"Can you tell me the postcode of where we are going?"
I had finally mustered the courage to ask the driver a question. Given that a few hours ago, I was bound up, held against my will by my ex-boyfriend. I was not feeling keen on speaking to strangers.
"You mean you don't know?" said the driver. "I just assumed you did. Excuse my manners, I should have confirmed it with you. I have a lot on my mind. I was told not to bother asking you any questions unless you asked. Me, I just do my job, I drive, I don't want to get into trouble and the man had security men, with him, so I have no questions. He decide to pay me big money, so I say yes. It's for my children. I'm old, but my children are young, there's no money in driving taxi. But this man promise to pay me good money. I am so sorry lady for not telling you post code."
"It's ok," I said. "It sounds like you are very stressed." The man nodded his agreement.
"So what's the postcode?"
"Oh sorry, it's SW9 9TP."
I got out my phone and checked the map. SW9 9TP. We were five minutes away but the area on the map looked like nothing, I mean it was like just a blank space. I zoomed in closer to get up the street level view. I saw what looked like a kids playground, it was incredible, there was not one facility in sight. I thought to myself I am going to literally meet some random person on the street in the middle of the night and I don't know who they are. I can promise that by this point, my attempts to appear calm and collected were failing. I had enough of being in all these dangerous situations. I never wanted anything of this. I never wanted Avatara, the world can have it, as long as I keep the codes safe, it can never cause the worst trouble it could. But should I have to go on like this, being carted around by strangers, forced into uncertain situations? My heart thumped and I felt short of breath. I could not take it anymore.
"Stop the car, I want to get out."
"But we are not there yet. Only a few more minutes lady."
"I said stop the car and don't call me lady." My voice was loud.
The car was going fast and just went through a light as it turned from amber to red.
"If I get ticket, I get ticket," the driver said.
"Stop the car."
"I cannot stop the car, I have been told that I have to bring you to the place to get paid. If I don't take you there I get trouble and I don't get paid."
"I don't know who you are taking me to," I said. "I could get killed."
"No, they won't kill you," said the driver. "I can tell that they wanted you to be safe."
"You can't tell that just by looking at someone, please, what is your name? I want you to stop the car."
He didn't tell me his name but he did not stop the car. My eyes were looking out of the window, while my brain scrambled for options. Click! The driver noticed my change of attention and ensured all the car doors were locked.
"You're not going to let me go?" I said. "Are you going to try to hurt me? I have my phone and if you try anything I will call the emergency services." I spoke in a measured formal tone, emphasising every word. And I don't know why I said 'emergency services' instead of the police.
'Tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick.' The dashboard left turn arrow blinker indicator was on, its green light flashing periodically. The speed of the car decreased but there were no signs of the car going to park. I continued to stare at the driver with an intense gaze, no blinking, via the rear-view mirror. He made sure that he did not make eye contact with me. My heart thumped hard. I don't know why I didn't actually call the police. You don't think clearly when you're terrified.
"If you don't stop the car, I'm, I'm going to piss on this seat," I said. It's ridiculous I know but what else could I say? It's not like in the movies where I would have a gun. Imagine me doing that, putting the end of a pistol to the side of neck, saying pull over. I wouldn't know the first thing to do with a gun. Probably, end up shooting myself. I guess in some ways that is a similar result to pissing myself. Just hopeless.
But the driver seemed to believe my threat and got a bit edgy about it. Well he was edgy already.
"Ok, ok, lady I will park." He called me lady again.
"I don't see you pulling over," I said. "If you don't pull over I will piss everywhere."
"One minute," he said. "See I have indicator light on. We'll park soon."
And that's when I realised we were more or less at the destination. It seemed I might as well face this issue. After all, I chose to get in the car in the first place.
The car slowed and made its way to the kerb.
"You can leave now," he said. He looked at me using the mirror and did not turn his round. However, he let out a large sigh. I tried to ask him some questions about who paid him to drive me but he was not interested. "You are here now, please go, please leave my car." It was as if I was harassing him. He zoomed off the moment my feet left the car. I watched the red tail lights of the red car as it disappeared into the distance.
So there I was standing there on the pavement, on my own after midnight. There was a light drizzle of rain but it wasn't cold. I looked around to see where I was. There was a brown brick low wall, covered in graffiti, with one sprayed message saying, 'no avatara allowed.' There was also a road sign that said, 'Stockwell Park Walk, SW9.' The area was a skatepark. That's when I noticed a gorgeous girl with curly purple dyed hair that was black at the roots.
"You must be Grace Shelley," she said.
"Who are you?" I said. I was not about to reveal who I was but it must have been obvious to her as my facial expression was probably wild and worried. Also, why else would I be standing here at this time, if I was not the person that these people were after.
"They're waiting for you over there," she said. Her eyes targeted the middle of the skatepark where there were three kids, all in hoodies. I couldn't see their faces. They looked like trouble.
"Also," said the girl. "I'm gonna need your phone."