The horns and cars could be heard in the streets below. It was a regular Monday morning for Layla. She stretches wholly in the bed she had called her castle of slumber for the past month while she stayed in New York City with her boyfriend. She thought of him less as a boyfriend and more of a wad of credit cards during this season. She had been with Will for years, but in the midst of the American holidays she had come to love. He had a reserved spot in the back of her mind. She knew it wasn’t fair on him, but the amount of trouble that he put her through the last time they went through U.S. customs; she felt the need to express the fondness for shopping, especially with money that was only partially hers. Will was a smuggler for rare artifacts and items so strange that even looking at them sent a steady flow of vomit from the mouths of weak-stomached men and women that were unlucky enough to be searching their luggage. She rolled over to see Will was still fast asleep with his arms tightly coiled around the notebook he coveted since before they met.
She watched the light stream in through the curtains at the far side of their penthouse hotel room. It was luxury at its finest as far as she had come to experience. She rose from the bed, careful not to disturb the man who slept for 12 or more hours without so much as stumbling to the bathroom as a night of drinking with the rest of their crew. Walking to the kitchen wasn’t so much as a chore, but not waking the rest of the guys and her sister, Terra, was a challenging one to say the least. ‘Of course they are all drunk’ she thought to herself. Stepping lightly around the discarded beer cans and a near record amount of cheap plastic bottles of vodka. It would be a record if they were empty, but as usual they passed out way before even reaching halfway. She poured herself a glass of whatever was in the fridge, she assumed it was cold coffee. Luckily enough it was black tea. The premade junk she normally passed up on in the grocery store. It didn’t matter as everything else was either alcoholic or spoiled beyond safety. She made her way to the private balcony that she was adamant about having for their return. She felt the chill of the morning breeze rush across her skin. She felt at home, even if the real thing was four thousand some odd miles away from him. Sitting at the point of America in Alaska. Layla tightened her robe which she never left her room without.
“Good morning Layla.” a voice called to her from the other side of the balcony. The sweetness in the voice was homely, but the sudden interruption of the breeze startled her.
“Hey Mike.” She replied. She brushed her hair down with fingers as a comb. She knew it was a mess, but something was better than nothing.
“Sorry,” he said with a smile. “Did I miss the party last night?”
“No… no party last night. They just went out to celebrate and came back completely wasted. I have been taking some new meds since the last time you guys were here.” She took a seat next to Mike and cupped her tea with both hands.
“Do you mind if I ask why?” Layla heard the concern and shot it down with reassurance.
“Nothing bad, I just had some trouble sleeping for a while now. After my last trip with Will, I've just been a little paranoid. I know some of the things are illegal, but the thought of getting caught for the smallest thing is… terrifying.” Mike reached out to touch Layla’s arm. The touch was so warm and the feeling of her best friend being home safe was comforting. Feeling relieved with just a touch, she sighed and gave a small smirk.
“I know how you feel, but we have plenty of people willing to pull enough strings to get anyone out of anything. Trust me, we will be fine.” Mike looked deep into her eyes and her gaze sunk into his. “I trust you.” she says wholeheartedly.
A few hours passed with what felt like minutes. The coolness of the breeze began to warm itself in the sun and the conversations between the two warmed the hearts of them both. It had only been a month since they were last together, but the stories they told were both chilling and laughable, filling the gap that felt like years away from each other. The crew woke up shortly after noon along with Will. Now dressed in street clothes, he carried a duffle bag with all of the items that would surely make the possible lifetimes in prison worth it.
“You guys coming? We have a few hours till the drop, but let's get a head start.” Layla placed her empty cup into the hands of Will. He tossed into the sink from across the room, it clattered for a few moments, but ultimately his throw was good for once. Layla was the maid for this place while she wasn’t on the road and what he did some days made that job feel like a labor camp designed for the loyalty of a slave. It was the least she could do after he saved her, but in the fury of a night of drinking by herself. She wished she had taken the fall, at least that had dignity.
