Mira sat at the small desk typing on her laptop only half paying attention to the clicking of the keys her subconscious pressed. The process of letting her thoughts flow out through her fingers had long since become second nature. She stared through the wall into the kitchen and beyond. Her thoughts rambled through the 25 years of memories stored in her mind avoiding those dark pits of pain she had walled off. Her fingers slow as her gaze wanders over to the picture beside the computer. It had been Carter’s favorite. She and Carter had been enjoying a sunny summer day. Feeling playful she had decided to show off the flexibility she was learning in the yoga classes that he had pushed her to take. A pained smile plays on her lips.
Hearing a vehicle on the long drive, she turns her attention toward the window. Everyone is home as it’s a Saturday and it’s unusual to get visitors. A white SUV is slowing to a stop outside. The driver, a large man wearing black slacks, a black dress shirt and black leather jacket, walks around and opens the passenger side door. This second man gives her a slight shiver. He’s easily 6’ 3” with perfectly styled light brown hair and the greenest eyes she's ever seen. He doesn’t smile and doesn’t move from the side of the vehicle
Mira had heard about similar situations. The man was known for his power, wealth and his taste for beautiful things. He was known to show up wherever something he desired was to take it. No matter the price tag. If it were a living thing, he had discovered a way to turn them into statues.
Jill. Mira thought with a pang of sadness.
The Driver entered the house and spoke quietly to Harold. It wasn’t long before Jill was called into the living room and informed that she was to go with the driver. Mira watched the driver walk toward the back wall of the living room where Alice had hung photos of the family on the wall. The bottom right photo was a 5x7 copy of the one on Mira’s desk. The Driver studied it for a moment before taking it from the wall. He turned and led Jill out to the SUV.
I don’t want to be a statue… Mira thought as she watched the driver hand the photo to his boss.
“I don’t want the picture. Where’s the woman?” The boss asked without emotion.
Mira looked around the room for a place to hide as the driver came back in the door to find out.
“Where is she?” He asks, handing the photo back to Harold.
“She’s in the room she rents from us. Through the kitchen and down the steps.” Harold grumbles. Mira feels a small pinch in her chest. She understands that Harold couldn’t do anything but answer with the truth, but she wishes that he had sounded at least a little sad to have to turn her over. Quickly she ducks under a small table at the bottom of the stairs with a tiny hope that if the driver just looks into the room, she wouldn’t be seen. She can hear Alice sobbing quietly and wonders if a few of those tears are for her too.
The driver pauses at the top of steps before descending and slowly looking around the room. It doesn’t take him long to spot Mira under the table. He takes a step toward her and offers his hand. She looks at it, then up to his face with determination and anger. Knowing where she will be taken, Mira crawls out on the other side from the driver. She walks without a backward glance and her head high.
“Don’t take me on account of that picture. It was a long time ago, and I’ll never do it again.” She says looking him in the eye. She noticed a gleam there that gave her a slight pause.
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” He says with a cold half smile. He opens the passenger side rear door for her and offers his hand to help her in. She doesn’t even look at it as she slides in next to Jill.
David glances into the rear view mirror as Aiden drives back to the estate. The woman and the girl are holding hands and leaning against each other. The girl has tears in her eyes while the woman stares out the window over her head. He had known about the girl through an associate, but the woman was a pleasant surprise. The photo that Aiden had brought out intrigued him. She had been wearing a pair of shorts and a tight fitting tank top. It had to have been summer with the sunshine and greenery in the background. She stood on the toes of her left foot. She had her right leg stretched up behind her head and her arms extended back to hold it.
Now she was somber. He idly wondered what her story was. She showed no sign of the joy and laughter that had captured his interest. And yet, usually acquisitions were much messier. They tended to cry, fight, or flirt their way out of it. She faced her fate like a woman should. And who does she think she is to be able talk to me like that? She’s going to need a little work to be perfect, but less than I usually do. He thinks as he pulls his eyes away from the mirror. It isn’t long before the SUV pulls into a private hangar at the airport and everyone is loaded onto a private jet.
