Chapter Six- Take a Chance
I looked at him and then started laughing. "You're an idiot." I finally said after I brought myself together.
He looked at me, surprised. "I'm an idiot?" He questioned. "Because I want to help you?" He had a funny edge to his voice.
"No because you think you can help me." I said looking at him. "This is ridiculous."
He glared at me. "I don't even know why I try." He said bitterly and went upstairs. He stopped at the door and turned to look at me. "I was totally right about you." And then he slammed the door.
I know I was a bitch. But seriously he can't save me, no one can, it's pretty obvious. He just wants to do this so that he thinks he has a place in heaven or something. I sat down on the couch and sighed. It was weird, it was the first time I felt at ease in a long time. Then that changed when I heard the voices upstairs.
"You're not getting attached are you?" Someone questioned, probably the Chief.
"No, I was totally right about her, little miss bitch." That was Tom. That hurt and I felt tears sting my eyes.
"Are you sure?" The Chief pressed.
"Seriously don't worry."
"Listen, I just feel like I'm having a flashback, a flashback that happened three years ago." The Chief said.
"I don't regret what happened." Tom said.
"That's what worries me. Tom you need to be careful." He pressed on. "You were an idiot three years ago, you made some stupid mistakes and I see it happening again."
"David just chill out, I'm fine. It won't happen again."
I froze. David? As in David the guy who asked me to dance? That whole night was a lie. Can I really trust Tom? I mean the way him and David are talking, they are friends it's obvious. I just don't get what any of this is, I mean no body in my family is of utter importance. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, hoping to somehow convince myself that none of this is happening.
It didn't work.
God who the hell is Tom? I mean seriously, he seems like he is a good guy deep down, way deep down but it's there I can tell. I mean he doesn't seem like he wants to hurt people but I mean to even be in the position he is he must of done something… awful.
Everyone had gone to sleep. It was quiet and I heard no footsteps above me. I wasn't tired. I was everything but tired. The silence was broken when the door opened. I looked up to see Tom. He didn't have a mask on. He was exposed.
I got up and faced him. He was better looking then I remembered. He didn't look threatening or dangerous. Just confused and unsure.
"I'm sorry." I finally said. "I just don't think your idea is smart at all."
"But me killing you is a smart idea?" He asked me, shaking his head.
I looked away and felt a stray tear fall trace the outline of my face. "I don't know, it doesn't matter."
Tom didn't say anything but sit down on the couch.
"Just don't worry about it." I finally said.
He looked at me in confusion.
"I'm okay with this." I said gesturing to my surroundings. "You're right. This is nothing compared to what people go through. I probably deserve this, you're right I'm just a selfish bitch who ignores what happens to other people." I said not meeting his eyes. "Just don't worry about me." I said turning around, not facing him. A lot of me thought he would leave and we would just forget everything that happened. I was wrong.
"Jude." He said softly, causing me to turn around to face him.
He was now right in front of me.
"I'm in a deep hole." He said looking at me. "I'm in a 30 foot deep hole and there is no ladder to get me out." He said meeting my eyes. "Saving you, I think miraculously this hole will have a ladder or will only be 2 feet deep." He put his hands on my shoulders. "You don't get it Jude. I need to save you. I need to get you out of here."
I felt tears enter my eyes. "I'm sorry." I said softly.
He didn't say anything, just tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"I was wrong about you." I said quietly.
"I think I was wrong about you too." He finally admitted, after a moment of silence.
I sighed and looked at him. "I wish you were right."
He looked thoughtfully at me and then looked away, uncomfortably.
"I'm in." I said breaking the awkward silence.
"What?" He questioned.
"We have nothing to loose right?" I questioned, referring to escaping. "I mean if I die it would have happen either way but…" I trailed off and met his eyes. "What about you?"
"Jude, I'd rather die this way, way better then dying working for these people." He said looking at me. "So are you ready?" He asked me.
It took me a moment to respond. "Wait?" I questioned, dumbfounded. "Now?"
He looked at me weirdly, like I asked him if he wanted tea or something. "Yeah now." He said slowly, confused.
"Shouldn't we plan this?" I asked him.
"What's there to plan?" He asked me.
