The Train Ride
It had happened again. Laura knew it as soon as she walked through the front door of her house. Everything was eerily silent and her parents were nowhere to be seen. She went into the kitchen and discovered the table and chairs had been overturned and scattered about the room. Moving more quickly now, Laura walked into the bedroom she shared with her little brother. A note had been stuck on her pillowcase. It was in her mother’s handwriting; “pick up Johnny and meet me at the Corner Café.” Laura crumpled the note in her hand and slipped it into her pocket. She whirled around the house, grabbing all the cash she could find and stuffing it into a backpack. She began walking at a brisk pace to the local elementary school.
She stormed into the after school program room, snatched Johnny’s hand, and dragged him towards the door. The young woman who was in charge of watching the children stood up and began to protest, but Laura swerved around her and kept walking. Keeping a firm grip on her brother’s hand, Laura continued down the sidewalk and eventually reached the Corner Café. She found her mother sitting on a barstool, head resting on the back wall of the small café. As soon as Laura reached her mother, all the energy that had been keeping her going since she had entered the house drained out of her. Her mother jerked awake and shakily put her arms around her children, her family.
Together they walked to the local train station, and Laura’s mother purchased one adult ticket and two children’s tickets. “Where are we going mommy?” Laura asked sleepily, rubbing her tired eyes.
“Far away,” her mother answered, and Laura left it at that.
Laura happily took the seat near the window on the train and immediately pressed her nose up against the Plexiglas to look outside. Laura’s mother kept Johnny in her lap, even though he was getting much too old for that. Eventually both Johnny and her mother fell asleep, and Laura turned from the window to study them. On her mother’s left shoulder, the one closest to her, there was a livid bruise that was just beginning to spread. Five finger marks could clearly be seen on her mother’s smooth skin. Laura frowned a bit at that sight, and then put her head down on the armrest in between the two seats and fell asleep.
When they reached their destination, her mother found a small motel and tucked her children into the bed. For weeks the small family traveled around, moving from motel to motel, using their meager supply of money on food. Eventually, Laura’s mother got a job working as a clerk in a grocery store. They rented a single room of an apartment from a local gardener who couldn’t afford the rent by himself. Both the gardener and their mother were gone all day long, so Laura and Johnny had to amuse themselves by wandering the local neighborhood. One morning Johnny wasn’t feeling very well, so Laura’s mom decided to stay home to care for him. She told Laura to watch him while she made some soup in the small kitchen. Laura was sitting with her brother in the corner of the room when she heard the door open. She figured the gardener was home early, so she disregarded it right away. Suddenly the sound of her mother’s scream pierced the air and the pot banged on the floor with a sickening sloshing sound. Laura jumped up and ran to the kitchen, her brother trailing behind her on weak legs.
Standing over their mother, in the middle of the tiny apartment kitchen, stood their father. He had a thick, black handgun gripped in his hand. He looked deliberately at the children, smiled, and then fired two rounds into their mother’s chest. Laura gasped and began sobbing, pushing Johnny behind her. Their father grinned at their frightened expressions and fired another quick shot into their mother’s forehead. “What were you thinking, trying to run away?” the hated voice floated through the air to Laura’s ears that were still ringing from the sound of the gunshots. He advanced on them, gun hand outstretched, pointed at them. Laura began edging around him, keeping Johnny behind her. “Honestly. You must have known I would find you.” Images of this evil man throwing her mother around flooded her vision. How could this have happened to her mother? Her sweet, loving mother?
Laura backed up until she could feel the silverware drawer touching her right arm. While her father continued to gloat about his kill, Laura silently slipped a large, sharp steak knife from its place in the drawer. “And now,” her father said, advancing on them, “it’s your turn.” He pointed the gun directly at Laura’s head. In one swift movement, she swiped the knife across the delicate tendons on her father’s wrist. He screamed in agony and collapsed on the ground, clutching his hand. The gun clattered to the floor. Police sirens could be heard outside. All Laura could see now was red. The red of her father’s blood and her mother’s blood mingling on the kitchen floor. The last thing she could remember before she lost consciousness was that their blood should never have mixed. Even if it meant she should never have existed.
The Orphanage
“So they have no living relatives?”
“None that we know of.”
Laura could hear adult voices through the haze of drug-induced sleep. It sounded as though they were discussing Johnny’s and her future.
“Unfortunately the only local orphanages are organized by gender. They never have very much space in the first place. They will have to be placed in separate facilities.”
Something about being separated? Was that what they were talking about? Laura was terrified. She tried to sit up, but found her limbs weighed too much, and her head was too heavy to lift. They can’t take Johnny away from me! She silently screamed, and began struggling. She felt a sharp pain in the crook of her arm and then she faded back into sleep.
