He slung the strap over his shoulder and looked in all directions.
“I think we should head this way and see if we can find a road.”
They began walking and soon they were out of the clearing and back into the blackness under the canopy. The crickets were deafening; you couldn’t think clearly or even carry on a conversation with their chirps filling your ears. Bugs were everywhere and Patrick had to constantly swat at them to keep them out of his nose and mouth. But the smell was halfway pleasant. Somewhere between rotting flowers and wet earth.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know where we are. Do you have any idea?”
“No, they blindfolded me.”
“We need to find a road. Roads always lead somewhere.”
They walked for what seemed like a long time but the vegetation didn’t get any thinner and there were no signs of cars or houses or towns. Patrick stopped and leaned against a tree. He felt like they were going in circles and it was too dark to leave markings on trees or the ground.
As he was about to suggest that he climb a tree to have a look around, he heard something nearby. He listened quietly, holding his breath, and recognized the sound; it was a stream.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“What is it?”
“There’s a stream nearby. We can follow the water down. People always build near streams. We’ll find someone.”
As he began to walk in the direction of the stream, there was another sound that registered. It was farther off in the distance and in another direction, but it was there.
It was the voices of men.
----
26
Christopher left the Hotel del Mar after a shower and a change of clothes. He felt like a new man. He had gotten used to the luxury and he enjoyed the finer things. There was no harm in that. He was extremely glad that he had searched the internet and found Taylor Hamilton.
Though he grew up wealthy, after his father’s death his step-mother had inherited everything based on a will his father had written practically on his deathbed. Christopher was certain the will was a forgery and spent his entire fortune fighting it. In the end, the courts ruled against him. Destitute and without a family to turn to, he fell in with the wrong crowd. It was at this low point in his life that he met Patrick’s father; Cameron Russell.
They had met in a restaurant Christopher was waiting tables at. A group of men were being rowdy and the cowardly manager had asked Christopher to take care of it. When he told them to settle down, one of the men rose to fight and before he could do anything, Christopher smashed a bottle over his head. The man collapsed unconscious and Cameron laughed from across the restaurant and congratulated him on his balls and left a large tip.
Three months later there was an opening for an office assistant with Russell Imports. Patrick got the job after only a five minute interview with Cameron. The office assistant turned to administrative assistant and the administrative assistant to executive assistant and then personal assistant. Christopher was taken out of Russell Imports and placed next to Cameron, wherever he went. He picked up dry cleaning, got cars washed and suits tailored; this was true, but he also negotiated contracts, fired subordinates and set up meetings. He was learning the business from the inside out. Neither Andrew nor Patrick had shown much interest in the business and Christopher had hoped that Cameron saw a future for him in the company hierarchy.
With Andrew gone and Patrick not interested, that was now a strong possibility. If he could convince Cameron to take him back into the company.
Outside a jeep waited for him, and next to that were three others. They were loaded with mercenaries Hamilton had hired to search for Patrick. Many of them were full time military men or police officers moonlighting as guns for hire, but some of them were different. Some of them were boys of no more than sixteen or seventeen with
“I think we should head this way and see if we can find a road.”
They began walking and soon they were out of the clearing and back into the blackness under the canopy. The crickets were deafening; you couldn’t think clearly or even carry on a conversation with their chirps filling your ears. Bugs were everywhere and Patrick had to constantly swat at them to keep them out of his nose and mouth. But the smell was halfway pleasant. Somewhere between rotting flowers and wet earth.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know where we are. Do you have any idea?”
“No, they blindfolded me.”
“We need to find a road. Roads always lead somewhere.”
They walked for what seemed like a long time but the vegetation didn’t get any thinner and there were no signs of cars or houses or towns. Patrick stopped and leaned against a tree. He felt like they were going in circles and it was too dark to leave markings on trees or the ground.
As he was about to suggest that he climb a tree to have a look around, he heard something nearby. He listened quietly, holding his breath, and recognized the sound; it was a stream.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“What is it?”
“There’s a stream nearby. We can follow the water down. People always build near streams. We’ll find someone.”
As he began to walk in the direction of the stream, there was another sound that registered. It was farther off in the distance and in another direction, but it was there.
It was the voices of men.
----
26
Christopher left the Hotel del Mar after a shower and a change of clothes. He felt like a new man. He had gotten used to the luxury and he enjoyed the finer things. There was no harm in that. He was extremely glad that he had searched the internet and found Taylor Hamilton.
Though he grew up wealthy, after his father’s death his step-mother had inherited everything based on a will his father had written practically on his deathbed. Christopher was certain the will was a forgery and spent his entire fortune fighting it. In the end, the courts ruled against him. Destitute and without a family to turn to, he fell in with the wrong crowd. It was at this low point in his life that he met Patrick’s father; Cameron Russell.
They had met in a restaurant Christopher was waiting tables at. A group of men were being rowdy and the cowardly manager had asked Christopher to take care of it. When he told them to settle down, one of the men rose to fight and before he could do anything, Christopher smashed a bottle over his head. The man collapsed unconscious and Cameron laughed from across the restaurant and congratulated him on his balls and left a large tip.
Three months later there was an opening for an office assistant with Russell Imports. Patrick got the job after only a five minute interview with Cameron. The office assistant turned to administrative assistant and the administrative assistant to executive assistant and then personal assistant. Christopher was taken out of Russell Imports and placed next to Cameron, wherever he went. He picked up dry cleaning, got cars washed and suits tailored; this was true, but he also negotiated contracts, fired subordinates and set up meetings. He was learning the business from the inside out. Neither Andrew nor Patrick had shown much interest in the business and Christopher had hoped that Cameron saw a future for him in the company hierarchy.
With Andrew gone and Patrick not interested, that was now a strong possibility. If he could convince Cameron to take him back into the company.
Outside a jeep waited for him, and next to that were three others. They were loaded with mercenaries Hamilton had hired to search for Patrick. Many of them were full time military men or police officers moonlighting as guns for hire, but some of them were different. Some of them were boys of no more than sixteen or seventeen with
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