Enigma Black

by Sara Furlong-Burr

  A short distance away, I heard hurried footsteps on the main stairwell. I knew whose footsteps they were. My time had run out. In a mad sprint, I raced to the fire escape as the footsteps continued drawing steadily nearer. Just seconds before the source of the footsteps came into view, the door to the fire escape slammed shut. Crouching down against the wall, I waited.

  After several minutes had passed, I summoned the courage to slowly stand up and peer out of the doorway window overlooking the hallway of my unit. Blake had been right. Chase was standing in front of my door with the letter in his hand. It was too much. With a heavy heart, I trudged back up the stairs to meet the fate I’d accepted.

  Blake stood looking over the edge of the roof in sheer contemplation. He turned his head as I appeared from the stairwell, inspecting me thoughtfully. “Not that I care or anything, but are you sure you want to wear that?” he asked, eyeing me up and down.

  I was still wearing my dress from the night. Changing had been the furthest thing from my mind. “It’s not like I had a chance to change,” I said, more emotional than I would have liked.

  “You saw him, didn’t you?” he asked, his voice laced, curiously, with concern.

  “You already knew the answer to that question.”

  “You catch on quick.”

  “That’s what they tell me.”

  “Okay. Let’s get this party started.”

  “I can hardly contain my excitement.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  I walked over to Blake’s vantage point on the edge of the roof. “What are we going to do?” I mused. “Jump?”

  “You already know the answer to that question.”

  Looking at his face, I realized he was serious. “Are you kidding me! Maybe you’re not breakable, but I am.”

  “For the time being, anyway.”

  “Huh?”

  “Just hang onto me and be sure to not let go. They’re expecting me to bring you back in one piece.”

  “How exactly do you want me to hold onto you?”

  “Wrap your legs around my waist and your arms around my neck. It’s a position I’m sure you’re familiar with.” I felt my face begin to burn. Blake responded, letting out an amused chuckle.

  “I’m going to die tonight, aren’t I?”

  “If you let go of me, then…yeah…probably.”

  “Swell.”

  Blake stepped to the edge of the roof so that his toes were hanging just slightly off it. He had incredible balance. I walked up behind him and, hesitating, I put my arms around his neck. Instantly, his arms swung around, grabbing my legs, securing them tightly around his muscular frame. My discomfort was clearly amusing him. “Have you ever been on a roller coaster?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I liken this experience to that, except we’re higher and our fall is not as controlled. Standing on the edge of a building is like the pause before going down the track. You know what’s coming and you prepare for it, but even though you know what to expect, it’s still one hell of a ride.”

  “So, it’s like skydiving?”

  “Oh, no, that’s just suicide.”

  “I’m glad to see that even you have your limits.”

  “Just hang on, close your eyes and enjoy the ride.” I clutched Blake tight enough to cut off a normal person’s air supply, but he said nothing. It was as though he weren’t carrying a fully grown woman on his back. My heart was pounding, my stomach was in knots. I looked down at the rooftop, refusing to look over the edge of the apartment building. Then, after taking one final breath before bending his knees, Blake prepared to jump. Right as I closed my eyes, he dove off the roof.

  The wind whipped viciously through my hair. And even though I knew we were careening towards the pavement, I could have sworn my stomach was still cowering back on the roof. A scream made its way out of my mouth. There was no way we were going to hit the pavement unscathed. Much to my dismay, my eyes flew open, seeing the ground drawing nearer and nearer. This was it; this was how I was going to die.

  It was during my panic that I suddenly felt Blake’s body snap upright as if it were meeting resistance from somewhere. The jolt nearly loosened my grip from around his neck, forcing me to reposition my legs around his waist tighter in order to stabilize myself. Looking up, I noticed the jolt had been caused by some sort of harness attached to a band around Blake’s wrist. I followed the trail of rope leading from it, finding it safely secured to a billboard promoting a new sports drink. Instead of free falling, we were safely gliding into a darkened alleyway.

