Painful Deliverance

Painful

Deliverance

Painful Deliverance

~~ Book One ~~

ANN M PRATLEY

BY ANN M PRATLEY

Painful Deliverance Series

Painful Deliverance

Darkness of Heart

Friendship of Desire

Power Moore Investigation Tales

Hoonigan

Resolution of Happiness

Home by the Sea

Forbidden Conflicts Series

Amethyst of Youth

Ruby of Law

Diamond of War

Sapphire of Prejudice

Freedom of Flight Series

Christian

Brandon

Chisholm Manor Series

Alessandra

Golden Desires Series

The Golden Desires

The Golden Supremacy

The Golden Unity

Copyright © 2016 Ann M Pratley

All rights reserved

ISBN - 9780994143013

.

CHAPTER 1

~~ The Departure ~~

'He won't find me. He won't find me. He won't find me,' Alexis chanted inside her head. Over and over, she repeated those four words silently as the bus pulled out of the terminal. She looked around her like a small animal who knows there's a predator nearby - a hunter - but doesn't know where it is, or in what form it will take.

As her eyes skimmed over the other passengers on the bus, an elderly woman caught her eye and gave her a sympathetic smile. The movement startled Alexis and made her turn away. It made no logical sense that the woman would be on the bus, planted only as a way to find her, but her paranoia had reached a level that was intensely terrifying to her. She knew she could trust no-one. That meant pulling into herself and making herself invisible.

Alexis looked out the window. She'd purposely decided to travel in daylight. She didn't want to be in a situation where someone could be lurking in the dark and seeing into the light bus without her equally seeing them. Her eyes remained alert to everywhere and every movement. As her paranoia pushed her to sink deeper down into her seat, she pulled her cap lower over her eyes.

That morning she'd gone to a second-hand charity store to buy a man's overnight bag and as many second-hand clothes as she could fit into it. Being so well worn, she knew they wouldn't have any digital way of being tracked. They'd have no digital footprint. She knew such thinking made no logical sense. It was illogical that he could use something like a store item recording system to follow her if she bought new things from a clothing store. Knowing just how rich and powerful he was, she wouldn't put it past him to use technology in whatever way he could to try and locate her. He'd done it before. She had to expect that he would do it again.

After writing down phone numbers of friends and family members on the small piece of paper that she now clutched tightly, she'd discarded her mobile phone and SIM card. She'd changed her voicemail greeting to say that she had the flu and would return calls the next day. That would take care of what he would hear when he dialled her number. It would provide a reason why she wasn't answering.

When she'd reset the phone and ensured everything on it had been deleted, she had snapped it in two and drove a hammer through both halves of it. The SIM card had suffered the same fate before half was tossed into one rubbish bin in the central city and the other half was thrown into another two blocks away. The pieces were spread far away from where she had been living, but equally far away from the bus terminal. It was an extreme move that would make no sense to anyone else, but she had reached a level of paranoia to demand it - just in case.

As she sat back and felt the bus moving forward on its journey, she absorbed the soothing vibration through her body. She fought the urge to sleep. 'Not yet', she continued to say to herself in the darkness of her mind. She hadn't slept for two nights, driven by fear of what would happen if she did. No, she needed to get away first. She just needed to get somewhere new - somewhere safe. Then she would sleep. He was still too close, and he was determined. He had proven the lengths he would go to, to keep her close by his side. Not close enough so that everyone knew she was a part of his life, but close enough so that when he wanted her to be somewhere, he expected her to be so. If she wasn't, he made sure she fully understood and felt the consequence of that decision.

Thinking back over the previous three years, she wondered how she hadn't seen the signs right at the start. It was a mystery to her how she'd come to miss identifying the depths of his nature. He was an expert of disguise, she had come to realise, albeit much too late. He was a chameleon. He could charm and delight in the presence of others, and he could smile and impress to the world at large. But in the dark of night - in privacy away from almost everyone - there was another side to him. That side wasn't charming or delightful, or even impressive. To her, it was just evil.

