Danika's Gift (8 page)

“Don’t mess with him Danika.  He will destroy your life in the blink of an eye.  Believe me, I know.”  I looked up and saw Katia, for the first time, with a look of sadness on her face.  As much as I wanted to scream and yell at her for playing me, at the same time, I had a feeling she’d already been down this road and it didn’t go too well for her.  I wondered…would it go any better for me?

I dropped my head in my hands and sobbed as Katia left the office.

Chapter 9

Derek

“I’ve had enough.  He’s been stringing us along for three months and nothing is changing.  Your guys aren’t doing shit.  Sergio just keeps sending me off to no man’s land.  I am going home, tomorrow.”  Derek paced back and forth in the motel room he shared with Dan. 

Dan kicked back and took another swig of Jack.  “I agree.  I am sick of this roadie crap.  Boss says they set something up for weekend.  There’s a big deal going down on Friday night at the marina and all the key players will be there.  Can you wait until then?  It’s only a few more days.  Hell, we can rent a car and drive if you want, just to change up the scenery for a day or two.”

I liked Dan.  He was a decent guy and took his job seriously.  He had a wife and a son, but after they died in a car wreck five years ago, he decided to do undercover work.  I think sometimes, he hoped it would go sour for him so he didn’t have to be alone.  I couldn’t say for sure it was just a vibe he gave off.  He was a good listener too, especially when I went on about my life and about Danika.

“Kid, the one thing that worries me…and it really has nothing to do with Sergio…is what about you and your life?  Your girl? Your future?”

“I don’t know Dan.   I feel like I gave up my future when I let Sergio get in my head.  Once he threatened to hurt my dad and destroy the restaurant, I knew I was stuck.  I think he purposely goes after kids, cause they’ll probably have a lot to lose and be scared too.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.  He does a lot of canvassing of that school you went to.  Is that how he found you?”

“Sure is.  Told me he was a talent scout for a pro baseball team.  Never told me what team and for some reason, I just didn’t ask.  Next thing you know, he’s got my life under his thumb, my grades drop, I’m kicked off the team and I am stuck repeating the same damn classes just to find other gifted people like me.”

“So how long have you been in college?”

“I’ve been hanging around the campus for five years.  First three were my own, then he got to me during junior year.  Last two I’ve just been putting on the show.  I do get credits completed once in awhile, in between talent scouting.  So, maybe I’ll eventually graduate.”  I continued to pace.  My life turned into one big freaking mess and if Dan’s guys didn’t help, I was going to be stuck forever.

“Kid, how old are you?”  Dan sips his beer.

“Almost twenty-three.”

Dan spat his beer.

“No shit.”  Dan’s eyes popped out as he wiped at the beer all over his lap and the  floor.  “And how old is your girl?  You said she’s a freshman, right?”

“She was seventeen when I left.”

Dan just stopped and stared at me.  I held my hands up in defense. 

“For one, she was an emancipated minor and more importantly, I never slept with her.  I wouldn’t dare do something like that.  Her birthday was shortly after we left.”

Dan let out a loud sigh and finished cleaning up the beer.  “Alright, cause I was going to have to kick your ass if you told me otherwise.”

“Look, Dan, I know how old I am but she doesn’t.  It wouldn’t be right to do that to her when we are so far apart in age.  If I was eighteen, I wouldn’t have thought twice.  Anyway, it doesn’t matter.  Once she finds out about all this crap and that I am five years older than her, she will definitely be done with me.”

“I don’t know kid.  Don’t throw in the towel just yet.  But, when you get home, be honest with her, okay?   She deserves it.”

“Yeah.  I know.”  I finished off my own beer and went to bed.  I pulled out my cell and went to Dani’s photo again.  My heart still jumped, just like the very first time I saw her.  We’d only had a few days…but my heart would be forever hers. 

