Chapter 5: The Shattered Contract
The bathroom door was not much of a barrier against the trouble I knew was coming. I sat on the floor listening to the sound of the guard figuring out his mistake.. Instead of the yelling I expected there was just a low tapping at the main door. Then the sound of the lock clicking open.
"Beatrice? I know you are awake. The guard told me you had a bit of lunch."
It was Peter. His voice was calm, not angry like his employee was. I stayed quiet hiding in the corner of the bathroom my heart beating fast like a bird that wants to fly
"Come out Beatrice. There is no point in hiding. We need to talk. I do not want to have to break down the door."
I realised that if I stayed hidden I would miss my chance to see what was happening. I needed to keep Peter busy until Juno came to help me. I stood up, wiped the sweat from my forehead and opened the bathroom door.
Peter was standing by the window looking out at the afternoon sky which had turned a dark purple colour. He did not look angry, he looked happy like a man who had just figured out a puzzle.
"There you are, " he said, pointing to the chair I had been sitting in earlier. "Sit down please. You look like you are ready to run and there is really nowhere to go."
"Why am I here Peter? Tell me the truth, not that stuff about restoring order."
Peter walked over to me stopping a foot away. He looked at me with a mix of feelings, sorry for me and impressed. "The truth is that Caspian is a coward. He has good taste. He used my money to build a business. He used you to make it strong.. The deal we made is not just about getting revenge. It is about being useful."
He leaned in, his eyes shining. "Caspian gets to keep his freedom and his business. I get the things he took from me plus the one thing he really cared about.. For you Beatrice this is a good thing. You get to stay at the top, you get to keep the life you are used to. All you have to do is play along with the woman on my arm. It is a change."
"I am not something you can just move from one place to another " I said, my voice shaking with hate.
"In our world, everyone is a part of something, " Peter said calmly. "Do not worry, the deal is. Once the papers are signed you will see that it is good for both of us. You get protection. I get what is mine. It is clean, it is logical."
"You are crazy, " I whispered. "You think I will just sit at dinner parties with you after you kidnapped and drugged me?"
"You will learn, " he said, reaching out to touch my shoulder. "People can get used to things when they have to or when they are scared of being poor or-"
A faint sound of sirens cut through the air.
Peter froze, his hand in the air and his head turned towards the window. At first it was a hum but it got louder and louder until there was a loud noise of sirens and cars outside.
The calm look on Peter's face started to fade. He walked to the window looking down at the street thirty floors below. I followed his gaze seeing the police cars and the lights flashing on the pavement.
"What did you do?" Peter turned to me, his voice low and dangerous.
"I told you " I said, feeling happy and proud. "I am not something you can just move around."
The suite's front door burst open. Police officers rushed in yelling and waving their guns.
"Nobody moves! Hands in the air!"
The room was filled with police officers and Peter was grabbed and forced to the ground. The guard from earlier was slammed against the wall. The officers were all around us.
Peter stood still for a second, his jaw set, his eyes looking for a way to escape.. There was nowhere to go and the officers dragged him away.
"Beatrice!"
Juno burst into the room, her hair wild and her face angry. She pushed past the officers. Ran to me hugging me tightly.
"I have got you " she whispered, her voice shaking. "You are okay Bea."
I leaned against her feeling weak and tired. I watched as the police took Peter away. He looked at me with a cold angry stare.
"This is not over Beatrice!" he shouted. "The papers are signed and you belong to the Moretti name!"
The officers dragged him out of the room. Juno pulled me away from the door.
"We are leaving, " she said. "My car is outside. The police have everything they need. I am taking you to my place and you will be safe there."
I did not argue I just followed her out of the suite past the door and the police officers. We rode the elevator down in silence. When we stepped out into the night air it felt cool and fresh.
Juno led me to her car, a reliable sedan and we drove away from the hotel. I looked back at the Grand Imperial seeing the police lights still flashing. I felt happy to be leaving that world behind.
"Where are we going?" I asked, though I already knew.
"Home " Juno said firmly, her eyes on the road. "My home and tomorrow we will figure out how to take down the rest of their world."
I leaned my head against the window watching the city lights blur together. The deal was done. Not the way Peter had planned. For the time that day I was not waiting for trouble to come to me, I was the one driving away from it.