She clutched her hands tighter around her purse. In it was all the money she had been able to save in preceding months as she'd planned her escape. It was all the cash she had saved, siphoning a little here and there as she'd purchased things. Even the day to day things such as food she had mastered into her plan of using a card to pay for the item, then withdraw some cash on the same transaction. That would ensure that if he investigated her bank records, he wouldn't see any excessive cash having been withdrawn from ATMs. It was her money, but he knew people everywhere, and he had access to resources. He'd already proven in the past that he could find ways to see what she was doing financially. He could recite to her all of the shops, cafés, and other locations she'd been to in the past day … the past week … even the past month.

He watched her carefully, even though he had no legal right to. At least he'd been forward about that - not in a friendly, informative way, but rather in a mocking, know-it-all way. In revealing the lengths he went to, to monitor every little thing she did, he had helped her to think about every action she took. Listening to him share that knowledge had helped her to plan different ways to do things. His having money or not, she'd had to find a way to create a digital footprint that wasn't accurate about what she was doing.

She'd had to make him believe that everything was normal … that she was happy … and that she certainly had no desire whatsoever to leave.

~~~~~

Over the previous week, she had put in place ideas for making it seem like she wouldn't have left, for as long as possible. She'd had to design a plan that would enable her to be long gone by the time he even noticed she wasn't around.

He ran his life on a tight schedule. Over the three years that she'd been seeing him, she had come to know how he lived. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, he met with members of his company's board to discuss ideas for future growth. At 4pm on Wednesday, he hosted a meeting for senior management at company headquarters, here in Melbourne. Afterwards, he extended that to an expensive dinner that took him through till at least 9pm before he would head back to his apartment.

Today, Friday, he flew from Melbourne to Brisbane. It was a two-hour flight each way, and he stayed there for the whole day. For the duration, he'd keep his phone turned off. He would then return on the 7pm flight back to Melbourne. He wouldn't turn his phone back on until at least 9pm.

Alexis looked at the watch on her small wrist. It was now 11am. He would already be in a meeting that would run all day long. He wouldn't check his phone at all. Giving those clients his full attention on this day each week was of utmost importance to him. He wouldn't try and call her. She was a distraction that he wouldn't indulge in when he was so wrapped up in his business. He knew, as well as she did, that even when they only talked now, three years into this 'relationship', it was like lighting a match to a fuse. There was no respite from the friction and the tenseness that came with the two of them being in the same room together. Even speaking on the phone together had started to result in the same. It had never been his preference to call her for long chats. It was his way instead to only give clear, concise and direct instructions to her before abruptly hanging up.

For weeks, Alexis had been analysing possible places to go on this very day. Her research was never done in one place, and never in her home or on her phone. She had taken to using cash to catch various buses to different suburbs around Melbourne. Over time, she had used library computers to do the research she wanted. He might think to delve into library computers to see if she had discretely been looking at anything there. If he did, at least it would take him time to track down all the computers she had used throughout the sprawling city.

She hadn't leaned on any of her friends or family to provide her with assistance. To do so could have put them in danger and she couldn't risk that. Even if they told him they hadn't heard from her, she knew he could check their phone records to see if they were lying. If they were lying, what he would do to them was not something Alexis could even bear to think about. No, this was something she had to do completely alone.

She'd purposely not called anyone over preceding weeks. She knew there was a chance they would be worried - even more so if he contacted any of them to ask where she was. Still she dared not make any kind of contact with them - not even a letter sent via 'snail mail', not even a postcard, and certainly not any message through any kind of technology.

She cursed herself for having indulged him at the start, all that time ago. Thinking back now to when they first saw each other, she could still remember how she'd felt at that moment they'd met in person. It was easy for her to remember the extreme level of nervousness she had experienced. She could almost taste the sense of importance and desperation she'd felt for him to like her. She could still feel the power of her intense need for him to look at her and want her.

Those things she had wanted, desired, and dreamed of. All of them, she had received - in abundance.

In reality, they were completely mismatched, she realised as she sat on the bus and took some time to contemplate how she'd ended up in her current place and time. She had never quite understood how they came to see each other a second time after that initial meet. How was it that he'd happened to be driving near her at the right time, in the right place?

For a moment, she just thought about him as a person. He possessed wealth, and he exuded power. He had a charisma about him that lured people toward him naturally - women and men.

Alexis, in contrast, had always been an introvert. She remained in her own world, afraid of what other people would do to her emotionally if she let them get too close. She came from an area others would call a slum. She was awkward in company. She worked as a checkout operator at a small supermarket in what was known to be a bad part of the city.

She was a good employee. Where she came from had only built in her a resolve that resulted in an impeccable work ethic. She was the one called upon to clean up the spills or do any jobs that other people who worked around her would say no to.

Even though she couldn't easily be among people, she could force herself to smile and greet customers at checkout. It was a different way of interacting with people. The faces that passed by her every day in that job, probably wouldn't see her again, so they were safe. They wouldn't want to know anything about who she was, or where she was from. She could smile quietly at them, and they would often smile back. They might even ask her how her day was going. The comfort came from knowing that as soon as they walked away, they would completely forget about her. That level of interaction, Alexis could handle. That was acceptable, in return for earning money so she could have a roof over her head and food in her stomach.

Walking away from her job was her biggest regret of having to leave. Her job was a good job. It wasn't everyone's dream job, but it was a good job. From it, she had gained regular hours of work and regular pay. It suited her to be an anonymous face that no-one would remember by the time each day ended, and the world reset once more.

Breaking her out of her daze and thoughts was the sound of the bus driver. His voice boomed over the loudspeaker, informing passengers that they would be at their destination in twenty minutes. Alexis was startled. It seemed as though she'd only just got on board. When she looked at her watch, she saw that three hours had passed. She sighed to herself. The upcoming stop wouldn't be her destination. It was only the beginning of her journey. She had much more road travel ahead of her yet.

