Kat's Escape - Chapter One

Chapter 1 – Richmond, Virginia

Kaitlyn could not decide if it was the best day or the worst day of her life. She stood in the hall out side the examination room, hands pressed to her belly, gasping at the shock. Her mind reeled. She was pregnant. Her husband’s violent nature was never far from her mind and she knew this could be the last straw. This could get her killed.

            She was shocked at herself. How had this happened? They had used birth control. Here she was, a woman with an amazing IQ, and she had never expected this. She knew, with every breath, that a child was a gift, but still she felt fear of its existence.

            The only thing she had learned today at the doctor’s office was that she was pregnant but not how far along. Her mind slammed back to a particularly bad beating that had happened a few weeks ago.

            “How dare you try to slip that dress bye me? If we hadn’t been late already I would have made you change.” The anger is Chris’ voice was razor sharp. “Every one at the ballet tonight thought my wife was a whore.”

            Kicking off her shoes, she ran ahead of him to their room, tearing at the dress, desperate to get it off. What in the world had possessed her? She knew he hated her to wear the color red and the lack of straps and low back had only made it worse. She had been trying to make him proud but it had backfired.

The silk fabric tore as he strode up behind her and ripped it at the seams. “If you want to dress like a slut I will treat you like one.”

God she hated the mistakes she made. The tears dripped down her cheeks as he spun her around to back hand her. She had been so stupid and now she had to pay the piper.

Her tears did nothing to stop him as he slammed his palms to her chest sending her flying across the room. She knew she had messed up. She had defied him. And for what really? A chance to look sexy? That isn’t what he had wanted her for. He wanted the trophy wife. The long auburn hair styled to perfection, the nails manicured to a t. The trim body, fit and tight.

She gasped as his eyes grew fiercer. He grabbed her hair by the fist full and hauled her to her feet. “You disappoint me Kaitlyn and that is a very big mistake.”

He threw her across the room as if she were a rag doll. His FBI training made him stronger, tougher than most men, and it made the beatings all the worse. His field agent qualifications had made violence all the more real for them and now he was training to join the elite Behavioral Analysis Unit.

He was on her in a second, smashing his fist into her stomach. She knew she had to fight, had to fight as hard as she could. The beatings were bad but they were over quicker when she fought. She rolled to her stomach, crawling across the thick carpet, her screams filling the room.

“Fight, Kaitlyn. I dare you. Fight” She knew his words were said through clenched teeth as he prepared to spring another volley of blows and she tried to roll with it as his foot smashed into her side. He ripped the satin corset from her body, leaving her naked and vulnerable. “Now you will give me what I want”

She gasped as he ripped at his shirt, buttons flying. She hated this part, hated him and she tried to will her mind to be somewhere else.

She tore herself from her memories and shuddered as she realized the child under her fingertips had probably been conceived on that night. Despite the circumstances of its creation she felt herself already loving the baby, desperate to find hope in her shattered life.

Barely breathing, not even noticing the stares of the nurses as she passed she ran from the hospital. She had to beat him home. She had to keep her defiance to a minimum. If not for her sake than for the sake of her baby.

            She winced as she thought of the many forms of punishment Chris could heap upon her. She had to get to the car, she had to get home. She dared not make anything worse by being late. She knew she would already have to explain how she had gone over the mileage she was allowed. She had to get home; she had to protect her baby.

Kat left the parking lot in front of Dr Smith’s office and drove on auto-pilot, a thousand thoughts running through her head, buzzing around like bees in a swarm. She did not even notice when she passed the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, one of her favorite buildings in the city. She loved to sit among the pews to feel a peace that was so unattainable at home, but today no comfort could be had anywhere she looked.

She needed an excuse to give Chris, something to calm his horrid temper.  If he found out about the baby he just might go past the brink and kill her.

She was also thinking about her baby.  She loved the thought of a baby but feared the consequences. The joy and terror left her weak and confused. Could she do this? Could she be as wonderful as her own mother had been? She was sure that this gift from God was a push to drive her to fight for a release from her horrible prison of a marriage. She had to get away from Chris and bring her baby into a happy, healthy, and safe home.

            As she pulled into the driveway the tremors began to spread through-out her body and she fought the sobs that started deep in her chest.  Chris was home, his SUV parked slightly askance in proof of his anger.  Kat knew that there would definitely be hell to pay for being there after him.  As her husband walked from behind the large snow encrusted virgina pine tree that dominated their front yard Kat could not help the whimper that rose up in her throat and she hated herself for it, hated the weakness he always made her feel.

            “Where the hell have you been Kaitlyn? And don’t you dare lie to me.” Chris hissed menacingly as he grabbed her arm to drag her into the house. Despite the thickness of her wool sweater she could feel his fingers dig into her skin, his grip so tight she winced in pain.

