Chapter 16

Allison heard the knock on the front door, but didn't move from her seat on the edge of her bed. She listened to the muffled conversation down the hallway.

"Why, young Mr. Merrill!" Her dad. "Nice to see you this fine evening."

"Thank you, Mr. Garner. You are looking quite well today." Allison rolled her eyes. Tyson the Charmer at work. "And you, Mrs. Garner, are looking as lovely as ever."

"Come with me into the den. Sharon will go see if Allison is just about ready. Could I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you, sir."

There was a quiet knock on Allison's door. Allison sat in silence.

"Allison, dear. Your date is here."

You mean Dad's date is here, Allison thought wryly. The door opened slowly and her mom poked her head around the door.

"Are you ready, dear?"

Allison shrugged and Sharon came into the room, closing the door behind her. Allison looked at her and saw the concerned expression. She almost felt sorry for treating her mother as coldly as she was. Almost.

"Do you mind if I sit for a moment?" Sharon asked, pointing to the bed beside Allison.

"If you want. It's your house, your room, your bed. I'm just an inmate here."

"Allison..."

"Stop, Mom. There's nothing you can say that can make this OK. I'll comply with Dad's rules, but I will never pretend I like it."

Sharon sat next to her daughter and hesitantly reached over to pat Allison's arm. "Your father only wants what's best for you."

"Please, Mom. Don't. You don't need to justify his actions, so please stop. If you want to blindly follow his every word, then do it. But don't try to push your cowardice on me."

Her mother tensed at her comments. "I don't appreciate you talking to me that way," she replied coldly. "Your father has done nothing but treat us well. He's provided for us all that we needed, and we've tried to raise you in the best way we knew how."

Allison looked at her mother and smiled sympathetically. "Mom I hear what you say, but I don't think you really believe that. If that was true, than you would be the same person when he's around as you are when he's not: the woman who taught three daughters to think for themselves, who taught them they could be and do anything they wanted and who taught them to experience life to the fullest. I've seen the real you. The woman you are when Dad is around is not the woman I look up to. The woman you are when you are really being my mother, that's the woman I want to emulate. It used to confuse me that you could two different people, but now it just saddens me."

Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. She stood up again and in an emotionless voice said, "Well, you are fashionably late, but you mustn't keep you date waiting any longer." She disappeared into the hallway. Allison sighed and picked up her sweater and slowly followed her mother.

Brianna sat at the desk in her bedroom, quietly working on the lab notebook. She'd been at it for more than an hour, but only had two paragraphs written. She just couldn't focus. Her mind kept wandering back to her conversations with Allison that day. Her best friend would be leaving. She just figured she and Allison and Dana would graduate together. She'd even dreamed about going to college together and being roommates, then eventually each marrying a hunky guy and moving into the same neighborhood and raising their children together and everything. Now she looked back on that foolish dream ruefully. It was never bound to happen. She wondered how many of her other childhood dreams would be shattered as she approached adulthood.

"Dammit," she scolded herself. "Focus." She tried to concentrate. About 10 minutes later she realized her mind was off again. She looked down. "One sentence? That's it? I'm hopeless." She got up from her desk and plopped onto her stomach on the bed. Her mind drifted back to Allison. She looked at the clock. Just after 7:30. She and Tyson were probably in the middle of bible study. She wondered how it was going. She shook her head at the thought of Tyson sitting reading from the bible.

Tyson had tried to get Allison to go out with him before, and while he was a good-looking guy, his smug, God's-gift-to-women attitude was not the way to win over a Garner girl. Not only that, but everyone knew that Tyson was part of The Club, a group of snobby, rich boys who treated relationships in general and sex specifically like a game. Rumor was that they had applied a score to each girl in school based on how hard it would be to get her in the sack. The boys compared numbers and kept a running tally. For instance, a beautiful, smart, popular girl who was a virgin and professed to be saving herself for marriage would received top scores if a guy could bed her. Or so the rumor said. Brianna wasn't sure that the guys rumored to be in The Club were that motivated or organized enough to come up something so elaborate. She figured it was just a way for the guys to boast and brag about imaginary sexual conquests.

There had been some complaints and rumors about the guys involved, but those seemed to disappear within a few weeks of them cropping up. She tried to think if Tyson's name was ever mentioned, but couldn't seem to recall. Oh, well. She figured Allison could take care of herself. And since they'd be in public the whole time, nothing was likely to happen.

Brianna flipped on her radio. Jewel asked her who would save her soul. She tried to figure out what the lyrics meant.

Who will save your soul when it comes to the flower?

"Um, flower? What flower?" She shook her head at the weird question.

Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy?

"Yeah, Tyson. Who's gonna save your soul?"

Who will save your soul if you won't save your own?

Something about the situation between Tyson and Allison started bothering Brianna. Why would Tyson want to go out with Allison after she'd basically rejected him in front of all his friends? He wasn't the type of guy to just forget the public humiliation like that. And then there were the rumors of Allison and Jack, which weren't really rumors after all, but no one else knew that. She thought about the new crop of rumors that started about Allison and Abigail. Brianna shook her head at the absurdity of those rumors. Yet, to Tyson those two sets of rumors might make him think Allison was easy, that she was a sex fiend or something.

