Losing Control: Out of Promises, #2

By Simon Leigh

Six long years after the events at Southbrook docks, the city is now in turmoil. Valerie Lambert has had to come to terms with what happened, though it doesn't take long for her to be reminded her of her duties, of the life she was given, and soon enough she's thrust back into the action in a place she no longer belongs. In the search for her daughter, this story takes them through the riot torn city and out into the surrounding areas.

 

Bringing back characters from 'Out of Promises', this story of deceit and treachery reunites people so they can come together and end the madness once and for all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon Leigh
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215483831

Book preview

Prologue

The courtroom glowed with a surreal light from a large stained glass window that encased everything it touched. The jury box to the right sat empty, as did the spectator seats. A lone judge was standing in the centre behind a wooden pedestal, frowning with his gavel in hand. He wasn’t the stereotypical judge with his cloak and uninspired glare sitting atop his bench looking down on everyone. Something was different; he was dressed as a priest with short black hair and glasses that slid down his nose as he stared down at a Bible. His name was Father McGregor and he gazed ahead to a heavily pregnant bride in a white wedding dress and trail standing nervously beside a handsome man in a trench coat.

Father McGregor said, ‘Please state both your names to the court.’

‘William Yates,’ said the man. ‘Or Bill if you like.’

‘Valerie Lambert,’ said the bride.

At the plaintiff’s table with his feet up and his arms behind his head, a figure from Valerie’s past leaned back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. An unforgettable man with a rough, scarred face from a childhood fire, he was known as Cyrus. This hideous character with a confident smugness that everybody detested was known for his sick ruthlessness and unrelenting pursuit of Valerie; a pursuit that ultimately become the reason for his downfall.

Father McGregor said to Valerie, ‘The plaintiff is saying you belong to him and the child in your womb does too.’

‘That’s a lie!’ yelled Bill. ‘The child is mine.’

Cyrus almost fell from his chair before jumping to his feet. ‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Why would God allow another monster into this world?’

Cyrus grinned and sat back down. ‘God works in mysterious ways, right Father?’

Father McGregor scowled at him, offended and unimpressed.

Bill said to Cyrus, ‘I did the right thing killing you and would do it again.’

Cyrus asked, ‘Is what I did to Valerie really any different from what you did to her?’

‘I didn’t do what you did.’

‘You did enough. You’re no better than I am.’

‘I’m nothing like you!’ Bill said, marching over to him, though he didn’t get far as a bailiff appeared, holding him back. From his arms, Bill yelled, ‘I didn’t rape her!’

Cyrus jumped to his feet again and said with a smile, ‘No, but you brought her to me. You may as well have put a gun to her head.’

Valerie yelled, ‘Stop it!’ and covered her ears. The child was hers and, as she knew, the contenders for father of the year were both dead, so what did it really matter who the father was? The fact was that she would give birth and love the child whether she wanted to or not and after her own childhood, she couldn’t bring herself to abandon it.

McGregor hammered the gavel on the pedestal and a crack appeared in the stained glass window behind him. Everyone stopped and silence filled the room. He said, ‘Valerie Lambert, who is the father?’

She had no idea. She wanted it to be Bill. They’d made love amicably before the lies came out, but after being raped by Cyrus, she couldn’t deny that it could be his. And that feeling scared her to her core.

McGregor impatiently tapped his fingers on the pedestal. ‘I won’t ask again.’

Tears welled in her eyes and she yelled, ‘I don’t know!’

Bill took her hand in his and gazed down into her tear filled face. He said softly, ‘The baby is mine, you know it and I know it. That’s why we’re here getting married.’

Valerie was trapped, cursed with the child of a psychopath or a liar. She wanted to get out of that courtroom, to be unshackled from all of this and live her life a free woman.

‘It doesn’t really matter,’ muttered Cyrus. ‘That thing inside you is a constant reminder of what I did to you. Did you like how I made you feel? Like the worthless, helpless piece of shit that you are.’

Bill said, ‘Pretty much the same as how you felt when I slit your throat. I would happily do it again.’

Valerie turned to leave, to break free from it all. Never mind everyone else; they were all gone. They were in her past and she looked to the future. With the light of the stained glass behind her, she took a step towards the large exit doors, soon coming to a halt when, as if frozen in time, she watched, as one by one the ghosts from her past started filling the spectator seats. Fading in from left to right were Julius Matherson, her old boss who was tossed into a corner like a ragdoll after a game of Russian Roulette went against him; Preston Swift, Cyrus’s employer and the man responsible for so many deaths who’s life ended on the train tracks with Bill Yates; Sharpe Swift, Preston’s brother who was murdered by Cyrus under Preston’s orders; and finally, Freddie Mason, her friend and colleague who was also murdered by Cyrus. He looked exactly as he did the last time she saw him, dead and pale with a bullet hole in his head – an image that would sit with her forever.

