Free Haeven by S. M. Bowles

the
bathroom. In my mind I replayed the songs and pictured Jesse and
the other musicians as they incited the crowd and their fervor.
Smiling I found an empty stall and locked the door behind
me. 
    When I was done freshening up and ready to
head back I walked out of the bathroom. "Now's my chance," I
thought to myself and rather than turning toward the stage I
started walking towards the office and the backdoor where we had
come in.
    I took a hurried step then another and tried
a third but couldn't seem to pick my feet up after that. I looked
over my shoulder.
    "Avery!" I cried out.
    "Hello Emily," he said his face and voice
both devoid of emotion.

Chapter 5

    I tried fighting the hold he had on me and
running. Avery gave a malicious little chuckle and I felt his grip
loosen. I took several stumbling strides which brought me back
towards the office and to my utter horror I watched as Carah
stepped out of the doorway. Realizing my escape was barred in
either direction I tried to scream and call for help.
    "None of that!" Avery grabbed me from behind
and covered my mouth as he shuffled me toward the back door.
    I knew it was senseless to struggle so I gave
into the inevitable and let them guide me away. I heard the music
start back up as Avery ushered me out into the alley and wondered
how long it would take Jesse to notice that I was gone. I knew
there was nothing he or anyone else could do but I tried to remain
hopeful.
    "Why didn't I leave as soon as I had the
chance? I shouldn't have listened to Jesse and his band as long as
I did. I could have been far, far away by now."
    Avery glanced at me in the mirror and gave me
a look that seemed to challenge the thought. I clenched my teeth
and instinctively emptied my mind as Carah plopped down beside me.
Avery seemed surprised. "Interesting," he frowned and mumbled. He
adjusted the mirror and without anything further drove us back to
the canyon.
    Once we were in the elevator Avery brought us
down to my floor and got off with me but Carah stayed on and I
imagined she was heading down to Herrik's level to report that she
and Avery had found me and I was back in my apartment. I figured
Avery had stayed behind to make sure that I did indeed accept my
fate and was safely delivered to my door.
    I entered the code and turned the handle then
Avery reached forward and pushed the door open for me. I had to
duck under his arm to get inside and once I was in he followed
directly behind me. I glanced back once or twice as we walked
toward the kitchen. I could hear voices and strained my ears to see
if I recognized who they belonged to. As I listened I realized that
it was Herrik and Penny. I could hear both their voices
intermittently but they were speaking so low and hushed that I
couldn't catch a word they said.
    Suddenly I was too afraid to walk any further
and felt desperate not to have to face either of them but Avery
nudged me along the hallway and there was no turning back.
    "Please," Penny pleaded, "it won't happen
again," were the first words of their conversation that I could
actually make out.
    "I'm sorry," Herrik said as I inched nearer
and nearer to the kitchen. "There's nothing I can do."
    My heart was pounding as I watched them
sitting across from one another at the island. Herrik was oddly
calm and unemotional; unwilling to be swayed by whatever Penny was
saying as she stared across the distance between them with her eyes
full of tears.
    "No...no...no," Penny begged. "I can't leave!
Not now...not now that Emily is here and after everything that has
happened!"
    "Oh, God," I thought, "what have I
done?!"
    "There are rules Penny; it's not my decision
to make. You were supposed to keep an eye on her. By letting her
leave you put Emily at a terrible risk. You put us all at a
terrible risk. Exposing her could have exposed us all. What if
someone recognized her or worse...?”
    Penny buried her face in her hands, "I
know...I know...I wasn't thinking...I...I...she...I needed