Seeking Safety (15 page)

Tom takes a seat on the sofa next to Ms.
Brentwood's recliner then takes a deep breath. He looks first at
Mark Brentwood who is kneeling beside Patricia Brentwood's chair, a
look of fear on his face. Then he returns his gaze to Patricia
Brentwood, smiling warmly, he says. "Yes, I do. I was asked to
contact you and tell you that Melanie is alive and well. She would
like to see you if you want to see her."

A look of sheer joy crosses both Mark's and
Patricia's faces. Mark says with tears streaming down his face, "Of
course we want to see her! She's our daughter, we love her!"

Patricia Brentwood is sobbing openly and Mark
puts his arm around her shoulders. She looks at her husband, tears
streaming down her face, and says, "Finally, Mark, our prayers have
been answered!" Looking back at Tom she continues, "Oh, Mr.
Christensen, please tell us. Where is she? When can we see her?
Where has she been? Oh, I have so many questions!" Her heart is
pounding with joy.

Tom's eyes fill with tears. He smiles warmly
then says, "Let me start at the beginning. Melanie told us she ran
away from home ten years ago at the age of fifteen. It is a
decision she deeply regrets. She was hitchhiking to Spokane to meet
her friends at a rock concert and was picked up by a man that
drugged her and took her to Idaho where he imprisoned her in an
anti-government militia compound. He held her captive at that
compound for the past ten years. She only escaped a few months ago
and has been in protective custody until very recently. She is now
able to contact you because the danger to her from the militia
group has been neutralized." He pauses as he lets the information
sink in. Then he smiles and continues, "One other thing you should
know, she has a nine year old son, named Eric."

Mark exclaims happily, "You mean we're
grandparents? Patricia, can you imagine?" His heart is pounding
with joy. A grandson, he can't believe it!

Tom speaks again, "I have been asked to fly
you to her location if you are interested. I have a plane waiting
at the airport that can leave whenever you are ready."

Mark grabs his cell phone and makes a call
while Patricia jumps up and runs into the bedroom and begins
throwing clothes into two suitcases. Within half an hour they are
on their way to the Seattle airport in Tom's dark sedan.

Mark and Patricia Brentwood are beside
themselves with joy, the daughter they were so afraid was dead is
alive! They are on their way to see her! But when they see the
luxurious private jet that is to take them to their daughter they
are so surprised they turn and look at Tom Christensen, their eyes
wide with shock.

He smiles and says, "This is not mine, it
belongs to someone I'm sure you've heard of, Barry Farrady. Melanie
and Eric are guests at his ranch in Wyoming."

A stunned look bordering on disgust passes
over their faces. "What? How on earth did my daughter get mixed up
with a famous movie star like Barry Farrady? I thought you said she
is in protective custody," questions Mark.

"No, I said Melanie and Eric were in
protective custody until the danger they faced from the militia was
neutralized. They actually met Barry several months ago. He rescued
them from a blizzard during their initial escape from the compound
in Idaho and then he personally arranged for their safety during
the ensuing months," explains Tom. "If not for Barry, I doubt we
would be here today."

He sees the look of disgust on their faces
and adds, "He is not at all what you are thinking. He actually is a
very fine man that I am proud to call a friend. You'll like him too
once you get to know him. I'm sure Barry and Melanie will answer
all of your questions. Have a safe trip. A limousine will be
waiting for you at the airport in Cody Wyoming to take you to
Barry's ranch."

Tom watches as the jet taxis to the runway
for its short flight to Wyoming and a smile of satisfaction slides
across his face. It is days like this that make his sometimes
stressful profession worthwhile. He picks up his cell phone and
calls Barry to let him know the Brentwoods are on their way to
Wyoming.

I have been a nervous wreck ever since Tom
Christensen called to let us know my parents are on their way to
the ranch. I have been pacing the floor and worrying about what I
am going to say to them. How am I going to explain to them why I
left that day? Will they understand? What if they don't? What if
they are still angry with me for disobeying them?
Oh God, please help me to know what to say!

