THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, BUSINESSES, PLACES, EVENTS, LOCALES AND INCIDENTS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF THE AUTHOR’S IMAGINATION. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, OR ACTUAL EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
chapter 10 : EUPHORIA
The silence weighed down upon them. Each second felt like an hour.
When the sun shone brightly next morning, Sasha urged Evelyn to eat, gather her strength. They had to rescue Mia which involved dealing with the unknown and facing danger. They had to be prepared. Evelyn nodded her head and ate the food served by Sasha mechanically.
Evelyn felt empty, drained, devoid of feelings. It didn’t matter if her eyes were open or closed. Every time she blinked; she could envision Mia in shackles. It felt as if someone had clasped her heart, gradually tightening the grasp. The pain was unbearable, it was stifling, she had to survive another day, wait for that wretched phone call. What if it never came? What if the child traffickers left with Mia and didn’t bother calling Carter to pay him? What if the person who came to meet Carter didn’t bring Mia along? There were so many possibilities. There were numerous possible outcomes. How could Sasha be so sure of their success? What if they failed? What if…. What if she never got to see Mia again? Evelyn’s head was getting heavier with thoughts.
She kept checking Carter’s phone who had gotten difficult to manage. He screamed, urged, whined, begged to be set free. He gagged through the sellotape. He even tried to strike a deal with Cleo who had already sided with Evelyn. Sasha tried her best to keep Evelyn calm. She kept warning Carter to shut up lest James’s condition would worsen.
Amidst all the commotion, Carter’s phone rang. Three of them exchanged anxious glances.
The phone screen displayed a call from a private number. Evelyn stripped Carter’s sellotape, Sasha pointed a gun to his head, they kept the phone on speaker. As Sasha threw a cursory warning glance at Carter, he gulped, nodded his head, indicating he was ready.
“Hey dude.” Said the person on the other side of the phone.
“Hello.” Replied Carter meekly.
“Who am I speaking to?”
“This is Carter.”
“Do you have a password?”
“Yeah…Yeah…It’s….. ummm…Roses are red.”
“Okay that’s right. So, hey man, listen, can you come down to the Mackinara Storage at 4pm? It doesn’t show up in the GPS or maps so listen carefully while I give you the driving instructions. I won’t repeat it a second time. Drive along the Otter Trail lake and take a right when it ends. At the end of the road there is a deserted store house. Leave your car there and start walking. The gate should be open, walk to the very end of the chain of storages on the second row-B. Be there at sharp 4, don’t be late and come alone. Any smart moves and you lose your life as well as the money. Am I clear?”
The call was disconnected. Evelyn and Sasha exchanged looks of worry. Carter simply stared into the distance, seeming lost in contemplation.
They left for the destination in the afternoon. Carter was threatened repeatedly by Sasha to cooperate. If he so much as thought of running away or fooling Sasha or Evelyn, they were going to slaughter James without a second’s thought. Sasha called two of her friends and conveyed them the location, timings and divulged the details of their plan. She requested them to be discreet. Carter mumbled that it wasn’t a good idea to involve unknown people. Evelyn ordered him to shut up.
They tied Carter’s hands, put him on the back seat of the car. Sasha drove while Evelyn prayed nonstop.
They reached the location around 3:45pm. Sasha and Evelyn untied Carter’s hands, nudged him to walk. Sasha reminded him that James’s life hinged on him. Carter nodded and walked to the instructed storage unit. They followed behind as quietly as possible. Sasha kept looking around for her friends or any enemies that might be lurking in the shadows but she found none.
The storage unit in the end of Row B had its shutter half open. Carter bent to get under it and walked right in. Sasha and Evelyn kept an eye on him from a bit far off. They couldn’t see or hear anything from their secluded spot. After waiting for a while, they tiptoed to the place. They could hear muffled voices coming from inside.
“Do you think Mia is in there?”, Evelyn whispered.
“I am not sure I can’t say anything.” Sasha replied.
“Do you think your friends will be here anytime soon? If there is more than one person inside, we definitely need help.” Evelyn said.
“They should be here soon, unless they are lost or didn’t understand the directions properly.” Sasha replied with a frown. Evelyn was about to say something when she felt something hot and pointy rest on her head.
“I see you women, snitching on us. Let me take you inside which will give you a better vantage point. Stay shut and walk.” Said a man, holding a gun against Evelyn’s head. Petrified Sasha, holding her scream, mustered enough courage to comply with the man. He blindfolded both of them, tied their hands, lifted them up, pushed them to walk with his gun. He retrieved Sasha’s gun from her bag and pocketed it much to Sasha’s dismay.
Sasha prayed that her friends weren’t lost and arrived as soon as possible. Evelyn hoped and prayed that if she were going to die, she must see Mia one last time.
They climbed steps blindfolded which took them underground. Sasha begged to be off the blindfold unless she fell walking blind and with no hand support as well, the man didn’t heed her words and ordered to continue walking.
After what seemed a while, they reached a place where they could hear water running in the distance and voices echoing. It felt like an underground space below a sewage as the air around them was chilly.