            “Um…..w..well,” Kat stuttered, much to her disgust. ”I went to see Dr. Smith about changing our birth control method.  You know that the shot was making me ill.” Even to her ears it was a lame excuse and she could only pray he accepted it. She needed him to accept it. She hated how his stare could affect her. He was the one person she had never been able to read because he always looked angry. Angry with her, with the world even, and she tried to ease her fears of him but failed miserably.

            “Then why didn’t you let me know? You know the rules Kat.” His voice was harsh and she struggled to not fall as he pulled her into the house. She could tell he was angrier than he had been in a long time and she knew she had to prepare for the worst. She stopped herself from blurting out the truth, knowing her life was on the line.

            “I should have called but I didn’t want to interrupt your work when your BAU training begins tomorrow.” Kat exclaimed, desperate to keep the fear from her voice. “I know how much you had to finish up so you could make the drive to Quantico without work hanging over your head.”

            “We will discuss your lack of respect for my rules later. Now I want to know why Matt Perry has called me numerous times today.” Chris asked. She winced at the fury in his voice already waiting for the first punch to land. “He interrupted my work, Kaitlyn, and I refuse to accept that.”

            Hearing the name of her father’s best friend and her surrogate uncle brought a small smile to her lips, one she had to quell so Chris wouldn’t see. He hated for her to smile too much, especially if it wasn’t while pleasing him, he seemed to think she was trying to be defiant.

Matt, his wife Jenny, and their son Jonathan had been a huge part of her life and her fears were eased at the thought of hearing his voice. She knew he loved her like she was his own and she needed that tie to her family, even if only through her father’s best friend.

She had been wondering why he was home so early and now she knew the reason. She could not help but curse fate. “I was not aware that he had been calling.” Kat tried not to let her relief show. So far, so good. Maybe they wouldn’t fight after all, maybe she was safe. She was scared to even hope.

            “Yes, that’s why I came home, I was worried about you. Though I have to say I am glad, otherwise I would not have found out about your misbehavior until my weekly mileage check. At least this way you weren’t able to lie to me. Haven’t I taught you that you can’t hide anything from me Kaitlyn? I will always find out what you are doing.” He swatted his hand in the air as if brushing the subject aside, though Kat knew better. She flinched and knew he derived a sick joy from her reaction. “Matt said that it was extremely important that he talk to you and he couldn’t get an answer on the home phone and your cell was off.” Kat knew he paused to add another layer of fear to her already heightened senses. She knew he loved for her to tremble and quake at his anger. “Why was that Kaitlyn?”

            “I am so sorry Chris.  The doctor makes you turn off your cell phone since they are in the hospital and it can interfere with some of the machines.  When I called to schedule an appointment Dr. Smith said that he could only see me if I made it in fifteen minutes.  His office was closing early today for his annual month long vacation, but he was willing to stay to see me. I had to go when I did, I’m sorry I didn’t call, so sorry. I really didn’t mean to upset you; I just got caught up in getting there.” Kat whispered, afraid to anger him further and hoping desperately that her response satisfied him. She put her purse and keys on the table in the entry way and winced as the front door slammed. Kat’s hope that a fight would be avoided was diminishing with every breath she took.

            “We will deal with all of that later.  Go see what that man wanted first.” Chris huffed as he stomped off to his home office.

            Thank you God. Just help me make it through the rest of the night Kat thought to herself. She had to get out of here, she had to find safety.

            Kaitlyn took a deep breath of relief.  When Chris had come into her life it had seemed like a dream come true. She had been aching for a love that she had come to realize would never be returned and she had felt so lost and alone, as if she were floating in the middle of the ocean with no chance of rescue. All she could do was tread water and pray she survived.

            Even when the fist abuse had started she wrote it off as stress and figured she deserved it. The more it escalated the more she felt she had earned it. She tried harder and harder to please him. She worked out more than was healthy, keeping her 5’6” body exactly as he wanted it. She did all she could, but it never seemed to be enough.

            Kat walked into the living room to call Matt back. She could not help but be excited at having contact with someone other than Chris and her students. It was a rare treat and something she drank up like a horse in the desert at the first sight of water.

“Uncle Matt, you sound the same as you did when I was six. Will you ever get any older?” She asked with a laugh, happy to hear a comforting voice when he answered with his customary gruff hello. Kat hadn’t heard the telltale click of the extension and knew Chris could only hear her side of the conversation.

            “Kat, I am so glad that you called me back.” Matt exclaimed with pain and anguish in his voice that seemed to float through the phone line and tickle her spine. “You might want to sit down for this honey.”

