The Factory
1102 Words
Chapter 6
Gwen's Pov
I thought about the night before. Noah had been so kind. He had cooked my favorite dinner. He had told me he loved me.
He had promised to keep me safe. But I knew a secret. I knew that the "Cleaner" man, Boris, was watching us. I knew that if I didn't make Noah happy, the bad men would hurt my mom and dad.
But there was another problem. A bigger problem.
Boris had said he didn't know who "Raph" was. Raph was the scary man who showed up at our house. If Raph didn't work for the Mafia, who was he? Was he a ghost? Or was he someone from Noah’s old life that Noah never told me about?
I had to find out. I couldn't live in a house full of lies anymore.
I lay in bed, listening to the thwack of Noah’s axe in the woods. Every hit sounded like a clock ticking down to my end.
I had two choices, and both were bad.
• Boris would kill my family if I didn't keep Noah happy.
• Noah would kill me if he found out I was a spy.
I need to find out what they want from Noah, so I should be able to fight this.
“Raph is already a variable that wasn't planned, or Could I make Raph useful” I thought.
I could disappear and everyone would think that I died and if everyone thinks I'm dead, the Mafia would stop threatening my family, and Noah wouldn't look for me.
But Noah, he's the sweetest man I have ever met, how can I do this to him, break his heart. I need a plan where I come out alive.
The chopping of woods stopped, I looked out the window. Noah was walking toward the house, looking strong and sweaty from his work. He came inside and wiped his forehead.
“I have a meeting with the Councillor today about the project, he wants to see the progress". He said
"Oh, that," I said, trying to smile. "Do you want me to come with you?”
Noah looked at me with those kind, blue eyes. He looked tired, but he still smiled back. "If you want to, but I wouldn't want to stress you out.”
My heart felt heavy. He was the sweetest man I had ever met, but loving him was like living in a house that was on fire.
"I think I’ll stay here, Noah," I said, trying to make my voice sound normal. "I have a bit of a headache. I’ll just rest and maybe do some cleaning."
Noah walked over and kissed my forehead. "Okay, honey. Rest up. I’ll be back in two hours. We can have a quiet evening."
I watched his truck pull down the driveway. As soon as the sound of the engine faded.
….
Noah’s Pov
I hated leaving Gwen at the house. She looked so pale, like a piece of fine china that was about to crack. I wanted to stay and hold her, to tell her that I would fix everything, but the Councillor was waiting.
The Councillor was the man who gave me the money for the town’s new library project. If I didn't show him the progress today, I would lose the job. And if I lost the job, I lost my cover.
I drove to the construction site. My mind was back at the house, thinking about Gwen. But when I pulled up to the site, my heart dropped.
"What happened here?" I whispered.
The wooden frames I had built were leaning over. The beautiful timber I had selected was cracked and grey. It looked like someone had poured acid over the wood. The work I had spent weeks on was ruined.
"Explain this, Noah!" a voice boomed.
I turned around. The Councillor was standing there. He looked very angry. His face was red, and he was holding a piece of the wood. It crumbled in his hand like old bread.
"Sir, I don't know," I said. My voice was steady, but inside, I was worried. "This wood was perfect yesterday. Someone must have tampered with it."
"Tampered with it? Or did you just use cheap, rotten trash to save money?”
"I told you, Councillor," a voice interrupted. I turned and saw Raph. He was leaning against a car with a mean smile. "Noah isn't the craftsman you think he is. He’s a liar. He uses bad materials and hides them with paint.”
"What are you doing ?" I growled.
Raph ignored me. He pointed at the ruined wood.
"Look at this, sir. This wood is full of chemicals. It’s dangerous. Noah didn't buy this from the local mill. He bought it from a black-market dealer. He’s been lying to you from the start.”
The Councillor looked at me like I was a criminal. "Is this true, Noah? Is your whole business a lie?”
"I didn't do this," I said to the Councillor.
"Raph is the one who ruined the wood. He’s trying to frame me."
"Prove it," Raph challenged. He stepped closer to me, leaning in so the Councillor couldn't hear. "You can't prove anything, Noah. Because if you call the police, they’ll start asking about your real name. They’ll start asking where you were five years ago."
My hands turned into fists. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to protect the life I had built for Gwen.
"You're fired, Noah," the Councillor said. "Leave the site. If I see you here again, I’m calling the Sheriff."
The Councillor walked away, leaving me alone with Raph in the middle of my ruined work.
Raph laughed. It was a cold, dry sound.
"You thought you could just build a house and be happy? You thought you could have a pretty girl and a quiet life? Men like us don't get to be happy, Noah.”
"Leave Gwen out of this," I said, my voice shaking with rage.
"Gwen?" Raph tilted his head. "The girl is already part of it, Noah. She’s the weak spot. And if you don't give me what I want, she’s the one who will pay the price."
Raph got back into his car and drove away, throwing gravel into the air.
I stood there in the dust. I had lost my job. My reputation was ruined.
- Writer
