The Thief Redeemer (18 page)

Claire’s shaking overtakes her entire body, and I wrap her
tighter into my arms. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” I say holding her to me. She
continues to cry, grabbing onto my shirt with her fingers. I kiss the top of
her head and realize what a total bust tonight was. My world has finally come
to a head. I have lost Marcus and my business. Who knows what else happened
down in the warehouse? I have no idea where Tommy and Sally are, and I wonder
what Simon’s doing at the second warehouse.

I rock her back and forth, trying to comfort her, running my
hands through her hair. “What happened with Sarah? Is she okay?” Claire asks
while wiping her nose and eyes.

“She’s fine.” It’s all I answer because I remember seeing
Sarah’s face and the fear in her eyes. I also know that the cops will find her
and she’ll be able to go home. Tonight she will sleep in her own bed with her
family. She’ll be happy tonight for the first time in three months.

And then my conscience hits, the reality of the right thing
to do swarms through my mind. Claire should be with her family, too. She should
sleep in her own bed tonight just like Sarah. Claire should be happy, too.

The time has come to face what I’ve been avoiding since
Claire arrived. I can’t deny her the same freedom that Sarah will have. She
deserves better than Sarah.

It’s time for Claire to return home.

MILLIONS OF EMOTIONS run through my
mind while holding Claire in my arms. This might be the only chance she has to
return. Who knows where I’ll be tomorrow and what I’ll be doing this time a
month from now. This is no life for Claire. She wants a house and kids. She wants
the entire dream, and I want to give her that dream.

The only way to give her this gift is to give her up.

I know this is love. There is a searing throb in my gut, and
I feel like I might vomit. My breathing is starting to become heavy because the
thought of letting her go is almost too painful. She’s my light and my peace.
I’ve already lost Marcus, and now I’m going to lose Claire, too.

But I know I can’t base this decision on my feelings. If I
were to do that, I would hold her for eternity and never let her go. No, she
deserves more than I can give, and I want what’s best for her. She can’t stay
my prisoner forever. This is how I know I love her. This is how I realize I
truly love her.

I’m willing to let her go.

Sometimes loving someone means letting them go, giving them
up because it’s the right decision. The definition of true love is putting
someone else’s needs above your own, no matter how painful and gut wrenching it
feels.

True love is sacrificial.

I take a deep breath and know what I need to do next. I’m
not sure how much longer the cops will be lingering around, so I need to make
this fast. I’ll be half a man when she’s gone, but at least I know she’ll be
safe. She’ll be sleeping in the safety of her own bed tonight, and even if I
die out here alone, at least I’ll know I did the best for her.

“Claire?” I call her name softly and she looks up into my
eyes. “Let’s take a walk in the alley.”

“Why? Someone might see us!”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

I slide down the pipe and slide out the small opening I have
created. I reach back for her hand. She looks at me in confusion, but takes my
hand and follows. We walk along the shadows of the alleyway, our fingers
intertwined. We walk almost to the edge where I stop.

“Brandon, what are you doing? We’re going to get caught.”

How ironic that she’s worried about getting caught. She
should
want
to be caught so she can return home. I take both her hands
into mine and rest our foreheads together. I’m not sure how she’s going to take
this. Part of me thinks she’ll be excited and the other part says this will be
a fight. I start to shake and she grabs hold of my forearms to hold me.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice is a whisper and I know I must be
an idiot to do this. I must have something seriously wrong with me to let her go.

“You’ve got to go back.” I barely have the words out of my
mouth and they seem to echo throughout the alleyway walls. I look into her eyes
for a response and I see fear.

“You’re letting me…go?”

She looks hurt…destroyed, and for the first time in a while,
I feel like the asshole I know that I am.

“Yes.”

“You don’t want me?”

I pause. This isn’t going how I had envisioned, and anger is
starting to pour through me. How could she think this after all we’ve been
through?

“DO I WANT YOU?” My voice has risen, and I break our
contact. I run my hand down my face and walk away. I can’t face her. I feel
like I might die. “Do I want you, Claire? What kind of question is that?” I’m
speaking to the wall. My voice has turned into a whisper. How can she not see
how I feel about her? How can she not see that I’m returning her because I
love
her? I love her more than my own selfish desires.

“What do you mean, what kind of question? You’re giving me
up! Do you realize if you let me go today, we will
never
see each other
again? Do you realize that?”

Claire’s gone from hurt to angry. Her voice is rising. She
hasn’t used this tone with me since the night I kidnapped her. I turn to face
her, my own anger growing. I’ve never been angry with Claire, but in this
moment, I want to shake her and explain how she’s all wrong.

