Sherry's Story

Premonition

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything associated with the Sin City franchise. This story has nothing to do with the plot/backstory of the movie or the novels.

***

“So kiddo,” Ben said, holding my hand, “when should we get married?”

“The sooner the better,” I replied. I snuggled deeper into Ben’s embrace and I listened to the steady beat of his heart under my ear. I was tired and wanted to fall asleep but I knew that Ben was waiting for an answer. “I don’t really know. I was thinking of going back to school.” I was worried about bringing up the subject.

Now that I was going to be Ben’s wife in the very near future, I was afraid that he might be one of those men who expected their wives to cook and clean for them and when the time came, to be a mother to his children. Because of my injuries, that wasn’t likely to happen but I remembered my mother’s words and dared to dream anyway. I looked forward to being married to Ben but a part of me wanted more for my life than being a housewife. I was hoping I would be able to finish high school at least. However, it seemed that I was underestimating Ben yet again.

“I think that’s a very good idea, Sherry. A girl should get all the education she can.”

“I’ve always wanted to become a nurse.”

“Why settle for being a nurse? You could be a doctor, you know.”

The idea of becoming a doctor was frightening but intriguing.

“Really?”

I felt Ben’s body move as he shrugged in the dark. “Why not? God knows you’ve got the brains. But that is years away. I’m more concerned with our present.”

“How about a Christmas wedding?” The weather was turning colder as fall approached and Christmas was always the best time of year when my parents were alive. Both of them were gone but I would have someone to share the holidays with for the rest of my life—my husband.

“Sounds good to me, honey.” Ben’s voice was drowsy and I smiled as I felt him drift off to sleep. Even though I was as tired as he was, my mind was busy; full of plans for my wedding and our honeymoon. I was sure that Richard would not mind giving me away but it was still awkward to think about. Not too many brides were given away by men who had paid to fuck them. I giggled at the thought. I resolved that Sable would be my maid of honour. She was the closest thing I had to a friend in this town. While it was true that she got me hooked on drugs, I could not forget that hers was the first friendly face I saw after waking up in the hospital.

The day after Ben gave me his mother’s ring, he received word that Senator Roarke’s planned trip to Korea had been rescheduled; the date was bumped up by two weeks. There was growing social unrest brewing in the newly divided country, ripped apart by war into North and South. His aides tried to convince him to postpone the trip but Roarke was a man who listened to no one. He was the owner of a several very large corporations that were based in the Far East, one of them in Seoul. With the country in such an unstable state, Roarke decided to cut his losses and sell out, rather than risk losing everything. To make sure that the sale went smoothly, he wanted to be there in person.

Because Ben was his primary bodyguard, that meant he had to be there as well. I bit my lip when Ben told me the news. I didn’t want him to go; I had seen enough news reports to know that Korea was still a dangerous place, even though the war was over. I did not burden him with what was probably an overreaction on my part. He had enough on his mind; planning and organizing the security arrangements for any trip the Senator made, took a lot of work on Ben’s part. He had to plan everything--from where the Senator would stay all the way down to finding the youngest, most appealing whores for him to fuck. It was a well-known fact that Roarke Senior had an appetite for sex that would make men half his age green with envy.

However, I did not have time to voice my misgivings—I was too busy getting ready to go back to school. The thought of being able to be a kid again was frightening. I had gone through more adult things before I reached the age of fifteen than many women do in a lifetime. But my experiences weren’t all bad. Out of the worst came the best—because of the gang rape by all of the Roarke men, I was now Ben’s fiancée.

As I watched and listened to Ben’s plans, I began to feel nervous. Once Ben was out of the country, how could I be sure that I would be safe? During a calm moment after making love one night, I broached my concerns.

“Don’t worry, Sherry, I’ve already thought of that. I want you to take Matilda.”

“You want me to have your gun? Won’t you need it?”

“I can always get another one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure I’m sure. You know how to use a gun by now, don’t you?”

It was true. Ben had taken me back to the Basin City Gun Club several times. While I would never be as good a shot as he was, I was getting better at aiming. I could actually hit the target now instead of the walls or ceiling.

“But having a gun here or not, I’m still going to be alone. It’s going to be a long two weeks without you.” I trailed my fingernails slowly down Ben’s chest towards the drawstring waistband of his pyjamas. I felt Ben take my hands away and hold them in his own.

