I awoke with her in my arms. Her hair was fanned out in my face having curls grace my lips. The coconut smell from her hair tickled my nose and filled the space. I could only wish this is where we were but only at home in the comfort of our bed. The thought of last night creeped into my head making my friend become a bit excited too. I pulled her into me tight-letting our bare skin touch. She started to wrestle in her sleep a bit, waking up out of her deep dreaming.
"Mmmm..Ben not right now please..." she said tiredly rearranging herself into me. She started waving her hand aimlessly in the air as she was telling me to shoo. I chuckled a bit as I buried my face into her hair and held her tighter. When she stopped fighting me I places kisses at the back of her tiny ears. she turnt her body to face me. Her small caramel hand caressed my cheek as she stared back at me with her big dough eyes. She seemed to be even more beautiful than I remember. Her perfect browned skinned seems to glow with the sun peering through the window above us. Her black hair was sparkling with her eyes and her full lips were so hydrated I thought I was in a dream.
She started tracing the outline of my lips before she interrupted our silence "thinking about something?" She asked lowly now looking into my eyes. I took a deep breath. "No" I said drawing circles in her back "only that your beautiful...and that I love you" I said with a half smile. She placed a soft kiss on my nose. Her hands found their way to into my hair and she started massaging my head just the way I liked it. "You have to go" she said sympathetically. I knew I had to get our daughter I was just hoping I would find her alive. This job had always made me stressed thinking about how many kids go missing and are abducted everyday. But nothing can compare to the feeling of knowing your own, is out there .
I placed a soft kiss her on plump lips.
"I'm going to find her" I said trying to convince myself. "I know" she whispered wiping away a tear that escaped down my cheek. I never knew how she could be so strong in all of the toughest times. The little woman laying in front of me was everything I aspired to be.
Tina helped me with my clothes- taking her time with every button up my shirt. I placed my hands on her hips digesting the beautiful sight. My oversized Tshirt from college hung so low on her tiny frame, creating a tshirt like dress. One shoulder was exposed and her nipples were poking through the lettering. Its like she could sense me oogling over her because out of no where she slapped my chest which surely pulled me out of my trance. "Ben focus!" she said now straighting out my collar. "i know...i know.." i said trailing off as she slid my suit jacket over my shoulders. We stared at each other for a couple of seconds. So much to say but not enough time, so many emotions but no way to show them. She gave me a tight embrace, holding on to me for dear life. I lifted her and her legs wrapped around my waist. She pulled her head away to look me straight in the eye. "I love you" she said seriously. "please, come back to me WITH out baby okay?" she asked with tears threatening to fall. I kissed her forehead as a reassurance. "we will be back I promise" i said now putting her down. she walked me to the door.
As I turned the knob she abruptly yelled "wait!' I turned around in confusion waiting for an explanation. "dont forget the dungeon...where...she kept me" she said lowly now looking at the rag carpet below her feet. "we got rid of that hole" I said with a bit of anger flaring up from the memory of Tina being held down there for days.
"not...all of it.." she said now looking me in the eyes. "there was a whole other hallway that she took me down once, the door was a rusted blue with a huge lion engraved in it. It was below the room she kept me in." Tinas wheels were turning as she thought back to the horrid memory of being tortured and locked in that hole for days. "alright" was all i could muster at the moment. I walked back over to her and held her small hand in mine. I placed a lingering kiss on her hand and with that I was off. I had to find my princess today-because after today, it could be too late.
~~~~~~
We pulled up to the remote forest area. The tiny shack we destroyed the last time we were here remained in a pile of ruins at the center of the property. The greenery surrounded the pile along with an old wheel horse lawnmower from the 60s. The afternoon sunlight peeked through the trees lightly hitting the grass below my feet. As the sounds of slamming doors started to create a steady a rhythm, I knew today would be a long day. The crunching sound of freshly crumbed leaves hummed beneath our feet rang through the forest. Matt,Eric, jack, and Ryan all came around me waiting for signal. I didn't think us working together would be successful but we are all a great team. I would only want the best to find my little girl.