“Of course I realize that, Claire! This thing, or whatever
it is, between us was never going to work. Never! We’re from two different
worlds. What did you think would happen? Did you think you could stay my
prisoner forever and we would just live in the world happily ever after? Did
you think I could just integrate into society and we could get married?

“You have no idea what my world is like Claire! You have no
idea what it’s like to be me. I’m giving you the gift of a lifetime. I’m
letting you walk. I’m letting you go! Quit making this harder than it already
is!”

Now I’m yelling at her but she’s not backing down. I’ve
never found anyone
not
afraid of me, but with Claire, I’ve met my match.
Tears stream from her eyes. I see she’s fighting back sobs, but she keeps her
eyes on mine. Her expression is fierce.

“We had more than a
thing
, Brandon, and you know it.”
Her voice is harsh as she mocks my own words. I instantly feel guilty for
calling what we had a thing because it was love. It was true love, but I can’t
mention that now. If I do, I might not ever let her go and she might make this
harder than she already is. “Look into my eyes and tell me you never loved me.
Tell me this was just a
thing
, and I’ll walk away. I’ll leave and won’t
look back.”

Her words are stern and the bottom of my heart drops. I am
torn between the truth and a lie. I can’t tell her I
never
loved her. I
don’t even think the words will form on my lips, but I can’t tell her I love
her, either. If I do, I’ll pull her into me and never let her go.

I react the only way I know how. I have to leave this
situation before I’m in over my head. I’m barely afloat as it is, and she’s
close to me hauling her away forever. I look around the alleyway and find a
piece of wire. She looks at me in confusion, wondering what I’m doing. I see a
drain running down the wall and I grab her. I take her hands and tie her up to
the drain post, making sure the wire doesn’t hurt her, but making sure she
can’t escape, either.

“What are you doing, Brandon?” She’s angry but not
resisting. “What are you doing?” she asks again a second time and her voice is
louder.

“I’m giving you your dreams, Claire. Can’t you see? You can
never have your dreams while you’re with me. I’m doing this for you.” She
doesn’t respond, but stares at me with those eyes I have come to love, those
eyes that will haunt me in my dreams for the rest of my life. The darkness of
the alley restricts me from seeing their true blue color, and I wish I had
stared at them longer and more deeply the last time we were together.

I look away from her, an internal battle raging through my
head and then I make a decision. I will never see this angel again, and I want
her one last time. I turn my head towards her and kiss her. I kiss her like my
life depends on it, and she responds with the same fierceness. She’s pinned
against the wall, and as much as I would love the feel of her fingers in my
hair, I will gladly accept this.

The world freezes in time as the tears fall silently down my
face. I feel her tongue in my mouth and my body presses harder into hers. I run
my hands through her silky hair, trying to memorize everything about her.

I cup her face in my hands, and we rest our foreheads
together. “I do love you, Claire. I’ll always love you. I’m letting you go
because
I love you,” I whisper. I give her one last kiss on the lips and turn to walk
away.

“Brandon! Don’t go!” Her voice cracks as she struggles
against the wire. “Brandon! DON’T GO!” Her voice echoes through the alleyway,
and her sobs consume her. Her voice is shaking and I see an expression of panic
starting to form. I’m not sure how much I can handle, and I know I must sever
ties now before all self-control has vanished.

I take my gun and aim it in the sky. One single shot rings
loud and clear through the alley, deafening me momentarily. I look back at her
one last time and see the tears on her face. The scene is almost too much,
knowing I’m the cause of those tears.

I run to the drainpipe and slide in the opening. I hear the
police running over to our alley as I slide the gate closed, sealing myself
inside the pipe. I hide in the shadows, watching the cops arrive at the scene.
Suddenly, flashlights consume the alley as several cops come running to the
sound of the gunshot. Claire is lifeless against the drain, crying
uncontrollably.

“Are you all right?” one of the cops asks her, but she’s
crying too hard to respond. They take out something to cut the wire and Claire
falls to the ground. Two cops appear, attempting to help pick her up, but she’s
sobbing and not cooperating.

“Ma’am, we’re trying to help you,” one of the cops says as
they surround her. One of them puts his hands around her but she fights him
off. Claire has always been quiet and timid, and I’m shocked to see her behave
so out of character. Knowing that I’m the cause of this makes me feel like
shit.

Two cops grab her arms. “Ma’am, we’re going to take you to
the car now. We need to remove you from the alley.”

I’m not sure she even hears them. She’s sobbing and acting
like I’ve never seen her act. They take her arms firmly and lift her up. She
looks over at the drain and I’m scared she’s going to give me away. She’s going
to tell them I’m hiding there and for a second, I’m terrified.

