Meet You There // 5 SOS

Jackson

It isn't until after I peel out from Grinder's driveway that I realize I'm driving blind. I'm not exactly sure how to get to the water tower. I didn't grow up here and I'm still learning the lay of the land. I open my maps app on my phone and use speech to text to look up the Fallbrook water tower. The directions give me two options. The suggested route looks like a main road leading from the highway up the hill.

Expected arrival in twenty fucking minutes. She could be gone in twenty minutes. She could be dead. But the other road looks like it could be a dirt access path with how thin it's showing up. I'd have to drive through a neighborhood.

What if it's a walking path? If I was driving a motorcycle—which I may never do ever again after the one and only time I've ever ridden one—I'd take that road, no hesitation. But I'm driving a truck. What if I can't get through the entrance?

Too many what if's. Too many unknowns. I'm fucking losing my mind. I need to find Holly and it needs to happen now. I'm regretting leaving in a rush without any back up. I'm sure Frank has some guy on her trail anyway. They won't even need me.

In fact, I'm sure they have people on whichever path makes the most sense. Instead of stalling and freaking out, I choose the neighborhood route and follow the directions to get there. If I wasn't in such a fucking panic, I might enjoy this drive. It's scenic, peaceful. The complete opposite of how I'm feeling.

I take the turns and wind through the streets. The houses get bigger, the yards get more impressive, and I start to wonder if I'm going the right way. It's too quiet, too nice for nefarious deeds to be occurring. At least on the surface that's the sense I get. I have no idea what's happening up that road, but I can't imagine any of its good based on who she's with.

It was never confirmed but I know in my gut that Holly's with her dad. She'd never go off somewhere alone with him willingly. This has to be bad news. It can't end well. I just hope and pray its Judge that things don't end well for.

Please, God, spare Holly.

I make the last turn and drive up hill on a tiny dead-end street. At the top, between two massive houses, McMansions is a better word, I see an opening. As I get closer a wide dirt road comes into view. I check the time. Sixteen minutes have passed, not twenty, which makes me wonder how far up this road the water tower is.

My truck passes through the opening easily, but the dirt road on the other side is another story. Full of potholes and dips, my truck bounces all over the place. It's a rough ride for sure but I press forward. After a few sharp turns around tall brush, I hit a straightaway along the side of the hill. I gun it. Halfway to the bend in the road leading around the hill, a car barrels around the curve ahead of me. Heading right for me. It takes a minute before I recognize it.

"Holly!" I shout even though she can't hear me, but that's definitely her car. I keep my eyes trained on her as the car gets closer. I start sweating when I realize how fast its going. But it's not until I recognize the driver that I start seeing red. Judge. And he's not slowing down. He's not trying to get around me.

Is he playing chicken? No way I'm letting him get by me, not with Holly in the car. But I don't want her getting hurt either. The decision is taken out of my hands when I hear his tires spin on the dirt and watch the dust fly. He's gunning it right at me.

I swerve to the left, letting my truck's bed take the brunt of the impact. Which it does, more than I expected. His nose crashes right into the middle of my passenger side with a sickening crunch. I have no control of the wheel. I work the wheel, futilely turning it into the spin as I pump the brakes. his car pushes my truck back down the hill. We don't stop sliding for a few more feet. Caught by the side of the hill and about half a dozen bushes.

I'm trapped in the truck. My door is smashed into the bushes. The other car landed broadside against the passenger door. I roll down the window and climb out onto the roof of his car, sliding across and down the other side.

The driver's side. Where I yank open Judge's door and drag him out by his collar. I don't bother looking him over for injuries when I pull back and punch him right in the face.

"What the fuck are you doing? You could have killed her!"

I punch him again.

"What kind of father are you?" I scream. I rear back for a third time when it hits me that he isn't fighting back. That's when I notice the blood on his forehead. I pull him closer to look in his eyes. He seems out of it. Dazed. I wouldn't be surprised if he was high. Or he hit his head when we crashed.

I look into the back seat for Holly but no one's there. I pull him closer, get in his face and seethe.

"Where is she?" The threat in my voice is clear. I'll kill this motherfucker if she's hurt somewhere. I'm struck with the realization that Holly might not even be here. Her phone was pinged in this area, but he might have that in the car without actually having her.

That's when I hear someone scream. Female. From somewhere up in the hills.

I drop Judge like a bad habit and turn to run in her direction. Adrenaline is pulsing through my veins. I've got a laser focus on moving one foot in front of the other as fast as I can. I have no idea how far away she is but I have to get to her in time. I feel it in my bones.

She's in trouble.

***

Holly

"Stay away from me." The guy is looking at me, his eyes dark with whatever thoughts run through his mind. He says nothing, just stands there watching me. Watching as I freak out. Even though I'm not crying, not screaming, we both know I'm seconds away from losing the battle. But I refuse to hand over my power. As long as he's over there and I'm over here, I still have a shred of control left.

But then he takes a step in my direction.

"Or else, what?" He sneers.

So much like my fucking dad. I'm never allowing that man in my presence. Never again.

I don't answer the guy. The creep. His car sparkles behind him. The glitter mobile. What a joke he is. I almost laugh. I want to, which further proves I'm losing it. This isn't funny. But I'm on the verge of hysterics.

I clench my jaw, focusing on his face. Showing no fear.

He laughs.

"I've heard some things about you." He lets his gaze wander down my body.

My stomach rolls.

"You're not the timid kitten he said you were." He takes another step toward me. "I think you're more like a mountain lion." He opens his arms wide, gesturing to the hills surrounding us. "Right at home in your natural habitat."

