Chapter 19

Taking two days to recover, Aless itched to be up and moving. When Doctor Hao gave her his approval, Aless left her cot and immediately went to Madame and Master Wes to find work.

"First, you must bathe," Madame Wes frowned. "Even with the water stones, you are very ripe."

Violet, Aless apologized.

"Stop apologizing," Madame Wes said. "It is not your fault. Go upstairs and to the left you will find a guest room with a shower. Once you are washed up, you can get to work."

Doing as she was told, Aless proceeded up the stairs to shower. Reminded of the first shower she had after months of living her own filth, the shower made Aless feel not only clean but somehow saved. The water was like tears of the Deity cleansing more than just her flesh.

Towel drying her hair, Alessandra looked around the small guest room. It was a cozy little room with a double bed and a single dresser. A window looked out over the front of the restaurant and Aless couldn't help but stare out on the small town. Her mind ran with worries and calculations. They had a good amount of money, but who knew when they would need to spend a large amount of it. Everyone else was still sick and Aless could only pray that they got better.

Whispers drifted up through the vents. Madame Wes was talking to her husband. Their voices were too soft to be comprehensible; Aless was pretty sure she knew what they were talking about. What should they do about the pack of misfits who had drifted into their place. Call the police? Kick them out? Help them? What if they were unstable? Where did they come from? Where were they going?

They had to have tons of questions and they had to be suspicious. Who wouldn't be? Yet there was nothing Alessandra could say. There was nothing she could tell them that wouldn't be a complete lie or endanger them. They would have to accept being told nothing. Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen.

Slipping on her pants Aless tried to clear her mind. She was going to die at a young age with all the stress. When she was finished dressing, she left the room as silently as she could. Aless hoped to visit her friends before starting her new job. Unfortunately, Aless's desire to be unnoticed was not granted. Entering the hall, she almost knocked over Madame Wes. Madame Wes's stern eyes met Aless's and Aless found she could not hold her gaze.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"You certainly smell better."

"Thank you…"

"I can't have my employee smelling like yesterday's garbage."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me that. I'm not that old."

Unable to stop herself, Aless gave Madame Wes a quizzical look. Softly, Madame Wes boxed Aless upside the head.

"You must be feeling better if you are giving an old woman sass."

"I am …"

"Don't start with that sorry stuff again. I like sass. It's better than being a weak-willed push over."

Grinning, Aless felt the tension slip from her shoulders.

"Come with me. My husband wants to meet you properly and then he is going to take you to our store."

"Your store?"

"Yes, we own a small store that sells fresh produce and some basic home supplies. Master Wes is like the town Mr. Fix It, so he always is over run with repair jobs. You will mind the store for us."

"Are you sure? I mean I don't mind working as a busser in the restaurant or something…"

"I pride myself in being a good judge of people and I can tell by looking at you that you are responsible and honest, for the most part. When your friend Kayla wakes up, she can work at the restaurant. Her constitution doesn't seem as strong as yours."

Smiling faintly, Alessandra agreed with this statement. Making their way to the restaurant, Aless met Master Wes formerly. He was a plain man with flat eyes and and mouth too big for his face. His hands were rough and permanently stained with oil and grease. Compared to his wife, who sparkled even in her old age, Master Wes seemed all the plainer. Yet he was kind, patient, and flexible.

"My Prickly Pear tells me you must eat before I set you to work," he said with a grin.

"Prickly Pear?" Aless asked.

Winking, Master Wes nodded at his wife, who fluffed up indignantly. Sliding a loving arm around his wife, Master Wes gave her a small squeeze.

"She loves when I call her that," he teased.

"I most certainly do not," Madame Wes huffed.

Aless noticed despite her indignant tone, Madame Wes did not remove her husband's arm or pull away from him. Sweet. Master Wes planted a loud kiss on his wife before releasing her. Spurting, Madame Wes bustled off to the kitchen and came back with a large plate of food. Most of it was fried.

"Eat up," Madame Wes said. "You will be on your feet for hours and you have only just recovered."

