by Rhea Wilde
I searched my recent calls and found Noah’s number. I wanted to tell him where I was going in case anything happened. I owed him that much.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I sighed to myself.
I typed out the message to Noah.
“Headed to the Taurus building. Just wanted to let you know.”
I hesitated for a second, my finger hovering over the send button. My mind wasn’t made up. I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. Making a meeting with the man who left me was the last thing I wanted. There was no telling if it were even him and not some trap set by Castle.
The Taurus tower loomed in the distance. Even in this part of the city, it was right there, right next to me. I had gone so long avoiding it. No longer able to fight against a fate I wanted to avoid, I clicked the send button.
For the first time since he left me in pieces, I was going to meet with Lee Taurus.
Chapter 15
The Taurus building always felt so close. The cab ride was an eternity though. My stomach turned and made me shift in my seat. Thoughts raced through my head. I wasn’t sure if I was getting sick or angry or anxious. I was confused about what to make of everything.
I called the number on the phone and a woman responded. It was Robin, the young woman who greeted me just a few minutes ago. She set up the appointment with Lee without a hassle. Just like that, I was headed for the biggest building in the city where the richest man resided.
I checked my messages and Noah still hadn’t responded. I had to assume he was busy with work, his phone drowned out by today’s choice of music. It didn’t matter if he responded to me. Just as long as he got the message in case anything were to happen. There was no telling what I was walking into. For all I knew, this meeting was just as dangerous as meeting with Victor Castle himself.
When I arrived at my destination, I hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the cab. The Taurus building looked even taller when you stood right next to it. From the right angle, it was tall enough to block out the sun. Even bending your neck all the way back, you still weren’t able to see all the way to the top. It was a wonder how something like this was built. Lee’s success was undeniable.
A rush of cold air welcomed me into the building. Inside, you wouldn’t have even known that the city was suffering from one of the most brutal summers on record. It only seemed appropriate that anybody in here was so distant from the rest of the city’s inhabitants.
Soft music wafted through the air. It was subtle and barely there, not loud enough to mask the sound my flats made against the cold, marble floor. Wealthy business types sat on the couches and chairs. The crowd was a far departure from what I was used to seeing. There was little else interesting except for an information desk in the distance where two security guards sat.
I approached the two men and saw that they were more interested in what they were watching on TV. I stood at the counter and one of the men finally looked up to acknowledge me.
“Sign-in here,” he said before I could get anything out.
He tossed a clipboard at me and I scribbled my name onto the sheet of paper. The guard took the clipboard away from me and looked at my name for a second.
“What are you here for, Miss… Cooper, is it?”
“I have a meeting scheduled with Lee Taurus.”
The guard glanced up at me. His eyes shifted to me in a way that made him look skeptical.
“Hold on one second.”
He grabbed a phone, his eyes still locked on me.
“You got any ID?” he asked.
I pulled out my driver’s license and he examined it while he spoke on the phone.
“Yeah, I got a Sheila Cooper here. Says she’s got a meeting with the man. Just double-checking… All right.”
He hung the phone up and slid my license on the counter back to me. Then he pointed to the elevators behind him.
“Just press the star. Access code is 119.”
He didn’t give me another look as he sat back down next to the other guard, his attention focused on a small bag of cookies.
My feet squeaked against the marble floor again, echoing through the massive chamber as I made my way to the elevator. Every step was a small quake sending a rumbling into my stomach. I’d never felt this way before. I’d never felt so alone.
I wish someone were here with me. I wish I didn’t have to do this by myself.
I stepped into the elevator and entered the access code. There were so many floors so I had an eternity to think to myself. The last thing I wanted was more time alone with my thoughts. Everything that happened that day slowly started to come back to me. And I was trapped, alone in a box that was bringing me to a place where I would be forced to revisit my worst memory. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t know how I would react. All I knew was this wasn’t going to be easy.
The elevator came to a jolting halt. The doors parted. The room was smaller and there wasn’t much of anything in it. About twenty meters in front of me was a lone desk where the woman I spoke to earlier sat. She didn’t pay any attention to me. She was focused on one of four computer monitors in front of her. I took a deep breath and exhaled before making my way toward her.
My footsteps sounded louder than they did on the main floor. It was the only sound in the small room. But it wasn’t enough to distract me from the sight I noticed almost immediately as I made my way to the receptionist.
I turned my head to the side and looked through one of the window walls.
Wow…
There was nothing but endless blue sky. I was on top of the tallest building in the city and I had a view of everything surrounding. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. It stretched all the way to the horizon, so far that I could see the bend in the Earth.
I took a step forward in awe, marveling at the sight of it. I could see for miles, beyond the city itself. My mouth dropped slightly as I tried to take it all in. It wasn’t until I lowered my head down that I could see the city below me. The city I knew and lived in seemed so distant. It was like being on another planet, observing everything from the heavens.