Layla threw on a pair of jeans and a top which was her fathers. She savored the memories tied to the stained and faded shirt, it made her feel safe. Tucking in the edges and slipping on the jacket that Will picked out for her the week before. They took to the street. The rest of the crew stayed behind as many suffered from what both an experienced doctor and an amateur nurse would call minor alcohol poisoning. Will, Mike, and Layla first stopped for food while Terra slipped into the department store. Clothes were always on her mind and when we would sit out of the “hunt” in the deep of winter, her cascade of bags would be the first thing we ransacked when we got to Mike and Will’s place. Layla looked forward to this, but she hoped she would be able to go home for the first time in years. They wasted time in each and every way that they could find. From ax throwing in a warehouse long past its use to begging to see the top of the empire state building for the 10th time and Will giving in to it. Terra didn’t find herself close to Layla, but she did find the comfort of having a family member worth it. Terra was older than Layla by about 5 years and knew that Layla was only her half sister after all. Their interests kept their teeth and nails from digging into each other at every available moment, but when they were alone the storm within both calmed substantially. Will and Mike waited on the streets below as both had developed a fear of heights early in their life. Layla and Terra felt the tug to have a conversation, but neither would budge until one apologized.
They gazed out from the observation deck, the clouds parted hours ago, but still could be seen at the edges of the horizon. Layla turned to Terra. She wasn’t eager to apologize, but knew it was necessary. Before Layla could swallow the lump in her throat, Terra said without turning.
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m the one to blame little sis.” Layla was shocked. The lump disappeared, but it was replaced with the lack of words in her mind. The record completely jumped off the track and now only silence fell from her mouth.
“I know I was in the wrong and to chastise you for wanting to feel safe by being left out was the wrong move. I’m sorry. That trip must have messed with you more than I thought. I looked through your drawers when you were asleep.” She finally turned towards Layla and embraced her, hard enough to pop her upper spine. Layla exhaled rapidly as this happened, it always caught her off guard. Terra let go of Layla, allowing her to breathe. Layla raised her eyes to lock with Terra’s. Tears welled up for a second, but were wiped away when Layla went in for another hug. Their height difference was apparent as Layla buried her face below Terra's sternum. They stood there for a few moments, Terra’s hand running through Layla’s dark chocolate hair.
“Before we go back down to the guys, I have something to tell you.” Layla pulled her face away and gazed up into the gentle blue eyes of her older sister.
“I’m pregnant.” She announced with the widest grin Layla had ever seen. Excitement filled her body and she started jumping in place with Layla. Finally having the courage to speak, Layla asked.
“Who’s the Father?”
“Mike. We were stuck in Cairo, waiting for our flight. The trip didn’t make sense at the time, but you know how it is with him. If you aren’t paying for the trip, treat it like a vacation and with wine it was a match I couldn't refuse. I know you like him, but I have known him longer.” Layla felt the color leave her face. She couldn’t deny what she said was true. She forced her happiest smile, but inside a pit was forming in the depths of her stomach.
“I’m so happy for you, have you told him yet?” Layla asked.
“No, not yet. I’m waiting til the spring. This season is always hard on him, he gets depressed far worse than you have ever seen. I have been trying to cheer him up, but this morning is the first time I have seen him laugh in weeks.”
“Wait.” Layla stopped Terra. “If you are pregnant, why did you go out to celebrate with the guys?”
“I ordered Virgin drinks all night, I claimed that the beer was gonna give me major heartburn, then faked a slur in my voice until I got back to the safe house and passed out.” Terra replied with air quotes drawn with her fingers for the words passed out. Terra looked at her well worn watch and a surprised tone shot through her voice.
“Shit, We have to go. We got thirty minutes until those doors close. The guys must be pissed.” Terra seized Layla’s hand and rushed to the elevators. After brushing past a few tourists that arrived shortly before leaving, they both made their way down to the lobby.
“If you don't mind, could you keep that our secret for now? I don’t want to scare him.” Layla agreed, nodding fiercely, knowing that if she didn’t agree she would more than likely be pummeled like it was back at their small town middle school.
Mike and Will were enjoying their coffee on the curb when Terra and Layla shot out of the revolving doors. Terra shouted.
“Hey, get a move on. We are going to be late.”
