The Double Cross: NYSSA
What-was-that-noise-’bout?
At this point, I had no choice but to stop in my tracks. A lot went on in my head and all of a sudden, my mind asked my brain to let me know ’bout the importance of shuttin’ down the phone. Or rather, keepin’ it in a mute state which was better.
I did as told, lookin’ around.
The voices were close somehow and I seemed to recognize the voice of one of them.
What if I was only imaginin’ things? I wondered, scared for my life but tryin’ so hard to keep it at a low. I looked around, not seein’ anyone in the space with me, so where did the voices come from?
I walked back to the door, abandonin’ the cabinet I looked into a while ago where I saw wraps of illegal drugs. Now that I was ready to do the needful, somethin’ unexpected had happened.
I had reached the door and now, rested my head to listen to what was there to say – or what they were talkin’ ’bout.
“She’s in there, I promise you guys-” it was Jane who said so. “Don’t you believe what I, Jane, say to you?” She asked some men who nodded. I could see from the hole made in the door from the inner part.
No way!
What was happenin’ out there?
At this very point, fear had taken a hold of me and I heaved a sigh, feelin’ the cold that hugged me and wonderin’ also how to go ’bout it.
What do I do?
How do I even do it?
I was scared enough and started shiverin’ at this point, carefully lockin’ the door from the inside so they wouldn’t come in.
Just when I wanted to go back to the cabinet and take a picture of what I would use against the man, the door banged. A hand banged on the door and I froze, realizin’ that there was no way I would take a picture or even lay my hands on the document Jane talked ’bout. How was I even goin’ to do that?!
“There’s a door behind and she doesn’t know.”
I heard a man speak, wonderin’ also if he didn’t know I could hear almost everythin’.
Sharply, I turned around to look for the door, wishin’ also that it wasn’t a trap before finally openin’ it after lookin’ around once more to be certain my phone and anythin’ I came with wasn’t left behind.
In moments, I was rushin’ through a hallway, findin’ my way back to the elevator that brought me there. The cleaner I met on my way was walkin’ in my direction, a smile on her face. “Have you lost your way, my lady?” She made me stop to breathe, I didn’t want to but what choices did she leave me with?
“I-” I breathed in and out again. “I think I have lost my way truly, my lady,” I said too. “Where is the elevator leadin’ down the buildin’? I need to meet with a visitor who has come to hand over somethin’ to me.”
Without givin’ me a response, she grabbed my hand and ran in that direction.
Now, I was more than scared for my life.
What if this lady was also a setup? I stopped in my tracks and she turned to look at me. “I know what you are, Mrs. Draven. I want to help you so come with me if you don’t want to be caught.”
Wh-what?
I started runnin’ along once more. “Ho-how-?” I realized now that I had run out of breath. “Who are you?” I was almost shoutin’, wantin’ to stop in my tracks but scared of gettin’ caught at the same time.
“Where are we even goin’?”
“The elevator, Mrs. Draven.” She stopped in front of one and walked into it before me.
“It’s safe. I don’t mean to harm you, Mrs. Draven. I heard some men in front of Theodore’s door talk ’bout some woman in his office. One Mrs. Jane who worked with us many months ago was standin’ there and I had every reason to suspect she was there for a purpose.”
“And as for you, I knew that you wanted to do somethin’. I have come to help you ’cause I also know what it is.”
Nonsense!
“This is a trap. Get me out of here!”
“No, Mrs. Draven,” she also cried and put a piece of paper in my hand. “I’ll not help you if this is a trap.”
The elevator stopped and I looked at her, scared to open the door so that Jane and the others the woman must have planned with did not get a hold of me. “Now you must run and don’t look back until you’re out of sight, do you understand me? This is some money for you in case you didn’t come with one. I know you trusted Jane to take you back home.”
In shame, I took the money from her, also ensurin’ that I held onto the paper she gave me even though I didn’t know what was in it. My legs caught up with the gate of the company in due time, while a large car drove into the space with a few eyes on me, scarin’ me and makin’ me think they knew what I was.
At the top of my voice, I shouted in disbelief at what had happened, refusin’ to digest the meal of unexpected betrayal I had just been served by someone I shouldn’t have trusted in the first place.
A man who drove one stopped in front of me when I had run for almost half an hour.
“The Draven’s Estate.”
I explained and hopped in, scared that the man who drove the cab could be sent to me by Theodore and his men who might be settin’ another trap for me.
Soon, I was stopped at the gate of the Estate. I didn’t let the man walk past the gate but started runnin’, dialin’ Kazmir’s contact also so that he could open the gate and wait there for me before I got to it.
“I should have known that woman was up to somethin’!” He grunted as he paced the space. “How dare she?” He turned to look at me, catchin’ up with the chair in moments. “Are you hurt?”
“No, not physically, Kazmir-” I shook my head.
“How I didn’t know that the woman would do somethin’ like this is a funny thing to me. She came from Ember. I choose to believe at this point that the woman has a hand in this.” Tears filled my eyes and I let it fall. “Why would she even do this to me? Did I offend her at some point in my life?”
Of all that was happenin’, I was more than happy I didn’t get caught. What would be the case at this point? Then, I recalled the cleaner from the company and how she did what she could do to help. Without any hesitation, I took out the piece of paper, and handed it to Kazmir who heard that part of the story. “I don’t know what I’d have done without this lady, Kazmir. I should probably be dead by now.”
“I want to lay hands on Jane-! That woman who doesn’t have the slightest idea who I am-” he confessed. “Are we even certain that her name is Jane?” He cried, settlin’ next to me on the couch. “I hate her so much for doin’ a thing like this to you. Will you have some water? I could make tea for you if you want me to.” He added and got on his feet, walkin’ to the kitchen area when I gave an approvin’ nod.
At the end of the day, I felt very much better. All thanks to the cleaner who did all she could do – and now I thought ’bout what could be goin’ on in Jane’s head.