Pulling myself from the depths of my mind, I refocused on the room, shaking my head gently. "Apologies, I zoned out for a moment," I gave a weak smile, "This is all still so surreal to me."
"I understand," Mr. Clark pressed a button on his desk, "Finding yourself going from earning thousands to earning millions in such a short time is quite an adjustment for most people." The door to his office quietly opened as his secretary stepped inside.
"Yes sir?"
"Please bring Ms. Curtis a glass of ice and a bottle of water. I'll have my usual," Mr. Clark said, giving his secretary a curt nod before returning his attention back towards me. The door clicked closed and we were left alone once more.
“Speaking of adjustments, how are you handling your new life?”
“Still finding my footing. As I said before, this is all so wild. Going from being an opinionated person, navigating this world with zero financial power to having enough money to finally make a difference has been jarring.”
“I can imagine it's been a bit of a shock for you,” he chuckled, “It is for most people who find themselves with financial freedom.”
“I wouldn’t call what I’m experiencing “freedom”. It’s more like an obligation,” I said, shifting restlessly in my seat, “I’ve always believed people with power and wealth should use their position in life to elevate the world. We can do better and now that I have financial freedom, as you called it, I feel, now more than ever, enabled to create change in this world. Positive change, for everyone.”
“Well, that is admirable,” Mr. Clark said, his words not touching his eyes, “We’re almost finished here and then you can be on your way to elevate the world.”
The door clicked open and his secretary entered, carrying a tray with a glass of ice, a bottle of water, and two glasses of amber liquid. The smell of bourbon wafted into the air as she set the items on the desk in front of me. Mr. Clark immediately downed one of the glasses, setting the empty cup on his desk harshly, and picked the other up, swirling its contents absentmindedly.
His secretary set the empty glass on the tray and quietly left the room, clicking the door closed softly.
“Now where were we before you zoned out,” Mr. Clark took a small sip of the bourbon he held, “Ah yes, investments.”
******
Rubbing my temples, I stepped out of the elevator, making a beeline for the exit. As it turns out, Mr. Clark was not almost finished. He droned on for almost an hour about an obligation to invest wisely. He finally released me after I promised to review the files in the manila envelope I carried and choose at least five investment opportunities. Shaking my head, I dropped the large envelope in a trash bin on the way out the door.
The city street was bustling. All around me the sounds of humans filled my ears. Vehicles blared their horns. Loud voices boomed into cell phones. Musical instruments could be heard in the distance. The cacophony of sounds was overwhelming and a far cry from the quiet mountain I normally resided on. Hailing a cab I quickly climbed into the back seat, closing the door behind me. It did little to dull the sounds. Taking a deep breath, I mentally pushed my anxiety aside and did my best to soften my edges.
“Where to,” the cab driver said abruptly.
“Hi, apologies. Thank you for stopping,” I said, pulling a card out of my pocket and handing it to the driver, “I’m going here.”
“Got it. Should take about forty minutes,” he said, handing the card back.
“Cool, thank you,” leaning my head back, I closed my eyes. Twenty minutes later my phone rang, jolting me from an accidental doze. Jetlag had destroyed my sleep. Glancing at the screen, “unknown” glared at me. Silencing the call, I wiped sleep from my eyes. A moment later my phone rang again, the same “unknown” id popping up. Sliding the green icon, I put the phone up to my ear, but before I could say anything an unfamiliar voice spoke.
“You need to go into hiding or they’ll find you soon enough. Cash only. Lose the phone.” The call ended before I could respond.
“What the hell kind of wrong number was that?” I mumbled quietly to myself. The remainder of the drive was uneventful and I was paying the cab driver before long. Exiting the vehicle, I glanced up at the massive building that was my hotel. The concierge had tried their best to upgrade me to the penthouse on the top floor, but I successfully resisted, securing something closer to the ground.
My phone rang, pulling my attention from the skyline. The same “unknown” on the screen as before. I sighed, answering it.
“More ominous ramblings for me?”
“Don’t go into your hotel room. They’ve already located you. Leave the city. Now. Rent a car and go. Not home. They’re already watching there,” the unknown went quiet, but the call didn’t disconnect.
“Look, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m pretty sure you have the wrong number,” I said, pausing briefly, “I’m nobody, so nobody is looking for me.”
“Curtis,” the voice said.
“Excuse me?”
“Your last name is Curtis. You recently moved up in the financial world. You are now somebody and everybody who is anybody is looking for you,” the voice said harshly, “I can’t help you if they get to you first. Leave or don’t, and join the club. My time’s up. I’ll be seeing you either way.” The phone call disconnected.