When she awoke completely, she found herself propped up on a small, child-sized bed. A plump, harassed-looking woman sat on a bed opposite from her. Laura immediately began asking questions, “Where is Johnny? Where is my brother?” As the lady watched Laura with hardened eyes, Laura could feel herself growing angrier. She began shouting, “Where is my little brother?! What have you done with him!?!”
“He’s not here,” the lady answered simply, with no trace of sympathy in her voice.
“I know he’s not here, but where is he?” Laura asked again, enraged.
“That is none of your concern. He will be well taken care of.” The lady brushed aside all of Laura’s questions with a sweep of her hand. “You will be living here now. You are expected to be a well-behaved young woman. This orphanage is run completely off of donations, so you should be thankful.” Laura made a sound as if she were about to protest, but the lady continued on as if she couldn’t hear her. “You will be expected to go to school, make good grades, listen to your caretakers, do your chores, and learn to be a use to society.” The lady looked down at the watch on her wrist. “Dinner will be at six o’clock, sharp. Be there on time, or you don’t eat.” She stood up to leave. “You will receive a schedule tomorrow morning. You must complete all items on that list in a timely manner. Everybody here is expected to do their part.”
Laura sat up in her room, fuming. She began planning a way to escape this horrible place to find her brother. She thought of her father, and shivered. Had he died? Had he escaped? Did the police capture him? Where was her mother’s body? Would there be a funeral? The only things Laura knew about funerals were from movies, but she didn’t know much about the details of one.
She figured that she might as well get used to her surroundings and learn to take advantage of her new situation. At six she made sure she was down in the dining hall. The other girls had already formed into small groups of friends. They all looked at her suspiciously whenever they thought she wasn’t looking. She sat at a corner table, facing a wall. She endured the stares of the whole room, quickly ate her food, and then went upstairs to her room. She cried herself to sleep that night, thinking of her mother and her brother.
She obediently did her chores each day, but refused to go to school. The lady who ran the orphanage, Ms. Philips, Laura eventually learned was her name, would berate her for skipping out on school. She would often refuse to feed Laura if she found out that she had skipped out on school once again. Laura soon became so hungry that she forced herself to attend school. She would sit through her classes, but she refused to absorb the information given to her. Her homework remained undone. Seeing as no laws were being broken now that Laura was attending school, Ms. Philips left her to her own devices.
After a few months of living like this Ms. Philips came in to speak to her. Behind her trailed a small girl, about the same age as Laura. The girl’s dark, brown eyes were full of mischief and cunning. Laura glared at these intruders into her small space. “Alright Laura, this is our newest member. She will be sharing this room with you. You will teach her how we do things here, and you will get along.” And with that, Ms. Philips left the two girls alone.
Laura huffed and turned her back on this other girl. She had enjoyed the small semblance of privacy the cramped room had provided her, but now, even that was gone. “Well,” the other girl said slyly, “I already know your name.” When Laura didn’t answer, she went on, “well, anyway, I’m Jennifer.” Laura turned back around to face her. Jennifer’s hand was outstretched, as if to give a formal handshake. Laura tentatively reached her hand out to shake it, but right as she did so, Jennifer moved her hand to push her hair out of her eyes. She gave Laura and evil grin, finding pleasure in tricking her. Laura huffed again and went and sat on her bed. During dinner that night, the two of them sat together although they exchanged not a single word.
The Deal
As the weeks went on, Laura began to notice that Jennifer was never at the orphanage in her free time. Most of the girls either sat in their rooms talking or waited in the dining hall until the next meal was prepared. Although Laura never saw her do any of her homework, it was common knowledge that Jennifer got perfect grades and was the top of her class. Finally, Laura got fed up with her curiosity and decided to just follow her to find out for herself.
After school one day Laura began to follow behind Jennifer at what she figured was a safe distance. She kept walking, keeping her head down. Suddenly, when she checked to see where Jennifer was heading, she had disappeared. Surprised, Laura kept heading in the same direction she had already been going. She kept searching for a few blocks, but was unable to pick up Jennifer’s track. Disappointed, Laura headed back to the orphanage.
After returning to the orphanage, Laura climbed up the stairs to her room. When she opened the door, she discovered Jennifer, sitting cross-legged on the floor, with a large assortment of knives spread out around her. Jennifer turned and caught Laura’s eye. Laura quickly suppressed the admiring look that had spread over her face at the sight of such a superb array of knives. Jennifer smirked, and Laura knew she had not been quick enough to hide her emotions. Laura coughed, and said in an attempt at an airy tone, “Well, I guess I’ll finally be rid of you. All I have to do it report you to Ms. Philips and you’ll be kicked out for sure. Weapons aren’t allowed here.”
Jennifer seemed amused by this. She replied, “I’ll just pull you down with me. Who seems more trustworthy? The perfect student, or the girl who hardly ever shows up to class, let alone does her homework.”
