Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
All the way back to her condo, Chaney kept stealing glances at Rawlins as they rode in silence. She couldn’t get it out of her head that his reaction to her confrontation with Roger was that he had to like her. And if he wouldn’t admit it, then she was going to coax it out of him.
When they arrived, she got out of the car and hurried to the front door to unlock it. “I think I’m going to take a shower and change,” she said.
“Don’t you think we need to discuss your behavior?”
“No. I already told you why I stood up for Josie. I’d do it again if presented with the same circumstances.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?” Rawlins demanded.
“I’m not. It’s clear that we’re not going to see eye to eye on this,” she said.
“I’m going to go for a walk. I need to clear my head,” he said.
“Fine,” she told him, marching past him.
He watched her go inside not understanding how she’d gotten under his skin so quickly. He didn’t know what he’d do or feel if something happened to her. He was her protector. He was supposed to keep her safe. How could he do that if she deliberately put herself in harm’s way? Or was she showing her strength and independence?
Turning away from the condo, he returned to the park and the swings, trying to work out his feelings over what had transpired that afternoon. It was clear he needed to figure out a way to stay close to Chaney while at The Village until Roger was gone. He had a sinking suspicion that Roger would not let this issue drop, no matter how much the counselors talked to him.
For some reason Chaney had decided to become Josie’s champion. He had to admire her for this, but at the same time, he couldn’t allow her to put herself in danger with Roger. Roger needed to stay away from Josie which would keep Roger away from Chaney. Otherwise, this could all blow up into a big mess for everyone.
And more importantly, he needed to figure out how Chaney volunteering at the shelter wasn’t going to become part of the problem of him keeping her safe. And of interfering in their relationship–whatever that was. It was important to Chaney to help Josie right now and he got that. She needed to feel useful after everything she’d been through.
He’d had a similar need after his hospitalization when he’d been told that his lungs had been damaged from toxic fume inhalation after rescuing Rafferty and his teammates on that fatal mission. If he hadn’t jumped that Blackhawk to visit Raff and his battalion, his brother, might have been lost when they’d been called out to rescue that convoy. The thought still made his heart hurt.
Perhaps Chaney had been right. He wouldn’t have stood by and allowed Roger to get at Josie either. Just like he hadn’t been willing to let Rafferty and his men go out to save that convoy shorthanded. He’d willingly gone with them. And his being there that day meant that every one of those men made it back alive. Sure, some were injured and had to be medically discharged like him and Rafferty, but they were alive.
His chest constricted and he had trouble breathing at the memory of his injury and he unzipped his utility pouch, digging out his inhaler. He put it to his mouth and pumped, breathing in receiving the relief he needed and turned back toward Chaney’s place.
He let his anger go for now, but he vowed to keep a close watch over her until Roger was gone. It was the only thing he could do.
When he returned to the condo, he found Chaney and sat her down on the sofa. “I want to ask you to be more careful where Roger is concerned,” he said. “It’s my job as your protector to keep you safe. Why do you think I’m at The Village to put in the security system? Hank made it possible for me to be there so I could still keep an eye on you.”
“I understand, but–”
“No, buts, Chaney. This is serious. I can’t have you putting yourself or others in danger,” he said. “You’re only a volunteer. Not a counselor. Leave Josie’s problem to the counselors.”
The next day…
Chaney was glad Rawlins’ anger had subsided for the most part after his walk the day before. She took his advice and decided to avoid Roger if she could while he was still at The Village. She just hoped Roger could stay away from Josie.
She was shadowing Lydia again and she sat in on her 10:15 session. The same teens showed up, minus Roger, which seemed to make everyone more relaxed. Afterwards, Lydia took Chaney to meet with Tom, one of the counselors who had been working with Roger.
“Tom, this is Chaney, a new volunteer,” Lydia explained. “Hannah suggested she meet with you briefly since Roger has taken issue with her.”
“Ah,” Tom said. “Nice to meet you Chaney. You must be the one standing in Roger’s way of getting near Josie?”
