Butterfly and Flame - Alina and Evan

"I'm Fine"

Alina had been greatly amazed at the grandeur of the house in Istanbul, its old world style coupled with modern improvements was nothing less than what she would have expected of Ashely Maleks style and wealth. Arriving at the home in the Maldives was another things entirely. This was different. No doubt Ashely had very little to do with the interior designers choice of style. It was minimalist but everything was high end. From the lighting to the curtains the focus was on the outside. The pallet was the sky, the sun, the flora and the landscape. It was divine it its simplicity. As she walked through the main floor she was struck by the beauty of the floor to ceiling windows. She could see to the horizon and across the great expanse of water left and right with nothing getting in the way of her field of vision. As she looked up seeing the soft lighting running along the sofet of the window sill she noted a metal casing butted up into the sill where blinds might be encased. She looked along the edges now of all the windows and noted that they each had one. Before her brain could question what she found Evan walked up behind her and motioned to the french doors that opened up to the back patio. She followed him out as she took in the vastness of the property and the height on which the compound sat. It was a compound to be sure. Although she had not seen one person that would have looked like a security guard she knew that the home would have been heavily protected. She watched Evan pull out a chair for her to sit in and then watched as he walked around the beautiful but simple metal table to take his own seat. He had avoided speaking to her in any personal manner the whole drive in. She felt the icy coldness of his aloofness and couldn't blame him for it, but still wished it could be different. Now that she sat in front of him she noticed that his beard had filled in more. With his aviator sunglasses on and his deep tan he looked formidable, and distant. She sighed before setting her jaw and waited for him to speak. Evan began by explaining that he had bought this estate with a friend as an investment and that most of the time is was rented out to high profile clients that wanted privacy, spectacular views and the ocean. She looked around the pool and out across the water noting that if one was seated on the far side of the pools edge it would look like the water in the pool and the ocean were one. She looked back at the men who had been with them on the boat as they casually strolled across the beach making her very aware that they were not there to enjoy the sun and sand. They were on a mission, and she was it. She listened as he explained how he had been involved in some covert operations for various agencies of the US government and how he had gained some very important and influential friends along the way. She surmised that some of those friends were protecting them even now. He also explained that he was fairly sure that Kyle was not operating alone. This revelation made Alina question how he knew they could ever be safe.
"Evan, how can you be sure that he can't track us here?" She watched him, frustrated that she couldn't see his eyes as a gauge to his feelings. When he didn't answer immediately she stood up and walked away from the table to the far edge. Evan watched her walk away and considered how much he intended to share with her. He couldn't help the feeling that something was missing and wasn't sure if it was something he had missed in their conversations or if she was still withholding information from him. The thought made him angry and weary at the same time. How could he properly protect her if she wasn't completely honest with him. Several minutes passed before he rose from his chair and walked up to the bench she sat on facing the ocean. Her hands were clasped tightly together and he immediately felt ashamed of himself. She was the victim in all of this and his feelings had to be put to one side for now. All that really mattered was her safety so he sat next to her and cleared his thoughts before he spoke. Turning toward her he watched as the breeze blew her hair off her shoulders sending the mass of chocolate brown waves across her shoulders and back. He noticed for the first time how her collar bones stuck out and realized that she had grown thin. His eyes took her all in now and he realized that indeed she had lost weight. She looked tired, her body language telling him more than her words. Instantly he recalled the first time they met, or rather the first time they argued. She was vivacious, defiant and alive. He smile lit up any room she was in and her voice brought him to a new height of awareness. She had entranced him from the instant he saw her capture on his camera as she tossed her coin in the fountain. That Alina, the one that hope and dreamed has slipped away to be replace by the one who sat next to him but felt a million miles away. "Alina you need to trust me. Even if he somehow learned of this place, which is not even in my name; we would know he was here even before he made land. This is not a large island and I happen to know some very important people that would get word to me right away. His profile and image have been uploaded into all the security cameras and agencies here. We will know the moment he arrives if not sooner. I promise you, that I will not let him near you again". He noticed now that while she had turned to look at him, she was staring through him and not at him. Lost in a memory or a nightmare, he didn't know which; but he understood those looks and what it meant for her mental health. "Right now though, you need to clean up, eat something healthy and were going for a ride. Fresh air and sunshine is what the doctor ordered. There's plenty of both right in our back yard." She watched him as he slowly got up and approached her and extended his hand for her to take it. She wanted nothing more than to be with him, but it felt awkward. He was doing a job. She was the mission and he was not the type to let anyone down. She considered not giving in, but her heart won out. Even if it was out of a sense of honor or obligation she didn't care anymore. Being with him was more important than anything else. If she survived this. If somehow Kyle was apprehended or killed she would finally be free. If God ever listened to any of her prayers she needed to have him listen to one more. She closed her eyes momentarily and made her silent plea. Rising she took his hand and followed him into the house.