HIS BY MISTAKE

Chapter 2

KAIA’S POV

I winced in pain as the car jolted upward, my body shifting roughly with the movement. My face was covered with a sack, and too many thoughts spiraled in my head at once. I didn’t know where we were headed.

I had been brought out of the room, my face covered again before I was thrown into the van.

This was it. They were definitely taking me to the killing ground, the place I was going to be slaughtered. I had already given up after asking countless questions about why I was there, but no one answered.

“You special, huh?” one of the men said in a thick Russian accent.

I didn’t even realize he was talking to me until he tapped my shoulder.

“Tell me… who do you work for?” he added.

At this point, I was honestly confused by the kind of questions they kept asking me. Or maybe I was just pretending not to understand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I responded.

“Yeah, of course,” he said with a short laugh. “But I don’t buy that. The boss has never let a spy go scot-free. No one who got into that place has ever left alive before… and yet, here you are.”

Before I could respond, the car came to a sudden stop.

The sack was yanked off my head, and the sudden light made me squint. Rough hands grabbed me, dragging me out of the van before I could steady myself.

They let go. I stumbled forward slightly, trying not to fall. The man got back into the van without another word.

And just like that they drove off.

I stood there for a moment, I was disoriented and confused

I was extremely weak. My legs felt unstable, like they could give out at any second. My throat was dry, my head still pounding, and my body felt drained of everything.

I looked around, trying to find anything familiar. But nothing was.

The area was isolated, it was just a long stretch of road, a few scattered buildings in the distance, and silence that felt too heavy.

I had to move now before they changed their minds or before someone else came. I forced myself forward, each step slower than the last.

Five minutes in, and I was already exhausted. My breathing had turned uneven, my vision was slightly blurry again. Then I saw a truck coming from a distance and I hesitated to ask for help.

What if it wasn’t safe?

What if I was walking straight into something worse?

But as it got closer, I lifted my hand weakly and waved and the truck slowed. Relief flooded through me.

An elderly farm woman was driving. Her face was lined with age, but her eyes were kind as she leaned slightly toward me.

“You okay?” she asked.

I nodded weakly.

“Old Market Road, please,” I managed to say.

The woman frowned slightly as she thought for a second. “Oh I am going around there, I will take you close,”

She looked at me for a second, really looked at me and taking in my state.

Then she gestured. “Get in.”

I didn’t hesitate and as I got in the woman glanced at me again, like she wanted to ask more questions….but didn’t.

The ride felt longer than it probably was. I leaned back, trying not to pass out, focusing on staying conscious.

When we got close to the area, she stopped.

“Old Market Road,” she announced.

I thanked her softly and stepped down, my legs still unsteady.

I walked slowly along the street, scanning the buildings. Most of them looked similar, low apartments, worn paint, narrow paths between them.

I stopped a passerby, a young boy carrying a bucket.

“Please… do you know where the Blue Crest Apartments are?” I asked.

He nodded quickly and pointed ahead. “Second building after the shop.”

“Thank you,” I said.

I followed his direction, my steps dragging slightly until I saw it. I exhaled. Finally.

The building looked familiar. The chipped blue paint near the entrance… the broken railing by the stairs. I had been here once. It was years ago. My steps slowed as I climbed up, my chest tightening slightly.

I was headed to the second floor, the last door on the left. I stopped in front of it before I knocked twice..

“Who’s there? I’m comingggg.” a voice from inside shouted

The door opened.

And the moment her eyes landed on me, her expression shifted instantly. It was shock and disbelief.

“Kaia… is this you?” she asked with a low tone.

“Yeah,” I said, managing a small smile before glancing behind her, silently asking to be let in.

She didn’t hesitate and pulled me into a tight hug.

“You made it… come in, come in.”

She held my hand and pulled me inside before quickly shutting the door behind us.

The house was small. Really small.

