New Haven

Chapter 5. Best Laid Plans

Chapter 5. Best Laid Plans (inspired by Heaven Forbid by the Fray)

It was still early in the day, and Autumn was devastated to hear about her friend Paula. Although they had not personally been as close as the two women sitting with her now, Autumn felt her loss deeply.

"What do you think we should do? Have you tried to contact them yet, Jus, the people who said they could help?" Autumn asked her friend in a confidential whisper.

Justice shook her head. "I'm afraid. This is exactly what I thought might happen if I tried to get out. I have to though."

"I can do it. Ansel isn't at home breathing over my shoulder, and I might be able to get somewhere with it," Autumn volunteered.

"But they haven't contacted you personally yet. It's too dangerous, and you've got the kids," Miki said.

"Autumn, let me do it. Then I can come stay with you. I've managed to get some protection. I took a gun Bill's had for a long time. He never touches it or even looks at it. I'll follow the directions and contact them for the two of us. Miki, do you want to come, too? You could probably bring Vijay," Justice said.

"Well, let's look at the card and see what it says, I only wrote the name down, "Schield Protection", so I could try to find out about them. Then we can make a plan, okay? I have some money put up, do you have any?" Autumn said, hope spiking in her chest, almost painfully.

As Justice nodded and reached for her waist pocket, Miki said, "Maybe we can go. I will need to talk to Vijay. Let me see what you work out, and I will try to get us there if we can."

The women put their heads together, grateful the meeting place was not busier. Justice showed them the card that had implicit instructions on how to contact the Protectors, as they were called on the card. First step was to write your initials on a scrap of paper and mark it with an 'X' once folded in fourths. Second, the scrap was to be placed in the chipped tray of an empty Coke machine that was propped up on High Street. This had to be done before two in the afternoon if you wanted help that day. Otherwise it would come the next. Third, you had to be at the deserted bus station across town by five in the evening, where you would be covertly picked up and spirited away into the night. There was a password that one must use, "Blessed". The protectors in turn would give a code word of "Eternity". It didn't sound too hard. They discussed that since it would be dangerous to have anything other than what was required on the paper, that Justice would be the official contact. They decided that the next day would be soon enough, as things were going smoothly at the moment, and they needed to gather their allowed one bag apiece. They agreed that since the drop site was near Miki's home, she would place the note, and then the group would individually make their way to the bus station by different routes, so as not to draw attention to themselves.

Pleased with the plan, the women all shared a moment of quiet, holding each other's hands. Miki sent a surge of warm, calming energy into Autumn's hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.

At that moment the front door opened loudly, and three rowdy men poured through the narrow opening. They were loud and boisterous, laughing at each other. They were talking about something that had happened earlier in the day at the gambling bar.  Autumn went quietly to her children to gather them and leave. She pulled up her hood to hide her face, hoping none of the new arrivals knew her.

"I can't believe the asshole is still there. He hasn't left all week! Just sits there playing at his cards, blowing every dime he wins. I wouldn't want to be in to the boss for as much as he is," a ruddy blond man said loudly.

"Ansel has to get his head square on his shoulders, or he's gonna lose it," the oldest of the three said.

The third man just grunted. He was looking around the inside of the small mercantile, inspecting the customers intently.

Autumn was at the door with the kids in tow and they slipped out before they could identify her. She thought of what the men had said. Ansel was at the bar, and he had been there the whole time. Maybe she should go get him, she thought. Inside Autumn was torn as to what to do. She desperately needed to get away from him, but didn't want him to be completely ruined. She hated herself for feeling this way. She should just let him rot in his own misery.

Autumn led the children home, and proceeded to tell them about the plan for the next day.

"But Mom, what if Ansel comes back before we leave. He won't let us go," Rae protested, having witnessed the beatings her mother took at his whim.

"Rae, I don't blame you for being scared. I'm scared too, but I can't stay here anymore. You know why. We have to believe it will work out."

"Mommy, why do we have to leave Daddy?" Colton asked. The only blessing in all of the years of torment Ansel had dealt out to her was he waited for the children to leave the room for most of his worst treatment. Colton wasn't old enough to realize all his father put his mother through.

"We are going to a place that is safer than here. Maybe when Daddy is done with his work here, he can come too," Autumn lied. She hoped the new place was all it professed to be.  Not that she had much to go on, but she was becoming desperate.

Autumn looked back and forth between her two children. Rae standing tall, whippet thin, and as stoic as could be, her serious blue gray eyes boring into her mother and Colton with his innocent baby face looking expectantly between the two women in his life.

"We have to be together on this kids," Autumn went on. "Tomorrow, I need you to do everything like we talked about and be ready when I say 'Go'. Got it?"

They both nodded. Autumn thought Rae looked a little green around the edges and after tucking Colton into his tiny bed, pulled her aside to talk to her. She had Rae come and sit on her bed so they could talk in privacy.

"Rae, what's bothering you? You seem a bit more worried than I thought you'd be. I know you can't stand Ansel, and this is finally our chance," Autumn said to her daughter.

"I don't know what to tell you Mom. I just don't feel right."

Panic shot through Autumn. "You don't feel sick do you? You aren't having fevers or crazy thoughts, are you?"

She had drilled her children about the signs of the plague, hoping they would never encounter it. In the early days, Autumn had tried to help take care of the victims, until it was discovered just how contagious the plague could be.

"No, Mom. I'm not sick. I just feel things that I can't explain. I've had feelings about what is going to happen for a long time. Like when good things or bad things are going to happen. This feels really bad. I'm scared," Rae said barely above a whisper, a tremble running through her frame, strong enough to cause the bed to shake.

Autumn hated that her daughter shared her gift. It was so disconcerting not to be able to do anything about the feelings inside, with no insight on how to act on them.

"I'm sorry, Rae. I'll protect you and your brother with my life, you know that," Autumn said to reassure her daughter.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Rae answered.