With the point of the gathering made, my guests begin to make noises about leaving. I have no qualms about that. These men might be my allies, but they are not my friends. Each of them own islands, many of them much more palatial and tropical. This place is usually a private sanctuary. I chose its bleak shores for good reason. This is not a location for wild parties and women bought and paid for.
The first choppers depart and within the hour I say the last goodbyes.
With my guests departed, I check on Chloe. I expect to find her miserable, perhaps asleep, perhaps rebellious. I want to comfort her and reassure her that the worst is over. From here on out, her life can begin again.
“Chloe?”
It’s dark. She’s turned the light off. Maybe she’s sleeping. If so, I’ll carry her to bed. She deserves a good night’s sleep. She deserves a new life.
“Chloe?”
The room is empty.
She’s gone.
She’s been taken.
Pure, cold rage settles in my belly. One of these men has crossed me. It will be the most foolish thing they ever do.
Chapter Six
Chloe
It’s dark. I’m cramped up, crouched in a small stow space beneath seats. The sound of the rotors are deafening. I have to hold my hands over my ears to even partially block the din. The floor beneath me is vibrating, a little bit of metal between me and oblivion.
It didn’t occur to Darko that I could escape. After all, there was nowhere to go on his island, right?
Wrong.
As soon as those monsters came in, they opened up a way out. A fleet of helicopters were parked on his roof. It was easy to slip into one of them and find a little place to hide. I don’t know where this craft is going, but I know when it gets to its destination, I am going to disappear. I’m going to regroup, and I’m going to get my revenge.
First thing I do when I get back to my finances is hire the kind of security even Darko can’t penetrate. I am not going to let these men and their power intimidate me. At this point, I’d rather die than be turned into an object of pity and amusement.
The helicopter lands a few hours later. I’m desperate to pee, but I have to wait until the men sitting above me vacate the helicopter. Over the past days I have been degraded in so many ways. This might be the worst of it all. I’m doing this to myself, and I’m stuck below their corpulent butts. Only the prospect of freedom gives me any kind of hope. This is my lowest point, and I am not sure I will survive it.
The thunder of the blades is one thing, and the shortness of air is another. Is this under-seat compartment air tight? It might be. I might suffocate in here, and if I do, I have to do it quietly. I can’t risk being caught and taken back to Darko. His punishment would be terrible, I’m sure of that.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, I hear the sound of the rotors change and my stomach lurches with descent. My heart begins to thunder. This is the moment of truth. Slipping into the helicopter was one thing, but getting out might not be so simple. I don’t know where we’re landing, what country we’re in. I don’t even know if I speak the language where we’ve gone.
The helicopter shifts as the occupants get out. I wait a few minutes then crack the lid of the seat a little, just enough to peek out and breathe. There are lights in the distance. I get the impression we’re high up. We’ve landed on top of a building.
A few minutes more, and I get the courage to creep out, verify that what I thought was right. I’m in Los Angeles. I’d recognize the skyline anywhere. Perfect. I have a place here, of course. Several, actually. And a few cars. Breathing in the air makes me feel strong. I am desperate. I am on the run. But I still have more resources at hand than most people have, and these men are going to discover that I am not such an easy target.
Gathering my wits and nerves, I head off the roof and into the interior of the building. The staircase runs from the top all the way down to the bottom floor, uninterrupted by security. I find myself on a Los Angeles street.
Thanks to Darko I’m dressed formally, which means I’m suitably dressed for the nearby nightclub. I’m drawn to it. There will be people there. People like me. People who need other people pressed around them to feel alive. Usually I hate clubs and parties, but right now I just want to lose myself in the real world beyond Darko’s grasp.