Having done a thorough routine check of the house for intruders upon rushing home, Faith's fingers now flew as she dialed her parents' home number. Come on...I just need you to pick up. One of you, please just pick up...
But after four attempts, there would be no answer from either of her parents. Desperately, Faith next tried her mom's cellphone number, only to be met with the same results. It was only when she dialed her dad's cellphone that, finally, she got a response. "Hello?"
"Dad?" Still shaken up from what she had overheard from Brooke's conversation with Chance, the fact the voice was male wasn't enough to prove this voice was really her father.
"Hey, honey."
The Southern accent, as well as the fact it was 'honey' and not 'sweetheart', gave her the confirmation she needed that the current voice she heard really was Mark, but Faith still needed to be certain that her parents were alone. "Hey--so, I'll get straight to the point--are you and Mom by yourselves?"
"Uh, well--not quite," her dad said hesitantly.
Faith drew in a sharp inhale, her mind immediately jumping to a worst case scenario. "Who's with you?!" she blurted out, unable to keep her voice composed any longer.
"Honey, we just wanted to check out this new cafe that opened up downtown," Mark told her, sounding taken aback. "So, technically I'd say a lot of people are here with us. I guess we didn't pause to think whether that would pose such a problem. Now what's going on?"
"I tried to call several times! Why didn't Mom answer?!" Faith demanded.
"I forgot to bring my phone," her mom called from the background.
"But of course she did," Faith exhaled under her breath, having pictured the horrible sight of her parents' house being broken into, the doors covered in graffiti and threatening phrases, among worse things happening to her parents themselves.
Faith then heard Holly ask Mark something inaudible, to which Mark responded in an equally hushed tone, "Well, I don't know." A sigh then came from the other end of the phone. "Faith, we've asked you this several times and have yet to receive a direct answer. I'll ask again--is there any reason we need to be worried here?" her dad pressed, likely having heard Faith's mumbled comment.
"Possibly," Faith admitted. "I mean--there could be, but I hope not."
"Alright--if something's going on, we need to know about it."
"What's wrong now?" Faith now heard her mom's voice in the background, though this time she sounded more agitated at the interruption than concerned or scared. But then, why wouldn't she be agitated? Faith clearly couldn't hide everything anymore, but at the same time, she still couldn't tell them every detail.
"I'll explain further, but it needs to be in-person. I hate to interrupt your date, but it's important. Which cafe are you currently in?"
"We're at Lindy's, over on Ninth Street. Now just spit it out. Exactly how much trouble are you--or potentially we--in?" her dad asked again. Faith mentally visualized the look her father was probably giving her right now--stern but concerned, with a possible hint of vindication in the mix.
"None yet. But let's just say, in case I've upset the wrong people, you may want to get a to-go box and eat at home where you'll be safer. When all of this is over, I'll arrange for you two to have a much better date than the one I'm interrupting today. Okay?"
"'When all of this is over'--you keep using those words. But when exactly is all this supposed to be over?" her mom now interrogated her, having apparently snatched the phone from Mark.
"I don't know," Faith admitted. "But I'm going to try to get some people there soon who can safely get you home and protect you, and hopefully Sherm will be with them. I'm about to call him now. Just stay where you are."
Before her mother could bombard her with more questions, Faith hung up the phone and, fingers flying, she began to dial her friend's number--only to be startled by a rhythmic tapping on her front door.
As dangerous as it would've been for Sherm right now to have come to her house, Faith somewhat hoped her friend had come to be by her side during this time...and even though the face outside smiled at her, what she was greeted with through her door's peephole was not the reassuring face of a friend.
"Faith?" the red-haired girl began calling out through the door. "It's me. We met at Happy Scoops, remember?"
Faith only stood there at first, wondering what she should even say to her--if anything at all.
"By the way," Melanie continued with diabetes-inducing sweetness in her voice, "I know that you're home because I see your car here in the driveway. The boss is really busy with Rowan and Chance right now though, so he sent me to talk to you. May I come in?"
