The Trouble With Bodyguards: Part 3 (3 page)

Salt, all he could taste was salt. He picked up his plastic cup of juice, gulping it to wash the rancid taste of the meal out of his mouth.

“
Delicious, huh
,
” said Gina, who had slid into the chair next to his, abandoning her previous dinner companion who looked relieved to be sitting by herself, poking listlessly at her own meal.

“
Um
,
” said Jacob, hesitant to use that particular word to describe the plate before him. He would
n’
t even call it food, not really, but he did
n’
t want to seem difficult, not when the doctor was sitting at the table with them.

“
I
t’
s alright
,
” he said, scooping another bite into his mouth, desperately trying to ignore the protests of his stomach as he swallowed the cold lump of meat and gravy.

Gina poked at her own meal, lifting the meatloaf with her fork and letting it flop back on her plate, splashing gravy on the table top between them
.“
I ca
n’
t eat this
.
”

“
You should eat
,
” said Jacob, gesturing with his eyes toward Dr. Jacobson, who was nonchalantly taking notes on his pad, as if he were not listening in to their conversation and writing down Gin
a’
s reaction to the food that she was served. He knew that it would come up in group tomorro
w—
how the staff goes to great lengths to prepare nutritious food for them and how they should be grateful that they are so well cared for.

Grateful
, he thought as he watched Gina nudge the bowl that had just been set next to her plate containing her dessert, orange gelatin with bits of unidentifiable fruit hovering amidst the cloudy form. He could see that she was regretting her decision, that she should have just eaten the food that her mother was cooking for their family. That maybe she was trying to poison her, but the food in here was actually going to kill her, and these people knew the correct doses of poison to get the job done where her mother was only an amateur.

“
So
,
” she said, pushing her plate away and pulling her feet up on the side of her chair
,“
wha
t’
d you do
?
”

“
What do you mean
?
” Jacob asked, sipping at his punch.

“
To end up here
,
” she continued, gesturing around the dining room
.“
Wha
t’
d you do
?
”

“
I
,
” he hesitated
,“
I stopped taking my medications
.
”

“
Ok
,
” she said, her tone implying that she did
n’
t believe him, not for a second.

“
I suffered a manic break after not taking my medications for several months
,
” he said, clarifying to satisfy her curiosity.

“
Did you do something crazy
?
” she said, leaning in, her interest piqued
.“
Did you try and kill yourself
?
”

“
No
,
” he said
.“
I did
n’
t try suicide
.
”

“
Come on then
,
” she said
.“
Out with it. You do
n’
t get locked in a cage just for forgetting to take your pills for awhile. What did you do
?
”

“
I hurt my brother
,
” he said, frustrated
,“
and his wife
.
” Why would
n’
t she just drop it? Leave him alone and let him choke down his dinner in peace and quiet? Why did she have to prod him so?

“
Are they dead
?”
she asked, her voice hushed, as if the doctor could
n’
t hear her from the three feet across the table if she just whispered.

“
No
,
” he said
.“
They are not dead
.
”

“
Well
,
” she replied
,“
at least ther
e’
s that. At least
I’
m not sharing this lovely dining room with a murderer
.
”

“
You sure about that
?”
he said, looking around the room.

Her eyes followed his, taking in each patient, some drugged and drooling as they stared vacantly at their plate, some twitching, their eyes darting from person to person as they cut their food into tiny pieces before shoving the whole meal into their mouths at once.

“
Tha
t’
s enough Jacob
,
” said Dr. Jacobson, looking sternly at Jake.

Well, shit,
he thought.
Now sh
e’
s done it.
He had this doctor thoroughly convinced that he was as placid and normal a human being as any who walked the streets, and now she had gotten him to say something stupid right in front of the man.
She is going to pay for that
, he thought. He did
n’
t know how, but he would find her weakness, and he would use it.