            “Why? Is something wrong? I received an e-mail from Alex a couple of days ago and every thing was fine then.” She paused trying to gage the tone of his voice, desperately wanted the foreboding sensations to flee into the wind. “Tell me.”

            She felt fear course through her body. Fear that was so completely unique to her that it made her shiver with dread. It was not fear for her self this time, but for those that she held close to her, deep in her heart.

            “It’s your dad, sweetie. There was an accident on a job site.” He took a deep breath to steady him self. “He didn’t make it babe,” Matt said. Kat could hear the tremor in his voice and knew he was trying to soften the blow. “You need to come home.”

            Kaitlyn froze as it hit her that her worst fears were being realized, something that she dreaded would happen as her isolation and self-imposed exile grew deeper. Her father was gone and she was not there to help her family cope, she hadn’t even been able to talk to him one last time. She hated herself for that, and for all the time she had lost with her family.

She had trouble taking it all in.  Kat started to sob as she crumpled to the floor in a heap. She turned into herself, letting grief and guilt flow over her like a warm blanket. She did not know which emotion she was feeling more but knew that she wanted to let them drench her and aid her pain.  Chris came running into the room, and Kat knew her display off agony would probably only make him more angry but she couldn’t seem to stop her hysteria.

            Chris grabbed the phone from her hand. “What did you say to her Perry? She doesn’t handle stress well, you should know that. She is just like her mother when it comes to pressure.” Chris hissed. She hated the way he talked about her mother. She wanted to scream out that it wasn’t true, that her mother was so much stronger than she could ever hope to be but her grief choked her, making speech impossible.

            She dreaded the silence as Chris listened. “She can’t deal with this, Matt.” Kat hated each pause fearing what would come next. “I don’t care that he was crushed by rock as a loader flipped. He could have died differently but my decision is still the same. I need her here to take care of me. She isn’t coming and that is final.”

            She wanted to talk to Matt again but felt as if her body was weighted down by cement. Her father was dead. He would never know of her pregnancy. He would never see his grandbaby. She knew her mother and brother had to be devastated. She winced at the anger in her husbands’ voice, knowing how disgusted Matt must be.

            “I don’t care if Anna and Alex need her, I need her more. You already have my answer.” Chris said as he hung up the phone before Matt could protest. Her body jerked when he slammed down the phone and she hated that. Hated the fear he always made her feel, hated the stupidity and insecurity that ruled her life.

“Get up Kaitlyn and stop the hysterics.”

She braced for what ever came next, praying for her baby. She had to protect the child in any way she could. Chris backhanded her and she felt her lip split. She prayed it would be over fast, that her baby would be fine. He pushed her towards the couch until she was sitting down. Kat fought the urge to grab tissue to stem the flow of blood from her mouth. She knew even trying to move would be seen as an act of defiance.      

            She felt his stare as she kept her eyes on the floor trying to look as submissive as possible. Kat waited what seemed like forever and still nothing happened “Clean up, and get dinner ready. Do not burn it or I will have to punish you more severely. Don’t force me to hurt you again.” Chris wheezed, as he pulled her up by her hair. “Get it together.” Kat heard the derision drip from his voice.

            She was surprised that it was over but didn’t want to chance making it worse. “Yes Chris. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.” She spoke, proud of the strength in her voice, desperately willing strength into her legs.

Kat limped into the bathroom and stepped out of her clothes. She hobbled into the spacious shower turning on the multiple shower heads. She let the water heat as she checked over her body looking at her newest set of bruises ringer her arm where he had gripped her. Seeing the purple, blue, and green spreading across her cheek sickened her. Thank the lord that Chris had not hit her stomach.

Kaitlyn gave a silent prayer of thanks as the hot water covered her body, all the while knowing that there still might be more to come if he hadn’t been able to quell his anger. While the steam released the aches and pains that engulfed her, and the tension holding her body taunt, she gave into the grief that filled her to her soul. Silent tears streamed down her face as Kat thought of her father and missed him.  She knew that she needed to get to Utah, to her loved ones and her freedom. Her family needed her and her baby had to be kept safe. Strength filled her to the tips of her toes; strength that she did not know existed, that she thought she had lost long ago, somehow she knew it was from her father that her power came.

She would catch a plane to Salt Lake in the morning.  Kat could be in Springville by early afternoon before Chris even realized that she was gone.  She would go to the Perry’s, until she could face her mother.  Matt would protect her and she needed that, she needed to remember what it was like to have a man love her and want the best for her.  Besides, she could not go home until she and Anna worked through their differences. When that happened she and her baby just might have a chance at a happy, healthy life.

