Beautiful risks

Unsheathed secrets

"So won't you pleaseee...be my be my baby, be my little babyy"

Nothing beats shower singing. Ellie had left and attempting futilely to ignore the growing knot of anxiousness at Elias's absence, I decided to comfort myself with a warm shower. Now you see I haven't been quite honest with you, I'm not as defenceless and naive as you might think, I didn't end up here specifically on an exchange trip, and I knew exactly where Elias was, it just depends whether I was ready to give up my little act.

On the 3rd day of my arrival here, I planted a tracker in his phone. His location currently was somewhere 12 miles from here off an unmarked road, in which it had been there since my little drugging accident. I was indeed anxious because although Elias doesn't know who I am (and neither do you for that matter...yet) my stomach seemed to sink whenever I thought of him in danger.

***

I wish I was indecisive maybe that could of prevented a lot of mishaps in my life. But here I am outside this shady looking warehouse ready to be the knight in shining armour. The taxi had dropped me a mile off from the location, so after walking through isolating woods, I arrived. The building was off a gravel road labelled private property, and looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Even so, I proceeded in my mission, I had a Kershaw knife in my boot holster in case I needed to fight. My plan was of subtly, I would enter somewhere discrete find Elias, then I would figure the rest out once I got there. Simples.

I checked my phone again, picking out his exact location, then looking for my entrance, I found a fragile looking window, cracker open and covered in spider webs. I was prepared to leave Elias to die right there and then looking at those webs. But climbed through anyway. The drop was reasonably far and the land sent painful needles up my legs, it was dark, and voices were distant. I followed my phone until I was practically on the dot where Elias should be. But nothing. No sign of anyone.

I searched around the little office room with one chair and desk, a weird looking rug and a few empty cabinets. He must be either up or down and considering up consisted of the roof of the warehouse, it must be down. I lifted the rug and there in the centre was a handle attached to a trap door, how convenient.
Lifting the door quietly was a challenge, as each ache of the metal echoed in the wide space.

After climbing down the ladder and following the narrow tunnel I came to a room. A man slumped on a chair with his back to me, nearing closer inspection, black hair matted to his neck in a sticky mess. Elias. My stomach lurched as I crouched in front of him, his eyes opened and stared at me.

"Cal" he croaked, voice hoarse.

"Hey you're looking well" I lied, his face was beaten. Blood scabbed around his lips which matched his bleeding nose and accentuated his black eyes. I wiped his wet hair from his forehead to reveal another cut, he leaned completely into my touch, not being able to hold his head up alone.

"How did you know I was here" he studied me with his swollen eyes. We weren't going to do this now.

"Let's get you out of here" my eyes stung from seeing him like this. Something they shouldn't do, but they acted on their own, seeing him slumped before, led to all kinds of sickening thoughts I couldn't atone.

I hauled him up as he groaned from other hidden injuries.

We made our way towards the ladder, but before we got to the first step, a door I hadn't check swung open, revealing a small but broad guy. He looked at us dismayed, which gave me the chance to pull out my knife from my boot, I threw my knife perfectly. He fell to the floor, as I tried to proceed forward, Elias wouldn't move, he stared at me. I would never forget that look. It burned. I was a stranger to him. But we didn't have time for this, not now. I dragged him forward once more, assisting him as he awkwardly climbed the ladder with his injuries.

***
We made it back to the house, after receiving a handful of concerning looks from the taxi driver.

"How did you know I was there?" He asked in a weird sort of serenity.

I avoided his eyes
"I just saved your life, the least you could do is thank me"

I gathered medicine supplies from the cupboard; dressings, sterile wipes...and ice from the freezer.

"Who are you?" I stopped abruptly, I don't think I even knew that question, I was playing around this whole time believing I could delay the inevitable, pretending I could be somebody I wasn't. You see, my goal was to give my mother her life back, and mine In the process, get her out of her shitty job. It came down to money, and Elias was my bounty. Although no amount of money could persuade me to commit to this hunt.

"I will explain everything, but I just hope you can still trust me afterwards" a tear slipped down my cheek as I kneeled in between his legs, and fully expecting him to flinch away, you could understand my surprise when he cupped my face and wiped away the tear with his thumb.

"I already know. I wanted you to tell me Cal. I can help you, you can work for me, it's not safe I'm not going to pretend it is. But at least you won't be working how you were. And I need your help, I want to take out Alexandra"

My breath hitched. Alexandra. My sister.

A/N okay so I know a lot has changed. But I've been planning this and I thought now would be a good time to shock you all. Let me know what you think of the new Calista. ❤️