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Elliott 'Eli' Miller is your average 24 year-old with an estranged father and a resentful mother. When he goes back to his hometown to make amends, he inadvertently gets dragged into the activities of an illicit crimina...
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"That took way too long. I'm so hungry I could eat plastic at this point."
I nodded along while Viv droned on about the shoot, which, by the way, only lasted for three hours. I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't incredibly boring to hold poses for hours in tight clothes, but it didn't make sense for her to complain since she was just barking orders at everyone the whole time.
"Anyways, there's this new Italian place around the corner. They had pretty good reviews for..."
"Hey, I've got to go take care of something for a minute. You go ahead and text me when you're there, okay?"
Without waiting for her response, I darted around the corner and stepped into a bookstore that we passed a minute ago. I looked around for a few seconds before I found the person I'd been wanting to confront.
"Are you stalking me?"
His head turned and my breathing hitched as we made eye-contact for the second time. He was magnitudes more stunning in person, but that fact was currently overridden by the possibility that I was being followed by a stranger.
"What?"
I crossed my arms and assumed a defiant attitude, not buying his apparent confusion.
"You heard me. The airport, the park and now here; this isn't a coincidence. You're pursuing me, for some reason, so don't you dare deny it."
He softly exhaled in defeat and gave a slight nod.
I was taken aback. I had no idea where this burst of confidence came from and was fully prepared to embarrass myself in front of this statuesque being I'd never met before. So, naturally, I was at a loss for words and stood there, gaping like a fish.
"I understand your confusion and honestly don't blame you for assuming any ulterior motives. Let's find somewhere to sit and I'll explain everything."
He turned on his heel and began walking towards an empty table in the corner of the store, with me scrambling to keep up. My face was crimson with abashment and I mentally slapped myself for outright accusing him like that.
He pulled a chair out for me and sat down on the other side. Clearing his throat, he began:
"I belong to an organization that works with the government to track down major criminals and shut down their activities. Currently, we're tracking a gang, so to speak, that illegally buys and sells parts of endangered species, such as ivory, for huge sums of money. A good chunk of all that black money is used to tip off anonymous personnel who cover their tracks. They are highly skilled at keeping their whereabouts under wraps, which complicates our job of investigating their whereabouts."
"So where do I come into all of this? The last time I checked, I wasn't part of any gang, nor do I have an interest in buying and selling elephant teeth."
"I'm getting to that part. About four days ago, we noticed a black Toyota Land Cruiser outside a cafe in Los Angeles, where you were dining if I'm right. I believe you had witnessed something you shouldn't have, in their eyes, and ever since then, we've been monitoring you to check if they'd try something. It turns out they were not quite as reckless as we assumed for them to be."
"I guess I owe you apology then, for throwing accusations."
"It's alright. However, there's one more thing. In the event that you come to realize this, I've been instructed to relocate you to one of our safe-houses, where you would be staying under my vigilance until we turn the gang in to the authorities. That way, you'll be out of direct harm. Even if they do try something on you, I'd be instantly notified and can quickly eliminate the threat."
My head was reeling with this newfound information. My life was, no doubt, about to change drastically over the coming weeks. Plus, I'd have to spend them with the guy I'd been fantasizing about.
"I'll give you a minute to register what I've just disclosed and then we'll go straight to your apartment to relocate your belongings. The owner has already been notified so you have nothing to take care of."
I was suspicious of his stories but something about his commanding demeanor told me that I could trust him. The notion of a criminal gang following me made me uneasy to no bounds, so I decided that for my own safety, I would trust him.
"Okay. I hope you're not playing around with me because if you are, it's a sick joke and honestly, not a bit funny."
"You have nothing to worry about. Shall we?" He reassured me and arose from his chair, motioning for me to follow him out.
I stepped outside the store to find a grey sedan waiting by the curb. He opened the door for me to get in and walked around to the driver's seat.
"My apartment's a few blocks down from here, I'll give you the directions."
The drive was quiet, only the occasional muttering of directions by me breaking the silence. We reached in roughly twenty minutes and made our way up to my flat.
There wasn't much to clear out from the place since it had come pre-furnished, so we made quick work of packing my clothes and other odds and ends. They fit comfortably in the back seat without having to squeeze or cram anything.
I took one last look at what was my house for the past year and got back into the car, full of doubt as to how I would adapt to a whole new environment once again. It was crazy how my life kept changing, just when I thought I had achieved some stability.
With these thoughts in mind and the gentle rumble of the engine, I promptly nodded off into a much-needed slumber.