Nodding, Aless sat at the diner's counter and began to eat. The food was amazing. It took all her effort not to shovel the food in like a backhoe. She also resisted the urge to spout praises. Something told Aless that Madame Wes was not one for flowery compliments. When her plate was about half empty, Madame Wes appeared with more food, sliding on to Aless's plate with a tisk.

"You are cat's tail thin," she scowled.

Behind her, Master Wes smiled encouragingly and winked. After finishing most of the second portion, Aless couldn't fit anymore in her stomach.

"Is that all you are going to eat?" Madame Wes asked in disbelief.

Licking her lips, Aless tried to eat more, but she felt as if food was going to come out her eyeballs.

"Merry, the girl is about to burst at the seams," Master Wes chuckled. "Leave her be. We need to get to the store anyways."

"Fine…fine. Go."

Sniffing, Madame Wes waved them off. Scurrying off the stool, Aless thanked Madame Wes then followed Master Wes out of the restaurant. The short walk to the store was silent. Master Wes was not a talker. He preferred to think and observe then to talk. His wife was the talker.

At the store, Master Wes gave a quick run down of what was expected of her and how the store was run. The cash register was old, possessing only a basic electronic system which is basic addition and subtraction and opened the cash drawer. A TV with a fuzzy screen played behind the counter and a small second screen showed the outside of the store.

"We don't really have any issues with people stealing since its such a small town, so our two cameras are outside. They have sound if you press the screen. Mostly the cameras just pick up traffic noise. Occasionally, you will get a few bits of gossip from people walking by."

"And how would you know that, Master Wes," Aless grinned.

Feigning ignorance, Master Wes coughed and continued with his explanation. He was right. The store was simple enough to manage and well within Aless's abilities.

"If my wife says you are trustworthy then you must be. You are to stay here and watch the shop while I go to me appointments. There are some regulars that will come through. They are harmless, but they can be nosey. Just remember if you have any trouble call the restaurant. The number is right next to the phone."

"Oh okay…"

"I'll be back at closing to help you and walk you back to the restaurant."

Before Alessandra could think of any questions to ask, Mr. Wes had left the store. Aless looked around the small store with slight unease. She didn't know why the Wes were letting her watch the store without knowing her. They were either very trusting, very stupid, or in some twisted way a genius. Could it be another trap like with the farm and Gertrude?

Even with her unease, Aless couldn't help but think that the Wes's were good people. In her gut, she knew it wasn't a trick. Something about Madame Wes told her so. Alessandra sat down on the tall stool behind the sales counter. Her body still ached.

The store was painted in an off-white and the sales counter was the same color, made of a cheap plastic and wood with a clear glass case under the top, holding candy that Aless hadn't seen in years. A small smile tugged at Aless's lips as she studied the discontinued candy. She wondered if it was even still good.

The food shelves were made of sturdy wood and very plain. They were well stacked and had a surprising variety for such a small store. In a back room there was fresh fruit and vegetables that Master Wes said were town grown and mostly organic.

Aged magazines sat in two stacks on the edge of the counter. One was so dated that its colors, once bright neon, were now pastels. Deciding she needed to know the store as best she could since she was to run it, Aless stood and took leisurely walk around the store. Making mental notes, Aless tried to remember where different products were in case a customer asked. With a basic understanding of the store's lay out, Aless returned to her chair and began flipping through the magazines. In truth she ended up reading the magazines for most of the day. Once and while a person would come in and Aless was able to talk to them, but the store was slow during the day.

"You must be bored out of your mind," one older lady laughed. "No one goes out during the day in the Frying Pan. Everyone does their shopping and moving about at night. Well except in the Dark Moon Month. But it is so much cooler than."

"I didn't know," Aless admitted. "We always saw people in Madame Wes's diner."

"Well, anyone would brace a little heat for food from there. It has been a long time since Merry hired any outside help. But if Merry hired you, then you must be a good person. Merry Wes is no fool."

"I hope I can live up to your expectations," Aless said.

Chuckling the lady took her change, shook her head, and left. Aless thought for a moment how funny it was that Madame Wes's first name was Merry. From what Aless had seen, Madame Wes was a very serious person. She had to have been teased as a kid.

By the end of the day, Alessandra had become comfortable in the store. It was not too hard, and she tried to remind herself of all the people she met, including their names. When Mr. Wes came around nine, Aless was ready to go to sleep.

