The Swiss Escape

Staying Close

I hold Kayla close to me and put a hood over my head as I run to the house. Once inside, I lock the door and call for Alex. There is no reply. I realize he is probably at the gym.

Mittens walks into the main room, wagging her tail at us. She walks to the front door, clearly wanting to go for a walk. I tell her no, then Kayla starts asking to go on a walk. My nerves and anxiety are so high right now. Every part of me is shaking. Every cell in my body feels as though it is vibrating from fear and adrenaline. I yell, “I said no, Kayla.”

Since I rarely yell, Kayla looks at me with shock and beings to cry. I should have explained that we couldn’t go for a walk instead of yelling at her. “Kayla, come here.” She walks up to me with her head low. I know her feelings are hurt. “I shouldn’t have yelled like that. Mommy is very stressed out, but that is not an excuse to yell at anyone. I know you want to take Mittens for a walk, but we can’t right now. Mommy needs to call Alex and talk to him about something important. Would you like to watch a movie?” Kayla nods her head. “Okay. Can I have a hug?” She smiles and immediately hugs me. “Thank you, sweet girl. Next time mommy says no, don’t keep asking, okay.”

“Es tut mir leid, Mama,” Kayla tells me she’s sorry in German.

“I’m sorry for yelling. It was not okay to react like that. Go sit on the couch with Mittens, and I will put on a movie.” I turn everything on and try to find a movie, “What would you like?”

“Can I have a movie about the dogs with spots?” I know she is talking about the dalmatian movie. When I get it to load and start playing, Kayla asks. “Can I have my yellow blanket and fishes?”

I smile, “Sure, I will get you some goldfish and your yellow blanket.” I go to the kitchen first and pour Kayla a drink. My hands are shaking as I try to pour the milk into the cup. Taking several deep breaths, I finally can pour her a cup of milk without spilling it. Then I put some goldfish into a bowl. Next, I grab her yellow blanket and bring everything to her. She lays back on the couch, and Mittens lays right beside her. With Mittens around, I think Kayla will always be safe. That dog would attack anyone that even thought about hurting Kayla.

I head back into the kitchen, where it’s quieter, and try to call Alex. Just as I am about to select his contact when my phone rings, Alex is calling me, “Hey, I was just about to call you.”

There is panic in Alex’s voice, “Where are you?”

“I am at home. There is something I need to tell you-“

“Lock all the doors. My gun is on the top shelf of our closet. It’s in a locked box that requires a combination; the combination is 7-2-9-5. Keep it close to you.”

Alex’s words scare me. “Alex, what’s wrong?”

“I will tell you when I get home. Don’t let Mittens outside. I will take care of her when I get home.”

My heart begins to race. Something has Alex worried. Did he see Johnny too? “Alex, Jonny is still in Zurich. I saw him today when I was at the shops. I don’t know if he saw me.”

“I know. From now on we go everywhere together. I’ll be home in thirty minutes.”

“Alex, did something happen? Why are you so panicked?”

There is hesitation in his voice. “I will tell you when I get home. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or Kayla. Just relax and know that I will keep you safe. I need to get off the phone and make another phone call. I love you; I will be home soon.” I tell Alex that I love him too, and we get off the phone. My heart is racing. Perhaps now might be the time for us to go to Sweden for a few days.

Alex

Kamryn left to do some shopping this morning. I need to go by the school and grab some paperwork. As I drive to the school, I begin to think about how different my life is from a year ago. Last year Kamryn and I had our first date. I was so nervous; I didn’t think she would ever go on another date with me. Now we are living together.

I get to the school and go inside. Turning on my computer to print some things off, I notice an email in my work account. That’s odd. I checked it this morning, and there was nothing. It’s rare for me to get emails over the holidays. Deciding it is probably a parent asking questions, I print off the paperwork and even send out a memo to the teachers telling them to enjoy their holidays.

When I am ready to leave, I open the email. It’s just an attachment. Feeling curious, I download the file. When pictures of Kamryn and I being intimate start to appear, my heart starts to race. Someone took the photos from my bedroom window. My bedroom window is so high up that it doesn’t need blinds or curtains. You would need a ladder or something to see through the window into my room. This must be why Mittens started barking last night.

Who would do this? There is nothing to indicate blackmail or motivation. What are they trying to accomplish by this? Why take pictures of Kamryn and I being intimate? I look at the email that sent the message. I try searching for a name, but nothing is coming up for me. Feeling frustrated, I debate responding. If I answer, they can tell me what they’re wanting and why they’re doing this. But then I have made contact with them. They will know the pictures bother me. No one here in Switzerland will care. s*x between a couple isn’t shocking. Switzerland has a different view of the human body than America. It’s clear from the pictures that Kamryn and I didn’t someone was watching. Taking pictures of someone in their own home isn’t legal.

I print off the pictures and head to the police station. Surely someone can do something. When I arrive, a man is working at the front desk. He looks up at me, “What can we help you with today?”

I pull out the pictures and hand them to him. “Someone emailed me these pictures this morning. My girlfriend and I didn’t know someone was watching us in our own home.” The officer looks at it curiously. He gets up and calls someone over to the desk.

“Do you have the email address?” The new officer asks.

“Yes, it’s printed on one of the papers.” I feel nervous. Who would do something like this, and why?

The officers tell me they will be back in just a few minutes. I watch as they walk into another room. My mind is spinning. Could Lana or Fritz be behind this? I don’t know if my parents told them Kamryn and I figured out it was a scam or not.

After about ten minutes, the two officers from before return. “Did you find anything?”

They look at each other. “We ran the email address. Someone emailed you using a hotel's internet. We were able to contact the hotel, and they gave us the names of three men.