The darkness of the room comforted him. Like clockwork, the nurses did the rounds each night, tucking the crazies into their beds and making sure that all the lights in the hospital were shut off by ten
o’
clock. Jacob reveled in this time, his time, where he did
n’
t need to suppress his feelings anymore anddid
n’
t need to pretend. He peeked out the door into the hallway, noting with satisfaction that the orderly was sitting at his desk at the end of the hall, his feet up, his attention glued to whatever sitcom was on the small television in front of him. He was
n’
t paying attention to anything that the patients did. Once they had had their after-dinner dose of tranquilizers, they were down for the count, as far as this guy was concerned. He had a cake job, minimum wage to sit in the dark and watch TV all night.
Could
n’
t get any better.

              Satisfied that he would be left alone, he pulled the door to his room closed, irritated at the click that the mechanism made as it settled in place. No matter how soft it was, he was afraid it would draw attention to the fact that he was still awake. He scurried to his bed, kneeling down beside it and reaching as far beneath it as his arms would allow. He stored his things here, his treasures, deep in the darkness below his bed where no one would think to look. He slid the empty tissue box toward him, sitting cross legged on the floor and settling the box between his feet. He kept his back to the closed door, ready to shove his treasures back into their hiding place should he be found out of his bed. He was
n’
t going to let them take his things, not again.

              Unfolding the edges of the box, he gently inserted his fingers into the space inside, a tingling sensation spreading through his belly as the rough edges of the paper ruffled passed his fingertips. He knew what they were, could tell each one from the other, the size and shape of the pictures so familiar that he could see them in his min
d’
s eye as he brushed passed each one. This was the one of them together, his beautiful, powerful princess and his conniving brother, taken on the steps of the courthouse where they stood together only moments after telling the jury that pack of damned lies about him.

             
Why would she do that?
he thought. Sit there, in front of all those people, and tell them that he had kidnapped her? He had taken very good care of her; she had not been harmed. He had done nothing but cherish her, love her deeply, like she always wanted. He knew how she needed to tell those lies. His brother had taken her and was guarding her from her own happiness. She must be afraid of him, trapped in that life with him, when the life that she truly desired had been snatched away from her right at the moment when she could see it coming to fruition. He should have died. He should have bled to death on the floor of the bunker, his poison spilling into the drainage grate in the middle of the floor. Then they would be together still, holding each other, instead of miles apart.

              He plucked a picture from the small pile at the bottom of the box, the image there barely visible in the dim room. But he knew it well, the sparkle in her eyes, the shape of her bottom lip, curved into a smile, as if the man behind the camera had said something sassy right before taking it. He ran the edge of his thumb along the fullness of her hip, her body softening as she settled into her new life. He missed her, hungered for her. He could remember the warmth of her skin under his palm, the taste of her lips. He lay awake at night, dreaming of her body laid out before him, helpless as he explored every inch of her skin. His cock would harden, throbbing with need, aching to be buried deep inside her, their bodies fused into one.

              He blew out a breath, frustrated to be locked in this cage, this prison. He needed to get out, to go to her, his love, so that they could begin their lives together. Things had been going so well. He had most of the doctors here convinced; it was only a matter of time until they would set him loose. Then Gina had ruined it all today, at the dining room table, instigating things until he slipped and said that in front of Doctor Jacobson.
Stupid, fucking Gina.
He needed to stay as far away from that crazy bitch as possible.

He skirted her in the dayroom, staying as far from her as possible in the confined space. He had not spoken to her in group this morning, had not participated at all really. Instead, he choseto sit in silence, drawn into the testimony of others, his nods of approval at their progress toward healthy thoughts his only contribution to the session. He had successfully avoided her at breakfast, sitting at a crowded table, enduring the company of the droolers rather than risk another interrogation session from crazy Gina. He did
n’
t want to slip, not again, and reveal his true feelings to whichever staff member was in attendance at his table.

              He stepped behind a pillar, blocking her from view. She sat cross-legged on the couch in the middle of the room, a magazine open on her lap. She was enthralled, completely focused on the glossy pictures in front of her, licking her finger to dampen it each time she turned a page. He wondered where she had gotten the magazine. She must have brought it with her, or her family dropped off a care package. He had snatched up most of the magazines in this place, and all of the newspapers as well, squirreling them away in his room to comb through for pictures of his love.

