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ESMERALDA 11
This was the opportunity that I was waiting for, but now that it has come, I’m reluctant to leave. Dag and the other men rode off earlier this evening, and by the way they were dressed and their sombre expressions, it was clear that wherever they were going; they were expecting trouble.
I have been happier these last few days more than I have been my whole life. Even though I have stayed in the room, I have heard the conversations and the interactions around here. The difference between these men and the Desperados is notable. They don’t speak of rape and mayhem like I used to hear before. The things I have heard before can get men imprisoned for life, but all I want to do is stop them from kidnapping innocent women.
I have been concerned about what the Elementals wanted with me, but unless they keep it really close to their hearts, I haven’t heard anything that could lead me to believe that they have lied to me, and they are after something from me after all. Dag has been more caring with me than I ever thought possible. He treats me with such gentleness. But deep down, I’m waiting for everything to change, and wake up realizing that this was all a dream.
Freya and Anastasia have come to see me every day that I’ve been here. Today, for the first time, they convinced me to go for a walk with them around the property. Because I have every intention of leaving here, and need to at least know where I can escape from, I agreed to go.
The property is massive, and even though the men patrolling did not approach us, it was clear that contrary to the drunk and drugged men from the Desperados that always seemed half out of their minds, these men are clearly sober and aware of everything around them. I feel guilty using Freya and Anastasia this way, as they have been nothing but friendly with me—something which I don’t deserve. If they ever find out that I was the one responsible for most of the women that have been kidnapped by the Desperados, they won’t want anything else to do with me.
I feel a tightening around my heart when I think that today will be the last time that I feel safe. The last time that I’ll be around people that genuinely seem to like me. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. I will not be responsible for anyone else being hurt because of me.
I hear approaching footsteps, and by the soft tread, I know that it’s Anastasia. She will be bringing me dinner. Even though I have asked them not to serve me, they continue to bring me food, saying that only when I have my meals with everyone else will they stop bringing me food. I wanted to go down and join everyone, but the fear of what I will find freezes me.
It was never clever to go out of the room when I was with the Desperados; the men were violent and even though here they don’t seem like that, I’m afraid of what they might say or think when they see me. After all, they are at war, mainly because of me.
There is a light knock on the door. Walking towards the door, I open it to let Anastasia inside. If I were staying, I would like to believe that these two women would be my friends. Just last night I told Dag about the dog I befriended when I was a but a girl, and how he just disappeared one day. He was my one and only friend until now. He said that now I would have him, all the men here at the club, and Freya and Anastasia. I didn’t reply to his statement, and even though I would love that, I know that it isn’t a possibility as I am no one compared to everyone here.
“Because the men aren’t here today, Freya decided to make us some chicken casserole and dumplings. I hope you enjoy it.” I know that all the men left except for the prospects, as I can still hear them walking around the property, and even though I’m tempted to tell her that I will take my meal with them I keep my mouth shut, instead taking the tray and thanking her as I set it on the small table near the window.
“Did you enjoy the walk today?” Anastasia asks from the doorway as she twirls a strand of her long hair around her finger.
“Oh yes, thank you so much for showing me around. It’s beautiful around here.” I say, remembering the beautiful land that surrounds the club. It is typical Cape Town vegetation, but from what the women said, Tor had the back done to fit in with the inside of the club. When the women showed me around inside before taking me back to the room, I was surprised to see such lavishness inside the club.
They have their own inside pool, gym, and everything a person would not think to find in an MC. At my surprise both women laughed and explained that Tor likes to live lavishly and then gave me a peek at his office, which made me laugh. Behind his desk he has a huge painting of a naked woman. There are pelts on the floor and if not for the desk, the whole room would scream seduction.
They explained that being a Viking, Tor holds on to his culture tightly, trying to bring it out in everything he does. It is still unbelievable to me of how long these men have lived, and from what the women say, I now will live as long as Dag lives, which might be a very, very long time.
“Yes, that’s true. I fell in love with the place when I first saw it,” Anastasia says as she smiles. “Anyway, just holler and let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you so much.”
She waves her hand in dismissal as she turns to leave, “Nonsense. just eat everything. See you tomorrow.” With those words she walks away, and I close the door behind her. That will be the last time I see her; the thought has tears gathering behind my eyes, which I refuse to let fall. Approaching the food, I look down at the very appetizing meal. I don’t know when the next time will be before I eat again, so I’ll make sure to eat every morsel of this meal.
