Trapped (6 page)

I
did
n’
t
know exactly
what parts of this
nightmare I haven’t been told
yet, but
Carlos would
fill me in
soon
. Although
I couldn’t help but wonder w
hat more
he
possibly
had to
tell me
?
I
nodded as I
quickly walked past the doo
rman. I was in no mood to chitchat with
him.
I heard him shout something about having a good evenin
g. I just waved and kept going.

The evening air
was
hed over me, feeling
warmer than I thought it would be.
I felt embraced by the mugginess
. I walked quickly, not looking
too
far
ahead
. I
tried to keep
my head down. I haven’t been in the city alone
at night in a
long time and now
that
I kno
w w
hat
’s
out
here looking for me
, I felt
even
more vulnerable than before
. I
didn’t need
a confrontation yet
,
I had to talk to Carlos
first
. I needed his support and encouragement. I needed his advice.

I opened the door of th
e coffee shop and walked in. I glanced from empty table to empty table till I came across someone, but it turned out to be just an older man reading a newspaper.
I scanned
the table
s
again until I saw a
man with a fedora
si
t
ting
by the window
. He had
his
back to me
but I assumed it had to be him
. There didn’t seem to be anyone else here.
Why is he
hidin
g from the door when he
knows I’m
coming to meet
him?
I slowly walked towards him. Just as I reached the table
he turned to look up at me.

“Hi Natalie, please sit,
”
he ordered, h
is expression seemed
grim.

“Carlos. I am so happy to see you, but
you’re
making me nervous. What’s going on?”
I as
ked as I sat down opposite him.

“I’m sorry but I don’t feel safe in the city. I can’t be recognized. I have made a few enemies
here
a few
years ago
with some spirits
that didn’t agree with my capturing methods. I
am also concerned about you being out. I know you are strong and have been trained well but I don’t think you know
exactly what’s going on.
Hayden refuses to
tell you
everything
,
”
he sighed as h
e reached
across the table
and grabbed my hand
s
.

“What else is going on?”
I demanded.

“Tell me what you
know
so far
?”

“I know that my mother was
captured
mistakenly and that my brother visited
me
at the beach house. I have recently been
informed that
my father is still out there evading Hayden and the other Seekers he has
been hunting
with. I
also
know th
at
my
father
is looking for me and
that
it is up to me
to catch him. Is there more?”
I really didn’t think there
possibly
could be
as I sat there staring at him
.

“Yes,
”
he answered
, a little
too quickly.
He stared
back
a
t me. Carlos seemed
different, he h
as cha
nged somehow. I hoped it wasn’t
entir
ely
my
fault.

“Tell me what is going on?”
I demanded, losing my patience.

“There seems to be a resurgence of spirits,
it’s
like
more of them
have learned how to stay
here after their death
and
they are learning
how to evade
us. I
don’t know if it is just a phase
and things will go back to normal or
if it will continue
. If it does then we will ha
ve no choice but to recruit more
Seekers. You have been the first recruit in
many
years. Believe me, we were very happy to have you but recruiting more always puts us in danger of being discovered.
Hayden knew you, but having to r
ecruit strangers is frightening, but
here, in this city there is an uprising
and we may have no choice
.
Natalie, there’s more,” he sighed as he stared into my eyes. I nodded for him to continue, not breaking his gaze fro
m me.

“
Your father h
as put together a team
, similar to what Adam had done
. They have been
sent out at night
to look for you. Hayden has been desperately trying to keep you home, in t
he safety of his apartment.
As you know, s
pirits are
not
allowed to enter his building. Some of them have been spotted in the parking garage though.
I
wanted to take you out tonight to go hunting but I am afraid
to
now Nat. I know you were looking forward to having some fun but I can’t do it. I can’t put you in
so much
danger. I am sorry Natalie, I really am. I have to go. I’ll walk you back to your building.”
He stood and held his hand out for mine.

“No thank you. I can manage myself. You have no idea how disappointed I am
Carlos
. I really didn’t think you would start talking like Hayden. I
can capture him
and you know it
. I can end this
insanity. I am not weak,
”
I almost shouted.

“I know you’re
not
weak Natalie
but
we don’t know exactly what we are
dealing with. Clive doesn’t want you out there either. I am sorry Natalie, but pleas
e try and understand. You are still
naïve to the power of these spirits. They can and will hurt you. You are too spec
ial to us
, to me,
t
o
put you in
so much
dan
ger,” he said, trying to reason with me
.

