Snapping away from Alexander like a rubber band, Todd and I stare at each other, not knowing what to say. The last time I saw him, he was in the getaway car outside the Sangue Nero mansion in Italy, never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd meet again after that night.
And yet, here he is.
"Anderson, may I introduce to you my fiancé," Alexander introduces us and not knowing how close to the edge of the chair I was, I ended up falling to the floor. "And she has fallen. You alright, Janette?"
Nodding my head, I grab the bar stool for support as I heave myself onto my feet. Rubbing my behind, I force a smile, "I'm fine, Alexander. Um...nice to meet you..."
I have no idea what else to say...
"Todd Anderson," he introduces himself to me, holding his hand out for a handshake. "It's a pleasure to be your acquaintance."
An acquaintance, eh? Well, I didn't acknowledge that I know him so I'm guessing he's playing along. Taking his hand, I feel a shiver run up my arm and down my spine, as his russet brown eyes stare intensely into my chocolate brown ones. He recognises me though.
"Mr Holt," Todd nods to his boss, letting my hand go, his face all serious and tense like he's worried about something. "Future Mrs Holt."
He spat that title out as if it were acid on his tongue. Walking away, there's a deja vu like a pang in my heart as I remember the little version of him walking away from me as I boarded a van to take me to an orphanage, my legs turn into a concoction of inconsistent jelly and I place a hand on the bar chair for support.
I wonder what his job is...working for Alexander and all...
"Hey, what's his job? Mr Anderson," I ask Alexander who has gotten off the chair and is standing in front of me.
Clearing his throat, Alexander answers shortly, "Todd is my assistant."
"Assistant... "I trail off, thinking deeply.
Leaning down towards me, Alexander captures my lips in a kiss so quick I almost missed it but it does break me out of my thoughts. Frowning at him, I am about to retort something regarding the need to put a hold on this kissing to keep up public appearances when I am interrupted.
The flight attendant who took my order earlier comes by and sets down the food in front of us, chicken for me and steak for Alexander. Without even asking if I wanted to sit by him, Alexander hoists me back onto the uncomfortable low backrested bar chair once more before taking a seat himself next to me. Rolling my eyes, I open the plastic packaging around the metallic-looking but still plastic spoon, fork and knife and am about to begin eating when half a steak is plopped onto my plate and half my chicken is taken away.
Looking to Alexander who cuts into his steak as if nothing happened, I give a small chuckle and give his steak back to him in exchange for his mashed potato. He doesn't seem to mind this since he says nothing of it.
"Awww..." Theo whispers very loudly to the rest of my brothers who have all quietened down. A bright flash goes off making me wince at how bright it was. "This moment where the boss isn't a hostile bear with a headache must be commemorated!"
Needless to say, he was thrown back into the toilet again, this time however by Alexander.
I drink from the already half-drunk glass of water given to me by the flight attendant to hide my smile of amusement as Alexander begins to talk business with my brothers while eating, pretending that he didn't just lock their second youngest brother in the in-flight bathroom.
As the flight wore on, my question never got answered as business took over the main conversation on the plane and seeing as I had no business in listening to the boring business lingo, I made myself scarce by occupying myself with Alexander's laptop which I take to the seating area of the plane away from the bar where the business talks are ongoing.
Logging into my work email, I read and wrote a few emails to Mr King and the junior editors mostly to inform them that I am out of the country and will be back in two to three days and respond to any enquiries they had regarding some ongoing projects. On my personal email, I noted one encrypted email.
_______________________________________________________________
Wr Jv Abhduvq Xihvwud Rlrwulv Rrlwv,
Ohudphq, wkh frphvdufhv ri glvvrqwb oduf dv kdulv dv wkhdu odqgholvkxp. L lpsoruh brx wr uhfhlyhuvq brxu orbvwhwb ehvwphq exloglgqholvw.
Eokdg vplolj lv d vwdlq wkdw qlwkhu idghv qruq qrw iorjudvhv.Fkrxhv brxu sdwk zlslhb, iru wkh vklohrv kdyh hvlv, dqg wkh hfkduv lvwhqwoh qhyhu idghg. Brxu fdqfhvwqhv yhllq wrq wkhuv rqjyqhv qrw ghdukhqflolwb.