“Hey Boss. Look what I found. This guy thought he could outsmart us by bringing company. Oh man, you could have done better than bringing two ladies with you. What did you think, they were going to save you in case of danger or something?” guffawed the man behind them.
“Are you sure they are with him and not cops or detectives or something?” said a deep seated voice from a little far off.
The voice sent shivers down Sasha’s spine. She had this unshakable feeling that she had heard this voice before. She tried to pin down the voice to a face that she had known. It was a little difficult to recollect as she had had one too many men in her life.
“Yes Boss. Am absolutely sure that they were with him. There isn’t any other car in the vicinity. I double checked before bringing them here.”
“Okay. Finders Keepers. Do what you wish.” Said the voice again.
“Really??? Oh thank you boss, your generosity is unparalleled!” squealed the man behind them in delight. His tone reeked of foul intentions.
Eureka! Right then recollection dawned on Sasha. She remembered the voice. She sprang like a lightening and screamed with all her might, jumping and hopping at the same time.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s you! It’s definitely you! I’m sure of it!”
“Joey, make her quiet, right now!” screamed the voice.
Bang. The gun struck Sasha’s head, disturbing her balance, making her land on the ground with a thud.
As a consequence, her blindfold fell off as blood oozed off from the back of her head. She shuddered and shrieked in pain.
Evelyn gasped in horror and Carter’s eyes widened in fear.
“Oh, I asked you to handle the situation instead of complicating it. When are you guys going to learn? Watch and learn, okay?” Saying so he walked up to Sasha, pointed his gun and aimed.
“This is how you aim from a point-blank range and shoot.” saying so he pulled his trigger and looked at the woman on the floor, blood encircling her head like a halo.
His eyes widened with shock as the resemblance struck him. It was Sasha, the girl who he had come across at so many homeless shelters, who was kind enough to have had shared her bunker with him on wintry nights, while she gladly slept on the floor; fed him from her share of food which wasn’t even enough for one. She was that girl who he had loved like people loved their siblings. He always wondered if Sasha had been her long lost soul sister from some other life. They had made promises to look out for each other when they made it big in life. It had been so many years since he hadn’t seen her or met her. It seemed like ages ago they had been harmless kids – aimless teenagers arguing over the shortest route to fame and money. Yes, it was her. The same oval eyes, that wheatish complexion, that unruly curled black hair, that gash on her forehead. As the realization dawned upon him, he was shaken out of his stupor with her whimpers. She seemed to be in a lot of pain.
“Quick Joey, get that first aid box from the shelf of the cupboard. Fast!” screamed Richard at the top of his lungs.
Joey was startled at Richard’s behavior but knew better to shut his mouth and do as instructed.
Richard patted Sasha’s cheeks while his eyes were filled with tears “Hey Sasha. Wake up. This is me, Richard. Do you remember me love? Do you think you can open your eyes for me. I’m so sorry to put you through this ordeal. If you say the word, I can kill that bastard Joey right here and right now.” Joey who had rushed back to the spot with the box, froze.
Sasha opened her eyes and smile meekly.
“How can I ever forget you bro? I have looked for you all over the world. I have tried locating you for so long yet I could never succeed. I’m so glad to have found you here of all places.” Sasha winced in pain. Richard retrieved the ice pack from the box and placed it against her wound. He retrieved some gauge cloth and ointment. While dressing her wound, he instructed Joey to open Evelyn’s blindfolds.
Once Sasha’s blood flow stopped, she perched holding the wall behind her for extra support, Richard said “Tell me what are you doing here? Who is this man that you are following and what for?”
Sasha explained everything, breaking to take sips of water from the bottle Richard handed her. Her eyes skimmed the room for Mia. She didn’t find her, continued with her story, ending the story with the present moment. Richard nodded his head in understanding.
“Say no more, so you risked your life for a girl who isn’t even your own daughter? That’s so you sis! You have been the kindest and warmest person that I have known in my entire life. If the world exhibited even an ounce of your kindness, then we all would be so much better off.” Richard wiped a tear with the back of his hand.
“Is she here?” Sasha whispered.
Richard nodded with a smile. He gestured to a female in the back. She went inside a room and came back with a toddler in her arms who was fast asleep suckling a lollypop and clutching a shabby brown teddy bear.
Evelyn let out a scream of delight while Sasha’s eyes were flooded with tears.
She still has Darcy with her, the teddy bear I bought her at Goodwill store, she noticed with delight.
Sasha took Richard’s hands in hers and said “Can we take her with us? Please.”
Richard looked at her. He smiled. He replied “Only in one condition.”
Evelyn turned towards them with Mia fast asleep on her shoulders. Her face was strewn with worry. Sasha was surprised to see the same worried expression on Carter’s face as well.
“Yes. Anything you want. When I say, it means any-damn-thing. You name it and its’ yours.”
“Well in that case, two actually. One, you keep in touch with me from now on and second, help me bail out of this hell and turn into a human like you.” Sasha could hear remorse in his voice. She nodded and hugged him with all her might. Richard hugged him back while they both wept for a really long time. Reunions, like these, were a wonderful thing.
