The Keepers of the Rose

by DJ Dalasta

  Anna emerged from the bathroom. She held her head low and cast her eyes just high enough to see ahead of her. The position left her feeling slightly disoriented. The crowds seemed to dissipate when she needed them most and she sensed the gaze of each person she passed follow after her like searchlights trained on a sinking ship. There was nowhere to hide, not here.

  She came to the front and turned to the left, heading for door number one. She tried to look casual and brushed her hair behind her ear but then quickly let it fall back down realizing it helped hide her face. Outside, a red car waited.

  She spotted a young wavy haired man leaning up against the wall, monitoring the door. He was the one Skylar mentioned. He would systematically watch each individual pass through the automatic portal and then would glance downward to match them with his pictures. There was no way this was going to work.

  Anna took a deep breath and aimed straight for him.

  Her heart raced as anxiety threatened to take over her body. Her arms lightened and her legs gained length with each stride. She looked away from the man and gazed out the doors that led to freedom just ahead.

  A hand grabbed her arm and squeezed. “Ma’am,” the young man’s voice rang in her ear. She was caught. He jerked her around and when their eyes met, he smiled. Weakness overcame her muscles. Her heard swirled and she thought she would faint. “Hi Anna,” he said reaching for something in his jacket.

  Suddenly, Skylar appeared behind the man and immediately Anna felt the grip on her arm release. Skylar gave her a nod. Anna made for the car trying to maintain her composure.

  Anna opened the passenger door and slid inside. She felt nauseous. She noticed Nate was yet to arrive. She sat alone for only another half minute before he slipped into the back and shut the door. They both silently watched door number one.

  Skylar burst through the doors and ran around to the driver’s side and jumped into the car. It was already running and he put it in gear and peeled out. He threw a radio, cell phone, and pistol into Anna’s lap.

  “That’s his radio, turn the volume up,” he said. “We won’t have much time before he’s able to get word out. We need to hear what’s going on.” Anna did as she was told. “And put your seatbelts on,” Skylar kept glancing in the mirror.

  In just under thirty seconds from when they left the airport, the radio blared to life. Orders were being given and it sounded as though ten people were trying to talk all at the same time. Skylar merged onto the 129 highway and pushed the little red car to a high speed. Anna grabbed onto her seat and held tightly. Skylar’s face remained calm and he switched between looking straight ahead and into his mirrors. “Does anybody need anything,” he asked, looking over at her. “Perhaps a piece of gum, or a drink, I have a cooler in the back, Nate you should be able to reach it.”

  “No thanks,” Anna muttered. Nate stayed silent. “Do you know where we’re going,” she asked.

  “Yeah, Rock put me in touch with Wallace. The old fart told me to meet him at some cabin. It’s a couple hours drive.” They merged onto the 321 and headed East. Skylar had to slow down dramatically on this stretch of the road and it made Anna nervous that somehow their pursuers would catch up. After they passed the small town of Townsend, the traffic gradually thinned and allowed them to push their speed to around 85. Not more than ten minutes later Skylar shook his head after he looked into the mirror. “Shit,” he said. “Hold on.”

  Anna shifted and glanced behind them, Nate did the same. Two cars, a blue SUV and a white sedan were gaining on them. They were moving well past 100mph as Skylar was starting to push past 90. “Go faster,” she said, “they’re gaining.”

  “Sorry hon, this is about as fast as this little thing is going to go, and we aren’t going to be outrunning them.”

  “What are you going to do,” Nate said leaning up into the front.

  “Hand me that gun,” Skylar said to Anna. “If need be you’re going to have to steer.” He winked at her. “Calm down, I’ve done this before.” He set the car in cruise control and opened the sunroof. “Keep her steady,” he said as Anna placed her hand on the wheel. Skylar checked the gun and popped the safety. “It’s gonna be loud, so don’t flinch.”

  Anna watched straight ahead and made small moves with the wheel. Nate was shuffling around in the back seat, “they’re gaining,” he said. “Almost here.”

  “Shut up and get down,” Skylar scolded him. “Stay to the right now Anna,” Skylar told her and she gently eased the car to brush up against the shoulder. Skylar climbed out of the driver’s seat and turned around swinging his legs into the back. He braced himself and popped his torso out the top of the car. “Steady,” he called down.

  Anna heard the first shots come from behind. She felt little clinks hit the frame of the car. Skylar had yet to fire.

  “What are you waiting for!” She yelled.

  He didn’t respond. She looked up at him and saw his arms perfectly straight, back braced against the car, one hand folded under the other and the gun cupped perfectly even. They were been shot at and Skylar didn’t even seem to notice.

  Anna winced as Skylar’s gun fired. She wiggled the car slightly but kept it straight. She turned around to see the SUV barreling off the road then abruptly lose control and flip. She turned back to the front and saw they were gaining quickly on a car in their lane.