Will looked at his watch and bounded from his concrete seat. He flung the duffle bag over his shoulder and shot into a sprint with us falling behind slowly. Will was a natural athlete while the rest of us were suited for less demanding tasks, but we still kept the pace as best as we could manage.
Several Minutes later and many blocks away from where they started, they were nearly out of breath. Layla rested her hands on her legs and tried her best not to pass out. She thought this over and over again, Layla knew she was being dramatic; she still garnered the sympathy of the others. The door she had come to fear was before her once again. Layla sucked down the pungent air around her in the hope of calming her nerves. Will straightened his jacket and slicked back his hair with the sweat of the run. He gave a subtle look to the rest of them, his gesture to follow his lead. They approached the bodyguard standing in the way of the door. The tailored suit made him look bigger than he was, but no doubt was carrying more than just a Kevlar vest underneath. His eyes poured daggers as he asked for the password in a gruff, but well practiced voice.
“Konec.” Will said confidently. The password was different from the last few times that Layla went with Will to the buyers. Will walked past the bodyguard with Mike and Terra following behind. Layla froze for a second, anxiety filled her to the brim, but overcame the urge to run. She stepped up to the door, but the bodyguard stood in her path.
“Not you.” He said as the door closed behind him with a thud.
“What, Excuse me?” She exclaimed, the bodyguard didn’t acknowledge her in the slightest and she got the message. She left out a sigh and sat at the end of the alley on a dented trash can. Defeated for the moment, but she figured it was for the best. ‘I mean what is a little cold when I don’t have to deal with those guys.’ She thought. She would have passed the time on her phone, but realized shortly after patting her pocket that she left it on the nightstand of the Penthouse. She sat there and waited for something of any interest to take her attention from the minutes she would spend in the dull cold.
“Excuse me… might you have a light?” a voice rose from the shadow of the deep alley. Layla stood from her makeshift chair in a fright. The figure of a man stepped into the light that Layla had previously been sitting at the edge of. While Layla took the time to steady her furiously beating pulse, she stole a look at this man; his clothes were business in appearance, but lacked the blandness of the color palette. He dressed in a burgundy pinstripe suit and a black tie tucked just above the second button of his dress shirt, but most interesting of all was the lack of a shadow trailing behind him.
“Apologies ma’am, didn’t mean to frighten you especially at this hour.” The man spoke in a regal tone resembling a gentleman from old films that she used to love, but that didn’t sway Layla in the slightest.
“How long have you been standing there? How long have you been watching me?” Layla questioned harshly despite the commanding presence of the man.
“Not long I assure you, I merely step out for a smoke.” Layla, confused, although not baffled by the sudden appearance of the well dressed stranger, silenced herself only for a moment to think if she saw the man exit the club and mocked it up to being unobservant in her quickly tiring state, but still puzzled about his shadow, although attributing it to the angle of the light.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Sorry, it has been a longer day than I thought.” Layla apologized to the man.
“Not a problem. I assumed this was the city that never sleeps, but may I ask? Are you from around here?” The man asked with a smirk cracking from the side of his lips.
“No, Just staying in the city for work. My boyfriend is in there.” Layla replied with a small gesture towards the door that the bodyguard remained ever vigilant and surprisingly unaffected by the cold. She was cautious of the man and reminded herself of the only warning Will gave her. ‘This city will swallow people whole if they aren’t careful.’ What was once a smirk turned into a well meant smile before the man lit his cigarette. Layla was confused. `Didn't he ask for a lighter?’ She thought to herself, she could not see the lighter directly, but saw the flame that it produced as it lit up the darker portions of his clothes; the flickering light reflected off a metal pin of a bird on his shirt collar, but Layla couldn’t identify it in the time it took to light the white stick in his mouth.
“Here on business then?” The stranger asked after a long drag from the cigarette. The smoke curled and danced in the frigid air, completely unbothered by the passing draft.
“Yeah for now, we are going on vacation for the winter.” Layla relinquished this partially against her will due to the excitement she held for the occasion.