~~~~~

As she felt the bus come to a stop, she immediately noticed her nerves kick in once again. The hairs on her arms stood up in paranoid fear. Before stepping off the bus, she took a few minutes to look through all of the windows. She took her time to look in all directions. It made no sound sense that he could be there. He wouldn't even know she'd left Melbourne yet. Regardless of acknowledging that truth, she was driven to be cautious. It had been part of her nature before she'd even met him. That level of need for caution had intensified since he had entered her world. It had grown further to colossal proportions in the weeks since she'd started to think about getting away.

When she was sure it was safe to leave the confines of the vehicle, Alexis stepped down into the sunlight. In Brisbane, it would be 2pm. He'd have now finished lunch and would be guiding the client back into the conference room he always had set up for that purpose each week. He held control of everything about such days - the location, the time, and even the catering. The client was far too important to him in his work. He wouldn't risk offending them by even pulling his phone out of his pocket to look at it during lunch. It would be turned off, and it would stay turned off - until 9pm. At 9pm he would call her with an instruction. That was his thing, and he reliably did it every single Friday.

Alexis looked around her and took a moment to inhale deeply as she embraced the sunlight hitting her face. She didn't know the name of the town she'd arrived in. She didn't want to know. She wanted to pass through silently and leave no impression on anyone so that if anyone asked, no-one would have noticed her.

She made her way to an information centre and picked up a small map to find out where longer distance buses would leave from. There she assessed timetables to pick the next town she would go to. She had already investigated bus timetables and routes, but she hadn't booked anything. She had avoided choosing any particular town for any particular purpose. It was her belief that if she wanted to leave no trace, it would be best to not make any definite plans. She would deal with every decision as it had to be made, and just keep moving forward as she could.

After viewing the timetable and looking at her watch to see the time, Alexis walked inside. She asked to pay cash for a ticket on the bus that looked most attractive to her. It gave her just under two hours to wait. That was time enough to find a public bathroom. In there she could use a sink to do whatever washing up she could to freshen up and change her appearance slightly. After that, she would venture into the small supermarket she could see, to buy enough food to get her through the next leg of her journey.

