Chapter II: On With The Filler Stuff
The car hit a particularly large bump and Riley was jostled around in the trunk, his head colliding with the roof of the small space once again. The first time it had successfully knocked him out and this second bump must have been what woke him up.
Riley swallowed hard in an attempt to fight the nausea that had been rising in his stomach. He'd been unconscious for a long time now—he could tell by how ridiculously sore and stiff his body was. It was the kind of feeling he got after sleeping in a weird position for too long. And this was definitely a weird position, lying on his side with his wrists stuck behind him.
He groaned miserably as the car lurched forward. Riley didn't know how much more of this he could take. He was being tossed around like a…like a thing that gets tossed around a lot in a trunk. He knew there was something very wrong when his fuzzy mind couldn't even think of a witty analogy to his current situation.
But that's all he could do. Think, sleep, hopefully keep breathing… There was no way he could get out of there, not while he was tied up and locked in the tight, dark space. So he was pretty much screwed until Ben could save him. He really hoped that would be sooner rather than later.
"So…we show up at your father's door in the middle of the night and the first thing he assumes is I'm pregnant?"
Abigail was trying to disband the uncomfortable silence that had come between the couple. They'd picked out some decent looking clothes in a local Urban Outfitters and were now changing. Ben had been painfully quiet most of the drive to Philadelphia, only briefly explaining his treasure hunt up to their current position. She noticed that his story pointedly avoided any details about Riley, and it was evident the treasure protector was worried about his young…friend? Partner? Brother?
It had dawned on her sometime in the early morning hours that she knew nothing about Ben Gate's little sidekick. Riley, not Bill, she reminded herself as she recalled with some amusement the awkward way he had initially introduced himself. She had concluded—after the encounter with Ben's father—that the young man was not in fact Ben's brother as she initially thought. The two looked alike enough after all. Okay maybe not really, other than the dark hair and the bright, blue eyes.
Her other conclusion was that the two were not partners, not in that sense. At least not by the way Ben had been gentlemanly flirting with her since he strolled into her office at the Archives. Even though some of it was an act to hide his true identity, there's no way he was that good of an actor.
So, rather than using the car ride to sleep while Ben drove, his hard glare directed only to the road before him, she decided she should know a little more about the young man they were hoping to save from the clutches of a mutinous madman.
"Ben," she started slowly. "I feel like I know a lot about you and your family, but how did Riley get caught up in all this? It is Riley, right, not Bill?"
At this Ben actually smirked slightly, recalling the same awkward introduction she was thinking of. "Yeah, it's Riley. I have no idea where he came up with Bill."
Abigail let out a tense breath and mirrored his smile. She honestly hadn't expected to get this kind of a reaction from him—maybe a gruff, "none of your business" or something like that.
"I roped Riley in the same way I did with anyone. I told him my treasure story. He was interested, so I invited him along."
"Really? And he just up and left…whatever to help you?"
"Actually I came to him for his computer skills. He'd been working a 9 to 5 job in a cubicle writing programs for some software company. He was more than happy to hear me out."
Abigail blinked. "Wow. I should think most normal people wouldn't be so willing to ask random strangers to join them on their treasure hunts and hope they're interested."
Ben shook his head. "No, no he wasn't a stranger. I've known Riley for a while…about five years now."
Abigail smiled. He was really opening up to her now. "This sounds like an exciting story in and of itself."
He shrugged, never taking his eyes off the road. "Not really. I was going to MIT after I discovered that treasure hunting was really done through technology nowadays. Riley was a freshman there when I met him. I'm not exactly sure how it happened.
"He wasn't the kind of kid that hung with a big social group or anything. Actually he was kind of…solitary and, believe it or not, quiet in class when I saw him. Then one day I must have said something in passing after a lecture, I don't even remember what, and he just started talking. I mean, nonstop. It was like the kid had bottled up all of these little comments and silly stories but had never had an opportunity to spit them out. I think he was just having a hard time adjusting to college life. His roommate was a jerk, and I had to help him out a few times when he got into hot water over something.
"I don't know—we just became friends naturally. And after I told him about the treasure…I mean he was in, no problem. I swear the kid will follow me around blindly wherever I go. He'd probably jump off a cliff, if I asked him nicely."
Abigail saw Ben's smile fade and a sad look crossed his face. It was obvious he missed his friend and was extremely worried about whatever was happening to him while he was in Ian's clutches. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he made eye contact with her for a split second before turning back to the road before him.
"He'll be okay, Ben."
"I hope you're right." He sighed deeply. "And thank you, by the way, for sticking around. Even after everything that's happened."
She smiled slightly, pleasantly surprised again by his words. "Sure."