“I am,” Chaney said.
“I’ll leave you two to get better acquainted,” Lydia said, closing the door behind her.
“Take a seat,” Tom offered. “Let’s chat briefly on ways you can better deal with Roger while he is still here. We don’t need you and Roger having another face to face like yesterday.”
Chaney took a deep breath. “I can stand up for myself. And as long as I don’t back down to him, I don’t think he’ll hurt me.”
Tom pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. “I can’t tell if that is stubbornness or courage.”
“Maybe a little of both,” Chaney said. “I’ve survived being human trafficked. A bully like Roger is not going to make me wilt like a shrinking violet.”
“No, I don’t suppose he would, but still, we can’t take the risk of him doing something to harm you or anyone else in the shelter while he is here.”
“I get that. So, I will avoid him at all costs if I can,” Chaney said. “I had already decided to do this as long as he stays away from Josie.”
Tom nodded. “Thank you for your candor. And I’m sorry for what you have been through. But be careful, don’t allow your experience to turn you into a crusader. You can’t save everyone. And if that is why you are here, then maybe Hannah needs to rethink allowing you to be a volunteer. Because that is why you are here. To be a volunteer. You’re not here as a counselor. Your job is to help on projects and serve where needed. I know you are shadowing Lydia right now, learning the program, but soon you will move to another area of the shelter to learn it.”
“I understand and that isn’t my intentions,” Chaney assured him. “I came here to see whether or not working in this capacity was a good fit before I switched my major to social work. My own counselor suggested it when I told her I was thinking of making the change. She put me in touch with Hannah.”
“I see,” Tom said.
“The fact that I met Josie on my first day and saw she needed help … well, it just happened,” Chaney said. “My parents are very controlling. Josie and I are similar because of what Roger’s trying to do to her.”
She scooted forward to the edge of the chair. “And after our conversation yesterday, I fear that the girl is headed for a life of being in one domestic violence relationship after another.”
Tom tilted his head to the side and nodded.
“That cycle needs to stop before it gets started,” Chaney said. “Now maybe you think I’m too young to feel this way. That I have no training to make this judgement call, and all I’ve really done is read up on it after my own experience with being trafficked, but I see a na?ve girl who is being bullied from a stronger male. She tells me she wants out. And then he starts to be loving toward her and she forgives him and thinks everything is going to be great again. Then the pattern begins all over again.”
“Yes, your assessment is right. I’ve had similar conversations with Josie about Roger.” Tom stood, raising his arm for her to do the same. She followed suit and they walked to the door. “You have a good head on your shoulders. I think you’ll be a good social worker if you keep from going rogue. Remember that you can’t save everyone, Chaney. You might want to do it, but just because there’s a problem doesn’t mean that you can always find the solution. You’re there to help and sometimes, offering support is all you can do. That’s the kicker in this line of work.”
Chaney slowly nodded. “I see what you’re saying. Thank you. I will remember that. Even though I want Josie to get out of this vicious cycle she may not unless she acts herself.”
“That’s right. Josie has to do it,” Tom said. “We can’t do it for her.”
He opened the door. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Same.”
Chaney headed back to Lydia’s office, but she didn’t get far when she came face to face with Roger who came around the corner eating an apple. She sidestepped so he could go on by, but he moved in the same direction, grinning at her.
“Well, well, look who we have here. If it isn’t the Chaney bitch,” Roger sneered. “Didn’t I tell you I’d get you one way or another.”
“I don’t want any trouble, Roger. You should go on with your business just like I am.”
“It’s all because of you that I’m being sent away,” Roger said. “Hannah told me this morning that she found me a new facility and I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
Chaney swallowed. “I hope it’s a nice program.”
“Oh, so you did know about it?” Roger said. “But what I need is Josie. And if I can’t have her, then no one can.”
“You don’t mean that,” Chaney said.
“But I do.”
“Think about it, Roger. You’re just a kid, barely twenty at most, right?”
“Eighteen, so what of it?” He asked.