"We actually stay open until about two in the morning and then close until one in the after noon because of the heat," Master Wes explained. "But you are dead on your feet and this day is usually slow in the evenings, so let's go home. Merry must already have a big meal for you to eat."

Home. The word struck a chord and Aless could only make a small noise of agreement. Walking into the diner, Aless was greeted by the welcome sight of Jesus walking around. His hair was damp from a recent shower and he seemed well-rested. Calling out his name, Aless threw herself at him, hugging her friend tightly. She had realized how scared she was about his healthy. Taken off guard, Jesus stumbled backwards, landing against the counter.

"My Deity, girl!" Madame Wes scolded. "The boy has barely been up for three hours and you tackle him like rugby player!"

"I am so sorry, Jesus! I was just so happy that your awake," Aless hiccuped.

"It's okay, Aless. I'm glad you are okay too," Jesus hugged her back tightly.

"Enough unnecessary sentiments. Go sit down. I'll bring you both food," Madame Wes barked.

"Again? I just ate a few hours ago," Jesus protested.

"You are both skinny as a famine cow. You will eat."

Sitting, Jesus and Aless held hand amicably. Neither needed to talk. They were just happy to hold hands and stare out the window at the vast sky of dancing stars.

"You can't see this many stars where I come from," Aless finally said.

"By me either. You can if you leave town, driving about thirty minutes."

"I love how the stars are always moving."

"It's the spirits moving to watch us as we watch them."

Her mother had always said that too. Madame Wes appeared with two large plates of food, which she placed in front of them.

"Eat up," she instructed. "You both have busy days of work tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison.

Methodically, they ate, speaking little. Hovering around them, Madame Wes watched them, bringing more food and drink when she saw fit. Master Wes disappeared upstairs and did not return. Taking their time, Aless and Jesus ate until they were full. When finished, they helped Madame Wes with the dishes and then made their way to bed.

"We are very lucky to have collapsed in their diner," Jesus whispered.

They were half way upstairs with Madame Wes ahead of them by a few steps.

"I think so too," Aless agreed. "Thank the Deity."

"Stop whispering, you two," Madame Wes called. "If you have something to say, speak up."

"No, ma'am. We do not."

"Humph."

Separating at Aless's new bedroom door, the friends waved and said good night. For the first time in a long time, Aless slept in a comfortable bed without dreams. In the morning, she woke early and ate a hearty breakfast with Jesus. It was decided he would work as a cook in the diner since he previous experience in restaurant kitchens. Beginning their jobs, Aless and Jesus felt an almost sense of normalcy. Their daily routine fell into a comfortable rhythm, which Rafita and then finally Kay joined after three and four more days.

Before the children knew it, they developed a quiet and peaceful life with the Wes. Being a small town, they quickly got to know everyone in town and made casual friends. For brief moments, Aless forgot that they were on the run from slave hunters and that people were waiting them back home. Yet when she did remember, sadness would over come her. She missed Danny. She missed her dad, even if he was a miserable excuse for a father. Did either of them miss her? It was hard to imagine that her dad even knew she was gone. How could he when he was never home in the first place? The wonderful feeling of family and belonging that grew out of living with the Wes only reinforced Aless's resentment towards her father. Why couldn't her life with him been more like her life with the Wes? After all he was her father and these people were basically strangers. Such thoughts only led her down a dark path though, so, whenever Aless would begin thinking this way, she would force her mind onto another topic.

Life was over all good with the Wes. Her friends were relaxed and happy. Kay and Aless somehow had become closer. It made Aless realize that their relationship had been strained for a long time, even proceeding their kidnapping. Yet now, since they shared a bed, Kay and Aless talked and laughed in the night as they had when they were young. Often Kay would slide over and lay her head on Aless's chest or shoulder, talking animatedly about her day as a server in the restaurant. Aless would listen intently, unconsciously stroking her friend's hair, an old habit from when they were small children. It was something she had started doing to Kay after her mother had died, subconsciously mimicking her mother who used to stroke Aless's hair to help her sleep.

"I know we aren't safe," Kay said a month into their stay.

