"Where to first? The Eiffel tower? Oh, or Louvre? Omg, no the Notre-Dame!" I squealed out.
"Calm down, it's just a quick tour, not Christmas." Damian snickered.
"Well, today you're just like Santa, only not as fat or kind."
"..." I finally shut him up.
"So where to first?" I resumed with a grin.
"We're closest to the Champs-Elysee right now, from there on we can visit the Eiffel tower." he looked at his watch and scoffed. Time to soften this hard knuckle.
"Damian, thanks for doing this. I really appreciate it." I didn't mean it fully and that didn't earn me a thanks or a smile, but he changed his hard posture and guided the way. We eventually walked through the overly expensive shopping district. And I couldn't get over the luxury of it all. But I could care less about the shops.
In the end the conversation mostly came from my end and honestly, I enjoyed it very much, not because he was silent, but because he was calm and surprisingly very kind. As always I didn't understand his actions or motives, but I learned that I had to make use of it instead of fighting the good things life was was offering me for once.
Who knows how long I'll live, so I might as well enjoy the fun I'm offered.
"You've been quite for way too long, looks like overthinking." Damian's distant voice brought me back to reality. A small confused frown graced his face as he spoke. I let out a small giggle.
"Damian, you've been way more silent and besides, I'm really enjoying this walk."
"Me too." He blurted out, taking a sip of his ice coffee.
"What?" I questioned.
"... I like it when you're silent." his expression suddenly turned surprised as if he was saving himself from confrontation.
I laughed now."I bet you do."
"Anyway, we're almost there, you'll see the Eiffel Tower when we pass this building." he pointed towards the enormous building in front of us. My hands turned into fists out of excitement. I could sense him laugh and cringe at me inwardly, because he kept constantly eyeing me from the corners of his eyes. Him possibly thinking I'm an idiot didn't bother me at the moment.
When we arrived at the place I was blown away by how big the tower actually was.
"Happy now?" Damian said smirking. We decided to take the elevator to the top to get the complete view of the city, well I decided that. All together this experience made me ALMOST forget what happened in the past few days. "Damian, can I take a picture please?"
"You have no phone. How are you planning ..." he tried dismissing me, but I wanted a picture, then and there. "Please, please, please, just one pic. You can take it on your phone and send it to me when we get back." back home and hopefully back to normal.
"Fine." he sighed and pulled out his phone. I started posing with the beautiful view behind me, I'm posing for a picture my boss is taking of me, while I'm being held captive. Yeah, everything in life is possible I guess.
"That's enough now, let's eat something before we leave."
"I can't digress on that of course." We chose a modest restaurant in the area and started browsing through the menu. It didn't help that everything was in French of course.
"You order first." I said as the waiter neared our table. Damian chuckled and ordered for me as well, voicing the things I pointed out on the menu.
-------------------------------------------
We finished our food.
"It's almost time, we gotta go." he pointed out. I sighed, why does time pass so fast when you enjoy it?
"Let's go then." I said with a disappointed look on my face.
As we left the table I noticed another group of sturdy looking men stand up as well and approach us. Just when I became suspicious of the whole group I subtly tucked at Damian's sleeve.
"They're with us" He said.
"Wait, have they been following us the whole time?" I questioned. He nodded and casually proceeded putting on his jacket. "How haven't I noticed them before?"
"That's the point."
"Oh"
"So, has anyone else been following us, except for them? Or are we safe for now?" I waited for him to lead the way out. "Well, yes and no, a few suspicious men were terminated, they didn't succeed in getting closer to us though."
"With terminated, you mean?" I asked trying my best not to falter back, Damian nodded as his guards led us to the car. The silence in the car didn't bother me at first, it was his casual treatment to me that made me feel safe, but it was for sure deceiving, couldn't be otherwise. Who knows what will happen to me when and after we arrive in America.
"Isabelle" Damian let out an exasperated breath, that was all it took for him to get my full attention. "We need to go over some things." I nervously wiggled in my seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position. I nodded. "Shoot." damn it, I sounded nervous as well.
"You don't know what awaits you back home, there is an existing possibility that you'll try to flee and I know it's not reassuring to know this, but right now you're the safest with me. That's why I'm telling, no, warning you to not act up or try anything stupid." I took in his message word by word, letting out unconscious nods.
"Good. Also, as I said before, don't contact the police. They're not your friend in this matter. Additionally, I've got something for you." he said as he reached into his pocket.
"Your phone and passport. I put the card back in, so the contacts are still in there."
"Really?!?" I couldn't believe he'd actually return them to me, before I knew it, I hungrily reached for them, waiting for him to let go. He didn't because I felt him pull back. A questionable frown crossed my face before I could utter a word.
"Again, don't try anything stupid, Isabelle." He let out a warning, once again, this time a more serious one, looking coldly into my eyes. I slowly gulped away the fear and shivers that were unfortunately souring through me again.
"Yeah, yeah, you got it, now give them back please?" play it cool Isabelle, don't show him anything suspicious. "Sooo, does that mean I can contact my family again?"
"Yes." Damian leaned back in his seat.