“Let me be serious for a minute. Listen Sherry, I’ve been thinkin’ and I wanted to ask your opinion about something. What would you say if after this trip, I didn’t work for the Senator no more?”

If Ben quit Roarke’s service, I wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into him or his sons when we went out. “But you’ve worked for the Roarke family for years. Why do you want to quit all of a sudden?”

“I’ve been talking to Richard and I think I could do better working for his boss. He pays a lot more and you wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Roarke or his boys any more. I didn’t miss how they looked at you at the carnival. I know how scared you were.”

It was true. I was still afraid of them.

Ben’s voice was gentle. “And I know how afraid of them you still are.”

“How the hell--?”

“You have nightmares, Sherry. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard you cry in your sleep. I hold you in my arms and comfort you until you feel safe enough to fall asleep.”

I couldn’t bear to tell him that my nightmares had nothing to do with the Roarke men and what they did to me. No, my dreams were filled with something else. Something that was far worse than any gang rape. But Ben would never imagine what horrors plagued my dreams at night and I would never tell him. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to wake you…”

Ben’s finger across my lips hushed me. “It’s okay, kid. Looking after you, even when you’re sleeping, is my job now. And while we’re on the subject, I’ve even seen you look around when we’re out somewhere, expecting to see those bastards again.”

Again, Ben was mistaken. While it was true that he did catch me looking over my shoulder, it was not because I was afraid of seeing the Senator. My greatest fear was the police, coming to take Ben away for the murder of my stepfather. Despite his assurances that no one had followed him that night, I was still afraid. “That’s what I get for going out with a bodyguard,” I good-naturedly grumbled, trying to change the subject. “You see everything.”

“Damn straight, girl. I spot stuff other people would miss. You can’t hide anything from me.”

“Damn. Looks like I’m screwed, doesn’t it?”

“Yup.”

“You are the one who’d be working for that guy, not me. But something tells me you’ve already made up your mind.”

“If it affects you, then you have the right to have a say in it, too. But in answer to your question, yeah, I have made up my mind. I just wanted to run it by you first.”

“Whatever makes you happy makes me happy,” I said.

“Never mind that,” Ben said. Because it was dark, I could hear the anger in his voice. “What do you really think?”

As much as I hated and feared the Senator, he was a saint compared to the fat Italian known as Don Battaglio. I had heard a few things from my customers from time to time about the man. I had never met him yet and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Like Roarke, he was ruthless and brutal when he was after something. I took a deep breath and told Ben of all of my misgivings. It was a long time before he replied and admitted that the same things that bothered me bothered him as well.

“I’m just not sure you should work for the Mob, Ben. I’ve heard stories about the Don. Bad ones.”

“Yeah, me too. I just don’t know what to do, Sher.”

“There’s no rush to make up your mind, is there? Go to Korea with the Senator and when you get back, we can talk about it some more.”

“Would you like me to bring you something?” I heard the teasing quality in Ben’s voice and knew that he had relaxed.

“You’d better!” I warned.

***

The next few days were busy ones for me; Ben had to stay by the phone and wait for the Senator’s next call—which was at least twice an hour. I spent a lot of time picking out his clothes and getting them ready. I carefully pressed and ironed his shirts and made several trips to the dry cleaners. I packed everything with great care, taking pride in my efforts. No one, especially Roarke, would be able to say that Ben’s barely legal-age fiancée, couldn’t take proper care of him!

At the airport the next day, Ben enveloped me in a bear hug that took my breath away. I flinched when I felt the bulge of his gun and holster beneath his right arm. Even though my dad had been a cop, I’d never been comfortable around guns. Guns were made for one reason and one reason only. To kill people. And with Ben being a bodyguard, there might come a time when he’d have to take a bullet for Roarke. My grim thoughts were interrupted by the jet powering up. The flight crew hurried to set up the staircase that led from the runway to the cabin door.

I dressed carefully for this occasion: my skirt and jacket were conservative and almost boring. I could have worn something snazzier, but knowing that the television and news reporters would be swarming over the airport as they covered the Senator’s press conference, I chose to dress down. Ben took his usual station, standing slightly behind Roarke, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, his head constantly moving as he scanned the crowd on the lookout for any trouble. I was accustomed to Ben always wearing casual clothes but as I watched him, I have to admit that I loved the look of his perfectly tailored navy suit with matching dark tie. I thought he looked so handsome and debonair, I vowed that when he came home and was in my arms again, I’d rip his clothes off.