"No, you may not," Faith finally asserted as her mind raced on what she should do. "Only a Frost would try to intimidate me and then in the same breath ask to come inside my house," she added with a disgusted emphasis on the name.
"Oh... Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't think the two men waiting outside your back door are named Frost, if you'd like to talk to them instead. And in case you're thinking about calling the police, they're all busy raiding Happy Scoops and interrogating my co-workers. Do you still not want to just let me in? I just hoped maybe you would be nice enough to help clue us in on all of this, if you knew anything."
Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, Faith would allow some undertones of defeat to show themselves in her voice upon responding to that. "...Whatever. I guess I don't have a choice. Just give me a minute, okay? I've got some heavy furniture in front of the door and I need to move it out of the way."
"Oh, wow. Paranoid much? Oh well, the boss did warn me you could be that way sometimes," Melanie giggled. "Also, if you shoot me, he'll know that you did it and things will be a lot worse for you." It was torture, how much her deceptively sweet and childlike mannerisms matched Rowan's, though her words were anything but that. It was doubtful whether Melanie even believed the lie about the furniture, but hopefully it would allow Faith to give Sherm a quick call as well as grab her chain and her pepper spray.
Faith tiptoed to her room, attempting again to call her friend and seeing several missed calls from her parents. As she waited for Sherm to pick up, she took her strand of construction chain and her pepper spray from her purse, keeping them close to her in case the people outside got tired of waiting for her and decided to let themselves in.
"Faith! Are you alright?" Sherm immediately asked upon answering.
"Sherm, listen to me--there isn't much time. I need you to go with the S.A.S., whichever of them can get there first, and make sure my parents get back to their house safely. They're at Lindy's cafe, over on Ninth Street." If things aren't going to end well for me, I at least don't want to fail them completely as a daughter.
"Oh--okay, but are YOU okay though?" Sherm pressed.
Faith hesitated as the knocking at the front door started up again, this time less rhythmic and more loud and menacing. "I'll be okay. But I just want to make sure my parents don't get punished for something they didn't start."
"Faith, what are you--?"
"Goodbye, Sherm. I know you would--no, will--be a great vigilante." Faith forced a smile, hoping it would help her tone to sound more relaxed and fool Sherm into thinking things weren't entirely as serious on her end as they really were.
"Faith, I don't like the way you're talking at all! What's going on?!" Sherm demanded.
"I said I'll be okay--I just need you to promise me this, okay? Promise me that you'll do everything you can to make sure my family doesn't suffer because of me."
"I will--but you better promise me that you will too. Because they would suffer more than you realize if something happened to you."
"I know," Faith said, a single tear trickling out of her eye and falling down her cheek. "I'll meet you at my parents' house as soon as I can."
"Okay," Sherm said reluctantly.
"Good. I'll see you soon," Faith told him before hanging up and returning to the living room with her gun tucked in her jeans pocket and her strand of chain in her hand, which she had doubled up into a loop.
Gingerly, she reached out to unlock and open the door, being careful to remain behind the door and out of sight from Melanie's view the entire time as she did so.
"What were you doing, anyway?" Melanie questioned as she stepped inside and began to look around, confused. "Faith?"
Noticing that Melanie was armed with a small gun as well, Faith lunged forward, shoved the door closed with her foot, and pressed down on the nozzle of her spray. She would have emptied the can, but she wanted to have enough in case she needed for anyone else in the near future.
As Melanie screamed, Faith locked the door, swiftly looped the chain around Melanie, and grabbed the wrist that was holding the gun. As Melanie dropped it, Faith heard a loud pop, and she wondered how close she'd just gotten to being shot.
Faith then moved to tying as many knots as she could around Melanie to keep her restrained and then turning on the safety on on Melanie's gun.
Melanie did so, but was less than quiet about it. "You know this isn't going to work," Melanie sobbed. "You might've closed his store down, but he'll still find you!" Her chin began to quiver. "I just wanted a better life. That was all..."