Laura flinched. She knew Jennifer was right. It was also no secret that Ms. Philips disliked her.
“Not to mention,” Jennifer continued, “you were the one caught with the knife and your father’s blood on your hands. Nobody can deny your affinity for knives.”
Laura froze. “How the hell do you know about that?” she whispered venomously.
“Oh, I keep my ears open,” Jennifer said lightly. “It’s amazing what adults will say when they think children aren’t listening.”
Laura began shaking in fear and anger. “Okay, what do you want from me? It’s obvious I’m going to have to do something for you.”
Jennifer smirked again. “I would appreciate it if you would drop your curiosity about where I go after school. It’s better for both of us if I’m the only person here who knows.” Laura narrowed her eyes, but let Jennifer continue, “I would also like you to start doing your homework and pay attention in class. Like I said before, better students are under less scrutiny from higher-ups.”
Laura huffed, “there’s no way I’m-”
Jennifer held up a hand, “let me finish. Since we share a room, I would like you to be under less suspicion from teachers and orphanage staff. If they decide to search our room because of you, certain personal items of mine will be compromised. I don’t believe what I ask of you is that difficult.”
“Now wait just one second here-” Laura began to protest.
“Before you refuse,” Jennifer cut her off, “there’s something in it for you. If you can follow through with these requests, I can give you some of these knives. I honestly don’t have much use for them. I may be able to part with all of these fine knives if you could also help me with a couple other things.”
“You’ve caught my interest,” Laura said, eyeing the knives. “Exactly what sort of things do you need help with?”
Jennifer’s POV
As soon as Jennifer laid eyes on Laura, she knew that she would be useful. It was obvious that she held little trust in the establishment, so she would be unlikely to confide in those that could spoil Jennifer’s plans. Jennifer decided to test her, so she used the oldest trick in the book; the fake handshake. Laura easily fell for it. It was now apparent that she was more than gullible enough for Jennifer’s purposes.
Instead of enlisting her right away, Jennifer decided to scope out the orphanage and learn as much as she could about Laura. Going to the orphanage had not been in her plans, but she would have to make the best of it. It certainly made getting food and shelter more convenient than before. It was hard for a girl her age to live on the streets, but she had managed. The day she got sent to the orphanage she had been hanging out near a local deli when she was picked up by some police officers that had been snooping around. It had been nearing midnight when they saw her. They pulled over and asked her why a little girl like her wasn’t at home. Before they could even get close to her she ducked into a nearby alley and started running. The policemen, in the mood for some excitement, got out of their cruiser and gave chase on foot. Jennifer might be fast, but she wasn’t fast enough to outrun two inner city officers.
One of the officers grabbed her by the back of her shirt and picked her up. Fear coursed through Jennifer as memories of her previous encounters with police flooded her mind. “We asked you a question you little brat,” the officer holding her up snarled.
The other continued, panting heavily, “where’s your house? We’ll give you a lift home.”
Jennifer knew if she revealed that she was living on the streets that she would be done for. She tightened her lips and began struggling violently. The second officer grabbed both of her arms in one of his meaty hands. “Ya know what?” the second officer drawled, “I think I’ve seen this one around before. She’s the one Sherman caught hiding out in that abandoned lot last month.”
“Ah, I think you may be right,” the first agreed. “Welp, we’d better take her to the station. They’ll find a nice place for her.”
The two officers dragged her down to the police station and then all the way to one of the many broken down city orphanages. Jennifer looked up at the faded brick face of the small, dirty orphanage. An angry, heavyset woman met them at the door. The officer finally released his tight grip on her upper arm, and Jennifer sprang away from him, rubbing her arm. The woman led her with a firm grip on her shoulder into the bowels of the building. She was taken upstairs to her new room, where she met Laura.
The day Laura attempted to follow her, she had been planning to visit the place where she had been taught how to navigate the streets. It was a small building in the bad part of town, frequented by those that put little stock in the law. It was mostly used for underground poker games. Drugs and whores and shady transactions were also a common sight. Jennifer had stumbled upon this place by total accident. She had been wandering the streets, searching for a good alley to spend the night. It was a particularly cold night, and when it began to rain, Jennifer knew she had to find some sort of shelter. She ducked under the overhang that loomed over the door of that very building. In the morning when the door was opened, she was found, passed out on the doorstep. Not knowing what else to do, they dragged her inside and left her lying there.
When she came to it was well into the night and the poker game was in full swing. Curious, she wandered over to the table. None of the people paid her any mind. Eventually a scantily dressed woman brought her a small piece of bread, which she gratefully took and began to nibble on. She remained in the building for weeks, always managing to get some sort of scraps out of the poker players or their whores who took pity on her. Each night she watched the poker games. Soon she had a thorough understanding of the game and they began to let her sit at the table in order to watch better.
