Nowhere to Run - Chapter 16

When Evie awoke the next morning, she was alone.  Stretching, she recalled the night before, every glorious minute of it. Wrapped in Michael’s arms as he took her body to new heights of delight. Making her feel things she never thought possible, things she had never imagined. It had never been like that with Scott. For him sex had been more mechanical and sometimes, more brutal.

     Evie pushed that thought from her head. She pulled Michael’s pillow into her arms and inhaled. It still held the faint scent of his skin and brought back memories of last night. She never thought anything could be so wonderful.  He was gentle and coaxing and turned her body a symphony of wicked delights.

     “Michael,” she whispered his name just to hear it.

     Then she frowned, no: Dimitri. He said his name was Dimitri. She supposed she should call him that now. It was, after all, his real name. She smiled again. It didn’t really matter what he wanted to be called, she felt…no, she knew, she was falling in love with him. She sighed deeply and ran her hand over the pillow hugging it to her chest, she inhaled deeply and could almost feel him next to her.  It didn't matter now what happened. She would run to the ends of the earth to be with him if that was what it took. She wouldn't be afraid as long as she had Michael by her side.

     Then the phone rang.

     “Evie?”

     She smiled, “Michael,” It was heaven just hearing his voice. She hugged his pillow again.

     “Evie, I’m in trouble.” His words were cold and mechanical. She sat up straight.

     All the color faded from the room and a chill set itself down her spine. For a while she had foolishly pretended they were okay. Like normal people, lovers. With his three simple words that warm feeling in her belly turned to ice.

     “Evie, I’ve been arrested.”

     “What?”

     “They think I was trying to boost a car. Silly, I know, but that's what I’ve been charged with.”

     “Oh Michael, what should I do?” She felt the panic rising inside her and fought it down. She had to hold it together.

     “Keep running,” Michael’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They don’t know who I am, yet. Nothing has come back on the finger print check so far, but you have to get out of there.”

     “No Michael, I won’t leave you.” Evie pleaded, “I won’t!”

     “Don’t worry about me.”

     “I won’t leave you.”

     “You have to!”

     “No!”

     “Evie, this is a no-choice situation. You have to go. But first I want you to go to a street about five blocks north of the motel called Red Mountain Avenue.”

     “No, why?” Evie couldn’t think straight, her mind was spinning, looking for answers. Trying to quell the hysteria rising inside her, she couldn't understand him.

     “Listen Evie, go there and go all the way to the end. There’s a big field with some playground equipment. Go all the way across the field to the fence. To a big tree there, the biggest in the yard. With your back to the tree and take thirteen steps back the way you came. Remember that; thirteen steps!”

     “But Michael...”

     “Evie, listen! Thirteen steps then dig down three feet.”

     “What? Three feet?”

     “Evie, there’s a jar buried there with some cash. I’ve been hiding money where ever I go. Just in case. Take it and disappear.”

     “Not without you.” Evie’s voice rose in panic.

     “Evie, Damn it! Just go.” he was shouting now. He couldn’t believe she was arguing with him. Her life might depend on it.

     Her voice was weak now, a plea over the phone line, “I’m not leaving you...”

     “Evie you will leave.” Michael lowered his voice again as he gave her the order. “You will do as I say. Get lost! Go!”

     “But I love you.”

     Michael felt a jerk in his chest as his heart went out to her. He fought the urge to tell her the same. Love? Insane as it was, he felt more for her than he had for any woman he had ever known before. It broke his heart to know it now, when it had to end, but yes, he did love her. Crazy as it was, he did.  But what could he say to her now? She had to leave. When the fingerprints came back, it would only be a matter of time before the Team showed up. He had to get her out of here. It was the hardest thing he ever had to say but he had to do it. For her own good.

     “Don’t say that. Evie, it was only a one night stand." Hating himself, even as he said it. "Damn! Don’t make it into anything it wasn’t. Take the money and go! Get out of my life!”

     With that he slammed down the phone and the line went dead in Evie’s hand.  For a moment, she stared down at the receiver. Then she dropped it as if it had burned her.  Scrambling from the bed, still holding his pillow in front of her she felt the tears leap to her eyes.

     One night stand? He said it was only a one-night stand?

     Evie remembered what his hands and lips had done to her right here in this bed.

     No, she thought. It wasn’t.

     Sinking to the floor, she let loose a river of tears.  After last night had been so wonderful she couldn't bear what he had said to her. She wiped her tears on the pillow and breathed in his scent. It wasn't a one-night stand and she knew it. It was too amazing, too exhilarating. Hugging the pillow one more time to catch the clean, musky scent of him, Evie made her decision.

                          ****

       An hour later Evie had pulled herself together and was in the field at the end of Red Mountain Road digging with a spoon she had taken from the motel and a piece of board.  The spoon was bent and she had broken every nail, but she kept going. A jagged piece of rock had left a nasty scrape on two of her knuckles and she was barely two feet down.

“Maybe I got the directions wrong.” She said, “Or I’m digging in the wrong place”

Michael's feet were bigger than hers so maybe she wasn't far enough from the tree. Her arms were aching when she was good three and a half feet down and thinking of giving up when her spoon chinked against glass. She hit it again, just to be sure.

“Yes, finally.” Grabbing the board in both hands she scraped the dirt away all around the glass. She worked faster and faster, she almost had it. Just a little further and she was there. Using her hands she lifted out a large mayonnaise jar. Its lid was cracked and the label was mush from the damp dirt. Evie unscrewed the lid and inside found a paper bag. Pulling it out, she looked inside.

“Oh my God.” It was packed with cash. Twenties, fifties, hundreds.  For a moment she sat and stared at the fortune she had uncovered. Michael had said he had been hiding money before he left the Team, but she never would have believed this if she hadn’t seen it for herself

Without spending time to count any of it she stuffed the bag into the pockets of her hoodie and shoved the jar back into the hole. She pushed the dirt back in and got to her feet. Brushing her hands off on the seat of her jeans, she said, “Okay, Dimitri Michaels, prepare for a jail break.”