Chapter 11

Lilly got to the administration office. Jennifer and Raven were sitting on the sofa talking.

Lilly said, "Sorry I am late. I just had a wonderful conversation with Fred and I didn't want to leave."

Jennifer said, "That is okay dear. Do you really want to do this? This is a very harsh occupation."

"I know Mom. I think I can deal with it. And I have met some wonderful people. I really want to do this."

"Okay, honey, let's go take care of this paperwork you are having a hard time with."

Lilly said to Raven, "Do you want to help?"

"No thanks, I remember when I did mine. It took me three days. I think I will catch up with Cal."

"Okay. Nick wanted me to see if you would ask Cal if he would come by my house in the morning and haul all of my stuff back here. I also wondered if you and Christina wanted to go home with me tonight and help me pack?"

"I would love to. I can't answer for Christina. I will ask her though."

Lilly gave Raven a hug.

"See you after while."

"Okay."

Lilly and Jennifer headed into the office. Raven watched them walk away. She then turned around and headed out the door.

Nick arrived at John's office. Lilly was right. Paul was sitting in an over-sized chair. Nick wished he would calm down. Nick sat down across from John.

Paul blurted out, "What the hell is going on?"

"Paul, I love you brother. But, if you don't calm down I'm going to put you to sleep."

"Alright. I am calm." John looked at Nick and both of them laughed.

Nick replied, "In the fifteen-odd years I have known you, you have never been calm."

John said, "Enough Nick, Would you please tell me what the hell is going on? Why did you goad Max?"

Nick said, "I have a hunch."

"What hunch?"

"This doesn't leave this room. I think Max is a control freak."

Paul sat back in his chair. "Is that all?"

Nick got irritated. "No. That is not all Paul. I think he is beating his wife and kids."

John looked concerned. "What gives you that idea?"

Nick said, "Yesterday, I bumped into him and Melissa at Serenity. I was being polite and she moved away from me. She acted like she was scared of me. People don't do that to me. Then today, when Max was late, he had severe bruising on his hands—like he had just been in a fight."

John said, "I guess if I had noticed those things, I would be a little concerned too. What were you having Petra do?"

"Since she is still the school counselor, I had her go to school and see if the children were there. If they weren't, she was going to run by their house and speak to Melissa."

Paul said, "What do we need to do?"

"Nothing. We can't do anything to him without proof. Petra is going to have to do all of the investigating. She is supposed to call me here in a few minutes. John can you have my cell phone piped in here? All of these security measures you have won't let a signal in."

"Sure."

John got on the phone, and then hung up.

"Okay it is done. Now what?"

"We just sit and wait."

Petra arrived at the school. She found out that Max had called in and said they were sick. She headed over to their house and knocked on the door.

Melissa spoke from behind the door, "Who is it?"

"Petra Kuzmavich from Johnson elementary school."

"What do you want?" Melissa said, still from the behind the door.

Petra started getting upset.

"Mrs. Newton, this would be a lot easier if I could talk to you without the door in the way."

The door opened up a little way. All that Petra could see of her was her nose and one eye. Petra was getting really frustrated and decided to go hard on this lady.

"Mrs. Newton this is the nineteenth time in the past six months that your husband has called in and said the children were sick. I need to see your children now."

"You can't come in. Max told me never to let anyone in."

"Fine, I am tired of playing games with you."

Petra got on her cell phone, "Family services please. Hi, this is Petra Kuzmavich. I am the counselor at Johnson elementary school. I need one of your representatives to meet me at eight seven six eight Philippians lane. Yes ma'am, we will probably need a member from the security force to join us."

Melissa raised her voice, "You can't do that!"

Petra looked at her coldly.

"Yes we can. Did you read your agreement when you moved in here?"

"No. Max just told me to sign my name."

"In your agreement, if at any time we think there is a child in danger, we have the right to enter any building in this whole facility."

Petra called Nick. He answered the phone.

"Nick, there is something not right. I have a member of family services and the security force meeting me at their house. What really caught my attention is this: their father has called the school nineteen times in the last six months. He told them the children were sick. Mrs. Newton won't let me see them or her. Okay, I will call you back when I know more."

As soon as she hung up, two security force officers pulled up in front of the house.

One of them was Haygood Johnson, a dear friend of Petra's.

"Hi, Petra," Haygood said. What is going on?"

"Hi Hay, I think we have a couple of children inside that are in danger."

She handed him the school file. He could see Mrs. Newton.

"Ma'am, I need you to step out here please."

"I can't. Max told me to stay in the house and not to let anyone in."

Haygood replied, "Ma'am, if you don't step outside I will come in and get you."

Melissa was very scared now.

