Came for the Low- Revised

Untitled Part 33

Sitting in the passenger seat of a small transport piloted by a girl with a shaved head and smokey black eyeshadow, Christine let out a long slow sigh. She felt like a fool with this black hood over her head but the nameless pilot had insisted it was for her own safety.

    So instead of gazing out the window to distract and calm herself, Christine sat there anxious and scared when she wasn't pissed off. Currently she thought back to the moment just before she'd gotten on the ship— when she'd grabbed Eko's leather jacket and pulled him close— "If anything happens to me, get them to my father"     She'd nearly begged him. For what it's worth, he'd given her his word that he would look out for her children and she, for the most part believed him.

    "We touch down in ten minutes!" The pilot called back making Christine jump. She hadn't said a word in the last hour or so that they'd been flying. "When we arrive, stay in your seat with the hood on. I will help you."

    "Okay?" Christine answered cautiously. Her defenses activated so easily, suspicion had become a default setting for her over the years, and she wondered how much longer this could go on. Not just this strange journey but all of it. Her life as a whole was one never ending tense situation to the next and she was so tired. Plus she really had started to worry that she was doing herself a disservice living like this. There must be thousands of studies done on how stress can shorten a persons life.

    God damn she thought shaking her hooded head. I need a break...

    After touching down, the pilot was good to her word and came to help Christine stand and walk down the ramp. The first thing she noticed when they left the ship was the smell. The air was filthy, bogged down with the stench of pollution and too many people pressed in close together. It was something she would never have noticed before but after so long in the clear and restorative air of the Wakandan river lands, it hit her with an offensive punch to the nose.

    And then her entire body shivered.

    The temperature had dropped so much so that she recoiled from the wind only to have the pilot pull her along. "Come on! I need to get back!" She snapped.

    One hand out to keep herself from walking into anything, Christine let the girl lead her a few steps and then she heard a car door open.

    "Get in."

    Shaking her head no, but fully aware that this was her only option, Christine did as told and awkwardly climbed up and into the SUV.

    She could smell perfume as she settled. The presence of another person —perhaps more than one— was strong as she turned her head, trying to get her bearings in the dark.

    And then a hand came down on her head "Sorry about all of the precautions."

    With a gasp, Christine was freed of the hood and greeted by the smiling face of the Contessa herself.

    "Drive please!" Val called out rolling her eyes. "What'd he think we were just sitting here all night?" She asked sarcastically, as if she and Christine were old friends having a laugh at the drivers expense.

    "What the fuck is happening?" Christine blurted, shocked by Valentina's casual demeanor. "If I'm away from my children for too long..." Christine warned. She'd instinctively begun to reach for the gun, pressed to the small of her back, but paused, her dark eyes fierce as she waited for an explanation.

    "Baroness. Christine." Val gave her that shit eating grin. "I promised didn't I?"

    "I'm starting to doubt your ability to keep promises Contessa. Where are we? You said nothing about a flight and certainly nothing about leaving Wakanda!"