I'll Take You Away From Him

Chapter 13

“Could you wait here for a moment, please?” I ask the driver as I pay him in cash.

I have to scrape together nearly everything. Silly me, why didn’t I have the habit of withdrawing money in advance?

“Until I get a new order. I can't stay longer,” he replies.

“Okay,” I agreed, having no other choice.

I get out of the car, slowly walk towards the building, looking around. Not a soul in sight. I don’t understand how Yasmin could end up here?

I clutch my phone tightly in my hand and nearly jump in fright when it starts vibrating, followed by a loud ringtone.

Will.

I answer the call immediately, feeling ecstatic that he called me, and I walk more confidently toward the building.

“Where are you? What happened?” he asks without preamble, probably having read my message.

“I… I don't know for sure where I am,” I look around, confused again. “My friend texted me that she needs help. She sent a location, and there's some abandoned construction site here. I don't understand anything,” I frown, directing my words more to myself than to Will.

A few seconds of silence pass in the receiver, and I start to think that Will has hung up, having figured out what he wanted. Just then, he nearly growls into the phone:

“Send me the address immediately. And get out of there!”

“Okay, okay,” I replied, flustered, and sent Will the location. His tone scares me a bit, but I still say, “But I can't leave, Will. Yasmin wouldn’t text me just like that. Something must have happened.”

I freeze in front of the entrance to the building, which is the destination, and look around, hearing the roar of an engine behind me. The taxi has already left.

Well, now I definitely cannot leave right now.

Though I wouldn’t be able to anyway, I have no money for the way back. At least not for a taxi. And it would be shameful to flee, terrified for no reason when my friend needs help, my conscience won’t allow it. What could possibly happen to me?

“Are you there with anyone or did you go alone?” he asks more calmly now.

“Alone…”

“Aura, damn!” His worry transmits to me, driving me into an increasingly anxious state.

“Please don’t yell at me. You’re scaring me. The taxi has already left. I’ll take a look at what’s going on, and…”

“I’m already on my way,” he interrupts me. “Don’t go anywhere, stay in a visible spot. And don’t turn off your phone.”

“Okay,” I mutter into the receiver.

Why is he so nervous? I’m a bit surprised by his behavior. Is he really that worried?

Hearing footsteps a moment later, I look around in fear. A man is quickly approaching me.

“Miss, you can’t be here,” he says as he gets closer. I breathe a sigh of relief, realizing that he’s just a security guard.

Great! He’ll help me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I reply, pulling my phone away from my ear and putting it in my pocket. The man who approached looks very displeased, but I smile slightly to soften things and continue, “Maybe you can help me? Something happened to my friend, and she asked me to come. The navigator led me here,” I nod toward the building. “Could you please let me go in and check if she accidentally got lost?”

The man raises his eyebrows in surprise. Well, yes, it certainly doesn’t sound very convincing. But I don’t see the point in coming up with something more plausible.

“Ah, your friend,” he says with a laugh. “And how often does your friend wander around construction sites?” he scoffs.

I just open my mouth, but I don’t know what to say. But I didn't even have a chance to as he continued a moment later:

“Alright, go ahead. Just pretend you didn’t see me, and I didn’t see you. And don’t trip and fall somewhere, so that I don’t have to search for you too. You’ll sneak in anyway, even if I forbid you,” he grumbles and waves his hand, turning away and walking off, continuing to mumble to himself. “These stalkers… There’s no getting rid of them, always searching for adventures for their asses. And don’t leave any condoms around!” he shouts back, nearly making me choke on the air.

Strange man. Anyway, the main thing is that he let me in.

Pleased with the guard's willingness to cooperate, I walk into the building, shutting the doors made of old, creaky boards behind me.

The windows are mostly boarded up too, making it very hard to see anything. After stepping a few paces away, I remembered my phone. I need the flashlight or I’ll definitely crack my head open.

But as soon as I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, it does not slip from my hand by itself. And with that a large hand covers my face, cutting off my breath. I find myself pressed against someone’s body, catching a glimpse of my phone flying somewhere to the side and hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Although I twitch with all my might, panicked and not understanding anything, desperately hoping this is some silly prank, I am held tightly. It takes me a moment to realize that not only am I being held, but during my desperate struggle I’m also being shoved somewhere.

My head starts spinning from a lack of air, my strength fading, yet only fear pushes me to keep fighting.

After an interminable few moments that seem to stretch into eternity, the hand disappears from my face. But before I can take a breath to scream for help, I’m released and suddenly pushed in my back.

I go flying downwards, painfully catching something with my shoulder, but I keep falling, releasing a hoarse gasp instead of a scream.

In the fraction of a seconds during my fall, I manage to say goodbye to life before my descent suddenly comes to an end.