Code 3: Finding Safety (2 page)

Three

The bus pulls into Austin’s bus depot a little after six in the morning. Leanna is hungry, tired and smells a little ripe.  Her first plan of action is to find a motel room so she can shower before grabbing a bite to eat.  She exits the bus and locates her suitcase that has been offloaded already. 

The bus depot is on the rough side of town.  She quickly makes her way through the depot and to the curb where she hails a cab.  “Take me to the nearest motel,” she instructs the cabbie as she buckles herself into the seat.  She doesn’t trust cab drivers.  She has always wondered where they got their license from; a Cracker Jack box, maybe? 

She pays the cab fare, grabs her suitcase and makes her way to the motel office.  Sleep Tight Motel is off of I-35.  Leanna checks in and pays $35 for a one night stay.  “Check-in is at 2, but seeing as you just arrived and we aren’t full, I’ll go ahead and allow you to check-in early,” the clerk behind the desk says to her. 

Leanna grabs her room key and receipt.  “Thank you,” she says as she heads to room 8.

“Yeah, whatever.  Check out is noon.  You either pay for another night before then or get out,” the clerk grunts as he returns to his television program.

She inserts the key and turns the knob.  Once the door is opened she is transported to the seventies.  The room has brown, shag carpet with brown and orange floral wallpaper.  A musky smell tickles her nostrils as she takes her first step into the room.  “Ugh, this room is definitely a one night stay.  I need to find another motel tomorrow,” she says aloud to herself. 

She places her suitcase against the wall nearest the dresser as she makes her way to the nightstand for a phone book.  She thumbs through until she finds a pizza parlor and places an order for a medium pepperoni pizza, cheese sticks and a bottle of Dr. Pepper for delivery before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.

As the hot water stings her sensitive skin Leanna begins to think of her parents.  They were a wonderful family.  Her mama was a homemaker while her dad was a long-haul truck driver.  Daddy was gone more than he was home but they never took for granted the time they had together.  It’s times like this that Leanna longs for her parents.  They were killed on their way home one night in September, eight years ago when she was only fifteen years old.  Since then, she was bounced between family members until she met Mark when she was eighteen and married him six months later.  Would she have settled down with Mark if her parents were alive?  What she knew for certain was that she would not be in a dingy motel room in Texas if they were still alive.  Her daddy would have put a bullet between Mark’s eyes the first time his fist connected with her nose.

Leanna gently cries.  Before her parents’ passing, she had the whole world at her fingertips.  Her parents were saving money to send her to college and get her out of Danville.  Her daddy wanted the best for her.  She slinks down the wall and draws her knees to her chest.  She wanted to be an elementary school teacher.  She wanted to educate the future while raising a family of her own.  The memory is overwhelming.  Thinking of all that she lost because of the untimely passing of her mom and dad opens the wound in her heart that she’s been trying to heal all these years.

Steam circles around the room as she exits her shower.  She dries and dresses quickly and pulls her mid-length, brown hair into a pony tail.  She doesn’t have time to put on her make-up to cover the latest of Mark’s abuse before she hears a knock at the door. 
Yes, pizza’s here,
she thinks as she grabs her wallet and heads to the only door in the room.

“That was quicker than I expected,” Leanna says as she opens the door.  Before she can look up, the door to her room is being pushed open and a masked man is pushing his way in.  “Don’t say a fucking word or I’ll slit your throat,” the masked man says as he brandishes a knife in her face.  Leanna’s heart is racing as her mind thinks up all the possible outcomes of this situation.

“P-please don’t hurt me.  Y-you can take whatever you want,” Leanna stutters as her eyes fixate on the shiny blade pointed at her throat.  “I-I don’t have much, but what I have is all yours.”  Before another word can come out, Leanna feels stinging and burning on the left side of her face and she falls to the floor.  The masked person grabs her wallet and takes off running toward the main street in front of the motel and is gone before Leanna processes the whole situation and calls authorities.

Four

Officer James McMullen has just purchased his morning coffee and climbed in behind the wheel of his patrol car when a call comes over the radio.  Officer McMullen hears Sandra, the dispatcher for the Austin Police Department; notify him of an armed robbery at the Sleep Tight Motel off of MLK Blvd.  “It’s probably a prostitute who just robbed her John again,” James says to no one in particular as he turns the ignition and points the car toward the crime scene.

Officer McMullen notices the ambulance as he pulls in the parking lot of the Sleep Tight Motel.  He sees a young woman being treated in the back of the rig. 
No way can she be a prostitute
.  He makes his way towards her.  “Good morning, ma’am.  I’m Officer McMullen.  Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” James says as he looks at the woman before him.  She’s nothing special that would make you look twice at her, but she is pretty, even battered and bruised.  He takes notice that she has a fresh bruise beginning to form on her face amongst older bruises that have already begun to turn a, not so appealing, shade of yellow. 