****

Dan and I rented a car the next morning and headed east.  It was going to be a long ride, but we’d take turns and stop whenever we wanted.  And, if it got to be too much, we’d stop at the nearest airport, catch the next flight, and be home in a few hours.  The drive was really a stall tactic.  We needed to give the Feds enough time to bust Sergio and his crew without being around. 

“Hey Dan, I have a question for ya.”  I looked over at him.  We’d been driving for six hours already and neither of us had said much.

“Sure, shoot.”

“Okay, well, there was one other thing I forgot to mention last night and I need your advice.”

Dan’s forehead scrunched a little.  He must’ve been trying to remember last night.  “Okay, spill it.” He smiled.

“So, I told you Sergio uses me to find fresh meat, so to speak. And, I told you that I met Danika at school.  The one thing I didn’t mention is that Sergio sent me specifically for her.”

Dan didn’t say anything, instead he slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road.

“So, she was your mission and you fell for her?”  His eyes bore into mine.  I wasn’t sure, but he looked really pissed.

“Yes.” 
Keep it simple
.

Dan got out of the car and walked over to the field nearby.  He started yelling and cursing.  I watched him through the window, unsure what to do or why he was so mad.  Dan crouched down on his haunches and held his head in his hands.

“Dan?”  I rolled down the window, but I wasn’t getting out.  This guy was an ex-marine for crying out loud.  And I had no idea why he was so pissed.

“Yeah, yeah.”   Dan came back to the car, climbed in and drove off.  It was almost three hours before he said a word.

“Let’s switch after we eat.” Dan pulled into the lot next to a diner.  I simply nodded at him and followed inside.

We found an empty booth and waited.  Once we placed our orders, Dan started to talk.

“Look, I am sorry for losing my head back there.  It really wasn’t about you.”

“Uh…”  I didn’t know what to day.

“My wife.  It was my job to protect her, that’s how we met.  We fell in love, had a child and then, I lost her.  I couldn’t protect her anymore.”

“I’m sorry, man.”

“Look, my advice is to tell her the truth.  All of it.  Let the chips fall where they may.  But, if she knows the truth, then it’s her decision to make from there.  It’s all you can really do.”

We ate in silence, both deep in thought.  Once back on the road, I drove throughout the night, not feeling tired at all.  We switched in the morning and kept heading east.  I slept while Dan drove for a few hours and kept dreaming of Danika.  When we hit the next rest stop, I decided I had to call her.  It had been more than three months and now that I was so close, I just couldn’t wait anymore.  I threw in a ton of change at a payphone and listened to it ring.  And ring. And ring. And ring.

Chapter 10

Danika

              “Dani, you know this number?”  Sam held out the phone to me but I didn’t recognize the number on the caller ID.

             
“Probably bill collector.” I chuckled.

“Why, who do you owe?”

“No one actually.”

The ringing stopped as Sam and I went back and forth.  Then, it rang again.  Same number. Damn persistent caller was probably a salesperson.  I hit the button on the portable and barely contained myself as I answered.

“Hello?  What do you want?”

“Dani?” A deep voice echoed over the line.

I dropped the phone.  Hardly an appropriate response when the love of your life calls after three months.

“What the hell?”  Sam looked from me, to the phone, back to me.  She picked up the phone and said, “Who is this?”

“Sam, its Derek.”  I thought Sam was going to throw the phone.

“Oh ok.  Please hold.”  Suddenly calm, she set the phone down and drags me into the hall, away from the phone.  “What the hell is he calling for?  What do you want to do?  Why am I so nervous?”  Sam laughed out loud.

“Shit Sam.  I can’t talk to him.  It sounds like a pay phone or something and that number isn’t around here.  What do I do?”

“Okay.  Here we go.  Don’t talk, just listen.  Say hello and then let him go from there. Okay?”

I nodded slowly, although I still felt nervous as hell.  I picked up the phone and murmured a faint hello.

“Dani. Oh my god.  Are you ok?   I am so sorry.  Are you?  Ok, I mean?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to be home in a few days and I wanted to see you.  To talk to you. To explain everything to you.”

