Prey

Chapter 26- Home

Over the next four hours, Bridget and Liza explained their entire enduring months before Bridget noticed a sad emptiness. Although she tried to fight the thought and the feeling of him, she had to know his fate...but not in front of Liza as she felt guilty as it was to have a home to return to.

"Are you still hungry?" Her mom asked as she followed her into the kitchen.

"Where is he?" Her face began to twitch as she concealed her sadness.

She looked to the ground before looking back at her.

"Where is he?" She asked with a more shaky voice.

"When you left, Harlan let me go...telling me he felt remorse for what he did. In exchange that I never speak of it or he would kill you. He told me in time he would find you or grow tired and give up. Vic came to me after I returned home and told me how he had been shot when you left him to go against Harlan on your own...I saw the wound sweetheart...he was a miracle standing even then..."

"But?" She could no longer conceal the tears as they slid.

"But he went after you again....Harlan sent us a letter with pictures...bloody pictures..." Tears filled her eyes as Bridget fell to the floor.

"No...are you sure it was him?"

She nodded. "I will always be in debt to him honey...always! He not only saved my life twice but my daughter's...he's a good man-"

"Who didn't deserve that! He was helping me and for that he deserves death?"

"No. of course not-"

"I wanna speak about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Liza told me to keep quiet but i can't. Not now. Not after these two years...not after losing the man I love...Not now."

"I'll call the paper-"

Bridget took a deep breath before looking to her mom who stood beside her. She nodded with confidence before they then moved outside to the flashing cameras and the video cameras.

"I stand before you now as a victim." She took a deep breath. "Abused, kidnapped, raped, nearly killed...because of one man. A man who is the devil embodied on earth. A sick twisted serpent who has this face." She lifted up a picture-given to her by her mother. "He did this to me and has threatened to lives of everyone I have ever cared about. I beg anyone watching and listening to keep an eye out for him or anyone...because if I've learned anything...it's that you never know who you can trust..." She paused as the image of Vic came in her head. "There have been too many deaths because of this man. I believed one of them to be my mother as he told me he killed her. I was sold to a man who kept me prisoner for months in an apartment in central Iowa. I was branded, and I beg law enforcement to hunt them down. To make them pay as they have made us..." She brushed a tear and continued. "There was a man who helped me...more than I deserved....a man with such a big heart and bravery whose life was ended because of that monster...Vic....His name was Vic...He was the stepson of this man and he deserved better than this..." She brushed a tear. "I am here to make other young women aware of this situation. Of human trafficking, of rape, and of kidnapping. Please be watchful, please be strong, and please...please be informed."

Reporters began shouting out questions to Bridget as she answered them individually, wanting Harlan to pay for everything he had done.

"I'm proud of you..."

"As am I...." Liza said as she hugged her.

The night carried on as Bridget and Liza watched home movies and ate junk food before Bridget's mom brought her to the side.

"We had a stone made for him...his name was on it and we visit it every week...if you wanted to go see it tomorrow..."

"Yeah.."

"Great...I'll drive-"

"I'll go alone. I....I want to thank him..."

"I understand." She gave her a kiss before saying goodnight. It was then that Liza discovered the tragedy of Bridget and Vic.

When morning came around, Bridget dressed in her finest black clothes and moved towards the graveyard and searched for his stone. Placed in the left edge of the graveyard, she found it; bright and bold as he was. She went onto her knees and placed her hand on the rocky edge before hugging it.

"For most of my life, all that mattered was the next test or the college of my dreams. But...you made me see so much more...not by taking a life-changing road trip or by balancing your life and mine...but by never giving up on me. By showing me light when I thought all was hopeless. I sit here and half of me hates you so bad for leaving me just when we can be together...and the other half is so thankful to have been with you as long as I was. You have taught me that everything in this world is a gift. Absolutely everything. I will never EVER take that for granted. I wish I would have said it more than once Vic, but I love you. I will always love you....from the depths of my soul and the end of my life...you are my soulmate and I will never forget you." She moved to her feet before turning and seeing a pair of black and white converse standing before her. Her eyes scanned up before meeting with a smiling expression.

"Vic?"