Intense Dream Part 3

This is really just sketch. Super rough, I just wanted to finish it and fix it up later. If you will remember we left our hero under the scrutiny of Mrs. Corbet... WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

Anyway, it probably doesn't make any sense. I concocted the plot at 3:30 in the morning cut me some slack, there's a lot of work to be done. Read, feedback. you know.

Part 3

I was hesitant, not really sure where to begin. “Three months ago I met a very nice young man. He was handsome, charming, intelligent, and... he took away my life.” It was like I had something nasty in my mouth and I was just getting it out. After that I spat whatever came to mind. “He said his name was Joshua and to just call him Josh. He came to my office looking for the head of security. Said that we were going to be robbed.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Where do you work?”

“I work in a bank, I’m-- I was Assistant Manager and rather proud of it. We were working with some foreign officials and they had some blueprints they were keeping in our vaults. We assumed that if we were going to be robbed that was what they were going to take.” I took a breath and prepared to continue. “We were wrong. We were never robbed.” I almost wanted to bury my head in the sand, I was so embarrassed. I should’ve seen it coming. “It was all to keep our attention somewhere else. I was so stupid to believe him.” I bit my lip, tears starting to well up. I wiped at them and continued, focusing on the feeling of anger that was starting to burn in my chest. “We had met with Joshua several times, everything he told us sounded legit. It seemed real.”

A slow smile started to creep up on Irene’s face. “You liked him, didn’t you?”

I laughed softly. “Yeah. Yeah, I really, really liked him...” I couldn’t finish. Stupid, betraying lacrimal glands.

Gently Irene prodded, “What did he do?”

“He accessed the bank’s computers and started pulling files off on one of our clients, a Jeffery Gorge. His company has been with us since the beginning, a loyal customer. I’d actually seen him a few times talking with the owner, he was-- wow. He was quite the businessman, very successful...” I stopped, I didn’t know how to explain what had happened. The whole thing had blind-sided me and turned my life upside down. Putting my experience into words was-- really hard.

I swallowed several times. “When I confronted Josh, I asked for the truth. So... He showed me the files.” I looked down at my hands. I laughed, rather hysterically. “He warned me, he told me not to. But I looked. I looked. Turned out that our dear loyal Jeremy Gorge was about as bad as, I dunno, Adolf Hitler. He was using just about every trick in the book: black mail, selling secrets, weapons, and to top his company was actually doing very well. He had enough money to buy anything or anyone. Most the time he didn’t even need the money, he had dirt on everyone. Half the cops were in his back pocket and he had connections in very high places.”

I sat back, flinching as my body protested. “Most of this wasn’t in the files of course, all they really told me was that Gorge was dirty. Josh was an agent, undercover, working for some... something. I didn’t catch it. I didn’t really believe him until I got a package with 50,000 in cash and a new passport, ID, birth certificate, or any kind of papers I’d need.”

I looked up at Irene, did she believe me? I didn’t. But I’d started this, I needed to tell her everything. “He said I was on my own. That I should run, they’d be coming for me.”

“And that’s what happened last night.” Irene finished.

“Yes, they came last night. Gorge’s men. I crashed, came up river and stopped at the nearest cabin for shelter. What I’m really worried about is that Gorge has access to a satellite, I’m a gonner if that’s the case...” I shut up.

“Hm.” Irene hmmmed.

…

I thought about telling her how I knew it sounded ridiculous, about how I knew that it was wrong for me to have used this cabin, to have forced myself on their family. But I kept my mouth shut, Irene was capable of coming to a conclusion on her own.

I waited.

Irene sighed, “My husband won’t believe you. He’s too practical...” I looked up hopefully, did that mean she believed me?

A knock resounded from downstairs. Irene stood and hurried down to answer. I hobbled to me feet and began to follow her. The banging on the door continued. Irene but her hand on the door and then stopped. Discreetly she looked through the blinds of the window near the door and turned to me.

“Hide.”

I practically jumped into the closet. As I did so I chanted, I love closets, I love closets!

When I was hidden and peeking through a crack, Irene opened the door. A tall, nearly bald man stood waiting. He had very light hair, almost orange. His eyes were dark, deeply set, his entire face seemed heavy, serious, intimidating. My nightmares finally had a face.

“Hello ma’am, I am officer James Conrad. I’m looking for this woman.” He held up a photo of... me, duh. I held my breath, they’d found me. Did they know I was alive?

Irene took the photo and carefully examined it. I have to admit it wasn’t my best, I looked scary serious. “No, I’ve never seen this woman before in my life. Who is she?” She leaned against the doorway, a beautiful picture of complete surprise.

“She escaped a mental institution last night. She shouldn’t have gotten far but... we’ve still been unable to locate her. If you happen to see her or any other suspicious activity, if you could contact this number.” He pulled out a card and gave it to her. “It would be much appreciated. You come up here often, Mrs...”

“Corbet and yes, we come here as often as we can.”

“I see,” His eyes flashed around the house, looking for me. I ducked, avoiding his eyes. “Do you know how I can contact your neighbors? I’d like to see if they’ve seen--”

After that I just shut him out and concentrated on Mrs. Corbet. All my hopes rode on her, did she believe me? The evil Conrad left and I stepped out of my closet. Irene still had her hand on the door considering everything she had just heard. I bit my lip, she turned and looked at me still thinking.

“Okay, I believe you. I don’t know how I’m going to convince Jared but...” she smiled and nodded reassuringly to me. “It’ll work out. I’m sure of it. For now, stay inside. I’ll go talk with him.”

Thus began my life in hiding.