“You have your whole life before you. You’ll meet lots of girls before you find the one you want to marry,” Chaney said. Eighteen is barely grown. You have so much growing to do yet.”
Roger shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you bitch? Josie and me, we belong together. We come from the same background. No one wanted us. We were kids on the street, until she found her way here. It took me a while to find her again, but I did.”
“Did you ever think she was trying to get away?” Chaney asked. “Maybe she wanted to start fresh, put her past behind her. Make a clean start?”
A panicked look crossed his face. “You mean she wanted away from me?”
Chaney shrugged.
“No! Never. Josie loves me. I’m her man.”
“But she’s afraid of you, Roger,” Chaney said. “That’s the reason she runs away from you scared for her life.”
“She … she doesn’t … does she?” he said. He shook his head and raised a finger, shaking it in front of her face. “No. You’re just messing with my head. Trying to make me doubt things. Like Tom in those sessions, he makes me attend. Josie loves me. She wants to be with me. We’ll be together forever. You’ll see. She’s mine and no one else can have her.”
He ran off in the direction he came from, and Chaney slowly continued to Lydia’s office. She informed Lydia of what had happened, and Lydia contacted Hannah and let her know what Roger had said.
“It was good that you stayed calm and only talked with him,” Lydia assured Chaney. “You must remember you’re only a volunteer.”
“Everyone keeps telling me that,” Chaney said. “Have I been overstepping my bounds?”
“You are eager, and I think your wanting to help Josie has crossed the line a fraction,” Lydia said. “But we want to set the right boundary here going forward.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Chaney said. “I only wanted to help Jodie.”
“I know you do,” Lydia said. “And there isn’t anything wrong with that, but we have to keep in mind our roles here at The Village.”
Chaney nodded. “I’ll do that.”
“With that in mind, I do have to say that I am worried about Roger being so adamant that no one can have Josie if he can’t.”
“I am too. I’m afraid he’ll try to kill her,” Chaney confessed. “That is normally what happens in domestic violence cases when the partner is obsessed and doesn’t want anyone having the other. I’ve been reading up on domestic violence cases since I’ve been trafficked. Not actually light summer reading, is it?”
“No, but I get it,” Lydia said. “You kinda went down a rabbit hole, looking for awareness on one subject or another. And that is where you landed, I guess?”
“Yeah. It is,” Chaney admitted.
Lydia sighed. “I shouldn’t say this to you after I just cautioned about staying within our roles here at The Village and crossing lines, but maybe Josie needs to be temporarily placed at another shelter until Roger is gone. It may be the only way we can make sure she is safe. I’ll need to talk to Hannah about it.”
“But where could she go?” Chaney dared asked.
“Not sure,” Lydia said. “We couldn’t get her placement with another agency in the state that quickly, especially for something so temporary.”
“Too bad Roger can’t be moved immediately,” Chaney mused.
“Yeah,” Lydia agreed, stacking up a few papers on her desk.
“It’s your lunch time,” Lydia said. “Go on down to the staff break room and eat. Afterward, another one of the counselors Tonya needs help boxing up items for a drive we’re helping with. I need to make a few phone calls but will meet you shortly to walk over with you.”
Chaney nodded. “Okay. See you later then.”
Later that afternoon…
Amber and Tiffany dashed through the double doors of the large assembly room looking frantic where Chaney, Lydia and a few others were packing supplies.
“Lydia, Roger is out for blood,” Amber yelled.
“He’s hunting for Chaney. He said he’s going to kill her,” Tiffany cried.
“Calm down, ladies. What is going on?” Lydia said, stopping what she was doing to go to them. “Why is Roger upset now?”
“He broke into the girls’ dorm looking for Josie because he couldn’t find her anywhere,” Tiffany explained.
“He what?” Lydia exclaimed.
Amber nodded. “We tried to tell him she wasn’t there. Hadn’t been since we returned from group session this morning. We didn’t tell him she packed up her things and left.”
“She what?” Lydia said. “Did you report that to anyone?”