              The thought that Gina could have a new magazine, one that he had not seen before, flitted through his mind. He needed to see it, to take it from her, so that he could know. Were there pictures of her in there? Pictures that he did
n’
t have, that he had
n’
t seen?

              He peered around the edge of the pillar, trying not to attract attention as he strived to catch a look at the magazine. She sat with it splayed out on her lap, leaned over it as if she knew that someone would try and take it from her, and she needed to protect it.
Fuck, I ca
n’
t see anything from here. Leave it, not worth risking starting something up with Gina.
Things were going well since he had decided to avoid her. It wasback to the status quo. He did
n’
t want to rock the boat, but he had to know what the fuck was in that magazine.

              He crept toward her, staying near the windows and out of her direct line of sight, not wanting to catch her eye if she should happen to look up from her reading. He slid past the game table, where George was sitting alone, picking up the pieces to a puzzle and licking them before setting them back down onto the table where they had started. Cringing, disgusted at the behavior of some of these people, he hurried along his way, pausing with his back to the glass. He stared at the back of Gin
a’
s head, willing her to lift the magazine, to examine some page a little more closely, giving him the chance to catch a glance of at least the type of magazine.

              He stepped forward, irritated that no matter how hard he willed it, she just would
n’
t lift the damned magazine. He outstretched his hands, aching to tear it from her and take it for his own. The pages would be lined with her face, her body, and images of her reaching for him, calling for him to come and rescue her from her painfully lonely existence. He stood on his tip toes, trying to peek over the top of her shoulder, to catch a glimpse of his angel on the page once again.

            
 “
You know
,
” she said, not looking up from the page
,“
you are really bad at this. If you want to fuck me, just ask
.
”

            
 “
What
,
” he said, stuttering
.“
I do
n’
t want t
o
…” his words trailed off, his face reddening as she looked over her shoulder at him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief as she raised her eyebrow.

            
 “
Yes
,
” she said, closing the magazine and turning to him, crooking her elbow over the back of the couch
.“
Yes, you do.
I’
ve seen it since I walked in the door of this wretched place; yo
u’
ve had drool on your chin. And not like Mr. Lick-the-puzzle over there
.
” She gestured to George, who giggled to himself as he placed another cardboard piece in his mouth, sucking happily.

            
 “
N
o…
I
,
” said Jacob, stumbling over his words. He did
n’
t want to come right out and call her a crazy bitch, letting her know that it was just her magazine that he was after. Then she would have leverage on him. She would keep it from him on purpose, teasing him with what he wanted most, what he needed.

            
 “
I was just going to ask you how you are doing
,
” he said, composing himself. He could act the part, even when attacked by her special flavor of crazy. This bitch was abrasive, threatening everything that he was working toward. She could upset his plans and ruin his chances of making it out of this place alive. He needed to take control of this situation, wrangle her before she turned everything to chaos.

              Settling himself in the armchair near where she was perched on the couch, he folded his hands in his lap, trying to plaster a look of caring concern on his face. He fought with himself not to snatch the magazine off her lap and tear off down the hall with it, locking himself in his room as he devoured the glossy pages. He did
n’
t even look at it, keeping his eyes steadily in contact with hers, drawing her into conversation. Engaging, as the doctors called it.

            
 “
This place sucks
,
” she said, shoving the magazine deep into the bag that she kept hanging from her bod
y—
day and night. He followed her movements, his heart dropping as he realized that if she got away, he would have no idea where she would leave it. She could toss it into a trash bin at any moment, or that damned thing could stay in that bag for eternity. He would need to stay with her, watching for the perfect moment to make it his.

              He crossed one leg over the other, getting comfortable in the chair. Inside, he was screaming at himself. He had wanted to stay far away from her, keep himself safe, but the urge to get his hands on those glossy pages was too strong. If he walked away now, it would eat at him until it was all he thought about, day and night. Then, he would be right back where he started.

