Cage had been furious with her, but he didn’t hurt or punish her. He'd just stormed off without a word. Autumn was dragged back to her bedroom where she was locked away for the rest of the day. She cried herself to sleep that night and didn’t think she would ever enjoy her birthday again. Not as long as she was with Cage.
Autumn sighed as she thought of it and Cage quickly grabbed her chin. He brought her out of her thoughts as he pulled her to look at him. “Be happy, Autumn. You can throw a fit and fight every other day of the year, but today is your day. I had this amusement park specifically set up for you, so enjoy it and have fun with your friend.”
Autumn looked at him curiously, wondering what he meant. Cage took Autumn’s hand once more and they walked to the amusement park entrance. Autumn saw Penna there waiting for her. She had changed her clothes and looked happy to see Autumn. She reached out a hand and Autumn stumbled forward. She wondered if Cage would let her go, and he did.
As she walked over to Penna, she expected Cage to join them. Instead, he lit a cigarette before slowly making his way over to some benches where he could watch. Fredric was already there with Lane and some soda and the three began to chat. Autumn looked at Cage and then to Penna. Then she looked across the park. She really didn’t know what to think.
It had been so long since she’d just been allowed to go somewhere and do what she wanted. For a second Autumn got excited as she looked at the park. She realized there were a lot of things they could do together and that this was actually going to be fun.
However, a moment later she scolded herself. She reminded herself that she was still a captive. A captive at a park, but a captive nonetheless. If she let herself play at this park, if she let herself enjoy the amusement park, she would be telling Cage it was okay to do what he wanted because she would live within his world as he created it. That she would adjust herself to fit his desires.
Autumn turned away from the park and Cage perked up his head. Fredric straightened himself as if he knew there was going to be trouble. Autumn thought about attempting to escape. She thought about just marching up to Cage and telling him take her to the tower, that she would not give in to him. Not now, not ever. But Penna stepped up, taking her hand and squeezing it.
"I'm not going to tell you what you should do here, Autumn." Penna said as she looked at her. "I just want you to ask yourself one thing. When's the last time you had funnel cake?"
Autumn looked at Penna and laughed. She knew what Penna was really trying to tell her. That today was her day. But it really wasn’t. Still, Autumn looked at Penna and how happy she looked. She looked at the amusement park and wondered if any of these people would get paid if she called off her party. She supposed she could hang out of an hour or two. It beat sitting in her bed or her classes all the time. And if Cage wasn’t going to be with her, maybe, just maybe, for a few hours she could forget about him and all this. Maybe she could just be with her friend at the amusement park on her birthday.
Autumn squeezed Penna’s hand and nodded. She turned back around and together they walked forward into the amusement park. Cage let out a sigh as Fredric relaxed. He didn’t want to have to chase her down. Not with all the work they’d put into this.
There was all sorts of music in the amusement park, from rides and various games, to an actual band playing. Autumn didn’t know what she wanted to do first. There must have been hundreds of things Penna and her could do. Each ride and each game had a bodyguard and an operator. Autumn was used to there being lines to anything she wanted to do, but there wasn’t a single line. The entire park was hers to do with as she wanted.
Autumn thought she would tour the park to see what it all offered and then pick something, but when she saw the house of mirrors she couldn’t resist going in. She and Penna both went through and she was able the find her way out before Penna. When she climbed the stairs to the top there were all sorts of fun house mirrors. Penna had a camera and took pictures of them. When they were finished they went down a long twisting slide.
From there, Autumn wanted to go on everything and do everything. She went through three fun houses twice, enjoying the different layouts of each. There was a large slide that reached high into the air. She went down five times. Penna wasn’t much for heights, so she just watched Autumn go down the slide. There was a Ferris wheel that was shorter than the slide. Penna went with her. From the top of it they could see the entire park.