In the public bathroom, she looked at her reflection. The mousy brown hair she saw was her natural colour. For the moment, she wouldn't think of colouring or cutting it. That was a step she would only take when she finally reached wherever it was that she would end up.

Out of her bag, she pulled out another cap she had bought. She'd purchased four in total at the used clothing store, all quite different from one another. She didn't know if it would make any difference or not in concealing herself. Having paid only 50c for each one, it was worth a try.

She pulled her hair tight and wove it around her hand, forming it into a tight ball. Slipping the cap over it made it seem like she had short hair. She had already washed away all trace of any makeup that might have been residual. She'd put on a bulky old jersey and jeans that were tidy enough not to be overly noticed for being too shabby. She didn't want to be noticed for good or for bad.

Standing back and looking in the mirror, she saw a nobody. She was slender in physique, having lost so much weight over the past year or so. She suspected she could be construed as a woman or a man from a distance - and under the view of a security camera. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the sunlight again and walked into the supermarket, eyes straight ahead. She wouldn't face upward, revealing her face, nor downward, like someone purposely trying to avoid security cameras.

In the supermarket, she stocked up on a large bottle of water and a healthy supply of fruit and baked goods to keep her going. It was a nervous hour more before the bus appeared that she would next jump onto. It would take her through the night and deliver her to another town early the following morning.

Once again she settled down into a seat, this time for a much longer period. Now she would let herself sleep. If he found her on the bus, she would be woken anyway. She'd gotten away. There was nothing more she could do. She may as well try and recuperate some of the lost slumber while she had a long journey of many hours ahead of her.

The bus moved forward. Alexis watched out the window, silently saying goodbye and thank you to a town that unknowingly had let a woman on the run slip right through it. Through that town had passed a woman with a determination to get what she wanted - to start a brand new life. A life without pain. A life that would enable her to start rebuilding her soul once again.

In Brisbane, it was now 4pm. He would call her in five hours. In five hours, he would know that she was, at that moment, not accessible to him. In five hours, his questions would begin.

In five hours, Alexis would still be asleep, on a bus, in the middle of nowhere. It was a terrifying thought, but she would sleep, because what else could she do?

~~~~~

Wake up, little lady, Alexis heard a man's voice saying to her as she felt a gentle prod on her arm.

Immediately she jumped. The driver saw a terrified look cross her face before she seemed to grow alert and realise where she was.

I'm sorry to have startled you, but it's time for you to get off the bus now, the man continued.

Alexis looked at him. She saw nothing but kindness in his eyes, even though she was wary of him.

I'm sorry, she mumbled quietly before gathering her things and making her way off the bus.

In her confusion, she forgot her plan to look through the windows first. She'd wanted to make sure no-one was nearby who looked like they might be looking or waiting for her. As her feet touched the ground, she cursed at herself inwardly for overlooking what she considered to be such an important thing. She then forced herself to relax. If he was going to find her, he was going to find her - if he was even likely to come after her. As she travelled further away from Melbourne, she could feel just a sliver of relaxation falling over her. That wasn't what she wanted. She needed to always be alert and never get complacent.

Her mind began to consider other outcomes. What if he didn't bother to look for her? What if she wasn't that important to him after all? What if his extreme levels of power and financial status made him not even care if she was gone from his life for good?

She let the questions flow over her. For a few minutes, she felt a sense of complete freedom at the possibility. After she'd indulged in that fantasy for long enough, she made sure to bring her mind back to the here and now. There was no time for complacency in her thinking. If he never sought her out again, that was fine. She still had to keep moving forward as if he would - as if he most definitely would.

~~~~~

Looking around the bus destination, she saw she was in a small town with a long but quiet main street. Dotted around the outside of that were buildings and houses of all shapes and sizes. In the distance, Alexis could see vast land beyond the border of the mismatched structures.

Once again she determined to seek out public toilets and somewhere that sold bus tickets. As she walked around, she realised that despite her predicament, she had enjoyed a good night's sleep. The result was a new sense of energy and empowerment.