by Marie Ellie
It was Charles, the handsome Charles, that boy who was taking care of me in the hospital and who has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. I don’t know if I'm glad to see him again or feel afraid for him. Not of him, Charles seems different to me, and I had already been told that he didn’t know anything about what was happening. I'm worried now that William isn’t there, Andrew is going to mess him up too. The best thing is to get him to leave, to get away from all this mess while he still can.
“What are you doing here?” I asked hoping that he would give me an answer that he wasn’t going to give me.
“Mr. Thomas called me and told me it was urgent that I retake my position, so I came.”
“Thomas?” I made a gesture trying to find out who Mr. Thomas was.
“Mr. Andrew Thomas.”
“Oh, his last name is Thomas. You just said his name.” That bastard has a family name; what a pity he has a family, he doesn’t deserve it.
“How do you feel, ma'am?” he asked me with that deep and sincere look and those blue eyes that always managed to captivate me.
“How can I be locked up here like a laboratory rat? Tell me, Charles, what are your commands this time?”
“What do you mean, ma'am?”
“First, put the formalities aside and call me Grace. I imagine you know that William and I were never married and that he, well, is no longer with us.”
“Yes, Mr. Thomas told me that he had to leave because of health problems, but he didn’t mention that you weren’t married, that part is new.”
“Eh ... yes, health problems and yes, we weren’t married.” Andrew didn’t say anything about William's death, so it wasn’t Charles who cleaned up the mess. Someone had to clean it up because otherwise, Charles would’ve seen the body upon coming down here. “Then you, why did you come back?”
“Mr. Thomas wants me to take care of you again. I was a bit shocked when he told me that you couldn’t leave the vault and I was more shocked that there was a literal vault in the house. I always thought that they said that because of the security system they had. I thought maybe you could explain to me what's happening.”
The boy with the beautiful eyes really doesn’t know anything. Then I can’t understand how they can trust him to take care of me if he doesn’t know what he is facing. The best thing is to tell him everything and run while he can. Be saved from Andrew's clutches.
“They have me as a hostage, that's why I cannot leave. They are blackmailing my father and threatening to hurt me. William never married me, and they hired you to keep me busy while they did who knows what sort of things here in my house. I also learned that William drugged me with a sedative and brought me to this basement, took photos and videos of me as if they were torturing me and then sent them to my dad to force him to do who knows what. Oh, I also learned that William raped me while I was drugged, only while I was drugged, and that the rest of the time he didn’t touch me. I just found out about all of this a few hours ago, of course, before Andrew killed William out there, a few steps away from the metal stretcher. That was what damaged William's health and of course, he had to call you because he needed a caregiver and you were a very good one.”
Charles did not say a word. He was perplexed with everything I let unleashed on him. I think I should have prepared him a little more and told him things more calmly. Since it is done, Charles knows everything, and now he can decide between leaving as soon as possible and save his skin or stay.
“And what are we going to do?”
What? What are we going to do? He’s not going to run? But what is this guy thinking about? Is he out of his mind? What you have to do is go, run and don’t look back!
“What are we going to do? Well, you are free to leave whenever you want and I, then, once you close the door as surely as you have been ordered, I have to stay here until Andrew gets another nanny. Because let me tell you that Andrew has everything under surveillance with security cameras so if you try to go against his instructions, he’ll find out and you won’t have better luck than William.”
“I can’t leave you alone in this either, I'm not a soulless person. I can’t just walk away and leave you like this, inside a vault. We have to do something to get you out of here, to escape.”
This guy actually likes me, he has guts. He has the opportunity to leave without returning, but he’s choosing to stay and help me escape, so his life is in danger.
“For now, it’s better not to tempt fate. Andrew is in a very bad mood. Why don’t you bring me a blanket from my room, a pillow, some clothes, ah, soap and towels? Well, if you can also prepare something to eat, I'd appreciate that. I’ll stay here until you arrive. Close the vault door, surely Andrew is watching, and I don’t want to get you in trouble. Moreover, he likes to have control of everything; you can earn his trust if you call him and ask him if you can bring me what I asked for. That will make him feel in control of the situation.
Charles left the vault to get some signal on his phone. He had to go up to the office to make the call. He left the door to the vault open, so I could hear his conversation with Andrew. He did what I asked, called him, told him that I had asked him for a few things and hot food and asked him if it was okay to bring them to me. It seems that Andrew accepted and congratulated him for asking him first. Charles went down the stairs, crossed the basement and with a look of hope and bewilderment told me that he had to close the door until he got back. I accepted the situation without a word, simply taking a few steps back. Charles pulled up on the metal door, carried it to its place and closed it on the outside.
The noise of metal clashing and sealing was terrifying. It gave me the feeling of being imprisoned, worse than prey, of being trapped. I had to think about something else if I didn’t want to start having episodes of claustrophobia. It's cold again, and Charles left less than a minute ago, it's as if his presence alone brought me warmth and I miss him already.