In the jury box to her left, her father, Joseph Lambert, appeared.

They all stared, waiting for her to do something.

‘Val,’ said Bill, turning her around to face him. ‘Don’t look at them. Think of the future and not the past. Think of all you have to give. Our child will grow up happy without the scum of Southbrook holding you back.’

‘I don’t know if I can do this.’

‘It’s my child,’ said Cyrus.

‘I’ve heard enough,’ said Father McGregor, turning to the jury box. ‘Mr Lambert, who is the father of your grandchild?’

Joseph Lambert rose to his feet and said: ‘Inconclusive.’

With another slam of the gavel, the crack in the window widened.

And then she woke up.

Chapter One

With only one road in, the beautiful mountain town of Lane Ends was at its best when viewed from the surrounding snow covered peaks – a perilous trek claiming the lives of many who have attempted it. At ground level, the town wasn’t especially cold. A thousand feet up, however, was where the dangers began with jagged rocks mixed with the harsh coldness that turned the luxurious mountains into razor sharped nightmares. Each year a climb was hosted in the town to summit the highest peak, fondly known locally as The Ivory Pass.

A peaceful lake gave the town a serene beauty rarely found in these parts and with a population of only ten thousand, it was the perfect place to retire or bring up a family. Crime rates were minimal, which sometimes gave the small police department an easy life, much to the dismay of the town. The police would tell them jokingly ‘You all behave too well for us to do anything.’ And that was the end of it for a short while, though when they were needed, they were efficient and worked well.

The high street was lined with diners, shops and banks. One diner in particular was named The Burger Joint. Large, and with two stories, every table was filled. Whether a sole person reading the newspaper over coffee, a family out for a party, or someone in for a chat while watching the TV in the corner, the atmosphere suited everyone and the staff were rushed off their feet.

Lisa Fleming was one of the waitresses there. In her late thirties with blonde hair and attractive face, she always served with a striking smile which had never faltered in the five years she’d been there and it brought the customers back. Her boss always said ‘A smile is worth a thousand burgers’ and he wasn’t wrong. People often snubbed waitressing like it was below them. Lisa, however, didn’t care about that and enjoyed the job that fit in perfectly with her five year old daughter, Lilly’s, schooling. Rent wasn’t cheap and sometimes things seemed tough, but she managed it well. As long as they were both happy, she figured it didn’t matter what anyone else said.

As she looked outside into the Friday afternoon sunlight, she hoped it would stay that way. The weather here, mixed with the mountains, was unpredictable to say the least, though when it was nice, it was really nice.

Ten minutes to go.

The TV showed the national news running a story about trouble starting in the city of Southbrook. The mayor of the city, Derek Stenson, was standing proudly at a podium against a windowed background across the city while other news flowed across the bottom of the screen. In his mid-fifties with dark hair and a youthful swagger, Derek Stenson gave a comforting speech. The people of the city loved him as he was Southbrook through and through, returning their love by listening to the people and embracing everything they had to offer.

Lisa knew of the city and the problems of its past and was thankful to be here in her own little haven.

More customers entered the diner and each person did their job: cooks cooked, waitresses waited, and greeters greeted. It all worked well and everyone knew their place. The owners gladly mingled with their patrons, satisfied not only because of the money coming in, but because it developed a rapport that brought people back.

She looked at the clock.

Time to go.

After getting changed into some blue jeans, a t-shirt, and tan jacket, she said goodbye to her colleagues and left the diner with a smile or a wave from the customers and walked out into the warm late afternoon sun. She walked the short distance to the school along the high street while receiving a friendly ‘Hello’ from people passing by. Working at The Burger Joint had turned her into a celebrity somewhat as everyone knew her and she knew everyone. Sometimes it could get a bit too much as personal business wasn’t always personal and that annoyed her sometimes.

A cloud crept overhead and a breeze gained momentum. She liked this time of day as it was neither hot nor cold. It reminded her of their times at the lake, just her and Lilly out on a hired boat or having a picnic beside the water. They loved that and it saddened her to know that she couldn’t protect her forever.

Around the corner, she reached the school gates where she waited with the other parents for the doors fly to open followed by gleeful children.

‘Hey, Lisa,’ said one of the mothers.

‘Hey.’

She joined them and chatted about all kinds of things. Much of which was just rehashed conversations from other days, only changed slightly and reworded. They didn’t do it on purpose, they did it because they didn’t really have a lot to chat about and it just came out that way – just meaningless small talk that they’d all heard many times before.

‘I hear Lilly is the fastest in the class, you must be proud.’

Lisa smiled, ‘I am.’

‘Next Olympic champion?’

‘We can only hope.’

Another mother interrupted, ‘You hear about that trouble starting again in Southbrook.’

