Free Tears of No Return by David Bernstein Page B

Melanie’s head.
    “What the hell are you doing? You look like you’re going to wet yourself,” Melanie joked.
    Karen’s shoulders slumped, her body seeming to deflate. She heard nothing except for what came out of her friend’s mouth.
    “I’m waiting,” Melanie said, her mood no longer jovial. “You look like shit, you know?”
    Looking around the room, holding back tears again, Karen said, “I’m in some trouble.”
    “What kind?”
    “I can’t tell you.” Karen crossed her arms like a disobedient child.
    “Karen!” Melanie hollered, standing up. “We go way back and you know you can tell me anything. Please, I’m here for you.”
    Karen turned away, needing to see the city and its vastness. The open sprawl of buildings, filled with millions of people, made her feel less alone, but at the same time, compounded her feeling of isolation. “I’ve gotten myself into a jam and I’m going to have to get myself out of it, but I need to do it alone.”
    Melanie wandered over and set her hands on Karen’s shoulders. “Please, Karen. Just talk to me. You can tell me anything. No matter what it is I’ll be here for you and we’ll get through it together.”
    Karen turned and walked away. She needed Melanie, but at the same time she needed to be alone. Coming to her friend’s apartment was a mistake, but she had no idea where else to go or what to do.
    “If I thought telling you would help, I would, but it will only make things worse. Trust me on this.”
    “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Melanie asked.
    “No. I can’t.”
    “And you’re really in trouble?”
    “Yes.”
    “And there’s nothing I can do?”
    Karen turned to look at her friend. The hurt on Melanie’s face was gut-wrenching. She felt like throwing up again. Her friend really wanted to be there for her and she was punishing the woman by leaving her out in the cold.
    “Yes.” Karen did need something from her friend and asking for it after telling her she couldn’t share anything with her made the request even harder. “I need to borrow some cash and your car.” She looked away, unable to meet her friend’s stare, but not before seeing Melanie’s mouth open in astonishment.
    “Sure. Whatever you need,” Melanie responded flatly. “I told you that.”
    Karen felt the tears begin to well, her vision blurring. No. She couldn’t cry. That’s how Josh gave her the gift. Clenching her teeth, she fought against her body’s need to release pressure.
    The one person she could count on for anything had come through, even with the way she treated her. How could she take the woman’s money and car and at the same time potentially leave her defenseless against killer agents? She had to warn her.
    Facing Melanie, she said, “Some men might come looking for me.”
    “What? Who? The mob?” Melanie was clearly baffled by Karen’s revelation.
    “No,” Karen said. “Nothing like that.” Melanie was shaking now, frightened according to her body language and expression. Karen took the woman’s hands into her own. “These are really, really bad people—dangerous.” Now, Karen was looking into her friend’s eyes, making sure Melanie knew how serious the situation was. “I didn’t want to get you involved. That’s why I didn’t call. I was afraid they might be listening.”
    “How am I involved?” Melanie asked, her eyebrows bunched together.
    “By my coming here.” Karen felt frustrated. The more she thought about it, the more she chastised herself for endangering her friend. She pulled her hands away, balling them into fists, and stepped back. “They might think I told you something.”
    “But you didn’t.” Melanie went to take a step forward, stopping abruptly when Karen stiffened.
    “The men that are after me…they’re military, some secret branch. It’s only a matter of time before they find me. They’ll pick up on the call the paramedics made.”
    Again, tears filled Karen’s eyes. She blinked