Clandestiny [on hold]

Chapter 5

Sorry for the wait, big thanks to Izzy for editing once more.

I know, it's a long chapter. Sorry.

I am yet to change a name.

I’m ready to run, to zip out the back and save myself, but my legs are bolted in place by shock and fear. Astrid just stands there, gun pointed out. She’s frozen like a statue placed awkwardly in our home. I watch her for some movement, a twitch of her fingers, a flutter of her eyelid, a waver of her unsteady arms, but there is none. She’s like a possum playing dead, or someone from Jurassic Park who has just walked in the path of a T-Rex. It’s like they won’t see her until she moves, they won’t bother her while she’s still. I take a step back and step on Calix’s foot. I’m quick to lift off him and lose my balance, stomping loudly on a creaky plank of wood.

“Casey?” asks the booming voice. “Won’t you come out so we can see you?” I’m not sure how to react. I turn to Calix who stares at me with reflected confusion. I spin back to Astrid who is now looking directly at me; her gun still pointed. She seems to be more composed now despite her refusal to lower her weapon; she looks me up and down before tilting her head towards the voices in invitation. I walk out to the kitchen on shaky legs.

I arch my head the way Astrid did, clasping my rifle tighter. My palms are sweating. I first catch sight of a man sitting on my couch; it’s the man who injected me with that strange liquid. Next is the main guy who threatened me, then the man who held me down for the first man. They all seem so relaxed and comfortable, like they’ve been invited inside for a cup of tea by my mother. But where is she?

One of the men stand up, the threatener. He walks around the coffee table until he’s in front of it, and only a short distance from us. There’s a sinister kindness in his smile that makes my stomach churn. His face and manner is trusting and makes me want to believe his innocence, but I can’t push back the visions of his first visit. Something bad is going to happen. His eyes flicker across us.

“Please, can you lower your gun?” he asks Astrid kindly. She doesn’t move. “I’m not armed,” he assures. He opens his coat to show us the two holsters where guns should sit. Astrid looks him over wearily. “Could you lower it? It would make it easier for us to talk,” he pleads. Going against her own defiance, Astrid slowly lowers her gun but still grips it tightly with her right hand.

“There,” sighs the man happily. “Now, allow me to introduce ourselves, I am Kyros. This is Serge, and this is…” Kyros pauses. “Leyster.” He says finally, gesturing to his men.

“Where’s my family?” I ask with a shaky voice.

“Your mother is out looking for you at this very moment, she saw you had left and became very worried. Your sister is outside playing, you mustn’t have seen her while you were sneaking in. As for your grandmother, well, your mother seemed insistent on the fact that she’s wandered off.”

I feel strangely relieved. Grandma Sophie wanders off every now and then, but, like a chicken, she returns shortly after to her home, so I don’t need to worry about her. bI’m glad they’re safe, but that means my mother now trusts these people somewhat. What did they tell her when they came? They could be police officers; they might be some sort of international police. Oh, crap! I lied to federal agents!

Astrid takes a deep breath, “what do you want?” she asks through gritted teeth. She is clearly not happy with the situation.

“Please miss, you have to come with us. We can protect you.”

Astrid spoke quickly, like this moment would pass soon and she’d miss it. “Do you know me? Who am I? What’s my name? What has happened-?”

“Calm yourself. Do you not know these things? Do you have any memory of anything?”