            Kat smiled to herself. It was her first real smile in almost three and a half years and it reached her eyes despite her grief.  She stepped out of the shower stall and grabbed a towel feeling a new happiness course through her veins. Kat felt like a new woman knowing that she would take control of her life tomorrow. 

            Life is going to get better, I just know it will, Kat thought with hope.

            She put on her customary t-shirt and shorts, despite the wintry weather outside, and went to the kitchen to start dinner. She loved this kitchen.  The marble and dark maple cupboards complimented each other to perfection. Kaitlyn could cook like a dream.  If she didn’t she would have to deal with his anger.  She had taught herself well so she could avoid his rages.  She had even learned to gage his mood to tell what he wanted to eat.

            Tonight she made his favorite, lasagna, something he always wanted after an especially anger filled fight. As she stirred her sauce and began preparing the food, she thought about the last time she had spoken to her mother. It had been two years since that last horrible conversation. Kat had wept as her mother once again displayed her confusion. When Anna Stuart had said she couldn’t deal with her daughters marriage Kaitlyn had taken it as a sign and had stopped calling home. She had been relieved at the split, grateful she didn’t have to lie or pretend anymore.

            Kat put the lasagna in the oven and went to set the table. If it was not cooked right Chris would become agitated and she did not want to risk it. She realized that the house was silent.

            She quickly walked through the house to find Chris but he was nowhere to be found and that bothered her.  He had not mentioned leaving and that worried Kat and started the tremors all over again.  She didn’t want to accidentally burn dinner while waiting for him to come home and hated how upset his disappearance made her feel.  She checked the timer for the lasagna and went to her greenhouse garden to pick some vegetables for the salad.

 The only sign of the cold weather she felt were the thick boots she wore to hurry through the snow. As she picked a cucumber, some carrots, and a tomato she looked up at her home through the clear glass of the hothouse, savoring the warmth and the view.  The house had been built in the 1800’s but it was full of modern amenities. She would miss this house. The wide, wraparound porch and the view of the Appalachian Mountains always made her feel closer to her family. The red shutters enhanced the white of the siding. 

Kat admired the hand crafted moldings as she carried her basket into the kitchen, careful not to track snow through the hall.  The house gleamed because Chris insisted on it.  The hard wood floors were freshly scrubbed and the marble countertops sparkled from daily polishing.

She jumped as the front door slammed shut, slicing her finger with the knife she was using to cut the vegetables, and wincing in pain. It was evidence of how tightly wound her nerves were.

“Chris is that you honey?” She called out, wanting to sound more cheerful than she felt, praying the right amount of excitement infused her voice, knowing it was expected. “You startled me.”

“Who else would it be?” Chris laughed, the sound both reassuring and scary. She hated that laugh, hated how it made her skin crawl and her spine tingle. Kat threw a glance toward heaven, beseeching God to grant her strength to be every thing he wanted her to be for one more night. Hell, on more hour would be nice too.

She turned around as he entered the kitchen carrying a dozen roses. “Dinner is almost ready babe. I made your favorite.”

He put his arms around her, and pulled her into him. “I brought you these. Can we try to have a good night?” He didn’t sound contrite; he sounded relaxed though, as if he had released some tension.

She smiled as she tried to hide her disgust, hoping her true feelings didn’t peek through her carefully composed facade. She should have guessed he was doing something like this. He always tried to make it better. “I deserved it.  Let’s just forget about it. Why don’t you go sit down while I get your dinner on the table?” This time though it wouldn’t work. She had had enough and her baby deserved better.

“Thanks Kat. You know that I love you right?” He asked as he turned to the dining room. She felt so revolted at even the sound of his voice. Here she was, a woman who had gotten her masters by 19, and she had let this man rule her life. How had she been so stupid? How had she been so weak, so gullible? She hoped her insecurities were behind her, but the curse of having a genius IQ was the knowledge that all insecurities were a breath away.

“Of course darling, I love you too.” She held her breath until he was turned away from her; then she exhaled shakily and thanked the heavens that she would be leaving tomorrow.

Kaitlyn finished grading her papers with a shudder. She knew that tonight Chris would expect sex. To him the more violent the better and if she wasn’t willing he was not above raping her. She pushed aside the grief for her father, the fear for her child, the hope that she would get away tomorrow and braced herself for the night to come.

She had come to accept that he needed sex after an incident; it seemed to give him another way to torment her. She slowly shut off her computer and turned off the lights in her office trying to prolong her time out of the bed room. She crept through the house checking windows and locks all the while knowing that the most dangerous thing was upstairs waiting for her. Kat paused as she walked up the stairs to glance back at the door, knowing that tomorrow and her salvation would not come soon enough.