I have to think about how I'm going to spend my time while I'm here alone. It’s obvious that Charles isn’t going to move to the vault with me, so I have to do something. I can ask for paper and pencil and start writing a book. What the hell, give me a laptop and that makes it easier for me. Hey, a laptop is harmless in here, and I could write a fiction book about crime. One of those ends up becoming a movie. I could write an autobiography; it would be called “A fool who thought that they were intelligent” or “The lie of a perfect life.” I would have to think more about the title if I wanted to sell a single copy of this story.
I would begin by telling how I met William. Of course, it would be a very short chapter. I remember that near the Juilliard School there was a Vietnamese food restaurant that I loved. I used to go there, ask for my usual lunch and enjoy it right there while reading the messages written on a large black slate-like wall. I began to see him there, sitting down, eating some pulled pork sandwich while I enjoyed my "quinoa bowl." Until one day, when I arrived, William had my lunch ready, at the table where I used to sit, at the time I used to arrive. That was our first lunch together. Apparently, I accepted, I thought it was a very nice thought that he had noticed what I liked to eat and invited me for lunch. Now that I think about it a little better, it's scary that someone is watching you to the point that they know every ingredient of your lunch. But I was 22 years old, and William was really handsome and charming, so as expected, I fell into his trap.
CHAPTER XI
A PLEASANT VISIT
The idea of a book isn’t really that preposterous. Having studied drama will surely help me write my life that until today is a real drama. I have to try to get my laptop brought down here, so at least I’m entertained, and I stop thinking that I feel like a lab rat in this hole with this super strong and bright light. I have no idea of time. Since I woke up in the EDITION, I lost count of the hours, and I really don’t know how much time has passed. The last time I was aware of the time was when I was preparing to go out with William on our reconciliation date. Wow, if I had known it
then, I would’ve taken forever, and I would’ve asked for the most expensive wine during dinner.
The cold is already becoming unbearable, and Charles hasn’t appeared. I'm starting to worry because Andrew can’t be trusted. I hope he hasn’t done anything to him; it’s not just for bringing me the blanket and pillow, it’s that Charles is a good guy and also quite handsome. It's amazing how he’s been taking care of me for years, and I hadn’t noticed his presence. Maybe if I got to see him before he would’ve caught my attention so much that I would’ve cheated on my husband with him. What can I say? If I never had a husband, my marital status is still single, not widowed. I have to get used to being single and the fact that I’ve been a hostage for five years and hadn’t noticed.
I can hear the noise of the numbers being punched in on the electronic panel of the vault door, and it interrupts my thoughts on the five fake years. I can not help but feel panic at not knowing who is opening the door. I wish with all my strength that it is Charles, but there is always the possibility that Andrew appears for God know what reason. Time is eternal; it's as if I had time to see the entire Star Wars saga before the round metal door completely opened and let me see who is there. I begin to despair until finally, blue eyes as deep as the sea appear through the small space that has been cleared while the door is being opened. It was Charles, the handsome Charles and he hasn’t come alone. He’s come with a large blue reusable shopping bag with four handles reinforced by a yellow thread. I go to Charles and take the bag to see what he has brought. Inside the bag, there is a pillow, a gray blanket with white patterns, which is perfect for this cold. There’s also a bar of soap, towels, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, sportswear, and underwear. He didn’t bring bras; maybe he thinks I don’t need them, or he didn’t remember that women use an extra piece of clothing. I have to accept that I’m pretty happy with the fact that he hasn’t bought any bra.
“You brought everything!” I said with enthusiasm as if I were on the happiest of vacations.
“Yes, all that's missing is the food, and I’ll bring that down in a minute, it's that I couldn’t bring everything at once.”
I stand in front of him, look at him and give him the sincerest thanks that I have been able to give in a long time. I took his hand lightly and squeezed his palm to accompany my words but what I wanted was to embrace the man who didn’t run away when he could do it and who was in front of me inside that vault.
“Give me a minute to bring down the food; please, don’t leave.”
I'm sure that behind that “please, don’t leave” there is a direct threat from Andrew. For the first time, I noticed fear or rather, concern in Charles's eyes.
“Don’t worry, Charles; I won’t leave. I'm going to take advantage of the time to put everything that you brought in ... in place, anywhere,” I say as I point to the metal shelf inside the vault.
He smiled, grateful for my cooperation and left without closing the door.
I did what I had promised and organized everything Charles had brought me in that blue bag wherever I could. I put the pillow in the upper corner of the green military cot and the blanket folded alongside it to make it fit better. I stroked the blanket, and it felt so soft that it reminded me of the cold nights in which I used it to warm up sitting in the armchair in front of the television. Thinking of that, Charles arrived with a bag of food and a cardboard cup.
“I brought Japanese food, I hope you like it, it's from my favorite restaurant, and I made sure it got here hot. Does it bother you if I eat with you?”