“I see.” the man replied. “Well, I’m not in any position to take away such a vacation, but seeing as you are here at this place. Might you be interested in a job, nothing as illegal as what is done here, but it would be all expenses paid.” Layla was a bit taken back by this offer, and she replied with respect. She hoped she could decline without hesitation.
“I’ll think about it.” Layla said as her mind berated her with insults. One after another for her submissive attitude.
“It’s better than the last person I offered it to, but it is somewhat urgent.” He said before taking another puff of his smoldering stick of cancer. Layla wished she could smoke one, even after her promise to Will. Her anxious state, although slight, was visible and only deteriorated from the smell of the tobacco wafting through the stale air of the alley. The breeze was not kind enough to take the wisps away from her nose. Layla glanced at her watch. They were there for nearly an hour.
“Well in case you do accept. Take my card.” He said before taking another step into the light, Layla watched as his shadow failed to emerge in the light, her throat closed in fear as she continued to stare. He passed a silver lettered black card to her, which snapped her out of her trance as she took it with the same submissiveness that lingered in her mind.
“Remember… limited time offer.” He smirked once again as he extinguished the snub of the last ember of the cigarette on the brick wall behind him and haphazardly flicked the butt deeper into the alleyway. As he did so, the door swung open and out walked Will, followed by Terra and Mike. Will had a gash across his cheek, not deep enough to need stitches, but still enough to be a steady drip of blood which soaked his jacket in a wet and dark stain. Layla rushed to his aid. She pulled a napkin she had stashed from fast food joints, it wasn’t a lot, but it was a better use than her year-round allergies. She turned her head back down the alley only to see the man had either disappeared completely or stepped back into the shadows; she believed the latter.
“What did they do to you?” Layla said with a frantic worry in her voice as she dabbed away the blood from his chin and the edge of the cut.
“I know why those idiots at the penthouse didn’t want to come with us now.” Will said through clenched teeth. Mike looked down the alley, evading Layla’s gaze as she looked at Mike, then Terra.
“They aren’t rare antiques or artifacts. They are fakes with drugs shoved inside. The others must have emptied them out when we were asleep or before they got back.” Terra explained slowly. She shifted her eyes to the street.
“They are probably gone already. I bet they were counting on us getting killed.” Will shouted. He brushed Layla's hands away forcefully and punched the wall with such force that his knuckles began to bleed immediately from the impact on the brick.
“We are out. No more jobs for us or them, but we now owe four million dollars or we lose our heads to the bastard that did this to my face.'' Will said calmly, but crudely pointed towards his cheek, nearly touching the open cut. He led the way back to the hotel and in silence they followed for several blocks. His gait through the street gathered the attention of passersby, but the anger that seemed to seep out from his every step made their eyes avoid us. Soon they were back to the penthouse, and Will’s prediction was correct as usual. The others had packed up everything including the contents of the minifridge, which they would undoubtedly be charged for. Trash was littered through the living room and bottles were smashed against the drywall with their shards scattered in every direction. Layla and the others kept their shoes on, tracking the moisture and dirt lodged between the treads of their soles throughout the carpeted floors. Will, unbothered by the mess, nearly broke into a sprint towards the bedroom. Only seconds before Layla heard the screaming tirade of curses from the room. Mike ran to the open door, kicking whatever trash in his path. Layla followed him cautiously and saw Mike holding Will in embrace. Will tears stream down his face, restarting the dried blood. Tears mixed with blood transferred to Mike’s coat and down his backside. Layla peered into the closet where the room safe had been located. The small, but strong steel door of the safe lay on the ground with black shavings peppering the carpet around it. The safe was completely empty. Layla gasped and felt tears of her own began to well in her eyes after
After an hour of the sobs filling the room, Terra entered the room with a cheery smile on her face. They looked at her, almost hatred filled their eyes. The contrast of emotions in the room and relented to the stronger side, Will and Layla wiped their tears away as Terra pulled a key from her pocket. Layla didn’t understand or recognize the key, nor the reason why this made Terra smile so vibrantly, but Will got the idea and produced his own smile, even wider than Terra’s.