Oh, no. Faith wasn't falling for those crocodile tears again. "Well, there's still time for that," she said coldly. "My methods are a little different than Aaron's which is why I chose not to shoot you, so when all of this is over, you might just spend the rest of your life in a place with free healthcare, free rent and three square meals a day. More than I can say for myself when I lived with Rowan--not that I plan on going there with you, of course."
"You'll wish you were safe in a prison cell, when the boss gets through with you," Melanie sniffled as she continued to groan in pain.
"I don't think you're in a position to be making any more threats to me," Faith cautioned as she placed Melanie's gun in her back pocket. "Besides, it seems like most of his henchman are in jail and being questioned by the authorities right now."
The knocking started back up yet again. "Melanie," a deep male voice uttered through the door. "Everything goin' okay in there? That was Faith screamin', right?"
"Yes, it was her," Faith answered trying to imitate Melanie's fake sweetness as much as possible.
"Well, we need to get movin'. You know the boss hates waiting," the voice called back.
"Yes, I know," Faith replied through the door.
All Faith knew to do next was that she needed to get out of this house. She glanced at the back door as she thought for a moment. I need time to get inside the car and onto the road. Let's see...
"Um...actually, can you guys all go back around to the back door?" Faith continued, physically smiling so as to sound more pleasant and convincing. "I'll take Faith out that way--but I need help moving her." Melanie must have been really arrogant to think she could walk into this house and make me go with her, Faith thought, but that arrogance might just save my life now, so hey--I'm thankful.
Looking down at Melanie, who was still crying in pain with tears streaming down her face, she really did sound like nothing but a lost, frightened little girl now that she had no weapon and Aaron wasn't there to protect her, and Faith couldn't help but revisit those old mental pictures Rowan had once created inside her mind. It sounded just as Faith had always imagined, those nights she would spend ruminating about it--wishing she could have gone back in time and rescued those children from their wicked grandfather. But she doesn't want help, Faith chided herself. No more than Rowan does--or did, anyway.
Quickly, Faith gathered her purse and placed Melanie's gun inside of it along with her own. Just as Faith had turned the knob and opened the front door as quietly as she could, she hoped Melanie would be in too much pain to notice, but unfortunately for her, the sound of screaming would once again fill the entire house as soon as Faith exited the house.
"HELP! FAITH'S ESCAPING! SHE'S GOT MY GUN!"
Slamming the door behind her, Faith bolted for her SUV, only to see a heavyset man in a gray tracksuit run out from behind her house holding a gun of his own. "Stop right there!" he yelled at her before she heard another loud pop followed by a whistling sound passing by her ear.
Unfortunately for the man, he was about to not only hear the same sound, but feel it too, and Faith didn't wait to see if anyone else was coming out from behind the house. Faith didn't think she had ever pulled out of anywhere faster than she was now, and even though she had managed to evade getting shot herself so far, her SUV wasn't so fortunate as she heard something small and metallic pierce into its rear and side.
It wouldn't matter what she would have to explain to her parents, her family, Sherm, or even a judge, just as long as she could stay alive long enough to explain anything. At least in this case, the man had shot at her first, so the case could still go in her favor. Still, she wasn't sure if her family could ever see her as the same daughter, niece, or cousin ever again now--or if she could ever see herself the same way again, for that matter. Mom might be a little scared of me for a while knowing what I just had to do, Faith thought. But Dad and my uncle will probably be proud of me for defending myself.
She then wondered if the story about Happy Scoops being raided had made it to the news yet. It would have been nice, Faith thought, if she had actually had a moment to switch on her TV and find out for herself. I'll just find out once I get to my parents' house, she thought, trying to calm herself until she was in a position to start processing the shock of everything.
Either shock was the reason she felt so calm right now and a more emotional reaction was simply supposed to hit later, or perhaps it was the simple fact she had already been preparing for years for something like this to happen. The only real difference, she supposed, was that she had always thought Rowan would be there with her when it did happen.