“Not at all, on the contrary, I would love it.” That blue-eyed boy had the ability to make me forget about the ordeal that was going on, and I would really love it if he stayed here, even just for a while.
We started to open the dishes made out of recycled material where they served the food and prepared ourselves to start eating. I was hungry enough to eat whatever he put me in front of me, but Japanese food was an excellent choice. I started to eat like a wild animal and Charles looked at me, I think he likes to see me enjoy that food.
“How do you feel?”
“Well, it's not, my best moment.” I said with difficulty because my mouth was full of rice. He smiled when he realized that I did not intend to stop eating to start a conversation.
“Eat, we can talk when we finish,” to which I nodded.
It was a meal like no other. I'm not sure if it's because I hadn’t eaten a lot of food for a long time or that it really was the best place for Japanese food; everything was really good. The container had some traces of food, but I was surprised to be able to eat such a large amount. It was as if I had no bottom as if my stomach were a broken sack.
“What are we going to do?”
I didn’t know what to say to Charles, who was looking at me for an answer. “Do with what?”
“What do you mean to do with what? We can’t leave you here forever. We have to do something to get you out.”
“Have you noticed that I'm stuck in a vault? That Andrew has cameras everywhere and that he surely already warned you of the consequences of letting me get out of here, alive.”
“Yes, I know all that. I also know that I have to do something to get you out and I hope you agree with that.”
“There’s nothing I would like more than to leave here and start a life in a place as far away as possible.”
“Well, don’t talk anymore, we have to think about what we’re going to do. Then, if you want, I can take you to that distant place, only if you want company.”
“I'd love for you to come with me,” and who can say anything else to this man with those eyes. Not only to accompany me on that trip, what I would like is for him to stay with me in whatever place we choose.
“I think the first thing we need to know is why exactly they have you here. Do you have any idea?”
“All I know is that they’re using my kidnapping to force my dad to do things in favor of the organization that Andrew runs. I really don’t have information about what they asked him to do or what they are looking for.”
“Well, that’s where we have to start.”
“How? Andrew isn’t going to tell you a single word.”
“I was thinking; there is an office that is like “the control tower” Every time we have a mission, or they call us to give us a job or something, we sign a sheet that is attached to a kind of record. We all have a record number, and all our information, as well as all the activity within the organization, is in that record.
“What are you thinking? Go in there and look for Andrew's record?”
“That’s it exactly.”
“It sounds dangerous.”
“It is. It’s also dangerous to leave you here while they continue doing God knows what to you. We have to take risks.”
“You don’t. You don’t have to do any of this. You don’t have to risk your life to save me.”
“I don’t have to do it, but I want to do it.”
Charles disarmed me; he’s being honest with me, his gaze tells me that, and not only that, it tells me that he is willing to take risks in order to help me and that is the most beautiful thing that someone has done for me in a long time. I really feel praised, and my heart beats for this guy who is willing to help me. I still don’t know if I'm falling in love with him or if it's a feeling derived from gratitude. I have to wait to find out, meanwhile, I'm going to cling to this dim light and that heat that his presence gives me.
“How are you going to get into that office without being discovered?”
“I’ve already thought of a plan. I’ve been to the place several times, and I’m a very good friend of the guards. I'm going to invent an excuse for them to let me in with a package and use some of the equipment that we have there for the jobs they give us. Once inside, I'll go to the file to find Andrew's record. The file is protected by an access code.”
“Then you won’t be able to open it!” I couldn’t help but interrupt him while he whispered his plan.
“It sounds like you have a plan and that you’re ready to execute it.”
“That’s right. I have a plan, and I’ll execute it. Once I have everything, I’ll come so we know exactly what we are dealing with.”
“Thanks, Charles, I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”
“Don’t thank me, I've been taking care of you for five years, and I've done it with pleasure. Before you didn’t even notice me, but now, now my work is rewarded with every look and word you give me.”
Was that a confession of love? I don’t really understand it, but what I do know is that it reached my heart deep inside. This guy makes me forget everything, his words, his look, his very presence transports me to a plane away from this earthly one where I’m a hostage. He transports me to a beautiful place, where no one can hurt me, full of flowers, where there’s a soft and constant breeze that makes everything around me move smoothly. I think that's the way love is, I'm falling in love with Charles.
I had him so close, and the trip to the beautiful place was so real that I couldn’t help but getting close and kissing him. Charles responded to me, and his lips were so delicious that I didn’t want that kiss to end. He didn’t want it to either, I felt it, I knew it because of how he approached me by pulling me by the waist, with a single movement. Suddenly we were so close that I could feel every inch of his body close to mine. I felt everything. I felt the stiffness between his legs and the humidity between mine. I have not had this vibrations in my body for a long time. What happened to William at the hotel before he drugged me doesn’t come close to this. I'm really ready to receive Charles's love, and I let him know with my hands. Charles understands my body language. He knows that I want him to make me his own and he doesn’t take long to let me know that he wants to also.
