Chapter 19
"How do you know?" I asked shocked.
"Because every guard employed here works a shift of four days on and five off. You have only been here four days". He said as he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a drawer reached in and pulled out a Grand Power K100.
Whose room was I staying in? Aileen Wuornos?
He offered me a hand up, and I took it. On weak legs, I stood. Holding hands, we walked towards the hallway. But, before he opened the door he gave me his cell phone.
"Use it if you have to".
I nodded.
"I'll go first, wait a little, and then go", and with that he was gone.
Women up.
Women up, I can do this.
Fall apart later.
I put the gun in my hoodie pocket and stepped into the hallway looking both ways, it was clear. As soon as I was on the ground level I became super aware of all the bodyguards and security in the house. Two men whereby the main door, another two in the living room. I went through the kitchen and saw one more. It only took me about three minutes to get to the basement, but every step felt like an eternity. When I had finally made it safely to the basement I realized I had been holding my breath. I inhaled and exhaled and made a mad dash for one of the storage rooms that I found earlier in the morning. I threw the door open then locked it behind me. I kept the lights off and pulled the gun out; taking the safety off ready if needed.
I sat on the floor waiting, praying that Adam was wrong.
Please, let him be safe.
Please, let Kairi be safe.
I repeated this Mantra in my head. The phone in my pocket that Adam had given me buzzed to life and rang.
I decided to take the call.
Whispering low I said, "Hello?"
"Okay your wish is my command, we are 100% locked down. I can see in every room."
Brandon
"Brandon it's Jen, Adam gave me his phone".
I heard typing, "I see you in the storage room, no one's in the hallway. Your area is clear. Michael will be passing by you soon. I'll let him know."
Looking around the room I saw a camera in the corner of the room giving off a red light.
He's watching the entire house
"Where's Kairi? Is she ok?"
"She's fine, safe in her panic room I'm watching her now".
Relief washed over my body.
"What's Adam doing? Is he ok?"
"He is checking the clock in/out times and dates, with a list of employees. What is he trying to do? That's strange, housekeeping files would be low on my list of things to do".
"He's looking for whoever sent me this letter."
I told Brandon everything about the letter and photos.
Blonde, someone with blonde hair was in my room.
I quickly told Brandon someone was in my room the first night I was here.
"I thought it was Michael, but now I'm not so sure."
"Ok let me check your room's activity" Brandon said.
"How can you do that?"
"Every time a key turns my system records it, with an ID of who turned it."
Knock knock
Fear spiked through my veins. I picked up the gun ready to shoot.
"It's just Michael", Brandon said. I lowered the gun and ran to door unlocking it, pulling him safety inside I relocked the door.
"Alright then", Michael said with a huge smile, "It's about time!" Taking off his shirt he said "We should have been fucking like rabbits ages ago."
I slapped him. "I can get down with rough".
"Do you think this is a game!? We could die!"
"I have been told I'm massive, but I've never killed a girl" he winked at me.
"Clearly, you don't understand what's going on".
"Christmas has come early?" I explained the situation to him and that seemed to bring him back to reality.
I put Brandon on speakerphone.
"Adams is rounding up all the security into one room."
"But, he's okay right?" I said.
"For now".
I should have just given him the envelope as soon as I got it. Why did I think it would be anything good?
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda.
Brandon said through the phone "Michael, why were you in Jennifer's room at 5:23am,
So it was him in my room.
"I wasn't".
"Quit the bullshit, I see your key in information in front of me."
"No, I swear, after we brought her back. I left the house, got some drinks, I met two girls and..."
And then it hit me.
The woman in bed with Michael.
"It wasn't him" I told Brandon, "It was one of his one night stands."
"Michael, what were the women's names" Brandon asked patiently.
Rubbing his hand against his neck Michael said, "I don't know".
Angrily I said," What the fuck do you mean, you don't know! You just take anyone to bed."
"I'm not perfect, I'll admit that" Michael said.
"So, all we know about this mysterious person is that she has blonde hair, is a woman and is going to kill me."
Typing away I heard Brandon say, "I'll run a search on all female security, housekeeping, cooks and lawn care. Also, I'll try and see if I can get a good picture of the women Michael brought home. Something is better than nothing. We need to find a way to let Adam know what we know."
"Why can't we call him?" Michael questioned
Feeling guilty I said, "He gave me his phone".
I'm sorry guys I'm a burden.
"I'll go; no one has a hit out on me...yet." Michael said lightly.
Brandon cut in, "You're the only one that can. Whoever this person is has the upper hand and clearly knows our movements . If she sees Jennifer she'll just put a bullet in her brain and take off. If it is really Sliske, behind this, he would have sent his best hoping to start a war between our crime syndicates."
Michael turned to walk out the door, I reached for him and he smiled he said, "Don't worry, little thing. I'll be back, and then we can pick up where we started."
"The day room, Casanova" Brandon said.
Playing along I said, "Stop being an ass and get moving'... Be careful." With that he turned and walked out the door.
"Brandon, are you watching him?"
"Yeah, I got him pulled up", I quickly locked the door and sat back down against the boxes. I kept Brandon on the line not wanting to be alone.
Breaking our silence I asked him, "How do Cecilia and Kairi know about the lockdown?" Cecilia gets a text and Kairi has a special necklace, that I built, that glows and vibrates in emergency situations. I also put a GPS tracker in it too. So, when it goes off she knows something is happening and it's time to go to her safe place."
"That's amazing, you've basically built a kid friendly Life Alert."
"Only the best for her".
A few moments went by and I finally said, "How does a boy genius end up here? No jobs available at Google, Tesla or NASA?"
With a slight laugh he said," I guess I've always been a rebel at heart who operates best outside the law. Life just happened."
"Kairi?"
He stayed silent for a little bit, clearly not wanting to answer.
I was just about to drop the topic when he said, "Yes and no"
Jesus! Jennifer, leave the poor man alone.
We sat in silence for a couple hours; I heard the sound of heels hitting the floor.
"Brandon, do you see anyone outside? I can hear someone". I took him off speakerphone.
I heard him type some keys on to a computer, "No, you're clear".
Whispering and pulling the gun out of my hoodie pocket,"No, I definitely hear somebody outside."
The house shut down no light came from the crack at the bottom of the door anymore, the camera light went off.
Perpetual Darkness.
"Oh shit it's a feed! Don't--" Before he could finish the phone battery died. It suddenly dawned on me I am alone in a basement in the pitch black with a woman who's about to kill me.