***** Vol.1 Chap.33 Welcomed visit from George *****
After the two guards strolled up the stairs, for a while, Kristin had a short period of quietness and solace in the hold again. The time was close to eleven o’clock in the evening.
Well, it is going to be a long night. She passed the last few hours in severe tension that she forgot to eat anything. Now getting hungry again and her adrenaline finally subsiding, she savored a moment of solace. Or was this the calm before the storm? She wondered.
She took out some of the dried food and quietly ate it while considering her plight. She had sufficient food and water to remain in hiding for another day or so and rationing the remaining resources seemed useless. After a few sips of water and more nuts, she packed up any wrappings and stored them back in her backpack not willing to leave any trace of her presence here.
Now what? She asked herself.
In the hold’s serenity, she considered her next step. Perhaps she should visit Jonas again? That option seemed so foolish now after the security briefing. With all the guards around, she doubted she could escape very far from the hold. Surely someone would see her and have her thrown into the brig for the rest of the trip. Jonas would probably never know about the whole incident until the end of the mission.
Maybe George could carry a note for her to Jonas. But that seemed foolish as well. If Jonas kept her from ruining his plans, he would never back down now. He had no reason to listen to her. Besides, George would be placed in great danger. Worse, Jonas might order an exhaustive search and she would surely be found this time. This option was definitely not a viable one. Whatever she must do, she had to do it clandestinely and without Jonas’ knowledge.
The more she dwelled on the present situation, the more her anger with Jonas grew. The more she sat there formulating her next steps, her future, and her career or the lack of it, the more she distrusted Jonas for being favorable to her ever. If he was that belligerent to her, she could be just as cantankerous back.
No, he was more than belligerent. He was outright malicious. She got herself really worked up now. With a fist, she waved and declared loudly in her mind that she would seek revenge and ruin his career in return. That intention comforted her slightly and uplifted her spirits a bit.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Of course. A stroke of genius struck her.
She slammed her fist on the pseudo floor made of another box, making a dull thud. Quickly restraining herself while holding her breath and listening quietly for any movements because of her indiscreet actions, she was fortunate that nothing happened outside of the crate. Everything still quiet as before. She let out her breath. She was clear about what she had to do. So she waited for George to come.
And she waited.
At four in the morning, a squeak sounded at the top of the crate. She dared not say anything. But from the way the crate was being opened, it had to be George, opening the crate gently. With the crate half opened, he called softly.
“Kristin, are you there?”
“Yes, I am okay.”
“Wait. Let me move a few boxes.”
“Take your time.”
After George moved a few boxes around, she poked her head out of the hollow. She then helped herself out of the crate.
“I am so glad to see you.” She said to him, grabbing his hands and shaking them vigorously.
“Me too.”
“I heard that there is an APB out on me.”
“Yes. How do you know?”
“They had the security briefing down here. So I overheard everything.”
“Yes, we have a memo for all the staff that if anyone sees you, we are to report your location to security immediately.”
“Oh, just a minute. Let me relieve myself in the bathroom first.” She rushed to a small washroom at the end of the hold.
“The captain wants to get rid of me.”
“You must have ticked him off real good.”
“I am afraid for you, George.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I am more concerned about you. There are security guards everywhere. There is one right outside the hold. I have to tell him I came down to get some supplies before he let me through.”
“Okay, George. I have considered a great deal. This is what I wanted to do. I don’t want to jeopardize you any further, but I sorely need your help one last time. We should arrive at the designated location soon, probably tomorrow night. The captain will do nothing tomorrow right away. If you can come and get me tomorrow night at this time, we can make our way to the sub. I can launch the sub myself, but I will need you to help me get into the sub.”
“I will be glad to help if that is something I can do.”
“George, I don’t know how to repay you for risking your life for me.”
“Kristin, don’t worry about it.”
“You better get your supplies and go before the guard gets suspicious.”
“Yes, hand me that box over there.”
“Here.”
“I will close the crate back up.”
“Yes, that would be a good idea.” She climbed back into the crate. George shuffled a few boxes around to hide her from view, just in case the guards opened the crate.
“I will lie low until tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow.”
He picked up the box and climbed up the stairs. She heard him mumbled something to the guards, but too muffled to make out the words. Time for her to take a brief nap. The excitement of the day had worn her out. She had no trouble sleeping at all. To her surprise, she had no dreams that night. She only hoped that she did not snore loud enough to wake anyone up.