OF THE NIGHT ∘ Seth Gecko

02 | Sleeping Beauty

CHAPTER ONE
SLEEPING BEAUTY

SOMETHING IS DIGGING into my hip and my cheek hurts. I can hear a car moving and people talking every now and then, yet I don't know where I am. I'm hot and I can feel a light weight on my body. I keep my eyes closed just in case and as I wake up, everything comes back to me.

Jacob, the man with the RV, is the last thing that I remember before I felt pain spread on my face and I blacked out. He must have taken me, I realize and my heartbeat rises. That's why my cheek hurts. My gun is what's digging into my hip but instead of reaching out for it like I wish to do, I decide to assess the situation. 

It's difficult not to move when the blanket that is draped over me is also covering my body all the way to my forehead, making it too warm and lacking fresh air under it. However, I might not have any choice, because moving so soon might put me in danger.

"What did I tell you? It's going to be a piece of cake from here. If you keep up with the good behavior, Padre, unlike the shit you pulled with Sleeping Beauty over there, we're all gonna get our Tonys and go our happy, separate ways soon."

It's easy for me to notice that it isn't Jacob's voice, yet from what it sounds, he might be the one spoken to. Then, I hear more voices, quieter ones that make it hard for me to understand what they're saying. What I do understand is that Sleeping Beauty must be a reference to me, which means taking me might not have been planned.

"Speaking of which..." the same voice trails on and I feel a difference in the vehicle's movement.

Knowing something bad is going to happen makes my muscles tense. I open my eyes and scan my whereabouts. It seems that I'm lying on the couch in the RV that bumped into my car, but what I care about most is how many people are here and where they are.

Carefully, I move the blanket off my face. From my position, I can't see too much around me, but I do notice Jacob and a man in a suit and glasses sitting on the other side of the RV. The latter isn't the man who was talking to Jacob earlier and it makes me wonder what Jacob is doing with these people.

The driver seat seems to be behind me and I decide that moving to see who is sitting there is too risky. As the vehicle starts slowing down, I realize that my time is probably running out. Even though I risk myself being noticed and caught, I reach into the waistband of my jeans and get a tight grip on my gun. Then, I hide my face behind the blanket again.

It feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest as the engine dies and I can hear footsteps. I hold my breath and wait for something to happen with closed eyes, fear making my hands sweat. As soon as the blanket is yanked off me, I pull out my gun and point it at the person who is standing next to me — the man who was talking to Jacob when we were at the border.

"So, Sleeping Beauty isn't really sleeping,'' he says and to my disappointment, shows no sign of fear. 

"Touch me and I'll blow your brains out,'' I say with a clenched jaw.

His gaze moves between me and the gun pointed at him with a hint of amusement that annoys me. Then, he holds his hands up in surrender and I take the opportunity to sit up. I pull off the safety to show that I'm serious. Someone approaches us and I look away only for a second to spot the man with glasses pointing a gun at me. I quickly look back to the man in front of me, afraid he'll use the distraction against me.

"Nobody moves," the man with the glasses orders.

"I've got this, Richie. You keep an eye on Padre and his family," the other one says and sends him a meaningful look. Then, he looks at me. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? Just put the gun down."