“I knew something was wrong from their ‘celebration’ last night.” Terra said while gesturing with air quotes. “So when they were sleeping, I stashed everything that was there, in the safe behind the receptionist's desk. I’m kinda surprised you didn’t see mom’s necklace Layla. It’s been around my neck the entire day.” Terra held up the malformed pearl in a sterling cage hung from a thin lace of leather. Layla cracked a smile and a final tear as she rose to hug Terra. It was the last gift they gave to their mom before she passed and they stole it from her jewelry box before running away. It wasn’t valuable in the slightest, but the memory was priceless as it was the first and only vacation outside of their home state. The thing still smelled of salt water and it was the only thing not pawned off by their father, but only because Layla spent an extra day in the house, sorting through the various trinkets that her mother took home from the beach. Will nearly collapsed in tears. He was too cautious of banks and kept all the money he earned in a manila envelope, wrinkled and covered in the doodles of pencil for notes whose use faded by the days. That scare would have surely put Will and Layla on the streets with nothing more than a suitcase full of clothes and shared what was in their pockets.
“Will, how about we start our vacation early?” Mike said as he joined the hug of both Layla and Terra. Will doesn’t normally fall for these things, but relented in the end and joined. The embrace was warm and she could spend hours like this, however the memory of the stranger in the alley pushed its way to the surface. She broke up the group embrace and pulled the card from her jacket only for a second and stuffed it back into the thin pocket.
“Let's get some food. I’m starving.” Mike chuckled, he patted Will’s shoulder friendly, but firmly.
“You guys go on ahead, I’m gonna stay back with Layla.” Terra said to the guys, who took only a moment before opening the door to the hall and allowing it to close behind them.
Layla and Terra began the chore of cleaning the glass and trash. After their job was complete, Terra called room service and the bags of garbage were gone within minutes. The attendant had a plastered look of frustration and disbelief in his eyes as they loaded his little cart with a few bags they managed to fill, nevertheless the attendant didn’t raise any concern, but his look reassured them that he knew. They set it down as gently as they could to prevent the glass from clattering inside and preventing any concern with the manager on what had occurred in their room.
They sat in exhaustion from the day behind them and their hasty clean up. Layla tried her best to get the glass up by hand, but gave in to the idea the cleaner was going to vacuum anyway, regardless of how clean the room looked and decided to just keep her shoes on. The hotel had proved their competence when providing the luxury items; such as slippers, complimentary soap, and the softest towels Layla had even known. Those were all a part of the bounty taken by their now former coworkers, but luckily enough they forgot the remote to the large television bolted to the wall. Terra collapsed on the couch and patted the seat next to her. Layla accepted the invitation as Terra turned on the remote to whatever channel she determined was interesting. Before Layla sat on the couch, she removed her jacket and the card she was given by the stranger fell from the unzippable pocket. She lunged for the card; anxiety taking the wheel to her motor control, but fumbling with her fingers. A long, but thin piece of glass found its way beneath her finger. She yelped from the sudden prick and made her way to the sink of the kitchen, but clumsily knocked over the end table, who saw fit to shake her balance as an act of revenge in the process.
Layla stuck her bleeding finger under the hot stream of water and hoped the glass wasn’t still in there, wincing as she poked at the wound.
“What is this?” Terra had picked up the card and studied it for a moment. Layla didn’t respond, mostly due to her not hearing the question in full, but knew what Terra had asked. She ignored Terra as she searched for a band-aid after plucking the sliver of glass from her flesh.
“Who is this from Layla?” She asked again, this time trailing Layla with the card wrinkling in her grasp. Finally cornering Layla in the bathroom; Terra held up the card, and demanded her attention as calmly as she could. Layla sighed as she pulled the final flap of the cheap band-aid, it wasn’t the correct band for a cut like this, but she stretched it enough to work.
“I got it at that place.” Layla tried hard to keep her gaze on Terra, but she felt embarrassed for not telling them.
“You didn’t come in with us. Who gave it to you?” Terra felt anger rising in her tone, but it was for a good reason. She has been on this side before and knew it couldn’t be good.
“Some guy, I didn't get his name, but he had a pin of a bird on his collar.” Layla used the vague description of the pin; it was the only thing that stuck out of his appearance outside a suit she poorly remembered. Terra’s face went blank, but not out of fear or terror; she stopped her line up of questions without hesitation, though the color drained from her cheeks.