"Um.. I don't know, where are we going?" I asked him.
"There's a small cabin nearby." He answered casually. "None of the guys know about it, I found it a few years ago."
"And none of the guys know about it?" I questioned, finding this a little too convenient.
He looked at me and then I saw a hint of hurt in his eyes. "You don't trust me do you?" He asked me.
"Well I don't know.." I said looking at him. "You and David seem really close."
It took Tom a moment to catch on to what I'm saying. "Wait, how do you know about…" I cut him off before he could finish.
"I'm not exactly cut off from you guys as much as you think. I can still hear what you say. You heard them say you're name." I pointed out to him.
He moaned and started pacing around the room. "You shouldn't know about David." He muttered.
"I shouldn't know about you either but…" I trailed off feeling confused, then it hit me. "This is a set up isn't it?"
Tom halted and looked at me, dumbfounded. "What?"
"This is all a set up." I said angrily, but soon fear washed over me, making the anger meaningless.
"Jude," He began, trying to pacify me, taking a step towards me.
I backed away from him, hoping I would find someway to escape. Stupidity got the best of me and I started to run upstairs. And yes by upstairs I mean upstairs to the door where there are three larger men are the other side.
I went to open the door but Tom's arms went around my waist and he violently pulled me down back to the bottom of the basement. I fell against the wall and cried out in pain.
He covered my mouth, to muffle my cries. "Are you an idiot?" He demanded. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Fuck you." I spat at him.
He stepped away from me and took out his anger to the nearest object, the sofa. "This isn't a setup Jude, Jesus just trust me."
"Trust you?" I started to laugh, hysterically. "Trust you, my kidnapper? Yeah okay I'll do that." I said sarcastically. I got up and noticed the side of my head was bleeding. I guess I fell against the wall pretty hard.
I saw Tom's face soften. "God, I'm sorry Jude." He said softly, tearing off a piece of his shirt and putting it against my head. I pulled away and snatched it from him. I put it against my head, refusing to let him help me.
"I thought we were past this." He said tensely.
"Past what?" I asked him.
"Past this whole not trusting each other." He said bluntly, gesturing to the wound on my head.
"Well sorry if I'm not entirely up to the guy who gave me this cut to touch me." I said stepping away from.
"What was I supposed to do Jude?" He demanded. "Just let you run out of here and get yourself killed?"
"And what this whole scheme of a plan that has a cabin that just happens to be conveniently close to here that conveniently none of the guys know about isn't a way to get me killed?" I asked furiously.
"Goddammit Jude if I wanted to kill you I would of by now." He said taking a step towards me.
"That's so reassuring." I said keeping my ground.
"Jude, if you don't trust me then fine." He said looking at me. "But like you said what do you have to loose? If you are so sure that you are going to die here and you are so sure you are going to die where I am taking you then why not take a chance?" He asked me. "I know you know that there is a chance I'm an okay guy so just forget about your stubbornness and leave with me now."
I looked at him and then looked away. "I'm trusting you." I said softly.
I heard him sigh in relief. "I know." He said quietly.
"Don't make me regret this." I said looking up at him.
"Don't make me regret this either." He said quietly.
"So we just… leave?" I questioned, finding this highly doubtful.
"Kind of." He said walking towards the bathroom. I followed him. I watched him as he lifted a tile. The tile had blended in so perfectly before that I barely noticed that it was leveled a little higher then the rest. I saw a ladder and looked at Tom.
"You see," He began, seeing the look of confusion in my face. "One day the police are going to find out about this place. So the guys had this sort of secret basement below a basement built. Food and everything is down here and a way to get out." He said and smiled at me.
I smiled back. "So along with an escape, we have food." I said unsurely.
"Exactly." He said and started going down the ladder. I stood still and I heard Tom stop.
"It's not scary, don't worry."
I timidly went on the ladder and slowly went down. When I was near the bottom I felt Tom's hand on my waist and within a matter of second my feet were on the bottom. He was already grabbing food and I took in my surroundings. The place was narrow and it seemed like it went on for miles. It was dimly lit and everything seemed to be different shades of brown.
"How long will it take to get out of here?" I asked him.
