The Helpless Victim Is Dead

Joe and Jerry are doing their best to stay awake, but the seasoned detectives find this hard to do. They've followed leads for the past twenty-four hours, hoping one would help, but their information has only proved to be another dead end.

Nearly nodding off for the umpteenth time, Joe decides to move around. A little fresh air will help. He pushes the metal door ajar, only to be hit with a blast of wintery air. Maybe not, he thinks. Shivering, he closes it again. Joe watches the morning sun peak over the lush green mountains through the icy glass, a sight he missed during his military days. Joe seldom talks about the time he spent away; when he does, it is only with his comrades. They understand my horrors, my eternal pain, he thinks.

Joe finds his partner nodding off at his desk. "Want a refill, Jerr?" he asks. Jerry's balding head thuds against his metal desk. Papers scatter to the floor.

"I guess that's a no for you." Joe looks at his cup. His stomach churns in protest. "I think I've had my fill too." Exhausted, he drops to his desk and grabs the aged reports again. Joe tried to concentrate on other cases, but no matter how hard he tried to focus, his thoughts kept returning to his friend. How frightened she must be roaming the dark, deserted streets, cold and alone.

"Why didn't you just listen to me, Janet? Why?" He plops his head in his hands. He tried to warn her things between her and Bill would only worsen, but Janet was determined to make her marriage work for her kid's sake. "A boy needs his dad," she claims.

Seeing his exhausted detectives falling asleep at their desks, the captain walks over. Putting his hand on the man's shoulder, he says, "I think it's time you two call it a day."

"I can't quit now. I can't. Not until I can get to the bottom of this. Prove Janet didn't kill Bill."

"You're no good to her or yourself right now, not barely awake like this."

"You don't understand, captain. Janet is counting on me to make this right." The sergeant glances up. A guilt-ridden expression crosses his face when he says, "She wouldn't be in this mess, running scared if I'd done more."

The captain recalls all the times' Joe went out of his way for her. He shakes his head and says, " I don't know what else you could've done."

Joe thinks back to all the times he tossed Steve in jail. They'd return from processing to find Janet standing in line to pay his bail. "I should've pushed her harder to get her out, to get the help she needs." "If I did, maybe, just maybe, she would've left his sorry ass before it got this far."

"You tried to help her out, Joe, more times than I can count. She's the one that chose to throw herself back in."

Leaning over his desk, Joe throws his head into his hands. "Why didn't I try harder, captain? Why?"

"Beating yourself isn't the answer, and it doesn't do you or her any good."

"I just feel like this is my fault, that I, the police force, the entire system failed her again. Joe knows all about Janet's horrid past. He looks up at the Captain. Tears form in his hazel eyes when he says, "Janet has been my best friend for years. She was there for me when I had my accident and when Mom passed, but I wasn't there for her. If I'd been a true friend, I would have packed her a bag and dragged her away from him."

"You'll face kidnapping, false imprisonment, and unlawful restraint charges if you did."

"You know what I mean, though, captain, right?"

"You did all you could. Janet chose to bail him out, and she's the one who decided to stay. So what happened tonight was all on her." He looks over at Jerry, sleeping at his desk. He then sees the sergeant fading despite his best effort to stay awake. "It's been a long day, Sergeant. So go home, and get some rest. You two can pick it back up in a few hours."

I can't give up, captain, I can't. Not until I know Janet is safe."

The captain shakes his head. "It isn't a suggestion, sergeant. It's an order" he thumbs over his shoulder and adds, "Take sleeping beauty with you,"

"But, Sir, I ..." Seeing the look on his boss's face, he stops. Reaching over, he shakes his partner. "Come on, Jerry, let's go."

"Huh, what?" Jerry asks as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.

"Captain is ordering us to go home."

***

The vile man shoves Janet's head further into his lap. Seeing her hesitate, he unholsters his gun and says, "You'll do what I tell you if you want to live to see another day. And no funny stuff either," he adds, cocking his gun, he presses it against Janet's head.

Janet recalls her first night in foster care. She thought the man was there to comfort her, tell her it'd be alright, but he had other things on his mind.

After her tragic loss of losing both her parents in a car accident, DFS shipped Janet across the state to live with a new family. Someone who was supposedly related to her, but she'd never seen them before, nor did she remember her parents ever mentioning their names.

"You'll either do what I say or live on the streets. The choice is up to you." Uncle Bud warned when she refused to comply.

The nightly visits went on until she became pregnant at sixteen. They convinced Bill the baby was his. He even had a doctor falsify DNA samples as proof. Uncle Bud said Bill needed to take responsibility for what he's done. That they should marry before the baby came to save face.

Thinking she'd escape a horrific situation, Janet quickly agreed. She soon discovers life with Bill wasn't the happily ever after she'd dreamed."

You're my wife now, so you'll give me what I want when I want it. Anyway, I choose," Bill slurs in a drunken rage.

Memories of the past continue to plague her mind as she does what she's told.

"I knew you would please me." The trucker smiles, leaning back in his seat.

I've been a victim all my life, always being the good girl, following their commands. I have a dead husband and a son I'll never see again because of my obedience. Well, I'm tired of being a victim. I'm tired of living this way. She chops down as hard as she can.

"You bitch," the man yells, shoving her away.

Janet's frail body slams against the passenger door. The gun flies from his hand. Grabbing the weapon, Janet aims it toward the man and says, "Either let me out, or I'll put a bulletin in your head."

"You don't have the guts to shoot me." He sees her trembling hands and adds, "In fact, I bet you've never even held a gun."

Pointing the gun toward his crotch, she pulls the trigger, yelping when it goes off. Regaining composure, she says, "Let me out, now."

"Give me that." He tries to jerk the weapon from her hands. The sudden pull causes her finger to squeeze the trigger. Brain matter spews across the cab.

Janet scream. The weapon falls to her lap. "What did I do? What did I just do?" She stares at the chunks of grey matter splattered everywhere in disbelief. The gut-wrenching stench causes her stomach to churn. Globs of vomit spew across the cab. "I've ... I've got to get out of here." She starts to move and heaves again. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she scrambles out of the cab.

Hearing gunfire, the rest-stop staff ran to the parking lot to see what was going on. "There she is. There she is." A waitress screams, pointing across the lot.

"Help me. Please, someone, please help me," Janet cries, darting into the highway.