  Blake’s feet skidded on the floor of the alley. Once he regained his footing, he flicked his wrist, releasing the rope—which resembled more of a cable upon further inspection---from its hold on the billboard.

  “You can let go now,” he laughed, prying my legs from around his waist. This night kept getting better and better for him.

  “Sorry,” I trembled.

  “You act like you’ve never jumped off a building before.”

  “What gave you your first clue?” He smiled before proceeding down the alleyway. I took in a deep breath, happy to be back on land. I’d just done pretty much everything I’d been told repeatedly all my life never to do. Hurling myself off a building, following a mysterious stranger down a dark, damp alleyway to destinations unknown; Carol would be so proud of me right now.

  “Here,” Blake called out to me as he tossed a helmet in my direction.

  “You didn’t see fit to give me this before jumping with me on your back off the roof of my building?”

  “Trust me, had you let go, whether or not you were wearing a helmet wouldn’t have mattered.”

  “Good point.”

  We continued our walk down the dank alleyway until we reached a pile of cardboard propped up by a dumpster near the end of it. Blake bent over the pile of cardboard, throwing pieces of it into the dumpster. “I draw the line at dumpster diving,” I added, watching as Blake tossed aside yet another piece of cardboard.

  “Beauty, brains, and a smart ass. How did I ever get so lucky?” My cheeks burned again, only serving to fan the fire of Blake’s amusement. When he lifted the final and largest piece of cardboard I gasped as a large, black motorcycle was revealed. Motorcycles were not in my area of expertise but, from what I could tell, this particular machine was built for speed. The front end was pointed in a design I’d never seen before but appeared aerodynamic in nature. The chrome features on the wheels and gears shimmered brilliantly in the sliver of moonlight shining down into the alleyway.

  “Great.” I finally choked out. “Another way to die tonight.” Blake rolled his eyes, moving the motorcycle from out against the building. I had to admit it was pretty, even for a death trap. “What model is it?” I asked.

  “You aren’t going to find this cycle at any dealer,” he laughed.

  “So, this is where my tax dollars are going, eh?”

  “You’re stalling.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Just get on and hang on.”

  “Where are we going exactly?”

  “You’ll find out when we get there.”

  I shot him a dirty look before slipping the helmet over my head. Never before had I ridden a motorcycle. This was certainly a night of firsts for me. Awkwardly, I positioned myself behind Blake, placing my feet in what I thought were the appropriate footholds and again wrapped my arms around him. He kicked the motorcycle to a start, gripping the throttle, sending it racing ahead through the alleyway and back onto the roadway within seconds. Petrified, I held him close while he tore down the road at speeds that didn’t seem possible. Buildings became streaks, insignificant blobs dotting the horizon. Within moments, we were outside the city limits. I craned my neck, forcing myself to look back at my former home. Goodbye, Chase, I thought to myself.

  The motorcycle tore through an exit ramp and, before I knew it, we’d merged onto the highway. It was vacant now due to the impending curfew. I wasn’t sure where
we were headed and, at that point, I didn’t care. My life was completely in the hands of whoever had sent Blake to me and as long as I was the one who got to do away with the Man in Black, I wasn’t going to look back. Without Chase, my former life meant nothing anymore.

  Moonlight lit a path for Blake, making a trail for him to follow as he sped down the highway. The moonlight was a beacon lighting the way home to the beginning of my new life; to my new destiny.

  BOOK II

  MYNEW LIFE

  Chapter Twelve

  The Epicenter

  For close to an hour—or so I estimated—the motorcycle roared eastward down the dismal interstate. I found myself grateful that the backpack Blake had given to me hadn’t allowed for too much of anything since my shoulders were already sore from what little I’d been able to stuff into it. My body slid back as Blake propelled the motorcycle off the roadway and up a ramp that lead to an even darker path. For someone who’d never ridden a cycle before tonight, I had to admit it was growing on me. It felt as though I were flying down the road. I was untouchable and free.

