Free at Last

Hearing footsteps heading her way, Julie dashes to the swinging door. Skidding to a stop, Julie lifts her pan as she takes a batter's stance. I'm ready for you this time, she thinks, adjusting the grip on the pan. The footsteps stop. She nervously adjusts her weapon. Julie hears shuffling behind her. She looks back to find George slivering up the steps.

The man moans as he continues toward her.

A scene from the movie walking dead comes to mind. Julie recalls how the zombie leaped on his attacker and tore him to shreds. You're not doing that to me, she thinks. Her eyes glued to the door, Julie backs into the laundry room and pushes the barrier closed. After making a few fumbled attempts, she finally slides the latch across. That should hold you, she thinks, making her way back to the kitchen door

The shuffling begins again. Julie nervously adjusts her grip on the pan. It's do or die.

After what seems like an eternity, the kitchen door flies open. Julie sees an armed man blocking the entire entryway. He's approximately six-foot-four and appears to be nearly as wide as he is tall. Swing, damn it swing, Julie coxes herself, but her body remains frozen in place. Her daughter's battered face comes to mind, but she still can't force the pan around. What's wrong with me? She thinks, on the verge of tears.

"Drop your weapon. Do It now." The man orders. Cocking his gun.

Knock him out and run, Julie thinks, picturing the scenario in her mind. Taking a big breath of courage, Julie adjusts her grip. Do it for Jeff and the girls, she thinks, picturing her family in her mind. She starts to swing the pan around when she hears a familiar voice say,

"Julie, stop. He's a cop."

Julie turns to find her best friend on the porch with her gun drawn. "Rachel?" she questions, unsure if she's imagining things.

Seeing her distraught friend, the detective lowers her weapon. "Yes, honey, it's me." She steps into the house then adds. "It's over, Julie. It's over. You're safe now. Those men aren't going to hurt you anymore," Rachel says. With one eye on the pan, the detective steps toward her friend.

Tears stream down Julie's face as she lowers the pan to her side.

"We'll make sure they're put away for the rest of their lives," Rachel continues as she moves toward her friend.

Flashbacks of her torture replay in Julie's mind. She can still hear her children desperately pleading for them to stop. Julie recalls how vulnerable and helpless she felt tied to the cot. She then pictures Abby's innocent face, all black and blue. How terrified the child was lying beside her on the bed. Julie glances toward her friend. It's over. Our torture is finally over, and we won. We survived. Her mind suddenly flashes to her oldest daughter lying somewhere upstairs. "My baby, I have to save my baby." Dropping the pan on the floor, Julie tries to push past the cop. "I have to find Rebecca, she explains, trying to get around him again.

"We have someone checking on her," the officer says.

They hear a sweet little voice crying in the distance. The cop at the door steps aside, allowing a younger officer to step through. The rookie is cradling her battered child in his arms.

Rebecca glances over in disbelief and says, "Mama?"

"Rebecca?" Julie sobs, scooping the child into her arms.

"Mama," the child cries, clinging onto her mother for dear life.

"It's over, baby. It's over. Those bad men will never hurt you or sissy again, Julie sobs."

"I tried to protect sissy, mama, I did, but the men were too strong."The child bawls.

"I know you did, baby, I know you did the best you could."

"I just couldn't do it, mama. I couldn't." Rebecca wails, clinging onto her mother tighter.

"I know, honey. I know you tried."

"I did, mama, I did, but I couldn't save her. I couldn't save her from those mean men. " Rebecca sobs.

"You're fighting back is what kept you and your sister alive."

Pushing away, Rebecca asks, "Abby is alive?"

Julie nods and says, "She's the one who called the cops."

"Leave it to sissy to save us all," Rebecca laughs through her tears.

Seeing a bloody man lying on the floor, Jerry walks over and checks for a pulse. He looks up, shaking his head.

Seeing the detective walk towards him, Julie turns toward Rachel, gulps, and says, "I had to kill them, Rachel. I had to. They killed Jeff and were about to kill us too."

***

Jeff starts to turn down his street when he sees cop cars parked along the entire block. Pulling into the alley that runs along the back of the house, Jeff bumps down the rugged path. He only makes it a few feet when he sees cops searching the alleyway. He looks over to find a few more cops searching his yard. Jeff suddenly imagines his wife and daughters getting shot in the back, trying to run from the house. "No," he cries. More panicked than ever, Jeff grabs his cell from the dash and powers it on. Jeff finds several missed calls from his neighbors and a few from his and Julie's dear friend on the screen. Jeff's hands begin to tremble as he tries to punch in his code. Dropping his cell, he scoops it up and tries again. Jeff decides to try his neighbor first since their friend is a Berryville cop. He knows Rachel will hammer him with questions. He isn't ready to answer all of his crimes yet.

"I've been trying to call you all day, man." his neighbor says as soon as the call connects.

Jeff's panic rises two hundred percent. His hand shakes worse than before. The sickening feeling in his stomach returns. "Why? What's going on?"

"You haven't heard?"

"Haven't heard what?"Jeff asks, nervously running his hands through his greasy hair. Jeff couldn't remember the last time he took a bath.

"Your wife and daughters were being held hostage in your home. "

"They're what?" Jeff yells, trying to sound surprised.

"We didn't know either until Abby came to us crying, saying two bad men have her mommy and sister tied up and that her mommy told her to call the police."

"Are Julie and the girls alright?"

"They are now."

It worked out better than I'd hoped, Jeff thinks. "Can I talk to them?"

"You just missed them, pal."

"Missed them? Where did they go?"

"The hospital."

"The hospital." Jeff stammers.

The medics said their injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening but wanted them to get checked out just to be sure."

"Thank god for they're alright."

"I can't say the same for the men."

"Did the police take care of them?"

Doug chuckles. "The cops didn't do squat.

"Burt I."

"Julie took care of both of them before they arrived. I heard her tell Rebecca that she wanted to ensure they never hurt another child again."

Jeff's panic rises again. He wasn't a lawyer but knew a statement like that couldn't possibly look good for her. "She didn't tell the cops that, did she?"

"No, no, she told the cops that she killed them in self-defense. The sergeant said he doubted the DA would charge her with anything."

"That's good."

"Can you believe our sweet little Julie could kill anyone?" Doug glances at his wife, smiles, and says, "Deloris and I can't."

Jeff pictures a time at the park. They were having a wonderful day until a woman started yelling at their oldest girls, claiming she stole her daughter's doll. Julie throws the woman the toy and suggests she leaves before she calls the cops. The woman kept egging it on, calling Julie every name in the book. Claiming that Julie is an unfit mother who is too unstable to raise a child. Julie tries to leave. The woman grabs Julie's arm and pulls her back. Having had enough, Julie doubles her fist and knocks the lady out cold. The kids called her Rocky for months. Jeff chuckles. "Julie will do whatever it takes to keep the girls safe."

"Deloris and I are heading to the hospital now. We'll stay until you get there, Ok, pal?"

"Sounds good. Hey Doug, could you give Julie a message for me?"

"Sure thing."

"Tell her I love her and will be there as soon as I can."

"Will do, bud."

Hanging up the phone, Jeff backs up onto the street. He does a 360 and heads out of town.

"I'm coming for you, Bambini. For you and all your men."