Standing on the sidewalk absolutely perplexed, I debated on whether or not to trust the unknown caller. Outside of clothes and my laptop there was nothing I couldn’t replace currently in the hotel room.
Ugh, my laptop, I sighed, knowing I couldn’t leave it. It contained all my research for current projects that would take months, possibly even years of my life to replace and I wasn’t certain I created a recent backup before this trip.
I’ll just pack my stuff up and find a different hotel. No biggie, I thought as I pushed my way through the revolving door and stepped into the grandeur hotel lobby. My accountant Mr. Clark insisted that I stay at this hotel while I was in town. Said it was where all the nouveau riche people stayed. It just made me feel out of place.
Keeping my head down, I made my way to the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. My stomach growled angrily as the elevator reached the fourth level. Stepping out, I wasted no time heading straight to the double doors of my room. Scanning my card, I entered my room, quickly closing the door behind me and locking it for good measure.
Snack. Pack. Get out. That was the plan. Ignoring the suspicious flute of champagne and bowl of fruit on the entry table, I opted for an energy bar from my backpack. Tearing it open, I bit into it, gobbling it up quickly as I made my way to my room. Grabbing my suitcase, I threw it on the bed and began collecting my items. Finishing the energy bar, I dropped the wrapper into the wastebasket and grabbed my laptop, slipping it into my backpack. Giving the room one final sweep, I gathered my bags and headed for the door. A knock sounded as my hand touched the handle. Freezing in place, I listened quietly, hoping the person would give up and go away. The handle of the door jiggled aggressively. Shit.
Stepping away from the door slowly, I considered my options. I was on the fourth floor. The balcony was out. I could start the shower. Draw them in the wrong direction and escape when they aren't looking. My mind started to whirl as a wave of dizziness swept over me. My body suddenly became very heavy and I struggled to stand. The sound of a card being scanned beeped into the air and the door to my room opened. Two men in all black walked in as my body gave out, dropping to the ground.
“Told you she wouldn’t fall for the champagne. Good thing I spiked the energy bars,” one guy said, chuckling to himself.
“Yea, yea, you’re a genius. She’s not quite out yet,” the other man walked over to where I lay on the floor, unable to move, “Sorry about this. No hard feelings.”
“Wh…” I struggled to speak as my vision began to black out.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Have a good nap,” he waved as my eyes closed and I drifted off into a nightmarish sleep.
******
Stretching deeply, I snuggled into my fluffy pillow thankful my dreams had settled and the nightmares passed. Breathing in the sweetly scented air, I wiggled my muscles gently, noting my jetlag seemed to have dissipated after a good night's rest. The hotel bed being immensely more comfortable than the previous night definitely helped. The hotel! The men!
Images of an energy bar wrapper and black fabric swarmed my mind as memories of my abduction came crashing to the forefront of my consciousness. Scrambling, I quickly threw off the cloud like blankets, sliding easily from the silky sheets. Standing in the middle of the room, I turned quickly, noting I was alone, in a stylish, impeccably designed room that opened up onto a beach?! What the fuck?!
Glancing down, I registered that I was wearing a beautiful green, silk button down with matching drawers that definitely did not belong to me. A bell gently tingled and I turned to see a long-haired black cat stretching lazily on the bed. “Who’s the fuck cat is this?! Who’s pajamas are these?! Where in the fuck am I?! And what in the actual fuck is going on?!
Someone cleared their throat and I turned to see a slender man wearing a white polo and slacks.
“You’re awake, good. He’s ready to see you. Follow me,” turning away, he walked out of the room. I didn’t move. Not ten seconds passed before the man spoke again, “Dragging is an option.”
Pursing my lips, I huffed. Having no idea where I was or who I was with left me very little choices, none of which I liked. Fuck it. I picked up the fluffy black cat, snuggling it tightly against me, and followed after the unknown man. We walked through a sunshine filled, glass hallway that offered views of the beach on one side and dense, lush greenery on the other. At the end of the hall a large wooden doorway opened onto a shaded garden veranda with a small table and two chairs on either side. An attractive older man sat in one, the other was empty.
“Sir your guest, Ms. Curtis,” the slender man motioned for me to take the empty chair and walked back inside.
“Apologies about all the fuss. Never an easy way, doing what needs doing. Have a seat,” the unknown man took a sip of coffee that smelled heavenly. I didn’t move.
