Christmas Youngblood II - The Other Side Of Kind

"Where are we going, Mr. Kind?" Asked Alice.
"We have to get away, just get in the car," replied Rory Kind. "...And as I told you before, it's Rory... just call me Rory."

"But shouldn't we call the police, Rory? I mean, he attacked me and you saved my life. Surely, the police would understand," lamented Alice.

An obviously distressed Rory Kind gave a piercing look towards Alice. Rory was totally disheveled. He ran his right hand through his brown hair to mat it back into place. Rory then said to Alice, "Look kiddo, I just shot a man to death. The cops will want to hang my ass."

"Isn't that self-defense, Rory?"
"I'm not a fucking lawyer, Alice."

Stunned by Rory's tone of voice, Alice became silent. They drove for a few miles, while Alice contemplated the situation. Rory glanced at Alice. He started tapping his right hand on the steering wheel. Alice could not make sense of the predicament.

Something was definitely wrong. Perry Isem had attacked her. Rory came back to the house and interrupted the attack. He shot Perry Isem dead. Alice thought Rory Kind was a hero, but this did not make any sense. Why was he fleeing the scene? Why did he insist on taking Alice with him? Why was Rory so nervous?

Alice looked deep into the face of Rory Kind as he drove. She was looking for answers to her questions. Finally, she asked, "Are you going to take me home, Rory?"
"I cannot take you home just yet, Alice. I'm sure the police are all over your house by now."
"I have to go home, Rory. My mom will think something terrible has happened to me."

Rory began tapping the steering wheel harder. A sly grin creased his face. Then he started to laugh loudly while rocking back and forth. Finally, he said, "You have to come with me now."

"Why," asked Alice, as she suddenly became frightened?
"The police know me, Alice."
"Isn't that a good thing, Rory," asked Alice?
"Not when you have a police record."
"What do you mean? What have you done?" Asked Alice.
"I don't want to talk about it...okay," shouted Rory.

The anger was rising inside of him. He left out a deep breath. He stepped down harder onto the accelerator. He pushed the 2000 ruby-red Ford Escort past the 70 mph mark. Droplets of sweat beaded on his forehead and slowly ran down the sides of his face. Alice was afraid. She started to twirl her blonde hair unconsciously.

"Please slow down, Rory. You're scaring me," said Alice.
"We have to get away. We have to get away," shrieked Rory. He guffawed as he continued to speed into the night.
"What is wrong with you, Mr. Kind," asked Alice?

Rory spun the car onto the shoulder of the highway. The passenger rear side of the car slammed into the guard rail. Rory laughed and laughed. Alice's head hit the passenger side window. She was conscious, but dazed. A trickle of blood oozed down the right side of Alice's face from a cut above her right eye. He leaned over and grabbed Alice by the hair. "No more fucking questions, bitch," yelled Rory.

Alice began to sob. Clearly, Rory Kind was not the sweet, nice man who she thought he was. "Please, let go of my hair," Alice said cautiously.

Rory slowly released Alice's hair. With his left hand, he cupped Alice's face drawing it closer to his face. Again, Rory laughed. "You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into, kiddo." He gently stroked her face with his right hand. "Didn't your folks ever tell you not to get into a stranger's car," asked Rory?

Alice could sense that she was in a lot of trouble. She had to get out of the car. She had to get away. She didn't know who the real Rory Kind was, but she did not want to find out. She needed to think of a way to escape. She could feel his breath on her face as he moved closer to her.

Rory released her face and sat back up in his seat. He undid his seat belt and opened the driver's side door. Alice sat straight up hoping for a chance to escape. She watched as Rory walked towards the back of the car. Rory evaluated the damage to his car. The rear bumper dangled from the right rear passenger side. A huge dent in the frame surrounded the bumper. Slowly, he walked towards the passenger door.

Alice watched as Rory approached the passenger door. Her left foot kicked something on the floor of the passenger's side. It was her purse. She grabbed it by the leather strap and pulled it close to her. She flinched when Rory yanked the door open.

"Get out of the car, kid," snorted Rory.
"What are you going to do," asked Alice.
"I said, get out of the freakin' car."

Alice held her purse close to her as she slid out of the car. Rory slammed the door shut. Rory surveyed the area. He was not familiar with this part of town. It was also, getting dark. Dusk had started to set. When Rory turned his back to Alice, she bolted into the woods of this densely maple tree populated rural area. In an instant Rory chased after Alice.

Rory leapt headlong into the back of Alice driving her head first into the ground. She landed with a thud with Rory grasping at her back and tugging at her hair. Alice flailed her arms at the ground trying to gain traction so that she could get back to her feet.

"Stop fighting me, kiddo," Rory complained.
"Why are you trying to hurt me?" Pleaded Alice.

Rory overpowered Alice and rolled her over onto her back. Again, Rory pressed Alice's face close to his own. "You never answered my question, Alice," screamed Rory into Alice's face as spittle sprayed from his mouth onto Alice's face.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Asked Alice.
"Didn't your folks ever tell you not to get into a stranger's car?"