            
 “
Sorry to hear that you feel that way
,
” he said, pumping his tone full of caring concern
.“
Is there anything that I can do to make you more comfortable? W
e’
re not bad people; we just have to learn to deal with our issues
.
”

            
 “
You sound like the fucking shrink
,
” she said, laughing loudly, drawing the attention of others in the room. George looked up from his puzzle, giggling loudly with drool running from his puzzle-filled mouth. Sally, the paranoid schizoid in the corner, huddled herself into a ball and whined softly to herself, too afraid of the world to allow any of it to come inside her shell.

            
 “I’
m just trying to be friendly
,
” Jacob said. This chick set his teeth on edge. He wanted to smack some sense into her, make her realize that she was doing this to herself, that it was her behavior that had put her here. If she had just behaved herself andate her fucking dinner like a good little girl, she would
n’
t be here. She just had to play along with her mother, who may very well hate her and be trying to kill her, until she was old enough to move out and go about living her life. Instead, she had thrown a tantrum like a deranged toddler and ended up being locked in here, her every word and action scrutinized as the doctors decided which medicinal cocktail would work to numb her to the realization that life sucked and that everyone was out to get her.

            
 “
Yeah
,
” Gina said, rolling her eyes
,“
friendly. I know what yo
u’
re really after
.
” She lifted the hem of her skirt, showing him the white cotton panties beneath.

            
 “
Never mind
,
” he said, getting up from the chair
.“
I try and be nice to you
,
” he said, looking down at her
,“
and you act like this
.
”

              She giggled, covering her mouth like an innocent, letting her skirt drop back onto her lap. He threw up his hands, turning his back on her and walking away. How did she manage to rile him up so quickly, and why? She got some sort of twisted pleasure out of making him crazy, getting him to drop his mask of placated calm, and forcing him to show his true colors in a matter of seconds each time he talked to her. He would have to stay away from her, which meant that he would risk losing his chance to get his hands on that magazine.

              His palms began to sweat, his heart pounding in his chest,as he contemplated the suffering that he would go through. Each moment until he ran his fingers along those glossy pages would be agony. He wondered if she actually took her meds at bedtime, or just pretended to swallow them like he did, spitting them into the trash to avoid the coma-like sleep that they induced mere moments later. He could go into her room at night; none of the doors had any locks on them around her
e—
other than the one that led to freedom. He could look through her things. He would find it; he would take it from her; and it would be his.

              With this thought, he calmed, his breathing steadied, and he wiped the sweat that had collected in his palms on the front of his pants as he walked down the hall toward his room. Turning, he tried to catch a glimpse of her once more, hoping that she had opened the magazine again and he could see the photo on its cover. He found her staring at him, watching his back as he walked away, and she smiled crookedly as she lifted her hand and twiddled her fingers at him in a pathetic attempt to be cute.

             
Ugh.
He hated her. She disgusted him to the point of nausea. Perhaps he would hold onto his pills tonight, instead of spitting them in the trash can in the dining room. He could slip her a double dose, or even a triple. Might be enough to stop her trashy little heart. She would drift off into a forever dreamland, and the doctors would think that poor miss tragedy had taken her own life, as teenagers are wont to do.

             
Yeah.
The idea appealed to him. The image of her face, cold and blue in death, made a pleasurable warmth spread through his belly. His cock twitched in his pants, awake for the first time in ages, calling for his attention. Hurrying to his room, he pulled the door shut behind him, wanting some privacy. He sat on the floor behind the door, leaning against it so that no one would have a chance to walk in and surprise him while he was feeding this beast.

              His release came quickly. The thought of Gina, dead before him, her body still, raised the temperature of his blood and drove him mad with desire.

            
 “
Tha
t’
s the only way I would fuck you, you crazy bitch
,
” he said to himself, the sticky residue of his pleasure still warm on his belly
.“
As a corpse
.
”

He chuckled to himself, tucking his penis, now still and asleep once more, back into his trousers and crossing the room to lie down on the bed. He needed to think, and he needed a plan if this was going to work.