Chapter two
Lincoln had chosen to wake up early to leave; he left to tell Michael what happened, also to meet with that fowl woman. I on the other hand couldn't go. I just felt sick to my stomach trying to imagine what would have been, if I didn't get involved in all of this.
I stayed in bed before feeling a hand rocking me, it wasn't too hard to think of who it was opening my eyes slowly, it took a while for me to find my glassed putting them on to see Lincoln sitting on the bed beside me. "I need you to come with me, to the meeting." His voice was cool as I sat up on the bed properly, my hand running through my hair before watching him.
"What's wrong?" I asked moving the sheets off me; I glanced around the room before finding a pair of shorts and vest to slip on. Lincoln watched me while I could tell he was thinking seriously.
"I just want to keep you near me, I don't trust these people, and I want to know you're safe." His words careful, but I could feel the fear in his tone, I moved into the bathroom picking up my tooth brush, I started to clean my teeth as I felt him behind me, his hands rested on my waist as I looked to his reflection, I kept cleaning, I rinsed my mouth.
Slowly I turned to face him, my eyes glazed up into his, I couldn't help but feel worried about L.J, and he was just a kid, an innocent party in this.
Lincoln running a hand into my hair, his eyes burned into my own. "Yeah, so are we going to meet her now?" I asked, Lincoln bring his lips to brush against my forehead, he held me close to his chest, I could feel his heart pounding hard against his ribs.
"Pretty much yeah…" he replied moving my face so he could take a better look at me, I bit my lip before looking directly up at him. I just couldn't really put my feelings into words. "Hey, hey look at me, Lil, I promise." He's hand cupped my chin so our eyes met in a more intense stare. "I promise we will work this out." He added while brining my lips to his, I felt the kiss and I wrapped my arms around him.
I see her sitting near the window; I kept a step beside Lincoln while he kept a hand on my lower back. We walked together getting to the sofas sitting down together; her eyes went from me to Lincoln before looking directly to Lincoln. "In an effort to save some time, I'm going to have to insist that we skip right past all the threats I know you're prepared to lay out, should anything happen to Sara or LY, you will scavour the earth and hunt me down and rip my heart from my chest, and bop, bop, bop. I absolutely know how you feel. As would I. Okay? So that's done. On to business. Did you're brother get the message?" Lincoln simply nodded his head; I on the other hand looked away from her. I would do more than she gave credit for. "Good. You and I will meet here everyday. I want a full report of the prior day's progress. When I call your cell phone, answer. Don't ask me stupid questions. Don't waste my time. Get a plan together. Execute it. LJ and Sara will be traded for Whistler, are we clear?" her voice seem to cut into me, as I now focused on the conversation.
"Pictures of Sara and L.J alive," Lincoln said while I moved my leg crossing it over the other, the woman's eyes focused on mine for a moment.
"That I can do, next…" she kept her eyes going from mine, to Lincoln's, her face never seemed to change.
I now leaned forward, my eyes connected onto her ice blue, "why us?" I said while the picked up her drink taking a sip place it down on the table.
"I'll answer that question so we can put it to bed and you can focus on your work. There's a political spotlight on Whistler. Due to the nature of his crime, raids, bribes, what have you are not an option. We have to go through the back door. So to speak."
Lincoln moved on his part of the sofa, his eyes focused on hers, "We can't do this in a week!" he said while I now wonder my eyes out the window.
"You have a week, that's it. Are we clean?" she said still as her eyes found me, "Plus I see you're keeping her close by, I'm not interested in hurting your girlfriend unless you give us reason to." She smirked making me feel even more uncomfortable.
"You have a name?" Lincoln asked harsh, his eyes focused on hers, but I now swallowed hard.
"Susan B Anthony." Her words simple, and Lincoln nodded.
"I'm going to assume you wasn't an immaculate conception," he leaned forward to her, his eyes kept a strong focused, as I now tried to look else where.
"You're right Lincoln." She answered while now, she could sense my uneasiness. "You know, I could get you a drink to relax…" she looked me in the eyes, and I shock my head.
"Family trees being what they are, mums dads, brothers, sisters." He started, my eyes going to him, "anything happens to my Son, or Sara. I'm not coming after you." He now glared to her, I wanted to roll my eyes, but saved it.
"Get to work!" she snapped while I got to my feet with Lincoln, my hand reached for his as we walked away, I glanced back as she carried on drinking.
"Was that completely necessary?" I asked as we walked away, I kept looking back to see if she was watching, which she wasn't. I kept moving trying to keep in pace with Lincoln, I found it hard to believe the way he was acting.
He stopped me from walking as we got outside, I could feel his fingers tighten around my arm, "In the end, Lil. These people are cold hearted killers, I am just trying to even the playing field." His words quick, I couldn't help but avoid looking into his eyes.
