Chapter 20: You Again?

- Blake, are you there?

Natalie began a text as she threw herself onto her bed listening to her mother and the ladies of the South Preston Women’s club go about planning another event for the upcoming season. It was the constant parties, constant phony charities and constant smiling for the cameras that made Natalie roll her eyes. None of them ever meant to do any real good for the people of the city. It was all about keeping their names in the papers and proving to the people of Cresting Heights what ‘great humanitarians’ they were.

                - I’m here.

Her phone beeped and she smiled as his name flashed on her screen. Nick had quickly grown tired of not having control of his phone any longer and added another line to his account for Blake. And now the two had complete privacy to talk and text until the very late hours of the night; an option they often took advantage of.

                - Are you ok?

- No.

                - Has something happened?

- Just my life.

                - Oh that old thing…I’m kidding. What can I do to help?

- Are you sure you want to listen to me bitch?

                - :)

- A normal parent warns their child about strangers; about the dangers of being out at night or developing friendships that could be harmful. Normal parents even give their kids the freedom to pursue the things they like. Mine, at least my mother, feels that it’s important I stay locked up inside or when I am out that I have someone watching me like a two-year old running with scissors.

- Well I can tell you from experience they definitely dropped the ball on that ‘safety’ discussion considering you were constantly risking your life sneaking into those tunnels to visit with a complete stranger.

- Lol! Whatever :)

- And then believing him to be some sort of unpredictable mental patient you gave him your phone number AND nearly kissed him. Yeah you definitely are in need of parental guidance my friend.

- Blake!

          - I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll behave. What got you thinking about this?

- Boredom. I’m trapped behind my bedroom door with nothing to do but think. My dad tells me I should ‘be myself’ but to be honest I don’t know what it is to be myself. The daughter of Estelle Silverman is supposed to follow her mother’s footsteps and never stray away from the perfectly designed future I clearly have no say in.

- I know saying that your mother is doing this out of love is no comforting thought but I’d like to think that parents regardless of status do in fact care for their children. I mean yours didn’t give you away at birth right? That’s gotta count for something.

- Really?

- Lol I don’t know, Natalie. I don’t have any experience with much of what you’re going through. And as you’ve probably figured out, I’d suck as a motivational speaker. I’m trying my best to talk you off the ledge with ‘words of wisdom’ to keep myself from saying what it is I really want you to do.

- Oh? And what’s that exactly?

                -Meet me outside of the waterworks building.

- Weren’t you just saying that I failed my safety discussion?

- Yeah but I have no plans of harming you and I said outside the building. I don’t want you going in there just in case there are some dangers lurking in the shadows waiting to reach out and grab you.

- Ah so now you’re encouraging bad behaviors are you?

                - Only when I think it benefits me. Do you think you can sneak out for a few?

- That’s about as impossible as me quitting ballet at this point. Brody’s right outside my door and my mother is beneath my bedroom window with four of her closest friends.

                - Alright, then I’ll come to you.

- Blake do you really think that’s wise?

- I think we could both use some cheering up right about now and nothing would make me happier than to put a smile on your face, Natalie.

-…plus you kinda owe me a kiss.

It was a bold move, one that gave Blake pause before he hit the send button and hoping his last text wouldn’t send her running for the hills. Natalie smiled as she read the last message he sent and curled her legs into her chest as she lightly tapped her phone thinking up her reply.

Their first kiss had been interrupted and sadly after that she never got the chance to be alone with him again to possibly make up for the missed opportunity. That night though was something that weighed heavy in her thoughts and she wondered what it would have been like finally sealing the deal. Moving her fingers as quickly as she could she shot off her response and hopped up from the bed. 

- Damn you’re right and I hate being indebted to people. A Silverman always pays her way. Alright, waterworks it is. I’ll tell my parents I’m going for a jog; it’s one of the only times I can have ‘real’ privacy since no one else likes to run.

- Great! I’m starting there now so give me a few minutes head start since I’m on the other side of town. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.

Natalie waited outside the abandoned building, checking her watch every few minutes as she stretched. Even with the ten minute head start she gave him, she’d beaten Blake to their rendezvous point. Time was quickly getting away from her as Brody would come searching for her at any moment now and she’d not have as much time as she would have wanted to see him. Pulling out her cell phone she jotted a quick note to Blake letting him know she’d arrived and waited for his response.

“It looks like rain.” She turned with a start to find Brody standing behind her with an umbrella in his hand. Thin lips pressed into a stoic expression as he slowly moved towards her. “Have a good run?”

“It was fine, thank you.” Looking up at the trees that were now swaying back and forth as the incoming storm moved closer to the city, she heard the beep of an incoming text and brought her phone to her eyes to examine the message. A smile started on her face when she read: Almost there, and she slid the device back inside her back pocket.

