Find you IV

Addy whimpered, sobbed.

"Can somebody shut that brat up," it roared from the driver's seat.

My body trembled suddenly. Panic. Horror fell upon me. Would they kill him? Just because he was with me. In the wrong place at the wrong time. Just because he was meaningless. Just because of me. Because I ran away.

"No!" I shouted. The words were nothing more than a rumble. Angry. Angry. Frightened. I pressed Adrien's trembling head closer to my chest. Tried to cover it with my body. They weren't allowed to rip him from my arms. They mustn't take him away from me. I couldn't survive that. It would be too cruel!

So I whispered softly. "I'll protect you," so faintly that only he could hear me. I wanted to say so much more. But this was the only thing that really mattered. Oh, God, Addy, I'm so sorry. Elodie! I didn't mean for this to happen!

"How touching!" mocked our former neighbour. No, the traitor. The man who was sent after me. How long... how long have they known I was hiding here? That I was feeling safe. Dare to breathe and to forget. Even if it was just for a moment. I was so stupid. So stupid!

I forced my legs to move, very slowly, creeping, away from the gun barrel.

There was the door. Blocked by a guard. Probably locked. They wouldn't make such reckless mistakes. They were specially trained for this kind of job. Specialized at keeping things smooth. That's what they were paid for... no attention, no witnesses. But who had paid them?

There were only two. Two who were after my head... no, my inheritance.

"Come on, stand up, honey." Mr. 22 lifted his hand to help me up. His face trying to be gentle. Son of a bitch! A gun barrel was still sticking at my temple. I refused. And my heart pounded against my chest like an air hammer, raging and hard.

Mr. 22 gave his partner the signal with a trivial gesture. My head was not yet worth the lead. Growling, his partner returned the gun to his leather jacket, frowning at the sight of me.

"So!" Mr. 22 smiled, a charming, gentlemanly smile, and this time he offered his hand in a more demanding way. I wanted to slam it away. It was disgusting. But this wasn't all about my life...

The car made a sharp turn, I lost my balance, slamming against the ground with my shoulder, and my temple crashed on metal floor. A hollow sound. I gasped for air. A throb. A burning. A sting. Pain flooded my thoughts. Black spots were burning before my eyes.

Immediately a hand was on my collar, pulling me up again. My head was throbbing, spinning. My shoulder was sore. I almost cried. Bite my lip to suppress the bitterness. A groan escaped me. My arms felt heavy. I held Adrien. Safe? He was very calm, but his whole body was shaking violently. He clung to me, burying his head in the hollow between my head and neck, his tiny hands clinging to the fabric of my dress. He was frozen. I pressed him closer, gently rubbing his back and kissing his hair. Somehow... somehow I had to get him out of here! I owed him that much.

"I hope to do it in a nice and friendly way. You understand!", Mr. 22 growled close to my ear. His warm breath, right at the back of my neck and a subtle smell of musk and pine in my nose. Disgusting.

I nodded. More out of fear than obedience. Buried my nose immediately in Addy's hair, no longer forced to smell him, no longer able to feel him. A hard laugh close to my neck. Then a hand around my upper arm. A burning grip tore me to my feet. I pressed the toddler even closer against my body. Tried to hide him under me. I would never let him go. Never!

His grip would never let go of me either. Like iron his hand wrapped around my arm.

"You got to let Addy go," I begged.

"Let him go?" he mocked. "Yes, of course! The kid's coming along! Orders from above, honey."

Confused, I gazed at him. What was the meaning of that. "Adrien has nothing to do with this!" So why! I shook my head.

"Nothing to do with it?" he sighed out, annoyed.

"Look, I'm just following his orders. If it calms you down, I have orders to deliver you, all of you, without bruises. So take a seat. Take a seat. Don't let anything else happen."

I winced, looking at the black leather-covered seats in the back of the car. Just one row of four seats. A child's seat on top. How long had they been lurking around? Instantly my body began to tremble.

"Hurry up!"

I sank against the backrest, in the next second I fell aside. Again a sharp left turn. The car speeded up. Houses rushed past the dark windows. A hand around my arm, again, pulled me up, then pressed me against the cushion.

"Give me the little one!"

"No!" I hissed.

"Come on, be a good girl. Give me the baby."

"No!"

"You wouldn't want anything to happen with your baby." His smile was crooked, the grip around my arm was hard. "Give him to me. I just want to put him in his seat.

"I can do it myself!" My voice sounded surprisingly firm, considering that I was clearly at a disadvantage and fear was devouring me. Perhaps due to the fact that I only hissed between clenched teeth.

But his face was completely at peace. He didn't give a damn. He already had me where he wanted me. Trapped in a van on the way to his customer. He would get his payment soon.

"Fine, as the Principessa wishes." He'd point to the child seat next to me waving his hand. Reluctantly, I looked at it. What was I supposed to do?

Then I glanced at him. For seconds. Pushing myself harder into the cushion. Trying to figure out the expression on his face. It was only a mask, smooth as ice, what he hid behind it, nobody knew it except him. He was kind, simply because he was not supposed to damage us. But why Adrien too. Who was behind the mission?

I'd say Alexandre...

Maybe he was Addy's father, is that why he wanted him? But then why me, not Elodie?

He cleared his throat. "You sure you don't want me to help you?"

Carefully, I placed Addy on the seat. He wouldn't let go of me, whimpering as tears rolled down his cheeks. I kissed him on the forehead, his cheeks, smudged the tears with my fingers, tried to calm him down, somehow. I didn't succeed. How could I?

Again, Mr. 22 grabbed my shoulder, pressed me down against the backrest. My protest got stuck in my throat as a white cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth. A sweetish smell scratched the back of my throat. Chloroform!

I had to move. Addy! I had to get him out of here! A scream, piercing, getting louder, shrill. I lashed my arms around me. The pressure was getting stronger.

A sob. I tried to fight against it, twisting myself and trying to remove the cloth from my face. Someone held my arms as if they were tied with a screw clip. My cries faded. His face was right above me, hard and cold.

Addy! Addy! It was all I could think about. I wanted to look over, but my head was pressed into the cushion. My breath was getting flatter and flatter. Tiredness clouded me. Black dots began to dance before my eyes. My thoughts became viscous. My limbs grew heavy. The colours faded. Lights flashed, freezing before they went out.