"Didn't we destroy this place years ago when she took Tina? " Ryan asked a bit confused. "Tina told me to come here" I said giving the forest a look around. "She said there's another part to the dungeon. We didn't destroy it all.." I said with my head held low and kicking a spare rock under a pile of leaves. "What?" Matt gasped now removing his shades. "That monster had more parts to that place?! What's wrong with her?" He asked confused. All the guys looked at me inquisitively waiting for the next move. "Armed?" I asked them. They all nodded and started following hot on my trail. Tina described exactly where this place was with extreme detail. With her amazing drawing skills she drew me a map of the area and what kind of door to look for. The small moleskine piece of tinted paper had a large blue door drawn in the middle of the page. A large knob sat in the middle looking more like a ship steering wheel with thr lion imprint on the front. There were specific cracks and peelings of old paint in different corners of the door-thats the door we were looking for.
After finding the latch under a pile of sticks and rocks, an underground tunnel was found. They all walked in unison, the way they were all trained. The tunnel wasn't how Ben remembered. It had been repainted with now dark blue walls. The cement floor still had bleaching spots and little critters ran across it into the cracks that were prevalent in-between. The ceiling was leaking, making puddles every so often. Different doors were along the sides of the tunnel. But none of them matched THE door Tina had drawn out. Out of nowhere a small cry rings through the tunnel. All of us stop and turn to each other. The cry rings again and Matt runs to a wall. He starts feeling around the solid blue wall for a button, or latch.
"That's Marci" I said now panicking. "I know my baby's cry anywhere" I said running into the wall now pounding on it furiously. Jack and Eric came behind me quickly grabbing my hands and pulling me away. They both held me tight watching me trying to squirm out of their tight grip. Matt keeps feeling around "Ben you are distracting me" he says a bit irritated. I finally give up. the door starts sliding. A long tunnel appears with the bumpy gravel pathway Tina described. "This is it" I said to them as they finally let me go. I wiped away a tear I didn't know that fell on my cheek. "Let's follow the cry" Matt said as he started walking down the hall.
Lights were activated with every step we took down the hall. The cries ceased and I started to panic. The door came in view and I ran to the door with the boys hot on my feet. I started yanking the huge knob in the middle of the door trying to pry open the door. "Ben stop! " Jack yelled. "It's a code dude you have to know the code!" I cringed at this because it was a morbid combination. Tina's birthday- because this was Tina's alternate cell. I took a deep breath and rested my forehead against the large knob. "0106" i said. "Wasn't Tina born January 6th? " Eric asked me as the door beeped signaling ita opening. "This was her alternative cell when we were getting close. My mom kept her here." I said now becoming enraged. "Man calm down this isn't going to help you think" Eric said patting me on the shoulder.
The room was pitch black once the door slammed behind us. Eric checked to see if we could still open it from the inside and we all entered together once it was confirmed we could. With his watch, jack activated his flashlight and hit the lights. A loud thump followed and echoed the room as the large studio lights started to wake. In the middle of the floor was my baby. She looked cold and dirty, with a couple of cuts on her smooth light Carmel face. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kill Mimi. But right now, I had to get my baby. I ran up to her small 5 year old body. Her blonde curls were sprawled over her face covering more bruises and cuts on her forehead. Her wrists had rope burns and a large bruise was on her stomach as well. Tears started filling my eyes. I couldn't believe this was happening. "Marci sweety?" I said to her trying to wake her up. I placed kisses all over her face. "Daddy's here honey I'm ...so...sorry I'm" I couldn't even finish a sentence. But her unresponsive body scared the shit out of me. "She isn't responding!! " I screamed at the guys. Eric took her pulse "it's really weak, we have to get her out of here now!" He said taking my baby out of my arms. As we were all about to leave a bullet passed my head.
"Not so fast....son." the disgusting voice said from behind us. It was no one other, than Mimi.
YOU ARE READING
Mimi (BWWM)
RomanceWith marrying Tina a couple of years ago, Ben's life blossomed into a dream. A strong woman and three kids later, his mother still feels otherwise. She had always taught him to stick with his own kind-but when she sees he is happily married she tri...