"What? Why am I all of a sudden allowed to? Aren't you afraid of me telling them about you?"
"They're all in Italy right now, so there's no point in hiding anything from them as there's nothing they can do either." Damian squinted his eyes, it looked like he was awaiting my reaction. It's as if he wants to provoke me again.
He's not getting it from me then.
"I don't know how you know that they're all in Italy already, but I'm happy they're safe at least." I said and turned to the window.
"Sir, the plane is ready for departure." A bald man poked his head through the car's window letting us know we could enter.
"You go in first, I'll come right after you." Damian motioned to me, I decided to listen and took my time with approaching the jet. When subtly looking back, I saw him handing out 2 cases to what looked like officers? I wasn't sure, but those men were definitely in uniform.
"Good evening miss." I heard the stewardess welcome me near the stairs, but I couldn't take my curious eyes off the shady business Damian was doing behind my back, literally. Uneasy feelings were eating my stomach and it didn't help the fact that I didn't like flying either.
"Miss, it's this way." the stewardess continued. "Yeah, yeah, give me a minute please. These nerves before taking off, haha, always get to me." I gave a light chuckle, at least I wasn't lying. As I slowly set one foot on the stairs the officers who took the suitcase started to take their leave and drive away as Damian now fully turned to my direction. We made contact and I couldn't break it off.
In the back of my mind a suspicious sound started entering my consciousness. "Do you hear that too?" I asked the stewardess, who looked bewildered herself, but she quickly hid the little concerned expression and replaced it with a pearly smile. "That's just the engine. Nothing to be worried about."
"Hm, I shouldn't act so paranoid now, you're totally right." I sighed and smiled back at her and went up, step by step, getting closer to the jet. However, with every step I took, my stomach churned up more, letting me know something was not right.
After all this time, I finally learned to trust this feeling I had, so I turned back and like a scared cat ran down the stairs again.
"What are you doing?" Damian hissed in anger and frustration as he grabbed my forearm when I was on ground again.
"Something isn't right Damian, I have a strange feeling about this, I cannot go on that plane." I cried out, knowing how crazy I looked to the stewardess. She looked at Damian with concern written all over her face. She wasn't hiding it anymore.
"You WILL get on that plane. Don't you dare to start anything right now, when we need to be in another country." he wasn't yelling, but he sure as hell was loud.
Suddenly the sound I was talking about started getting louder and clearer, it was a dull, scraping sound giving me the chilss.
"Sir, I'll consult the captain." the stewardess decided to act as the mediator and with a nod from Damian went up.
"No, she can't, Damian, it's dangerous."
"You shut up and stay here. I'll be back in a second." Damian looked up at the plane, grazing his gaze from the back to the front, where the pilot is seated. He got up and disappeared. The amount of anxiety built in my stomach was gory. I paced back and forth waiting for Damian or the stewardess to show up, anyone.
I was scared, but I didn't wanna be useless to the point of standing by the side of whatever was happening. "Damian?" I slowly set foot on the stairs again.
"Get back!!! NOW!!" I heard him yell making my eyes go wide like saucers. Hesitantly my feet started running down, AGAIN.
"RUN!" I heard him scream. "Evacuate the jet!" another man was yelling now.
I made way for the frantically running stewardess, a pilot and Damian following behind them.
"Where's your friend?" Damian asked the pilot who looked pretty disoriented.
"I-I-I asked him to inspect the back." he stuttered his way out.
"SHIT." Damian swore, he grabbed his hair in what looked like despair. "What's happening?" he said almost in defeat.
"We need to call the fire department, this plane is on the verge of exploding." Damian said to the stewardess.
"What?" I yelled out shocked by what was happening. "That's what the sound came from, a ticking bomb?"
"Yes, now get away from here, go join them." he said as he motioned toward the pilot and the stewardess who were running into the opposite direction. I nodded and started running toward them, but noticed Damian getting back into the plane.
"Wait, what are you doing?! You said yourself it's dangerous!"
"I need to check on him! Get your f$cking ass to the other side Isabelle!" he yelled.
I couldn't believe how concerned I was for this man, this man that rarely showed compassion was rescuing another man he probably didn't know that well. The seconds turned into hours and it made me feel like eternity. I was anxious to know where they were, would they get out in time. "Please God. Please." I never in my life completely lost hope in something before, nevertheless here I was on the verge of losing all hope when the enormous tail of the airplane caught fire.
"NOOO! Where are they? We need to help them!" I yelled out shaking the poor pilot who looked like he completely lost it.
"We can't do anything!" the stewardess held me back when my stubborn ass decided to go in as well.
To my surprise or should I say relief, Damian showed up, carrying an unconscious man on his back. I felt my body still being held back by the woman, but as my force overthrew hers I flew forward, going back to where Damian was struggling to escape.
.........................
I choked at my own breath when in one fast second a horrific explosion went off.
Its enormous force made the ground under my feet shake and my heart trembled with worry. When the smoke reached where I was motionlessly standing I couldn't stop my frantic sobbing and hyperventilation.
Damian was nowhere to be found.