It was a late dinner and a late supper but with ten minutes to spare till I am officially a day late, whilst all you beauties are sleeping, I am posting this next part of the story! Let me know what you think? Should I carry on or leave it be...;)
Millie jumped and ran out onto the rue, she had that feeling of being alive again, and with head down and coat pulled up, she marched down the street in search of a bar or café that would be open.
She now had two envelopes she hadn’t opened. She had intended to do so when she stopped at an open bar. Then on a whim she had chosen to head to the contact Mr Rob had told her about. That’s where she was now.
The flat that she had the address for was easy to find and from the street she could see a light on in what she believed to be the persons flat. She had no choice and she was here now so she took in a deep breath and rang the bell.
She only had to wait about a minute until the door opened and she was face to face with Mr Robs contact in Paris. Millie wasn’t sure if she was delirious with a fever, had somehow ingested a hallucinogenic drug, or had actually suffered some kind of mental breakdown because there on the doorstep was Eddie.
‘Eddie?! But…I thought…you were…but Mr Rob?!...’ Millie couldn’t believe she was standing face to face with Eddie the security guard. Having seen him lying almost dead in reception, she wouldn’t have thought he could recover quick enough to be here in Paris, and without a scratch on him.
‘I’m Michael…Eddie is my twin…won’t you come in?’ the man at the door said.
Millie was relieved and curious and went inside. The flat was nice, much nicer than she thought Eddie could afford, much nicer than maybe even Mr Rob could afford. He led her into the lounge, told her to sit down and went to get her a drink. He was one of those people who never asked you what you wanted but rather told you. Millie found him intimidating but his smile and sureness calmed her, that and the overwhelming need to sleep.
When Michael returned to the lounge he found the young woman practically comatose on his sofa. Mr Rob had told him to trust her and that she would be able to do the deal. He wasn’t sure. She didn’t look like she could kill anyone.
Millie woke up with a crick in her neck and a raging thirst. As she sat up she remembered where she was and reached down for her bag but it was gone and so too was her coat. Panic rose in her throat and she jumped up and started looking around, for no reason other than she saw it in the movies, she started looking underneath the sofa cushions. Just as tears were stinging her eyes, Michael entered the room, ‘Millie? What are you looking for….underneath my sofa cushions?’ he asked. Millie blushed and said ‘my bag, I had a bag when I got here…where is it?’ ‘It’s in the hall with your coat and shoes. I left them there. I didn’t think you would want to sleep with them. So, can I offer you some breakfast?’ he said.
Millie was hungry and agreed and seeing as she had nowhere to go she might as well. It was all rather civilised and it gave Millie an opportunity to just sit and forget about what still lay before her. She was staring off into who knows where when Michael’s voice brought her back to the moment.
‘So Millie, Mr Rob tells me that you are going to do the job, is that true?’
‘Oh yes! Definitely. I don’t have a choice. I just don’t.’
‘You just…you don’t see the type that’s all’
‘Hmm…I know…you look at me and see this woman, maybe a little meek, maybe a little ditzy. But I have it in me and I can do this. I want to do this. I need to do this. Do you understand?’
Millie watched him as he watched her, his eyes roaming up and down her body as he came to rest his frown on her face, one that was set in steely determination.
‘OK. I think you might just do it.’
Millie felt relieved when he said that, she knew that he probably didn’t think she had it in her to travel alone to Marrakech but she would do it and prove all her doubters wrong. Michael seemed to relax after the conversation and he said he needed to go and collect a few things but would be right back. He advised Millie to make herself at home and he wouldn’t be long.
Finally she thought, a chance to open the envelopes that were accumulating in her bag. She pulled them out, a large A4 one from Anne and the kidnappers and a small A5 padded one from Justin. She wasn’t sure which to pick first and pretended she was on the TV show Deal or No Deal, she used to play this game a lot when making decisions, Elvis loved it. In the end she opted for the envelope from Justin. She wasn’t sure how he had an envelope prepared, it was almost as if he knew, an he could have done it whilst she was out.
She peeled the flap back and held her breath as she half tipped and half pulled out the contents.
· A key
· A LOT of money
· A letter
· A photo
Millie was about to count the money when she heard the latch on the door go, she grabbed everything and stuffed it back into the envelope. She didn’t have time to put it into her bag and instead stuffed it up her jumper. It was the first thing that had come to mind.
Michael walked across the room towards her and she pretended to look out the window, she thought he would mention the bulge under her jumper but just as he was about to reach her his mobile phone rang and he left the room.
Millie looked at the photo. The person looked vaguely familiar but she couldn’t put a finger on who it was. The photo was quite blurry and it looked to have been taken a few years ago and she put that back in the envelope. The key had no markings or address or anything which she thought odd and decidedly useless. That left her the money and a letter. The notes were euros and at a guess she thought there was about two thousand euros there. It was enough to get her to Marrakech. She put the envelope back in the bag and slumped down onto the sofa with the letter.
She was about to read it when Michael was back. It would have to wait till later. Michael sat down next to Millie and said, ‘Ok, Millie. I have sorted out a guy who will give you a lift to Madrid. I have packed your case, I guessed your clothes size and that, you can buy more in Madrid if you don’t like whats there. The stuff you need for the job is in a false bottom of the case.’ Millie sniggered at the mention of a false bottom. The look Michael gave her would have frozen the devil himself and she covered it with a clearing of her throat. He continued ‘anyway, everything you need is there…I suggest you don’t lose this case, here is an envelope that contains new ID and some money and a number to call in an emergency and when the job is done.’ Millie was shocked, a new ID, was she some kind of secret agent all of a sudden? She took the envelope to add to her collection and half smiled at Michael.
He was staring at her and she said, ‘erm..thanks?’. He shook his head in disbelief that this girl would be able to do the job. ‘Millie…’ he said ‘the man is waiting outside in a bright green Fiat…he’s your ride…you have to go now…’ and then he got up and walked to the front door and held it open for her. He wasn’t subtle thought Millie. She picked up her bag, her new ID and headed for the door. When she reached the threshold he put his arm across it blocking her, ‘the case Millie, you’ll be needing that, and Millie…’ she turned to look at him, ‘remember two things; one, don’t get yourself killed and two, you need to look like the ID…pronto’ and he lowered his arm.
Millie thought that Michael was a very serious man and very different to Eddie the security guard, how could they be brothers? What nonsense was he going on about getting killed? They werent those kind of kidnappers. She grabbed the handle of the case and walked out on to the street. It wasn’t hard to spot the Fiat parked along it a little way and when she got there she opened the door and put her case on the back seat. She sat down in the passenger seat, put her seatbelt on, and pulled out the ID. Damn, she was going to be a redhead, she sighed and put it back in the envelope and remembered that she wasn’t alone in the car. Slightly embarrassed for not speaking or even acknowledging the driver, she turned to him ‘excuse moi s'il vous plait…ah!.....Mark?’