The other officer begins to speak next. “We ran all three of the names. One flagged our system. Johnathon Miller. He threatened a woman about six months ago. Nothing was suggesting he was still in the country, so we believed he left.”

“The other two men have records in other countries. Since they have not broken any laws here, there isn’t much we can do.”

I stare at both in disbelief. “Can you find Johnathon? He is my girlfriend's ex. He’s threatened to kill her on more than one occasion. She fled America because she was worried that he would kill her and hurt their child. Can you go to the hotel and arrest him?”

The officers look at me. “They already checked out this morning. Sending the emails was likely the last thing they did.”

“What can be done?” I feel myself shaking. Rage consumes me. This man has hurt Kamryn, threatened her, and now took pictures of her while we were intimate. Kamryn is very shy about her body; I believe it’s an American thing. Nudity is legal here. No one would even give a second glance at someone without clothes. The human body is not something shameful here. Though it rarely happens.

One of the officers lets out a sigh. “Tell us if he tries to make contact. I would recommend you and your girlfriend be extra careful. If he shows up and you feel as though he will attack, have someone call us and try to fend him off. Since you will be protecting your girlfriend, it will fall under the self-defense laws.”

I nod, then I think about Kayla. Legally she isn’t mine. She is Johnathon’s. I would protect her regardless, but I need to know if I will get sentenced to prison. “What about her daughter?” They look at me curiously. “Technically, she is his daughter. He became abusive to her mother. That’s why she came here. I just want to know that if I need to protect her from him, will I be charged?”

They both nod in understanding, “Have you filled out a civil union form?” I shake my head. “Fill out a form. A civil union will give you and your girlfriend the same rights as a married couple. If she has full custody of her daughter, then we won't charge you. The girl will be considered an extension of her mother. But fill it out as quickly as possible.”

“Where do I go for this form?”

“You need to visit the parliament building and talk to a clerk. Since her ex is American, I am assuming she is as well. Creating a civil union with someone from a different country can be more difficult. Most have to go to their countries embassy and make a request. Then once that quest is approved, you can fill out the rest of the paperwork. I do not have enough information on it to give you any other answer.”

Everything is running through my brain. “What happens if you find Johnathon?”

“As you know, here if you just say you will attack someone, it’s as bad as doing it. When we find Johnathon Miller, there will be a trail. The charge will be assault with intent to kill; this charge will likely leave him in prison here for a while. We won't send him back to America. He made an offense here, so this is where he will serve his punishment.”

“And the other two men with him?”

“The charge will be assisting in violent crime with intent to kill, only if we can prove a connection. It will be easier since the men are traveling together to prove their involvement.”

“This man has the means to kill her and get away with it in America. I need to know there is no chance of him getting away with it here.”

The officers look at me, surprised. “What does he do to have so much power? Is he a government official? If so, that could change the situation.”

“No, he works for a powerful company. He’s a manager over a department of mechanical engineers, I believe. The company is known for unethical business practices. An attorney trying to help another woman get a divorce was found dead in her garage. When my girlfriend sought an attorney for legal advice, they told her to run.”

“Is she still married to him?”

“No, she was able to file in London. It took longer for everything to finalize, but there is nothing legally tying them together.”

They nod in understanding. Another officer comes out of the back. The two ask him if he heard about three American men walking around Zurich today. The officer nods and says three men by the shops were asking if anyone saw a woman and her baby.

My heart begins to race. I run from the police station to my car, frantically calling Kamryn. What if she’s still out shopping? What if they found her?

When she answers, I feel relieved, “Hey, I was just about to call you.” Her voice sounds different, like she needs to tell me something. Whatever it is will have to wait. I need to keep her and Kayla safe first.

I can’t mask the panic in my voice. “Where are you?” I hope she is back home, or somewhere there is an officer close by that can escort her somewhere safe.

“I am at home. There is something I need to tell  you-“

I feel relieved that she’s home. It’s like someone took a 100-ton weight off my body. “Lock all the doors. My gun is on the top shelf of our closet. It’s in a locked box that requires a combination. The combination is 7-2-9-5. Keep it close to you.” I know I am scaring her, but the thought of losing her is too much for me. If anything ever happened to her or Kayla; I would blame myself for not protecting them well enough. These last few weeks, I became more relaxed about letting Kamryn and Kayla go off independently. I let them take public transportation without me. Johnathon finding Kamryn is my fault. Perhaps I took them out too much.

I can hear the fear in Kamryn’s voice as she speaks. “Alex, what’s wrong?”

Trying to calm down, so I don’t frighten her more, “I will tell you when I get home. Don’t let Mittens outside. I will take care of her when I get home.” My voice was steady as I spoke. I wanted to reassure her that I would take care of everything.

I can tell she’s still frightened. “Alex, John is still in Zurich. I saw him today when I was out shopping. I don’t know if he saw me.”

My heart drops. What would have happened if Johnathon did see her? What if he decided to hurt her then and there? I wouldn’t have been able to stop it. I can’t lose the two people closest to me. Just the week that Kamryn and I broke up was hard. The thought of not having her for the rest of my life seems impossible.

“I know. From now on we go everywhere together. I’ll be home in thirty minutes.” I need to calm down. If I sound panicked, she will be panicked.

“Alex, did something happen? Why are you so panicked?” I’m not doing a good job of comforting her.

After taking a few deep breaths, I tell her, “I will tell you when I get home. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or Kayla. Just relax and know that I will keep you safe. I need to get off the phone and make another phone call. I love you. I will be home soon.”

“I love you too, Alex. Please be careful.” She hangs up the phone after that. My chest begins to hurt as I think about how close I came to losing them today, that her ex or his friends were so close to our home last night. What if they broke in and tried to take Kayla? I try to clear my head before making another call. It’s not one I am excited to make.