They lay in bed, Kay's head on Aless's chest as Aless had an arm wrapped around her friend.

"But I feel safe here with you and the Wes. I feel like this is the home we are meant to be in, maybe that we always have meant to be in."

"I know what you mean, but don't you miss your parents?"

"Are you kidding? They probably don't even know I'm gone. And the Wes's rarely fight and if they do they don't scream or throw things. Honestly, if we could, I think we should just stay here. What is even waiting for us at home?"

"Our family, Kay."

"I told you, they probably don't even know we are gone. You and I could stay here together. No one would find us."

"Eventually someone will find us and the race is only over once all of us are home or captured. If we stay, the race will never end."

"Do you always have to be so rational, Aless? Can't you just enjoy the moment? Our time together?"

"Sorry."

Kay grew quiet, nuzzling closer to Aless. Why did Aless always do that? Why did she always force Kay to think about things she didn't want to think about? Why didn't Aless ever just enjoy being with Kay as Kay enjoyed being with her? Her thoughts annoyed her, so Kay allowed herself to fall asleep. Laying with her eyes open, Aless tried not to disturb her sleeping friend.

Aless felt guilty because she did have someone to go home to. She had Danny, if he still was waiting for her. He probably thought she was dead. Maybe if she thought about him hard enough, Danny would hear her. Maybe, as her mother had said, if your soul was connected to someone they could see you in their dreams. Closing her eyes, Aless concentrated on Danny.

"Danny," she thought. "I hope you can hear me, see me. I'm coming home, Danny. I am coming home."

Thousands of miles away, the rain came down steadily, soundlessly on the ground. Aaron Yᴔsin stood silently, stone still as if he were nothing more than another lifeless statue in the green and gray world around him. He appeared just like all the other figures bowed in prayer or praise towards the arms of the earth.

Aaron was not even aware that it was raining. His body had been numb from months of waiting and praying. Blinking, he thought about how he had not been back to this spot in five years. For the past ten years, Aaron had made sure he was too busy to have time to visit or even think about it. It is how he had managed to cope with the years of solidarity. Yet now he was there almost every other day. He didn't know where else to go. Who else would listen to him? Help him? No one. She was the only one who ever had helped or cared about him. The one who understood or tried to understand him.

"Sydnee," he whispered.

His voice was soft as if he was afraid to wake her from her deep slumber.

"I don't know where she is. I don't know where to look. I don't even know if she's alive."

His voice caught and he stopped talking. Tightening his hands around the plastic covered flowers, he focused on the bright splashes of fuchsia and yellow that the flowers brought to his hands. Daisies and Sweet Peas. Sydnee's favorite flowers. Whenever he had brought them home to her, Sydnee's face had lit up as if she had never seen something as beautiful, even though Aaron bought them at least once a week. Everything he did always made her so happy no matter how she felt physically.

"Is it my fault, Sydnee?" Aaron asked.

Horror slipped into his voice.

"Is it my fault our little girl is gone? I know I wasn't the dad I should have been. I know I put the business first. I broke my promise to you, but I couldn't be around her. It was too hard. She looked at me all the time with your eyes. It was too hard. But…"

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. His chest hurt severely.

"But I didn't want her to disappear. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Alessandra is my child. My baby girl! Why did they do this to us, Sydnee? Why did they take my baby girl?

"The police are no help. They won't talk to me. They said that Aless got caught up in something bigger than I can understand. I haven't heard from them in a month. Are they even still looking?"

Pausing, Aaron Yᴔsin tried to steady his shaking hands. He was so angry and sad and lost that his mind was swimming. Standing at just five feet ten inches, his face was hard from years of poker facing his competition in business. His hair was thick and wavy blonde, like his daughter's. Everyone always talked about how Aless and he looked alike, but, to Aaron, all he saw was his wife, Sydnee, when he looked at his daughter. Her laugh and smile. The way her eyes would light about the simplest things.

