Sheets of ivory clouds fell in cascading rundles over the incandescent seascape, the sun visible through the numerous fractures separating one cloud from another. The light glistened down onto glissading ripples in the immeasurable briny beneath us, creating folds of bright cerulean that captivated my attention. The odd white specs, presumably vessels, were the only sign of humanities invasion onto the prodigious marine life enshrouded by the mass of water they consume themselves within. At thirty thousand feet high, and counting, my mind found itself at complete ease; the sheer tranquility of this part of the world provided evidence that imperturbability was in existence. Though the same time, my mind found itself envious with the fact that it couldn't reach this sedateness.
My fears had been long subsided within my mind, the view taking control of the nausea eating away at my insides, yet I still found Luke's hand gripping my own, resting on the arm rest between us, his fingers playing absentmindedly with mine.
"Hey, I've been thinking," I said, grasping Luke's attention, as he raised his eyes from our hands to my gaze.
"Oh god,'' he laughed, sending a smirk my way.
I grinned in response, not so much at his corny joke, but more at the way his face lit up when he laughed genuine amusement visible in his eyes and the way his face uplifted.
''I ugh-" I began, but stilled not having the confidence within myself, feeling as if my request would be judged. Luke sensed my apprehension, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as his face twisted into a look of serenity, encouraging me to continue. "Do you think you'd be able to, you know, do a bit of training with me?"
"Training?'' He questioned, sceptically.
"Yeah, training. Like defence stuff, so I know what to do when we have another attack."
Luke was silent for a moment; his eyes locked on mine, though I knew his mind was elsewhere, due to the crease in his brow and the tight line his lips were set within.
"I like that idea," he began, "and to be honest, it would make me feel a lot better, because you'd know what to do in situations like the raid." He admitted, dropping his gaze back to our hands. "What kind of stuff do you mean; what do you want to learn?'' His works weren't patronising, just held pure inquisitiveness.
"Well considering I didn't even know how to hold a gun, I think that'd be a good place to start." A soft chuckle left his lips as he blew out a content sigh. "I'm more focused on wanting to be both physically fit and able to have- have your kind of mind set."
"My kind of mind set?"
I grinned at his inability to comprehend his talents. "I was petrified during the raid; I couldn't focus on anything else. But as for you, you managed to anticipate every single one of the moves that each man tried to pull. You're at the top of your game Luke."
"You just need to know what to look out for,'' Luke dismissed my complement, along with subtle shake of his head. "But yeah, we can do some training."
"Thank you."
"I'm not going to go easy on you though,'' he laughed, a lopsided grin taking over his features.
I grinned back, ''Wouldn't want it any other way."
The sun hung low in the sky, it's exhaustion from fuelling the globe for the day's entirety, pulling it further behind the horizon, leaving only a harmony of orange and yellow to paint over the indigo back drop.
Seeping through the tenebrosity, coruscating stars shadowed the light that cascaded from the crescent suspending high in the night. Visible from the lucent were flections of thriving jade were home to the stacks of hay that littered the landscape.
Few houses could be seen, with the isolation of this place evident to the eye, even in the minimal lighting. Amongst the burgeoning landscape that stretched beyond the horizon, only the odd farmhouse infringed upon the land. White washed walls were home to the crevices and cracks formed from years of wear and tear, all thoughts of their repair deserted by home owners in a rush to get the year's harvest in. Spirals of orange bordered the building, imprints and patterns tracing along the wall, the full image distorted by a crumbling frame.
I cast a glance behind us, my eyes catching sight of the distant, almost unperceivable city lights one final time as Luke accelerated the car, pushing us further toward our destination.
After our fourteen hour flight, both my body and mind were exhausted with the agony that I had gone through, finally catching up with my restless body. We had made it through passport control successfully, with no questions raised toward our counterfeit passports, but that wasn't surprising considering that they had been made by an official government association.
We had been driving for around four hours, with the safer option being to take a flight to an airport a considerable distance from where we were actually staying, with the aim to deter our enemies further.
"How far out are we?" I said, breaking the comfortable silence that had lingered for the majority of the journey as we passed a sign littered with the letters spelling out 'Layrisse.'
"Should be there in five, or ten minutes," Luke replied, making a left turn, leaving the deserted gravel road behind us and following a less clear, dust track.