"Just a few minutes." Tom said grabbing his last bit of food. "It's not as long as you think." He said reading my mind. "Come on." He said motioning me to follow him. "This'll last for a few weeks." He said gesturing to the food.
"A few weeks?" I questioned. "How long are we going to have to hide out?" I asked him.
"As long as we have to." He answered simply.
A heavy silence filled the air but within a matter of minutes we were greeted by a door. Tom opened the door carefully and there was another ladder.
"Great." I muttered.
He either didn't hear me or decided to ignore me. "I'll go first, to make sure no one is nearby."
I followed him up the ladder and in about a minute we were out. Tom grabbed my hand and pulled me out and into a forest. The ladder was covered by leaves that had been stringed together and from a moments glance you wouldn't even notice it.
Tom grabbed my hand and before I could object he led me through the forest. We didn't talk the whole time, I just studied my surroundings hoping somehow, if I had to escape, I would know how to.
"Don't bother." Tom said reading my mind. "It took me years to figure this place out."
I didn't say anything. I watched as a cabin soon came into eyesight. Tom cautiously looked in the cabin and when he saw it was vacant he opened the door and led me in. It was colder in the cabin then outside and I involuntarily began to shiver. Tom noticed and he grabbed the last piece of fire wood and put it in the fireplace. He took out a match and within a few second the room filled with warmth.
"I'll get more fire wood later tonight." He said softly sitting down on a sofa. I looked around the cabin and noticed how small it was. There was a kitchen which consisted of a refrigerator, counter and stove. There was a small couch in front of the fireplace and a bed to the far right. I saw another door which I assumed led to the bathroom. It was small like I said but cozy. I leaned against the wall and sighed. I was tired.
"What time is it?" I asked him.
"Just past midnight." He answered getting up. "Are you hungry?" He asked me.
I shook my head no. "Just tired."
"You should go to sleep then." He said quietly.
I shook my head no, again.
"You're very hard to please." He observed a smiling beginning to form.
"Sorry." I said with a weak laugh. "I'm really fine. You've done a lot for me already, you don't have to worry."
"Okay." He said quietly. He took a step towards me and then I began to notice how close he was to me. My chest was barely grazing his.
"How do you know David?" I asked him.
Half of me expected him to step away and make an excuse not to answer. I was wrong. "He's my brother." He answered.
I tilted my head to the side, surprised.
"Well sort of." He said looking at me. "My mom married his dad when I was three and when he was six." He explained. "They're divorced now but we grew up together." Tom said with a shrug. "He got involved in some things, things that lead to now." He explained. "He tried to keep me away, he didn't want me to be apart of this…" He trailed off. "Of this life." He finally finished. "He was my older brother and I wanted to be just like him, so I didn't listen." He sighed. "David isn't a bad guy, he really isn't." Tom said wanting to make me understand. "He just doesn't get involved in work the way I do."
I looked at Tom and finally nodded. "I can tell he's not." I said softly. "The Chief, David," I said with a laugh. "He's about his business and not about the pain like the others. He's not a bad person, just in a bad position."
"Yeah." Tom agreed, looking depressed. "I wish I was more like him." He said looking at him. "You know was just about work. Didn't get emotionally involved."
I looked at Tom trying to catch his eyes. "I'm glad you're not like him." I said softly.
Tom looked at me when I said that. I met his eyes and saw something I hadn't seen before. Pain and longing. He took a step closer to me, causing me to fall against the wall. His right hand gently went up my side, then along my arm and softly caressed my cheek, causing me to hold my breath. He leaned in and slowly his face came closer to mine. His lips were scarcely an inch away from mine when I turned my face to the side. His lips were barely brushing my cheek when I began to speak.
"You should go." I said weakly. He didn't pull away he just let out an agitated sigh, I felt his warm breath against my skin causing me to shiver.
"Jude." He began quietly; I felt his lips move against my cheek.
I cut him off. "The fire is dying out." I said noticing the fireplace loosing its light while the room gradually lost its warmth.
Tom moved back a little bit and looked at the fireplace and then at me. "You should go to sleep Jude," He said looking at me, the pain and longing in his eyes intensifying. "It's been a long night." Then he left.
