Star Bright (35 page)

Carol stood there
shocked, looking down at the two men on what used to be her desk.
When the man looked at her, and she saw the scars on his face, she
got scared, knowing very well who it was. Carol knelt down and
picked up her phone. Ricky pulled himself up and ran, pushing his
way past the crowd that had already gathered.

Dave turned to her, his
head spinning, “Where did he go?” He asked, shaking his head
clear.

“
He ran out of
here.” She answered, panicked.

Dave stood up. He was
about to go after Ricky, but Carol held on to him, “What are you
doing?”

“
You are not
going anywhere, the police can handle it from here.”

Dave yanked the phone
away from her and turned it off, “No police!” He said, placing his
hand over his panging temple.

“
Then what are
we supposed to do? The man just tried to kill you!” She pulled away
his hand from his temple and pressed the sleeve of her shirt on the
cut.

“
I need to go
home, now!”

Edna paced in the living
room, already feeling the weight on her shoulders. She couldn’t
believe it was happening again. Did the man have nine lives or just
a great deal with the devil? All the joy and peace had been drained
out of her the second Miguel called with the news. All she could
hope for was that Miguel found him, or his body or his accomplice.
She didn’t care which and she didn’t care how, she just wanted the
horror in her daughter’s life to be over.

Maria was right, Ricky
did find her and he did try to kill her, and now that he might
still be alive, he was surely going to come after her grandson.
What was she going to do? Take Michael and run, and then have Maria
catch up when she was better?

But she knew her grandson
well, he wouldn’t leave his new sister or his mother behind, he was
as stubborn as his mother like that. Okay, she’d take both kids, go
to the hospital, take her daughter and give Dave his and then they
would run away. Miguel would help them cross the border and hide
them in Mexico.

But Dave wouldn’t let
them go, he’s too in love with Maria to do so. She needed to do
something, she wasn’t just going to sit and wait for her daughter
to get killed by that monster. Edna felt frustrated, all her
options ended with consequences she knew her daughter wouldn’t take
or if she did, it would hurt her. If only she hadn’t formed a new
family with Dave, then everything would be easier.

Edna dropped on the couch
and dropped her head in her palms. There was nothing else for her
to do, but cry and pray for the best, “When is this going to
end?”

“
Soon, I
promise.” Miguel moved to sit next to her. Edna looked at him, her
eyes reflecting the doubt she felt. Miguel hugged her, “It will be
over soon Edna.”

“
I want to
believe you but...” she paused, “I’ll believe it when it
happens.”

“
We could
always send them away, maybe to Mexico until we find
Ricky.”

Edna looked up at him,
“It’s not that easy anymore. She has ties to this place and Dave
isn’t just going to allow us to take them away.”

“
He doesn’t
have to know.” Miguel pulled her back, “Once you are all far away,
I’ll break the news to him.”

“
He’ll have
you arrested.” Edna chuckled, nervously.

“
I’ll risk
it.” Miguel shrugged, “What’s the worst he could do?”

“
Try taking
her away and you’ll find out!” Dave’s angry voice bellowed in the
room. Edna and Miguel looked up to see the livid man standing at
the door way.

Maria paced around her
room bored out of her mind. She had already walked around the
hospital corridors, paid a visit to the nursery and admired the
little tiny creatures, which made her have a pang to be a mother
again. Chatted with the nurses, gone down to the cafeteria to have
something that wasn’t white and gooey to eat. She shouldn’t have
sent Dave home, but the kids needed him home, and she was tired of
having him hover over her all the time like she was going to break
if she did something for herself.

She sat by the window and
looked out at the night life of New York. The different colored
lights looked beautiful in the dark, like stars in the sky. It was
amazing how noisy the city was even at night, when everyone was
expected to be asleep or at home with their families or having a
quiet dinner with their friends.

Maria laughed happily,
she was looking forward to having a normal life. Dinners with Carol
and Todd, family movie nights, going home after a long day at the
university, once she enrolled or work, making dinner or ordering
pizza when she felt too lazy to cook, putting the kids to bed early
so that she and Dave could have some time alone, then finally going
to bed to sleep or to make love like a normal couple would. This
was the life waiting for her once she left the hospital and she was
anxious to start it as soon as possible.

Maria turned to the
ringing phone and laughed, she was sure it was Dave probably
worrying himself out of his mind. She walked to her bed side table
and picked up the phone, “You worry wart, you should be working.
It’s only being a few hours since you left here.”

“
Really? I
thought it had been nine days since we were last
together.”

Maria froze at the sound
of Ricky’s voice. She wasn’t sure if she was imaging it or if it
was a bad dream, but this couldn’t be happening again, he was
dead!

“
Did you miss
me that much? Oh I missed you too.”

“
How...you got
shot....you’re dead!” Maria cried, as she sank to the floor. She
felt her whole body shake as his voice sent cold chills all through
her body. This couldn’t be possible, Dave assured her he was
dead.

“
No I’m not,
but there is a five year old who’s going to be.”

“
Don’t you
dare go anywhere near my son!” Maria yelled, into the
receiver.

“
Why so mad?”
Ricky cooed at her, “He does need one of his parents with him, you
know, with you locked up in a hospital and all.”

Maria pulled herself up
from her knees, “Ricky, I swear I’ll kill you if you go near
Michael!” she spewed out angrily

“
Oooh, is that
a threat?” Ricky laughed.

“
No, it’s a
promise!” Maria pulled her bag out of the closet and took out some
clothes. She painfully pulled off her sling and began changing
fast.

“
Well you are
over there and I’m here, very close to him.”

