Chapter Three

The airport is busy and crowded with tons of people, making it easier for me and Theo to blend in. Theo has my index and middle finger tightly clutched in her tiny grasp, her red padded jacket covering most of her, including her head that is covered with the hood.

I have mine pulled back, just in case people get suspicious, but I really don’t want people to see me. I don’t know how far I’m safe as long as I’m still inside the US.

After the sweet and pleasant visit from Suho, Theo and I spent a good Twenty minutes packing all our important stuff, and also doing something about getting us out of the country.

It had been years since I used my skills, but I still managed to make us fake documents, including enough cash to get us a passageway to Poland.

The last time I used my hacking skills, I was five years ago, to get Theo and me out of Italy with new identities, and then for years ago, when I finally needed a better paying job other than a waitress in a restaurant. So I forged documents to show I had enough in me to work in a bank.

That was the last. I really wished I would never have the need to use these skills again. but, here we are again.

“Theo, stay close to me, alright?” I whisper to her in Italian, while she nodes her tiny head. Together we move towards the baggage carousel, placing our luggages and bags and anything else that might need testing.

The lady in charge examines me for any obstacle, and when she comes out empty handed, she moves on to Theo, doing the same thing what she did to me.

Once we are safe to cross, the lad lets us go, and we pick out or baggage from the other end of the carousel.

Things are almost done. We are almost there. In a few more minutes and soon we will be boarding the plane, and be off to our new life. A new start.

A few minutes my foot. We waited for more than four hours. And in that time span, Theo already dosed off, resting her head on my lap.

soon, her name will be Laura Jones, and mine will be Tessa Jones, and we will be two new people entirely, all over again.

I sigh. My head rolling backwards while I pat Theo on the back softly, breathing through my mouth.

Just this one more time. Let me escape one more time, and I promise I will try my best to never get caught again. I will give Theo a new life, just please let her not get captured. Please.

Who am I even praying to? Who is it that I’m thinking about?

“Mommy?” Theo says groggily, slowly waking up from her slumber as she rubs her eyes, trying to look at me. “What’s wrong luv?”

“I want to pee.”

Oh.

She sits up, while I nod and stand up, pulling her along with me towards the restroom. From where we have been sitting, the rest room is quite the walk, enough for people to keep coming in our path, until there is just so much people I can barely see the restroom door.

“Excuse me,” I try to make way, but it seems like this sea of people just won’t part, and I’m stuck in the middle with Theo’s hand in mine.

Wait, Theo’s hand…

It’s…it’s not…

IT’S NOT THERE!

“Th-Theo?” I call out, looking at my now empty hands at the same time my heart begins to hammer in my chest, thudding violently. “Theo? Theo? THEO!?”

No longer caring that people are staring at me, I start yelling out her name, feeling the tears spring to my eyes at the thought of my daughter missing.

What if someone took her-

No! I can’t think like that! It’s just a heavy crowd. I’m sure she is just lost somewhere. I will find her soon. When the crowd parts, I will find her soon. I will-

“THEODORA!” No use. I can’t stop myself. Theo is missing, she was right here, right now, holding my hands, and I couldn’t even tell when she let go! How could I be such a fool!? My daughter is missing and I can’t even tell where she is!

“Oh Theo!” I wail, my face breaking into violent sobs as the people passing my stare at me incredulously, but I can’t care any less.

What do I do?

“Miss, are you alright?” An elderly lady asks, looking up at me with concern edged on her face, her old age wrinkles giving her that kind grandmotherly look.

Guess I can tell her.

But it’s just so hard to find my voice back.”Th-they…my dau-daughter she’s…she’s lost. She’s missing!”

I sob even more, now that I have finally spoken it and admitted to it. Theo is missing, what on earth am I to do?

The lady’s face twisted into one of sadness a frown appearing as she looks down at her legs. “Oh dear! I’m so sorry” have you searched around?”

“N-no, I was just getting to it.”

“Okay dear. Try searching the back ally of the building. I’m sure Theo will be there.”

“Okay-“

Wait…what?

With my breathing haggard and coming out as sobs, I lift my head up and try to look at the kind-not-so-kind old lady, but of course...she is gone.

So much for being an old lady.