“Sure,” she says as the paramedics finish cleaning her face and assessing the damage.  She was lucky that nothing appeared to be broken. 

“Miss, can we start with your name?” Officer McMullen asks.

“My name is Leanna.  Leanna Dickson.”

“Thank you, Leanna.  Can you tell me what happened?”

James finds Leanna having a difficult time explaining to him what happened.  She tells him everything that happened during this event, but he can’t help but notice that she has older bruises, bruises that have already begun to heal.

“Miss Dickson, I can’t help but notice the old bruises on your face.  Can you explain what happened?”

Her eyes move to her hands that lie in her lap.  From the years spent in law enforcement, James knows that Leanna must be feeling shame and embarrassment.  The abusers break them down to the point that they believe everything they do is their fault and that they deserve all the beatings.  “Um, yeah, my estranged husband beat me last week.  This is why I came to Austin.  I’m running from him.”

James has heard sad stories like this before and they all suck but hearing this from Leanna makes him feel emotions that he’s never felt for a victim before.  He feels anger at the man that would hurt her and he feels the need to protect her from ever being hurt again.  He shakes the emotions from his body.  He can’t afford to feel this way toward a victim.  His job is to serve and protect; not invest emotions into a victim.  “I’m sorry, Missus Dickson.  Do you have family or friends in the area that you can stay with?”

Leanna shakes her head.  “No, I picked a large city from the list of departing buses.  No reason, really, for ending up here.  And please, call me Leanna.” 

James can’t help the emotions building inside of him.  Leanna seems like a strong woman who’s down on her luck.  He wants to help her but he knows that he can’t do anything more than take down her statement while on duty.  It’s at this moment that he made the decision to not go out with the other officers after his shift and come back here to check on Leanna.  “Thank you for answering all my questions, Leanna.”  He loves the way her name sounds. 
Leanna
he thinks to himself trying to hide a smile that threatens to form.  “I will follow up with you.  I think you need to try to rest.  You’ve been through a traumatic ordeal,” James says as he rises and extends his hand to her. 

She places her small hand into James’ much larger hand as he helps her to her feet.  She sways a bit and causes James to worry.  He wraps his arm around her waist to keep her upright.  “Hey, are you okay, Leanna?” he asks as concern spreads across his face.

She nods her head.  “Yea, I just lost my balance.  I’m sorry,” she apologizes. 
Does she always apologize for things she shouldn’t?  Her husband really screwed with her head if she feels the need to apologize for things that aren’t even her fault.  No one should have to apologize for every little thing.
 

“Hey, why don’t we get you to the hospital to get looked over?  You may have a concussion or something worse,” James says as his concern begins to grow.  He’s never felt this way toward a victim before and he’s struggling to keep professional when all he wants to do and scoop her in his arms and put her on the gurney and get her to Seton Hospital. 

“N-No.  I’ll be alright.  I just got a little dizzy from the adrenaline rush and lack of food.  I just need to eat something and rest and I’ll be as good as new,” Leanna states with a smile and a shrug. 

James does not like the fact that Leanna is denying medical attention but his hands are tied.  She’s probably afraid to register into a hospital because she’s on her husband’s insurance.  He knows that that has to be why she won’t get checked out. 

If she were his woman, she would be well cared for even if he had to throw her over his shoulder—caveman style.  At this moment, his mind was made up.  He would come back and check on her after his shift; no if’s, and’s or but’s.  He didn’t like her on this side of town alone.

As Officer McMullen is helping Leanna to her room, the pizza delivery kid arrives with Leanna’s order.  Leanna proceeds to her suitcase where she stashed a large majority of her money at.  “No, I got this Leanna.  You lie down and rest.”

She begins to argue against allowing the officer to pay for her breakfast/lunch, but decides against it.  She would lose that battle anyway.  “Thank you Officer McMullen.  It’s greatly appreciated.”  She lies on her side on the musty smelling bed.  James knows that she’s trying to hide the tears that are beginning to come.

“Leanna,” Officer McMullen says as he places his hand on her shoulder. He knows that she’s trying to hide the evidence of tears that just poured down her face, but she was unsuccessful.  “Leanna, hey, it’s going to be alright.  We’ll find this guy and you’ll be safe,” James assures her as he hands her his handkerchief from his pocket.  “Now, I have to get back to my beat.  I want you to eat something and rest.  Do not open the door for anyone.  I’ll come by and check on you but I’ll call your room before coming to the door,” he says as he takes a business card from his pocket and writes something on the back of it.  “This is my business card.  It has the police department’s number on it as well as my business cell phone.  On the back, I have included my personal cell number since I’m off work for the next four days.  If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me.”

She accepts the business card and thanks him.  He rises to leave, but not before looking at Leanna one more time.  Her plump lips look so enticing that he struggles with the urge to kiss them.  James quickly tells Leanna to lock the door behind him as he makes his exit. 
What the hell is wrong with me? 