Maria felt her heart stop
for a second, “What do you mean very close to him?” She rapped out,
with a quivering voice.

Ricky laughed coldly,
“Why don’t you find that out for yourself.” He hung up.

Ricky turned and looked
at the baggage in his back seat, he didn’t think it would be so
easy to pull it off, especially with the heavy guard duty around
the house. He rubbed at his wound in his torso, that had been a
close call, a very close call. He had been too excited to notice
how careless he had been before, not taking into account the body
guard who was always following her around, which he was sure she
knew nothing about. But this time he was going to be careful, take
the fight to her and delay the alarm that was going to be
raised.

He turned around and
started the car, “Sorry it had to happen like this little man, but
what better way to attract bees than with honey.” He drove away
proud, laughing even louder at his accomplishment.

“
That’s
enough, no one is doing anything to anyone and anyway, it’s Maria’s
decision.” Edna yelled, curbing the argument before it turned into
a fist fight.

“
It will be
our decision, we are a family now and we do everything together.”
Dave spoke firmly. He wanted so much to kick Miguel’s ass and an
opportunity had presented itself, but Edna had managed to quiet the
man down.

“
What’s the
use if he’ll find her again?” Edna spoke, into her palms, already
exhausted by the mere thought of Ricky finding her daughter
again.

“
Do you really
love my daughter or are you just interested in finding a permanent
nanny for your daughter?” Miguel accused. Dave didn’t say a word,
he just gave him a lethal gaze as he contemplated throwing the
first punch. “Or is she some kind of project for you, I mean this
is the most excitement you’ve gotten from a court case, being so
involved with a victim and seeing the criminals work first hand.
Tell the truth, you find her life intriguing, don’t
you?”

Dave hated being put on
the spot, especially by the truth. Yes it was intriguing and
exciting at first, but when everything got so real he wanted the
game to be over. But one thing he wasn’t sure of was his love for
Maria, did he love her more as a mother to his daughter or as a
woman?

“
You are the
last person to be judging me. You could have left your life in the
fast lane if you wanted to, but why leave an exciting life just to
be a husband, father and farmer in dull old
Jacksonville?”

“
I’m not going
to deny the fact that I’m a bastard, but when will you admit to
yourself that it was pure lawyer curiosity that attracted you to
Maria.”

“
You don’t
know me.” Dave said, defensively.

“
But I know
people like you.” he took a step closer to Dave, “for all we know
it could have been your digging around that set Ricky on Maria’s
trail. Not only can’t your gun for hire shoot straight, he can’t
snoop around without raising eyebrows.”

“
That may be
my fault, but when we look at the whole picture, the person to
blame for all of this, is you.” Dave smiled when he saw Miguel
clench his jaw, “And anyway, aren’t you using this situation to
your advantage, trying to kill Ricky to save face in front of
Maria.”

“
Ricky is
dead!” Edna said firmly, trying to convince herself of it. She
needed to believe he was dead, for her own state of mind. If she
was going this crazy, Maria would have certainly lost her mind if
she knew there was a possibility he was still alive.

“
No he’s
not.”

The trio turned to find
Maria standing at the entrance of the living room, her arm held
against her chest with a tired look on her face.

Maria felt exhausted, in
pain and strained, but after the call she got from Ricky, she
didn’t have time to pause and lick her wounds, she needed to get
out of here, fast.

“
Where are the
kids?” She panted out, ignoring the incredulous looks Dave and her
parents gave her, “Could someone please answer me, preferably in
this century!” She went on impatiently.

“
They are
upstairs sleeping.” Edna answered, standing up from the couch,
“What are you doing out of hospital?”

“
I wasn’t
going to just lay there and wait for Ricky to come back and try to
kill me again.” Maria stared at them, her anger for them mounting
higher with each passing second, “How could you lie to
me?”

“
What are you
talking about?” Miguel asked him, he knew it was a stupid question
the second it made its way out of his mouth.

Maria stared at him,
astound by the man’s persistence, “About Ricky being dead!” She
yelled at him, before turning to Dave, “You of all people kept it
from me.” Maria pushed her hair back exposing her bruises, “What am
I even saying, this has you written all over it.”

“
How did you
find out?” Dave asked, quietly.

“
I got a call
from the dead man himself.”

“
How sure are
you it was Ricky?” Dave was reaching, and he knew that, “For all
you know it could have been a crank call.”

She cut her eyes at him,
and then turned for the stairway, she had wasted enough time
already, “I’m taking the kids with me.”

“
Where are you
going? You are still hurt.” Dave caught up with her and stopped her
before she went up.

Maria pulled her arm out
of his hold and turned to him, “Hurt or not, I’m taking the kids
and getting as far away from here and from him as I possibly
can.”

“
You don’t
have to go anywhere.” Dave began desperately, “We have people
looking for him, they will eventually catch him.”

Maria laughed coldly,
“Eventually?” she asked, “Before or after he kills the kids?” Her
voice flat yet sharp.

“
Maria...”

“
I’m doing
what a mother does, protecting her children.” Maria said,
interrupting him, “I’m taking Izzy and you can’t stop
me.”

Dave brushed his hand
over his tired face, “Running won’t solve anything.”

“
You think I
don’t know that?” She could feel the tears sting her eyes, but she
wasn’t going to cry, not now, “Look at me, that point was driven
into me several painful times.”

Edna moved to stand next
to her and held her injured arm up for her, “Listen to him, your
father and Dave will find a way to end this.”

“
Forgive me
mama, but my trust in men, especially these two is a little shaky
and anyway you told me to run in the first place!”