I wake up dead.
I am nothing but a running flesh. The smell of Xander’s sheets tormented me even in my dreams the whole night. My watch is beeping – it’s seven in the morning. I run my fingers on my forehead to give in to the little sobs I have suppressed to be able to sleep. It is okay, I whisper, I am okay.
I thought that nothing would be worse than watching your brother being abducted by unknown man. But before Thaur and Hayes left me to sleep last night, they have mentioned that Xander was tortured – the reason why he has to trigger the self-destructing device. When I asked them how, they would never answer. I know, deep inside, that it was dreadful for him and unbearable for me to know further more. They allowed me to cry and they just ended the whole asking that way. Hayes said that he knows Wyeth; both of them will look for him for revenge.
I almost forget that I woke up by the gentle but loud knock at my door. Someone knocks again and calls “Ms. Reid”
“Give me five minutes” my voice cracks. I get up to do my stuffs. I fix my hair into a tight bun and splash a generous amount of cold water to my face. There is a small refrigerator at the corner for water. I drink two tablets of my medication before I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
I allow myself to have a quick check at the mirror and the bloodshot eyes surprise me. They are swollen and red. My lips are also reddish from the touch of cold water. This will do.
I open the door; two men, clothe in smart suits, are waiting for me. Their hairs are neatly oiled then for a second, I regret I requested for just a brief moment to fix myself.
“Am I allowed to go now?” I ask.
One guy shakes his head and answers “Someone has to see you”
“Who?”
“Follow us, please”
I enjoy the echo of out footsteps along the narrow white hallway. It feels like being in a prison but being taken cared well compared to what an actual prison should suffer. Two more left turns then we stop by another boring door. They open it wide for me so, like a robot, I oblige myself to be inside.
Little I didn’t know, this will be a better day for me. I wrap my arms around his neck as soon as my brain recognized his red hair. The smell of his neck feels like home and tears well up again at the side of my eyes. There are so many questions inside my head and I don’t know how to start. He reciprocates my tight embrace as he pats my back to calm me down.
I allow him to breath from my grasp just to make sure he is not a product of my hallucination by staring closely at his face.
“Lydore” I gasp as I examine the smart suit he, too, is wearing. I should figure out by now that my cousin is one of them “what is this?”
“Surprise surprise” he smiles “I’m glad you’re alive, Rosie”
“Bastard!” I jab him by the elbow “you disappeared on us! You never go home”
“Well, I have to oversee Le Sourne’s business in Italy” he explains “have you never doubt why mom and dad never been mad about it?”
Shoot, his parents know about Le Sourne too? For how long?
“Why don’t you too, Reid’s, sit down and talk?” Thaur and Hayes were standing behind us. At the center of the room is a round table. I sit next to Lydore for security. Hayes and Thaur appear to be so alive and re-charged – I wonder if they have slept.
