Kyla’s Secret

The following weeks were spent in and out of court. Kyla felt like it would never end. It was heartbreaking to hear the victims who took the stand speak of the horror they went through, some for well over a year. Although her own testimony was without shame and spoken with confidence, it made her skin crawl to look at those who had held her captive, including the former nurse. She shuddered at the thought of what she, too, might have gone through had she not been rescued when she was. She admired Corrine for the way she stood by her side throughout it all and realized more and more how hard it would be to leave her once the trial was over. Maybe home could wait a little longer. Kyla’s injured shoulder healed, but she was left with some weakness. A few minutes of therapy a few times a day helped to strengthen it. The doctor told her it could take several months to regain full use, but that as long as she continued to do the prescribed exercises, she should recover well. After nearly two months of testimony and ten hours of deliberations, the jury found all defendants in the case guilty. Although she wasn’t required to stick around for the sentencing, she and Corrine were in no hurry to say their goodbyes just yet. “We’ll have to talk about what we want to do,” Kyla said at the restaurant Corrine had taken her to in order to celebrate the end of the stressful trial. “You know what I want to do, Kyla. That hasn’t changed.” “I know that. But I can’t expect to never go home again, either. If I were to stay here indefinitely, I’d at least have to go back for my things—some of them, anyway. I kind of miss my folks and my buddies too, you know?” Corrine nodded with a smile. “Well, I’ve always wanted to visit Hawaii, and I’ve got some vacation time coming up.” The two savored their steaks and lobsters and chatted excitedly about the future. “You know, I’m not getting any younger,” Corrine admitted. “I think now would be an ideal time to settle down, if my dear Kyla doesn’t mind spending her time with an older woman.” Kyla took the hands Corrine slid across the table and said, “You’re much too kind to lie to, Corrine. I do have feelings for you, and I’m madly attracted to you, but so much has happened so fast that I need time to sort things out.” Corrine pulled back and said, “So, in other words, you’re having doubts about me?” “Oh, no, no, no. That’s not it at all.” Even the best of writers sometimes couldn’t come up with the right words to say. “I’m trying to think of the best way to describe my feelings, and it’s frustrating because I’m not really sure what to say.” “Why don’t you just tell it like it is?” “I’m trying to, Corrine. It isn’t you I doubt. It’s the overwhelming thought of leaving my family, relocating to a new place so far away, job transfers… that sort of thing, you know?” Corrine nodded, though Kyla wasn’t sure she really understood. Yes, she did have feelings for the officer. Yes, she was very attracted to her as well. But there was still something about her that felt a little off. She just wasn’t sure what it was. There was an intense determination within Corrine that bordered on control and pushiness, and this made Kyla want to tread cautiously. She’d always been taught to follow her gut feeling. Alarm bells could be sounding in her head simply because she was hesitant to trust people after all she’d been through, or it could be for a reason that ran much deeper. She just wasn’t sure yet. They left the restaurant not feeling nearly as uppity as they had when they first entered it. Kyla was determined to put the spark back into the evening. “So… when is the sexy officer going to have some time off to experience a little Pacific paradise?” “I think I can request some time off for next month.” “That would be awesome.” “Yeah? What do we do in the meantime?” “Well,” Kyla said with a smile, “I guess we just keep on giving each other reasons to believe my making such a huge move will be totally worth it.” “Oh, okay,” Corrine said matter-of-factly. Once home, Corrine announced that she was going to take a shower. Kyla hung up her jacket, glad to be in from the chilly air, and sat down on the couch. As she did, she felt something hard underneath her. She reached down and pulled up Corrine’s Kindle. She glanced down the hallway as the sound of water ran through the pipes. Would Corrine mind if she played around with it? She had been curious about Kindles and was considering getting one of her own. “Let’s check this out,” she said to herself, fumbling around the edges for any buttons. Her finger found its mark when the screen lit up. She wasn’t sure what to do at first, but when she finally figured it out, she saw folders for books, movies, and other things. “Ooh, let’s see what movies look like on such a tiny screen.” Most had their movie titles, but a few simply had a series of numbers for names. She randomly opened one and was confused at first by what she was seeing. The screen seemed to display nothing but a dizzying blur of movement. But then a young woman came into focus as she sat in front of her webcam. She appeared to be between eighteen and twenty-two years of age and wore nothing but a bra and panties. She had dark eyes and hair much like Kyla’s own and appeared to be reading something on the screen before her. Her face was expressionless. She didn’t appear sad, mad, angry, or uncomfortable in any way. She didn’t appear to be happy either. Just awake, alert, and focused on reading whatever it was she was reading. Kyla continued to watch with a sinking feeling as she realized there was no way in hell this was any kind of undercover cop out to nab a John. Too much time was passing with nothing happening, and why would they put someone in just a bra and panties if it were an official police investigation? Wouldn’t it be more likely that the decoy would be in a miniskirt and heels? And wouldn’t they be in a hotel? This looked like a bedroom in someone’s house. She watched as the girl finished reading the words on the screen only she could see. Then the girl rose from her chair and settled onto the bed directly behind it. She remained so still at first that Kyla thought she’d quickly fallen asleep. But then she suddenly reached toward the nightstand and retrieved either a vibrator or a dildo of some kind. That was when Corrine came up behind the couch and snatched the device out of her hands. “You really don’t know how to mind your own business, do you?” “Jesus, Corrine! You scared the shit out of me.” Kyla’s heart was pounding. “I thought your business was my business and that mine was yours since we’re supposed to be together. I’ve also been thinking of buying a Kindle and I wanted to check it—” “I’m a fucking cop, Kyla! You can’t just mess with things like this.” “Oh, come off it, Corrine! That had nothing to do with police work and we both know it. Why would it be on your Kindle if it was? That was no sting. Not in a bra and panties in someone’s bedroom as opposed to a hotel, and who the hell plays with themselves while awaiting the Johns they want to bust? All that was was your obvious love of webcam hacking and voyeurism. My God, why couldn’t you have just told me what you were really up to and leveled with me?” Corrine stared at her in a way that sent chills through her body like she’d never experienced before. Then she suddenly softened and said, “Come on. Let’s have some wine, and I will tell you what it really is.” “I know what it really is, Corrine. I saw it,” Kyla said, following the older woman into the kitchen. “Why sugarcoat it?” “You saw, but you did not understand.” Kyla sensed that Corrine was buying time to think of a bullshit story she might actually swallow. “So? What bullshit story are you going to tell me this time that there’s no way I’m going to fall for?” Corrine reached for a bottle of wine and some glasses. “Just hurry up and tell me so I can laugh and then make arrangements to leave.” Corrine poured the wine and placed the glasses on the table. They sat down across from each other, and then Corrine surprised Kyla with the truth. “You’re right. I had a thing for spying for a while, and I should have told you. But I swear to God I have stopped since we met. Those are just the few videos I decided to save.” Kyla took a sip of the red wine before her and wondered how long it had been going on. “But why not watch real porn videos? Why hack into people’s webcams and invade their privacy like that? You’re supposed to uphold the law, not break it.” “I know,” Corrine said softly. “I know.” Kyla rose from the table. “Where are you going?” “I have to pee.” When Kyla returned a few minutes later, she drank some more of her wine and said, “You know I have to leave, don’t you?” “Oh, come on, Kyla. No one’s perfect.” “How do I know what else you might be hiding?” She suddenly felt awfully drowsy. Corrine smirked and said, “What are you hiding?”