“Miss Cooper.”
My moment was interrupted by the sound of the young woman’s voice.
“Robin,” I said to her with a nod.
“I’m glad you could join us today. My boss is ready to see you.”
I gave her a nod and moved away from the sprawling window wall.
“Right this way.”
Robin held her hand out and escorted me through the room toward a large set of double doors that were hidden just behind her desk. She pushed the doors open. An office about three times the size of the previous room greeted me.
The young woman stepped to the side and bowed her head before leaving me. I took two steps inside of the room, just enough for her to close the doors behind me.
The room was spacious. The black marble on the ground looked too expensive to be walking on. The view was just as amazing and almost distracting enough for me to forget where I stood.
A few sculptures lined the walls. I didn’t know much about art but I was sure they were worth a considerable amount. Outside of that, there was nothing more except for a desk at the far end of the room.
The desk was about three meters long and a meter wide. There was more than enough room for the average person to get their work done. I suppose millionaires needed more space to work with. A pair of computer monitors, papers, and a computer tablet took up some of the space. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
A chair sat behind the desk, its back turned to me. I wasn’t even sure someone was sitting in it.
Stay calm, Sheila. Just relax.
I stepped closer to the desk. I swallowed anxiously with every step. So many years of feelings I couldn’t describe were beginning to build in my stomach. They were piling up to the point I could feel it moving from my chest to my throat. My hands clenched and I rubbed them against my sides.
I stood in
front of the desk for a moment, waiting for something to happen. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. There was too much trying to get out all at once.
The chair shifted suddenly. I nearly jerked back as a man slowly started to rise. He turned around to face me.
It was him. For the first time in 20 years, I was looking right at Lee Taurus.
The first thing I noticed was his hair. Instead of the messy top he usually had, his blond hair was cut neatly on the sides with a perfect part on his head. His face was shaved clean without any stubble. His face had aged slightly. Some slight wrinkles on his forehead were beginning to appear. His jaw was still as chiseled as before. And then his eyes… His face had matured but his eyes were still the same, sparkling blue you could get lost in.
He wore a perfectly-tailored gray suit that rested comfortably on his broad shoulders. Every line was straight, even his tie looked like it was being held in place by a thousand safety pins.
His hands rested in his pockets as he stood there. His posture was rigid. Everything about him seemed regal. In another time, he might have been a prince or an heir to some kingdom. In an empty room, he stood out. Even in a crowd I would have noticed him. Everybody would have.
His face was emotionless as he stared at me.
I sighed a deep breath through my nostrils as I looked back at him. My mind stopped racing. I emptied my thoughts. There was nothing I could do or say. I didn’t want to be torn apart by my feelings. Rather than be pulled in different directions, I decided I wouldn’t let them take me anywhere. I was just going to let it happen.
“Happy birthday,” he said suddenly, his voice just as I remembered.
He had the tiniest grin on his face as he said it. It was my birthday but celebrating it was the last thing on my mind.
“You didn’t think I would forget, did you? I should give you a present. How about one of those?” he said.
“…What?”
“Do you like them?” he asked again, his hands pointed to the side. “The sculptures.”
He made his way over to one of the window walls and stood next to the art pieces on display.
“I picked them up recently. I got a good price. A couple of old relics from the Galleria. It was an art show they used to hold here. They don’t do it any longer. It’s a shame. Some of the artists had some real talent.”
I didn’t say anything. I just watched him.
Lee turned his head to the side and looked down as he examined one of the pieces. Then he looked up at me with a smile on his face. His teeth gleamed white, almost like they were sparkling underneath the sunlight shining in through the windows. But the smile disappeared quickly. He cleared his throat, fixed his tie and stood up straight. He took a few steps toward his desk then turned back toward me, standing just a few meters away.
“Okay,” he said. “Go ahead.”
“What?”
“Go ahead,” he said as he put his arms out to his sides. “Say what you have to say.”
“I don’t have anything—”
“Come on now, Sheila. This is awkward. The longer you go without saying it, the more awkward it gets. Let’s address the elephant in the room.”
“This isn’t awkward for me. There is no elephant in the room. Whatever it is you’re thinking, I’m not thinking about it. I’ve learned to get over things. It was a long time ago.”
I glared at him. All of the feelings I had were beginning to sort themselves out. The one that stuck out more than the others was anger. I was angry at him for what he did. And I was beginning to feel anger toward myself for caring.
“All right,” he sighed. “You don’t want to talk about that then we won’t talk about that.”
He took a seat on the edge of his desk and put his hands in his pockets.
“Why did you come here?” he asked.
“I’m here because your assistant told me you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, but you didn’t have to come. I didn’t force you. You came here for a reason. Why?”