When Sydnee had first been diagnosed, she had refused to tell Aless. Aaron was too wrapped up in his own pain to even care if his daughter knew. He was well aware that he was selfish when it came to his wife. As her life drew shorter, Aaron often wished that he didn't have to share it with his daughter. At the time, he had thought it was because he wished to have Sydnee to himself, but now, as he thought about those days in the hospice, he realized that as he watched his beautiful wife, dying slowly, playing cards with his sweet daughter, that he didn't want to see them together because later it was all he would see when he looked at his baby girl.

Every time he was home, having dinner with Alessandra, Aaron saw his wife there too, making some joke about something she had heard. Sydnee would compliment Aless on her cooking and tell her how beautiful she was. Yet when Aaron would blink, his wife would be gone and his mourning would start again. So he allowed his work to become more important. Aaron justified this by saying he was making up for what Aless lost by providing a wonderfully comfortable life. In the end, all he did was isolate himself from the world.

His secretary knew more about Aless than he did. She knew Alessandra's birthday, favorite color, favorite music, food, even the size of clothes Aless wore. Aaron never had to even think about his daughter, unless Aless tried to make plans for dinner or something, which he always managed to get out of. He hadn't even been there for her eighteenth birthday. Such a huge day and he had chosen a business deal.

"Mr. Yᴔsin," his secretary had called as he had been walking down the hallway to another meeting.

"Yes, Linda?" he sighed, stopping and looking at his watch.

"You do remember what today is, right, Mr. Yᴔsin?" she inquired timidly.

"Yes. The deal is to be completed today. I'm on my way there right now."

"No…sir…it's your daughter's eighteenth birthday."

"It is?"

"Yes, sir. Remember you promised her that you would be home for dinner. You had me make reservations for the two of you."

"Oh. Yes. I forgot."

That had been a lie. He hadn't forgotten. Biting his lip, as he was prone to do when confronted about dates with his daughter, Aaron looked at his watched again and then down the hall.

"I should be done in time."

The deal had taken hours. His secretary popped in an hour before he was supposed to meet with Alessandra to remind him, but he sent off her with a hard look. He had ignored her disapproving frown. He knew that she didn't approve of how he treated his daughter, but it wasn't her business. Of course, the deal had fallen through, which oddly gave Aaron a sense of relief.

"Sir, you are now late for your dinner. Should I call and reschedule your reservation?" she had asked as he stormed down the hallway between meetings.

"No…I have to be here, Linda. I can't leave such a big deal to the rookies, especially since it has fallen through last minute like this. If you could just get a nice gift and send it to her. I don't know one of those new flat computer things. I must be going."

"Yes, sir. I already have the gift. I'll just send it out now."

Startled, Aaron had looked at his secretary as she stalked away. Even though she had hoped he'd keep his promise, Linda had bought a present ahead of time. Snorting, Aaron had thought it was none of her business and went to his meeting. During the break he had called his daughter and the pure joy in her voice when she answered momentarily made him rethink his choice, but, in the end, he had broken her heart again.

"I have been an awful father, Sydnee," Aaron confessed.

Aaron stared at the flowers he had just placed on the grave.

"Did you know our little baby had a boyfriend? Some boy name Danny. She called him the night she was taken. He was her 1 on speed dial. He knew she was gone before I did. In fact, it seems everyone knew before I did. I was on that damn business trip. I was 'unreachable' until I flew back into town. By then it was too late.

"I saw the looks the officers gave me. I can't blame them. They probably think that I don't even care that she's missing. I do. I miss my baby, Sydnee. I miss her and I'm so lost. What…what am I going to do?"

Pain shot through his chest and down his arm. Gasping, Aaron grabbed his shoulder as he collapsed to his knees. "No" was the only thought in his mind. No. He couldn't leave his little girl. She needed him. There was another stab of pain and he fell onto his face, breathing in the deep musky smell of the earth, wet with rain and dew.

A warm hand touched his shoulder and face. Blurry eyed, Aaron Yᴔsin looked up. Tears formed as he reached out to the glowing face of his beautiful Sydnee. Her face was full of concern and anxiety.

"Aaron," she whispered. "You can't go yet. Fight it."

"Sydnee," he smiled. "I miss you. I love you …"

"I love you, Aaron. Fight it. Please fight it and find our little girl."

Nodding, Aaron Yᴔsin lost consciousness.