“That guy saved Will from basically being beheaded in there. He gave the idea that we could pay back the money owed.” Terra said candidly, taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub with Layla.
“I don’t know why he did it, he came out of nowhere and persuaded them to stop, they gave us a chance. They let us go and kept talking with him right up until we reached the door.” Terra said with her head in her hands. Layla sat down next to her and rubbed her back.
“He offered me a job, all expenses paid. Should we take it, I mean if he helped us there. Maybe he has some authority with them.” Layla said.
“Whatever job he has, it’s not worth it. There was something off with him, I can't put my finger on it, but I got a horrible feeling when he started talking.” Terra said, balling up the card and dropping it to the floor.
“I’ll wait on it, but I need to tell Mike or Will. I don’t want to be the person that holds onto an opportunity and leaves it to waste.” Layla said as she rose from the uncomfortable brim of the porcelain, snatching up the small ball of paper. Terra watched her throw a ball of paper into the wastebasket before leaving the bathroom. She fought the urge to follow, but instead chose to gaze at her sister who now left through the door of the sanctuary. Layla felt the wrinkled surface of the card in her palm.
Layla shambled down the hallway towards the roof access. Despite the warnings posted on the door, the lock was disengaged and the alarm was disabled. A little trick that Will performed for a late night picnic which Layla ended early due to the chilling breeze paired with the lack of stars. She stepped out onto the loose flakes of snow. It was serene to gaze on the lights below yet unable to hear the boisterous noises of the streets below. She stared at the clouds overhead and willed them to open their embrace even for a moment. As per usual they ignored her pleas and responded with snow. The cold powder vanished as it touched her skin leaving behind droplets. She tasted the pollution of the city through them when she pursed her lips. Layla had dealt with homesickness before, but then she had Will to hold in her arms as she cried those bitter tears. She had no home left, though she was with friends and family, it wasn’t the same. Layla wanted to hear her mother’s songs once more, and it was her mother’s indecision that took away any chance she had to hear them again. Layla removed the business card that she managed to grab without Terra noticing. The wrinkles were extensive, but the silver letter of the phone number was still readable. She dialed the number without a second thought.
The ringing of the phone broke the silence of the night as it buzzed intermittently until someone on the other end answered.
“Hello?” The voice began. it was a female voice, which dissipated the worry behind Layla’s voice.
“Um, hi. My name is Layla. I was given a business card with this number. I don’t really have much to go besides this number.” Layla tried her best confident tone, but the words felt wrong coming from her lips. Her anxiety spiked as she waited for the woman to answer.
“... Yes, I see. This is the office of Dr. Armistead. Our Business hours are 8 am to 6 pm Pacific standard time, please call back during our business hours and we will set up an appointment.”
Layla was relieved that it wasn’t some “casting agent” or something worse.
“I understand, but is it possible I could speak to him, I really need to talk to him.” she said.
“I am sorry, but that won’t be possible until after the weekend as Doctor Charlotte Armistead is at a psychology seminar in New York city.”
“I’m actually here in New York, is it possible I could get her cell number, it is really important. I am one of her patients.” It was a flat out lie, but it was the best Layla had to throw out.
“Look, I understand that it is important, but I can’t just give out a Doctor’s personal information, especially my employer.” The lady broke the tone and act of professionalism. It was noticeable that she was already annoyed by the call; possibly due to it being after hours or that was all the end of the “programming” she needed to say to get rid of late callers.
“Please, it is an emergency.” Layla faked the choke of tears and to her benefit, a great gust of wind flew past her. She hoped it was enough of a sign to expedite the information she needed. The lady let out a sign and Layla heard a notification through her phone. It was a picture sent from a number she didn’t recognize, it was a photo of a number and a name written on a scrap of paper.
“Thank you so much.” Layla sniffled, the cold air working to her benefit.
“Delete it after you are done, I could lose my job.” The lady was irritated, but the notes of sympathy came across as bright as day.
“I will.” Layla replied before hanging up the phone without a goodbye.