  Blake turned down a hidden dirt road masked by a line of evergreens. During the daylight, I assumed it made for a beautiful sight but, being as dark as it was, it took on more of a macabre appearance. As we barreled through the trees, I peered over his shoulder and saw to my horrified surprise that we were approaching a steel gate at a high rate of speed. My body tensed at the sight of the approaching obstacle, causing my grip on Blake to tighten like a vice. Surely, he had to see it. At any moment, I expected him to veer off to the side of the road or, at the very least, to slow down, but that never happened. The gate was drawing uncomfortably close but, instead of slowing down, he only seemed to speed up faster.

  “What are you doing!” I yelled.

  I knew he’d heard me, but still he said nothing. In my mind I was already taking drastic measures, debating what scenario would hurt more: bailing off the motorcycle and slamming into one of the numerous pine trees or crashing head-on into the steel gate. There was no way Blake would be able to stop in time. The cycle was going entirely too fast and the gate was just a couple of yards away now. Accepting that there was no avoiding bodily injury, I shut my eyes and prepared myself for impact.

  One second slowly turned into twenty before I realized that we should have already made contact with the gate. I opened my eyes and looked ahead, peering over Blake’s shoulder. The gate was gone. There was nothing now but wide open road ahead of us. Had I been seeing things? I looked back to see the gates closing safely behind us. How had those doors opened so quickly? In disbelief, I shook my head. Absolutely nothing tonight had made any sense and, at this point, I shouldn’t be shocked by anything that happened.

  We proceeded to travel further down the road when I heard Blake bark a command into what I observed to be some sort of microphone-like device built into his helmet. “Main hatch open. Cohen. Serial number, two-four-five-seven-nine.”

  My eyes widened as the earth in front of us began to rise. Steel doors such as those that composed the gate behind us opened up to consume the motorcycle. With a deafening roar, we accelerated into the earth, moving down a ramp that seemed to be just a few inches shy of a complete ninety-degree angle, and my stomach sank right along with the practically free-falling motorcycle. At the bottom of the ramp, the floor leveled out as lights embedded within the concrete walls around us flickered on. Bright lights encased us on both sides of the motorcycle, moving forward in the direction we were traveling, lighting the way to our final destination. I wondered how far down below the surface of the earth we were but figured that was probably an answer I really didn’t want to know.

  The dull, gray concrete walls surrounding us reminded me of those comprising an overpass. Mounted on these walls, about every fifty feet, were devices that looked like cameras. During the passing of our motorcycle through the tunnel, they sprung into action, following our every move. It was then that it all hit me. This was real. In my heart I’d known it all along, but now all the cynicism in my mind was being put to rest.

  Ahead of us appeared a large opening, signaling the end of our journey. A massive, garage-like structure greeted us as we sped through it. Motorcycles, similar to the one Blake was operating, were parked in tight rows ahead of us. Off to the right, automobiles, the likes of which I deduced were most likely not available to the general public, were parked. So much for being inconspicuous, I thought as I loosened my grip around Blake

  Suddenly, with an expertise that only extreme sports enthusiasts would envy, Blake wheeled the motorcycle sharply, spinning it into a gut wrenching skid. Unable to control myself, I felt a scream escape my lips that continued until we came to rest next to the other cycles. Able to breathe again, I patted my body down to ensure that I was still in one piece. Satisfied with my inspection, I clumsily dismounted the motorcycle, tearing off my helmet in disgust. “Was that really necessary?” I fumed.

  “What?” Blake asked, the annoying smugness returning to his face. I chucked the helmet at him but, to my dismay, he caught it before it could slam into his face. “Temper, temper,” he chided, shaking a finger at me in admonishment. “No one told me there was a little spitfire hidden beneath that beautiful exterior.”

  My teeth gritted together and I was fully aware of the fact that my complexion was turning all shades of crimson. This further prompted Blake to let out a bellowing laugh that echoed off the concrete walls around us.