The walls were slightly worn, the paint uneven in some places. The furniture didn’t match, a single couch, an old wooden chair, and a small table pushed to the side. A thin curtain hung over the window, barely covering it. Exactly how it had been years ago.

It wasn’t much but it felt safe.

She guided me to a chair and made me sit.

“I’ll be back,” she said quickly.

She returned moments later with two cups of water and two slices of toasts on a plate, all on a tray. She handed the water in a faded Hello Kitty mug and the toasts to me.

I shook my head slightly. “I’m not hungry.”

“Kaia…” her voice softened, but there was firmness in it. “You need to eat. Look at you, you look weak”

“I can’t,” I said quietly.

“You have to try.”

I hesitated… then slowly took the the plate.

My hands felt weak as I held it. The first bite was difficult. My throat felt tight, like it didn’t want to cooperate. I forced myself to chew slowly, even though my stomach didn’t respond.

It felt like I was eating out of obligation. She watched me as I ate everything.

After, I told her everything. From the moment I escaped… to being taken… to waking up there. She listened without interrupting, her expression growing more tense with every word.

“What the hell… this is actually so messed up,” she said, pulling me into a hug.

For a moment, I almost broke but I tried to hold it in.

After a minute, I pulled away.

“You need to eat something better,” she said. “What do you want to eat?”

“No… nothing. I’m good. I don’t think I can stomach anything else.”

“Kaia, you don’t look good. You need to eat, wash up and rest… maybe even go to the hospital,” she said before standing. “You know what, let me go get something for you.” She added as she walked towards the kitchen.

“Maya,” I called, forcing myself up slightly and making her stop. “I should leave. Coming here in the first place was a bad decision. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“No, don’t give me that. We’re in this together.”

“We are definitely not in this together,” I said, my hands going to my face as I tried to hold back my tears before slumping back into the couch. “It was so easy for everyone else to leave the cathedral… but I was held there for years. I was never allowed to leave. And now I finally get out, just to be kidnapped? If this isn’t a sign, what is? Maybe I should just go back. Everything will be fine.”

Maya walked back and sat beside me, taking my hands.

“Kaia, you always wanted to leave that place. You wanted to be free. To live like everyone else. And you’re halfway there. Don’t do this.”

“The cathedral would probably come looking for me… or even those kidnappers,” I said.

“Trust me, if the cathedral wanted you back, they would’ve come already. And after your last attempt, it wouldn’t be easy for you to get out again. This is your chance. If you go back willingly, it might be impossible to leave next time.”

What she said made sense. The cathedral had probably given up on me.

“But the kidnappers?” I asked.

“From what you said, they were looking for a spy or something. And they eventually realized you were a mistake. Why would they come back?” she said, taking a sip of water.

As she lowered the mug, her eyes met mine. She smiled reassuringly before she paused. She read my expression and her smile faded slightly.

“What, Kaia?” she asked.

I hesitated.

“I didn’t mean to be there,” I said slowly. “The last time I tried to escape, I ran through a deserted road then I saw a convoy of black cars coming, and I panicked. I ran into the nearest building to hide.”

I swallowed.

“Unlucky me… that was the exact building they were heading to.”

Maya’s eyes widened slightly.

“I didn’t see much,” I continued quickly. “It was dark… and I only heard serious voices, I had no idea about what was happening. It was just like something important was going on.”

“But someone else was there, I saw a woman though I didn’t see her clearly. Just a silhouette. But it felt like she didn’t belong there. I think she’s the real spy.”

“What happened next?” Maya asked.

“I left immediately. I didn’t stay long enough to understand anything. And on my way out… that’s when the cathedral people found me and dragged me back.”

“What the hell… this is actually crazy,” Maya muttered.”Okay, this does makes sense, as you said they definitely realized you were there by mistake….and found out the other woman was the real person.”

I leaned back slightly, still thinking when a knock sounded.

“I’ll check,” Maya said, already moving toward the door.

“Wait—“ I started but it was too late.

The moment she opened it her body froze.

And I knew it.