"I thought I could trust you. You were very nice to me. You gave me a ride. You witnessed Perry Isem attack me and you saved my life by shooting him. I just don't understand why you insisted that we leave the scene instead of waiting for the police. Perry would have been in deep shit. I'm only fifteen. I'm pregnant with his baby. I thought you were trying to help me, but obviously I'm mistaken. You said the police know you...well they must know you because of something horrible that you have done," shouted Alice into Rory's face. "Get off me, you sick, twisted, and perverted, man."

Before Rory could respond to Alice, she gripped a brick from just above her head on the ground. With one sweeping motion, she swung the brick with her right hand and smashed it into the left side of Rory Kind's face. Blood ran down the side of Rory's face and onto Alice's face. She immediately pushed Rory off her to her left side. Rory fell in a heap. Alice jumped to her feet and scrambled back towards the car. She hoped the creep left the keys in the car. Although she was only fifteen, Alice had driven before. Her mom used to let her drive the family car at her high school driver training course.

Alice gripped the driver's door handle and swung the door wide. She jumped into the car and slammed the door shut. She locked all the doors. She checked the windows, but they were all closed. It was after all December. She threw her purse onto the passenger seat and tried to find her cell phone. Naturally, she found it at the very bottom of her purse. She dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"
"This is Alice Youngblood. I am the girl who was at the home of Perry Isem when he was shot and killed earlier today."
"What is your emergency? How can we assist you?"
"I am with the man who shot Perry Isem. He gave me a ride to the Isem's home. An altercation began with me and Perry, when I told Perry that I am pregnant with his child."
"How old are you, dear?"
"I'm fifteen."
"Where are you currently located?"

"I'm not sure. I've never been here before."
"Okay, we're going to try to trace your cell phone signal. Stay on the line with me, okay?"
"Okay."
"Do you know the name of the man who you are with?"
"Yes...his name is Rory Kind."
"Where is Mr. Kind at this time?"
"We got into a fight. I hit him in the head with a brick. He's in the woods unconscious.
Please hurry. I'm afraid he's going to come after me again."

"Okay, Ms. Youngblood? Stay with me now, dear?"
"Please, hurry. I think I hear him coming!"
"Alice, the man that you are with is a convicted felon. He is a registered sex-offender and he is a well-known pedophile. Where are you at this time?"
Alice screamed aloud when she heard what the 9-1-1 operator said.
"Where are you at this time, Alice?"
"I'm sitting in his car. We crashed into the guard rail."

"Listen to me, Alice. You need to try to find a place to hide. We have located your cell phone signal and the police are on the way, but stay on the line with me."

Alice leapt from the car and ran across the street opposite the wooded area. She ran down a short embankment and hid in a slight cave just below the street.

Alice looked at her cell phone, then whispered, "Hello, ma'am?"
"Alice, are you alright?"

The 9-1-1 operator quietly asked Alice Youngblood, "Are you out of sight? Did you find a place to hide?"
"He can't see me directly. I'm in a little cave on the other side of the road. I have to lean out and look behind me to the right to see his car."
"Good...stay put, Alice. The police are on the way."

Rory Kind staggered from the wooded area into the brief clearing holding the left side of his head. Blood oozed from the wound above his left temple. A sharp, piercing pain lanced through his head. Rory raced to his car and saw that Alice was not inside. Rory screamed, "Alice...Alice!"

As Alice peered around the corner of her little alcove along the side of the road, she heard Rory shout her name. She stumbled slightly as she tried to draw back so that Rory wouldn't see her. Alice's feet kicked some of the loose gravel and dirt down the side of the hill. Rory paused and looked in the direction of the sound of rocks falling down the hill across the street.

Alice whispered into her cell phone, "Hello...are you still there?"
"Right here, Alice", said the operator. "Are you alright?"
"I think so; Rory is up on the road by his car. I think he's trying to get his car started. Are the police still on their way?"
"Yes, hang tight, Alice."

Alice again tried to take a quick peek at the road to see if Rory was still by the car. He was not. Alice began to become nervous. She had not heard anything since Rory screamed her name. She lifted her head slightly to get a better view of the road. Rory's car was still there, but Rory was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a hand grasped around the mouth of Alice. She was spun around. Her cell phone fell from her hands and rolled down the hill. She opened her eyes and saw that she was staring into the dark blue eyes of Rory Kind.

"Hello again, Alice," spat Rory. He kept his hand firmly around Alice's mouth, so she couldn't cry out. He started to lead Alice back up the hill to the road. "We're going back to the car, missy," Rory said into Alice's ear. "I'm going to take you far away from here."

Sirens were heard in the distance and getting closer. Rory struggled to get Alice across the road to his car. Alice was able to open her mouth during the struggle as Rory's hand grip loosened on her. She bit down hard on his finger. Rory's blood gushed into Alice's mouth as they both fell to the ground in the middle of the street. Rory let go of Alice and grabbed at his injured hand. Alice staggered to her feet as the police swooped in from all sides and surrounded them.

Alice ran to the police, while the police ordered Rory Kind to stay on the ground with his hands above his head.
Alice said to officer Mills, "Is it finally over?"

"I believe so, Alice. We still need to take you downtown for a statement about the entire events of today, beginning with what happened at the Isem's."
"Sure, no problem, sir."

Mills said to Alice, "We have notified your mother. She will meet us at the station."
Alice said, "Okay, I can't wait to see her."
"She told me to tell you something, Alice."
"What's that, sir?"
"She said, Merry Christmas, Alice."