There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay
So you bargain with the Devil, say you're OK for today,
You say that you love them, take their money and run
Say it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things
Those flings...

To Tyson, Allison might seem like an easy score.

"Oh, shit."

Brianna jumped up and raced out of her bedroom door and down the hall.

"Mom, I'm going to Tammy's for a bit!" she called as she barreled out of the front door.

Abigail pulled into her driveway a little after eight, and to her pleasant surprise, Jack was sitting on the front steps. He was bathed in the light of the porch. She quickly got out of the car and began to move towards her waiting husband, but his expression became evident and she stopped. He stood up, his eyes smoldering, his jaw set firmly and his chest rising and falling in measured breaths. He said nothing to her, but just reached for her hand. She allowed herself to be pulled into the house, panic beginning to swell inside her.

"Jack, what's wrong?" she asked as they stopped just inside the living room. She never took her eyes from his face, trying to read his expression. He was looking at the wall across from them and so she followed his line of sight. She gasped when she saw the welcome message. She moved a trembling hand to cover her mouth as the blood drained from her face. "Oh my God..."

Whoremongers.

"There's more," Jack finally said. He turned her towards the kitchen table. As they went, she caught a glimpse of the broken glass on the floor and let out another gasp. On the kitchen table, she could see a collection of pictures. In the center was their engagement picture, and written in black marker over Abigail's face it said "Whore". Over Jack's it said "Satan". Abigail felt tears well up and begin to drip down her face. She looked at the other pictures. The one of Abigail and Allison at Abigail's wedding. They were both labeled, Abigail with "slut" and Allison with "whore". Each picture contained at least Abigail or Allison, and some with both, and each covered in similar commentary.

"Oh my God," she gasped again. She turned her back to the table and covered her mouth again with her hand. A racking sob escaped her, then nausea hit her and she began to dry heave. Jack quickly wrapped her in his arms as she collapsed to the floor in tears. He eased them to the floor trying to console her as she sobbed and heaved. After a time, she calmed to sniffles and ragged breaths. The panic had diminished, and she felt the strength pouring from Jack into her. When she could she spoke, her voice muffled by her face pressed against Jack's chest.

"Who would do something like this?"

Jack just shrugged.

Of course he didn't know. She didn't expect him to. She took a deep breath. "I ... I can't stay here tonight."

"I know, baby. We'll get a room somewhere."

"Did you call the police?"

"No."

That surprised her. "Why not?"

"It's kind of a long story. I met with Phil today and get his take on things with us and Allison. Let's grab a few things and find a hotel room, and then I can tell you about my day."

She let him help her up. He cupped her face in his hands and placed a soft, loving kiss on her lips. She strangled back a sob and looked into his warm eyes. She was amazed at the change in them, from the heat and venom that were there when she arrived home to the love and warmth that were there now.

"Abbie, I love you. I'm sorry about everything, but I will make it right. I won't let anything happen to you, or to Allison. I promise." He held her for another moment, and then they quietly retrieved their things, locked the door, and escaped their violated home.

"Wanna bail on the ice cream thing?" Tyson asked as they pulled out of the church parking lot. They were riding in his brand new Ford Explorer.

Allison didn't look at Tyson. He'd been sweet with her during the drive to the church and throughout the bible study. If she didn't know him so well already, she'd think that maybe she'd misjudged him. But she knew Tyson. He was a pompous jerk in first grade, and only got worse as they got older. While she would love nothing more than to get out of the rest of the evening with him, she knew she'd never get away with coming home this early and not fulfilling her father's punishment.

"No. It'll be fun to hang out with everyone," she lied.

"You sure? You didn't really seem into all that church shit tonight, so I figured you might want to do something a little less lame."

She rolled her eyes. Subtlety was not a strength for him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what that "something" was he wanted to do.

"No thanks, Tyson. Not interested."

"What? Not interested in hanging out with just me? Come on, baby. I can make it worth your time."

"Geez, get a clue, Tyson! I have never had nor ever will have an interest in doing anything with you other than pass you in the hall at school. I'm here as a favor to my mom and dad. No other reason. So you can either take me to the ice cream shop or take me home. Your choice."

Allison looked over at Tyson, and she could see he was seething. He gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. He was quiet for most of the drive to the shop. When they pulled onto the street a few blocks down from the shop, Tyson started talking.

"Tyson Merrill doesn't 'do favors'. He expects payments for his work." Allison shuddered at his words and his tone of voice, and she felt a slight hint of fear. "I agreed to take you out tonight because I didn't want to see anything happen to smear your name. I'm a nice guy. I was willing to help you out of your bind and was only expecting a little payment in return. But since you are such a bitch, my payment just went up."

Tyson slowed as they approached the ice cream shop parking lot and Allison was grateful for all the cars she saw there. Suddenly, he pressed on the gas and they sped past the turn. She whipped her head back to him.