Well that changed everything, turning the entire conversation for her into an even more boring waste of time. She felt a little bad for not joining in, but her world was here and the rest of America wasn’t her concern so she walked away leaving them to it.

The conversation continued regardless and she could still hear it: ‘Heard some of it. It’s there problem. As long as it stays there, I’m happy.’

‘I hear you.’

‘I heard the President is going to say something.’

To Lisa’s delight, the bell chimed, interrupting them. A minute later, the school started emptying. First, a lone child came creeping out and running to his mother, then the stampede followed.

It wasn’t a large school and it didn’t usually take long to empty.

Gradually, the mothers, fathers, and grandparents started leaving with their children and fifteen minutes later she found herself alone.

She gave it ten more minutes thinking Lilly was just dawdling.

She never came out.

Lisa started to worry and thought the worst: she’d been taken. Lilly had never stayed this long behind before and she didn’t know why. Something told Lisa that Lilly wasn’t in the school any longer. Looking around, she couldn’t see anybody.

She darted for the entrance.

Call it mother’s intuition, paranoia, even overbearing. Lisa was convinced that something was wrong. There was no doubt in her mind.

She bolted through the open doors with no trouble and the lack of security worried her. No cameras. No guards. Nothing. Not even an alarm. It was something she hadn’t really noticed on her previous visits and she now realized just how insecure this town was.

‘Lilly!?’ she shouted.

Classroom after classroom went by.

Through the glass in some of the doors, she saw what was left of the day’s activities while others stood immaculate, built with optimism for a booming population – all showing no clues as to Lilly’s whereabouts.

Sweat dampened her brow. Her child was everything to her and the thought of her child being mistreated tore her up inside.

It made sense for her to head for the teachers’ lounge, which she found closed. Pushing the door, she heard chatter and laughter. The teachers were there enjoying a well-earned break from the struggles of the day. Some poured coffee while others halted their conversations, glaring with worry at Lisa’s panic stricken demeanour.

‘Where’s Lilly?’ she asked, breathlessly.

Nobody spoke. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to or were hiding something, more like they were physically speechless.

‘Where’s my child!?’ she asked again.

One of the teachers, a podgy man with a bald and sweaty forehead walked over to her. ‘Mrs Fleming, please calm down.’

‘Please, just tell me where Lilly is?’

Another teacher spoke up, ‘I think she’s with Ms Doherty, classroom twelve.’

Before they could say anything else, she ran, her heart beating violently while tears of embarrassment formed in her eyes. She felt stupid. All that excitement for nothing. Just an overreaction because it was the first time Lilly had stayed behind this long after school.

At classroom twelve, she watched Lilly through the glass. There she was, five years’ old with dark hair looking just like her mother did when she was that age. She was happy.

Lisa walked in and hugged her. ‘Where were you? Mommy was worried.’

Ms Doherty said, ‘She wanted to finish her drawing. I’m so sorry. We looked everywhere for a cell number for you. We even left a message on your home phone.’

Lisa smiled and said shyly, ‘It’s fine,’ and turned to Lilly, ‘Come on, let’s go home, OK?’

She nodded, put the drawing in her pack and waved goodbye to Ms Doherty.

On the way out, she had to go through what felt like a walk of shame as they passed the teachers’ lounge where they stood watching sympathetically.

She walked by them, head slightly hung, and on towards the exit.

Lisa decided to treat Lilly to some delicious ice cream in their favourite ice cream parlour, I-Scream. They shared a large in a double sized glass dish that held banana, fudge, and three types of ice cream – chocolate, strawberry, and Rocky Road – all covered in thick syrup. Lisa didn’t care that it wasn’t healthy; right now she just wanted Lilly to be happy and it filled Lisa with love to see the smile on her child’s face. The shocked and empty feeling of losing her just vaporised any negative memories she may have and she wanted to garnish Lilly with rewards. Or was it Lisa’s need to try and overcome the embarrassment at the school? Whatever it was, she was happy to be reunited with her again. She tried to embrace this feeling, knowing full well that everything would change when Lilly turns into a little brat again.

Looking into the future though, she just hoped that Lilly wouldn’t dismiss her like so many teenagers do their parents.

She watched her daughter spoon hefty amounts into her tiny mouth, barely managing to keep it all in. With a smile, she asked, ‘How’s the ice cream?’

Lilly replied with a full mouth, ‘Nice, mommy.’

‘I thought you might like to look in Toy Market before we buy groceries.’

Nodding eagerly, Lilly scooped the last drops into her mouth and jumped from her seat.

They left the ice cream parlour and headed for the toy store. Overhead, the sun seemed to be weaving between the clouds, gently heading towards the horizon before bringing the inevitable chill of night upon them.