Tiffany shook her head. “We thought when she told us good-bye and that she was out of here that she was running off with Roger. She seemed upset when she learned he was being moved to another facility.”
“We’re truly sorry,” Amber said, her face scrunching in a weird look of contrition.
Tonya, the counselor in charge of the drive walked over to assist Lydia with the girls. “I’ll handle them while you go call Hannah. She needs to know what is going on.”
Knots formed in Chaney’s stomach as she listened, and she feared this was all her fault. She rushed toward Lydia. “Is there anything I can do? I feel responsible somehow.”
“No honey. You stay here and keep helping Tonya,” Lydia said.
Chaney did as she was asked and joined the girls with Tonya, she hugged them. “Don’t worry. Roger isn’t going to hurt me.”
“You didn’t see the look in his eye,” Tiffany said. “He blames you for Josie being gone.”
“He already blames me for him being sent to this other facility, so what’s new?” Chaney said.
“How can you be so calm?” Amber asked.
“Help get this done while we sort this out. I’m sure we’ll be able to locate Josie and keep Roger at bay.” Tonya ushered the girls over to the tables where the packing was being one and got them set up to work.
A few minutes later, Lydia returned, looking bewildered. “I can’t get in touch with Hannah at all. She isn’t answering her office line. I even tried her cellphone, but it goes to voicemail, so I went down to her office. Mindy her assistant said she left campus for an urgent meeting and can’t be reached. Something strange is going on.”
“I better let Rawlins know what is going on with Roger then,” Chaney said.
“And I’ll inform Tom and see what he recommends,” Lydia said.
Chaney stepped out in the corridor to phone Rawlins, but got his voice mail, so she texted him instead. He responded that he was tied up, but he’d be there soon and she should stay with others. Stepping back into the assembly room, she went to the table and started packing boxes again, but she kept an eye on the open double doors if Roger came through.
About thirty minutes later, they were finished packing for the drive and putting away the folding tables when Rawlins finally made it to the assembly room with another male counselor. Tom entered a minute later as well.
“Listen up every, can I have your attention?” Tom called. He motioned for them all to come closer. “I want to give you an update on what has been going on. I know you are aware that Roger was making threats against Chaney this afternoon. Then he broke into the girls’ dorm looking for Josie. He has been quarantined in isolation at the present time. There is no longer danger. However, we still do not know where Josie is.”
Soft murmuring erupted amongst the room at this news. Chaney looked at Rawlins trying to see if she could read anything in his stony expression. But it was no use, he was in his protector mode, and he was unbreachable.
“Has anyone been able to reach Hannah?” Lydia asked.
Tom shook his head. “I spoke with Mindy before coming here and she said she has tried to reach her to give her and update on our situation.”
“This is so unlike her to go off campus during the day without someone knowing about it,” Lydia said.
“I recommend everyone go about the rest of the day as normal,” Tom suggested. “We have a security protocol put in place to keep the members of The Village safe.”
The group broke up and Chaney walked over to speak to Rawlins. “Do you know anything Tom isn’t sharing?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “I heard you have a talk with Roger in the hallway earlier.”
“I did. He ran into me, but it wasn’t a confrontation like yesterday,” she explained. “He still got a little worked up before he ran off because he felt threatened that he was going to lose Josie if he leaves The Village. He was blaming me for being sent away.”
“And then when he couldn’t find Josie he went to the girls’ dorm, I take it?” Rawlins said.
“Yeah, that is what I understand,” Chaney confirmed. “And he really started blaming me and saying he was going to kill me.”
“Shit,” Rawlins said. “I’m glad Tom was able to get him to come in to talk to him peacefully. And we took him to the isolation room to stay until he leaves.”
“I’m worried about Josie,” Chaney said. “Tiffany and Amber said she packed her things and said she was out of here. What if she ran off and she is out on the streets again thinking that will be safer than being here with Roger threatening her?”
“Why would she go to the streets when she knew Roger was leaving tomorrow?” Rawlins asked. “No. I think there must be another explanation as to why she packed up. And why Hannah is suddenly gone for the afternoon.”
