Kidnapped

Chapter VI

This time we took the elevator. I was watching the tiny display showing the floors and I realized time was passing really slowly. I was tired, excited and bashful.

Suddenly, the elevator made a sound and blocked, making us terrified at the unexpected moment.

"What the...?"

Then we heard two gun fires, that were coming from outside, and hitting the elevator's system directly into its source.

"We're followed by someone."

"It's no way out!"

"Yes it is."

Adam pushed with his leg a little wicket that was stuck with nails in the floor and broke it, squeezed through it and pulled me carefully to the nearest leader.

"There. Go down. I'm right beside you. And watch your head."

"Where are we going?"

"We have to leave the building and go somewhere safe."

When we reached the ground floor, we sneaked fast to the nearest entrance but we couldn't arrive at the time and heard someone running after us.

"They're there. I'll get the girl and bring her to the van. Ask Bobby to call for more people and to surround the mall. We don't have much time left. Go!"

The voice sounded familiar, but it was so much noise, I couldn't even hear my own mind. There were steps over steps running and stumbling on the stairs, and guns shooting at each sound.

We couldn't reach the entrance so we needed to find another place to hide. The deposit seemed to be a good alternative, full of boxes and tools, but it was a dead end if we had to run. I spotted an opened shop and I took courage to open my mouth and say:

"There..."

"No...If we cross the hall, they can notice us. Keep looking."

I kept looking, but I didn't find anything. There was only the deposit, but I couldn't remember if there is any way to guide us to a better place.

"Fuck...Move to the deposit's door. Stay there. I'm going to find a way out. Don't leave anywhere. Take this, when it turns red, you run to the nearest entrance and go straightly home; preferable A6 one, ok? It's the closest. Try to sneak quietly so no one can notice you, alright?"

It was a ring, with a trigger.

"Adam, No! Where are you going?! Don't leave me here. Stay with me!"

"I’ll wait here until I see you enter the room. I need to find a better place."

"Adam!"

"Andi, trust me. Don't worry, I’ll be fine. Remember, when it turns red, you run. Got it?"

"G-got it...Watch out!"

"I'll be alright. Now go!"

I was crawling while trembling and I couldn't feel my legs. I could only feel the horrible fear that was dominating me. I was hurrying up to reach that door faster; I pushed it and busted in immediately. It was dark and it smelled wet boxes and rust. I coughed quietly and moved to the most hidden place, behind some boxes full of bricks placed one over another, in the bottom of the room.

I waited there like half an hour and during this time, I was thinking how my life became a mess only in two days. My dad's gone, I’m followed by someone in my own house and now some strangers are trying to kill me. And Adam...Who is he actually? How does he know all the places in this mall? Why is he living here and has fortresses under the school?

The ring shined, I jumped and I started to run to the entrance. "Preferable A6..."

I didn’t even know where I could find it. But when I was on the hall with Adam, the nearest was right in front of us, so I went to it.

I left the building and got outside, standing in the middle of the wind. I started to run on the way home, pressed by all the thoughts that were walking in my mind. With my eyes full of tears, forcing to come out from my orbit, I was running like a storm, hiding at each 10 meters from the people on the street.

Adam! I left him there! I need to save him.

But he told me to run away.

While I was fighting with my sides, I finally arrived home. My legs ran without my body and my brain working. I entered the house, locked it safely with the chain and with the keys and went to the kitchen to call the police. Then I noticed the cable has been cut.

Not with a scissor 'cause it too matchlessly, not with a pen-knife 'cause it looks too fast; with a knife: a sharp one. I was followed by a psychopath with a sharp knife.

Someone was knocking at the door. I let the phone on the bar and went silently to the door.

"Andi, I-I-it's m-me...”

"Adam!"

I opened the door and squeezed my fist in surprise when I saw a boy, full of blood on his face, beaten and cut. He dropped in front of me, leaning on my legs, I picked him up and brought him to the living-room.

''Adam, I’m sorry, I had to stay with you, I was so dumb. Forgive me...Oh God...You're bleeding so much. I need to call the ambulance."

"D-don't...Help m-me go upstairs...I need to lay a little..."

"Ok! C'mon. Don't hurry."

"You're the one who does, love."

He was smiling, even if he looked terrifying, he was still smiling charming.

"What can I bring you? What can I do?"

"Calm down, sweetheart...It's not the first time...."

''W-what do you mean?"

"Andi, bring me a hot, wet towel and give me some time to sleep ok? I'll see you in the morning. Please?"

"Ok. Good night, Adam."

No reply. He fell in a deep sleep, immediately after I left the room.

I felt sorry for him, and I blamed me for what I did...I left him there. But I still don't get why that strangers wanted to steal me and take me away. Why my father disappeared and who was the boy I met two days ago on the school stadium. They had no connection. I had to ask my father about his job when I had the opportunity. I had questions that I was sure my father had their answers. What else can I do now? I have no way out. And what if it gets worse? How will I protect myself? I need to call someone, from the family, or maybe someone who knows about my father's dirty business. I'm sure it has something to do with his job because he kept secrets hidden from all of us. My mom, my grandma, me... It didn't seem like my mom knew something. She never looked frightened or scared that something could go wrong, not in my presence. But I remember one time, one last time, after she died, I was waiting for my dad to pick me up from my grandma's house, and he brought someone home. His name was Patrick...Graham. He was around 45 years old then. And I also remember how he and my dad were staying in the kitchen for pretty long time talking about phone calls, and money, secret groups and protectors. I had no idea what they were talking about. I couldn’t give less of a shit that day when I just came back from my mother's funeral, instead of listening their hard and careless voice, talking about crap things while my mother was captive under the ground.

Stop thinking about it, she's gone now.

I went downstairs thinking to try to find something that would help me in this situation. Viewing some photos, maybe I could’ve found a hidden clue, reading some old books of my dad’s; maybe I could find something about what was his work about. But after 2 full hours of intensely reading, I found myself hopeless. Nothing helped me, but an old, little, smelly agenda full of numbers and names. That was exactly what I needed. Maybe I could find who Patrick really was and what were he and my dad hiding from all of us. Anyway, on it was a notation with the letters P. A. G. and a phone number beside it.

Call him now! This is what you were looking for! A way out!

Not now, I need to sleep, maybe in the morning.

It’s been a long day.