One night she shyly asked one of the players if she could join in. Everybody at the table laughed, but the man she had asked gave her one chip to play with. With that single chip, she held her own. Soon they began to realize that she had some basic skills at the game. At the end of the game, they even allowed her to cash in her chips, thinking it amusing that such a small child could make money at poker. This soon became a habit of hers. Each night, she made more money. She kept it in a large pouch under her shirt. She could now afford her own food and never had to worry about going hungry. She became a sort of mascot for the criminals that gathered in that building.
The man who had given her that original poker chip took a liking to her. He taught her everything she needed to know to survive on the streets. He even showed her how to properly shoot a gun, just in case she ever needed to defend herself. She turned out to be quite a good shot.
Even after she was placed in the orphanage and forced to go to school, she continued to come back to play poker. She hid her earnings inside her mattress. Each year for her birthday, those at the poker table thought it was funny to get her some sort of present. They usually bought her knives, so eventually she amassed a large collection. These she also began stashing in her mattress.
Eventually she had enough savings to purchase a small handgun. This she kept in her pillowcase. She continued to maintain good grades to keep from suspicion.
~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Birthday
It has been about seven years. Jennifer has been giving Laura progressively more and more jobs. Laura has been keeping her grades up, as requested. Although she and Jennifer have plenty of money saved up, she still worries about her future. Soon, she will be eighteen years old. The orphanage will legally be able to kick her out. She has no idea where she will live. Luckily, Jennifer still has a couple months before she has to move out.
One day, as Laura’s birthday drew ever closer, Jennifer was busy counting their savings. After she was done, she turned to Laura, “I have a job for you.”
Laura looked up from the book she was reading, “hmm?”
“I need you to use this money to get us a car. I don’t care how. Use your fake ID or something.”
Laura shrugged her shoulders, “okay, whatever you want.”
Jennifer turned away with a grim expression on her face. It was finally time.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few weeks before this, Jennifer had paid a visit to her old stomping grounds. Over the years she began going to the poker games less and less. For the most part, she only went to see her old mentor and friend, Charles. She owed her present fortune to him. If it wasn’t for his simple charity of one poker chip, she would still be a broke beggar, wandering the streets.
So, that night, she decided she’d pay him another visit. As she went in through the front door of the poker building, she could hear the sounds of raised voices in the room adjacent. She stood outside the doorway and listened in on the conversation. “That little bitch is getting rather old. About time she got a WOMAN’S job if you know what I mean,” one harsh voice cut across the rest and was completed with a nasty laugh.
A few other men joined in his laughter. “I’m sure she’d fetch a fair price, don’t you agree Charles?” More laughter rang out. Jennifer’s eyes widened in horror. They were talking about her!
“You fucking bastards.” Although quiet and calm, Charles’ voice pierced through all other men’s laughter. “Don’t you dare touch her. She’s better than all of you put together.”
“Oh, is THAT what you think of us now?” More laughter.
“Yes.”
Before Jennifer could react to what she had just heard, two shots rang out. She flinched and cringed into the wall. Peeking carefully around the doorframe, she saw what she had been most dreading. Charles lay on the floor, blood seeping out of two bullet holes in his chest.
She pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling whatever sound was trying to escape her throat. She stumbled backwards, turned unsteadily, and ran out the door. She caught the city bus back to the orphanage. All the while her mind was consumed by thought of betrayal and revenge. A plan slowly began to form in her mind. It would work, but only if she could get Laura to play along.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer looked up as Laura retuned from her trip to a local car dealership. It was a sketchy place, but it had allowed Laura to buy a car hassle free. The only problem was she had been forced to use her name.
Laura tossed the car keys to Jennifer, who caught them with a deft movement. “Alright, back to my book,” Laura yawned as she headed toward her bed.
“Wait,” Jennifer stopped her.
“What?”
“I need some help with a very important job tonight. Are you in?”
Laura shrugged, “Sure. What is it?”
Jennifer gave her a serious look, “All you need to know is: when the time is right, run.”
~~~~~~~~~~
It was dusk now. Laura drove their new car cautiously, following Jennifer’s directions. Jennifer had her park outside a large warehouse. They then walked to each of the cars parked in the area and slashed their tires thoroughly, only leaving their own car plus one other unharmed. With this part complete, Jennifer strode confidently up to the door and pushed it open. Laura followed behind her, obviously unsettled by her bleak surroundings.
Once inside, Jennifer was greeted as an old friend. Not a single person made any sort of excuse for Charles’ absence, and Jennifer didn’t ask for one. She sat down in her usual seat and joined the game. She introduced Laura as a friend that wanted to learn the game, and asked that they allow her to sit at the table and observe.
As the game progressed, Laura received and hid the money Jennifer was stealing from her neighbor’s pockets. As the game drew to a close, the men began cashing in their chips. The man next to Jennifer suddenly started up from his chair, in a rage. “Who the fuck took my money?”
