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Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7
“So, Blue,” says the doc, staring at me like an insect he’d like to dissect, “Are you ready to finish this imagined story and deal with your real issues?”
I lift a perfectly coifed eyebrow. “Um, I am telling you what happened.” He nods and I continue.
OOO
After a fitful night’s rest, I show up at Alex’s house at 5:45 p.m. and wait.
When she turns the corner, she sees me and I notice a small grin escape her delicate lips, just before she bolts for the jogging path. I chase after her, easily pulling ahead on the downward slope.
“You American girls really know how to run!” I yell over my shoulder. I’m ahead but I make sure not to get too far ahead.
“I’ll beat you. You’ll see,” she calls out behind me, before passing me as though I’m standing still. I’m just about to overtake her when … OUCH! I fall to the side of the path into a pile of leaves. Cramp. Not now! As I’m massaging my calf, I see a shadow fall over me. I glance up to see Alex staring down at me.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Cramp,” I manage to say, rolling about on the ground clutching my leg.
“Oh, here, let me massage it for you. My trainer taught me the best way.”
She wants to give me a massage? Fine by me. I lay back and she sits down beside me and begins to manipulate my calf.
“You are very good with hands, Bestie Alex,” I say, my faked Russian accent having not improved since I invented it a couple of days ago.
Blushing, she helps me to my feet. “How does it feel now?”
“You are miracle worker, Alex!” I say. I’m not kidding. The pain is completely gone. “I repay you for kindness. Please, let me buy you ice cream.”
“It’s a long way to the shop,” she says.
“I have car. Big Bimmer of a car. Ambassidor Daddy got for me.”
“You have a car?” She seems dubious for some reason.
“Yes. You want to see,” I say, feeling totally torn up inside. It’s not too late to stop this madness, my saner half is yelling at me. But the other half shows me Alexander’s creepy grin and a shiny, lucky talisman, and that wins out.
You see, I wasn’t expecting to actually like Alex. But I do. A lot. And I’m not blind to the fact that delivering her into the hands of her creepy warlock father might not be in her best interest. Yet it’s certainly in mine.
She nods and we walk to my car. As I open the passenger side for her, she hesitates, and I fear she’s had a change of heart. “We won’t be long, Alex,” I say quickly. “I have you back before your mother knows you’re gone.”
“Okay,” she says, hopping into the passenger seat and hooking her seat belt quickly. Maybe I just give off a vibe or something. When we enter the shop, I give her some money and tell her to get whatever she wants. Then I slip off to the men’s room to call Sophie and tell her where we are.
My hands are shaking so badly, I nearly drop my cell. Conscience, this is no time to show up! Suddenly, I wish I had never heard of Alexander and his damned talisman.
Returning to her, I find that she has ordered a chocolate sundae for me and I dig in, although I’ve lost my appetite. “This is good American ice cream,” I say. She giggles and smiles at me. Another pang of guilt hits me hard.
Suddenly, it no longer matters if Alexander might try to kill me. I need to get this girl out of here. “Quickly, Alex, we have to go!” I grab her hand and practically drag her to the door. Just as I open it, a huge black car pulls up outside. She backs into me as Alexander steps from the back, his mark one creepy grin plastered on his face.
“Alex, my dear child,” he says, kindly.
“Who are you? How do you know my name?” she snaps.
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember your daddy,” he says, as two men who seemingly appear out of nowhere each grab one of her arms and push her into the car. Alexander nods to me and gets in after her.
They drive off and I feel like a complete and utter dirt bag. Slowly, I drive back to Sophie’s. What have I done?
I’m hardly inside, when she says, “Hey, don’t get too settled. She walks with purpose toward me. “Alexander needs us to help control the kid. He can’t get her to settle down.” At the bottom of the stairs, she grabs her purse and throws me the car keys. Normally, driving Miss Sophie turns me on, but not this time.
“The kid has a name. It’s Alex,” I say as we’re getting in the car. “And she’s really sweet.”
