Someone Hiding in the Shadows...

151 - The Trap

From one side to the other, my tongue slid over my lips, as I furtively looked in each direction, my hands were clenched at my sides; my nails digging so hard into my palms they bled. Where was she?

It was as though a beacon was flashing over my head with an arrow. That was all that was needed to finish the scenario, as I stood in the glow of the street lamp.

The ear piece buzzed in my ear softly, "Be patient. Stop fidgeting, we can see you."

I felt a big sigh escape my chapped lips. It was cold and I pushed my hands deep into my coat pockets, my fingers tightly curled in my palms, wishing this could be over with. As my feet shuffled from side to side, the sound reverberated on the pavement, in the empty street.

A door front door banged closed nearby and I found my feet almost lifting of the pavement with my frazzled nerves. My throat felt parched and I constantly licked my lips, whilst my pupils darted from side of my face to the other, searching for any movement.

After an hour, I had enough and was just about to throw in the towel, when I saw something. Was that a glint from a mirror or maybe a torchlight? I looked again, another flash. I walked three steps out of the light into a shadow.

"Don't move. Stay where you are" said Gemma in my ear piece. "You will play right into her hands otherwise. Now we have the upper hand. We have the position of strength. She needs to come to you. Just put your hand up, as though you are stopping the glare in your eyes. Don't talk."

I pulled my left hand out of my pocket and placed it in front of my face to shield the glare. It was getting brighter.

I stepped back one step. I was still in the shadow. The light was getting bigger.

I moved back another step and I was half in the shadow and half in the light.

An arm touched my shoulder. I gasped. Hesitant, as I slowly turned around.

There was Theodora but not how I had ever seen her before. She was wearing black running gear, her hair was shorter and tied back. Her face was natural without a scrap of make-up and it someone it made her look more approachable and vulnerable.

"Where's Sophia?" she asked. "I miss my daughter."

Her question, threw me, I never expected her to ask this. She had never seemed maternal.

"Has she got tall? Does she still like stories every night," she continued, "Do have a picture you can show me?"

I was surprised by her questions, so nervous about meeting her and getting through it, that I hadn't actually thought of anything else. I certainly hadn't expected her to ask me this. So I said that first thing that came into my head.

"She loves stories. Especially the ones when I play with the puppet fingers."

Theodora lips curved upwards into a warm smile.

What are you doing? You are dealing with a murderer here. You shouldn't be passing the time of day with her. My brain told me, putting me on guard.

"Why did you take all the money Theodora? Even for you that seems greedy. Couldn't you at least have left the kids' college funds." I said to her through tight lips.

Theodora raised her eyes, her brows pushed together and lines became apparent on her forehead. "I'm not greedy. I need money to look after my daughter."

She shook her head and rubbed the left side of her forehead.

"Don't let them corrupt you or my daughter. It's too late for me but it's not for you. Don't trust the Black Cube." she said the last words almost in a whisper, as the pupils in her eyes scanned left to right.

"I really don't know what you are on about Theodora." I said to her, as the sound of my head buzzed and I found myself rubbing my left temple.

"Oh, I think you have inkling you just haven't worked it all out yet," she said, as I noticed her index finger touching the side of her head lightly, "But I have faith you will," said Theodora as a smirk filled her face. My eyebrows rose upwards and knitted together, as I glared at her.

Edit 6 PALJune 2017

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