  “Left lane, left lane,” Skylar called down to her. Anna immediately switched. But as she came over, a car coming the other direction sped directly for her. She had no control over speed and cringed as they zoomed by the car on the right and then she whipped it over back into the right lane sending herself and Skylar slamming in that direction. Somehow the car stayed upright and she leveled it out. “Holy shit,” she heard Skylar comment.

  The white sedan moved up directly behind them. Anna looked in the mirror and saw one man hanging out the back window aiming a pistol in their direction. She saw it flare to life and the sound reach them just afterwards. He missed everything. “Left lane,” Skylar yelled. Anna swung the car over to the other lane. Skylar fired again, then once more. The driver’s side front wheel of the white sedan exploded and the car pulled off the road heavily leaning to one side. Skylar slid down and gently eased her back to the passenger’s side.

  “Everyone ok,” he asked taking off the cruise control and bringing the car back into the right lane. Nate brought his head up from the back and grunted. Anna nodded.

  “Good, that was certainly close wasn’t it?” He smiled and tossed the gun over to her. “Safety that, will ya?”

  “Did you kill them,” Nate said.

  “I shot their tires, it’s their fault if they couldn’t control their vehicle, not mine. Besides, they shot first.” Skylar reached into the door pocket and brought out a cigarette and lit it up. “That was more than I expected though. These guys really want you. I thought Rock was just over exaggerating like usual. They generally tried to shoot us.”

  Anna slowly brought her breathing back to normal, “thank you,” she said.

  “No need to thank me. That was quite a bit of driving you did back there. What do you say we calm down with some music?” Skylar plugged in his phone and Anna laughed as the soundtrack to the Phantom of the Opera began to play. “I love this shit,” he said.

  They drove for almost 2 hours without another incident. The roads became less desirable whenever they turned off to head a different direction. They skirted along the outside of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park as dusk crept over them and the stars twinkled in numbers greater than even in Nova Scotia. Finally, Skylar turned onto an old dirt road. It ran its course up into the mountains and great trees hung overhead blocking the sky. It felt as though they were being eaten by nature. If left alone, the forest would reclaim this road in just a few years.

  To her surprise they turned off again, onto even a rockier and more unkempt road
. She was worried the little car wouldn’t make it and they’d be stuck walking in the dark. “Not much farther now,” he said.

  To his credit it wasn’t more than five more minutes. They pulled up to an old wooden fence and parked next to a new red truck. The house was much larger than Anna expected. It sprawled over a small clearing, and didn’t look as worn down as she would have thought. She half expected something like the place Rock had rented in Nova Scotia.

  The outside light flicked on and the door opened before they could even knock. An old squat man, waddled out onto the porch. Wallace hadn’t changed since the last time she’d seen him.

  “Oh lovely Anna, come, come here,” he stepped forward. Anna hugged him and stepped back. “You must be Nate,” Wallace looked over at her assistant. “I am Wallace Bimbi.”

  “Pleasure to meet you sir,” Nate replied back.

  “And you,” Wallace looked up at Skylar. “You look different.”

  “You just look ancient,” Skylar said.

  “And you haven’t changed. I trust you had no problems getting here.”

  “None,” Skylar replied, “the ride was smooth.” Nate smirked.

  “What, you had trouble?”

  “I’ll tell you later, “ Anna said. “But first, we have something to show you.”

  Wallace led them inside and Anna felt like she stepped into another world. The first thing she noticed was the bear skin rug, it felt soft beneath her feet and she slipped off her shoes to wiggle her toes. She continued inwards as the foyer area merged with the living room where a great fireplace, though not lit at the moment, took center stage. The great rocks that created the hearth were non-uniformed and rough. It appeared as though natural forces had buried them together but she knew the design was the work of many long hours of some creative individual. The sofa and chairs were oversized and draped in hand woven rugs while recessed lights gave the whole area a soft glow.

  She did notice the subtle touches of modern technology. The television was built into the wall and could be hidden if desired. The speakers and surround sound were built into the ceiling making the floor and walls free from long runs of cords and wiring. There was only one computer in the room, stationed in the corner, on a wooden desk carved in a unique pattern. The wood that made up the legs could have been plucked from a fallen tree and placed just right. Overall, the place flowed beautifully.

  “Is this yours,” Anna said to Wallace as she crushed into the couch, sinking into the soft, deep cushions.

  “No, no. This isn’t mine. It is a friend’s who at the moment lives in California and hasn’t been here in over a year. But I am free to use it as I wish. I thought it would be a good place after speaking with Rock.

  “It’s remote enough,” Skylar worked his way into the conversation. “But there’s one big problem I see. There’s only one way in or out.”

  “Nobody will find this place,” Wallace replied. “And what could you have brought me that is so important they would even take the trouble to come all the way up here.”

  Silence filled the room.

  Wallace glanced from person to person studying their expressions. “I see,” he whispered. “Then we best have a look.”

  Chapter 19

  Boston, July 2012