THE FIFTH WITNESS

NO WAY OUT

When I came to, the truck wasn't moving and I was alone. Someone had placed a pillow under my head and even covered me with a blanket.

I listened carefully, ensuring to keep my breathing shallow as I raised my head.

About three men were standing a few feet in front of the truck while nobody was at the back. One of the windows was even open, what the hell?

As quietly as I could manage, I opened the door and crept out of the car. I didn't bother to shut it firmly before I ran in the opposite direction of the men.

Paul knew who I was and that was all I needed to get as far from him as I could.

I found a rundown motel, and told the man at the front desk what I wanted. He looked questionable but he told me he could get me out of town by sea in three days. It sounded fair to me so I paid half of his price up front and took the accommodations he provided.

Everyday came with an update from the guy who turned out to be quite efficient for the job. At midnight of the day of departure I had a new identity, new identity cards,new phones and I was given a dye for my hair and lip balm for my lips.

Three hours later I was at the harbor in a new outfit, different duffel bag and a baseball cap pulled over my face just in case.

Just as I was about to show my ticket to the man at the office I was yanked back with brutal force which caused me to stumble and fall. I never got to the ground as I fell into a very angry looking Paul.

“Not a word out of your mouth!” He hissed at me before he pulled me with a painful hold towards wherever. Well I wasn't about to make this easy for him so I began to trash around and scream for help but nobody moved to help. That was when I realized that everyone at the port was dressed in a certain way, some even gave him nods of greeting.

The sound of a chopper had me stopping dead in my tracks, especially since Paul seemed to be heading straight to it. But he stopped and pulled me in another direction.

That was when I saw her, Sophie.

She came out of the chopper, walked down the pier toward a sophisticated white boat docked in the marina's exclusive area.

Sophie Lang was alive and despite the huge sunglasses at this hour of the day I recognized her.

Paul didn't seem to know about my internal turmoil as he dragged me to yet another vehicle. This time around when he pushed me inside and I tried to get out he caught my face between his thumb and forefinger in a tight grip.

“You really should sit still while I'm being nice to you,” it wasn't so much as his words but how he said it that had me sitting still as he pulled on a seatbelt and slammed the door shut with a vengeance that rattled me.

He entered the driver's seat and drove off at an alarming speed until we got to the highway.

My mind immediately replayed the scene of seeing Sophie walk out of that chopper and to the yacht earlier.

I shook my head in disbelief, it wasn't true. Sophie was dead, I watched them lower her body into the ground.

“Sophie is alive!” I found myself blurting out unprovoked. There was a tick in Paul's jaw before he spoke.

“I know.”

I turned to look at him properly now. Was there even a single thing about this man that I know that is true?

The rest of the car ride was painfully quiet. I had a lot of questions but Paul looked like he was one comment away from killing me himself and saving Marcus the trouble.

Marcus suddenly spoke as he drove into an area that I didn't know existed close to the harbor.

“Yes, the usual protocol,” Paul said, in that moment it dawned on me that I was in the presence of a Mafia boss in his own right.

When he pulled up to the driveway he stopped and took deep breaths before he turned to face me.

“Sophie never died, it was all a set up to get the feds off her ass. Now, you will come with me without a fuss or so help me God, I'll carry you like a sack of potatoes across that hallway. But either way, you are coming with me, understood?!” Paul said to me in a voice that conveyed his threats to me so I nodded my head and just waited for him to come and open my side of the door.

“Keep that on,” Paul said to me as he adjusted my hat and pulled me towards an elevator around the corner.

Wordlessly, Marcus led me to a room where he swiped a card and gently pushed me inside. After ensuring that the door was locked, Paul took off his jacket and then with his eyes locked on mine he took off his shirt. The move had my lady bits in a fix but this wasn't the time for that.

When he turned around my mouth went dry.

On his back, centered around his spine was a huge tattoo of the Blackwood family crest.

“Only family gets to have this,” Paul said to me before he pulled on his shirt.

"Why are you telling me this?” I asked Paul who went to sit down and pointed to another seat for me to take.

“Because we have to start on a clean page if I want to keep you alive. If Sophie had seen you today, you would have been dead by now,” Paul said to me and my mouth hung open in shock.

“Why would Sophie want me dead? I'm her best friend, her sister, you're lying to me!” I said to Paul who sighed deeply.

“Contrary to what you might believe, I have no reason to lie to you. I was sent to tidy you up but that didn't obviously go as planned. But I want to keep you alive for as long as I can, and that will happen only with your cooperation,” Paul said to me and I could feel my head reeling with everything.