Kanya was jostled out of a restless sleep by the honk of a car horn out the right window of the cab. As she came too she was assaulted by the acrid smell of cigar smoke. She sat up from her slouched position and straightened her now crumpled jeans and button down shirt and noticed that they weren't in the city anymore. They were traveling along a country road that didn't appear to be heavily traveled. What she had assumed in half wakefulness to be a car horn was actually the call of some bird that she'd never seen before. She cursed herself for sleeping for so long. She couldn't afford to trust anyone at this point and here she was sleeping with a complete stranger determining her destination. At some point, she now noticed, she'd been transfered to a different vehicle, this one by no means a cab. As well, her traveling companion appeared to have run off on her. She was now sitting on a leather seat. Her surroundings reminded her of being in her father's island mansion. The thick black leather appeared to be heated, unless she was running on warm and the wine bar was stocked abundantly with cognac and crystal, a pricey collection. Apparently she'd been left to fend for herself. Or maybe not.
"Hello, is someone up there?" She knocked on the window separating her and her driver. A tiny crack was allowing clouds of smoke to fill the space she now occupied.
"Hello," she insisted, this time a little louder and with a little more attitude. She was really beginning to get frustrated.
"We'll be arriving shortly. Don't worry." This came from none other than Opey.
"Hey, uhh, arriving where? I don't remember talking about where we were going in the first place...Mr." She stopped herself before calling the man Opey to his face, or at least to the glass. He still hadn't lowered the glass partition.
"We didn't discuss our destination, however, given the circumstances I thought it prudent on my part to get us out of harms way to someplace that might offer refuge for the night. I had hoped you would be rested and ready to discuss our next course of action once we arrived."
"That's all fine and dandy, but where are we going? And what is your name? I'm sure you don't care to hear my nickname for you and if we're going to be stuck together for the night, I should at least know your name."
He was silent for so long she though he might not answer her question, then the glass began to lower and she was met by two sets of eyes staring her down from the front seat. The sight of Opey's friend made her nervous. They were not supposed to be here. All she'd wanted was a quiet escape to a beautiful island and warm weather. She was beginning to wonder it she'd ever get her simple life with no criminals and no father to mess everything up.
"My name is Justin and I'd be obliged if you'd tell me yours as well." He sat silently, she guessed he was waiting for her name so she decided to cooperate, he was being polite after all. Her cooperation, however, was only partial.
"My name is Abby," She lied. No need to give too much information. She was running from some pretty powerful people and the last thing she needed was some goof telling the wrong person where she was. The sooner she could get rid of him the better.
"So, now that we're on a first name basis, would you mind telling me where we're going?" She bemoaned.
"No need," he replied. "We've arrived."
She was shocked by her surroundings. While she'd been focused on Opey, or Justin as it was now, and eyes, also the possessor the cigar that had choked the air from her lungs, they'd driven up from the south and were now emerging at the top of a hill where the road turned into a drive.
"This must be an orchard." She thought to herself. With the sun setting over the far mountains to the west and the radiant collage of color to the east she thought she'd never seen a more glorious sunset. And that was only the beginning. The road they were now traversing wound down into the valley with the trees lining both sides in full bloom.
The blooms, a bright pink and white, were littered over the entire road in a burst of color. The limbs of the trees were so thick with flowers that you couldn't see beyond the next bend. The air smelled of blossoms and apples and had a crisp touch that refreshed her parched lungs of the fresh air they desperately needed. As they continued along she was able to see a house ahead some distance, or better described, a mansion that looked to be old and in shambles.
However, the huge structure was both formidable and elegant at the same time. It must have been quite a sight in past years. As they pulled into the circle drive in front of the house and came to a stop, Kanya noticed another suv tucked away to the side of a detached garage.
The idea of anyone else seeing her made her nervous and for some reason she couldn't shake a feeling of dread overtaking her. As beautiful and peaceful as this place was, something didn't feel right and she didn't like the idea of waiting around to find out why.
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