"Keys… Keys… Where are my damn keys!" I scrambled through the drawers in my living room. Why is it that keys only go lost in the morning, when you are late for work? Half panic crazed I pat the pocket of my coat. Right. I already put them in there last night so I wouldn't have to stress in the morning. I ran out the door as fast as my stiletto heels would carry me. As many from my time would attest, the corporate uniform for women is not made for speed.
Traffic in the year 2019 is crazy, Dear Reader. A distance that an automobile (or as we call it: a car) could easily transfer in less than 15 minutes, can take up to 1,5 half hours when it is really busy. Navigating the bustle of cars, busses, bikes and pedestrians can be a challenge in an onto itself. You have that to look forward to in the upcoming years.
I started drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. My God, I was nervous. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror and said: "Cat, you got this! They asked you for the job because you are good. You don't need to stress. You got this.. You got this.. You got this.."
If all had gone as intended, I would start my first day as manager human resources in a large company that had offices around the world. A job I had worked towards for the better part of my life. I studied hard in high school, went to a prestigious college, worked odd jobs for a few years until I finally landed a job as human resource officer in a family business. As the business expanded, I worked my way up and built my resume with further schooling. And now, at the age of thirty I could call myself Manager HR. I brimmed with pride.
However, the reality of my situation was that I had been stationary for nearly forty minutes. I was stuck behind a large row of taxis with no end in sight. I made a split decision, turned the wheel and drove into a small passageway between two housing blocks. It was a bit of a detour, but with luck much less traffic. My stress levels compelled me to step on the gas harder than was good for me. The last thing I remember from being in 'my' time was flying out of the alley, sunlight reaching just over the roof of the building ahead of me blinding my vision, and a bang. A loud, loud bang. You needn't worry, before I could feel any pain my whole world turned black.
I woke up with sand in my mouth. Sand? How the hell did I end up in sand? I slowly realized that the bright sun was making me uncomfortably warm. I needed to find shade. What happened? A hawk screeched overhead. Where am I? I tried to open my eyes and look around. But the sun and apparent swelling made that very difficult. All I could see was a blurry, barren landscape. Some green was scattered here and there, but my vision wasn't sharp enough to make out whether they were trees or bushes.
There was a darker area, not far from me. I deduced that it must be shade. I tried to sit up, but my head started pulsing so painfully I had to lay back down. After laying on my back for a few more minutes in the scorching sunlight, I tried again. I didn't try to sit up fully, I just turned around on my belly and started crawling. I must tell you, this wasn't a fun experience. My head felt like it was splitting in two. A warm liquid started dripping down the side of my face and the taste of iron in my mouth became apparent.
First, I need to get out of the sun. Then I can try to open my eyes and see where I am. I am ok. I just need a minute. I tried to calm myself, but panic started to build in the pit of my stomach. where was I?! how did I get here?!
After what felt like I lifetime, my struggling eyes found a tall tree. It's canopy not really wide, but it would do for now. I rolled onto my back, and let my fingers slowly pass over my face taking inventory of any possible damage. I hissed painfully when I touched my split lip. I felt my eyes. One felt normal, and I found that when I rubbed away the old blood I could open it fully. The other one was swollen shut. The skin surrounding it felt bruised. I followed a bloody trail up my face and felt an open cut on my temple.
I could remember what happened, I thought. I was in my car, taking a detour and then… And then? I don't know. Nothing could explain how I'd got here. I didn't even know where here was.
I wasn't a seasoned survivalist by anyone's definition, but I did know the most important thing for me now was water. I had to drink even before I'd tried to find answers to questions about my whereabouts. Should I call for help? Should I try and find water myself?
The ringing in my ears made it hard to focus. Now, normally I am a rational woman. I rarely make choices without having a well thought out plan, with a back-up plan, and a back-up back-up plan. So I can only believe that my next action was caused by my current state. Because instead of going a productive course which would get me a step closer to getting water, I started crying. Or, more accurately, I started sobbing. Cries started to pour out of me so violent that my whole body was shaking.
I don't know if it was 10 minutes or half a day, but suddenly my cries were disturbed by a low, wet snort. I looked up and saw the outline of two horses with two riders on top. Although I could see much better, I couldn't yet make out the riders faces. Horses. I must be far out of the city if I came across people on horseback.
One dropped gracefully from the saddle and walked over to crouch beside me. Now, much closer I could see a charming young face. It was the face of a young man, with kind eyes.
"Excuse me ma'am, my friend and I were just passing through. And we couldn't help but notice crying. Are you alright ma'am?"
I wanted to answer but the lack of hydration made the sound come out of my throat as a hoarse croak. I saw the boys eyebrows pull together.
"Arthur, throw me the water bottle." I was eternally grateful at the words and I would have given him a smile if it wouldn't have hurt my lip so badly.
"Lenny… We ain't no goddamn charity." I heard a gravelly southern drawl respond. Confused I peered at the rider that still remained on his horse. Surely, providing a stranger a drink wasn't that big of an inconvenience?