There was nothing left to say after that, and the pair sat in a semi comfortable silence the rest of the way to Philly. The bright sun and the bustling city streets seemed to have sobered Ben a little from his funk, and Abigail was extremely grateful he responded to her again when she attempted playful conversation in the fitting rooms of Urban Outfitters.
He peeked around the door to look her in the eye. She was glad to see the flirtatious smile she had seen on him when they met had returned, full force.
"Have you ever told someone, not a family member, I love you?"
He was jerked awake as sudden light filled the darkness. He kept his eyes closed, squeezed tight against the harsh brightness. Then, out of nowhere, someone was patting at his cheek. He instinctively flinched away from the surprising touch, though he wasn't even sure if it was in fact hurting him. It could have been Ben, come to save him at last…
"Wake up, Riley. We're not going to carry you."
Not Ben…that was Ian's voice. His harsh, evil sounding voice somehow underlined with…amusement? Apparently he found the whole situation to be quite funny. Riley still refused to open his eyes, until the light pat became a rough slap to his already stinging cheek. He moaned and forced his eyelids open, only to stare up at two people he disliked very much at the moment. Ian Howe and a man known only as Shaw were glaring down at him, silhouetted by sunlight. They looked very ominous like that, even more so with the manic grins on their faces. Riley wished he'd kept his eyes shut.
He was forced out of the trunk by two hands grasping the front of his hoodie. If he kept getting pulled around like this, he was going to find himself investing in a new sweatshirt when he got out of this situation. If he got out of this situation.
Riley was stood up on his unstable legs with Shaw's constant grasp on him the only thing keeping him standing. His entire body felt stiff and sore, but at least he could now breathe some fresh air into his lungs. Even if it was only through his nose, it was better than nothing.
Once he'd gained his bearings and blinked the fuzziness out of his eyes, Riley took a good look around. They were in another parking garage, or some sort of closed off empty space that resembled a parking garage with very high windows. Maybe it was a warehouse? Or something like that. All Riley knew was that it was empty, save for two black SUVs with Pennsylvania plates and windows that were tinted as black as the paint job.
"…come on, move it!"
Apparently they'd been yelling at him but he'd tuned it out, more concerned about what was going to happen to him than whatever the hell they were talking about. Now they wanted him to move. Sure. He was pushed forward from behind and would have fallen on his face if Shaw hadn't yanked him back up by his hood.
He was practically dragged towards one of the cars, where the rest of Ian's lackeys were staring at him with stupid grins on their faces. He sent them the best "what are you assholes staring at?" look he could muster with his eyes, but they apparently, like Ian and Shaw, found this whole situation to be extremely amusing. Riley wished he got what was so funny, but as far as he was concerned, he was the punch line in their sadistic little joke.
The trunk to one of the SUVs was opened as they approached. Thankfully this trunk was significantly larger than the one Riley had just spent his morning in. It wasn't completely closed off either—it was designed so that a backseat passenger could easily reach back into the trunk space.
Riley didn't even have the energy to struggle as he was forced inside. At least here he could sit up. No one even talked to him. Ian was barking orders about going to the Franklin Institute. Then he said something about time, and Riley found out it was ten to noon. Wow, he'd been in the other trunk longer than he'd thought. He was probably lucky he hadn't suffocated.
They slammed the door to the back of the SUV shut and moved their separate ways. Riley blinked slowly. The fact that he was now able to breathe real oxygen instead of stuffy trunk air was definitely helping to clear his head and he began to wonder what exactly was going on. They were in Philadelphia, right? Ben must have been in the city too, and they were going to make a deal and Riley would be saved.
Suddenly Riley's heart sank as a new thought popped into his head. What if Ben chose the treasure over Riley? He had, after all, been looking for the hidden Templar treasure long before he'd even met Riley. Then he'd definitely be screwed. Ian and his guys hated Riley, and he could only imagine all the horrible things they were planning to do with him if Ben didn't give in to their demands.
Riley shuddered and felt the car start moving. It took off rather quickly, and Riley was slammed sideways against the door of the trunk. He could hear Ian and at least one of his guys talking about something but Riley tuned them out. He was busy staring blankly out the window above him at the bright sky as Philladelphia buildings rushed past.
If there was even a chance that Ben wasn't going to help him, Riley would have to get out of this situation by himself. How, he had no idea. His arms were thoroughly numb and his head was pounding. He felt helpless and really, really stupid for even getting into this mess. All he could do now was squirm in the tight space he was sitting, trying in vain to get more comfortable while his mind wandered in circles around some scenarios he hoped for and others he hoped were nothing more than the scary wanderings of his tired mind.
"…Pass and Stow. Ben, those are the last words! We need to get to Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell was."