Five

Mark Dickson only sees red when he arrives home to find his wife’s letter to him.  “That fucking bitch!” he yells out.  Yes, he loses his temper on her from time to time but if she’d just do as she’s expected to do, he wouldn’t have to knock sense into her.  Now, she left him and took most of his savings with her.  This just will not fly with Mark.

Mark grabs the phone and hits it against the wall a few times before dialing the only person that would know where Leanna’s gone—Maryanne.  That bitch has made his life a living hell since she blew into town.  Leanna was training well until she met the likes of Maryanne.  He’s not sure what she filled her head with but whatever it was, he began losing control over Leanna.

Maryanne picks up the phone on the first ring.  “Where the hell is Leanna?” Mark growls in the receiver.  Mark knows that Maryanne had to have helped Leanna.  In the past five years of marriage, he made sure that Leanna lost all her freedom and was dependent on him but Maryanne was a stubborn old mule that refused to give up on Leanna.

As Maryanne sits quietly on the phone, Mark asks again, this time more forceful.  “I do not like repeating myself, Maryanne.  Where the hell is Leanna?”  Maryanne doesn’t hesitate this time.  She isn’t afraid of Mark and he knows it. The anger that’s been residing in her since seeing her friend’s face today surfaces.  “Mark, I have no idea where Leanna is but even if I did, I would never tell the likes of you.  You’re a cold son-of-a-bitch for the shit you’ve done to that girl and, wherever she is, she’s better off without you!  Now, do not call my house again.  You’re a woman beating piece of sh..” Mark hangs up on Maryanne before she can finish her sentence. 

The crimson that fills Mark’s vision is becoming more prominent.  He will get his revenge on Leanna.  No woman leaves Mark Dickson.  He provided for her and paid for everything for her.  All he asked in return was a clean house, home cooked meals and the right to her body whenever and however he chose.  Leanna will regret the day she took him for a fool.  He will find her, that’s for sure, and he will release the ultimate punishment on her.

Six

James McMullen has patrolled the Sleep Tight Motel more frequently during this shift than he ever has before. There’s a pull to Leanna that he’s never felt toward anyone else, not even his ex-wife, Rebecca.  James returns to the department to change into his civilian attire before climbing into his personal vehicle.  He decided, before he left Leanna this morning, that she was not staying in that flea bag motel longer than she needed.  He points his 2010 Chevy Silverado in the direction of the motel, still in uniform.

He phoned Leanna before exiting his truck and heading toward her room.  Leanna opens the door before he has a chance to knock.  “Good evening, Officer McMullen,” she says as she stands in the doorway.  She looks like she had just awakened.  Her pony tail is crooked and she rubs sleep from her eye.  No matter what, this woman is gorgeous.  “Please, call me James.  I’m no longer on duty,” he says as she steps out of the way so he can make his way across the threshold. 

“Leanna, I came by because I don’t want you staying here alone.  This is a bad side of town and, well, honestly, I feel drawn to you,” James says, never taking his eyes off of Leanna’s.  He wants, more than anything, to touch her, to have his lips against hers and her body against his.  This is completely against protocol but he just can’t stay away from her.

“That’s very nice of you, James, but I’ll be fine.  I’ll just be here long enough to find work and save up for an apartment,” she responds without returning his gaze. 
Dammit, why won’t she maintain eye contact?
  If she just looked at him longer than five seconds, she would see how much he cares for her.

“Leanna, I don’t mean to come off as a pompous jerk, but I need to rephrase what I said.  You will
not
stay here by yourself.  I have an extra room at my place and I know you’ll be safe there.  I can help you find work and you can stay with me as long as you need to,” James tells her as he looks around the motel room.  The room smells of stale tobacco smoke and bodily fluids.  The yellow, orange and brown wallpaper is pulling away from the wall.  He wouldn’t allow Patches to step foot in here, let alone a gorgeous woman fleeing from a dangerous man. 

Leanna looks away from James before finally agreeing.  “Well, I don’t have to pack anything because I haven’t unpacked my things.  Do you think that I trust my clothes in those drawers?” she says as she points to the dresser that had to have been fifty years old and hasn’t been cleaned during that time.  “My clothes may walk away with some sort of STD,” she giggles at her own joke and James finds it refreshing.  Her laugh is contagious.

James chuckles and bends to grab her suitcase.  “Come my lady, your chariot awaits you,” he says as he places his hand on the small of her back and escorts her out of the run down motel.  He gets her settled and climbs in his truck behind the wheel.  He takes a look over at Leanna before starting the truck.  The bruises have darkened since this morning and, he can no longer hold back from touching her.  He reaches out with his right hand and traces the darkened area on her left cheek.  “I promise you, this will never happen to you again,” he whispers before heading toward home.  And he means it.  He has never had the desire to protect someone as much as he does Leanna.