“I hate you. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” She screams the words
with venom and the cops look confused. “I HATE YOU!” She continues to scream
and her voice bounces off the walls of the alley. She still fights, as a third
officer is called in to help contain her rage. She repeats the phrase over and
over as they drag her away. Her words vibrate in the alley, and in my heart. I
deserve her words, but that doesn’t mean they don’t prick my soul like needles.
I know she’s angry and doesn’t mean what she’s saying, but this only emphasizes
what an asshole I really am. She has every right to hate me.

I watch them take her from the alley. At this point, she’s
bent over crying, exhausted and holding on to the officers for support. She’s
stopped yelling and only her sobs can be heard from my hiding spot. I watch her
leave and then despair settles in.

She’s really gone. I have lost her for good.

I will never see Claire Peters again.

THE ONLY REDEEMING quality about
that night was remembering to bring my cell phone. I waited out in the tunnel
till dawn, watching the cop cars drive back and forth late into the morning.
When I finally didn’t see any more lights, I dug my cell phone out of my pocket
and dialed Tommy. He was the only one I had left to call.

“Brandon? Where are you?” He is whispering. I don’t know if
this is such a good idea.

“I’m two alleys away from the warehouse. Where are you and
Sally? Are you all right?”

“Yeah, we’re fine, but we’re going to have to go in for
questioning later today. The police have been in here all night and all morning.
What about you and Claire? Are you two okay?”

“Yeah. We’re both fine.” It’s not a lie because I’m alive
and Claire is with her family. “Look, I need a place to stay.”

“All right. Go to my brother’s house. He’s two streets over.
I’ll tell him you’re coming, and he’ll take care of you until we can have you
back over here.

“Thanks, man. I don’t think I can walk over there in
daylight. I’ll have to hang here till nightfall.”

“I would come pick you up myself, but the police have this
place on lockdown. They are all over the place. I’ll have my brother come pick
you up.”

“Thanks, Tommy. That means a lot.”

“Listen. I have to go to the police department for
questioning this afternoon, but afterwards I’ll drop by my brother’s place.
I’ve got some stuff to talk with you about.”

“Sure.” I wonder what he wants to talk with me about. This
can’t be good.

“I’m going to give Tim your cell number so he can come pick
you up.”

“Thanks, man.”

I lie in the pipe for what feels like an hour before Tim
calls. He says he’ll be driving a black Camaro and for me to rush to the
vehicle when he arrives. This seems dangerous, but I know we don’t have another
option. When Tim arrives, I rush the back seat door and dive inside. The
windows are heavily tinted and I wonder if I helped provide him with this car.

“Stay down for a while, till we get you to my garage.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I’ve met Tim before and he’s a cool guy. I’m
in good hands for the time being. I lie on my back in the backseat and let my
mind wander. What’s Claire doing now? Is she happy to be home? Is she thinking
about me?

Does she still hate me?

I’VE HAD A shower, and I’m wearing
some of Tim’s clothes. We sit with his girlfriend Amy in front of the
television, watching the breaking news. My picture, along with Claire’s and
Sarah’s is plastered over the screen. My picture is the mug shot from when I
was eighteen, the one that really doesn’t look like me anymore. Claire’s and
Sarah’s pictures are current ones taken from their Facebook pages.

The report highlights how the car theft ring has been
infiltrated and how, after five years, the police have finally located both
warehouses. It also highlights how I’m still at large and highly dangerous.

I take a swig of the beer Tim hands me and feel my heart
ache when Claire’s picture is shown. She really is beautiful.

My phone rings. It’s Richard. I can only imagine what he’s
about to say.

“Yeah.”

“Cuz! You’re alive!” He seems surprised when I answer. “What
happened?”

“Yeah, I’m alive and I’m safe.” I then proceed to give him a
quick rundown of what I know.

“So, what now?”

I take another drink of beer. There is something I need him
to do. It’s essential to my survival. “Actually, I need a huge favor.”

“Yeah man. What do you need?”

“Go to my room and there, along the wall, you’ll find a
patch of the wall that’s thinner than the rest. It’s a hidden door and behind
that door is a box. Inside is my wad of cash. It’s thousands of dollars. I need
you to invest that for me and have the dividend check wired to my fake account
you set up.”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“I’m going to need money, and I’m done with this business. I
think I’ve aged ten years alone in the past three months. I need the money, and
then I’m going into hiding. Maybe down to Mexico or something. I’ll call you
and have you set it up.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Call Tommy. He can let you into the apartment. Get over
there before the cops find my stash.”

“Got it, Cuz. I’ll have you taken care of. I’ll start
looking into places for you in Mexico. That’s probably the best place for you
to go. Till then, stay low, because you’re a VERY wanted man.”

