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I start to make my move.
But Moose stops me with a quick look.Not yet, dear. Trust me. I've done this before.
You've done this before? Sneak someone into a Mafia compound?I retort with another look.
I like to have fun,says his glancing reply.
So I wait.
Moose clears his throat. "I sit up, and that's when I feel this itch on my chest. I look down, and what do I see? A tattoo of the Hindenburg, right there on my skin, with the words 'Oh, the humanity' inked underneath. I couldn't believe it. Of all the things to remember that wild night by, it had to be a tattoo of a historical disaster!"
"That old blimp?” The guard says.
"Not a blimp, honey," Moose says. "The Hindenburg was a rigid airship, which means the gas envelope was kept in shape by a rigid framework. Blimps are non-rigid airships, which means they only keep their shape through the pressure of the gas in their envelope. Big difference."
"You learn something new every day, I guess," the guard replies.
"You do. It's a pretty marvelous thing about life, isn't it? But, back to the pertinent tale: I woke up alone on that beach, tattooed with the Hindenburg, wondering just how the hell I got there. And you know what? I never saw Mister Mustache again, but I'll tell you, that night was one for the books. And do you want to know the strangest thing? Inside that underwear, there was this quart-sized Ziploc bag just chock full of mustache hair. Somehow, that beautiful man shaved himself and gave me that memento. That, or I took it as a trophy of my conquest. Either way, the next time you're in Jacksonville, you watch yourself if some beautiful man offers you a pill. You got that?"
"That's actually a good lesson. I got a cousin, had something similar happen to him. Starts the night in St. Petersburg, met someone, took something, and woke up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stark naked and handcuffed to an oil well," he says, shaking his head, a rueful grin on his face. "But how does that apply to her?" He gestures to me with the gun and I flinch at having the thing pointed at me.
"She took a pill, too," Moose says.
"One minute, I'm in one of those rooms," I say, gesturing to the compound in the distance. "The next, I'm three towns over, wearing these overalls.” I gesture to my dirty outfit. "And I'm underneath a Ford Mustang with a wrench in my hands. It was so freaky. I knew I had to get back here right away, so I started walking and Moose here thankfully picked me up and gave me a ride."
"Fine. Go inside," the guard says, gesturing and opening the gate for me. "But one other thing..."
There's a warning note in his voice that stops me in my tracks halfway through the open gate. I turn to him, fighting to contain the fear inside me. "Yes?"
"Don't forget to hydrate. When you're coming down from something like this, water is your friend. A little tea will do you good, too. Chamomile with honey is a fucking miracle. I like Nature's Treasures brand. Here, let me hook you up," he says, and reaches into his suit jacket pocket to take out a tiny, foil-wrapped tea bag. "Take care of yourself."
"Thank you," I say, then I nod a 'thank you' to Moose as well. Along with a look that says,I owe you a million.
Then I walk as fast as I can to my room while still looking normal.
Once in my room, I collapse onto the bed, exhaustion overwhelming me. A sob rises from deep inside my chest at what Owen and I might have had together; dreams come to life, only to be lost in the blink of an eye. The sheets are cool against my hot cheeks, and I want to evaporate into tears, let them dissolve my very being. My feet ache from miles of barefoot walking, and I briefly think about soaking them in the tub, but sleep overtakes me like a cool blanket on a summer night.
I'm jolted awake by Morgan's worried voice.
"Dani, what the hell is happening? Why's Owen calling from outside? He sounds... rough." Her eyes search mine, a mix of fear and confusion. "And where the hell were you? I was in here earlier looking for you and everything was gone. Now I find you wearing... dirty men's overalls?"
I open my mouth to reply, but words fail me.
Beaten, broken, exhausted, I don't have the strength to tell my best friend all the ways I've failed in the last twelve hours. I know I should. Morgan deserves some warning about the danger that I've put her and Riley in, but there isn't the strength in me to tell her, or to deal with the look of disappointment and fear I'd see on her face.
Unfortunately, she knows me just as well as I know myself. If not better.
"Dani, what happened? You need to tell me now, because there is something going on. Riley texted me that Michael woke her up, like, five minutes ago and he is pissed about something. There are men with guns going around the compound and..." She takes me by the hand and pulls me upright. Peering into my eyes, reading every dirty secret there. "Oh no, don't tell me he..."
The door to my room bursts open with a crash, tearing Morgan's eyes away from mine. Michael stands in the doorway, cold, menacing, his face flush, eyes wild, a gun in his hands. A gun that he levels right at Morgan and me.
A burst of adrenaline overtakes me and I stand up and pull Morgan behind me, sheltering her with my body. This is my fault, and if someone has to take responsibility for it. Even if that means taking a bullet to shield my best friend.
"Why is your boyfriend attacking me?" Michael shouts, his eyes glinting with murderous malice.
Fear flows inside me, but I refuse to let it paralyze me.
It's clear that no answer I give Michael will save me. He's past the point of giving a damn about any answers I might give him. He just wants to rant a little before he murders me.
