"Judy back yet?" Kaliegh asked him as she sat down on one of the patio chairs.
"No, I haven't seen her yet." Taker said as he cracked open his beer and took a long drink. "Do you like fishing, Kaliegh? There's a stream on the other side of that hill. I think we could catch enough fish and grill them for supper. How's that sound?"
"I love to go fishing!" Kaliegh said, her eyes sparkling. "Do you have poles?"
"Sure do...let's get going then...I haven't been fishing in ages." Taker said, jumping out of his chair.
"Okey...Hang on. I'll grab a couple of bottles of water...It's kinda hot here today....wouldn't want anyone getting dehydrated."
As Kaliegh did that, Taker grabbed two of the fishing poles and some tackle that he had found. He also grabbed the container out from under the deck that held a dozen or so night crawlers. Kaliegh came the door carrying a small cooler that had water and some sandwiches that she quickly threw together when she remembered that they had not had lunch yet.
It was beautiful down by the stream. Clear water flowed over smooth rocks of various shapes and sizes. Birds of every kind could be seen and heard. "Now I know why Judy wanted to come here." Kaliegh said as she took a deep breath of the fresh air. "It's beautiful here."
"It sure is...there are alot of beautiful things all around me." Taker said as he looked at her.
Kaliegh felt the blood creeping into her face at his comment. Although she wasn't used to getting compliments, she knew one when she heard it. After a moment of silence she finally said "Well, let's catch some fish." Within minutes they each had a pole rigged up and ready to go.
---------
While Taker and Kaliegh were catching supper and enjoying the clean mountain air, Judy was getting the van ready to go it's final resting place. The first thing she did was take the tags off of the license plates and put them into her pocket so she could throw them into the fire place when she got back to the cabin. She took the plates and buried them in a deep hole a ways away from the cliff....And scratched the VIN numbers off with a razor blade she had stuck in her purse. Next she found a good strong branch and used it to hold the gas pedal down on the van. Finally she put it into drive and watched it plunge over the cliff....exploding into a fiery burst of flames at the bottom of the ravine.
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About an hour later, Taker and Kaliegh had caught enough fish for a good meal. They walked slowly back to the cabin, laughing and joking as if they had known each other forever. When they got back, Taker looked for a place to clean the fish while Kaliegh went inside to get a filet knife and some water. On her way back out, she noticed that Judy was back....But was in a dead sleep on the couch. Kaliegh decided to leave her friend sleep until dinner time. As she walked out the door to join Taker, Judy began to dream.....
**************
Patrick Adams chewed on the end of his cigar, while waiting for his call to go through. Standing in front of the windows starring out at nothing, his mind on the disappearance of the Undertaker, Patrick was about to hang up the phone, when the man finally picked up.
"I have a job for you. Taker is gone, and two women are involved. Come to my office and I'll fill you in on the details and give you their pictures."
"I'll be there in an hour." Then the line went dead.
"Damn the man!" Patrick swore irritable. "If he wasn't the best in the business, I wouldn't even talk to him. But he get's the job done." He said, walking back to the massive antique oak desk. Throwing the cigar down in the ashtray, he replaced the cordless phone in its cradle, then sat down, sighing tiredly. Sitting across from him was his boss.
Andrews leaned back in the huge leather chair, elbows resting on the chair arms, his legs spread out in front of him. To say he was annoyed, would be putting it mildly. As to who he was most annoyed with, would be harder to say. There were so many to choose from. Chad Williams for letting his guard down, Adams for not being suspicious of the women, and Taker. His gut feeling told him Taker was at the bottom of all this! But why? He had always been dependable, and the most dedicated of all the wrestlers.Yet he felt Taker was at the bottom of all this.
Two hours later, a man was seen leaving the offices of Patrick Adams, carrying a manilla envelope. If asked what he looked like, no one would be able to say with any amount of certainty, aside from the fact he was average height, average build, and had brown hair. Average! Nothing special about him. Nothing to make him stand out and be noticed. That very thing was what made him the best in the business of being a private detective. His ability to be "invisible", even in a crowd.