All eyes were immediately turned to Laura. The newcomer. The outsider. She stammered and backed up, “uh…I-I……don’t know what you’re talking about…” She found herself pressed into a corner, surrounded by angry criminals.
Jennifer, her eyes filled with anger pushed through the crowd, jostling them aside. She pointed a finger at Laura and growled at her, “I trusted you enough to bring you here, and you take advantage of that?!” Laura sidled along the wall, inching her way towards the door. Eventually, a slight gap appeared between two men, and Laura took advantage of it.
She pulled out the knife she had sheathed in her left pocket and streaked through the opening in the crowd. Swiping with her weapon, she managed to pass by a startled whore standing in the doorway without being stopped.
She dashed out the front door and towards the car. Jennifer followed closely behind and shouted back at the men, “This is my fault, I’ll get her!” As Laura’s car squealed around the corner of the street, Jennifer hopped into the front seat of the only remaining car with working tires. As she knew they would be, the keys were still in the ignition. She revved the engine once before peeling out into the street and after Laura.
~~~~~~~~~~
Laura’s breath was ragged as she drove towards the docks. She knew Jennifer would be following close behind. Although she had been expecting the anger and the violence of the poker players, it had still terrified her out of her wits. Jennifer had also played her part too well, in Laura’s opinion.
Upon reaching the docks, Laura put the car in park. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to regain her senses. Soon after, Jennifer rapped on the window, startling her up and out of the car. As she looked around her, Laura shivered. The icy breeze wafting off the ocean was enough to go right through her clothes and freeze her to the core. Huge warehouses loomed out of the misty darkness, and piles of rope lay abandoned, scattered across the wooden dock.
Jennifer and Laura quickly made their way into the nearest warehouse, its front door wide open. “Now, we wait.” Laura nodded in acknowledgment. Jennifer knew that it would only take the poker players a few more minutes to order some working cars to transport them. She also knew that the car she had stolen from them had a GPS tracking system installed in it, so that its owner could track it wherever it went. They would follow them to the docks, and there they would pay for what they had done.
Minutes later, the sound of screeching tires rents the air. Car doors slam, and angry voices can be heard. Footsteps approach, and three silhouettes can be seen at the warehouse entrance. As their eyes adjust, they spot Laura. They pull out their guns and open fire.
Acting quickly, Jennifer grabs the back of Laura’s jacket and pushes her to the floor, then pulls out her handgun and takes out two of the three men. The third man is more cautious and decides to take cover behind some crates. He and Jennifer exchange fire as Laura, terrified, crawls off behind some stacked barrels, nursing a bloody nose.
As the third man ducks back behind his cover to reload his gun, Jennifer rushes forward to meet him at close range. Although surprised, the man still manages to knock Jennifer’s gun out of her hands. They struggle with each other for a moment before Jennifer manages to set the man off-balance and shove him to the floor. Taking possession of his gun, she puts her foot on his chest and points the gun at his head.
Her voice, cold with fury fills the warehouse, “Who killed Charles?”
The man simply laughed and ignored her question.
“WHO KILLED HIM!?” She presses the gun to his forehead.
With a self-satisfied smirk, the man replies, “I did.”
~~~~~~~~~~
As Laura, dazed, looks up to see what has become of Jennifer, she sees her raise her gun and shoot a man in the head. As his blood spills onto the pavement, images of her mother and father and blood and guns fill her mind. She collapses back against the ground and curls up into a ball.
Laura can hear quick footsteps approaching. She squeezes her eyes shut and hugs her legs to her chest. As Jennifer reaches where Laura is crouching, she turns around quickly to check for more enemies. Satisfied that there were no more, she again grabs the back of Laura’s jacket and pulls her up onto her feet. After swaying for a second, Laura shakes her head. As her eyes regain their focus, they immediately lock onto the gun in Jennifer’s hand. She begins shaking uncontrollably and backs away.
Jennifer traces the path of Laura’s gaze to her gun. She quickly sheaths it in her jacket pocket. Laura takes one more step backward, and then makes a break for the door. The sound of sirens frighten Laura enough to coax her into a full-on sprint. She glances behind her to see Jennifer leaving the warehouse as well. Both police cars and the rest of the poker gang seem to have arrived at the same time. In the chaos that ensues, Laura watches as Jennifer spots two police officers approaching. Her eyes grow hard, and she raises her gun. The two police officers fall to the ground, and the sound of two shots ring in Laura’s ears.
With that, Laura turns away and continues running, tears streaming down her face. Back at the orphanage, Laura sneaks in through the back door. She quietly makes her way to the bathroom and washes the blood and tears off of her face with water from the sink. Once satisfied, she continues on to her room and collapses on her bed. Although Laura stays up all night waiting, Jennifer never returns.