Ben nodded. He too understood the clue and was very relieved it hadn't been anything more complicated than that. They were already in Philadelphia, and now only a few blocks from their destination.
Abigail hesitated for a moment, watching Ben think, before asking the question that was on both of their minds. "What should we do?"
Ben looked grim. "We go to Independence Hall and find the next clue."
"But…what about Ian?"
"He hasn't tried to call us yet…and we are still in Philly after all. I don't think it would hurt if we kept looking for the next clue."
"And Riley?"
"Ian won't do anything to him—yet. He needs information we have, and he knows Riley's the only reason we would give it to him." Then, almost as an afterthought, "he's probably keeping tabs on us already anyway. I wouldn't put it past him."
Abigail raised her eyebrows. She was clearly skeptical, but the almost fierce determination in Ben's eyes kept her from voicing her opinion. "Alright, then. To Independence Hall."
"Where do ya suppose they're off to now?"
"Couldn't say," Ian mumbled, his fierce gaze never leaving the couple as they left the Franklin Institute, nearly a block away from where he sat in his parked SUV.
"Are we goin' after 'em?"
"Yes. But keep your distance. Call Powell, tell him they're coming his way. I don't know what Ben thinks he's doing, but I'm going to find out."
Ben?!
At the sound of his friend's name Riley jerked to attention. He hadn't really been listening to anything that they were saying. He was more focused on his own woes. But as it turns out, they'd been parked outside of the Franklin Institute for quite a while, and now Ian had spotted Ben. Thank God—he was saved at last.
Riley craned his neck as much as he could and poked his head up over the back of the backseat, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend out the front windshield. He'd barely straightened up, though, when a large hand pushed him back down, pressing roughly against the bump he'd already sustained on the top of his head.
"You keep your head down, pipsqueak."
Riley winced at the sting on his head as well as the harshness of Shaw's gruff voice. He shrank back down in the trunk space, his verbal frustrations muffled inaudibly.
"What was that?"
Don't call me a pipsqueak, you big jackass.
"That's what I thought."
Riley flinched as Shaw ruffled his hair and chuckled.
Then the vehicle lurched forward and Riley found himself tipping over against the door again. He was tired of being tossed around like this. He was angry, and frustrated, and more than a little car sick. But Ben was around here somewhere. Ben would have to save him, and the bad guys would get what was coming to them, and he would live happily ever after, treasure or no treasure, he didn't even care anymore.
"Phew…"
"What?"
"Can you believe the last time this was here…it was being signed?"
Abigail smirked playfully at him. "Ben…"
"Right, okay…" He put the glasses on his nose and fiddled with the different colored lenses for a moment. "Wow…this is really something."
He passed the glasses to Abigail so she could see what he saw. "Heere at the Wall…"
"Oh no," Ben suddenly mumbled as something caught his eye out the window. He dashed to it, looking out at a man he really didn't want to see right now. "Ian was following us. Why hasn't he called?"
"He's waiting for you to do all the dirty work," Abigail answered grimly. "I'm sure he had no intention of letting Riley go until he was sure we could get the treasure for him."
Ben nodded in dismal agreement. Though he'd been pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he knew she was absolutely right. If they didn't find the treasure soon… Well, he didn't think Riley would want Ben to be wasting his time worrying.
"We're going to hang on to this stuff as long as possible. If Ian doesn't have the clues, then he still needs us, which means he still needs Riley. But we've got to split up—as much as we don't want him to have the Declaration or the glasses we definitely don't want him to get a hold of both of them. You take the Declaration, I've got the glasses, and I'll meet you back at the car. Okay?"
"Okay," Abigail said breathlessly.
"Take care of her."
"I will."
Abigail stared in horror from where she lay, sprawled across the sidewalk while the notorious Ian Howe scooped up the canister she had dropped in her haste to escape his goons. He twisted it open, examining the document with a triumphant grin on his face. His cold gaze turned to her and his smile more than anything else frightened her to her feet. She heard steady falling footsteps behind and realized she was still being chased. After taking one last regretful look at the Declaration of Independence, she leapt to her feet and ran in the other direction. As long as Ben still had the glasses, Ian was still nowhere near finding the treasure. She sprinted fast as her petite legs could take her and was glad to hear that the men chasing her had backed off. But she didn't stop running. She had to get to Ben…had to find him before someone else did…
First off—just wanna say kudos to save changes to normal's "Closed Break," who I've sort of utilized a bit here. Because having Ben and Riley meet in MIT is just such a perfect, totally believable back story that I don't even bother to think up new ones anymore :)
Secondly—I could not have asked for a better response for this. I'm glad you guys are excited that these stories are coming back, and I'm very happy to hear from new readers as well. So a million thank yous to all you extremely awesome people :)
