Morphine - Sequel to Adrenaline

Chapter 3

Alyssa

Present Day

Chris had kept the house clean while I was gone. Memories flooded back pleasantly, like being submerged in warm water. He'd kept it just as I had left it. I smiled as I placed my hand on the banister and walked up the stairs to my bedroom. My dress clothes were soon on the floor and I was snuggled under the covers of such a familiar bed. I felt twenty-one again, and it was amazing. It felt like only a second of sleep before Chris awakened me with the order to come down to get breakfast. The reality of the moment took over almost immediately. I was leaving for Guanajuato, Mexico today.

You'd think that after spending three years preparing for one mission, game time would be a relief, but it simply wasn't. My stomach was already in knots, and I'd been away for less than a minute. Going through the motions of readying myself did little to encourage me. Set up at the end of my bed were two giant suitcases. The IIA's estimation of my mission length was two months. They felt that was time enough to gain his trust and murder him. They'd used a more tasteful word, assassinate. I opened my closet discovering they had taken the liberty of changing out my entire wardrobe. Gone were the t-shirts and tank tops, and in their place were blouses and white button downs and blazers in every color. At the very least they believed in colors.

I took my time in folding my clothes and picking out shoes. Chris grew irritated downstairs and instead brought my breakfast to me. He'd kindly put everything into a sandwich for easy eating. I zipped up the suitcases, then went over to my safe to sift through the contents for anything important. It was mostly documents and jewelry, until my fingers ran over a silver ring that sparked some type of nostalgia. I took it out to examine. It was a blue diamond set in a silver band. I turned it over and around in my hand catching an engraving.

"Para siempre mía." I read aloud.

What was this? I set the ring back, writing it off as my mom's. It was most likely hers; my memory was not what it used to be since that accident. Beside it was a silver locket. Well that definitely had to be an heirloom, because who wore lockets these days?

Still, I picked it up out of burning curiosity. It was in this safe for a reason. I'd never seen it before and yet it felt so intensely familiar. I fingered the initials on the front.

"JS."

I didn't know anyone with the initials JS. I cautiously opened the locket, glancing up at the bedroom door. I felt that if someone walked in right now I'd be in trouble. There was a key inside of it. How weird. On the inside of the locket door it said 'I love you.' Did someone give this to me? Who would give me something like this? I lifted the key, catching something else engraved in the locket. It was an address. 25457 Spyglass Lane, Calabasas, CA. 91302. And whose address was that?

Maybe I should go see this place. My family did not have property in that area, but clearly someone important to me did. I could feel it. I tucked the locket into my back pocket and quickly made the decision to follow the address. Something was tugging at me, urging me to investigate. Chris was busy washing dishes in the kitchen and didn't notice me slipping by to grab my car keys. The drive up there seemed familiar too, but nothing was clicking. This was a gated community. I didn't know anyone who would live in a place like this. I drove up to the window with a guard.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Should I give a fake name? I let my gut respond, and the answer was no.

"Alyssa Winters." I told him.

"Go in."

He opened the gates for me. My name opened these gates, was I known here? I searched for the address stopping in front of a beautiful home. I parked, cautiously walking up to the front door. A black range rover was parked in the driveway; didn't recognize it. The key in the locket must open this house. My hands shook as I inserted the key into the lock. Maybe I should turn back. Too late, I'd already opened the door and had stepped inside. The house was even bigger on the inside; it was absolutely gorgeous. But this was trespassing. Then again, they wouldn't ever know I'd been here, whoever lived here.