The Secret of Lake Lupe *Frequent Uploads*

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

I stood up and dragged my luggage with me. I didn't even know where to go, or even where to stand to see the sign with my name. At this point, I was just walking around aimlessly. The thought of Daisy getting better treatment than this made me bitter.

Why couldn't I have stayed with my aunts? With my friends that I got a long with? For a moment I thought of Hunter, Talia, and Warren. I missed them, even McKenzie. What I wouldn't give for a ticket back to New York...

"Hello!" The voice thundered over my head and caused a jolt through my body. I bobbed my head up to see the source of the new voice. When no face appeared, I assumed the greeting was meant for someone else.

"This sucks—"

A sudden weight came down on my shoulder, "You must be Maisie, Chief Boris's niece."

"Um... Do I know you?" I cautiously took several steps away from the dude towering over me.

"No, but I know your Uncle. He sent me down to get you from the airport. My names Stefen Gretker..."

I stared at this Stefen character.

He had black hair that was so dark, it looked blue under the bright artificial lights of the airport, and brown eyes that crinkled as he grinned his white teeth at me. He was fairly tan and... built. From under his thin t-shirt, I could see the muscles rippling at his chest. He had a body that you'd see on one of those Hollister bags and a face that matched.

"Mhm, and how do I know you're telling me the truth, strange handsome man that I've never seen or heard of before?"

He took a step forward and I immediately raised my hands in the air defensively, "Back off, dude, I know karate!" Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but he didn't need to know that. He may have been hot, but I wasn't about to become the latest victim of this hot serial killer guy.

He began laughing and I frowned, "You sure about that?" He was still laughing. It made me angry to know that he was mocking me. He thought I couldn't defend myself from him or something?

"You think a punch from you is gunna hurt me, Utina? Oh, boy, Chief Boris didn't tell me you were a comedian, I mean c'mon now, what are you 12?"

My hands fell down to my side and I straightened my back, "I am not 12...I'm 16 for your information. Keep it up and I'm gunna scream at the top of my lungs and get Homeland Security on your ass."

Stranger Danger let out a deep sigh, "Okay, enough of this," he glanced at his wristwatch, "I gotta get you at Lake Lupe before three and this airport reeks, c'mon now let's get going, little one."

"I don't know you, you don't really expect me to just hop on some car with you and drive off to "Lake Lupe"? For all I know you're some trained serial killer that happened to have some info on me. I need proof... and also, don't you dare call me little one again."

"If I'm a serial killer then how would I know your name or your Uncle Boris?"

"I dunno, you're probably a stalker too..." I said nonchalantly. The look on his face could only be described as pure annoyance.

He huffed and ran his hand over his face, "Chief didn't tell me that you were stupid. He told me, to go the airport and pick you up, because he couldn't make it himself. All this extra stuff he didn't mention."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "If you really were to pick me up then why didn't he tell my mom?"

"It was a last minute thing."

"Uh-huh, likely story. Well, bye now, stranger." I gripped the handle of the my luggage and turned to walk away but the stranger's plead stopped me.

"Hold on, hold on!"

He reached into his pocket.

I jumped back with my hand out in front of me.

"What is that, a gun?"

He pulled out his phone.

"You calling backup or something?"

Stranger Danger lifted his finger up at me, "Would you just hold on?" he sounded frustrated before he turned his attention to the phone, "Yes Chief Boris, I'm with Maisie right now and she won't come with me because she thinks I'm a serial killer ... Yea ... Outrageous, right? ... Okay." He handed the phone to me.

"A Motorola flip phone, dude seriously?"

"May!" I looked at the phone.

"Wait..." clarity hit me, "Boris?" That...that was the nickname he used to call me when I was little. It all came quickly and suddenly a face was painted in my mind.

"Sorry May, but I had to send Stefen to come pick you up. I would've made it myself, but something important came up."

"Something more important than your own niece, huh? Something so important you had to send some stranger to pick her up? Well Boris, you're not making a good first impression here, ya know? There better have been some murder that kept you from coming to pick me up yourself."

I could hear Boris sigh on the other line, "Ok, young lady, it's Uncle Boris and I didn't say the things I had to do were more important than you, May, this isn't you're first time in Lake Lupe, and besides Stef isn't a stranger he is a long time and loyal worker of mine, you're safe with him stop coming complaining and go with him. See you soon."

"Fine, Uncle Boris," I felt myself remembering a lot. And suddenly as if an on switch. He had been a stickler about me calling him Uncle when I was younger too. The line went dead and I tossed it back to Stef. He caught it with a roll of his eyes. "Well, lead the way Stranger Danger."

"You can just call me Stefen."

*

We were finally out of the airport and on the road. And let me tell you, it was taking for-ever. We were nowhere near Lake Lupe from what I've gathered. And the car wasn't making the trip any more bearable. It was some old run down pick up truck with poor quality AC and static radio.

"Where did you get this dinosaur?"

Stef glanced at me, "Excuse me?"

"This dinosaur of a pick-up truck, where did you get it? The AC has been blowing hot air for the past 30 minutes and the radio is so static it sounds like an alien is trying to communicate to us," I kicked the dashboard and Stef's waved his hand in front of me franticly.

"Yo, yo, relax! This car is heirloom, ok? It was given to me by my father and his father before him, respect the car please." Respect the dinosaur...

"You need to get your AC fixed its way too hot in here."

"Then just stop talking, the more you do the hotter it will seem."

I crossed my arms and slumped back into my chair. I guess I could count the trucks I see on the highway.

*

"Well, we're here..." Stef said nudging me, kinda hard if I do say so myself.

"Ow! I'm awake, quit poking me." I slapped his hand away.

"Well, then someone is grumpy," he murmured as he took the key from the ignition.

"I'm not grumpy." I snapped.

Stef held his hands up in defense, "Hey, I didn't say it was you."