REprisal - Kathy Coopmans Page 0,36

her back into the car seat, making sure she is strapped in nice and tight. Before I even get my door closed, we are pulling onto the road, spinning gravel as Tina skyrockets down the road.

“You will get your proof when you call your brother,” she says.

My stomach knots up in anticipation at the thought of hearing Zack’s voice after all this time.

“Why am I calling Zack?”

She shares nothing for quite some time. Finally, she speaks.

“I want you to tell him to bring Turner and meet me at Caleb’s house tomorrow at noon sharp.”

I am shaking so badly. My nerves are frayed.

“Caleb’s house? Where is that?” I ask nervously.

Will my mother let me see him? Of course she won’t. A feeling deep in the pit of my stomach tells me I either won’t be there or I will be dead before the meeting takes place.

She gives me a hard, hateful glare through the rear view mirror.

“Listen very carefully, Clove, or I promise you I will end your life just like I did Trent’s if you try and fuck me over. This isn’t a game anymore. This is real, and you’d better say exactly what I tell you. Do you understand me?”

I give her a stiff nod and rest my hand on top of Journey’s sleeping form, feeling her slow breathing going up and down, her little heart beating steadily under the palm of my hand. I will not die today or tomorrow, I keep repeating over and over in my head. If there is even the slightest chance she is telling me the truth and Turner somehow is alive, this gives me even more to fight for.

“I’m assuming you know his number.”

She pulls off of the highway, turning right at the stop sign, and pulls into the dark parking lot of a closed gas station. I scan around for any signs of someone, anyone, to help us. There is no one. I turn back around and look at the clock on the dash. 8:05. My eyes drift back to the station, squinting and noticing the boards covering the windows. Damn it all to hell.

I have nothing to lose except my life. If she is going to try and kill me, I want to be able to talk to my brother, to tell him so many things; to find out about Turner, my dad, Nolan, Melody, Krista.

“You have one minute to talk to him. One.”

She tosses a phone onto my lap, then unlocks her seatbelt and shifts in her seat, pulling her gun up into my view and cocking it. The sound of it echoing in the small car makes me jump as I stare her down.

I pick up the phone from my lap, noticing right away as I flip it open that it’s a cheap, disposable model. All hope leaves me that Zack might be able to trace the number and find us. Tina will certainly get rid of it at the first opportunity.

I tap out the number I have dialed so many times in the past. I bring the phone up to my ear and after two rings, my brother’s deep voice comes over the line.

“Hello?”

“Zack,” I sob.

“Jesus Christ! Clove, is that you? Where are you? Oh my God, Clove!”

Hearing him is breaking my heart. My voice cracks as I try to speak.

“Zack, listen to me. I don’t have much time. First of all, is it true? Is Turner alive?”

“You fucking bitch. Hand me that goddamned phone.”

My mother swings her hand and hits me in the side of the face with the butt of the gun. My head falls to the side. The phone falls to the floor. I think fast.

This is my chance.

I straighten myself out and reach for the phone, but Tina leans over the seat and grabs a handful of my hair as we fight and scuffle trying to get to it.

“Clove? Fuck! Clove?”

“Zack! She’s going to kill me!” I shriek.

“Shut your mouth!”

She hits me again, this time in the back of my head. I swear I see stars, but I don’t give a shit as my elbow comes up and crashes hard into her face.

I reach the phone and press it to my ear, my breathing short and raspy.

“Zack, listen to me! I don’t know where we are but I had a baby, and…”

My blood freezes when I see that Tina has the gun pointed at Journey.

“Noooooo!”

“Give me that goddamned phone. Now!”

I hand it to her, all the while hearing Zack screaming my name. She