A loud crunch of metal sounds from below filling the loaded silence of this plateau. I startle as the sound drags out, metal scraping metal, for several long seconds. My muscles tighten up. I wonder if something happened to my dad. What could have happened? He just left.

I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Before I can turn to look, the creep is in my face. I scream. His hand clamps the back of my neck.

"Perfect timing." His breath laced with beer fans my face. His hands grip my arms. A familiar move. My dad liked that one. I start running through scenarios in my mind as he makes disgusting innuendos, tuning him completely out.

He hasn't pulled me closer or tried to force me to walk with him. I formulate a plan. It won't work, but it's something. I refuse to go with this guy. I'll fight for my life if I have to. I think I have to.

The second I feel him pull I drop to the ground. Dead opossum. I'm dead weight, every muscle limp. He attempts to pull me up. He grunts while I lay still, hardly even budging from his efforts. He bends over, leaning down into my face.

"Get up, you fucking cunt."

He pulls again.

"Fine."

This time he wraps his arms around my waist with his knees bent. He pulls, lifting me a foot off the ground before dropping me.

"Fuck."

Now he doesn't even bother trying to lift me. He grabs one arm and drags me. Pebbles and sticks scrape my face and poke through my clothes as he pulls me through the dirt, some getting in my mouth. I spit, feeling the now muddy dirt dribble down my chin.

He doesn't get me far when he drops my arm. I can tell he's pissed off, muttering slurs and curses.

"Get up or I'll fuck you up." He leans down in my face again. "You're making this so much worse. You'll lose. Don't bother pulling this shit with me."

I hear the desperation in his voice, even though he tries to stay in control. He takes a step back and I realize what he's about to do. One leg stomps forward while the other swings back. Then his boot is flying at my face. I turn in time to push my shoulder forward, taking the brunt of the kick.

I grunt from the force. He kicks me again in the back and I gasp. I curl into a ball trying to protect any part of my body I can. His foot makes contact with my side. But it's a whisper of a touch and then it's gone.

"Leave her the fuck alone!"

It's Jackson's voice. I resist the urge to look back, instead rolling away. The hard ground presses into places the creep kicked me. Three, four turns before I dare to look.

Jackson has the guy on the ground, raining blow after blow anyplace he can land them. At this point the guy isn't fighting back. I wonder if he ever did.

I watch as Jackson kicks him in the exact spot the guy kicked me. Then he spits. Right in the creep's face.

Jackson looks up, finds me and rushes across the dirt to get to me.

"Baby." He kneels, touching my face, my shoulders, looking over my body. "Are you okay?"

I'm sore. I know I'll be bruised and have a hard time walking tomorrow. Maybe for a while. But I also know this could have been so much worse.

"He gave me to that guy." My voice wobbles, the adrenaline finally running out. "I think he sold me." My body shakes uncontrollably.

"You're safe now." Jackson holds me to him, careful not to grip me too tight. The two of us keep our eyes locked on the creep, laying in a heap in the dirt. I hear quiet groans, but it does little to reassure me.

A few minutes later the sound of motorcycles rise over the ridge. Not much longer after that, two black and white cycles come into view. Cops.

"Over there," Jackson says. "He tried to kidnap her."

The cops rush over to the creep, still groaning in the dirt. Fitting.

"They've already been casing your dad," he says to me.

We watch as the cops deal with the creep. Another cop shows up, looking through his car. Most likely for weapons or drugs. I stop watching to close my eyes.

"Baby, seriously, are you okay?"

I nod my head, but the truth is I'm not. I'm not okay at all. How could I be? Even with Jackson holding me. Even knowing I'm safe.

I'm heartbroken. He's supposed to be my father. But to him I'm nothing more than collateral. Tears finally come and I let them.

"Holly," Jackson pulls me gently closer, "listen to me. You're dad crashed into me down the hill. I'm pretty sure these cops must have passed him on their way up. Which means that he's more than likely in custody. He's not going to hurt you anymore." Jackson kisses my forehead.

"It's you and me, baby. God, I love you so much. I was going out of my mind."

I curl into him. "Me, too. But you're kind of a badass, beating the shit out of that guy."

"No one touches you," he says, strong and sure.

I want to drown in those words. I want them to repair my sense of security. I cling to them, knowing it's going to be a long time before I feel truly safe. But with Jackson's arms around me, I feel enough of a glimmer to handle what comes next.

It's the tire tracks for me in that title graphic ⬆️. I chose it because of Jackson's first line-"I'm the guy who leaves." But I've had SO MUCH FUN incorporating tire tracks in different scenes! I wonder if you remember any of them *smirk*

Also, Jackson is the man! He may as well have lifted a car off a trapped child with the adrenaline rush he experienced (I picture Edward Cullen saying 'google it'). Was this action packed enough? I hope so! I never thought of myself as an action/adventure writer but dang this was fun! 

Okay, I had NO song for this chapter but tonight I was driving home with my daughter, listening to music. Meet You There came on and it was an immediate yes. Luke's singing is an absolute Jackson vibe. The song is more about an ex relationship and thinking if it's meant to be, I'll "meet you there." OF COURSE that's not the case here, but Jackson is trying to find his way back to Holly so that's the essence I'm going for.

https://youtu.be/AkL0PZL2G9I

The Monstrous Love Anthology is live and oh boy, I never thought a Yeti would be so hot! I'm telling you, these monsters are spicy. Give some of these short stories a read. You may be blushing by the end. My story is super tame (like 1 spicy pepper on the spice scale) and posting on February 10. PLUS you can watch them read aloud by the amazing Rodney (what a voice!) as well! Check out the book and the links to the youtube readings on the WritersConnX profile or on mine.