“The sooner you sit, the sooner you learn what all this is about and the sooner you get to go on your merry little way. Preferably not with my cat,” he motioned at the very comfy black cat in my arms and I tightened my grip on it gently.
“I’ll sit when you tell me where I’m at and who the hell you are to kidnap me.”
“You’re on an island you’ll never find and I don’t exist, so I do what I want, when I want. Now sit the fuck down.” A flash of malice danced across his face briefly before disappearing behind his calm demeanor once more.
Realizing the decadent, lavish surroundings had lulled me into a false sense of security, I quietly sat down.
“Good girl,” the man threw back the rest of his coffee and set the empty cup on a tray held by the slender man who seemed to have reappeared out of thin air before quickly disappearing into the house once more.
“Touch the back of your neck,” the man said flatly, “Close to the center, near the hairline.”
“Excuse me?”
“Did I mumble?” he waited. I slowly lifted a hand to the back of my neck and he continued, “I want you to understand that what I’m about to tell you is your new reality and there is no escape.” As he finished his sentence, my fingertips slid across a rough spot at the base of my skull that was not there previously.
“You felt that didn’t you. The foreign mark that doesn’t belong. Don’t worry, it will heal and disappear completely well before your first red carpet event.”
“What did you do to me?”
“I didn’t do anything except pay a very talented doctor to insert a small device into your head that, with a simple push of a button, will instantly release an untraceable toxin into your bloodstream, killing you in seconds.” His words knocked the air from me and I struggled to comprehend their full meaning.
“You put something in my head?”
“I didn’t. The doctor did.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?! Why? Who the fuck even are you?”
“Not kidding. Because you got rich. And again, I don’t exist. After you leave here you’ll never see me again.”
“Wait, because I got rich? You kidnapped me and paid some doctor to put a device in my head that will release a toxin and kill me if you decide to push a button, all because I got fucking rich?”
“For the time being, money is power, and in order to control that power certain measures had to be put in place. We can’t have a bunch of dollars running around trying to change the world for the better now can we?” he pulled a small black remote out of his pocket, “This allows you to live out your life, all while ensuring the wheels keep turning just as they are.” He pushed the button on the remote.
I gasped audibly and he rolled his eyes, “Oh for fuck’s sake. This isn’t your button. Why would I keep that button in my pocket? This is for my driver, G. He’ll see you safely back to your hotel.”
“Wait, so that’s it?! You kidnap me. Whisk me to an unknown island. Put a toxic ticking time bomb in my head. Give me pretty green pajamas and then send me on my merry way back to the real world where I’m just supposed to what, pretend this didn’t happen?”
“Essentially. Be a good girl, play the game, and follow instructions if received. Simple.”
“Sir,” a man in sunglasses, a black fitted t-shirt, and jeans stepped onto the veranda.
“Ah G, perfect timing,” the unknown attractive man that basically put a bomb in my head, turned towards me, “Ms. Curtis, it was a pleasure, but alas you have a plane to catch.”
I sat, unmoving, wondering if this was all some sort of horrible nightmare or sick joke, but when my surroundings didn’t dissolve away or G and the attractive man burst out laughing, it hit me that this was very real, and very horrifying, and I was very pissed.
“You know what,” I stood, snuggling the purring black cat tightly against me and walked over towards G, “I’m taking the fucking cat.”
******
Twenty minutes later, we were in the air on a private plane. I sat in green pajamas, holding a stolen black cat, facing G, the driver. He finally removed his sunglasses, revealing two different colored eyes, one, a stormy blue, the other, a caramel brown.
“I can’t believe you took his cat. That was fucking priceless,” G spoke to me for the first time since we left the island. His voice was deep, soothing, and oddly familiar.
“The jammies are nice, but I like fluffy cats and it’s the least that asshole could do after putting me through all this and all because I got rich. I never even wanted to be rich.”
“I told you not to go into your hotel room,” G said and waited. Lightbulbs exploded in my brain as I realized why his voice was familiar. The unknown caller.
“It was you, you called me. Why didn’t you help me sooner, like before that guy put toxins in my head and assigned me a button?”
“I tried. You didn’t listen. I’m not going to out myself for a stranger who can’t follow sound advice and risk getting my button pushed.”
Stroking the soft black fur of my new cat Xe, I grumbled, “Well, what do we do now?”
“Now? Well, now you’re in the club and now, you get to help me find a way out or you’re stuck being a good girl,” G smirked devilishly.
I sighed, “Fuck me.”
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