Amnesia

11. Escape Plan

We went back to the room I was first brought to.

“What are you doing here?” Luko asked Michael. “Is she not being a good girl?”

“Oh, she’s more than what I could ask for,” Michael said. “And more than what you could ask for. If you go along with what I tell you, she can give us some information about Rake.”

“You have my attention,” Luko sat back in his chair.

“If we play that she is from our crew, then she will aid us. Here’s the story: She was my girlfriend, I taught her to protect herself and she ended up being a member and working with us. Then she was kidnapped by Meselva and had been there for a while. She had been running away from Meselva when Rake kidnapped her and we took her back to where she belongs.”

Luko thought this over. “I’ll do it.”

“Great. Now, when Rake gets here, that’s our play.”

“Alright, now go away, I’ve got work to do.”

Michael rolled his eyes and then we left and went back to his apartment. We made plans for me leaving and he told me where to go. He let me have his bead for the night and he slept out on the couch. The next morning just after breakfast is when Devan came.

He had his posse along and we all met in the main lobby of the building.

“What do you want?” Devan asked.

“The girl,” Luko said.

“No, you get something and we get the girl.”

“Devan,” I stepped forward. “I just thought you would want to know that I remember now.”

“Remember what?” He asked.

“Everything. Once I got here and saw these people, I remembered. This is where I’m from, not Meselva.”

“Then what were you doing in Chicago?”

“Meselva had kidnapped her from us,” Michael spoke up. “And then you went and took her.”

“Who told you to speak?”

“My turf. You follow our rules.”

Devan glared at Michael, but quieted down.

“So technically, they rescued me yesterday,” I said. “I belong here, so you’d have to offer up quite a bit to try to get me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe it. I’m more than happy here to be reunited with the people I know and,” I grabbed Michael’s hand and pulled him to me, pressing my body against his. “Especially getting back with my boyfriend.”

“Your what?”

“That’s right Rake,” Michael said to him.

Devan gave us a look of disbelief, so I pulled on Michael’s shirt and kissed him on the lips, making it look as real as I could.

I broke the kiss and said, “I didn’t realize how much I missed him until I laid my eyes on him again.”

I looked over at Devan and saw him give Owen a look and Owen nodded to Devan.

“Are we done here?” Luko asked.

“No,” Devan said. “Because I don’t believe her.”

“What’s there not to believe?” I asked.

“Owen found you running on the street, he didn’t take you from Meselva.”

“I had managed to escape and that’s what I had been running from.”

“Then what’s with the memory of you killing someone?”

“Unlike you,” Michael said. “We don’t keep girls for our pleasure. I taught her to defend herself and she got really good at it, so she began working for us.”

Devan thought of another reason why this could be a lie. “Then what’s her last name?”

“Helin.” Michael didn’t miss a beat.

“I still don’t believe it.”

“All the evidence is clear.”

“Fine! Keep her! But you keep your mouth shut.” Devan pointed at me.

“Whoops,” I said.

Devan started to go at me, but Will and Kyle held him back and then they left, though not before Devan sent me a death glare.

Once they were gone, Luko said, “Now, let’s hear what you know.”

“Not now,” I said. “I need to think something over.”

I went up to Michael’s apartment and Michael followed me, telling Luko that he was going make sure that I was okay.

Michael gave me a gun and a knife for protection and his jacket for slight disguise before showing me to a fire escape. It was supposed to be locked and not useable so no one kept watch on it and I was able to get down easily.

“Thank you, Michael,” I said as I stepped out onto the metal stairs. “Good luck with Luko.”

“Thank you,” He said. “Good luck to you too.”

I kissed his cheek before climbing down.

I ended up in a back alley. I peeked out the end at the street, making sure that Devan was gone before I stepped out on the sidewalk. I pulled the hood over my head and kept my head down.

Michael and I had decided that the best idea for me was to go as far away as possible. So he had given me money and I was now headed for Australia. I would find a taxi that would take me to an airport and then I would get a ticket to go to Australia. Once I got there, I would use whatever money I had left to get a new ID and start a new life.