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Judy lay on the couch, gripped by the same terrorfying nightmare she'd been having for about 4 years now.The man. That man with the green eyes. He was always the one after her, the one determined to hurt her.
Thrashing about on the sofa, her face slick with sweat brought on by her fear. Judy cried out in her sleep, and struck out at her attacker, throwing herself off the couch and onto the floor. Kaliegh and Taker had been quietly talking as they finished preparing supper. Hearing her cry out, then fall to the floor, they dropped what they were doing and ran into the living room.
Taker moved an antique trunk away from the couch, and took the trembling woman in his arms. As he started to lay her back on the couch and try to wake her, Judy's eyes suddenly flew open.
"You ok? You having that same dream?" Concern for her plainly evident in his eyes and in his tone of voice.
With an animal like snarl, she shoved the big man backwards, and assumed the stance she learned in those self defense classes she took. Anger and confusion replaced the concern he'd previously shown. But before he could utter a word, she delivered a side kick to the thigh, and in the blink of an eye, a side kick to the head. Knocked off his feet, senses reeling he attempted to get to his feet, totally pissed off. She was at him again. She kicked his big dead ass for a good minute, delivering one devastating blow after another, and all he could do was try to avoid most of her blows without causing her any hurt. Kaliegh finally put a stop to it by throwing a glass of water in her friend's outraged, yet terrified face.
Judy shook her head, wiped the water and damp hair out of her eyes, and turned to look at Kaliegh.
"What the hell was that for?" Anger building within her.
"Judy look what you've done." Kaliegh said slowly and softly, wanting to make sure Judy WAS awake.
"What ARE you talking about? I was asleep on the couch!" Judy said in exasperation, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Taking a step forward, she pointed to Taker sitting up and shaking his head as though to clear it.
"Oh my Gawd! Not again!" Judy ran down the hallway to her bedroom, upset and embarrassed by what happened.
Taker got to his feet with hell in his eyes. This Bitch was going to tell him what her problem was if he didn't strangle her first. Never had he been so angry.
"Where is she?" He asked through clenched teeth.
"She was asleep, Taker, asleep!" Kaliegh didn't know what scared her most, the look on his face, or the look in her friend's eyes just before Kaliegh threw the water in Judy's face.
"She was awake! Her eyes were open, she looked right at me! No body acts like that asleep!" But his anger had started to cool off.
"Yes I know. But she WAS asleep. I threw a glass of water in her face to wake her up. "Kaliegh had a hold of his huge arm, making him listen to her.
"Where is she?" He was calmer now, his anger cooled for the time being.
"She's in her bedroom. I think she's embarrassed by what happened." She said softly, by way of explanation.
"What is it with her and these nightmares? Do you know?" He asked, confused again, hands on hips and head cocked to one side.
"I don't know, she won't talk about it. She says it's no big deal, just bad dreams. But in all the time we've spent together planning this, today was the worst." Kaliegh was shaken by the events that had taken place. Taker started down the hall to talk to her, but Kaliegh stopped him. "Let me talk to her first." She pleaded. Somewhat reluctantly Taker agreed, stepping back to let her pass in the narrow hallway.
Judy refused to leave her room, mortified to her very soul. "Kaliegh, no, I can't face him. I bet he thinks I'm certifiable. Is he alright? I didn't hurt him did I? Oh please tell me i didn't?" Judy was miserable, and too embarassed to find words to describe it.
"No he's fine. Worried about you though." Kaliegh said trying to comfort her friend.
Groaning, Judy turned away. "Lord, now I know I can't face him. Y'all go on and make yourselves at home. I'm staying in here tonight." Judy went to stand by the window till she heard the door close behind Kaliegh.
Taker listened to all Kaliegh had to say while they both picked at their dinner. When she finished, he had a somewhat better understanding of Judy. He sat there at the table lost in thought about what Kaliegh had told him. Wondering what was on his mind, Kaliegh studied this man, wondering for her friend's sake, if they had made a mistake in agreeing to help this man they both idolized. With a sigh, she got up and cleared off the table. She raked their mostly untouched dinner in the trash, and put the dishes in the dishwasher. That done, she said her good nights to Taker, and made her way to her bedroom.
