[Talenya]: 299.Stories.Someone's After Her.Chapter 4

Chapter 4

For the rest of the day I went to my classes without any incident, finishing out all of them and smiling to myself at my triumph in the forest. At dashing the hopes off all the other students when I walked into my other classes. After my last class finished I rushed to my car so that I could be at work a bit earlier than usual but when I got to it, who should I find leaning against it but the ever-cocky fool named, Devin. I had been in a wonderful mood up to that point but when I saw him there my good mood burst like a balloon, and I could have sworn it happened with an audible pop.
When Devin didn’t readily explain why he was there I growled, “Why are you here leaning against my vehicle, blocking my door, when I’ve got to be at work soon?”
Devin smiled then and moved from leaning on the car to only blocking me from getting into it, “I agreed only to letting you have your privacy in the forest, not anywhere else.”
I didn’t want Devin to be with me everywhere but the forest unless I was sure that he was the one that Mr. Marcuzo had found for my ‘protection’. What I did about it though was compromise, “Fine, get in I have to stop by the forest, I think I dropped something as I hurried off to class did you happen to see a small jade amulet when you left did you?”
Without a word Devin moved away from the drivers side door and I moved in to unlock it. I unlocked the door got inside and was tempted to drive off without him but instead I leaned over to the passenger side, unlocking that door as well. Without a word I started my ’66 mustang and drove over to the forest parked and asked, “Would you mind just staying in the car? I think that I can walk the little ways to the forest and inside without any mishaps.”
Devin didn’t look too thrilled about it all but the nodded curtly, his handsome face showing a foreboding of what was to come by letting me walk even that little distance alone. I nodded back and got out, walking to the forest entrance and inside a little ways before I pulled out a cell phone. I called Mr. Marcuzo’s home phone and then his cell but he didn’t pick up either one and I was forced to leave a message for him, “…Mr. Marcuzo, I know you said not to trust anyone but I needed to know if that ‘surprise’ you were talking about had to do with a person named Devin Hayes or if I’m ‘dead’ wrong, please give me a call back on my cell, soon? Bye.”
I did look around for the jade amulet for a few moments, I had hoped to find it but it had been missing for about a month or was it two…
I quickly headed back and was met right out side the forest by Devin who smiled broadly, “Did you find what you were looking for?”
I was tired, irritated, and my patients was at it’s end so I snapped back, “Does it look like I’ve found the darn thing! You may have to come with me but that doesn’t mean I have to like it, though for a while longer I might tolerate it.”
After that I gave Devin a look that dared him to deny it, he didn’t. Smart guy. I moved off to get in the car, started the car, looked at my watch, and cursed so bad it would have curled an old sea-dog’s hair, put the car into gear rolled down the window and yelled at Devin, “If you’re coming with me, you better jump into my car now! Or find your own way to where I work, if you even know were I work.”
Devin looked at me with a confident grin on his face, he apparently hadn’t thought I would leave him, but he was close to making me late for my job and my boss really didn’t like me as it was. So, I turned my car around and floored it. I only glanced back once to see a fallen faced Devin trying in vain to catch up to my speeding vehicle. A smile from there to next Tuesday spread across my face, I had ditched the idiot and for about the next thirty miles I was free to do ninety-five. I got to my work on time, avoided my manager, Benny, my whole ‘shift’, and had little to no trouble for it. Unfortunately that should have clued me in that there was trouble brewing for me…
Right after my shift I went to check my cell phone for any messages I saw that a number had called me over twenty times…and I had five messages. With this news, I was quite worried and quickly dial my voice box to listen to my messages,
‘…Catrine…you need to be careful…I couldn’t get the protection that we all needed…” there was a sob and then, “they took her…they took my wife…and they’re after you! ………NO! ………DON’T … STOP … PLEASE…Noooo!” then the phone went dead on Mr. Marcuzo’s end. The next message came on, ‘Miss. Catrine…you truly have a good friend in Mr. Marcuzo, but unfortunately since he will not give up how we can find you…we will make our plea to you…if you wish to keep Mrs. and Mr. Marcuzo live and well, then come to us at the ‘Black Rose Club’ within five days, we trust you’ll find a way there. Until then, Miss. Catrine…’ after that two more messages followed leaving me no doubt that they, who ever they were, had Mrs. and Mr. Marcuzo but the last message did surprise me, ‘Catrine, are you okay? It’s Devin, listen you have to stay with me…as soon as you get this message give me a call back on my cell…1 (515) 555-1331. Once I hear from you, I’ll come to get you, and take you to a place where we can talk…I swear I’ll tell you everything and answer all your questions, just please call…’ and with that my messages ended.
I walked calmly to my car, got in, and sat there for a long time debating with myself on whether or not to call Devin back, …after all Mr. Marcuzo told me not to trust anyone.