Must the Flowers Die

Chapter 14: Boundaries

Mia fell into a fitful sleep around two o'clock in the morning. She felt paralyzed by the need for decisions and her inability to make them. She suggested to her parents that they should take a mini-holiday, maybe go to Savannah or some other charming place. They only looked at her first with confusion, and then suspicion. Her dad was convinced that she had planned some sort of party or something and needed to get them out of house. Jessica, who also thought it best to get her parents and her brother out of the town for a while, had no better luck.

Mia awakened in a very nicely appointed room not her own. She looked around confused. Everything was rustic luxury, with floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto a pristine lake surrounded by pines. She looked down. She was still in her pajamas, but hanging on a rack beside her are a bunch of gorgeous sweaters and winter dresses. She was tempted to go over and inspect the clothing, but with a bit of difficulty, she pulled herself away. Now was not the time.

She tried the door. To her surprise, it opened easily. Outside, a woman stood guard. She looked straight out of central casting for an expensive bodyguard. Serious, inoffensively blank face, black suit with sensible shoes. Mia did not miss the gun upholstered at the woman's waist.

Mia stared at the woman. The woman bowed slightly and said in surprisingly pleasant voice, "Miss. My name is T. Please let me know if there is anything you need to make your stay more comfortable."

Mia didn't know how to react. She looked down the long hallway. One side of the hall wall consisted of gorgeous wood logs. The other side were made, once again, of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked into wild, lush, and completely isolated landscape of pine trees, with mountains in the distance.

"Where am I?" Mia asked.

"I cannot tell you that."

"Ok." Mia expected that. "What am I doing here?"

"Mr. Morrison felt that you and your close friends and family should enjoy a vacation here. I assure you that it has all the amenities you would want, and if there is anything you need, we can obtain it for you. Would you like a tour of the facilities?"

Mia curtly shook her head. "No. I would like to leave."

"Unfortunately, that's not possible."

"Ok. Fine. Where's my phone? I want to call Liam."

"Unfortunately, that is also not a possibility at the moment. Mr. Morrison feels that it is best that you do not communicate for a few days."

Mia felt like screaming. She didn't realize that Liam had the ability to do this. Instead, she said in her steadiest of voices, "My family is here?"

"Yes Miss. Along with Miss Kingston's family."

"Where are they?" The Kingstons are also here. Great.

"Some of them are in the living room already. Others are still asleep."

"You mean drugged."

T just looked at her.

"Take me to the living room please." Mia petulantly regretted her politeness as soon as the words left her mouth. She should not say please to her kidnapper.

With smooth efficiency, T took her down the long hallway. Mia spied a giant outdoor pool, with steam rising, giving it an almost mystical appearance. The hallway opened into a giant common area with a fireplace, hip-yet-classic sofas and chairs in muted orange and gray, and a wall full of books. An ancient tree sprouted from one side of the room, enclosed in a circumference of glass. It was awe-inspiring.

Her parents and Jessica stood with frightened tension at the connected kitchen counter by the side of the room. There were numerous other agents in generic black suits standing unobtrusively to the side, but Mia saw Xiao, Gary, and Jess looked nervously at them every few seconds. A man in a long black shift came by and handed her parents and Jess each a cup. He saw Mia appear and walked deferentially towards her.