~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as the first ray of sunlight streams through Laura’s window, she gets up from her bed. She slowly packs all of her earthly belongings as she softly sings “Happy Birthday” to herself. After her things are packed, she removes all of Jennifer’s money and weapons and clothes and puts them in another bag. She exits her room and goes down the stairs for a final time.
She takes the city bus to the neighborhood high school. She waits on a playground bench until the late afternoon, when the final bell of the day rings. Children stream out of the school entrance and disperse into the city. Finally, Laura spots her. She is one of the last people to leave the school.
Laura slowly approaches her and hands her the bag full of her belongings. As Jennifer takes the bag from her, Laura begins, “Listen. I may not know enough about your past to judge you, but you know enough about mine. What you have to understand is I cannot stand guns. As much as I’m horrified by the fact that you killed five men last night I find that I still trust you. I’m sorry for bailing on you, and I brought you your stuff. I figured you’d never be coming back.”
“Thanks. But just so you know, that car we left there was in your name. You’re just as screwed as I am.”
“I know. But even if it wasn’t in my name, we’d still be in this together,” Laura smiled tentatively.
“Now that’s just fuckin’ cheesy.”
“I know.”
“Oh, and Happy Birthday.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natalie’s Backstory
Natalie woke up promptly at six fifteen a.m.; she got up, got dressed, and drank her obligatory cup of coffee. Natalie smiled to herself as she looked out her kitchen window. She thought about how lucky she was. She had gotten a great job straight out of college with Bloomberg Security. She was the youngest employee to ever hold such a high position. She was even younger than most of the interns!
She was valued highly for her amazing skill with computers. At the moment, the company had her setting up firewall programs and security systems for high-profile clients. Nobody could crack her systems. Or at least that’s what she thought.
She arrived at work at seven o’clock sharp. She felt her chest swell with pride as she entered through the grand doors into the marble-floored lobby of Bloomsburg Security. She took the golden elevator to the very top of the glorious, Bloomsburg Securities building. The secretary in charge of the top floor had a note for Natalie. It read: “Meet me in my office as soon as you get in.” It was from her boss.
She sauntered towards the back of the room. She could see her boss in his office, standing behind his desk. As she walked through the door, she noticed a young man slouching in one of the chairs across from the desk. He looked about eighteen years old. He had thick, square glasses, and messy, brown hair. He watched her with bored eyes at her as she entered.
“Yes I am, now what did you want?”
Her boss seemed uncertain, but he took a step towards the boy sitting in the chair. “You see Natalie, there is plenty of young talent when it comes to computers,” he nodded to himself. “When we discovered your talent, we knew right away how useful an addition you would make to our company. “However,” he cleared his throat and placed his hand on the chair back, “occasionally old equipment needs updating. Or even replacement.”
Natalie’s stomach lurched, “What are you trying to say?”
“Well, this morning we got news that somebody had broken through one of our systems. A system that you designed,” he looked at her with hard eyes.
Her body went rigid with shock, and she thought to herself, how is that possible? Nobody could break through my systems!
“And that somebody,” he paused, looking down at the boy, “is this young man.”
“Him?!” Natalie exclaimed in disbelief. “Impossible, there’s no way a kid like him could possibly be able to…” She broke off, remembering all the times people had doubted her ability with computers.
“Anyway,” her boss continued, “your position is going to be taken by him. He has proved himself to be a very capable programmer in addition to his skill with hacking. I’m afraid we’re going to have to let you go. I can, however, offer you great recommendations to any company you wish to work for in the future-“
Natalie left the room before he could finish his sentence. She whirled past the secretary and into the elevator. As soon as it reached the bottom floor she angrily pushed past disgruntled employees and out onto the street. She stood in front of the building and glared at its bulk and splendor. Her boss would rue the day he had replaced her without so much as a warning. Had all of her hard work and passion been for nothing? Was her time of no importance to them?
She rushed home, barely paying attention to the way she was driving. Angry city-goers honked as she cut them off, and swerved around them. As soon as she was home, she began doing what she did best. Digging.
She began researching this boy, whose name she discovered was Johnny. He had obviously attempted to hide most of his information, but there were always certain traces that were impossible to erase. She learned of his mother’s gruesome death, and of the fact that his father was still in jail. She also learned about his older sister. Or at least what could be found on her. By now the girl must be nearly twenty, but her trail was cut off around age eighteen, the age she was forced to leave the orphanage that had taken her in. Natalie was intrigued. What had this girl been doing for the past two years? Had she contacted her brother?