Sophie snorts and says, “Apparently, she trusts you, so he promised to let her see you, to make her stop crying.”
The knife digs deeper in my gut. “Guess his fathering skills are a little rusty,” I say as I speed into the night, then remember that I have no idea where the old crone lives. “By the way, where are we going?”
Sophie rolls her eyes. “I put it in the Nav Unit. Just follow directions.” She looks out the window as I make the required turns. “I don’t know what he wants the girl for anyway,” she says offhandedly. “He hasn’t seen her since she was an infant. But anything he considers his, remains his forever.”
“Does that include me?” I ask, not really wanting to know the answer. She just shrugs and doesn’t speak again until I pull through the wrought iron gates on a street I’ve never seen before.
I’m rather surprised at his house as we pull up out front. Sure, it has some unsettling features like the giant gargoyles on either side of the doorway, but for some reason, I imagined him living in a lower circle of hell. It’s a huge house, almost reminiscent of a medieval castle, the kind of place one expects ghosts to fly out to greet you. Instead, a small, gray-haired lady answers the door and points to the second level.
Following Sophie up the stairs, I can hear Alex alternating between screaming and crying piteously. My heart aches. I’m not sure I can stand much more of this. Sophie opens a door and I see Alexander talking to his daughter, who is tied to a chair in the middle of the room.
Alex’s eyes light up with a mixture of relief and concern. “What are you doing here, Kaz? Did they kidnap you, too?”
It’s no use continuing the charade. “My name isn’t Kaz, Alex. It’s Blue. And I’m not from Russia.”
The fear and anger in her eyes stabs me like a butcher knife in the heart. She now knows that everything I’ve said is a lie. Alexander turns around and throws up his arms. “Talk some sense into her … or else.” He storms from the room, Sophie hot on his heels. I hear the door lock behind me.
Turning my full attention to Alex, I quickly untie her. She rubs her wrists and says, “You’re with them. I don’t want your help.” She seems to mull things over a bit before adding, “I liked you. How can you do this to me?”
Glancing around, I check for cameras because there’s really nowhere to hide a bug. Except under her chair. “Stand up, Alex.”
Her eyes get big and she shies away from me. “Why?” she asks, no doubt terrified of what I’m going to do to her. I put my finger to my lips to quiet her and mouth ‘trust me.’ It seems to always work for Dad. Slowly, she stands up and I turn the chair over. Nothing on the bottom. Apparently, Alexander is cocky enough to not be worried if I do turn on him.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she asks again, as I motion for her to sit back down. I sit on the floor across from her, hoping it helps her to feel more relaxed.
“I’m sorry, Alex. I really am. And I’m going to help you, okay? But you need to trust me.”
“Why should I trust you?” she snaps. “You’re as evil as those two.”
Zap. “No, actually I’m not. I did a stupid, selfish thing and, if you let me, I’d like to make up for it. He really is your father, though, so I have to be careful. Do you understand?”
At first I think she’s going to start screaming again, but then she nods. “You want me to play along for now, right?” she says, nearly whispering.
I nod. “You are a smart cookie.”
“So I’ve been told. But I fell for your lies, so I guess I’m not a very good judge of character.”
Okay, she’s still a little pissed at me. And rightfully so. Then I say loud enough for them to hear outside, “If you settle down, they won’t keep you tied up, okay?”
She nods, defeated. I untie her feet before walking to the door and giving it a rap. Alexander steps inside. “How is she?” he asks.
“Better,” I say. “I unshackled her. The ropes were hurting her.” Was that a hit of guilt that just crossed his face? He walks over and kneels before her.
“Daughter, please. I don’t want to hurt you. I merely want to get to know you. Will you at least allow me that much?” He gently takes her hands in his and looks into her eyes.
Alex sneaks a glance up at me. I wink and slip out the door. My heart is pounding. What if I can’t rescue her? What if …? No. I can’t think like that. I need help. I need Dad.