But when had that happened? I cringed to think of what else could have happened if Charlie hadn’t intervened.
“Right. Well, like I said, you’re lucky.” Yuri put the gloves back on and walked away.
I stared back out at the ocean and let it stare at me. Had I been so lucky? I reviewed some of my theories from before and tried to conclude if I really was being paranoid or not. I glanced over at Charlie, who had his arms leaning over the rails.
“Why are you doing this?”
“What?”
“Helping me. Why are you helping me?”
“I knew what you meant.” He smiled just a little, his entertainment was becoming an increasing irritation.
And he looked at me then and I could see the colors light up in his eyes for just a second before they dimmed. But it was only for a second and then it was gone.
“I don’t know,” he said finally.
“If you people are trying to mess with my mind or something, it won’t work.”
His eyes tightened. “I ain’t got a clue what you’re talking ‘bout.”
I gulped and started stammering. If he looked at everyone this way, it was understandable why they kept their distance from him. “If this is some way to get me to trust you, or get Stockholm Syndrome, it won’t work.”
“Huh?”
“You guys probably set up the entire thing so Mister-Angry-Smash-Addie could almost kill me and you could save the day just in time and I’d feel loyal or obligated to you or something. That’s how kidnappers do that sort of thing, right?”
For a moment he seemed confused, but then his grip on the ledge tightened before he reached for a cigarette. This time I did not deny him. And when the hardness set in his face and I remembered that dark edge I had seen him go over when enraged, I pulsated with the possibility that he might drag me over it with him.
“All anybody ‘round here cares ‘bout is profit. Messing with people’s heads wouldn’t do nobody any good.” The darkness seemed to fade out and I was well-aware of my own relief. I saw his lips twitch up in a smile that promised something fantastic and warm. “’Sides, ain’t nobody around here smart enough to think of something like that anyhow.”
“Isn’t messing with people’s heads a key element in business?”
“How is messing with your head gonna help me?”
“Maybe you’re holding me for ransom. Getting me to cooperate would make your job considerably easier.”
His smile turned into a full-fledged grin. “Come on. I wanna show you something.”
Back inside his cabin, Charlie pulled out a laptop from inside a plastic crate that was covered with worn stickers and labels that I couldn’t read. He sat on the bed and gestured for me to sit beside him. “We don’t got access for much longer, so you better hurry up.”
I was reluctant to sit beside him for several reasons, the main one being how uncomfortable his physical presence actually made me and the other involved how part of me wanted to take that seat next to him.
His fingers typed away at the keys. While still looking at the screen, he said, “I promise I won’t bite…unless you ask.”
I rolled my eyes to make it very clear I was disgusted, and then sat as far away from him on the bed as I possibly could. I didn’t want him to know he affected me. At the same time I was glad the oversized jacket covered the blush that spread across my arms. I folded my legs while he handed me the laptop. I was amazed to see my name in so many of the blue links, most of them from trusted news providers.
“What—”
He started to laugh. “You’ve been front page news for the last day or so.”
I scrolled down the page of the search engine and read the links. Most of them were repetitive with titles like: “Local Teen Gone Missing,” “Progeny Homeschooled Student Missing from Filling Station,” and “Kidnapped Teen and Murder in Syracuse.” Beneath them in small print I saw my name, which Charlie had typed in the search engine. I clicked on a few, but they only relayed information I already knew. It was only the articles filed within the last few hours that really intrigued my interest.
“Suspect in Battes Kidnapping”
Syracuse, NY— With cooperation from local authorities, FBI officials have obtained video documentation of missing teenager Adeline Battes recorded within an hour of her father reporting her disappearance. Miss Battes is viewed on security camera footage speaking