There was a small rollercoaster. Autumn rode twice before going on the bumper cars and bumper boats. When they were done with the bumper boats they were wet and had to dry off, but it was fun. Then they got to play laser tag through the park. Penna ended up winning, but she knew how to use a gun. They went and played some games after that: darts, balls, and whack-a-mole. Every prize Autumn won was packed away with her presents. If there was anything she wanted she could just ask for it and they’d give it to her.
When she got hungry they had some onion rings and funnel cake. She rode on the carousal after that. She took a turn going around on every animal. Penna gave her some medication to take when she got a little sick, but she had so much fun. It was like she was a kid again and for a few hours she actually felt free. After they rode on a pirate ship that made Autumn feel like she could fly, Cage called for Penna and Autumn to come open presents.
Slowly she was brought back down to earth. Autumn didn’t want the fun to end, but she knew it had to some time. Reluctantly she went with Penna to a large group of tables that had been set up. There were dozens of presents, as well as cake and ice cream. Penna was the first to give her a present.
Autumn opened it and saw Penna had gotten her a charm bracelet with different colored bells. She hugged Penna, telling her how much she liked it. Lane gave her a present then. It was a scarf. Autumn thanked her, though she didn’t think Lane was giving it to her as a gift so much as fulfilling a requirement.
Her assumption was reassured as Fredric stepped up next. Autumn knew Fredric didn’t like her, but he handed her a gift anyway. It was a cup and ball. To be fair she didn’t know what to expect from Fredric, but she found his gift to be oddly interesting. She knew it would take her a while to master such a game.
Cage was nearly jumping up and down as he waited for his turn. He rocked back and forth on his heels, smiling when Penna took the ball and cup from her. He quickly stepped up and took Autumn’s hand. He guided her over to a table that was only a few feet away. It was covered with a sheet. Autumn wondered what it could be and Cage pulled her in. He kissed her, lingering a bit before he moved her hand to the sheet. He quickly asked her to lift it.
Autumn lifted the cloth and was surprised to see hundreds of cheeses stacked on a table. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why there were so many. Cage beamed with satisfaction as he boasted, “This isn’t all of it, but I know you like cheeses. So I got you a sample of every known cheese. The rest are at home in storage rooms and freezers. Each cheese is tagged, so if there is any cheese you like just write it down and I‘ll get more of it.”
“Oh.” said Autumn, looking at the table of cheese. She had to admit there were so many of them. It wasn’t a bad gift, just a little surprising that he’d gotten every cheese known. Autumn wondered how long it would take to sample them all. Surely weeks, at least. Maybe months or even years. She sighed then, thinking of being with Cage for years. It had to be one of the most miserable thoughts she’d ever had.
Cage rested his hands on Autumn’s stomach and her stomach groaned. He kissed the back of her neck before whispering in her ear. “There are more gifts. We can open them later, but for now let's get you some cake and ice cream.”
Cage turned Autumn and guided her over to a large cake that took up a whole table. It could have been a wedding cake with all its layers. It had rainbows, clouds, and assorted flowers all over it. Each layer seemed to be a different frosting and cake altogether. There was at least six different vats of ice cream that surrounded the cake table. Autumn had to admit when Cage
went all out, he really went all out.
Several staff dressed in chef’s coats quickly lit candles around the cake. When it was all lit up, Cage took his hands from Autumn’s shoulders. He began to clap and sing. Autumn suddenly took notice that she and the cake were in a center of a large crowd. All of the operators from the amusement park had come over, and the guards were all there along with a bunch of other people Autumn didn’t know. They all began to sing and cheer.
When the song was done, Cage put his hand back on Autumn’s shoulders. He gently rubbed them as she leaned forward. She took a moment to think of her wish and then closed her eyes. She blew several of her candles out. Cage helped blow out a few others and the staff took care of the rest. The crowd clapped and cheered as Cage whirled Autumn around.