Natalie continued to search through old records and files when she stumbled upon an interesting document. Its title was “To Johnny”. Natalie eagerly opened the document. It contained a letter that read as follows:
“Johnny. I know you have the ability to find this document. I just want you to know that I’ve been searching for you ever since that day, but I’ve been unable to find a trace. If you ever receive this, please know that I will be waiting at the park by the Café on the bench overlooking the river. You know the one I’m talking about. Every Friday, at twelve o’clock in the afternoon, I will be sitting there. Waiting for the day you return.”
Natalie leaned back in her chair and adjusted her glasses. This was very interesting. She could use this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was eleven thirty, and Laura was wandering the park. It reminded her of her childhood. She, her brother, and her mom used to go out to lunch and then walk through the park. Sometimes she and Johnny even went down to the little river that ran through the park to look for frogs and small fish to catch. Their mother would watch them from a bench placed a few feet away, at the foot of a huge, gnarled tree.
At eleven forty-five Laura took a seat at the bench overlooking the river. She gazed at the sparkling patterns made on the water by the afternoon sun. Every Friday she sat there, remembering her past, and her mostly lost childhood. She tried to treasure those few happy memories of her little family together. She closed her eyes and let herself remember.
She stood up and flipped open her cell phone. She began walking and scrolling through her cell phone’s message inbox. The text was from Jennifer. As she selected the unread message she felt somebody grab the back of her shirt and pull her violently sideways behind the tree. Dropping her cell phone, Laura removed the knife she had sheathed at her left hip and swung it towards her attacker. A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, the knife two inches from the owner’s face.
Laura relaxed, letting her knife hand drop. “Fancy seeing you here Jennifer.”
“You almost stabbed me,” Jennifer stated.
“You shouldn’t surprise me like that.”
“You know what? You have no right to talk!” Jennifer said angrily. “Do you even think before you act?”
“I can’t believe you followed me here! This is none of your business!” Laura shot back.
“It is my business whenever you put both of our lives in danger!” Jennifer snarled.
“What are you-“
“Did you really not notice? For the past three weeks, every time you come to this spot, that same lady is sitting there. Sitting right behind you.”
“You’ve been following me for three weeks!?” Laura asked, outraged.
“And that’s what you’re worried about!? Not the fact that you’re being watched by some stranger!?”
“You know what, let’s stop fighting and just take care of this,” Laura sighed and poked her head out from behind the tree. Sure enough, there was a young woman there, sitting on a simple blanket, apparently reading a book. Laura didn’t buy it. “Alright Jennifer, what’s the plan?”
Jennifer grinned, “Oh don’t worry, I’ve got a perfect one.”
Natalie glanced up from her book. Although Johnny’s sister was no longer sitting on the bench, Natalie knew she hadn’t left the park yet. She must have sat down behind that huge tree, Natalie thought to herself.
Today, she had decided, was the day she would attempt to follow Laura to gather more information. Originally she had only wanted to get some form of dirt on Johnny, but now she was completely intrigued that somebody would wait every week at the same place on the off chance that somebody they were searching for would appear.
She looked back down at her book. She stared at it for a few seconds until some movement caught her eye. She used her peripheral vision to watch as Laura stepped out from behind the tree and began following the path out of the park. As Laura passed her, Natalie sat completely still, pretending to be engrossed in her book. After a few seconds Natalie packed up her blanket and book and headed off in the same direction she had seen Laura go.
She followed Laura back into the heart of the city, leaving the park behind her. She stayed nearly a block behind Laura to keep from being discovered. As Natalie passed the entrance to a small café, she saw Laura duck into an alleyway. When Natalie reached it, she peered around the corner cautiously. When she squinted her eyes she could just barely make out Laura’s silhouette in the darkness of the alley.
She continued to follow Laura down the alley, when suddenly, Laura turned around to face her. Natalie froze in her tracks, and began to back up. She had only taken two steps backwards when she felt something pressed into her back. A gun!? Natalie thought, terrified. Laura walked casually towards Natalie until she was right in front of her. Natalie realized with a jolt of fear that Laura had a knife in her hand. She was now trapped in a dark, deserted alley with two armed people with an unknown purpose.
Natalie heard the crack of the safety on the gun behind her. She began shaking uncontrollably. “I was…I was only trying to dig up some dirt on somebody.”
Laura raised an eyebrow. “Who is this somebody?”
“Your brother…Johnny,” Natalie stammered. She noted the surprise in Laura’s eyes. So she really hasn’t seen him in all this time. Natalie thought in wonder.
“You know where Johnny is? You’ve seen him?” Laura asked eagerly.
“…Yes. My boss gave him MY job at Bloomsburg Security,” Natalie muttered.
“So how’d you find that document anyway?” Laura prodded. “I thought I hid it well enough that only he would be able to find it.”
Natalie smiled a bit at that. “He may be a bit better than me, but I’m still good enough to find something like that.”
At this point, the person behind Natalie spoke in a voice absolutely dripping with sardonic anger, “you left a document trace that anybody can access on the internet!? Seriously, have you just given up on being intelligent or what!?”
