Chapter 15: The man on a mask
She knew she didn't have a choice. She had to save her name, and she couldn't afford to waste any more time. With a sigh, she got into the cab and slammed the door.
"Just drive fast and smoothly," she said as she settled into the taxi.
The driver nodded and hit the road, the car zipping through the city streets.
She kept checking her phone, obsessively refreshing the screen in hopes of seeing a message from the mysterious callers. She didn't know why she was so anxious to hear from them. She already knew where to meet them, so she had no reason to expect a message. But she couldn't help herself.
Suddenly, she was angry. "You're going too slow!" she yelled at the driver, her frustration boiling over. "But you're quick to charge me triple for a ride!"
"We're almost at your destination," the driver said, his voice raised. "Please stop yelling at me, or I'll have to drop you off here. You should be grateful that I'm even taking you to such a dangerous place. I'm putting my life at risk by taking you there."
The driver's voice was filled with frustration, and it was clear that he was fed up with her behavior.
"You're being rude!" Aubrey fired back, her agitation growing.
To her surprise, the driver brought the car to a stop. She looked out the window, confused. "We're not at Leonard's Tunnel yet. Why are you stopping?" she asked, her heart racing.
The driver turned to face her, his expression grave.
"Can't you see that I'm already irritated by your yelling?" the driver snapped. "Please get out of my car."
Aubrey knew that it would be difficult to find another taxi if this one left her here, in the middle of nowhere. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to alienate the only person who could take her to Leonard's Tunnel.
"I'm sorry for being mean to you," Aubrey forced the words out, her pride stinging. "Please, just take me to Leonard's Tunnel now."
She wished she could slap the driver for making her apologize, but she knew it would only make things worse. She couldn't afford to antagonize the only person who could take her to her destination.
The driver's voice was stern. "I'm not buying your apology," he said. "I'll only take you there if you give me an extra $5." He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her response.
Aubrey stared at the driver, tears welling up in her eyes as she struggled to control her emotions. "How can this man be so heartless?" she thought to herself.
Finally, she found her voice. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I'll add $5 to your bill."
It wasn't the money that bothered her. It was the principle of the matter. He was blackmailing her, and she hated being taken advantage of. But she had no choice – she had to get to Leonard's Tunnel.
"Good," the driver replied, his tone smug. "Now we're making progress. And remember, if you try to be rude again, I'll increase your bill even more."
With that, he started driving again, and Aubrey remained silent. She didn't want to give him any more reason to increase her bill. All she wanted to do was get to the bottom of this mystery.
"We're here," the driver's voice brought Aubrey back to the present, and she looked up to see that they had indeed reached their destination.
"May I have my payment?" the driver asked, his palm outstretched. Aubrey reached into her bag and pulled out the money, but instead of placing it in his hand, she flung it at him with a gesture of contempt.
"That's for been a greedy one," she spat, glaring at him before storming out of the taxi.
The driver yelled after her, "Crazy woman!" as he drove off.
Aubrey let out a frustrated hiss as she watched the taxi drive away. She was furious, but she knew she had to calm down and focus on the task at hand. She slung her bag over her shoulder set to find the answers she was looking for.
Taking a deep breath, she fixed her hair and prepared herself for what she was about to face.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number of the unknown caller. The phone rang and she held it to her ear, waiting for an answer.
She couldn't help but feel nervous as she waited for someone to pick up.
To Aubrey's relief, the call was answered on the second ring. A deep, husky voice came through the speaker. "I believe you're here," the voice said.
"Where are you exactly? I don't like this place," she responded, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. "I just want to get this over with so I can get out of here." She barks.
"Now, Miss Aubrey, there's no need to raise your voice," the voice said, a hint of amusement in its tone. "I'm not your servant."
"I just want to get this over with." She replies.
"Just stay where you are and I'll come to you."
Aubrey nodded, even though the person on the other end couldn't see her. "I'll be here," she said, and then ended the call.
She paced back and forth, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the unknown person to arrive. "Who could this be?" she wondered, her mind racing with possibilities.
Suddenly, she spotted two men walking towards her. They were both tall and muscular, and they wore dark sunglasses that obscured their eyes. She couldn't help but feel intimidated by their presence. They had a strange air about them that made her uneasy.
Her hands trembled, no matter how hard she tried to steady them. Fear was creeping up her spine, but she forced herself to stay calm. She thought about running, but she knew that would only make things worse. What if these men were the ones the unknown person had sent to get her? She couldn't risk it.
As the men drew closer, her heart started pounding even faster. When they were only 10 feet away, they broke into a sprint, and her instincts took over. She turned and ran, her heart pounding in her chest. But they were much faster than her, and before she knew it, they had caught up to her. She could feel their hot breath on her neck, and she screamed in terror.
"You think you're so clever, don't you?" the bigger man snarled, gripping her by the neck.
"Give us everything you have, or we'll cut your throat," he threatened, brandishing a knife and bringing it close to her throat.
She was terrified, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, don't kill me," she pleaded, her voice shaking. "Here, take everything I have. Just please don't hurt me."
The man eyed her suspiciously, but he took the items she was carrying.
"Let her go!" she heard a familiar voice from behind her. She tried to turn her head to see who it was, but the hefty men kept her face pressed down.
"And why should we do that?" one of the men snarled in response to the voice.
"Because if you don't, I'll use you as scapegoats for my next operation," the voice replied, and the next thing she knew, the man was charging at the hefty men.
It all happened so fast. Before she knew it, she was free from the men's grasp and someone was helping her.
He pummeled the men, knocking them to the ground before tying them to a tree. Meanwhile, Aubrey had managed to escape and run into the woods.
When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she looked up to see the person who had rescued her. He was wearing a mask that obscured his face, and she was too afraid to ask who he was. "Are you the unknown?" she stammered, her eyes darting around him.
But instead of answering her, he pulled out his phone and called her. She looked at the screen, and the caller ID said "Unknown." She knew then who he was. "Now you know who I am," he said, confirming her suspicions.
"Follow me," he said, turning and walking away. Aubrey watched him go, her heart racing. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should follow him or not. But then she remembered what had just happened to her, and she decided that following him was better than staying here alone.
So she ran after him, her footsteps light and quick.