Bvrwv wuxwb
Fduwhu Ojhpdqv
________________________________________________________________
There is no sender or receiver, and the message is ciphered. Thinking the email came from Daniello, I set up to begin deciphering it. Manually deciphering this is going to be a pain in my behind, I think as I open up the text editor on the Macbook. I should start by using a shift of threes since he likes that number the most.
W' becomes 'T'
'r' becomes 'o'
'J' becomes 'G'
'v' becomes 's'
and the final message reads...
_______________________________________________________________
To My Dearest Alastora Ootori,
Remember, the consequences of disloyalty are as harsh as they are inevitable. I implore you to reconsider your loyalties before dire actions become unavoidable. Blood spilt is a stain that neither fades nor forgives.
Choose your path wisely, for the shadows have eyes, and the echoes of betrayal never fade. Your actions reflect not just on you but on those you hold dear.
The consequences will not discriminate.
Yours truly
Carter Logans
_______________________________________________________________
How did he get my personal email? My stomach gives a lurch and the half-digested chicken that I had earlier makes an acidic reappearance as an unwelcome guest in the recesses of my mouth, as I stare at the message on the text editor. Copying the cypher and sending it to Daniello's email, I scrub my email and the laptop before shutting it down.
Shit.
Sweat begins to trickle down my neck as I sit in my seat, staring at the closed laptop as though it were a time bomb. Knowing what I do of Logans, opening that email has essentially given him the ability to know where I am. That's what owning a satellite can do for you if you have enough money.
This flight is four hours from landing in Taiwan, if Logan takes a flight from Seattle to Taiwan in this instant, I should have at least a twenty-four-hour head start to find a pay phone to inform Daniello. I would be on my own for a while maybe two to three hours before Daniello can get eyes on me but I should be able to manage, I tell myself mentally as I bite on my lower lip, reopening the wound from take off.
"You should stop doing that," Adam says as he takes a seat across me, painfully flicking my chin. "What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Nothing," I lie, releasing my lower lip. "Are you guys done talking?"
"Not exactly," Adam replies, glancing back at the group still discussing in low tones. "My department's involvement has been settled. That's all."
"So, 3 million dollar acquisition," I stretch, hoping to steer the conversation into anything but my problems. "Sounds like a big project."
Adam's eyes light up at my words and he begins talking about the business they were planning to take over. The business seemed to be a profitable one when it started up, something about metal is all I understood before I started to feel sleepy, that is how boring I find business talks, they're like a lullaby to me.
Adam continues to drone on as I drop in and out of sleep. I have no idea when I fell asleep fully but I do know what woke me up. Normally, my dreams are less gory and more tamed but the stress from the last two days has built up and the result is a nightmare of screaming porpotions.
Right now, I'm watching as a helpless spectator of my past life as my mind cruelly plays out the horror movie of my early life over and over again like a broken record.
The kiss of the belt on my back...
The sight of my little hands drenched in blood as I kill off someone else in exchange for the lives of so many young ones...
My mouth is open in silent screams as I shout to my younger self warnings that fall on deaf ears as my younger self makes deals with boss after boss, freeing almost a few hundred children who cannot do what I do.
No, they were never lucky enough to have the chance to learn.
The thought comforts me in a way that they'll eventually leave the ring with only memories of what was done to them.
But not me. My mind will never let me forget. Neither will my body.
I watch as I turn from a scared, trembling little girl with pigtails who has barely any idea that she'd just taken a life to a little girl who is cold-hearted and ruthless in her jobs as she goes through 'traitors' and abusers like a hot knife through butter.
The light of life in her eyes disappears slowly as she goes on, the picture shifts and it turns to the night where the deal went wrong in the Sangue Nero mansion.
I see the faces of child slaves and the human trafficked women whom I couldn't save as I ran away like a coward in a getaway car, leaving them to pay for my choices.
Their faceless figures scream and pull at my arms as I flee to save my own life as the red-hot flames kiss their heads and lick at their flesh. Some of them curse me to hell for not saving them, others shout horrible names.
I am a coward.
The thought has me sitting up from where I lay, gasping for air as sweat pours down my face and neck.