"Melanie, please sit down. You are going to
make yourself sick worrying like this," says Virginia.

Barry patiently explains, "Mom, nothing we
can say is going to make any difference, she is going to worry
until they get here and they get past the initial meeting."

Virginia consoles, "Well, Melanie, dear,
speaking as a mother, your parents are going to be so overjoyed to
see you after all these years they aren't going to care why you
left, or what you are wearing, or how your hair looks. They are
only going to care that you are alive and well. Remember, they had
quite a shock today. They haven't known if you were alive or dead
for over ten years."

I nod in acknowledgement. I know that
Virginia is right. If my parents were mad at me, they wouldn't be
on their way to see me. I take a deep breath and try to calm my
nerves.

Eric is sitting on the sofa watching his Mom.
He has never seen her so nervous about anything in his life. He
wonders what kind of people his grandparents are going to be. He
hopes they are nice. He really hopes they don't do anything to hurt
his Mom.

******

Mark and Patricia Brentwood are absolutely
thrilled. They are going to see Melanie! Their hearts are soaring
with happiness. They are also apprehensive. They remember reading
all about Barry Farrady's murder trial a few years ago. They still
can't believe that he was acquitted. The pictures they saw of that
poor girl clearly showed she had been beaten. Movie stars never pay
for their crimes. It is a travesty!

When they reach the airport in Cody Wyoming,
a limousine is waiting to carry them to the ranch. They are still
very skeptical about meeting Barry Farrady and are curious about
the part he played in their daughter's rescue and what part he is
playing now. If he is anything like what they read in those tabloid
magazines they are not going to like him at all!

As they approach the front gate of the Rock
Springs Ranch and see all of the cars and vans belonging to the
Paparazzi, they look at each other in total shock. How can anyone
stand to live like this, constantly hounded by photographers? How
can Melanie possibly be safe in a place like this? Then they see
the armed security guards and razor wire fence. The place looks
like a prison!

******

Barry's cell phone rings, "Farrady," he
answers. He listens for a minute then says, "They just turned in
the gate." He takes my hand and Virginia takes Eric's hand and we
walk out the front door to the circle drive. Barry can feel Melanie
shaking and he smiles warmly and squeezes her hand. "Hey relax,
Melanie, everything is going to be just fine."

My heart is pounding with excitement and
fear. I try to smile at Barry. What if my parents are still mad at
me for running away? What if they are ashamed of me because I had a
child out of wedlock? What if they don't want me and Eric to live
with them in Seattle? What will I do then?
Oh
God, please help me to know what to do!

Almost before the limousine comes to a
complete stop, Patricia Brentwood is flinging open the door, tears
streaming down her face, and wrapping me in a tight hug. Mark is
right behind her enclosing both of us in a big bear hug.

Observing the joyous reunion, Barry puts his
arm around Eric's shoulders and squeezes. When he looks down at the
boy he sees through his own tears, tears streaming down the boy's
face.

Eric is so happy for his Mom. These people,
his grandparents seem really happy to see her. He hopes they will
like him. He's never had grandparents before and he is not sure
what to expect. He hopes they are nice like Barry and his Mom.

After a few minutes, I pull away from my
parents long enough to signal to Eric who walks forward and is
enclosed in the family circle. Barry turns and takes Virginia's
hand and they walk back toward the house. Barry is happy for
Melanie but knows in his heart what it means now that her parents
are here. It means that Melanie and Eric are leaving. Dread fills
his heart. How will he survive? Will he ever even see them
again?

When we finally enter the great room of the
huge house, I introduce them to Barry, "Mom, Dad, I want you to
meet Barry Farrady and his mother Virginia. They literally saved
Eric's and my lives. If Barry hadn't brought us into his home that
snowy night back in January we probably would have frozen to death.
If not that, Eric's father would have caught up to us and killed
me. I was too sick and too weak to go any further." I look over at
Barry and my eyes fill with tears.

