Her hand reaches out and she pushes a dried bloody strand of hair out of my face and motions for me to start eating again.

I've always wondered about what it feels like to know you’re loved, and I think this is what it's meant to be like. This warm comforting feeling of home that escapes her is everything I've wanted to have for as long as I can remember, even before everything that happened.

However long it takes, when I'm on the other side of this whole thing and I'm choosing what comes next in my life, I'm certain I want her to be part of it.

Chapter 11 - Ace

Angel by the Wings - Sia?

My body is vibrating.

I was asked to leave the interview room forty three minutes and seventeen seconds ago. Albeit, it should have been fifty five minutes ago but I insisted on staying. It was only when Martha caught my attention, softly saying, “Sometimes a woman wants to keep the things that happen in those awful moments private. We don't want to see pity on the faces of our loved ones when we look at them. Sometimes ... sometimes it's better not to know.”

I knelt down in front of Nova who confirmed she was okay to be left in the room with the sheriff, the doctor, who finally introduced himself as Dr Eric Johnson, and Martha, the sheriff’s wife. Explaining that I would be just outside the room if she needed anything. She only needed to call out and I would be there in a heartbeat.

I was already on edge from how she explained the lead up to her being taken and the platonic relationship with her uncle. But then she stopped and let go of my hand, squeezing her eyes shut before she asked if I could step out.

She had explained that there was a small clearing at the entrance of the shelter and the sheriff asked me to look over some satellite photos to see if we could narrow down the search area. It was only when Martha spoke with me that I understood what the next part of Nova's story entailed, and I left the room quietly.

I open and close my balisong repeatedly. The fast swinging motion of my hand is therapeutic before I stab it into the wooden arm of the chair I'm sitting in, picturing it is her uncle. A man I've never met, who deserves to die for what he thought he was entitled to.For what he took from her. Over and over I repeat the motion until there is a large hole in the wood and blood slowly dripping to the floor from the splinters hitting my hand.

The interview room door opens and Martha pops her head out asking if I have a spare change of clothes in my truck as Nova would like to change, she didn't want to wear the ones offered free from the station. Nodding, I quickly jog outside to retrieve my bag and bring it back to find everyone standing out in the hallway. Passing my bag to Nova I let her know she can take whatever she needs to feel better and she and Martha head off to the small unisex bathroom stall.

“Was she able to give any evidence?” I say, looking at the now empty hallway but talking to the sheriff and doctor standing next to me. It's only because the silence is deafening that I look to them and find two staunch men, struggling to keep their emotions in check.

“She um ... she didn't want to in the end. She's not registered as a missing person and after what she said.” The sheriff's voice breaks and his eyes fill with unshed tears as he looks to the ceiling, taking a deep breath, trying to process everything. I’m struggling to keep my composure from his reaction, This night testing me more than I ever thought and as I dig my fingernails into the palms of my hands, the skin breaks under the pressure I’m squeezing them. Small crescent moons of blood scattering my palms. My jaw is tight and I look back down the hall in the direction Nova went. If men who have seen the trials of humanity are struggling with her story then I know I’ve just scratched the surface of what she went through.

“We're going to find the bunker and if even half of what she said checks out ... we’re going to destroy it. She wants a fresh start and I think she was hanging on, but when I confirmed she was not a missing person, you could see her eyes go blank and she went somewhere. I’ll call her family in the morning to see how they react but otherwise, we keep this off the record. I’ll do everything I can to keep her out of the spotlight this will bring if it gets out. She doesn't deserve the cesspit of media attention and the things they’ll say.”

“I’m coming with you when you go back to the forest. It's a non-negotiable, sheriff. I'm coming with you so I can find the son-of-a-bitch and kill him all over again.” I grit my teeth as I say each word. If he is still alive then I will kill him, and if he is dead then I will remove him from existence.

A sniff comes from the Doc and he takes a handkerchief from his pocket, quickly wiping his eyes, as he tries to collect himself.

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