Escaping Parker - F.T. Zele Page 0,67

unfair.”

“Then say something! Start talking, Rig, because I can’t do this anymore,” I yell at him, and the rage that comes out even scares me.

“When I decided I no longer wanted to stay home watching family after family come through our house, I knew I had to talk to my dad about doing something else. Getting people safe was very important to me. I just wanted to be the one making sure they were safe in a forever place. The first run I went on, I went with another point person, watched what they did, and learned what had to be done. It lasted about four months, and then I went back home and waited for my dad to give me my own mission. I was dead set on getting it right, and getting whoever needed me to safety. About two months later, my dad finally had a job for me. I assured him up and down I knew what had to be done and that I was ready. The rules were pretty simple: follow directions, get from point A to point B, and never stop for too long. Simple, I could do that.” He gazes around the room, avoiding any eye contact.

“I’m sure the first time going on your own must’ve been a little nerve-racking,” I say, trying to keep my participation at a minimum.

“Actually, it wasn’t at all. I was ready to do this and show my dad that I could be out there. You know my father is Andrew, right?” he says, and I had no clue.

“No, I didn’t realize. You never said anything before.”

“The person I was hiding out was a younger girl named Marie. She was married at a young age to a very wealthy man who wanted to be her father more than he wanted to be her husband. It was a terrible situation. Anyhow, we were running for a while. We got close, and one thing lead to another—our feelings got in the way. It’s hard not to grow attached to someone while spending day in and day out with them, as you know. I decided I wasn’t going to do this anymore. I was going to stay with her, keep her safe, keep her mine. I loved her with every fucking piece of me. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have done for her. I would have killed for her, and that’s exactly what I did.”

I’m suddenly gutted inside. I scoot back in my seat, trying to get separation between us. This is all a little much right now, but I continue to listen to what he has to say.

“I went out to the store to pick up some stuff, and all day something felt off. I rushed home when she wasn’t answering her phone. I knew something was wrong, because she always answered her phone. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what was waiting for me. Marie was sitting with her husband at the table, but you could see the discomfort in her body. I had to think quickly, get her away from him, and get him out of the house. I caught his attention and that’s when he lifted his gun. I watched him get up and walk over to me, then I grabbed my gun from my waistband. I yelled for him to leave or I would shoot him. But he didn’t listen to me. He called to Marie, told her to get up and come over to him. She did reluctantly, and as soon as she got close enough, he threw her in front of him like a shield, gun pointed right at her head. The fear I saw in her eyes was enough, so I raised my gun a little more, telling him to drop the gun and let her go. He warned me that if I didn’t put my gun down he was going to shoot her. I stayed in my spot, challenging him. Her eyes pleaded with me to do as he asked. I thought I had a clear shot.” Rig’s voice cracks. “He shot her right in front of me. I watched her limp body fall to the floor and my heart died right there with her. I lost control. I shot him multiple times, even knowing the first shot killed him, and it did nothing to stop me from emptying my clip. I fell back with the force of the gun, on top of a broken glass table. That’s where the scars came from. He