"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to crash,'' he sighed, running a hand roughly over his face.
I cast my eyes to the monitor on the dashboard, the time reading half past two. "Considering you didn't sleep at all last night, I'm not surprised."
"What's the betting that your dad has a load of work for me to be doing though?'' he laughed, though not an ounce of it was humorous.
"You need a break," I stated, "and if he says otherwise then he'll have me to answer to."
"I am working though, aren't I? I mean I don't even know if it'll be my duty to look after you, what with all of the other guards that will be in the house."
My heart sank at his words, realising that I wouldn't be seeing anywhere near as much of him as while we were in New York. He was a familiar face, but more than anything someone who made me savour the times we had shared. With all of my old friends not holding a single memory in my mind, he was all I had, especially considering my relationship with my family was minimal.
"I'll still be around though," he said, noticing my calamity.
"I know. I just don't really have anyone else."
Luke gave me a knowing look, before softening his gaze. "You have your family, give them a chance. Maybe it's just been harder with the distance, things might be easier now."
"Maybe," I replied, my voice shielding the apprehension hanging in the back of my mind. I hadn't seen my parents for a good couple of months and on the few occasions that I had spoken to them, things hadn't gone so well. I couldn't exactly pinpoint where the tension was coming from, but I knew part of the flame was registered to their daughter no longer being who she used to be.
The sound of the wheels undulating over the stone sketched road filled the limited space around us, our car etching further toward higher ground. We continued on this track for a couple of miles, our surrounding consisting of primarily barren fields that had been left deserted aside from the wooden shacks forsaken at the odd meander in the road.
Nestled between two folds in the sequestered landscape, an excessive residence came into view. Its accoutrement resembled the buildings that we had passed on the way; the same framing latched the chalky walls along with the cobble bricks that made up the majority of the house's structure. However, this house was far more ostentatious, with not only the size, which was more than three times the volume of any other houses we had seen, but also the design. The detail embroidered into the walls was a call for attention, delicate swirls and carvings of clay weaving around the shape of the house. The door was sheathed by a porch stretching the width of the house, chairs scattering the space. The driveway, unlike the road leading up to the residency, was suffocated with tarmac, creating a sound as the car rolled over the driveway that contrasted to the previously scrapping of gravel that emitted from the floor beneath us.
I sighed at my parents need for exorbitance, especially considering the situation at hand. Our safety would surely be heightened staying in a place much more in keeping with the style of the buildings in the village a few miles down the road. I understood that there was a need for space, considering the number of security that would be on site, but this was an extreme that could have been averted.
The headlights on the car danced along the drive, accompanied by the dim lighten lamps hanging above the gloss-finished door. My eyes caught site of shuffling inside the house as the curtains dangled restlessly in front if what was sure to be bullet proof glass, knowing my father's precautionary measures.
Luke pulled the car to a stop, asphyxiating the engine before sliding out the keys. "You good?"
"Yeah."
I gave him a weak smile as he stepped out of the car, running over to my side of the car before I even had time to undo my seat belt. As he pulled open the door, my eyes were distracted by the rapid feet padding out onto the concrete steps, my mother's face lighting up the further she advanced toward me.
He face was a lot brighter than the last time I had seen it, even after a week or two of me being active in the hospital, the red rings around her eyes had refused to leave, serving as a constant reminder for the heartbreak she had gone through. Her hair fell loosely just below her shoulders, framing her grinning face, enliven by her lucent eyes. Behind her, emerged my father, his face set in a tight line, not a single emotion dissipating from his face.
My attention was soon averted to Luke, who I had forgotten was lingering beside me, as he placed his hand on my shoulder, lifting his lips up into a comforting smile. I heaved my body from the seat, my rib still tender, as Luke guided me out of the car until my feet setting solidly on the floor. He then slung both of our bags over his shoulders, much to my protests, before his hand landed on the small of my back.
"Adelaide," my mother gushed, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I've missed you so much."
I winced, trying to conceal the dull pain that radiated as she gripped me tighter, pinning it on my lack of durability. A strained cough to the side of us forced my mother to pull back, her head turning toward Luke, whose eyes were flitting down to my side. Her mouth then parted as the pieces began fitting together in her mind, her smile faltering down.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry, it slipped my mind, what with you being back and I haven't seen you in months-,'' she rambled before I cut her off.