"Okay."

She opened the door and stepped out on the front stoop. Petra gasped. The whole left side of Melissa's face was dark black. She had a bandage under her right eye.

Petra immediately called Nick and said, "Take that bastard down."

Petra, worried about the children, ran past Melissa into the house, looking for the girls. She ran upstairs to the bedrooms. As she started to leave the first bedroom, she heard a rustling in the closet. She slowly walked over to the doors. She grabbed ahold of the handle and tried to open the door. It was locked.

She ran back to the top of the stairs and yelled, "Haygood! I need your help!"

Haygood came running up the stairs and into the room.

Petra said, "I think they are locked in the closet."

Haygood examined the closet. He grabbed a hold of the door and yanked. Sure enough, the girls were huddled in the back of the closet.

Petra said, "Thanks. Now go away. It will probably take me a few minutes to coax them out."

Haygood knew better than to argue. He left the room and headed downstairs. Petra walked over to the closet door. She sat down on the floor in front of the two girls.

Petra softly said, "It is going to be okay. My name is Petra. I am here to help you."

The youngest one said, "My momma told us not to talk to strangers."

Petra said, "Good. If your momma says it is okay will you talk to me?"

The youngest one shook her head up and down. Petra stood up and left the room. She went downstairs and found the family service representative.

Petra shook her hand and said, "Hi. I need Mrs. Newton for a few minutes."

The representative looked at her and said, "Okay."

Petra took Melissa into the house and sat her down at the kitchen table.

Petra asked, "Are you okay?"

"I think so. I can't feel my face."

"How many times did he hit you?"

"I don't know. Is he going to be mad at me?"

"This is just between you and me. No one else will know. What you tell Family Services is up to you. Did he hurt the girls?"

"No; he would scare them and laugh about it. So, I fixed the closet so he couldn't get to them."

"Melissa, if he really wanted to get his hands on them, he could. Haygood went up there and opened the door by yanking on it."

"No. There is a way they can get outside and run, in the back of the closet."

"Okay. Why do you stay with him?"

"I love him. He takes care of me and he never hurts me too badly."

"Melissa, I am not a doctor. But, you could lose your eye. No one has the right to hurt you."

Melissa starts crying, "I love him." She repeated this statement several times.

"He doesn't love you Melissa. If he loved you, he wouldn't hurt you. I need you to come upstairs with me. I want the girls to come with me. Okay?"

"Where am I going?"

"You are going to the hospital."

Melissa meekly said, "Okay."

Melissa followed Petra upstairs.

Melissa quietly said, "Girls come here, it is okay."

The girls walked out of the closet.

Melissa said, "Hi babies. This is Miss Petra. She is going to take care of you for a little while."

Nick nodded at Paul and John and left the office. As he got on the elevator, his phone started ringing.

"This is Nick."

Cal said, "Nick, Petra is trying to call you. She said she has the children and she wants me to meet her at family services. What is going on?"

"She needs protection. It is Max Newton's kids. I need you to stay with her and the kids for a while. I am going to try and find Max."

"Okay partner."

"Take care and don't let anything happen to my baby."

"I will. If you need some help, Christina isn't doing anything."

"Okay, I'll call her."

Nick hung up and dialed Christina's number.

"Christina, meet me at the security office. No questions, just get there as soon as possible."

Nick hung up his phone and headed to the security office.

Nick walked down the hallway. Christina was standing outside of the office door.

"Would you please tell me, what is going on?"

Nick whispered, "We are going after Max Newton. I need someone to watch my back. Do you have a piece with you?"

Christina nodded her head.

Nick said, "Good. Stay by the door and don't let anyone get behind you or me. Be careful kiddo."

Nick opened the door and slipped inside with Christina right behind him.

As he entered the room, there was a security officer behind a raised, bar-type desk.

"Nick, how are you today?"

"Great, hey I'm looking for Max. Is he in?"

"No, he is in the gym working off a little aggression. It seems the director took some of his people without telling him. Boy was he pissed. He wanted me to give you a call. He wants to meet you after lunch."

"That's okay; I will meet him in the gym. I haven't had a workout in a while."

Nick walked out of the office. Christina followed him.

Nick said, "Good, now we have a different set of problems. I need you to go to family services and take over for Cal. He will tell you what is going on. Have him meet me in the gym."

"Okay."

Christina headed to the family services office.

Nick headed toward the gym. Nick went in the locker room when he arrived at the gym. He opened his locker and put on his workout clothes. He grabbed his boxing gloves out. He pulled out a pair of eight ounce gloves and a pair of sixteen ounce gloves. He walked through the gym looking for Max. Max was hitting a heavy bag.