He leaned in and gently kissed Autumn’s lips. Thankfully, the kiss was short and sweet. When he pulled away Cage had the biggest smile on his face. For a second it caught Autumn off guard. His eyes almost seemed warm. He said something then, but it was muffled by the sound of gunfire ripping through the air. Autumn wrenched her head around, wondering where it was coming from.
Unopened presents flew through the air, hitting the ground. Something inside one of the boxes shattered as it hit the stone ground. The terrifying sound of automatic gunfire spread across the park. As Autumn registered the noise, she felt a body slam into hers as Cage drove her to the ground. A secondary impact registered a split second later as one of Cage's bodyguards slammed down on top of both of them, followed by another and another.
All around Autumn, party goers and park workers drew firearms. They pulled them from pockets, legs holsters, suit jackets, and waistbands. A flurry of gunfire was unleashed upon the attackers. At the same time, tables that had been set up on the grass were knocked over. People crouched behind them for cover as an all out gun battle unfolded.
From the ground it was hard for Autumn to see much, but somehow she tracked the attacking gunfire to a small group of vehicles speeding past the park. It all happened in a matter of seconds. She was on the floor and then up again as someone bodily lifted her and Cage, throwing them both behind one of the overturned tables that seemed to be bulletproof. Autumn looked around sadly, seeing scattered cheeses and cakes already being mashed into the ground by uncaring feet.
Next to her, Cage regained his feet and drew a handgun from under his suit jacket. He was speaking even as he was firing, but she couldn't register his words. Sparks flew like rain from the cars as they sped past. One of them careened wildly and swerved into a parked car. The rest of them sped off into the city streets. Cage was still talking, but everything sounded muted to Autumn, muffled somehow.
In the next moment, people were being carried off, most dripping blood. Others simply seemed to disappear. Some chairs and tables were quickly folded up and carried off. About half the party goers were gone, along with the seating arrangements for them. With a sudden pop, the world resumed normal speed for Autumn. She could hear sirens in the distance, and people shouting to one another. Cage's voice rang out over the rest.
"Double check the chair count! We don't want any questions about the seating! No, put Tom down! He's clean. The ambulance will be here for him, and everyone else with a clean record, in just a minute! Everyone else, get out of here! Carry those who can't walk. I don't want anyone with a record still here in thirty seconds! Go!"
He looked down at Autumn. "You back with us?" She nodded weakly at him.
"Good. The cops are going to be here in just a minute. Don't say a damn thing. Just keep your head down and your mouth shut. We'll be out of here in no time."
Cage left her then, dispensing orders more quietly now. Some men ran over to the crashed car, and started rummaging around in it. As the police sirens drew closer, they finished whatever they were doing and returned to the park.
Police filled the area as at least a dozen cop cars showed up. Nearly everyone put their hands up as the police attempted to figure out what was going on. The next few minutes were confusing for Autumn, as she tried to sort out what had happened. She kept finding herself walking back to the spilled cheeses and pastries. She tried to pick them back up. She realized she was probably in shock, but she didn't know what else to do.
Meanwhile, Cage talked to the police about what had just happened. Autumn noticed the detectives Stills and Carter. For a moment Autumn paused in picking up her cheese. They were having a heated conversation with Cage as ambulances showed up. She couldn't hear what Cage was saying, but in the end both detectives nodded and neither one stopped him when he turned away from them. Cage looked around the area before he started walking back to her.
He stopped a few feet away from her and watched her as she went back to picking up cheeses. She was brushing them off, and setting them back down on the table.
After a few minutes he stepped up to her, gently wrapping his arms around her. He stopped her from moving, taking what cheese she had in her arms. He let them drop to the ground and said, "It's ok, Autumn. I'll get you more cheese. You don't need to save these. Everything's going to be fine. They're not going to hold us for questioning right now." He paused as one of the men he'd sent to rummage through the wreck approached him.
"Hey boss, we didn't find a whole lot. Got some names. Took their pictures. Four bodies. They all had these on them." He held up a small cloth patch. Three interlocking triangles were sewn into the fabric. "We'll run the licenses and see what we can find out."