"Tyson, what are you doing? Turn around and go back."

"Allison, it just dawned on me. Based on what I've heard about you, you like things to be kinky. Well, I need to get paid and you need your kicks, so we can take care of both of those right now."

"Dammit, Tyson. Pull over and let me out."

"Whatever, bitch. You want to go with me tonight because you are little slut. A little bisexual incestuous slut."

"Fuck you, Tyson. Pull over and let me out." He sped up and she watched with wide eyes as the world whizzed by. "Fine, I'll jump." She reached for the door handle to validate her threat. He just grunted. "I will. Pull over now, or I will jump from this car."

Without warning, his fist flew up and connected with her cheekbone with a sickening thud. Her head whipped back and crashed into the window with a crack. Bursts of light danced across her eyes as pain arced through her head. She tried to fight through the dizziness and sit up straight, but just as she did, his fist thudded her face again and her head slammed into the window again. She slumped against the door as darkness began to swirl around her. She couldn't move or talk as the darkness consumed her, but she could hear Tyson's monotone voice.

"I see you like it rough, you little cunt. No problem. I can play rough, too. Tyson Merrill will get paid. Damn straight."

Allison wanted to scream, but then everything went black.

Brianna was out of the car before Tammy even came to a stop. She scanned the parking lot quickly, looking for Tyson's SUV. She didn't see it, so she stepped into the restaurant and peered over the crowd. No Tyson and no Allison. A few friends called out to Brianna, but she ignored them. They should have been here by now, she thought. She turned and stepped outside the door and scanned the parking lot again.

Just then she saw Tyson's SUV approaching the parking lot. Thank God. Relief washed over her. Suddenly, Tyson's Explorer picked up speed and raced right past the entrance.

"Oh, shit!" She ran back to Tammy's car just as Tammy locked it with her remote. "We have to get back in! Tyson just passed. I knew it! We've got to catch them!"

Tammy looked in the direction Brianna pointed just as the SUV disappeared into the night.

"Come on, Tammy!"

Tammy turned back to her panicked sister. "Bri, we can't catch them. Are you sure there's something wrong?"

Brianna wanted to shake her sister. "Yes! Yes, I'm sure! Now let's go."

Tammy grabbed Brianna by the shoulders. "Calm down, sis. We'll never catch them by chasing them. Do you have any idea where they might be going?"

"Shit, I don't know. It's not like I hang out with Tyson."

"Well, do you think someone in there might know?" Tammy asked, pointing to the shop. Brianna just blinked. "Well, let's get in there."

Brianna led Tammy in and looked around again. She saw Matt Painter and Seth Jordan and their girlfriends. Matt and Seth were part of Tyson's group. She quickly walked over to them.

"Do you guys know where Tyson took Allison tonight?"

The guys looked at each other, then Matt shrugged. "To some bible study group. They should be here soon."

"They just drove past. I want to know where they are going."

The two guys shared another look and grinned. Matt turned back to her. "Why do you want to know? You think Allison's going to get some action, huh?"

"Not if I can help it. Now where does he take the girls?"

"Oooh, you're jealous..." Seth sneered. His friends laughed.

"Fuck you, Seth. Where'd they go?"

Matt shrugged again. "What makes you think we know?"

"Do you?"

"No. But we wouldn't tell you if we did. What he and Allison want to do is their business, and so is the location."

"Allison doesn't want to do anything with Tyson."

Matt jutted his chin out in defiance. "How do you know? Unless she really is a lesbian like everybody says."

"Maybe Brianna's a lesbian, too," Seth piped in.

Suddenly, Brianna felt herself shoved out of the way. Tammy slapped Seth hard and her hand whipped down and grabbed his crotch. He yelped and tried to wiggle free, but Tammy gripped harder. Her eyes were possessed. Seth's face went from red to white in an instant.

"What the hell game do you think this is, you son of bitch?" Tammy spat at him. "Tell us where they are or so help me God I'll rip your balls off and feed them to your boyfriend right now." She glanced at Matt as she said it.

"Damn, lady," Seth said, his voice strained. "We don't know where he goes."

Brianna didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd never seen Tammy like this, or Seth for that matter, but she knew that he was telling the truth. She just knew she'd failed her friend. Everyone was quiet for a long, tense moment.

"I know where they are." Everyone shot looks over to the other side of Matt. His girlfriend, Merrigan, had her eyes cast down, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Where?" Tammy asked.

"Blevins Hill. There's a pullout just off the gravel road that leads to the cell tower."

"How do you know?"Brianna asked. "Why should we believe you?"

"It's where he takes all the girls. He calls it 'his little slice of paradise.'"

"Who told you about it? How can you be sure they weren't just full of shit."

Merrigan blushed, then looked up at Brianna with tears in her eyes. "No one told me. I've been there ... with him." The tears started to fall down her cheeks. "And if you think Allison doesn't want to be there, than you better hurry because it won't take him long."