Darkness Rising

CHAPTER [ 9 ] RAT TRAP

Camila had hotwired a van in the neighborhood and they were now transporting an unconscious fiend through the city. At this point, Lenore's life was completely out of control. Processing this experience would probably be impossible, repressing it might be the better solution.

She glanced into the back of the van, unable to keep her nerves in check. The fiend was motionless, tied up with extension cords that were left behind in the abandoned office building. Nothing screamed 'completely winging it' than using an extension cord as rope. Gods, Lenore's stomach was twisted into knots and this half-cocked plan was only halfway finished.

"Do you think this will work?" she asked.

Camila shrugged. "If it doesn't, what's the worst that could happen?"

"...a few things come to mind."

"Leave all the worrying to the Boss man. I'm sure he's already worked it all out."

There was that confidence again. Lenore leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger window. If only her mind wasn't filled with memories of the past. If only she wasn't raised with the sole purpose to be a sacrifice. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to believe in anything or anyone like before. 

Around them the skyscrapers were beginning to reflect the burnt colors of the evening sky. Bright lights of the theater and flashing advertisements fixed to the surrounding buildings were casting their glow onto the gathering crowds in the central plaza. Lenore noted the bumper to bumper traffic on the highway as they passed under the overpass. There was nothing new about this city. Everything operated as it did yesterday, and the days before. Yet, it appeared foreign to her now.

She had grown up here – never traveled or lived anywhere else. Never had the desire to be anywhere else. But Lenore felt uncomfortable now, like she was trying to wear shoes a bit too tight. When this was over, if they survived the next week, maybe she'd travel for a bit. The world was a big place, much bigger than she'd ever accounted for. It would be easy to forget about the reality she knew and lose herself in a dream. 

A large, glowing sign suddenly lit up the road in front of them: The Gilded Elephant Hotel and Casino. There was a giant water fountain that sat in the center of the horseshoe for valet parking. The building had a strange cylinder shape to it. But it was the fact that it appeared to me made entirely out of black, reflective glass that caught the most attention.

This was not a place that anyone could stay and play. It was made for the wealthy and it was one of the main attractions in the city for tourists. When Camila pulled the van into the horseshoe Lenore's concerns came rushing back.

"Isn't this a bit too public?"

"Do you ever stop worrying?" Camila fired back. "Look, they're waiting for us."

Sure enough, Kaiser stood dressed like he was a dealer at a black jack table. Beside him Patrick was dressed as a valet and she might have been convinced if not for the cigarette resting between his lips. They approached the van with a calm swagger. 

Kaiser opened the passenger door, crowding Lenore's space. As usual his presence overwhelmed and soothed her–the strange chemical reaction was something she found herself adjusting to. He was the only one her walls never existed for. And maybe that's why it was hard for her to keep a safe distance. Even though they were using each other; even though she knew he was keeping important information from her and inevitably he was going to hurt her—there was understanding.

He saw Lenore; acknowledged her. That's what frustrated her the most. Of all people, it was her sworn enemy. Their dynamic was wrong from the beginning. And whatever bond that held them together would someday be severed. It was like chaining herself to a wild tiger. Eventually, those teeth were bound to turn toward her.