“That is sweet, really, but I am not going to go home and hide under the bed. I won’t. I know tha
t he will not stop until he finds me, so why not end this?
” I stood up and walked toward the front door. Carlos grabbed my hand and swung me back towards him. He covered my head with his arms. I struggled to get away.

“Please sto
p. Don’t go
outside. They’re out there
, a lot of
them
have gathered
.
T
hey are going to
report back
to him
. We’ll
have to wait
here. Please, Natalie
t
his is not a training lesson.”

“
Thank you Carlos, I am well aware
of that
. Do you think I care if they report back
to him
? I
actually
want them to
o
. I need to have him come to me. I will capture him here
if I have to
. He will find me. He has to
o
.
He is tormented everyday by what he has done. He wants it to end. He wants me to release
him from this world and
he wants his
pain to end. I am the only one that can
do that. Don’t you understand
this
?
There is no way I’m
going to back down
from this
tonight
,” I told him.
Carlos
continued to
stare
at me
, not saying a word
. I could see the fear in his eyes.
But
I cou
ld also see the resolve. He understood
that everything I said
was
t
rue
.

“Natalie, I will not put you in danger. The first sign of it, I swear I will pick you up and carry you home
myself. Kicking and screaming
if I have too
,
”
he tried to sound serious.
I smiled and kissed his cheek
.

I walked out of the empt
y coffee shop, back into the muggy and dense air
. I looked around the shops for signs of them. I sensed a few of
them a few blocks down
. I took a deep breath
and walked towards them. As I d
rew closer I sa
w them turn slowly. I believe I startled them.

“Go ahead and tell hi
m where I am. I will be waiting,
”
I whispered, as I stared at them. They didn’t blink. They seemed
shocked by my boldness.
I waved them off
and turned to go. I could hear
the air swirl as the
y disappeared down the street.
I
didn’t have much time. H
e would be here soon. I paced the
sidewalk. Carlos waited
just a block
away. I told him it would be better this way. He
didn’t like it but he obeyed
.
A
f
ter a few minutes I stopped pac
ing. I heard the wind
change
again, l
ouder this
time. There
were more tha
n just the two of them
now
. I just didn’t know how many until I turned around. I heard Ca
rlos shout
ing
my name
. I remained calm and
u
naffect
ed by my father’s
show of power.
H
e had intimidated people into doing what he wanted
when
he lived
. Why wouldn’t he do that to the dead
as well
? I stood tall and unblinking, unsmiling and emotionless. I would not give him the sa
tisfaction of seeing me scared.

“Hello father. What do you want with me?”
I asked.

“Natalie, I
need
to tell you that I
am
very sorry. I need
to apologize
to you and John
for the
acci
dent
. I hope you can forgive me someday,” he explained. I wanted to laugh
,
as if I
would ever forgive him for the
accident
.

“Why are y
ou here? I live here
. I need you to
go away!” I demanded
.

“I can’t. I have to stay here, b
esides these people need me. I need you
too. Luke is after me. Y
ou
need
to talk to him. I know you are a Seeker
now. Y
ou can get rid of Luke
for me
.
Once you do that I will move on. I will disappear out of your life,
but until then you will
have to
stay
with us,
”
as he said this I felt cold hands grab
a hold of
me
. I tried to scream but one of the han
ds covered
my mouth. I could feel
my body
being
lifted and carried away.

I loo
ked around the streets but they were e
mpty, not a single living soul appeared before me
. With impressive
speed they flew down allies and around buildings.
  Carlos must have
gone to tell Hayden and th
e others
what happened
. H
e would not have
been able to help me
alone, there were too many of them.
I grimaced at the thought of how
upset
Hayden will
be
with me
once he finds out
. I had a feeling he may
not to
o
far away
though
. I
think he knew somehow that I would
need him tonight. I remembered the look he
gave me as he left, like h
e didn’t want to leave
me. That’s when it hit me. I am
the bait. Carlos and
Hayden were working together
tonight
.
They
both
knew I would be
the only
one that could
get him
to come
out of hiding.
Wh
en a
re they going to ambush him
? “I’m
ready
now,
anytime
would be great
guys,” I whispered
. I wanted to shout their names but I had a cloth wrapped t
ightly around my mouth
now
.