Chapter 4 - The Girl Shows Up To The Meeting

This is another chapter for my book! I'm sorry it took so long!

Ch4

The door opens automatically, and I’m greeted with the sight of a stout man in a suit. A navy suit, with shiny loafers. ‘Jay? You’re to come with me sweetheart.’ he says, and I hate him already. The only person who calls me sweetheart is my dad, and I even get mad with him for it. But, I stiffen and follow this mystery man, who leads me down a corridor with plush red carpet and beige walls with gold swirls. I run my hand along the wall, feeling the coolness of it under my fingertips, but this earns me a stern glare from the navy clad troll up ahead, so I retract my hand, and fiddle with the buttons on my shirt. We reach a shiny mirrored lift, and I carefully study my reflection and my eyeliner. I catch Mr. Navy Suit looking at me curiously but my common sense says I should ignore him. I do. The lift doors open seamlessly and we step inside. It all looks very fancy and gold inside, and all I notice is the standard lift music that grates against my ear drums. I notice Mr. Navy Suit pressing the top floor button and then placing his thumb against a pad on the wall. I then hear an automated female voice " ‘Welcome Mr. Athos. Your request to reach the top floor has been granted. The lift will now proceed.’ The doors slide shut and we scoot upwards. The lift journey bores me to tears, all I can see is the stout man standing with his legs apart and hands clasped behind his back. The doors spring open, and he leads me outside. We are in another corridor, this one with plush navy carpet and silver-white walls. There are two massive mahogany doors with gold knockers, but I am firmly steered away from them. I can hear hushed voices coming from within. Instead I am taken down a corridor towards another set of modest white doors. I am led into them, my trainers purposely scuffing along the carpet. Mr. Navy Suit glares at me again, and I begin to step cautiously. The last thing I want is to anger this particular dude. The carpet soon forms a set of stairs and we climb up them to another white door. This time, however, it leads to a room. A room with one other door in it besides the one we have just come through. There is a soft-looking leather sofa against one vacant wall, and the silver-white wallpaper and carpet are still here. There is a glass of orange squash on the mahogany table and a note trapped beneath it. Mr. Navy Suit gestures to the note and I walk forwards and pick it up. ‘In business meeting. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like but you probably won’t see me. Mr. Athos will look after your every need. Dad.’ I then notice the plasma screen TV on the wall, and the remote on the arm of the sofa. Athos nods curtly and exits the room. I hear a key turning in the lock of the door and the scraping of his suit against the wall as he stations himself as my ‘bodyguard’. However I’m not one to be fooled by this imbecile of a man. I put on the television onto MTV and let the music play at a moderate volume. I then proceed to pull a paperclip from my bag and insert it into the lock of the other white door. Years of trying to escape from home finally pay off, as the door opens with a barely audible click. I gently press down on the handle and let myself in to whatever lies beyond.

I am in a dark corridor, and I follow the wall with my hand, until I get to a viewing balcony. It is a massive balcony over a massive conference hall, and it is deserted. I hear the voice of an agitated Spaniard below me and I inch closer towards the rail at the edge, straining to see. I then hear a more familiar gruff voice and look to see my father sat at the head of the massive table. I almost laugh out loud as seeing him trying to look authoritative in this way is just plain ridiculous. However, I check myself and continue in my quest to see what is going on. I then notice the photograph of the woman on the tube this morning, the one that was with that weird looking man, blown up on a massive projector screen. I now strain to hear what is going on. I catch the word ‘murder’ and immediately faint on the floor.

I regain consciousness a few minutes later and I crawl silently back towards the door, but bump straight into Athos. He shakes his head silently at me and I’m scared already. I back away from him, but he dives onto the plush navy carpet and grabs my arm. I’m about to cry out in shock, but he clamps his sweaty palm over my mouth. ‘Come,’ he bellows, and the one word holds so much power that I submit and walk with him. He whisks me through the TV room, out of the door, down the stairs and we grind to a halt in front of the mahogany doors with gold knockers. The man leaning casually against the door in a navy suit much like Athos’ comes to take my other arm. I dislike this greatly and begin to struggle and kick. ‘Let me go!’ I scream but this has no effect. The doors open and they lift me off my feet and drag me into the room.

‘I said, put me down! You’re not allowed to tough guy a minor!’ I shout, looking at my father seated in front of me. ‘Burberry, Athos, put her down’ he says wearily, and I wonder why he looks so tired. ’Finally!’ I exclaim. I suddenly lock eyes with another person seated around the table. My brain slowly begins to get in gear, and I clock where I recognise the face from. . ‘Hey, you! You’re the guy from the train, aren’t you?’ he looks silently at my dad, then back at me and nods slightly. ‘Well, stranger, this tough guy here, Trench as you call him, is my dad. And he still thinks I should be dragged in by security, for effect. I know everything. I’ve been sat in the balcony all this time. And I think you need my help.’

Author's Note

Honest Reviews please!