Sitting, I start to eat, groaning at the tasty perfection of the casserole. All the meals I have had since arriving have been completely heavenly compared to the bland sandwiches I mostly lived off of when I was on the run. I’m going to miss so much about these last couple of days, but what I’m going to miss the most is Dag. Just the thought of leaving him fills me with an anxiety of loneliness that has me wanting to scream.
My backpack is packed, and hopefully I will manage to get away with no one being the wiser. I know that the prospects are also Elementals, and as such, will be able to sense my movements. But I have managed to hide from the Desperados and Elementals before. I’m sure that I will manage to get away without lifting suspicion.
After finishing my meal, I wait patiently on the bed, listening to every sound outside, waiting for Freya and Anastasia to go to bed. There are another three women here, but they are all at the pool, which I don’t think will be a problem walking past without them seeing me. The men have also quieted down, but I know exactly where they are by their breathing or by them sometimes shuffling around.
Opening the bedroom door, I quietly make my way to the back door before slipping outside. I make my way towards the wall. My heart is beating so loudly that I’m sure everyone in a mile’s radius can hear it. I hate doing this, but it needs to be done. I left a scribbled note for Dag. I don’t want him to worry or come looking for me even though I have a feeling that he will.
I make sure to cut a path between two of the men, knowing that they might think it’s the other moving about. I have let my senses take over. The smells, sounds, and my vision are enhanced, making sure that I don’t miss anything. When I hear one of the men start to move, I stop, not wanting him to come after me. One thing I have found about the Elementals is that they don’t just rely on their powers, but also are well-trained and astute.
If I’m gone, the Desperados will have no reason to want to attack here—they will have no reason for war. Reaching the wall, I frown, instead of the normal fence people usually place around their properties the MC have placed a high wall around the property, but in some places there are trees that are close to the wall, which I plan to climb and then hang from the other side letting myself drop the rest of the way, which shouldn’t be too far down.
I know there is a tree near here somewhere… there it is. Seeing the tree a few feet away, I make my way towards it. The trees are solid, with various branches that will help me climb. Only having the use of one hand will be a challenge, but I can’t take the chance of staying longer as I have the feeling that the longer I stay, the more difficult it will be for me to leave. Not because of them holding me back, but because of me not wanting to leave.
The climb takes much longer than I expected. I didn’t want to make any noise while trying not to jolt my wrist, but eventually I finally get to the top of the wall. Stepping onto it, I look down, groaning quietly when I see how high it is. How am I going to hang from this wall with one arm alone? Carefully sliding down until I am sitting, I breathe in relief which is short lived as I start trying to turn on my stomach so that I can slowly slide down. It’s a painful process, and I’m sure that tomorrow I will be full of bruises, but finally my torso is on the top of the wall, my legs dangling from one side and my arms from the other.
Shaking my head, I can just imagine if someone had to see me now, what they would think. I start to slide back, my T-shirt rising and the stone of the wall scraping my skin. When it is just my chest and arm holding me on the wall, I slide my injured arm over the wall and take in a deep breath before I slide the rest of the way over. Because my stomach is to the wall, I can’t see the distance as I fall, which jolts my very bones as I hit the floor, falling back.
I lie there for a few minutes breathing heavily as I hear the two men on the other side of the wall making their way towards the wall and where the noise came from. Sliding into a sitting position, I wince as my body complains at the beating I have endured. Standing, I wobble away from the wall before the prospects can sense me.
I’m not sure where in the city the motorcycle club is, but I know I have to get away from here as far as possible, because Dag and the others would more than likely be able to pick up on my energy if I am close.
My wrist is screaming in pain. Luckily, I brought my tablets with me. Keeping to the shadows, I make my way down a winding road with trees on both sides. When I get to the intersection, I finally figure out where I am. Before me is the sleeping city, the sounds not as loud. Across the road is a park where I should be able to hide for the rest of the night. Making my way there, I walk towards the centre, making sure that no one sees me if they are driving or riding past. Luckily, the weather has started to heat up, and it’s a lovely clear sky, so no worries that it will rain. I have been out in the open more times than I wish to remember. Today is one of the best days to sleep outside. I walk past a small bridge, hearing two homeless men talking below where they are probably going to spend the night.
