Nurse Or Nanny?

Chapter Nine

I've been driving for about five hours.  A couple hours ago I stopped at a gas station, filled up and emptied my bank account like John told me to.  I'm close to Okotoks and now I'm just looking for a motel that looks like I might get away with just paying cash and don't need a credit card or any photo ID.  Unfortunately I think I am going to be looking for a rent by the hour place, and those places are a little grungy, and don't have the best people hanging around.  After I drive by three places that look like they might be okay, I turn the corner and spot the perfect one.  It's across the street from a strip club.  Rent by the hour in a big blue neon letters is above the main door.  Great, I roll my eyes and pull in.  I look around, and this time of day it doesn't look too bad.  It's not quite dark out yet, and there aren't any people lingering about.  I pull up to the front, get out and head to the main door.  I can see a rough looking woman inside, she looks like she's seen a lot.  She has a hard look about her.  She looks to be around fifty, although she could look older because she smoke.  She's sporting a horrible fake tan, had about a pound of makeup on her face and her clothes are about two sizes two small, except for the leather vest, it looks to be a bit big on her.  Her hair is down, graying a little and is in desperate need of a straight iron, or some from of hot tool, its frizzy as heck.  Let's hope she doesn't give two shits about her job and takes the money I offer her.  I have also never done this before so it could go horribly.  I walk in and the woman behind the desk has a cigarette in her hand and looks over to me.  She puts her cigarette in the ashtray on the counter, "what can I do for you hun?" Her voice is so raspy it almost sounds like a man. 
"Hi, I just need a room for the night." She eyes me skeptically.
"Alright," she says and gives me a once over, "credit card and drivers licence." Shit, I am hopeless, I hate this, I almost walk out and choose to sleep in my car.  But I can't do that. 
"I don't have a credit card, I do have cash and can pay you upfront." I say a voice as steady as I could muster. 
"Still gonna need to have a drivers license to put on file." She says without even looking at me and she types something into the computer.
"Um, well, I was hoping I could maybe just fly under the radar here." She looks up giving me an annoyed look, "I am just on my way through town, my boyfriend is looking for me and I'd rather he not find me." Which is a lie, but there is someone trying to find me, who is a boy, and who I would rather never find me.
"I'm not running a woman's shelter here, either you have ID or you have to find someplace else to stay."  Well, clearly she has had this spiel before.  I find some more confidence, I know this is a good time to practice, I will need it for the life I am going to have for the next however long. 
"I can make it worth your while." I say as I pull out a fifty from my pocket. I didn't want to pull out a wad of cash while I was in here so I just put two fifties in my pocket. She eye's it and says, "make it a hundred and you've got a deal." My eyes go wide.  Shit, that actually worked, I only thought this sort of stuff happened in the movies, but I guess everyone has a price.  I pull out the other fifty from my pocket and wait until she gives me a key, I give her the money, she gives me a nod, and I walk out.  I am still reeling from that whole exchange.  That was so easy, will everyone be that easy?  I jump in my car and pull around to the back and head into my room.  

The room is what I expected.  A little grungy but not all bad.  The sheets looks clean and the bathroom isn't horrible.  There are clean towels and I will definitely be putting toilet paper on the toilet seat, but the tub actually looks to be clean.  I lock the door and head for the shower, after the day I've had I need a long hot steam to try and clear my head.  When I'm out of the shower the bathroom is very steamy, the fan was on, but I think is broken.  I wipe the mirror and take a look at myself.  Just an ordinary girl in an extraordinary situation.  I still can't believe that I am caught up in this mess.  I wonder if  now the case that everyone has been working so hard on will not crumble with me running.  I don't want to run, I want to help, but if they can't keep me safe, then I have no choice.  I shake my head, leave the bathroom and get into my pajamas. As I try to drift off to sleep I can't stop thinking about how they found me.  Who did they have on the inside? Or was John right when he said sometimes the bad guys are just that good.  I know John thinks there might be a leak as well but I am praying I am wrong.  I like to think that an institution dedicated on helping people couldn't be corrupt.   I finally drift to sleep but it is a sleepless night as the reoccurring nightmares take over. 

Authors note.

From the start of the book everything has been in Laura's point of view.  Well Laura's, Mary's and soon to be Ashley - I know she has a lot of identities.  But now I will be introducing a new character, Laura/Ashley's love interest.  The love part won't happen right away but I promise it will come.  This book is a slow climb, but I don't want to rush into things, I really want to develop a back story to some of the characters so the relationships makes more sense.  From now on it will switch point of views, and I really like when stories flip like that because as a reader I LOVE knowing what everyone is thinking and feeling. I hope you can stick with it and come to love the characters as much as I do! I promise it won't be all doom and gloom the whole story :)

Thanks for hanging in there!

Rachael