Matt got out of the car and walked around, pulling open the door she was against. Her head dropped down unexpectedly and he yanked the long raincoat off of her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the car. Kate realized they were back at the same city park he had assaulted her in the first place. The sky was getting light; she knew it must be close to sunrise.
Friday morning.
“What are you going to do?” Kate asked, cringing at the pain that shot through her jaw. She knew it was broken.
“Shut up!” he ordered as she stood there. Her clothes were in shreds, but still on her. Her sore and injured hands held her blouse closed. Matt grabbed her arm and stared into her battered face.
She knew at least her nose and jaw were broken. One of her eyes was swollen all the way shut, but she still had one halfway open. Her lips were dry, cracked and swollen as well. Her nails had broken in the struggles and she knew his handprints were bruised into her thighs. She didn’t know why he was staring at her like this. Suddenly he started dragging her into the tree line on her bare feet.
Kate tripped and stumbled as the undergrowth hurt her feet. He kept yanking her up and ordering her to come with him. He finally found a small clearing and pushed her so that she was standing in front of him. He didn’t move or make a sound for the longest time. A time too long for Kate.
“Please don’t hurt me. Let me go, please, I won’t tell anyone. Please don’t hurt me…” she began to cry, struggling to stand on her trembling legs. She turned to see if he was even still there and she saw that he had undone his pants again. “Not again, please don’t.” she said beginning to sob all over again.
He pushed her down to her hands and knees and when she felt her skirt being pushed aside she begged him not to hurt her again. She felt his hands on her bare hips pulling her closer to him until she felt his flesh on hers.
“Please stop, please don’t.,” she cried, momentarily trying to crawl out of his grasp. He grabbed a handful of the back of her blouse and pulled her back, swiftly forcing himself in her again. She was sure someone had to hear her scream this time. He pushed her down when he was done and she collapsed onto the woody carpet, feeling her own blood leave her.
Howie? Her quiet mind asked. Where are you?
She knew he and the boys were in Texas somewhere today. Last night they had a show, no doubt going to a party afterwards while she was here and Matt was hurting her. It’s so early in the morning; she knew he’d be asleep in a hotel room or just getting to bed.
Matt’s hands pushed her onto her back where he stood towering over her. She could barely see him, as he stood there with his clothing askew.
“I bet you’re not feeling too smart right now, are you? Huh? I bet your fancy boyfriend won’t want you now. See, you should’ve just been with me from the start and none of this would’ve happened.” He said. “No one is gonna see your stupid bitch ass again.”
He kicked her once in the leg, but she didn’t have the strength to react to the pain any more. He removed the belt from his pants and flipped her on her stomach, slipping the leather strap over her head like a noose and constricting it down on her throat.
Lita.
Lita must be worried sick by now, but Bryan will take care of her. She’ll be okay once Kate was gone.
What Kate would give to eat one more sloppy hamburger with Nick, to play foosball with Brian, to lay in her room at Kevin’s and listen to him play the piano all night, to laugh at AJ’s silly voices and to feel her knees go soft to listen to him sing, to feel Howie’s lips on her just one last time. His beautiful eyes to see her one last time, to run her fingers through his hair and to feel the love and strength of his arms
I love you Howie. Please remember I will always love you.
Her world began to tunnel down and she knew the end was near. Visions of Howie faded to black and a stab of light reached for her.
I’m sorry, Mommy, you were right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bryan rubbed his eyes as Lita continued to talk to the police. Between his shift yesterday in the ER and being up all night with Lita looking for Kate, he hadn’t slept in almost 36 hours. He was as worried as Lita. He could never imagine Kate staying out all night, more or less doing it without calling. It was nearly 9 a.m. and she hadn’t reported to work and the faculty on campus couldn’t find Matt either. He was praying for a simple explanation, like a car accident or something. Lita wasn’t so convinced, she was sure Matt had done something to Kate. Bryan realized he thought that, too.
“Bryan? Do you think I should call Kevin now?” Lita asked. He looked up at her.
“I don’t know. Maybe we better wait until we have more information.” Bryan said.
“He’d want to know something was wrong…”
“What can he do? They are still on tour…”
“I’d better call.” Lita said, scooping up the phone and started to dial Kevin’s cell phone. It rang and rang with no answer. She finally tried Nick next and he picked up on the third ring.
“Huh?” he grunted.
“Nick?”
“Uh, huh?”
“Nick Carter? Nick? It’s me Lita.”
“Uh, huh.”
“Kate’s friend? Nick wake up, it’s important. Nick? I have to talk to Kevin.”
“He’s not here…”he mumbled.
“Damn it Nick! Wake up!” she screamed.
“Shit! What do you want!” he yelled back.
“Nick, it’s Kate. She’s missing. I’ve got to talk to Kevin.”
“Missing? Where is she?”
“I don’t know, Nick, I don’t know.” Lita said, choking on her words. Bryan got up and took the phone from her and pulled her into his arms.
“Nick Carter?”
“Who’s this?”
“I’m Bryan Carpenter…”
“You’re her boyfriend, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. Look, I don’t know you guys but I better tell you, Kate’s been missing since yesterday afternoon. She left with a tutoring student…”
“Oh my…”
“Look, so do you know where Kevin is? I know he would want to know…”
“Hey, we’d all like to know. Wait, I’ll go get him. He’s a couple doors down.”
Bryan listened to Nick bang around and then finally open the door to his hotel room. He walked a bit and then he heard some knocking.
“Kevin? Kev? Get up, man! It’s important, man! It’s about Kate.” Bryan heard Nick say through the door. He heard a door open and then another man’s voice.
“Kate? What about Kate? Who’s on the phone…Hello?” Bryan heard as the phone traded hands.
“Kevin? Kevin Richards?”
“Richardson, yeah, who’s this?”
“Bryan Carpenter.”
“Oh yeah, the doctor. What’s up? What’s up with Kate?”
“Kate left yesterday around 4:00 to tutor a student and they are both missing…”
“Did he hurt her?” Kevin asked, leaning up against the doorframe. Bryan was surprised that they all had the same thoughts about gentle little Kate.
“We don’t know. It could just be an accident or something. Maybe she just went back to his place…”
“No, Kate wouldn’t do that. She’s still in love with Howie….”
“I only know what Lita tells me….”
”I know, look, I’ll turn my phone on and have Lita call me as soon as you guys hear anything. I can be in Orlando by tonight….”
“I don’t think you need to do that….”
“There isn’t a show tonight, it’s our day off….”
“I’m going too.” Nick said. “I’ll get the others….”
“Look I don’t want to alarm you guys…”
“Listen, I love that little girl to death, man. If she needs anything, anything at all, I’m gonna be there for her, okay?” Kevin said, watching Nick knock on AJ’s door.
“Okay, man. Lita wants to talk to you.” Bryan said.
“Kevin?” Lita’s shaking voice came on.
“Hey sweetheart.” Kevin sighed.
“I’m so scared for her, Kev. This isn’t like her…”
”I know. Look, I’ll be in tonight, okay? We’re just in Dallas, it won’t take long to get there…”
“Thank you, Kevin…”
“Hey, anything for my two favorite girls.” He smiled sadly hanging up the phone.
He looked down the hall, seeing Nick leading the others on a march to his hotel room. They were all in various stages of dress and undress. He’d have to tell them and then he’d have to pack.
Table of Contents
Chapter Two