  “I see you’ve already made a great first impression on your new partner,” a voice sounded from somewhere nearby. “A dress? You made the trip in that dress? Oh boy, you’re one lucky man, Blake.”

  I turned around to see a young man with a boyish appearance that, in high school, I would have likened to being that of a Poindexter type. He reminded me of the times when Chase would take me into the only hobby shop left in town to pacify his comic book interest. Every time I went with him, there would be the same group of guys all sitting at card tables set up in the back, playing games that I wouldn’t have been able to understand if my life had depended on it. Whenever I would walk in, they would all look up simultaneously with a unanimous holy-crap-it’s-a-girl look etched on their faces. That same look was perfectly illustrated on the face before me now. He was skinny, sickeningly so, with unkempt red hair and a shirt that had some sort of lingo I assumed only a true geek would understand.

  “Hello, my dear.” He sauntered over to me, his eyes refusing to leave mine. “My name is Cameron Lake. It’s nice to finally meet you, Celaine. Is that how it’s pronounced?” He extended his hand toward me. I hesitated before finally taking it.

  “Yeah…uh…yeah…that’s right,” I looked over at Blake, who had an almost apologetic expression on his face which made me strangely nervous.

  “I’ve read a lot about you,” Cameron blurted out.

  “Wow…creepy,” I replied.

  Blake howled with laughter. “Yup, that’s Cameron to a tee,” he mused.

  Cameron rolled his eyes and spoke again. “It’s late and you no doubt had a very interesting day to say the least. Follow me. I’ll take you to your room so that you can get settled in.” He turned to walk down a hallway leading out of the garage.

  I looked back at Blake, my eyes ravaged by indecision.

  “Don’t worry, Cameron’s harmless. He won’t bite.”

  Cameron quickly swung around. “Unless, of course, you’re into that sort of thing,” he said with a wink.

  I visibly shuddered, eliciting a snicker from Blake. “Yup, pretty much the same reaction he gets from most women,” he laughed.

  “Shut up, Frank,” Cameron retorted. Blake’s face tensed, letting me know that last comment had hit a nerve with him.

  “What does that mean?” I asked him.

  “Nothing. Just the ignorant words of a jackass.”

  A short distance down the hall, Cameron held his thumb out against a plate adorning yet another steel door. The plate did a quick scan of his thumb w
hich allowed the door to slide open, revealing another hallway comprised of a thinly carpeted floor, fluorescent lighting and the standard concrete walls made more homey by a coat of beige paint.

  “Are we in school?” I asked.

  “Wait until you see your room,” Blake muttered.

  We turned down another hallway containing numerous doors ornamented with name plates. Flashbacks of college dorm life invaded my thoughts at the sight of them. Five doors down, Cameron stopped in front of a door bearing my name.

  “Home sweet home,” he announced. “Hold out one of your thumbs, please.” I held out my hand, allowing Cameron to take my thumb. He placed it onto a plate resembling the one that had granted us access to the maze of hallways. The plate scanned my thumb while Cameron imputed some sort of code on the keypad underneath the plate. Once the code was accepted, the door slid open. “Congratulations. You are now officially in the system,” he said.

  “Great.” I looked down at the freckled hand that still held steadfastly to mine. “I’m assuming that means you can let go of my hand now.”

  Cameron smiled slyly, removing his hand from mine. Blake shot him a dirty look as though chastising him for his inappropriate actions with his newly inducted co-worker.

  “There’s a button on the wall next to the door,” Blake said. “To close the door, you will need to push that button or, after a moment, it will just close on its own.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Well, I hate to leave all this fun and excitement, but I have a long day tomorrow and so do you, Ms. Celaine,” Cameron said. “Goodnight, ladies and gents.”

  I nodded in Cameron’s direction. Blake shook his head turning to me. “We’re not all like…that,” he said, nodding towards Cameron. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s not used to being around women. There was no computer program available to teach him how to talk to them.”