Grabbing my bag, I pulled out my compact and fixed the damage from the tears, blew my nose, and inside told myself you can do this. You will do this.
With one last hug to my mother, I opened the door coming to terms with my future, hoping like hell my father would be here so I could tell him goodbye. That was the damn deal.
A tall man with broad shoulders, black sunglasses, cropped hair and a suit stood there with his hands clasped in front of him. Bodyguard or driver. Which I didn’t have a clue. There was no doubt that he was here for me and this was not Mr. Beacon. No, he was the exact opposite of the man I’d now be living with. I knew very little about my warden, but what I did know was he was an older man … much older, the kind of older that meant he could be my grandfather.
Stretching around him, the man I wanted to see was nowhere in sight. I had hoped he would be with them and since I didn’t see him, my temper got me with a clipped tone.
“Where’s my father?”
The man stared down at me. “He’ll be here once you’re gone.”
My head shook. “This was not the deal. I want to know my father is safe and here before I get on a plane and leave him.” The deal was I would have a chance to say goodbye to both my parents, and I would get monthly contact with my parents; under supervision of course. There would be opportunities given to me to check in on other times as well, so I had hope for more contact and communication. All I had right now was hope that Charles would follow through on his end, and I was clinging to it by the tips of my nails.
The driver man lifted up his right arm and talked into it like he was a secret service agent or something.
“Scott, bring him now.”
Yeah, I felt pissed, and if I didn’t get this part of the deal hammered out now, I wouldn’t know if my father got here safely for at least a month. If Beacon couldn’t keep his word on this, then frankly the whole damn deal was doomed along with my future and my family’s. And him testing that only made the anger grow.
Not two minutes later another shiny black car pulled up. The driver, another man in a suit, got out and went around to the passenger side and opened the door.
My father stepped out, and I felt the smile on my lips. He was haggard and looked tired as all get out. At least now he wouldn’t have to work so much and could be home with Mom. That was the positive in all of this. I would give myself to Mr. Beacon until his end of days, if that was what it took, and in return my mother’s medical care would be covered along with one hundred percent of their living expenses and all the debt they acquired. My father would be able to be here for my mother, and we had hope for a cure and long life ahead of us all.
“Dad.” He walked past my driver guy, and I wrapped him up in my arms.
“I’m so sorry, my baby girl. Please don’t do this,” he whispered. “Your mother was supposed to give you what we had.”
Knowing my father, he didn’t want me to go off, but he and I both knew there was no choice. If I didn’t, they’d be run into the ground, dead, and there was no coming back from dead. I could endure anything if I still had my family.
“I’ve got this, Daddy. Take care of Mom. I agreed to this, and I’m going to go through with it.” I told him the truth. Beacon approached me directly after my father refused the offer, not even bothering to ask me. Dad knew I’d say yes, and he didn’t want that for me. But my father owed him money, and this was my deal. I would see it through.
My father clutched me tight just as the clearing of a throat came. “Ms. Mitchell, bags please?” The driver man’s voice had a small hitch in it, but still held confidence.
Turning, I let go of my dad after kissing his cheek and grabbed my one bag.
Yes. One single bag.
Even being gone for over a year, I left almost everything with my parents, only taking a few clothes that I could wash and a few essentials, like pads and tampons. My period was going to come a lot during my time away. I was not about to let a man in his seventies provide my feminine essentials.
In one year’s time, I would be allowed a visit with my parents. Each year I lasted with Mr. Beacon I would earn more time with my family. Until the end of his days and then I would get my life back. This was a job. I would remain focused on the end goal and not material things left behind.
Handing him the case, he took it with ease, stepped to the side, lifted his arm and swooped it out into the black town car waiting in my parents’ drive.
Going with him meant this was all real and not a dream. How many nights I wished it was a dream? That I would wake up and my mother would be healthy and parents out of debt. All of this was reality, and there was no way of any of that happening.
“Love you both,” I called back to my parents. My dad had his arm slung around my mother’s shoulders as they both cried. I’d already fixed my makeup once. That was one too many times. So I turned and walked to the car, head held high.
My mind was numb as I went through the motions. The car ride wasn’t long, and driver man didn’t engage me in meaningless conversation which I appreciated. This was all too much, and being alone to wrap my head around things was exactly what I needed. I needed those shields to be concrete and feet thick. This drive helped shore those up.
We pulled into the airport, but instead of going into the main entrance with the other flyers, driver man took us around to the back and through a secure gate where driver man had to show something to a security officer.
The driver pulled right up to a small jet. A private jet that I hoped with everything inside of me that Mr. Beacon was not on. I knew it was a matter of time until I had to face the man who had ripped my family apart, but that didn’t mean I was truly ready.
Time. That was what I needed more of. Time not in his presence.
The driver stopped, got out of the car, and opened my door. Why it couldn’t just stay locked by some magical force, I did not know. That hope was very much dashed as I looked at the man in front of me. He was stoic, giving nothing away, even impatience for my slow movements.
Stepping out, the driver grabbed my bag from the back and led me to the plane.
I said nothing. There was nothing to say. The man was either on the plane or not, and I’d find that answer soon enough.
Reaching for the rail, I climbed the seven steps into the plane where there was a young female flight attendant and young female pilot there waiting to greet me as I entered.
They were just doing their jobs and didn’t deserve my anger poised at them. Therefore, I shook their hands and smiled at them, telling them thank you. The attendant held her arm out, and I turned the corner seeing that the open floor plan of the interior of the jet was empty.
I let out a heavy breath. Thank goodness.
“Please have a seat and buckle your belt, Ms. Mitchell. We’ll be taking off shortly.”
She was nice, and I needed some nice at the moment. “Am I the only one on the plane?”
She shook her head, and my stomach dropped.
“The man who brought you here will also be on board.”
Great, but I had to admit it was better than Mr. Beacon. I nodded with a, “thank you” and she took off. At least driver man, security detail, whatever his job description was didn’t seem to care to engage me in any sort of conversation. I wasn’t sure I could compose an answer if he asked me anything anyway. Fear of the unknown was getting to me.