Chapter 18 ~ Isabella
Anna holds on to my waist as we make our way down to the basement to the storage unit.
The tears won’t stop. I’m so happy and empty at the same time.
I know I’m not exactly free, but I’m no longer under his roof, waiting on pins and needles every moment for him to come bursting into my room, freaking out over something I did or didn’t do.
We make it to the basement, and Anna opens the door to the archive unit.
“Shhh, love. It’s okay now.” I hiccup a few more times and wipe my nose on my sleeves.
“Okay, don’t get too excited. I had little time to set this up. Think of it as the worst dorm room you’ve ever seen in your life.” She keeps going forward through the rows and rows of shelving units.
She turns, and there’s the door to the old storage vault. It was basically a vast office with crappy carpet, but it has solid walls and no windows. It’s perfect.
A large picture leans in front of the door. A huge lock sits above the door handle. She reaches for the handle and the whole thing pulls open; the picture comes with the door.
I bend over and look down. The picture is just barely off the floor. I look back up at her and mouth, “You are brilliant.”
“I know. I’m a genius.” She flips her imaginary long hair over her shoulder.
“I screwed the picture to the door, so it just looks like it’s leaning up against it.
I thought it would deter anyone from thinking there was anything in the room.
It locks from the inside. That way, you don’t have to worry about a key or anybody coming to pull the door open. ”
She pulls the door wide, and I step in. Anna continues with her tour.
“We both know this room hasn’t been used in forever.” She reaches to the side and flicks on the light.
It’s the best thing I’ve seen in weeks. She has a blow-up mattress in the corner, set up with a comforter and a few pillows, and a reading lamp set beside it.
A small table is set with a single-serve Keurig machine, a toaster and sugar.
She cleared the top shelf above to put the necessities I would need.
Bread, jam, peanut butter, coffee, and powdered creamer. A chair is off to one side. She even has a little heater in the far corner because it’s in the basement and it gets chilly, plus the room is temperature controlled.
There’s a little rack that I can hang clothes on with some wire hangers dangling off of it. It’s the best thing I’ve seen in days.
I pulled her close and hug her tight. I leaned back and look at her eyes and mouth ‘Thank you.’
Anna’s eyebrows pinch together, and she looks at me.
“Why can’t you talk? And why are you so fluffy?” She squeezes my shoulders and pats my bum.
“Are you all like, double-layered in your clothes?”
I nod and then pull my sweater down to show her my bruised throat and the reason I can’t talk right now. Her eyes go wide, her face flushes, and she goes crazy.
“I am going to kick his ass. What the fuck was he thinking? Is he going crazy?” She is yelling and pointing at me and pacing the room. I grab at her and press my finger to my lips, Shhhh. She pulls out of my grasp and continues to pace the room back and forth, then she stops and points at me.
“When you texted and said 911 imminent death, I kind of took that as, yeah, okay, I got to get her out’a there. I didn’t know he was actually trying to kill you. What the fuck is wrong with him?”
I make a sign with my hand like I’m writing. She looks around the room and digs into a box on a shelf. She finds a pen and brings the cardboard box.
“I don’t have anything else. I’ll have to go back upstairs to get you a notepad and a pen. Sorry, I didn’t know you couldn’t talk. I swear to God, if he shows his face here, I’m going to punch him in the throat.”
I laugh and grab the pen and the box from her and write a quick note.
I don’t know what happened, Anna. He came into my room yesterday morning, saying I had signed my death warrant.
He had papers in his hand. I don’t know what they are for.
But he was furious. I’m not making excuses for him, but he thinks I’m trying to kill his father.
And he blamed my dad, saying we were in league together.
I don’t know what he’s talking about. He was protecting his father, and there is no excuse for this, but Alexander acts before he thinks.
“Is he crazy? Does he need medication? Why would you try to kill his dad? And don’t make excuses for him. He should not have choked you like that. Yell, yeah, but take it to this extreme. Fuck it. Next time I see him, I’m just going to punch him in the throat. See how he likes it?”