The boy sighed and stood up, walking briskly back to his horse. Before I lost hope however, I saw him yank something from the saddle.
"Here ma'am, have this.." when he handed me the water, he walked back and rummage through his saddlebags some more.
I put the leather flask to my lips and drank big gulps. Water fell past my mouth over my chin, down my neck. It was the best thing I ever tasted in my life.
"There, that's better. Now can you tell me your name?" the boy asked while wetting a piece of cloth, and wiping the dirt and blood from my face.
"Caterina.. Or Cat for short."
The boy's mouth shaped into a sly grin. "So, Cat for short.. What feller did you piss off to end up here in the middle of the desert."
My head was still spinning too hard to respond to the gripe in kind. "No one. At least, I don't think. Where am I?"
The grin disappeared as soon as it has formed, instead the boy looked concerned. "You don't know where you are? You are just outside Armadillo."
"Armawhatnow? What do you mean?!" I said, frustrated. Didn't the boy (Lenny was it?) see that I was in no shape to deal with these jokes.
Lenny's face remained serious however. "Armadillo, ma'am. The town, you know?"
When I just stared blankly at him and didn't respond he called back over his shoulder: "Arthur, we can't leave her like this. We have to take her with us."
"Take her with us?! Are you crazy? Listen boy, for all we know she's one of Colm's ladies. You ain't such a fool for a pair of pretty eyes, are ya?"
"If we don't take her with us she will die!"
I could almost hear the shrug in the moment of silence that followed.
"Yeah, maybe she will. Or maybe them O'Driscoll boys will come and pick her up right after we leave."
Lenny's chin jutted out defiantly. "I am going to take her with me. Let Dutch decide. We are on our way north anyway. Worse case we have to move a bit faster than we was plannin'."
The boy stood and reached down a hand for me to grab hold off. "Come on ma'am, we will find out how to get you home."
I looked at the hand hesitantly. Was I really just going to trust these two. Clearly the other man didn't care if I lived or died. But the kindness in Lenny's face was hard to deny, and truthfully was it worth the risk to say no? I might not be so lucky to stumble upon a new stranger kind enough to give me water.
I grabbed his hand and I tried to stand. Not good. My headache spiked and I saw dizzying stars. My forgotten stiletto twisted my ankle painfully and I slumped back against the tree. Lenny ducked and took off my shoes.
In this moment I should have realized the perplexed look he gave my shoe. Just as how I should have realized the strange clothing the boy was wearing. If I had been paying attention I would wonder if I had found myself in the hands of a helpful extra on a movie set. But I didn't. Later I would attribute this to the concussion I got from the car crash. Now however, I remained blissfully unaware of my predicament.
He lifted me by putting a hand underneath my knees and around my back and carried me to his horse. I looked over to his companion, who was draped casually over the horn of his saddle. A cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes held no emotion when he looked me over from head to toe. When he looked back up, our gazes locked. This was the first time I became somewhat aware of my appearance.
I think this is a good moment to tell you something about what I used to look like. I would be a hypocrite and falsely modest if I told you I was an unattractive woman. I knew the looks men had given me and, to my shame, when I was younger I had used my looks to get me the things I wanted. My body was the result of a combined love for my Mother's Italian cooking and exercise; soft but firm. I had long chocolate colored hair, with large brown eyes.
As many of my fellow full figured ladies will agree with, although it is not a punishment to be blessed with curves, they can however make the most maidenly outfit look positively scandalous with even the slightest adjustment. Here I was, sitting on the back of a horse with my normally knee length pencil skirt hitched up to my thigh, showing the upper lacey rim of my stocking. My pinstripe blue blouse I always kept buttoned up for work, was opened much lower than what I would even consider for a date with a man I really liked.
Red colored my cheeks, when I started fumbling to get myself buttoned up again. I gave a few yanks at my skirt, but only managed to tear the side split further open.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Nothin' we ain't seen before." Arthur replied cynically. I wanted to give him a sneer, which was surprisingly hard to do with one eye swollen shut. Instead it must have come closer to a look of having an allergic reaction. He tightened his jaw and with a swift nudge to his horse's flanks he moved away from me.
I could feel the muscles below me starting to move in kind, and with a quick "Better hold on fast ma'am" Lenny spurred his horse into a gallop.
The effort of holding on was enough to distract me from my environment. The sprawling desert around me, and the horse and carriages that passed me failed to make me realize that I was even more lost than I thought.
We arrived at a cave entrance that was placed within the side of a canyon. From the outside all you see was a few pieces of clothing hanging to dry, a campfire with a spit hanging over it, and a wooden beam was hung between two rock that stuck out from the high stone wall. Arthur and Lenny drove up to it and slung their horses reins over it.
"Can you take care of the horses? I will take Miss Cat for short-" Lenny looked over his shoulder and gave me a wink "-inside to speak to Dutch."
"Like hell you are" Arthur hopped from his horse and gave the boy a sardonic look "Like I am going to miss Dutch his face when we take her inside!"
He pushed the reins into Lenny's hands and said: "Come on boy, you take care of the horses. I will bring her in."
