Release Me

Part 12

I slid into the seat and glanced around the car, as a thousand questions roiled through my mind.

"Good evening, Miss Devereaux," a voice boomed through the speaks, giving me a start. "Welcome to your new world."

I sat in silence, unsure of the how I was supposed to respond. In front of me, the driver took his seat, and we pulled onto the quiet street.

"Why me?" I blurted out when the silence became too oppressive.

A chuckle crackled through the car.

"A friend told me you were in a bit of trouble, and I took advantage of the situation."

"So you think yourself a white knight?" I blew out a hard breath and leaned my head against the headrest. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the assist, and the generous contract, but you're going to be very unhappy when I'm no longer in a bad position."

"Is that so? Then perhaps you have me all wrong and you sold yourself to the devil."

"Impossible. My last contract was with that entity." I was glad the disembodied voice couldn't see how hard I gripped my small bag as I pushed back to establish my dominance in a situation which threatened to take it from me.

"You didn't think that way until you realized you were going to face the consequences of your decisions."

"What do you know about it?" I shifted in my seat and glanced up at the rearview mirror to see if the driver was watching me, but his eyes were firmly on the road.

"Ah. Still in denial. I can work with that, but first I'm going to lay down some ground rule."

"You're the contract owner." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Instead of a growl or grumble, he laughed, and I set my jaw in response.

"I'm old fashion. I prefer a more personal touch to all this new, up-and-coming technology. So you'll receive every handwritten or typed note, edict or order via courier. Some times they will wait for a response to question, other times they won't. These could come in many forms, like an invitation, a bouquet of flowers or perhaps a package. I advise you to pay attention to everything you receive, no matter how great or insignificant. If it contains my seal, then it is the same as you standing in front of me to hear my verbal orders. Are we clear on my expectations?" The driver held up an envelop. Without a second thought, I leaned forward and took it.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good girl." A shiver of excitement raced down my spine at his praise and I realized how much I missed such simple moments. "Now, in your hand, is a copy of my mark. When you see it, there is something important about the item on which it appears. It could be a simple wax seal, as you see on the back of the envelope in your hands, or it may be an engraved mark. It could also be a simple stamp on an invoice or a hand delivered note. There is no place in your world that is off limits from it."

I glanced around the car to see if there were hidden cameras somewhere that would tell him when the envelope was handed to me, or if he simply trusted his driver to do his bidding on cue.

"Pay attention, Atlas. I'm out here, not inside that pretty little head of yours." The admonishment pulled my attention back to the moment, and I stared down at the envelope.

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"Don't apologize. Do better. Focus on the tasks at hand. I know you think you have all the time in the world, but it's a finite resource you should cherish. To that end, you'll receive a package with a contractee's journal. You will write in it daily, in detail, about your adventures. Also, you will tell no one about this contract. If I require your time, then you will find a way to explain it that does not expose your reasons. Am I clear?"