The ding of the bell chimed and the group of three workers looked over from a private conversation they were having in the corner. It was always the same at this time of day as the store’s closing time approached, quiet and unofficial, a little too lackadaisical for Lisa’s liking. She wouldn’t get away with it at The Burger Joint.

Lilly looked at everything while moving from shelf to shelf, touching everything she could, just as Lisa would when buying clothes. For her daughter, though, it was like being in another world with airplanes hanging from the ceiling, a train set moving around, and a remote control car ready to be tested beside game consoles. A lot of effort had gone into bringing the best experience necessary and an experience is exactly what it was.

Lisa noticed the workers looking on, impatient. They knew there’d be no sale, just like most of the other times Lisa had brought Lilly here, and with it nearing closing time, they were eager to lock up and go. They couldn’t ask them to leave in fear of Lisa doing something to their coffee when next in the diner. So they sucked it up, put on a happy face, and waited it out.

Fifteen minutes later, Lisa was waiting at the door with hopeful gazes on her. She sensed it and, not wanting to push her luck, she asked Lilly, ‘You ready to go.’

She ran up to her and they said a polite thank you and goodbye and headed for the grocery store.

Hand in hand, they strolled gently along the sidewalk towards a crossing. The sun had almost vanished and the sky dimmed with a beautiful red glow. She wanted to hurry and get what she needed before walking through the cold bite coming from the mountains.

We have enough food in for tonight.

Lisa said to Lilly, ‘You know what? We can buy groceries tomorrow. Let’s go home.’

Lilly smiled. ‘All right.’

Chapter Two

The next morning, as it was Saturday, Lisa left Lilly alone to sleep a little longer and cleaned what there was to clean in the apartment, which wasn’t very much at all. She felt pride in keeping the place tidy with everything in its place. Her friends would often joke that she was obsessive compulsive or something and she’d just laugh off.

The answer machine blinked.

Forgot about that.

The message from the school played, reminding her of her stupidity.

What an idiot.

Putting that episode behind her, she started a breakfast of waffles and syrup that Lilly loved. The smell wafted along the hallway and seconds later, Lilly came out in her pyjamas.

Lisa smiled. ‘I knew that would get you up.’

After breakfast, they watched some TV to let the waffles and syrup settle. The same cartoon they’d watched a million times came on. And then another one and before they knew it, it was almost lunch time.

Time to go to the store.

Lisa helped Lilly get dressed and ready for the walk to the grocery store.

‘I don’t want to wear a scarf, mommy.’

‘It looks cold out today. You need to.’

She pulled away and dropped the scarf on the floor. ‘No! I don’t want to.’

‘Don’t do this today, please. Just put it on and if you feel hot you can take it off, all right?’

‘What about if I’m cold I put it on?’

She had her there, she had to admit that. ‘All right, but promise me you’ll do that?’

It wasn’t cold out, which made Lisa happy as she knew she wouldn’t be able to get the scarf back on Lilly anyway.

Saturday was her favourite day to spend with her daughter. No work. No school. No worries at all. She ran through her mind what she needed and thought that if she had the time, she might take Lilly on the lake.

They came to a crossing with about twenty of people.

The ‘DON’T WALK’ sign was illuminated.

Lilly wanted to cross and Lisa pulled her back. ‘I’ve told you before. Wait for it to turn green.’

They didn’t have to wait long as less than thirty seconds later, they were moving towards another oncoming crowd.

Lisa held Lilly’s hand tightly and said with a comforting smile, ‘Don’t let go of mommy’s hand, OK?’

She held on tight and they headed for the wave of people. All shapes and sizes came at them: thin, athletic, obese. Most of them in a world of their own. The sheer amount of bodies seemed to engulf them and Lisa felt Lilly’s small hand slip from hers. She froze in the middle of the road. Around her was nothing but a moving wall of bodies.

‘Lilly?’

No answer.

She waited on the opposite sidewalk.

The road cleared and cars began moving again. Still no child.

‘Lilly?’

Nothing.

‘Lilly!’ she yelled.

She was gone.

Lisa stood, frozen on the spot, her heart racing and breathing laboured. She looked left and right, seeing nothing, yet seeing everything. Nobody took any notice, brushing off her as if some mundane statue.

‘Lilly?’

She knew Lilly had definitely not made it over to this side of the road so, without thinking, she ran into the traffic where she was greeted by an orchestra of horns.

Lilly was not on the other side.

‘Lilly?’

She asked people: ‘Have you seen a little girl?’ To which, they replied with a muted, vacant response. It was like everybody’s friend was suddenly a stranger in a town that didn’t care.

She ran to the toy store, hopeful to find her inside playing with the toys.

‘Is Lilly here?’ she asked one if the till clerks, out of breath.

They said they hadn’t seen her since last night.

She ran her fingers through her hair to