My head was filled with highly stimulating sexual thoughts as I dreamed of what I would do to Ben when he got home that I barely listened to the Senator’s long-winded speech about his hopes that other politicians would take his lead and try to help Korea rebuild.

You smug bastard, I thought as I narrowed my eyes in distaste. You’re not doing this for any noble reason, you’re only going there to recoup your losses and produce yet another photo op. I rolled my eyes and turned away, unable to bear the smugly smirking face of the man who was mugging for the cameras.

“Boy, he’s really laying it on thick , isn’t he?” a man’s voice behind me said.

I turned around and smiled when I saw it was John Hardigan. “He sure is. Likes the sound of his own voice, I guess.” At the very edges of my peripheral vision, I saw several heads turn and look at me but I ignored them. I was only speaking the truth and to hell with what anyone else thought.

John stepped closer and shook my hand. “Congratulations, Sherry. Ben told me the good news about your engagement.”

“Thanks.”

“Have you set a date?”

“Not yet,” I replied. I turned around when I heard the jet’s engines power up, preparing for takeoff. I ignored John, straining to keep Ben in sight for as long as possible. My eyes fondly caught the broad shoulders of the man I loved as he towered head and shoulders over every other man present. I smiled as he loped ahead of the Senator and opened the cabin door, waiting for his boss to enter the aircraft before closing the door behind them.

“C’mon, Sherry,” John said, giving me his arm. “I’ll take you home.”

“Now that Ben’s gone, it’s only an empty apartment.”

“Don’t talk that way. He’ll be home before you know it.”

“I guess,” I replied glumly. In the passenger seat of John’s cruiser, I was sad and silent. It had been less than 30 minutes since the Senator’s plane took off and already I was missing Ben terribly. How was I going to manage for the next two weeks?

John must have sensed my mood. “I know something that’ll cheer you up,” he said. He leaned over and flicked on the sirens and lights of his police car. “Hang on!”

I laughed in delight as the powerful car tore away from the airport, its tires squealing. Through the open windows, I could smell the burning rubber.

“Ben was right, you are crazy!” I shrieked as we wove through the heavy rush hour traffic of Sin City. Cars pulled over when they heard us coming and pedestrians jumped back onto the sidewalks when they heard us coming. I was amazed that we didn’t hit anything. It was all I could do to remain in my seat as John swerved recklessly around corners. I was having so much fun, my stomach was hurting from how hard I was laughing.

“It worked, didn’t it?” he said, grinning from ear to ear. With all four tires screeching, John parked in front of my building. As I got out the cruiser, I noticed a man in a dark suit standing at the corner. He was holding a newspaper but I could tell his complete attention was solely focused on me. I squinted and tried to get a better look at him, but his fedora hat had been pulled over his eyes, shielding his face.

“Something wrong, Sherry?” John called out.

“There’s a man over there, watching me,” I said.

Without a word, Hardigan got out of the car. “Where?” he asked, coming to stand beside me. He reached down and removed his revolver from his holster.

“There,” I said, pointing to where I’d seen him. The man had thrown his paper to the ground and bolted. Before I could say anything else, John was off like a shot, running after him.

“Basin City police! Freeze!”

Not surprisingly, the man did not stop.

“Get in my car, Sherry and lock the doors!” John yelled over his shoulder and I obeyed. I strained to see what was going on but both men were long gone. I chewed my nails as I waited and it seemed like an eternity before John came trotting back to the car. I leaned over and unlocked the driver’s door.

“Whoever this guy was, he got away. I’m sorry.” John removed a small pad of paper and a pen. “Tell me everything you remember about this guy. Even the smallest detail could be important.”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to tell but I did my best to remember everything. It seemed like the man had been waiting for me, or at the very least, watching the apartment building to see who came in and who came out.

I started shivering as I realized the possibilities. What if John hadn't been with me? Would he have tried something?

I didn’t sleep well that night. Every time I closed my eyes, the same dream replayed itself over and over through my brain….

The day was beautiful. The sky was an azure blue, with only a popcorn-shaped cloud here and there. Ben and I had gone to the lake on an outing. He had packed a picnic basket for us and we had just finished making love. Ben had been so gentle, I had felt no distress or pain. In the afterglow, I reached down and rubbed my belly, smiling at the vigorous kicking inside of me. I was almost seven months along in my pregnancy and I was getting so large, I wondered if I was carrying twins.