Several hours later, Judy awoke from the first dreamless sleep she'd had in weeks. Padding barefoot to the kitchen, she took a glass from the cabinet and poured herself a glass of juice, and drank it thirstily. Lighting a cigarette from the pack laying on the counter top, she went to stand by the huge bay window that offered a spectular view of the stream where Taker and Kaliegh had gone fishing eariler, and the mountains beyond. The full moon shining down gave everything a silvery look, yet somehow sinister.It was peaceful here. Soothing! Healing! These mountains helped take away the hurt, helped chase away the memories.
Judy hadn't bothered turning on the kitchen light, and when it suddenly came on, she spun around in alarm, facing the intruder.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to get a drink." Taker said standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. His hair hung loose over his shoulders.
Dropping her head in embarrassment, she was unsure of what his reaction to her would be. Glancing back up at him, she saw he was just watching her, still not having moved from the doorway. Frowning, wondering why he was looking at her that way, she asked."What! Why are you starring?" her tone just short of being rude.
Grinning from ear to ear, he replied, "You are wearing one of my tee-shirts!"
Glancing down, she realized her "Taker" tee and boxers was all she had on. A faint blush stained her cheeks, as she stubbed out her cigarrette and started to leave the kitchen. "Gawd! Please excuse me. I better go back to bed!" She wouldn't meet his eyes as she waited for him to step aside and let her pass.
"No please join me for a few minutes. I must admit the tee-shirt never looked better." He said with a gentle laugh. He went over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Want one?" He asked, holding up the can.
"No thanks." She mumbled, still standing by the doorway.
"Please, sit with me, while I drink this. Maybe get to know each other a bit." He pulled the tab, tossed it in the trash and took a long pull off the brew.
He watched the play of emotions on her face as she sat down at the table, almost reluctently. He joined her, sitting down in the chair beside hers.
"Mind if I have one?" He asked indicating her cigarettes.
"Sure, help yourself." She replied, still not meeting his eyes.
"I don't mean to pry, but tell me about these nightmares." He asked softly.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked away. Memory of the incident that started the dreams, washed over her like a tidal wave. Getting up from the table, she got a paper towel to dry her eyes.
"I'm a good listener and maybe it'll help." He gently coaxed her, having turned slightly in his seat.
Reluctantly, she sat back down in her chair. Maybe it would help to tell it. Maybe talking about it would chase the nightmares away for good. Slowly, painfully, she began.
"Bout 4 years ago, I was working nights at a grocery store. One night, as I was locking the door of my apartment, a man grabbed me from behind. I don't have any idea how he got in, neither did the police. He put a knife to my throat and demanded money. He was a huge man, with big hands. Well, it was two days till pay day, so all I had was a few dollars. This seemed to piss him off." Judy stopped talking and took a deep, ragged breath, trying to work up the courage to continue. Finally she did. "Any way, he trashed my apartment, and beat me up. He left me for dead. He started to strangle me, but the last thing I saw before I lost conscienceness, was his eyes. You have the same eyes. I spent three weeks in the hospital. The doctors didn't know if I was gonna make it or not, so severe were the injuries. But I did. Once I got well, I took self defense classes. I vowed never to be a victim at the hands of a man again." The paper towel was a shredded heap on the table. Her hands trembled slightly, but there was no fear in her blue eyes. Hatred for the man that attacked her, but no fear. Taker almost felt sorry for the man if she ever got ahold of him. As he thought about what she'd been through, anger and a desire to get a hold of the man himself, began to grow inside him.
************
Kaliegh awoke the next morning a little before sunrise. The first thought on her mind was coffee. She got a pot started and after it was done brewing, she took a steaming cup out on the deck to watch the sun come up. It was the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen. As she drained the last of her coffee, she got up and went to get another cup. When she walked into the kitchen, she was startled to see Taker sitting at the table.