"Ok, I get it, but you're hurting me." I snapped trying to stop my tone turning sour, he loosened his grip before letting go of my arm, and I kept still. "I'm just scared ok, I think we both are." I moved my hand slowly to touch his face, my eyes meeting his before leaning up. I could feel his lips caressing mine as his hands ran down my back holding me against him.
Breaking the kiss Lincoln brushed a stray piece of hair from my face, "I can't afford to be scared right now Lil, none of us can." His words soft, but I couldn't help but sigh.
"I know, it's just making me feel so…" I couldn't think of the word as I looked up to him. "Maybe we should just get a game plan with Michael." I added while he nodded.
"How about I get the plan from Michael, and you rest, you look beat." He whispered brushing his hands into my hair.
I quickly nodded before feeling him kiss my forehead, my eyes closed for a moment, "I'll be in the room, ok." I glanced up to him, his hand brushed into my hair again holding my gaze.
Lincoln kept giving off the feeling that he wasn't sure how this was going to work out, but his lips kissed mine, I couldn't help but feel worse.
When Lincoln left me alone in the room, I lay down on the bed, it wasn't much else for me to do in this place, mostly the fact I kept still closing my eyes. A part of me wasn't thinking, just keeping still, to see how long it would be for me to wake up from this nightmare. I opened my eyes slowly to look over to the time, it was getting passed noon, the sun was still in the sky as I head the door, I quickly grabbed a pillow holding it up as the door slowly opened. I flinched seeing Lincoln enter the room, his eyes meeting mine before he started to laugh. "Going to attack an intruder with a pillow?" he moved closed to me placing his hands over mine, I relaxed before feeling him taking it away from me.
"Sorry, just everything is on red alert." I looked to the pillow in his hands; he placed it back on the bed looking into my eyes.
I'd stare at him for a moment before he spoke, "Hey, I got a few more things to do, then we go get something to eat, how's that sound?" he said while brushing a hand down my arm, his eyes softened.
"Yeah, cool…" I nodded while he kissed my forehead again, I watched him walk out of the room into the bathroom. I relaxed getting off the bed; I started to walk towards the window when the door opened. Susan walked in before sitting on the sofa.
"Lincoln, where is he?" she asked me in a low whispered, I didn't say anything pointing to the bathroom. "Then I'll wait here." She said confidently while I now stood frozen in fear.
When Lincoln left the bathroom his could tell from my face that something wasn't right, as his eyes shot to Susan in a blaze of hatred. "You know, they told me that your brother got all the brains. But I didn't realize that you were this stupid." She said to Lincoln as she got up from the chair.
"What do you want Susan?" he asked while I kept in between them both, my eyes going from one person to the other. Susan holding her bag close while Lincoln kept an eye on her walking to the window.
"No sooner do I tell you to stick to the plan, then you go and hassle Whistler's girlfriend. You need to quit playing Sherlock Holmes and leave her alone." As she said that my eyes went to Lincoln's, but I could feel a lump forming in my throat, it made it hard for me to breathe.
"Why?" Lincoln snapped, but I felt Susan snatch my arm, and then felt the tip of the gun pointed to my temple.
"Because I said so, how about that." She snapped and it was like I was underwater.
Lincoln looked from me, to Susan. "How about you bet it, and let me get on with my work!" his tone dead, but I could feel the tip pushing into my temple.
"I will, when you give me what you took from her." Her voice was stone; I could feel that she wasn't scared.
"I didn't take anything from her." He replied, but even I could tell the lie in his tone, so the gun got pushed harder, I couldn't help but let out a squeak.
Susan's hand tightens on my arm, "I got a gallon of bleach, a tarp and a hacksaw in the trunk of my car. One hour, tops—you two are off the face of the earth." I closed my eyes, right now I just wanted it to be over.
"Lincoln please, just do what she says!" I snapped opening my eyes.
Lincoln placed his hand into his pocket, "It's just a bird guide." He replied while holding his hand in his pocket.
"I am not going to ask you again." Her tone was dry as she now pushed the gun more into my temple. Lincoln now taking the book out, "Toss it!" she snapped, Lincoln doing as he was told. Susan threw me into his arms, Lincoln caught me, and I wanted to cry, but held it in. "Tomorrow. Bar. Progress report, I'll be waiting!" she then placed the gun back into her bag while walking out of the room.
I stepped away from Lincoln as he placed a hand in his pocket taking out another bird guide, my eyes going wide. "Lincoln…." I said while he looked up to me, his hand moved to my shoulder. "I…" my words froze in my throat as he leaned down kissing me. I kissed back, but a part of me couldn't help but feel even more scared of this Susan.