"Wai-" The words seem to die down right in my mouth, while the crowd around me thickens and I push my way out, not caring if I'm being rude to anyone. They can go to hell for all I care, because now I'm even doubting that the whole crowd is a set up.

That old lady, she was part of the crowd, coming out of nowhere and trying to sympathise. She knows. She knows where my daughter is, or more specifically who took her.

I should find her. I should-

"Hey!" I scream, noticing the distant figure of the lady walking away towards the entrance of the airport, like as if she has not a single care in the world. Finally freeing myself from that made up crowd, I start running, my eye sight blurry from the tears which I brush away.

I will cry later. First I need to find Theo. End this here.

Sure as hell, the lady walks out of the building, and I have a clear idea of where she is going.

"Try to search for the alley behind the building. I'm sure Theo will be there."

Right. This bitch be luring me with the best bait she got.

Fine. I will come. If that is what you want, I will go. But leave my daughter the fuck alone.

The glass doors to the building slide open, and once I step in; I'm greeted with a heavy breeze that sends chills all over my body. It is terribly cold, and I know it's going to start snowing soon.

But I can worry about that later. I have a daughter to find.

Kneeling down, I pull out the slice of glass blade that I had been carrying with me for all these years, the only reminder of my other half, the only thing that she left me.

This dagger is the only object I have that still signifies my connection to my old life, and although I had promised to never indulge in any of these anymore, I just couldn't part with it. Not when it was her who gave me this.

With new found fire burning in my eyes, I look up to find the lady glancing behind her, seeing me standing, and turns to her left, entering the alley that would surely lead behind the building.

But this is no alley, at least not what I imagined. The place is not a cramped passageway, or dirty and murky with garbage. It's just a clean open wide space, and further away the spot where all the planes are parked and getting their final checks before take-off.

And right in front of me, a few feet away, is Theo, but she is not alone of course.

Suho is there as well. With all his men.

It's him. Louis Choi. He found me again.

Why? Why did this have to happen?

My insides turn at the thought of what will happen next knowing that Louise won't take it lightly that I tried to run away, again.

Just how on earth is he finding out?

"We meet again! In one day that too!" Suho calls out through all the loud noises, and I'm just surprised how no one is noticing a bunch of goons standing all by themselves in the restricted areas, with a child and grandma at that.

Oh wait, scratch that. That lady is not a grandma after all. It's just a young wench disguised as a grandma who is now collecting her pay from one of the goons.

Suho rests his beefy hands on both of Theo's shoulder, while she looks at me with a puzzled face, still not understanding the situation.

Why did you have to follow them baby?

"Let the child go. And then we can talk." I say, finally glad for once that my voice doesn't quiver. But what Suho does next has my heart going into a marathon.

He flips out a pen knife, flipping it over in his hand dangerously close to Theo,  before going so far as to even place it on top of her right shoulder, the same spot I stabbed him.

This fucking bastard. He sure as hell is asking for death.

"What even makes you think we want to talk to you?" Suho claims, and for the first time, I really have no answer. I don't know what to say. Honestly, why would he want to talk?

"You see, you have made boss really really very mad, and he does terrible things when he gets mad." That sick smirk is back again. He knows his words are getting to me, and he is enjoying it. "He was furious when he found out you were running away with his child all over again. He pitied me. Imagine the hard work I have to go through to find the two of you again. Tsk tsk. Load of bull I tell you."

"What the fuck do you want this time?" I hiss out, not able to bear with his shit eating grin anymore. He is enjoying himself way too much. I tighten the hold on the glass dagger hidden underneath my sleeve.

Suho's grin fades, and I recognise that look from earlier. When he got deadly serious and punched me in the gut.

I almost shudder at the memory.

Pointing the tip of his blade towards Theo's shoulder, he says. "Nothing. Nothing at all. You were given a chance to send your daughter willingly and choose the fate Boss had for you, but you didn't want that. You didn't listen. Now, his command is simple. And very interesting one at that."

While his men spread around and circle me, making me curse the workers who notice us and pretend not to see anything, Suho kneels down before Theo, giving enough space for me to see them. "He said us to bring the child to him-alone. And you?"

Suho cocks a brow at me, cold sweat breaking out in my forehead while I press my lips together to stop them from trembling.

Me what?

"Kill you. He said us to kill you. End you once and for all."

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---