Grunting, Cahan Jᴔnsa shifted the unconscious weight of Aaron Yᴔsin. Such a pain. He had merely wanted to see what the man who had "raised" Aless looked like. Instead, he had found the man crying and talking to his dead wife. Depressing. On top of it, the damn fool had a heart attack.

"Not my day," Cahan growled.

Lugging Aaron's body along, Cahan made his way to his new sleek car.

"He was standing in the rain like duck. He's going to get my interior all wet."

Securing Aaron, Cahan ran to his side of the car and started it up. Throwing the car into drive, Cahan tore down the road to the hospital. He understood now where Aless got her tendency of being a pain. It had to be heredity to be this inconvenient to others. The unconscious man was moaning and talking to himself. Cahan only understood the words Sydnee and Aless. Was it normal for a man suffering from a heart attack to hallucinate? Hell if Cahan knew. He wasn't a doctor.

To be honest, Cahan would have preferred to have left the man there. He was a firm believer that when it was your time, it was your time, but if Aless found out that her father had died, she might not even bother coming back home. There was Danny, but Cahan didn't trust the little weasel.

An odd moan made Cahan look at Aaron quickly. The man was ashen, but, despite that, Cahan could see a lot of Alessandra in him. Their eyes and nose were different, but they had the same jaw and cheek bones. Their hair was identical, except for length.

Cahan hoped would get to the hospital in time. He didn't want Aless to be sad or alone. Pausing for a moment, Cahan couldn't believe he just thought that. What was wrong with him? Damn the Three-Eyed Cąȶ. He needed to go beat the crap out of someone or kill something because he was becoming warped. Maybe he was sick. That could be it. Standing in the rain, watching this idiot, probably gave him a cold. Another damn reason he shouldn't be helping this man. It's not like Aaron was all that good of a dad. From what he had heard Aaron confess and from what he had gathered from Aless, Aless was probably better off without him. There really wasn't a difference if he was alive or not. Aaron Yᴔsin didn't really act as if he existed in his daughter's world.

Fighting the urge to stop and throw the man out of his car, Cahan gripped the wheel tighter and reminded himself that it would look like murder if he did that. People were so touchy about that.

The hospital appeared within ten more minutes and Cahan carried Aaron into the emergency room. He changed his accent and dulled his eyes, so he appeared to be a young pot head. Claiming that he had been out for a smoke in the cemetery near his house, he found this dude passed out. The hospital worked quickly and effectively. They ran the tests and diagnosed him at light speed as a heart attack. Within half an hour Aaron Yᴔsin was in a stable condition, being monitored carefully.

"I'll just be heading out, man," Cahan said in a slow, stupid nasal voice. "I'm just glad the dude's okay."

"You did a wonderful thing today, young man," the doctor said.

Not bothering to look at Cahan, the doctor checked Aaron's blood pressure.

"Not many people would have helped him."

"Hey…I just figured if it was me, I'd hope someone would help me."

The doctor nodded in agreement.

"Can I say bye to the guy before I head out?"

"Sure. I need to go check on another patient. Don't expect him to respond. He's heavily medicated."

"Totally."

Leaving him alone, the doctor went to make his rounds. As soon as Cahan was sure he was alone, Cahan refocused his eyes and approached Aaron. The eyes beneath his heavy lids were dancing and moving rapidly. Aaron's face was contorted in a mix of emotions. Cahan watched him carefully. Just when he thought about leaving, Aaron whispered out loud.

"Aless…I must find Aless…"

"What?" Cahan whispered back.

Leaning over the unconscious man, Cahan placed his ear near Aaron's lips.

"My baby girl. I need to find her. I need to find her…"

Cahan studied the man for a moment and he felt sorry for the old fart. Aaron Yᴔsin had a life everyone wanted. He was wealthy, handsome, and he had a family who wanted him no matter what. Yet he had squandered that. He had treated his daughter as if she didn't exist. This irritated Cahan. Cahan hated people who took advantage of their lives. Aaron didn't deserve to have Alessandra anymore. He had lost that opportunity and privilege.

"Aless…Daddy's coming…I will find you…. protect you…"

"No," Cahan hissed venomously. "You won't. You lost your chance. She's mine."