Then I take a deep breath and continue,
"Barry and his friends from the Marine Corp have been instrumental
in bringing an end to our nightmare and making it possible for us
to live normal lives. They killed Eric's father when he broke into
this house to kill me and take Eric. Then they rescued Eric when he
was kidnapped by two of the militia members. They prevented four
other militia members from kidnapping both of us the last time. To
make a long story short, Barry and his friends kept us safe until
the government was able to destroy the whole militia group. I'll
never be able to repay them." Barry notices she has tears in her
eyes.

Mark Brentwood steps forward and shakes
Barry's hand, "Thank you, Son. I will always owe you a debt of
gratitude." Maybe he was wrong about the man. From what Melanie is
saying, he is not at all like what he has read in those
magazines.

"I'm just glad I was able to help. Melanie
and Eric have become very special to me. I want you to know that
you are all welcome here anytime," responds Barry looking longingly
toward where Melanie is sitting chatting with her mother and
Eric.

He tears his eyes away, looks back at Mark,
and continues, "Mom has prepared a room for you next to Melanie and
Eric. Let me show you where to put your bags. We are very casual
here, everyone waits on themselves. Mom left a big bowl of chicken
salad in the refrigerator if you are hungry. Please, make
yourselves at home. I'll be in the study for a while if you need
anything."

After showing Mark where to put his and
Patricia's suitcases, Barry leaves Melanie and her family in the
great room to get reacquainted and Virginia retires to her bedroom.
He sits behind his desk in the study and thinks back over the last
few months trying to analyze his feelings for Melanie and her
reactions. He and Melanie share a very definite sexual chemistry,
no doubt about that. Physically he has never responded to a woman
the same way as he responds to Melanie. He knows that she feels the
same attraction but he's not sure she knows how rare a sexual
attraction like theirs really is. While she is not physically
afraid of him, she is afraid of his fame. She doesn't believe him
when he tells her how beautiful she is or how much he desires her.
She doesn't think she is worthy of his attentions. He is at a loss
of how to convince her that he feels she is special. When he thinks
about her leaving the ranch he is overcome by a deep sadness. It is
as if all of the color leaves his world. What is he going to
do?

******

The next morning when Barry comes downstairs
to the kitchen after a sleepless night he finds his mother sitting
at the table chatting companionably with Patricia Brentwood. As
soon as he enters the kitchen a wave of apprehension washes over
him. His mother pulls him to the side and whispers, "Barrett,
Melanie and Eric are leaving today. They are going back to Seattle
with her parents."

A deep gut wrenching pain takes Barry's
breath away and he struggles to keep his reaction hidden. He nods
and walks to the coffee maker and pours himself a cup of coffee
giving him time to recover. He says softly, "I can't say that I am
surprised." With a pained expression he looks at his Mom, "I can't
stop her Mom. You can't possibly imagine how much I wish I
could."

She wraps her arms around him and says, "I
know, Son. Give her some time. Things have a way of working out in
the end." Virginia's heart is breaking for her son. She has seen
how much Barry has come to care for Melanie and Eric. She prays
that things will work out for them.

Barry says longingly, "I hope you're
right."

Patricia Brentwood tries really hard to act
like she didn't hear the exchange between mother and son, but she
heard every word. The pain in Barry Farrady's voice was
unmistakable and her heart aches for him. She understands that kind
of pain. She felt it for ten long years.

Barry takes his coffee and makes his way out
to the wooden swing on the patio. He is sitting and staring out
across the pasture when I approach him sometime later, "Barry? May
I join you?"

"Sure," he says, deliberately not looking at
her because he is afraid she will see the pain in his eyes.

"Barry, I want to thank you again for all
you've done for Eric and me. I know I'll never be able to repay
you. I've decided to go back to Seattle with my parents for a
while. I hope you understand."

"I know, I have already ordered the plane and
the limousine," he replies, struggling to hide the pain in his
heart.

"You didn't have to do that," I am amazed
again at how kind and generous this man is. He has done so much for
us already.