Ashley

Today, the vermillion hues of the bright sun didn't blink through the light-shaded blinds.

I inhaled a column of air that seemed to be heavier and suffocating.

I dug my fingernails deeper into my palm's pink skin as I stared into my dark room.

The cold floor of the room didn't tickle my skin as I was sitting on the floor for hours.

I squeezed my eyes shut and felt a pair of hazel irises staring at me.

You remind me of her.

Rayna, my cousin sister. She sexually harassed me.

I tugged into my hair strands harshly, groaning, trying to wipe those words away. But, I couldn't.

I called him a misogynist.

I called him a criminal.

I didn't care for his side of the story. I just kept judging him. How could I do it?
How could I be that indifferent?

You were kept in confinement for eight long years.

So, that gives me a license to scratch other's wounds?

I wasn't like that. Was I? What have I become? Am I doing right? What shall I do now?

I pressed my back deeper against the wall and tried to recollect the number of times I hurt others.

I ought to be an activist and now, who am I? I ought to be a feminist then how I, myself criticized him wrongly?

My eyes spluttered open as I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up and found Hudson gazing at me with a smile dancing on his lips.

"Tea?" He asked, his voice soft, stretching his hand forward in which he held a warm cup of tea.

"Thank you," I managed to utter.

I held the cup tightly and took in the aroma of the beverage.

"I just came today from Italy. So, how are you?" He asked, sitting beside me on the floor.

"Um, I am okay," I added, my eyes trained on the black cup I was holding.

"But, your looks say otherwise. You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, this doesn't have to be awkward. I know there's something between you and Nate." He said, his blue eyes trained on me. There was a hint of hurt in his eyes which he rubbed off quickly.

See, you hurt him too.

"I'm sorry, Huds. I--"

"You don't have to be. I'm good as long as you're happy. Now, tell me what's bothering you?" He said, cutting me off, an easy smile spreading across his clean shaved face.

I smiled at him weakly. I realized how I tricked him too. My stomach churned and I took a long sip of the tea.

"I am conflicted, Huds. Should I leave or stay? I cannot stay, I know. I have to leave but will that day be today?"

I should leave this place. I should stay away from him. I have tricked these people enough. I need to leave before I destroy them entirely.

The thought of leaving brought an eerie feeling to settle in the pit of my stomach. The corner of my lips turned downwards. Do I not want to leave?

No. No. No. No.

I always knew this day will come but never thought I would feel this way when it will.

You gotta leave, girl. Your mommy is waiting.

"Do you want to? If yes, then you should. Nobody will wanna keep you against your will anymore."  His words brought me back to reality.

"Okay, I have a question for you," I asked, keeping the cup away.

"Shoot," he said, his hands resting on his knees.

"What do you do when you hurt someone in a place that's dark to them? A place that never healed, where his demons reside." I asked, looking into the blank space.

"Sometimes, it's better to leave when there's no hope, its useless to dream of water in a dry pond. Some scars never totally heal and if messed with, they aggravate the pain."

"I need to go out today, will you help me get out?" I asked him, this time looking straight into his eyes.

He nodded and I smiled.

Its time to bid my goodbyes.

           ******************

I was outside a pub which I was instructed as for the exact place as Nathaniel's office. I was hiding behind the parked cars, crouched so no one would notice me-- precisely him. 

An office inside a pub? Smart. 

I watched him walk into the pub. I followed him but keeping a fine distance. As I pushed the door and rushed inside, my senses overwhelmed with the loud music, the fetid odor of the number of bodies grinding especially teenagers.
A typical Saturday night.

I trotted past a dozen teens, my gaze focused on him. He stood out as he was wearing a dark grey suit, his hair styled back. I could only see his back.

Seeing him, brought a flood of memories back and I shook them away. Not now.

Few beads of precipitation broke out in my forehead, I grabbed a drink from a waiter's serving plate and gulped it down my parched throat and followed him further inside the pub. 

It was like a mysterious maze inside that pub that leads to another dimension.

From my peripheral vision, I could see exactly see his men standing at each corner in casual dresses, I recognized them as they all looked at him at the same time and nodded, it was really a minute detail but I caught it.

I had to figure out a way to get past them because there was no way in hell they'd let me follow him and considering their bulky bodies, I don't think I can break their finger even.

I adjusted my earpiece hidden underneath my open hair and tapped it on. 

I walked inside the bathroom to talk to my seniors of my corporation and they told me that the one in the orange shirt is one of our men. And they directed me on what to do next.

I held on the bar counter as I placed my palm on my head and slowly closed my eyes as if I am about to pass out when a man in an orange shirt reached out to hold me.

He steadied me and I felt him pushing a card into my jean's back pocket. I sat down on one of the bar stools and thanked him.

He nodded and left to mingle with the crowd and the other men focused their gaze on me till the time I walked out of the pub.

I swiftly made my way into the back of the pub and found a ladder leading to the first floor's window which was open. 

I put my right foot on it to check its stability and then placed my whole weight on it. I looked around to see if anyone was there but it was clean. 

The men guarding the outside were replaced by our men a few hours ago. Austin had already sent his men to help me perform my task without attracting much trouble. 

I held onto either side of the steel ladder and climbed on it cautiously. 

I crawled inside the window and squatted. Analyzing the tranquil surrounding the bathroom, I jumped inside. I gripped the room card from underneath my dress and walked out of the bathroom like I was here since the beginning. 

From what I saw, they had private pleasure rooms upstairs. Get drunk, loosen up, find someone interesting and hook up in one of these rooms. Nice.

I took the card out and saw the number 300 inscribed on it in bold golden letters. I pushed the card into the hole and the door clicked open. 

All along this only had been the plan, the dispositions already had been undertaken.

I wondered how they managed to get into their rival's territory and attack one of the major member's office. But again, they have been planning this for years. 

They confided in me because they wanted someone believable whom the CWT would not doubt and someone who is brave enough to undertake this task successfully.

The only source of light in the small room was the fluorescent tube light. There was a small bed in the center, a drawer to his right and white blinds covering the two windows.

I inspected the area by grazing my fingers through the marble tiles fitted into the walls. 

I tried opening the drawer but it was locked, I took a hairpin of out my hair and twisted it along the hole, it clicked open revealing a chip card.

This was going to hack the high-tech software of Nathaniel's office. I have been trained every single for the past several years just for this task.

The A-organization had been planning this for years, hence, they had developed the technology as well as tactics to steal that single file. 

Today was the day when the file will be finally here as it keeps revolving from one office to another for safe-keeping. It is the file of White Treaty. 

From the help of the betrayers in CWT, the A-organization was successful in doing this much. 

I straightened myself and waited for Nathaniel to leave. I glanced at my wristwatch which displayed 9 pm. 

There would be a blackout at sharp 9:15 pm when I would sneak into Room no. 301 and in exact 4 minutes 12 seconds, I would hack the system, get inside steal the file and leave. 

I took a deep breath, the pulse on my throat matching the clock speed. I can do this. I have to--for my family. A flash of hazel eyes boring into mine passed through my mind, I froze. 

I cannot be weak right now, he is better without me. It's been eight long years since I last saw my mom; it's time we meet again.