After driving a couple of blocks, Faith began to notice the inordinate amount of shaking and rattling sensations from her car, and it wasn't long before the vehicle became harder to control, especially when making stops and turns. She had been so busy making sure she got inside that vehicle without getting shot, she hadn't even stopped to consider whether they had gotten to her tires first.
It was no longer a matter of thinking--just doing--as she turned off her car, grabbed her purse, and began to run.
"Ma'am, is everything alright?" a man called out from a nearby yard as he tended to his shrubs.
"I'm sorry, I can't stay here," was all Faith could think to respond, not even slowing down as she passed by.
Her only option now was to get to the closest bus station. For now, she didn't care where the next bus took her--just as long as one came to take her away from here. This was still just an escape in-progress, after all.
It felt like an hour before a bus did come, but according to her phone it had in fact been only 15 minutes. Lucky for her though, this bus was mostly empty--and she had enough cash on her for her fare.
"Excuse me," Faith asked as she paid, "Does this bus go to Somerset Crossing subdivision?"
"No, sorry," the driver shook his head. "But if you get off at the stop outside the city library, the next bus will take you there."
"Alright. Thank you so much," Faith said gratefully, finding herself a seat.
No sooner had the bus started down the road than her phone had started to ring. She would have liked to hear the reassuring voice of a friend or family member right now, but that wouldn't be the case as there was no caller ID, and it didn't match any of the phone numbers listed for the S.A.S. She decided not to pick up, and after allowing it to ring out three times, a text would appear which simply read: "It's Aaron. We need to talk."
"Not happening," Faith muttered. If she was going to talk to Bethany, now was likely a better time than any. She had no idea what kind of shift her cousin would be working today, but she wasn't surprised when she didn't get an answer. If anything, she figured her cousin would check her voicemail later.
"Hey Beth," Faith began after the answering machine tone. "I hope you've been doing well. Listen, um, I don't know when we'll get to talk again, but I just want you to know that I love you all. A lot has happened on my end lately, and I'm sure the case has been the same for you. I..."
"This is your stop," the bus driver called from the front as the bus began to slow down.
"Anyway, I'd love for us to talk about it if--no, when--we get the chance to," Faith finished as she gathered her things and rose from her seat to descend onto the sidewalk to wait for the next bus. "Well, bye. Have a good shift."
Faith sprinted over to the bus shelter and took a seat, trying to make herself as small as possible. She wondered how much easier this could've been if she had just had a ridesharing app installed on her phone. She had always avoided them in the past for a variety of reasons. One was that she had always driven herself and Rowan everywhere ever since getting her license, and had made it a point to always keep herself sober, even in social situations, so that she wouldn't ever have a need to be driven by anyone else, let alone a stranger she had never met. After all, Rowan had always cautioned her that they could never know who could be a member of the company. Even knowing on a logical and technical level that almost everything Rowan had told her was a lie, Faith wondered if she would ever trust anyone in a car like that again.
Her mind then wandered to the one time she had used a ridesharing app, back when she was on a family trip. Her uncle was the one who had arranged for the ride and used the app, though. There you go. It's just like that time. You're just waiting for your ride to get here, and Bethany is right beside you, probably making some salty joke about your blue fingernails or overgrown bangs. Your aunt and uncle probably won't exactly come to your defense, but they would always keep you from any real harm. So you'll be okay. You're not alone.
Sure enough, she indeed wasn't alone, and her ride was soon to be here--but it wouldn't be in the form of a bus. And once again, she was soon to be jolted back to reality, beginning with the flash of blue lights in front of her that came from an unmarked car.
Faith clutched her purse to herself, trying to appear as innocent and small as possible, making sure to dart her head around the way that other people nearby were likely doing. But unfortunately, she realized she had already been spotted as two officers dressed in street clothes exited the vehicle and began walking directly towards her.
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