Before Lenny could answer, two large hands folded around my waist and I was unceremoniously dragged from the horse. My stockinged feet struggled to find balance in the hot sand. He grabbed my upper arm and began pulling me to the cave entrance which gave way to a rounded corridor. I was unable to see further than a few feet in front of me and when I started to wonder what kind of people lived in a cave I was pulled into an alcove.
Faster than I could think my back was pushed against the hard rock with something that felt a lot like a barrel of a gun to the underside of my chin. The crunching sound it made when it was cocked confirmed my suspicions. I wish I could tell you that I, as strong and self respecting woman, was brave in the face of this immediate danger. I wasn't. With a high squeal I cowed as far away as I could from Arthur's towering body. But the gun followed. My breath hitched in my throat and I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest.
"Now, listen here little lady, there are people inside that cave that are very important to me. And I would die sooner than letting anything happen to them. So, you are going to tell me right now whether or not I am going to regret bringing you in there." His voice a soft, ominous whisper. I'd rather he screamed in my face. Feeling a little less in control as now. His composure utterly calm and dominating.
He would kill me. I knew it as sure as I knew grass is green. He would kill me if I couldn't somehow convince him I meant no harm.
"I… I…" I stammered, unable to think of anything that would sound convincing. "Please.. I don't… I don't even know where I am!" Ok, so that was the best thing I come up with.
He shoved me against the rock again, sparks shot in front of my still imperfect vision. But before he could say anything else I heard a new voice.
"Arthur, you're back! I thought I heard something." The tone was jovial, his words pitching higher in the middle of his last sentence.. "And you brought someone with you?" The man questioned hesitantly.
"Lenny found her.." Arthur said gruffly, his body blocking the other man from view. The pistol still poised to shoot me through the head, causing my neck to crane painfully upwards.
"Well, then.. Let me see." I saw a hand appearing on Arthur's shoulder, who gave me one last hard look and then stepped aside.
It took everything I had to stay upright, but I managed. I eyed the new man warily.
"Oh Arthur, you have no manners. My dear lady, I do apologize for my son's behavior. He can sometimes be a little-" The man seemed to think about his words "-overprotective."
I knew for a fact this man wasn't old enough to be his father. But from the slight straightening shift in Arthur's shoulders I knew it meant something to him to be called his son.
"Let me introduce myself." He held out his hand. When I extended mine to shake it, he pulled it to his lips and planted a kiss on my knuckles. "My name is Dutch, Dutch van der linde."
I was dead on my feet. I knew I had been in an accident, then rode through god knows where to this cave and finally I was manhandled and threatened. I needed to rest. If they would just let me stay the night, I would find my way home tomorrow.
"Nice to meet you, mister van der Linde. My name is Caterina Davis. I am so sorry to be an inconvenience, I will be out of your hair tomorrow. I just need somewhere I can sleep for tonight."
"Please call me Dutch, Miss Davis. You can rest here for the night-" Arthur started to open his mouth to protest. Dutch gave him a stern look and continued: "We would never turn away a woman that needs help. Especially not one as fine as yourself."
I couldn't help but bristle a little at the intended compliment. In my experience, unknown men rarely compliment a woman's appearance because they take them so seriously. But, beggars can't be choosers so I chose to ignore the comment.
"However.." Dutch continued, still sounding friendly but with an off sounding undertone to his voice. "I do agree with Arthur here, that we need to make sure you are not a danger to us. You must understand, don't you ma'am."
Who are these people that they are so scared of a strange woman. I had no idea what dangers they were even thinking off.
"Mister van der linde, or I mean Dutch. I don't really know what to tell you, other than the truth. All I know that I was getting ready for work this morning, had an accident and somehow ended up here. I have no idea where I am, I have no idea who you are. All I know is that my head hurts, I can't see for shit-" Dutch arched his eyebrows up at my language. "- And all I want is just a place to sleep. So could you tell me if I can find that here, because otherwise I'll thank Lenny for helping me and find some other place to stay."
Dutch stared at me for a long time and then said: "I see we find ourselves in quite the conundrum, Miss Davis. The way I see it, is that I have no way to know whether or not I can trust you. This also means, however, I can't just send you back out because god knows who you might end up telling about our location."
Again with the trust, what is it with these people.
"Look, I just want to…" I started, but was interrupted.
"Miss Davis, our plan is to remain here for a bit more than a week. So, you can stay here. We will provide you with a place to sleep, food and drink. Then, when we move, our paths shall diverge again." Without asking for my consent, he turned to Arthur. "My dear boy, would you see to it that Miss Davis gets food and finds a bed for tonight?"
I was too tired, and quite frankly too uninterested because of my pounding head to look around me when I entered the cave. All I wanted was to sleep. I kept my eyes locked between Arthur's shoulder blades and followed him closely. I vaguely remember him speaking to someone and a few minutes later pointing to a ragged looking cotton rectangle. I laid myself down and felt it was filled with hay. I heard him murmur something about food, but before he came back I was already fast asleep.