“Yeah, I know this.”

We hang up and my eyes return to the news. The pictures of
Claire and Sarah continue to flash across the screen. I can’t believe I let her
go. She should be traveling with me to Mexico. I could have taken care of the
two of us with what I made in the car theft business.

We could have gotten married down in Mexico and had kids. I
could have given her her dreams in another country. Why didn’t I think of that
last night? Am I an idiot, or a hero? I’m not sure which at the moment. Part of
me says hero and the other part says I gave up the greatest thing that ever
happened to me.

I need to stop. I’m second guessing myself, and
I need to
stop
. If I don’t, I’ll go crazy. If I don’t, I’ll spend the entire rest of
my lonely and pathetic existence down in Mexico drunk.

TOMMY ARRIVES AROUND nine that
night, his eyes tired and his expression bleak. He sits beside me on the couch,
with Tim in the recliner. We have the den to ourselves.

“Tell me what happened,” I start, because I figure I know
the least of any of us.

“It was Carlos. He ratted us out,” Tommy says with an
exhale. He rubs his eyes, and I feel the anger and rage burning inside. I must
calm down. It won’t do me any good to go ape shit right here in Tim’s den.

I run my hands down my face and look back at Tommy. “How?”

“Him and the Louis guy, the gang leader, allied up and went
to the cops. The Stan guy was a narc. Carlos had been in with the cops for a
while. He was the one who gave your name in the very beginning, not that Nick
guy. I’m pretty sure Carlos set Nick up, too.”

“Shit.” I mouth the word, but I’m not sure if my voice is
heard. “I can’t believe that. We were set up from the beginning.” If I felt
guilty about doing away with Nick before, I’m feeling twice as guilty now.
Carlos is a son of a bitch.

“Yeah. And that’s not all. Carlos has some vendetta against
you. I think he was jealous. Anyway, the other guys said he knew your weakness
was the girl, and that he was going to do his best to take her away from you.
He wanted to destroy you, take away the girl and your business.”

“Damn.” It’s all I can say. We don’t exchange words for a
while. “What about you?” I ask finally. “Did your plan work? You are Sally are
in the clear, right?”

“Yeah. They are suspicious of us, but they believed our
story that we had nothing to do with the car theft industry. We played dumb. We
saw Sarah and Claire down at the station today. The Sarah girl is giving us
hell, but Claire isn’t cooperating with police.” He pauses and then looks my
way. “How did they catch her and not you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I’m closing this
conversation concerning Claire. I can’t take any more memories of her.

“Yeah. I understand. I saw her at the station this
afternoon. She’s…a mess.”

I run my hand down my face and exhale. This has to be the
longest day ever. I want to go to bed and never wake up.

“Anything else?” I’m finished talking about Claire.

“Carlos was declared dead, and the gang got one of their members
a lesser sentencing. That was their part in the whole scheme.”

“To hell with Carlos,” I say, my fist gripping the couch
cushions. “What about Marcus?” I look into Tommy’s eyes, and sorrow overtakes
me. The look on his face is one of regret. He lowers his head.

“I’m sorry, man. He’s gone, too.”

“I knew he was. He was trying to defend the girl. What
happened to the body?”

“Since he doesn’t have any family, the state will cremate
his body. They will be doing it soon.”

I run my hand down my face again and fight back the tears. I
look away from Tommy. I grab the cross pendant that’s now hanging from my neck
and feel the four corners.

“I’m glad you took that necklace. He would have wanted you
to have it,” Tommy says softly. I nod. I have nothing else to say. This was the
only part of Marcus I could keep, and I’ll wear it proudly. What I took from
Claire was the memories of that last kiss.

Tommy and Tim do some small talk and I explain to them that
Richard will be stopping by.

“You need anything else from your room, boss?”

I smirk at his comment. “I don’t think I’m ‘boss’ anymore.
My rig was busted and I’m running away to Mexico.”

“Mexico…huh? Sounds like you have it all figured out.” He
pauses for a second. “By the way, you’ll always be boss.” A smile crosses his
face and for the first time in the past twenty-four hours, a small one crosses
mine. “Is there anything you need?”

I would love to have some of the John Grisham books that
Claire read, but books are too heavy to haul around. The necklace on my neck and
picture in my pocket can travel with me.

“No. I have everything I need.”

He stands and pats me on the shoulder, as I sit slumped on
the couch. We say our goodbyes, and I tell Tim I’m going to bed. I crawl into
the sheets, wishing for Claire’s warm body. I will miss her every single day of
the rest of my life.

I fall asleep dreaming of her soft skin, silky hair, and
warm kisses.