"Kaliegh..." Taker said, a little startled himself. "I didn't know you were awake."
"What? You think that coffee that you're drinking made it self?" She asked him, irritation obvious in her voice. Then with a sigh, she sat down at the table across from him, her head in her hand.
"I'm sorry..." She began. " I didn't sleep well last night. I guess everything that has happened the last few days has been wearing on my nerves."
"It's alright." He said softly. "I can certainly understand where you are coming from." Taker went on to tell her about the conversation he'd had with Judy the night before....explaining why Judy suffered from horrible nightmares.....About the man who had attacked her....why she was so aggressive towards Taker.
"It must have been terrible for her." Kaliegh said sadly, feeling bad for her friend...wishing she could help her in some way.
"Yes, but I think finally talking about it has helped her a great deal." Taker said as he got up and filled both of their cups.
"Thanks." Kaliegh said and then sighed heavily as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"What is it, Kal?" Taker asked, wondering if this woman was as haunted by something as Judy was.
"Well, I guess as long as Judy shared her demons with you, I may as well come clean too." Kaliegh said as she lit a cigarette. Taker sat back in his chair and motioned for her to continue. Kaliegh took a deep breath and then began her own tale of terror.
"I'm married....well, sort of. My husband is in jail and he will not grant me a divorce. We got married seven years ago, when I was eighteen...right out of high school. Things were pretty good for a while, but then he started to get abusive...not physically, but mentally. I learned to live with it, because when he didn't drink, it was just like when we first got married. Then he started to watch what I ate, so I wouldn't gain any weight, he monitored my phone calls, picked my friends for me.....Eventually he controlled my whole life...He even went as far as only letting me use the bathroom when he said it was okey. Finally one day I had enough of his BS. After he left for work, I did something I always wanted, but he would never let me have. I went and got a tattoo. And when he got home that evening, I showed it to him. He went absolutely crazy. He beat the crap out of me....Most of this face you see here is not even mine...It's the product of the nine reconstructive surgeries I had to have so I could have a face again. Then he stormed out of the house. Unfortunately, the tattoo artist happened to be out with some friends of his at the bar my husband went to. He beat him to death right there in the bar. Of course, he was arrested right away, but his sentence was reduced from first degree murder to temporary insanity. The only charge he went to jail for was assault. The assault he committed towards me. That happened three years ago. He's up for parole next month. I've been trying since then to get a divorce from him, but since he has gone through intensive therapy in jail, the judge says I have to give him another chance. I've appealed the case eleven times....and now I can no longer afford my lawyer. So one of the biggest reasons I agreed to help you was so I could disappear. I don't know what I'll do if he ever finds me..." Kaliegh finished as she lowered her head to her arms and cried softly.
Taker immediately came around the table to her side and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's alright, Kal. He won't ever find you...That I promise you." he said to her in a deep comforting voice.
"Thanks, Taker." Kaliegh said when her tears had subsided a bit. "I've got more...are you up to hearing it?"
"Yes, anytime you need to talk, I'm here." Taker answered, but did not go back to his chair. He stayed by her side, his comforting arm still around her.
"You see these scars?" Kaliegh said as she lifted her shirt a bit to reveal three scars. Two on her stomach and one on her side. "This is the reason I have not been with any man, including my husband in atleast five years. When i first met him, and through the first years of marriage, I hid the scars from him. I went to any extreme I thought necessary, knowing what his reaction would be if I didn't have the perfect body he thought I had. But then one day, he came home early from work. I was out in the yard in a two piece bathing suit getting some sun. Before I could get covered up, he saw my imperfection. From that day on, he refused to have anything to do with me in a sexual way."
Taker was further shocked at how any man could be so cruel. Both of these women had gone through so much to help him even though each was going through their own private hell. His respect and appreciation for them grew immensely that day. Taker silently vowed he would go to any length to protect them from any harm that should come their way.
"By the way..." Kaliegh said, bring him out of his thoughts. "This is the tattoo that sent that man over the edge." It was a tattoo of Taker's Gothic Cross symbol.