“I’m sorry, I won’t be home that day.”  I calmly replied.  I held back a nervous chuckle, remembering that time when he followed me to my car and asked me to a party.  A tear rolled down my cheek at the bittersweet memory.

“Baby, I never said what day.”

“Exactly.  Understand now?” 
Stay calm
.  “Take care.”  And with that, I hung up.

Sam stopped chewing her thumb nail and gawked at me.  “Did you just hang up on him?”

“I sure did.  I don’t want the line to be busy when Casey calls.”  Before she could see the tears, I turned quickly and ran into the bathroom.  Turning on the shower full force, I stripped down and climbed into the tub. 

From that first time when Derek came to my car, I knew he was going to be a handful.  He was so beautiful and confident.  The way the sun shimmered through his dark hair and his smile lit up everything around him.  I ached for him every night he was gone and too many days were wasted in hazy daydreams of what once was.  I was afraid if I stopped remembering our time together, that all I would remember was the pain he left with me.  Just like when Mom died, I held on to the memories that made me happy.

Hearing his voice again, after all these months re-opened the wounds that barely had time to heal.  To dream of him was one thing, but to know he was just a whisper away, stole my breath.  But, he left me.  He ignored me.  I don’t think he could possibly explain it.  And, I know my heart couldn’t take it.  I was done and at that moment, decided never to see Derek Spencer again.  Instead of feeling relief, there was just a void.  And then the tears came.  I cried until there were no more tears and the water ran cold.

****

“Well, it’s Friday night.  What do you want to do tonight?”  Sam smoothly applied her watermelon pink lip gloss as I laid on her bed staring out the window.

“Movies and Chinese food.”

“For real?”  Sam just glared at me.

“You betcha!”  I jumped up and headed to the kitchen.  We both worked the lunch shift at the pizzeria today so we had the whole night to ourselves.  And, yes, I suggested movies and take-out. 

“I’ll call in the order.   What do you want?”  I flipped the menu over to the dinner specials, looking for my usual dish, General Tsao Chicken.

“The usual.  And a side of egg drop soup too.”

I called in the order and announced to Sam we had twenty minutes.  We headed to the movie store, picked out a few chick flicks and then picked up the food.  As I climbed into the car, I saw Katia out of the corner of my eye.  She was watching me.  She probably followed me.  It’s only been a few days, but I knew Sergio would expect me to deliver at the end of the one month stay he gave me.  I just didn’t know how.  And, since Derek called, I’d been a mess.  I couldn’t focus on anything, much less figuring out my gift.  After all, because I had it, now everyone I loved was in danger.  That was definitely a curse.

I climbed in the car, but said nothing to Sam.  It was bad enough I had to make up a story about that night I met with Katia and Sergio.  I made up a lame story that they wanted to consider me for management and wanted to discuss my education and career goals.  Sam didn’t seem to buy it, but it was the best I could come up with.  It took forever to stop crying that night, and I barely got out the story as it was.  But, Sam has always been good like that.  It’s like she knows not to push a topic, and gives me time and space to come to her when I am ready.

When we got back to the apartment I noticed a sedan parked at the curb.  The same sedan Sergio was in the other night.  My heart starts racing and I look at Sam.  Suddenly, I see bright orange fireworks bursting in front of her face.  Behind her is not darkness or trees, but instead I see the wallpaper of her bedroom.  A wave of red covers Sam and then everything goes black in front of me.

“Sam, you are in danger.  Don’t go in the apartment, just go straight to your parent’s right now.”

Sam looked at me in confusion, then in painful awareness.  It was the first time I had ever said anything to her like that before.  And for once, just this once, I needed the other person to believe me and listen to me.  She slowly nodded. 

“What about you?”  Her voice crack
ed.

“I have a ride.  I think I need to go with Sergio if I want to keep you safe.”  I couldn’t explain more to her, as one of the body guards was approaching her car.  I gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and a hug before jumping out of her car.  She slowly pulled away and I walked towards the bodyguard.  I knew it was my time.