Nowhere to Hide

Realizing he's pulling her inside, Abby reaches up and rakes her nails down the man's face. 

"You bitch, he yells, backing away.

Scampering out the window, Abby races across the open field.

The bright moonlight glows above her. A crisp breeze sweeps through the town, causing the trees to sway. Crisp autumn leaves swirl all around. The small southern town remains still despite her desperate cries for help. 

Abby knew this day would come but figured she'd be running from the police, not an oversized goon. 

I need to get to the gym, she thinks, pushing on. She's stored a few essentials in her locker just in case she had to escape.

Her legs ache, and her chest burns as she continues down the road.  I don't know how much farther I can run. 

She looks up to find her friend's house at the end of the block. They'll give me a lift to the gym and then out of town. Relieved her nightmare is almost over, she sprints towards their Victorian-styled home.

Abby knocks on the door and waits. Not getting a response, she pounds on the wooden barrier harder than before. A dog barks a few houses down, but their home remains still. She quickly looks down the road and then bangs on the door again.

  Maybe they can't hear me. Abby pushes the doorbell over and over. The device chimes, but no one stirs inside. 

Why aren't they answering? 

She raises her fist to bang again when she remembers they're spending the holiday with her folks.  I guess I'm on my own tonight. 

Abby notices headlights brightening the road when she steps off the porch. Abby ducks behind a hedge and waits. The brakes squeak to a stop at the front of the house. He didn't see me, did he? No, he couldn't have. 

A car door slams. Abby jumps. She discovers the same man who broke into her home walking toward her when she glances around the bush. She nervously hunkers down and waits.

*****

Joe carefully maneuvers his way down the darkened hallway, hoping he'll be able to lay the baby down this time. Joe Jr. seems to wake up as soon as he steps through the nursery door. Holding his breath, he steps over the threshold, looks down, and finds the baby is still asleep. 

So far, so good, Joe thinks, breathing a sigh of relief. Carrying him to the crib, he gently eases him down. 

Finally, Joe is heading towards his room when the phone rings.  Not wanting it to wake the baby, he scrambles toward the noisy device. 

"Captain Bower," he whispers. Stepping into the bathroom, he pulls the door, too. "A break-in at the apartments, was anyone hurt?".... "Have the uniform officers canvass the area; talk to her friends, her neighbors find out where she might go and if they saw anything." ... "Is there a surveillance camera in the area?" ... "Sounds good. Rachel and I will there as soon as we can."

Joe and Rachel find the forensic team working when they pull up to the scene. Police cruisers line both sides of the block. Red and blue lights brighten the dark area. A few do-gooders stir about, hoping they can help.

"What can you tell us, Rick?" the captain asks, ducking under the yellow tape. Rick is a stout, fair-complected man. He has coffee-colored hair and soft baby- blues. He's been with the forensic team for nearly fifteen years and is one of the best on the force.

"The perp forced his way in through the back window. "We didn't find any fingerprints on the windowsill, but there's a shoe print in the mud below it. My team is running the impression now."

"What about the apartment?"

There were signs of a struggle in the front room, and the bedroom door kicked in. We dusted for prints and only found one pattern belonging to the tenant, Abby Miller. The neighbor said she saw her running across the field, screaming for help, and called it in." Pointing to the side of the house, he continues. "Jerry sent a few rookies to look for her."

"Did the neighbors tell you anything about the victim?"

Rick opens his notebook. "They said Abby had lived here for almost two years. She works at the gym in town, but they have no idea where she might go. She's never mentioned her family, she never has visitors, and she never dates as far as they know. Said Abby goes to work and comes home, and that's about it,"

Jack steps up beside them. He's a beat cop who's only been with the department a little over a year but shows a lot of promise. Unlike his coworker, Rick, he's dark-complected and has jet-black hair and chestnut eyes. "I ran the tenant's fingerprints, and they came back to Elizabeth Wiser."

A perplexed look crosses the captain's face. "Elizabeth Wiser?"

"Yes, sir, and she has a warrant out of Illinois."

Jeff scratches his head. "Does it say why?"

"It's a failure to appear. The Illinois PD arrested her for drug possession with intent to sell. Her boyfriend bailed her out. She left the state soon after."

"Do we know where the boyfriend is?"

"We're trying to locate him, sir."

"Keep me posted."

"Copy that, captain." He starts to leave when he remembers something else. "Oh, and captain, Illinois wants her extradited ASAP."

"Assuming we locate her." Joe turns towards Rachel. He runs his fingers through his thinning hair and says, "Pull her file, see what you can find."

"I'm on it, captain." 

Diego catches their conversation on the way out. The boss will want to know about this. Darting to the back of the building, he pulls his cell from his pocket and nervously dials the number.

Diego has been Romero's inside man for the last four years. The arrangement started when Romero offered him substantial money if he reported what he'd found. Romero later proposed to put the rookie on salary if he'd continue to be his mole.  With a sickly wife and four mouths to feed, Diego accepted. 

Diego's eyes dart side to side. He shifts his weight, waiting for the call to connect. The phone clicks, he gulps, and then says, "I thought you'd like to know the lady who has the flash drive is a fugitive. Her real name is Elizabeth Wiser. Illinois PD arrested her for drug possession with intent to sell. The state her warrant is in wants her extradited immediately." "No, sir, she's still on the run."  "I'll search for her now."

***

Abby watches the goon continue up the sidewalk. Dogs bark frantically down the road, alerting neighbors of the stranger lurking nearby.

The invader pulls a penlight from his pocket and flashes it around.

She scrunches lower in the bushes. Please don't let him find me, she begs.

A cat strolls up beside her. It rubs against her legs and then meows. She glances down at the fat, ginger-colored beast. It's going to get me caught if it doesn't quit. She pets the furry critter, hoping it'll quiet down.

The stranger points the flashlight in her direction.

Abby plops to the ground. The animal purrs as it rubs against her face. Cat dander drifts through the air. Her eyes water and her nose begins to itch. Abby turns her head the other way. I wish you'd both leave.

Looking up, she discovers the intruder heading towards his car. My misery is almost over. She feels snot dripping down her upper lip; she pulls up her shirt collar and wipes it away. A collection of cat fur causes her to sneeze.

The goon turns towards the house and flashes the light around. Not finding anyone, the invader climbs into his car.

That was close, she thinks. Abby steps out of the bushes a few minutes later. Realizing the coast is clear. She jogs to the ATM down the street. She pulls the bank card from her sock and places it in the machine.

Abby decided keeping it with her day and night would be a good idea. She also thought it'd be wise to go to bed fully dressed. That way, she'll be prepared if the inevitable happens in the middle of the night.

Sliding the cash and the card in her shoe, she heads towards the gym. She doesn't make it too far when she sees headlights down the road. She ducks behind the building and waits. To her relief, the car passes her by. I need to get my stuff and go.

She starts to cross the cold, empty street when she discovers a cruiser parked at the gym. She then sees her intruder circling the block again. What am I going to do now?