Searching Cassie

9) I Need Information

Chapter Nine: I Need Information

"Oh my God," Samantha bit her lip. "I didn't think that this would happen."

"We're not kidnapping you," replied Ward in an exasperated tone. He walked into the airport, taking long strides. Samantha carried the weight of herself and the heavy backpack not quite easily. She cursed him once again: and this time it was because he had long legs.

"Right," Samantha muttered. "You already did that last night. How silly of me to forget."

Ward smiled. "Remember the question you asked me last night?"

"I asked a few, not just one."

" I need information from you," Ward's green eyes scanned her face somehow with unexplainable caution. Samantha raised an eyebrow, gesturing him to continue. "And if you get attacked, like you were yesterday, I would fail to collect the data I need so desperately."

Hurt hit Samantha right in the head. Her suspicions were correct: she was another tool for his mastermind plan. A pawn. Samantha understood this feeling very well for her entire life. She had to shrug this off, exactly like what she had been doing before.

"Apparently you bought a flight ticket for an information collector," Samantha responded dryly, successfully hiding her embarrassment. "That is generous."

Ward shrugged. "Nah, I don't have the choice of shoving the information collector into a luggage bag," his eyes twinkled, a sick look of twisted humor opposing to Samantha's disgusted expression. "Isn't that too bad?"

Ward's phone rang as Samantha opened her mouth, prepared to shoot sentences of protest and defence. He slid his thumb across the screen and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?" He glanced at Samantha and pointed at her mouth. Sticking out a tongue, she glared back. "Okay, sure," Ward spoke into the phone, a genuine smile tugging his lips. "Meet you later."

"Which flight are we boarding on?" asked Samantha.

Ward's former smile changed into a thin line. "It is not important."

"Irrelevant to me, I get it," Samantha retorted. Ward's expression hardened but she was too wrapped up in frustration to be considerate of his feelings. Plus, when did he really show her respect? "I want my normal life back," she said, her voice quiet.  "Why, why," Samantha whispered softly. "Do you have to take it away?"

Ward stiffened. Sorrow flashed across his face for a mere second but then the same annoyed frown came back. "Don't exaggerate things," he said. "I didn't rape or rob you."

Samantha laughed. "True. My words sounded so wrong, you know..."

Ward ignored the bitterness elicited from her response and walked away, his footsteps heavier.

***

"Samantha, I'm sorry," Evan cried frantically as he caught up with Samantha. "I'm sorry that you didn't know about our destination."

Samantha felt angry. She was played  by Ward, and that jerk obviously knew that she was in torture.

She then looked at Evan, whose face was full of guilt and worry. The burning embers inside her dimished. "You don't have to apologize," Samantha answered quickly, forcing an assuring grin to come out. "He is the one to blame."

Evan nodded. He sat next to Samantha. "Los Angeles, huh?" He started a new conversation. "Have you been there?"

Samantha shook her head. "My...family's not rich," she replied half-heartedly. "We hardly go on trips."

Understanding made its way to Evan's kind face. "Los Angeles is actually quite nice," he said. "You'll like it."

"I guess so." Samantha stopped. "Um, Evan, can I ask something?"

Evan stayed silent for a while then answered, "Sure."

"Cool," Samantha tried her best to sound collected and serene. The relief she felt was unnecessary for Evan to know. "Who is Ward exactly?"

"He has been my best friend," he grinned. "For a long time."

"But you're so nice and he's..." Samantha eyes averted to the brown-haired boy a few seats away from her. "A bit different."

"Ward isn't that bad," said Evan. "There are a lot more worse people in the world."

Samantha could see the edge of the usually friendly blond's reply and kept quiet.

Was she overreacting? She pondered. Ward didn't hit her or actually do anything offensive to others. And the sympathy, the sorrow which had been flickering in his stony face, no matter how little it was, it was still sympathy.
But there's no way a person like him will be guilty for a person suffering due to him, Samantha swallowed. It isn't him at all.

"He's only a human being," Evan sighed. "Not a monster, not machine. A  person."

Samantha unconsciously ran her fingers through the hair resting on her forehead. Suddenly she felt like crap. Ward was just as human as her and she committed one of the sins she so truly detested: judging others. Who was Samantha Kerrigan to judge Ward?

Samantha took a last look at Ward. Rae, who was sitting beside him abruptly faced Samantha, smiling. Her white teeth glimmered between her rouge-colored lips.

Samantha turned her head to her right and closed her eyes. She hardly got a wink of sleep the past few days, and it looked like she was going to suffer from lack of rest in the near future too.

A/N: The pace is a bit slow, and I apologize if you don't like it. I'm curious about your answers for why Ward showed Samantha a face of sympathy ;-) Please comment or maybe even vote if you think this chapter is interesting! Once again, thanks for reading.