Chapter 18

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Chapter 18

“Ok, promise me that you will listen to the whole thing and not speak until I am done?” I asked, crossing my fingers behind my back.

“Hazel, we don’t have time for this Tell me!” he yelled, trying to keep his voice low. In other circumstances I would have laughed, but I didn’t dare.

“Well… So you know that Astra has got Marlon?” I asked and Aaron nodded impatiently.

“Well, technically Lisa has Marlon. I work for Lisa, Lisa works for Astra and Astra wants all of you dead, Lisa just wants the money. So really they have Marlon and he is safe for now. When you give Lisa the money, Astra will kill all of you and Lisa will take the money,” I told him. His face suddenly turned dark and his lips twitched.

“How do you know all this?” he asked me slowly, trying to keep calm.

“Because I work for Lisa,” I whispered hoping he hadn’t heard me.

“So you have been in on it this whole time? We adopted you and that was your perfect chance, wasn’t it? Was that the plan all along? To gain our trust and lead us into the trap?” he yelled at me, I flinched and took a step back, his enraged voice making me feel small. I decided to be honest, it was the only way he would ever trust me again.

“Yes, it was the plan, but I didn’t want to do it. Especially when I realized how nice your family was,”   I replied, looking at the floor.

“I can’t believe you Hazel!” he growled, his eyes burning, “I trusted you,”

“I know,” I replied, my guilt eating me alive.

“I don’t get it, what’s in it for you? Why are you doing Lisa’s dirty work for her?” he asked, his eyes burning into me, mine shining with unshed tears.

“Astra owns the orphanage, Lisa hates working under Astra and I hate life in the orphanage. She promised me that if I succeed in this task, we would be able to leave and have the life we’ve always wanted. No more orphanage and no more Astra!” Aaron’s face softened just enough to know he understood I let out the breath I hadn’t noticed I was holding. He stared at me for a while and then sighed. I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“Please don’t hate me!” I begged.

“How can I not hate you?” he laughed bitterly, taking deep breaths in and out. I looked down, ashamed.

“Help me think of a plan! So that I don’t lead you guys to Astra,” I begged looking up at him.

Aaron stood there not saying a word. I was concentrating so hard to think of a plan, that I jumped in the air when his phone started to ring. He looked surprised too.

“Hello?” I could hear panicked voices at the other end of the phone and knew we would be in trouble.

“We are nearly at the car, calm down! Ok bye,” Aaron shouted, jamming his phone back into his pocket.  

“I guess that was Andre?”

“Yes, we need to go. I’ll try and delay us getting there as much as possible. Try to think of a plan and I will cause a distraction sometime so we can talk about this,” I nodded and started to walk, but Aaron grabbed my arm.

“Hazel, don’t blame me if I never trust you again,” he told me bitterly; I gulped and nodded my head. He started walking in front of me and I followed feeling extremely miserable and uncomfortable.

As soon as we opened the car door, Andre started yelling as expected. Aaron didn’t even look at him once.

“Where have you guys been? It doesn’t take that long to go to the toilet!”

“We got lost,” Aaron bluntly replied. Andre seemed to realize something was wrong, he glared at me, but didn’t say anything else. He turned and glared at me once more. 

“What?” I asked. He simply shook his head and started talking to Andrew. I shrugged and looked out the window.  It was going to be a long day. My eyes closed and I rested my head against the window.

***

They have come for me! They are going to kill me, aren’t they? I screamed as Aaron aimed the gun at me and without a second thought he pulled the trigger. A second scream escaped my mouth just before the bullet pierced my heart. I woke up to the pitta pater of the rain splashing on my window and Aaron shaking me awake. I noticed I was breathing heavily. Thank God it was only a dream!

“Are you ok?” he asked me, but not with the comforting voice that I was used to. I nodded and looked away. I really thought Aaron would be angrier with me and not even talk to me, but I guess his personality just didn’t suit. In a way I wanted him to be angry with me and to tell me that what I was going to do was wrong.

The day past by in a blur, I didn’t think much about anything. I didn’t talk to anyone. Now and again Wendy would look like she wanted to say something to me, but then closed her mouth and said nothing. There was an awkward silence, but this time no one broke it, there was an occasional cough, but no other sound.

“Mum, we need a place for the night,” Aaron stated. I looked at my watch it was only 5.30 pm, but I knew Aaron was trying to delay us and also trying to find a way for us to talk.

“Yes, I agree, it’s getting late,” I replied.  

“Late! Are you kidding me? It’s like 2.00 o’clock!” Andre growled. It was funny how he could always contradict me, but when someone else says the exact same thing he still argues with me and no one else.

“It’s 5.30,” I stated bored.

“So?” demanded Andre.

“Please find a place for us to stay the night,” Wendy told the driver. He nodded his head with smile that I was now used to.

Twenty minutes passed and the driver finally stopped at a place called Kelso Sands Holiday Park. Walking up to the reception Aaron yanked me away and I ended up behind everyone else with him.

“I have a plan, when we get our cabin meet me outside. If anyone asks, we’re going for a walk, ok?” I nodded my head in reply and followed Aaron.

***

“Hello, how can I help you?” asked the reception lady. She looked quite young with jet black hair and one strike of blue on the left. It was unusual and some might disapprove, but I thought it looked good on her

“I love your hair!” I exclaimed. She stroked her hair subconsciously while smiling at me.  

“Thank you, most people don’t like it,” she replied still smiling.

“Well I most certainly do!” she gave me another smile and focused her attention on Wendy.

“Can we book a cabin for four, one night?” she asked.

“Of course!” she replied.

I zoned out, not really interested in their conversation. I walked around the reception looking at the various statues; some were coated in gold leaf. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a statue of someone holding the counties flag. My eyes widened as I realized that the statue was a replica of Marlon. Wow, people here must really love their President and his family.

“Come on Hazel,” Wendy called, gesturing with her hand for me to follow.

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