"Don't bother. I recognize the symbol." Cage rolled his shoulders in irritation. The symbol belonged to the mercenary group that had taken Autumn earlier. They were known as the Trigauz. He'd recently killed most of their members when they'd made the mistake of taking what was his. He looked at Autumn as she stared down at the cheeses on the ground. She attempted to pick them up again but he held her.
This time, he'd make sure they were wiped out. He’d send out orders to exterminate the surviving members of the group, along with their families and any known groups that worked with them. If any survivors hadn't learned their lesson the first time they wouldn't get a second chance.
Cage took Autumn's hand and pulled her to move with him. "Come on, it's time to go." He looked over across the park once more and then ordered some men to gather up all the presents and bring them to his office. Cage pulled Autumn through the park and Fredric met them with the car. When they got in, Cage squeezed Autumn’s hand tightly before saying, “We’ll finish opening your presents at home.”
Autumn didn’t say anything. She just stared forward, feeling numb. The ride home was quiet and at one point Autumn began to shake. Cage took off his jacket and pulled it around her. Autumn swore she could still hear gunfire as she thought of all the blood. She knew there would always be blood as long as Cage was involved. Everywhere he went there was death. And on what should have been a decent day, considering her situation, he had smeared his darkness once more.
When they got to the tower, Cage lifted Autumn up. He carried her all the way to his office before setting her down on his leather couch. He got her some medication from his desk along with some water. She took it without really thinking and for a few hours she just sat on his couch as he made calls.
At one point Penna came in and Cage ordered her to clean Autumn up. She got a towel and some water, washing Autumn's face and skin. She put some bandages on some cuts Autumn had gotten from being slammed into the ground. Penna didn’t look as distraught or as upset as Autumn was, but Autumn supposed she was used to this kind of thing. After seeing her fiancée shot in front of her, Autumn thought she should be used to it too. But she wasn’t. She didn’t think she’d ever be.
Penna sat with Autumn for a few minutes, attempting to talk to her. She ran her hands through her hair and said, “I’m sorry your party was ruined.”
Autumn finally spoke and said quietly, “It’s okay.” She looked to Cage as she added, “It’s not your fault, Penna.”
Several minutes passed as guards came and wen
t, dropping off presents within the room. They covered the tables, chairs, and the floor. There were so many. Many more than she had seen at the park. But she didn’t want any of them.
When Cage got off the phone, he straightened his suit and fixed his hair. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. He smoked as he looked at Autumn and Penna. He looked around the room before reaching into his suit jacket. He pulled out a large envelope and called for Penna to come over. Without hesitation she went to him. He handed her the envelope and said, “Take this and leave us.”
“Yes sir.” said Penna as she took the envelope that had her name on it. She looked to Autumn for a second as she left. Alone with Cage, Autumn sat in silence. For several long minutes neither of them spoke. Cage smoked his cigarette until barely any of it was left. Then he looked at Autumn’s presents before asking, “Would you like to finish opening your presents?”
“No.” said Autumn, crossing her arms. She didn’t want to be near him right now, but she knew she couldn’t leave until he told her she could.
Cage sighed before he scratched the back of his neck. He thought for a moment before he said, “Well, at least this year you got to make your wish.”
Autumn didn’t know if that was supposed to be a joke or what. She scoffed at him saying, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never get it.”
“Really? What is it?”
“You know what it is.”
“Freedom again.” sighed Cage, playing with his ring. “I thought we put this to rest with the garden, Autumn. None of us are free. All of us have our stations in life, and rules we have to abide by. It's how you view things that makes you free or not.”
“I understand that.” said Autumn. “I didn’t wish for my freedom. I just wished I was free of you.”
Cage clenched his jaw and turned his hands into fists. His face twisted in anger, becoming a frightening mask. “After all I’ve done for you, you still make me out to be the villain!”
Kept (Bound Book 1) Page 9