"Don't worry," I reassured. "It's just a little sore."
After convincing my mother that I was fine, I threw a grin to Luke, mouthing a brief 'thank you' as he pulled me back to his side, once again setting his hand on my back.
"Shall we head inside?" My father suggested, blatantly subsiding a welcoming to both Luke and I. I rolled my eyes, following my parents up the stairs and into the hallway.
The decor inside the house diverged from my perception, with the place having a deep aroma of home hanging from the walls. I had imagined the ornamentation to be composed of extortionate paintings, mantle pieces supporting the weight of unappreciable accessories and the most pompous of furniture to line the extensive walls. Instead, I found the walls to be disarranged with family pictures hemmed by imbalanced frames. The floors were secreted by velutinous carpets ranging in colour, the walls working in harmony to create a sense of warmth, something that I had left in New York and not expected to find here. We made our way through the hall and toward what seemed to be the living room, which was spacious yet held a scent of cosiness. The couches were littered with frayed blankets and knitted cushions, a simple mirror slung above the fireplace reflecting the soft gaze of light in the room.
"You got anything on the team that broke in, Luke?" My father said, his face ceasing to falter as I scoffed at his inability to address his own daughter before anyone else.
Luke sensed my agitation, casting a brief glance my way as he set our bags down before he cleared his throat and responded. "No, well other than a couple of ID cards, but we had to get out of there."
"How many?" My father questioned, raising his brow.
"Sixteen."
"Of that, how many got out?"
As we stood in the centre of the room, both mine and my mother's eyes were focused on watching their interaction. A few guards boarded the room, most of which evidently knew Luke as they had welcomed him upon his entrance to the room.
"None," Luke said simply, as if it was obvious. A few dumbfound expressions were thrown around the room at his revelation by the guards.
"So why weren't you able to search them? There could have been something vital for our investigation."
"Why do you think?" Luke retorted with a sinister laugh. "My main focus was to get Adelaide out and they evidently would have had a back up team, so I wasn't going to take any chances, sir."
My father's voice remained trapped in his throat, with no words having the ability to accumulate into a sentence.
He sighed in defeat, leaving the room after motioning for the guards to do the same. My mother turned to Luke, pulling him into an embrace. "Thank you," she began as Luke gripped her back, "thank you for getting her out."
"You and I both know that I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Are you guy's hungry?" She questioned, pulling back to face the two of us.
"I think we're just ready to crash mum."
"Okay, you guys go get some rest then," she said, offering us a genuine smile. "Luke, you know where you're going right?"
I trailed behind Luke up the stairs, my body exhausted and in desperate need to re-energise. We were met with an open landing, a banister hanging over the downstairs hallway, creating a vast space for the moonlight that streamed through the rooftop window to flood the area. The hallway led onto two corridors, a simple cream flushing the walls along with multiple bookcases staked to the brim with novels.
"You've been here before?" I queried while Luke made his way down the hallway to the right of us.
"Couple of times yeah," he responded, leading me into a room at the end of the corridor. Its entirety was tinted in a light lilac; the bed covers working in conformity with the decor littering the room. A three- panelled window stood tall at the end of the room, the pale curtains stringing over the glass, though the igniting light still streamed in through the unspotted crevices. To the side of the more than adequate bed, rested a white nightstand with a small picture frame placed upon it. I made my way over to the object, placing it within my palms. The ink sprawled across the glossy paper to orchestrate an image that formed three beaming faces. My eyes had been blessed with the picture before, with its replica being taped into one of the many photo albums that I had been given.
A young girl stood proudly between her parents, their faces stretching into grins of pure contentment. Her hair was wavy, cascading gradually down her fuller frame with stray strands poking out from the two braids she wore elegantly. Her eyes were a scintillating cobalt, bright with emotion, flittering through the camera lens and toward the same set of eyes ten to twelve years later on. I placed the frame back on the table, averting my attention to Luke, who had been waiting patiently in the doorway after placing my bags down.
"I'm just next door if you need me," he said, uncrossing his arms while pulling his body for its leant position on the doorframe.
After a tiered, terse goodnight was exchanged between the two of us, I watched his back while he left the room, opening the door beside my own. After aimlessly discarding my coat, I sank my body into the cushioned mattress, my mind being left to rest as my eyes fluttered closed.