“Come on. I’d better get you home before your father starts to worry.” 

“I know the way back Brody. I can jog home myself.”

“And I was advised to pick you up and drive you, Ms. Silverman.” He held open the passenger door to the black Rolls Royce and waited for her to start over.

“Is it possible to have a few more minutes to myself? I’m not ready to be locked back up inside my cage just yet.”

Brody smiled and the sight of it made Natalie do a double take. In all his time working for the family she’d never seen his lips curl into anything other than a scowl that seemed permanently stitched into his skin. “Fine. You have until I finish my cigarette,” he replied shutting the door and moving around to the driver’s side to smoke.

- Blake where are you? Brody’s here. My parents sent him after me so I don’t run into the storm.

She pretended to stretch a little more as she felt Brody’s eyes on her back and jogged in place a moment. Fingering the button on the side of her phone, she turned off the sound and waited again to hear from Blake.

- I’m sorry I got held up on the 4^th street Drawbridge there was a boat passing and they let it up. I can see the building from here though. I’ll meet you around back.

- Please hurry.

“Time’s up.” Brody let the cigarette hit the ground, releasing the last bit of smoke from his lungs in a tight O formation as he approached Natalie again.

“Five more minutes, please.”

“I wish I could Ms. Silverman. But you have a schedule to keep and I’d like to keep my job.”

In that instance she looked up and saw Blake duck around the back of the building and sighed. He was too late. They locked eyes a moment and she shook her head no and started after Brody towards the car. “Do you ever get sick of following orders?” She rolled her eyes as he closed the door behind her.

“It’s my job, Ms. Silverman.” Brody looked up, checking the area before circling around the car. Blake quickly ducked as he turned his head in his direction and hid from view. Again a smile graced Brody’s face and he slid behind the wheel of the Rolls and peeled off from the curb.

Blake stepped out of the shadows of the large building and watched in confusion as the taillights of the car faded down the street. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Just like the night he went to see Natalie perform. In fact, it was exactly like that night; the presence of another just like him and suddenly he had the most awful pain in the pit of his stomach. “No,” he whispered as his mind put everything together. Blake jumped over the fence and quickly rushed in the direction of Natalie’s house.

Passing a few buildings that were never on their normal route home, Natalie sat up in her seat, pulled one bud from her ear, and turned the music down to address Brody. “Where are we going?” she asked as he turned the corner heading down main street before pulling off and driving over a set of railroad tracks she knew weren’t on her side of town.

“Was it not you who said you weren’t ready to go home yet? There’s something I want to show you. Just sit back and relax, Ms. Silverman. We’re almost there.”

They drove for a few minutes more before he stopped along a dirt road and hopped out of the car. Opening her door for her, he pulled her to her feet and together they started up the hill hopping a broken down wooden fence. “What is this place? I thought you said I had a schedule to keep.” She whined, stumbling up the hill beside him; something didn’t feel right. His grip tightened on her arm as he ignored her, moving faster as light drops of water pelted his shoulder.

“Keep moving!” Thunder boomed overhead and lightning flashed moments later.

Natalie jumped at the sight of it and Brody laughed at her fear as they reached the cabin hidden behind a large grove of pine trees deep in the underbrush of the woods. “Why have you brought me here?” She questioned, her heart racing from the sudden anger that flashed on his face and the uncertainty of what was happening to her.

They made it to the cabin just as the rain started down harder. The door opened and a tall man with dark brown eyes and a scruffy, thick, black beard looked her over before stepping aside. “You’re late! Dante’s been expecting you.” His voice boomed almost as loud as the thunder had moments earlier. Her heart raced even faster as she felt Brody’s grip tighten. 

“Well tell Dante I have the package. He’ll be happy to know she came without a fight.”

“Who the hell is Dan…?” She was silenced when a cold piece of steel was harshly pressed against her face. Crippled with fear, her body began to shake. “What’s going on, Brody?!” She cried as she was led into a small storage closet with just a bed situated against one wall and a table and chair against the other. 

“Your phone please.” Angrily she removed the device from her pocket and tossed it towards her bodyguard, trying to hit him square in the face. “Nice. Try that again and you’ll find yourself chained to that bed.” The growl of what could have been mistaken for a hungry wolf drew closer with the release of the cold metal. And Brody backed out of the room as another man took his place. 

His face was twisted into a smirk that sent shivers up her spine and Natalie shrunk beneath his piercing stare as he seemed to examine every inch of her body with sick appreciation. “I don’t know what you had planned for this evening,” The man spoke in a cold tone that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up, “but you can consider it canceled! I know it’s nothing like you’re used to but I do hope you find these accommodations suitable as you’ll be spending quite a bit of time in here. Welcome home Natalie.” 

The door closed with a loud bang and suddenly she found herself alone in a dark room someplace lost deep in the forest.

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