I exhaled a deep breath through my nostrils, my eyes shifted to the side as I tried to maintain my focus.
“I’m not here for me,” I said. “I’m here for the shelter I work at. There are people who need help. So I came here to ask you for a donation.”
“A donation?”
“Yes. A financial contribution. You’re the richest man in this city. I would think you would have some money to spare. Then again, sitting in your ivory tower, you probably wouldn’t know what all the commoners down there are going through.”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Lee stood up and made his way over to one of the windows. He rested his hands behind his back while he stared out into the distance.
“I want to help this city,” he said. “But there’s something wrong. It’s sick. It’s suffering from an illness so bad that everybody left. Watson. Zara. Barnett. All of them were millionaires, billionaires even… And they decided to leave. Their buildings nothing more than remnants and an empty memory. Now there’s nothing but endless construction in a city desperately trying to rebuild itself. Do you know how bad it must have gotten for them to leave? An endless pool of money and it wasn’t worthwhile for them to stick around.”
He spun around and turned to look at me.
“But I’m here,” he said. “I could have gone anywhere in the world but I chose New Gardens. Now it appears I’m the only person here with any money.”
“Congratulations on your success,” I said. “We’re all proud of you.”
Lee chuckled to himself and shook his index finger at me.
“Come on now, Sheila. Sarcasm never suited you very well.”
“No, it’s not sarcasm. You made something of yourself. You’re rich and you’ve got a successful company. Good for you.”
“I didn’t ask you here because I wanted to brag.”
“Then why did you? What am I doing here?”
“I’m here because I want to help.”
“You’re going to provide the funds the shelter needs then? You’re going to help me rebuild it so I can help the people down there?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s a noble cause. I’m not discouraging you. But the poverty you see is just a symptom. I’m trying to fix the sickness itself.”
“So, what are you getting at?”
“All those rich people I just mentioned. They left because of a sickness I want to cure. And the sickness starts with Victor Castle.”
My eyes widened.
“What do you know about him?” I asked.
Lee sighed and stood up straight.
“There’s little that happens in this city I don’t know about,” he said as he sunk back down against the edge of his desk. “Men like Castle are why everybody is fleeing, why everybody is suffering. So I need to deal with him.”
He slowly walked toward me. As he moved closer, memories started to return to me. The memories of the last time I had him so close.
“I know that you’re getting involved,” he said. “Stay away from him, Sheila. You’re only putting yourself in danger.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I have people, too. They watch. Any tiny little connection to Castle and I know about it. I know about the biker gangs. I know about the cops. I even know about the mechanics who work for those gangs.”
It didn’t hit me immediately. But when I stared into Lee’s eyes, it finally dawned on me.
“Noah,” I said. “Are you telling me Noah has something to do with Castle?”
“No,” he said as he shook his head. “It’s not likely. But he does work for a lot of people. I can’t leave any stone unturned. Castle is an infection and there’s no telling how far its spread.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “Noah doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“I’m not saying he does. But Noah Miles has a lot of connections. That means he’s vulnerable. Even your a
ssociation with him is enough to put him at risk because of your encounter with Castle.”
“What…”
I took a step back from Lee, narrowing my eyes as I glared at him.
“How do you know about that?” I asked.
“I told you. I have people. I know about the investigation. I know that the district attorney is trying to put a case together to shut Castle down. That’s why I wanted to see you. Stay out of the way. For your protection. For your own good.”
Lee looked at me with an undeniable seriousness. I stared back at him for a few seconds then started to chuckle at it. The absurdity of it all was finally beginning to make me crack.
“Everybody,” I sighed as I took a step back, a chuckle creeping its way out of my lips. “Everybody is telling me what to do. You. Noah. The cops. Max. You’re all telling me to step aside and do nothing when I’m the only one who cares about the people down there.”
“Don’t say that, Sheila. I care about this city, too.”
“You don’t care about this city! You only care about your business. Castle is affecting your profit margins, so you want to do something about him.”
“That’s not fair. I could have gone anywhere in the world. I made myself a success. I was alone when I did it. I could have left for good. But I came back to New Gardens when no one else would. Because I still care about this city. And I know that you do, too. If you want what’s best for it, you’ll stay out of the way and let everything else sort itself out.”
I turned around from Lee and let out a frustrated sigh. He had a point. I couldn’t deny that. Something about denying my chance to help didn’t sit well with me though. Everybody was in on it but me. For the second time, Lee made me feel more alone than I’d ever felt in my life.
“Just stay away from Castle,” he said. “Who knows, maybe I can give your shelter that donation you’re looking for once everything is taken care of.”
I didn’t respond. My thoughts were racing. Lee had summoned me to his office so I could be lectured like a child. I knew better than to get emotional about it.