I take the pen back from her, and she hands me the box.
This has something to do with my father. He claims that my father only made me marry him to kill his father and take his seat. I don’t know what’s happening. And I don’t understand any of it. All I know is that I have to get away. I can’t stay here anymore.
Anna pulls me in for a quick hug and then holds me by the shoulders.
“Oh, we’re getting your ass out of here. Helen should have everything ready soon. I’ll go see her tomorrow since I’ll be watched like a hawk now. But first, we’re going to be like a couple of little ferrets and steal things. We’re going to go shopping in the museum... let’s see.”
She surveys the room and says, “You need a mini fridge, a laptop from IT, and some books.” She looks back at me and smiles. “How long do you think we have before they figure you’re gone and come busting down my door? Because they will know I stole you using that crate.”
She bites her lip and smiles wide, hunching her shoulders as if this is the best thing in the world.
I write on the box and show her.
I love you, but you scare me sometimes. This is serious. You know they’re going to kill us, right? You know, not the, oh you’re in trouble kind of kill you, like we both get bullets.
Anna turns to look at me, the smile disappearing from her face.
“I know this is serious, Isabella. And I know I put a target on my back by doing this. But you’re my best friend, and he’s an asshole. I can take care of myself. Besides, let them come; they won’t find you. I promise.”
I believe her. If anyone could save me and get me out of here, it would be her and Helen. I write on the box and hand it to her again.
Okay, let’s go shopping. This place is full of stuff just lying around in dusty corners. But first, I need to take off all these clothes. I have every pair of underwear that I own on me.
“See, you’re so smart. I’m rubbing off on you. I’ll step out, you change and throw everything in that box, and then we’re going to go shopping. Let’s go make this the best shittest dorm room ever.”
And that’s what we do. We spent the next few hours stealing from here and there pictures to hang on the wall and an assortment of books for me to read.
Anna even stole a hot plate from the chem lab.
We hook up an old landline phone so she can call me from the lab in case anything happens.
It surprised me that it even worked. We have not used this room for storage in ages.
I’ll be stuck in my room mostly during the day because people will work and come in and out.
But in the evenings, I’ll be able to meander around in certain areas without being caught by security.
She somehow managed to get herself a second tag, so if I needed to go anywhere, I could just use her tag to get through security areas.
Professor Daniels has already canceled my credentials and using my tag would raise suspicions.
I’m in my room hanging up a picture. When Anna comes around the corner with her giant duffle bag, I smile at her, and she hands me a notepad and a pen out of her purse.
Anna puts her hands on her hips and looks around my makeshift dorm, and smiles.
“God, I might just move in here. This is looking great.” We high five each other.
“I got you a present,” she says. She bends over and digs in her purse and pulls out a night-light.
“I know you hate the dark. It’s going to be dark down here after we close. I brought you a flashlight, so you can make your way to the washroom.” She pulls out some milk, a few sandwiches, and a few chocolate bars, shoving them in the little fridge.
“I raided the vending machine. Sorry, it’s not soup, but at least it’s something.
But for tonight, I’d stay hidden. Alexander will need a card to get into this area, but Sebastian is a crafty fucker, and if anyone could get in here, it would be him.
Besides, the museum doesn’t close till after eight, so they might come snooping around. ”
I write.
I can’t thank you enough for risking this for me, Anna.
I owe you my life. Without you, I’d still be stuck in that room waiting to die.
He will kill me. I’m sure of it this time.
If what he said is true, the organization will not let this go unpunished.
Whatever those papers are, you can’t steal and threaten a high-ranking member and not suffer the consequences.
She reads it and looks up at me.
“They won’t find you, not now or ever. If Danny was a douchebag and was doing the exact same thing to me, you wouldn’t risk your life to get me out of there?”
I give the box back to her and she reads it.
Of course, I would.
“Then don’t worry about it. I want you to be safe and happy. To have the life that you deserve, not one that is dictated to you by Mr. Asshole.”
I hug her tightly and kiss her cheek.