“You think?”
He nodded.
By five o’clock Hannah was back. Lydia had asked Mindy to call her as soon as she returned. She and Chaney hurried down the hall to the director’s office eager to discuss the events of the afternoon. However, when they arrived, Hannah was already in a meeting, and they had to wait.
“Mindy, who is in there?” Lydia demanded.
“Tom,” she said. “Hannah wanted to see him right away. You’ll have to wait.”
Lydia sat in the chair, tapping her fingers on the arm, waiting her turn. Chaney stood, back against the wall wondering what was going on. She didn’t know if she should be party to this or not, but she wanted to know if anyone had any news on Josie or not before she left for the day. Would Hannah know? Lydia had been hopeful earlier that she might.
Rawlins appeared at the door, seeing them he smiled and nodded, but went over to Mindy. “I was told Hannah wanted to see me.”
“You can go on it.”
He tapped on the office door before he opened it and entered.
Hannah stood behind her desk, tidying up the papers while Tom sat in one of the two chairs on the opposite side. “Glad you could join us,” she said, finally sitting. “Have a seat. I wanted to let you know that Josie is safe. She entered the foster care system today.”
“How?” Tom asked.
“We’ve been working on this for weeks,” Hannah said. “Meeting to discuss her getting a ‘GED’ when we were really talking about foster care as a way to get away from Roger. She’s been hesitant to say the least about it. Unsure up to the very end. But when a placement came open this time in Greeley, she jumped at the opportunity.”
“Greeley,” Tom repeated. “That does put some miles between them, plus he’s going to a new facility across town so he won’t be the wiser.”
“Yes. And I’d like to keep it that way,” Hannah said. “So, this information should not leave this room.”
“Absolutely,” Tom agreed.
“I guess I’m unsure why I’m here,” Rawlins said.
“Because, Josie wrote a letter for Chaney. Can you give it to her off the premises and explain to her she has to keep this private?”
“Of course,” Rawlins said, taking the envelope Hannah reached him.
“Good,” Hannah said. “If anyone has any concerns about Josie’s placement you shouldn’t. It’s with a relatively young couple, late thirties, who had a teen who died of an illness several years ago. They have been eager to foster a teen in need. Thoroughly vetted and I believe Josie will be a good fit for them.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Tom agreed. “And it isn’t like she will be there forever. At sixteen she'll age out in about eighteen months.”
“Yes,” Hannah said. “Okay. Now I have to deal with Lydia. Oh, the questions she’ll have for me.”
Rawlins opened the door and Tom followed him out and left the front office. Rawlins took Chaney’s hand in his. “Ready to go home?”
“I–uh…well,” she stammered.
“Lydia, you can go in now,” Mindy said.
“Right,” Lydia said and went in, closing the door behind her.
“I guess I am after all,” Chaney said.
“Good,” Rawlins said, leading her outside. He opened the car door for her and she got inside. He ran around to the driver’s side and got in as well. Then he started the engine and drove across town. When he stopped at a red light he pulled the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“This is for you,” he said.
“From whom?” Chaney asked, slipping her finger under the sealed flap. She pulled out the page inside and couldn’t believe what she read.
Dear Chaney,
I want to thank you for coming into my life. It was your courage and determination that gave me the strength to leave, to cut all ties with Roger for good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If I had not seen how you stood up to him and not backed down I would not have found my own legs to walk away. Because of you I am starting a whole new chapter in my life. I am getting new parents, even if they are foster parents, but maybe they will see something in me that they will decide they want to make this a permanent thing before I age out. That’s my hope anyway.
All the best,
Josie
“She went into foster care?” Chaney said.
“That’s what Hannah said,” Rawlins replied as the light turned green. “But you can’t say anything. No one can find out because they don’t want Roger knowing with him moving to that new facility tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Chaney slipped the page back in the envelope and laid her head back against the car seat. “What should we have for dinner?”
“I was thinking Mexican,” Rawlins said.
“I can’t make that.”
“I know,” he said. “We’re going out.”