Page 42 of Fight or Flight
Katherine knew he was right. She should pack a few things and leave. She’d done it once before, and she could do it again. Irrational fears aside, she wanted to erase this evening from her memory and continue on as she had. Her life was far from perfect, but it was hers. She didn’t want to give up her privacy unless her life was truly at stake. She wasn’t sure if it was or was not at this point. Maybe this was just some whacked-out person who wanted to rob her—though why would they only take her flash drive and her notebook? It couldn’t be that simple. Was it possibly a deranged fan? She chewed on her bottom lip. Someone wanted to frighten her, and that mission had been accomplished.
“I can’t leave,” she told Doc. Before she lost what little nerve she had, she cleared her throat. How could she explain to these decent, kind folks the nightmares that had dominated her life? She’d always remember Adam, but there was little satisfaction in that. His killer, the brother that had survived, currently awaited a death sentence.
“What about the marathon?” Tyler asked. “What’s your connection to it?”
She wished she hadn’t said anything. “Just that I lost someone I cared about.” The room was silent as three sets of eyes stared at her, waiting for her to continue. “And it has nothing to do with this.” She waved her hand at the desk behind her.
“As I said, I lost a friend.” She knew it would be easy for them to Google the three who’d lost their lives that day and put two and two together. They must think she was truly out of her mind. She had to clear the air. “I was there the day of the bombings. I saw things no one should ever have to see. Looking back, I realize I was in shock. Who wouldn’t be? It was horrific.” Just thinking about that day could throw her into a panic attack. After another deep breath, she went on. “After taking care of my friend . . .” She paused. “I returned to my apartment, packed a few things, and well . . .” She raked her hand through her hair. “Here I am.”
Ilene asked, “Why here?”
Katherine recalled that day when she’d finally broken down and lost what sanity she had left. She’d taken the first exit off I-95 and drove aimlessly until she spotted a block of fast-food restaurants. She’d pulled her Nissan into the first empty parking space she’d seen. She was unsure how long she’d sat there, crying until her eyes were red and swollen. She remembered pounding her fist so hard against the dashboard that her knuckles bled. The pain forced her to focus on her situation. She’d scanned her surroundings, finding herself in the parking lot at a Wendy’s.
“Yes, why Blowing Rock, of all places?” Doc asked. “It’s nothing like Boston or Texas.”
Katherine nodded. “I know. I didn’t realize at the time, but I needed to be somewhere safe.”
“Listen up, Katherine,” Ilene said. “I’ve been around the block more times than I care to remember. Lots of people were in Boston that day. What aren’t you telling us?”
Katherine felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “That’s all there is to tell. I was in shock.” She looked down at her out-of-style black booties.
“Listen,” said Ilene, “you can keep lying all you want, and if Franklin and Tyler want to listen, that’s their choice. But I won’t. Either you spit it out now, or I’m leaving.”
Katherine wished she had Ilene’s spunk. Wished she’d done things differently. She took a deep breath and then slowly released it. “Ilene, you certainly know how to sniff out the truth.”
“I know that. Most of the folks I dealt with in DC know that, too,” Ilene said, her attention focused on Katherine. “So tell me.”
Katherine stared at the floor, embarrassed. She knew what she needed to do.
Chapter Thirteen
After all these years, Katherine hoped her nightmare in Boston could be put to rest. Now Ilene, a former CIA agent, might be able to take away her freedom. At this point, Katherine felt she didn’t have a choice anymore.
“Tyler told me this agoraphobia thing I have is usually brought on by trauma,” Katherine said, her tone serious. “Which I’ve had plenty of throughout my life.” Pausing, she saw she had Ilene, Tyler, and Doc’s full attention. “I’m sure you all saw the destruction, the insanity of that day on the news. I left Boston and never looked back. I believed things would calm down after I left, and wherever I wound up, I would move on with my life.”
“And here we are, still clueless as to why you’re not willing to call the police,” Ilene added.
“I’m sorry—it’s hard to think about what happened. I’ve never spoken about that day to anyone. There was so much devastation . . . people running for their lives . . . I saw a sneaker with a severed foot inside. It was awful.” Katherine shuddered and then took a deep breath before she continued. “Before the bombs, before all the confusion, I was in the crowd waiting for my . . . friend. There were so many people, a lot of pushing and shoving, and I bumped into this guy. Something about him frightened me. It was the way his eyes pierced through to my soul. It sounds crazy, and I knowcrazy,but this guy seemed evil.” She took another deep breath. “I stared at him briefly, then quickly walked away.”
“Katherine, how does this tie in with your own personal trauma?” Tyler asked her in what she now thought of as his doctor’s voice.
“I saw him. The guy, but I didn’t know who he was then. I was checking my email the day I moved in here, a few days after the bombings. I freaked out seeing his face splashed all over the news.”
She waited for their reaction. She waited for Ilene to cuff her and Tyler to leave in disgust. Doc to order her to find a new veterinarian. They said nothing.
Maybe they didn’t understand what she was referring to. “I saw the brother, the one who lived. He was one of the guys responsible for the bombings.”
Tyler spoke first. “Damn, K, that’s horrible.”
“You never reported this to the authorities?” Ilene asked.
Katherine shook her head. “No.”
The room was silent. All thoughts of the intruder were set aside for the moment.
“Katherine, you did what you did. I’m sure those two were spotted by hundreds of folks that day. You can’t shoulder all the blame. The brothers were on a mission, and no one knew it. You’re not responsible for their actions,” Ilene said, then directed her eyes to Tyler.
“Ilene’s right, Katherine. This tragedy probably caused your anxiety. Don’t blame yourself. There’s no way you could’ve stopped it.”