“Easy there, little one,” I murmured. I watched as Ben stooped by the shore’s edge to wash his hands. Birds twittered and swooped overhead and I lay back on the grass to watch them. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. The smell of wildflowers filled my nostrils and warm summer breezes skimmed across my skin.

The sound of arguing voices woke me up.

“No, I won’t go with you. I can’t.” There was something in the sound of Ben’s voice that I’d never heard before. I pulled my dress down to cover myself and struggled to sit up and see what was going on.

“You have no choice.” The other man’s voice was deep and gravelly and even hearing it made me shudder in revulsion. Something about it was familiar but I couldn’t place it. “You must pay for what you’ve done.”

“It isn’t fair--” Cold fear settled in my gut as I realized that Ben was afraid.

“You took my life and I’m taking yours.”

“Please, please don’t! Sherry is over there. At least let me say goodbye!”

I tried to move, to make my body obey my wishes but it would not. All I could do was lie there and watch. And listen. I heard Ben and the man who was arguing with him come closer. A horrible, nauseating stench wafted on the breeze. With each step they took towards me, the smell became worse.

There was a horrible sinking feeling inside of me as I realized who was with Ben.

“Long time no see, Sherry.” With horrible clarity, I saw my stepfather. Or what was left of him. His uniform was falling apart by decay and exposure. The same handcuffs Ben had used to bind him to the steering wheel were dangling from one wrist. He—or rather it—saw my horrified expression. His eyes skimmed over my body. “The dumb fuck got you knocked up, didn’t he? He’ll be a freak just like his daddy.” He laughed maliciously. “I’m not quite the man I was before, am I? Well, this is what happens when a body is left underwater for months.”

“What do you want?” I rasped. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle the nausea.

“Justice, Sherry, justice. Dead or not, I am still an officer of the law. And as such, I am going to take your husband with me.”

“Where? Where are you taking him?” I gasped.

“Where a monster like him deserves to be—Hell.”

“No!”

The flesh around his mouth and cheeks had rotted away, and when he smiled, I could see worms hungrily feasting on his putrefying flesh. I couldn’t stand it any more. I turned my head and vomited my lunch onto the grass. This could not be happening! It was a dream. It had to be.

“I’m sorry, Sherry,” Ben said. “You were right. I should-a listened to you.” His eyes were filled with tears and he stroked my belly. “Look after my boy, will you?”

Tom growled and his skeletal hand clamped down on Ben’s shoulder. “Time to go.”

I watched as they turned away and began walking to the lake. I tried to scream but I couldn’t. My throat closed, preventing me from making any sound. I felt a twinge in my womb. It was so strong, the pain took my breath away. It was followed by another and another, the pain coming in waves so strong, I nearly blacked out. I looked down and saw blood gush out from between my legs. I was only in my seventh month! It was too soon to have this baby! Waves of pain racked my body...I was all alone and there was no one who could help me.

I heard a hoarse cry after I finally pushed my baby out of me. For some reason, I couldn’t move. His cries became weaker as the umbilical cord tightened around his neck. My baby was dying and all I could do was listen…

I woke up and screamed when I heard the phone ring. The first thing I felt was cold, wet sheets clinging to my body, entangling me so I couldn’t move. I was in that dreamlike state between wakefulness and sleeping, and in my mind, the sheets were wet because they were soaked with blood.

I bolted from the bed and from the light of the lamp on the nightstand, I saw that I wasn’t covered in blood, it was sweat. The phone rang again and again and I could only stand there, frozen. As the fog of insensibility was swept away, consciousness and clarity took over. I relaxed when I realized there was nothing sinister or otherworldly about who was on the other end. The only person who would be calling at this hour was Ben. I forced myself to calm down and picked up the receiver.

“Ben?”

“Hey, kiddo!” Ben’s voice on the other end of the phone was boisterous. “Took you long enough to answer the phone.”

I forced myself to laugh. “It’s the middle of the night and I was asleep.”

“Yeah? Were you dreamin’ about something nice?”

“Sure was.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and I superstitiously crossed my fingers at the lie. “How was your flight?”

We spent a long time on the phone and talked about this and that but I didn’t tell him about the strange man who had been watching our building. Besides, I reasoned, what could Ben do? He was halfway across the world. While telling him might ease my mind, Ben would only worry needlessly. He had enough on his mind right now. When he returned, I might tell him.

Then again, I might not.