Joey whimpered in the back, “Boss, you know the bigger fishes aren’t going to let us off the hook so easily. There’s a lot of money riding in this. Running away from this is extremely risky. They are going to come for you and me and when they find us, it won’t be pretty.”
“Who said I was planning to run? I shall turn myself in to the cops and divulge all the details about everyone involved. The cops will get to them before they get to me. You are young, I suggest you take the money bag and start over. This isn’t a good life Joey. Let go of it.”
Joey nodded his head, smiled in gratitude, grabbed the heavy bag, off he ran without a second’s delay.
Evelyn was absolutely thrilled to be reunited with Mia, her daughter who she had always been sure of being alive and safe. Sasha was on cloud nine to have Nancy back in her life and be reunited with her long-lost brother, who wasn’t her own blood but had always meant more than that. Her joy knew no bounds when Richard promised to turn himself in and divulge all the details of the kids, he had ever dealt in. She vowed to provide him the best possible lawyer so that his punishment was reduced to the possible extent. He had replied that it was about time that he paid for his sins.
Carter had been shocked and surprised with the unfolding drama. A part of him had wanted to set Mia free while another part pined for James. Sasha kept her word and took him to James. It wasn’t exactly a happy ending for them as James had been furious with Carter for losing the money. He had charged on Sasha as soon as she had taken off her guy on him. In response, Richard had punched him in the face and threatened to kill him if he was to ever so as to place a finger on her. Richard had gone to the extent of divulging all his illegal businesses and contacts, keeping aside his decision to turn himself in, discreet. It had worked. James had walked away leaving Carter heartbroken, sore and lonely. Carter’s requests to Evelyn to accept him back had fallen on deaf ears. Evelyn had instructed him to stay away from her and Mia’s life if he didn’t want to land in jail.
After a lot of pining, hankering, mourning; he had walked away. When Sasha asked Evelyn the reason behind letting him go instead of teaching him a lesson or handing him to the cops, she had replied “But he did lose everything in the end- family, love, money. What better lesson do you think the cops or I could possibly teach him? He got his doing and learnt his lesson, I’m satisfied with that.”
Mia had woken up from her slumber, pounced on Sasha, smothered her in sloppy wet kisses and stared at Evelyn for a really long time. Evelyn knew Mia needed time to remember her mommy. She was sure Mia would come around. A mother and daughter’s connection was too strong to be weakened with time or distance. On their way back, Evelyn made a quick stop at Walmart and purchased the very same car seat Mia had before the accident. As she strapped Mia inside it, Mia traced her fingers along the characters etched on the carseat’s fabric. As memories came back wafting to her, her face lit up with a smile “Momma” she said while she clasped Evelyn’s fingers.
“Yes. I’m your Momma. I am your Momma, my dear sweet child.” Said Evelyn as she hugged Mia tightly promising herself never to let go and lose her baby ever again.
As Evelyn basked in her moment of triumph, reveled in happiness, thanked the universe for leading her to this very moment; there wasn’t a dry eye in the car.
Dear Reader,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for staying with me from the start until the finish. Without your support, I am not sure I could have done this – wrote an entire story around a singular vision. The idea for this story generated as a dream back in Nov 2018. The dream was a conversation between an ailing mother and a Godman (chapter 6 – Godly) which converted into a Novella of 24000 words, 10 chapters – Impetus Of Faith. As a writer or weaver of words, the only support and motivation one has is the feedback from readers, which I have been fortunate to find in plenty. Thank you for your time and patience. Keep reading. Keep smiling and stay blessed!
Love,
Storyteller
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Wow! This continues to be a gripping tale with so many twists, turns, and reveals. I like how many of the characters have shades of grey to them. The transformation of my perception of Evelyn from the beginning to the end is testament to your story telling ability. Btw.. .was this the end of the story? Or is more to come?
Great job!
Roger
Thanks a lot Roger for reading and the thoughtful comment. Yes, this was the end of the story & kindly accept my apologies for the late response. I look forward to your support in the future posts 🙂
I would love to write a book one day! Any tips for staying productive and motivated?
Wow what an end! Your writing is extremely engaging! Looking forward to the next series.
Even though there were some cliches in your story and that took a bit away from the pleasure of reading, you’re definitely a storyteller! Focus on character work in your next projects, that will take it to the next level.
Thank you for sharing this. I read all parts today 😀
This was intense! Good job!
Your writing is beautiful.I look forward to your writing.
Wow! I am excited to read more
Great chapter. I need to go back and read rhe rest
Ending is really good. Fitting end to the story !! waiting for many more…
wow.
you are made to be a writer.
Best things comes those who waits..and thanks again for making it an awesome wait.
Brilliant ans marvellous writing friend ..keep writing and keep amusing
The way u r writing soon those fingers are going to be upgraded from magics to wizardry..and after that your pen and paper will take care ..😉
glued to every chapter from beginning to end. this was also no exception Love to be seated on the edge gasping what next. Consistency of the Writer is the best part
Thank you writing this… keep it up!
Thanks a lot for reading!!! 🙂
There wasn’t a dry eye in the car…..hehe…loved it
Thank you dear friend for your support 🙂