“Oh I wouldn’t be too worried about it,” Natalie interjected, “Johnny and I are two of the very few people on this earth that would be able to find a file like that.” She turned her face to look at Laura, “you actually did a pretty good job of hiding it. Skill with computers must run in your family.”
“Johnny taught me how to do that…” Laura responded slowly, “When he was six…”
“Well, anyway,” Natalie muttered nervously, “I’ve told you what you asked for. Can I go now? I promise I’ll stay out of your business.”
“No,” said the person behind her again, “I’ve got a couple more questions for you. In order to find that document, you must have been digging pretty deeply into Laura’s paper trail. What else do you know?”
“Um, nothing much…really,” Natalie stammered.
“Really now…I’m having a hard time believing you.” The gun dug a little further into her back.
“Alright, alright…I dug up some old police reports. I know about your mother’s death and that your father is in prison.”
“My father is ALIVE?” Laura looked horrified.
“Very much so. He’s been in prison for quite a while now.”
“Anything else?” the person holding the gun pressed.
“Nothing. The trail goes cold after she leaves the orphanage. Nothing from the past two years.”
“Alright. You’re going to take Laura to her brother and you’re going to keep your mouth shut. If you can comply with these demands, you will be free to go.”
“Fine,” Natalie agreed, “It’s not like I have anything better to do anyway. I am unemployed after all.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“I have to make an appointment!?” Natalie growled at the Bloomsburg secretary, “I used to work here!”
“I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t allow just anyone to see Mr. Riddle,” the secretary replied matter-of-factly.
“But I’m not just anyone! Have you already forgotten who I am?”
“Please make an appointment and Mr. Riddle will get in touch with you as soon as he can. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the secretary motioned towards the door.
“Well,” Laura muttered as she and Natalie exited the building, “that went well. Not to sound redundant or anything.”
“Sorry, I didn’t expect them to completely ignore the fact that I worked for them for so long. Although it probably doesn’t help that I stormed out of here after I got fired.”
“It’s fine; I got what I needed anyway. We’ll just have to do this a slightly different way than I had planned.” She held up a small business card with a list of employees on it.
“Johnny’s name isn’t even on it,” Natalie observed, pulling the card close to her face so she could read it better.
“It doesn’t matter, I’m assuming that you can figure out which of these is him,” Laura smiled at her.
Natalie sighed, “I’m sure I can…”
~~~~
Jennifer and Laura stood behind Natalie as she scrolled through her computer. Her fingers were a blur on the keyboard, and then she pulled up a picture of Johnny. It was a current one too. “He’s under the name Daniel Riddle. As Mr. Riddle’s adoptive son…interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” Laura leaned closer to the screen, trying to read the information that flashed across the screen.
“It never said this before…but now his files are saying that he was adopted from an orphanage when he was ten years old. It’s saying he’s been living with Mr. Riddle for eight years!” Natalie looked outraged, “somebody has tampered with these files. They’re trying to cover something up. But here’s what we’re looking for.”
Laura looked at her eagerly, “what is it?”
“His home address.”
~~~~
Jennifer slipped past house after house, looking up at addresses. Her dark clothes allowed her to blend in perfectly with the murky night. Few street lamps lined this block of the neighborhood, but instead of making her nervous, this fact had a calming effect on her. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to see further down the street. Gasping quietly, she ducked between two of the houses, and just in time.
A tall man strode past the place she had just been standing, casting his eyes around in all directions, searching for her. A large bulge in his jacket pocket screamed that this was no pedestrian on a nighttime stroll. She crouched in the shadows between the two houses, trying to calm herself. It had been a very close call and she was not accustomed to being surprised like that.
As soon as she was sure that the guard had moved on, she slipped her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, shielding the light with her hand from prying eyes. She sent a quick message to Laura: “Single guard confirmed. Possibly more. Be careful.”
Jennifer watched from her hiding spot as a dark shape slipped from behind a car at the end of the block. It snuck down the street, ducking behind trees and parked cars as it made its way towards Jennifer’s position. As soon as it was about two feet away from her, she slipped out of the gap between the houses, and pulled the dark figure back into the deeper shadows.
“Okay, so how are we doing this?” Laura whispered, barely making a sound. “Our original plan wasn’t counting on guards.”
“Continue with the plan, I’ll take care of the guards,” Jennifer slipped a silencer out of her pocket and attached it to her handgun.
Laura nodded and continued back out into the open, keeping close to the car-lined street. Jennifer held her position until she could hear the guard’s footsteps returning. She quickly lunged out, squeezed the trigger, and then crept back into her original position. She watched as Laura emerged from behind a battered truck and caught the body before it hit the ground. She dragged it out into the street and pushed it under a rusted old van.
Jennifer sent her another message: “Okay, go now. I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”
