Make Your Move Katherine

The Presidential letter

Kat tore open the letter, the beautifully-lipped man handed her, a bit shakily. The president? Why- what is so important that her president would write to her? Did the woman even know she existed- well she did, Kat’s mind argued back.

If it was forged it looked very real for the signature of the President at the bottom was in pen and not stamped. On the top was the coat of arms. Kat’s heart slammed against her chest.

‘Dear Miss Turner, I am very saddened to inform you that the man before you speak the truth. You are to be married to him and no longer considered a legal resident of Armedia. After your marriage, I am sure that everything would reveal itself to you but only then.

I cannot divulge any information to you as not even my immediate staff knows the reason. I regret to inform you that it was your mother who gave her word and the promise was broken when she took you and took refuge here.

I do regret that you have that price to pay Miss Turner but I cannot put my people and country at risk for war.

Katherine did not know what a letter from the White House is supposed to look like but she supposed this was it. The Presidential seal proved it was legit right?

And the President wrote the letter as if it would be handed to her by Oscar. Kat thought of the greying wrinkled, woman she had admired for the past six years and felt the betrayal although they had never met.

'How could you do this to me, Boomer? And I voted for you.'

“My name is Anthony. We will bring you no harm. Please.”

Well, if the President ordered it-

The man grabbed her as she tried to run for the stairs, dropping the Pepsi can on the carpeted hallway. “Your door Miss?”

At least she tried. “Pick up that,” she pointed to the can she’d dropped as she walked back in the direction of her door, seeing she had no other option but to do so. Another suited man holding a duffel bag bent and retrieved it.

“Can I get a water?” Kat asked the man called Anthony, sitting on the opposite sofa. It had been almost an hour since she was stuck in her apartment. Anthony informed her that she did not have a cell phone because it was taken and no, she could not use his phone to call her boss Anthony informed her, unsmiling.

She had stared and counted the seal on the letter; the arc of fire and the constellation within its ring. The scarlet ibis had the scroll in- get this for it’s real- in one dragon-clawed foot while the thin long beak held an olive branch with the arrows in the other clawed foot. Oh- it was real, alright.

Gosh. Oscar might be an assh*le but he was not crazy, so what the heck was really going on here?

“You are free to use your apartment as you see fit Ma’am,” he answered her with.

“Except my front door, right?”

“That’s correct ma’am.”

A bottle of water appeared in front of her and she looked up to see one of the suits had brought it. She sneered at him and took it getting up.

“I like my water cold,” she jeered and hobbled back into her kitchen to put the bottle back in the cupboard. The bloodstains were still on the floor, in deep brown and almost black-red.

She opened the bottle and poured the water over it and opened the cupboard door, taking out an open box of baking soda and dusting the bloodied mess with it. Next, she covered her bare hands with gloves and grabbed a roll of paper towels, and placed it on the countertop. She limped to the closet and took out a broom and long-handled scoop and set out to sweep up the broken glass.

One of the men was with her in the kitchen watching her movements with a slight furrow between his brows but he did not utter a word. His shades, like the others, were inside his jacket pocket and Kat could see his attractive jawline clenching from time to time. All of them had strong physical appearances and the oldest, Anthony, looked like he was in his late thirties.

The scoop fell down when she placed it back inside the closet and the noise attracted the attention of another one and he came in to stand by the side of the doorway that separated the kitchen from the dining area. Not even surprised, she went to the cleaning up of the blood now that she hoped had softened a bit by now.

Bending down she unwrapped the paper towel sheets and wiped the mess up, pressing her teeth together as pain shot through her arm again and placed the soiled sheets in a bag. Next, she sprayed Lysol on the spot and then wiped it up. She washed the gloves out and hung them up to dry over the kitchen sink- not that she would be using them again.

Why was she being so stupid? It was simple to just put them in the garbage. Just as she could have simply mopped the floor and gotten rid of the mop after. Kat just needed a motion to help keep her calm.

“Weren’t you thirsty?” Anthony reminded her when she returned to the couch empty-handed.

Right.

Getting up, Kat hobbled back into the kitchen, to the fridge and took out a bottle, glad to see her floor clean this time. Thinking again, she opened the door and took out five more. Closing the door, she turned around almost yelping for Anthony was in close proximity behind her. He frowned when he saw her hand and she held one out to him. He shook his head no.

“Fine,” she muttered to his back for he had walked away and placed two on the counter before limping back. Placing the other three on the coffee table, waving her wrists, indicating for them to have the water. Then she opened and drank almost the entire contents of the bottle she held.

Nobody moved to touch the bottles.

“C’mon, I’m sure you guys are thirsty. Intimidating people must be a parching job,” she mocked them and Anthony replied with, “This is not a joking matter but thank you.”

Kat picked up two bottles and walked to the guy who was standing outside her bedroom door and held it out to him but he did not take it. She looked back at Anthony who sighed at first, nodded his head slightly and the man took it thanking her.

She carried the other one to the man by the door and he also took it and thanked her. She shook her head as she passed back and saw the other two bottles on the counter still, “Go on have a sip,” she told them and walked into her bedroom digging into her purse, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

She went into her kitchen- which is the only place she smoked and lit one. She saw the man’s disapproval on his face when she took the first drag by the window.

“Hey Anthony,” she called out and he came in looking at the cigarette in her hand and then at the towering man who stood with his hand clasped in front of him. “Is this not allowed too?”

“You can do as you please as long as you don’t cause bodily harm to yourself.”

She snickered, and clarified, “Smoking is dangerous to my health, Anthony.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Don’t fret Anthony, I’m not big on smoking. I bought this a night I was at a club. I only smoke occasionally. Like now… when I am stressed.”

Anthony nodded his head and said, “It’s fine, just kick the habit as soon as possible for he will not approve of it.”

“He? You mean Oscar?” Kat pulled harder on the butt and continued on, “Makes me want to buy more,” before releasing the smoke out the window. Anthony’s face had a disapproving expression on it.

“What’s going on with that?”

“What’s going on with that?” she threw over her head as she walked to the fridge and took out another Pepsi can. Only three remaining she noted and made a mental note to pick up some on her way back from work tomorrow.

“Ma’am?”

“What are you guys? Bodyguards?” Kat interrogated.

“We are Royal guards. Assigned to protect you.”

“Protect me? Why?” she swallowed almost half of the contents in the can and rested it down on the sink before taking another drag, nodding her head at nothing in particular- except the relaxing feel that came with the nicotine.

Anthony straightened his head and raised his chin higher and stated, “By the King. Until the marriage is completed.”

Ah. So, the King was dying and he wanted to protect her until her marriage to Oscar was completed- because she was promised to him before and her mother broke that promise and fled? And her president betrayed her by selling her out so the country will be safe from war?

Well maybe if she was President, she would have given up one to save all- a stitch in time, fences and neighbours and all that.

“So, what exactly is going to happen here?”

“We wait. Until the-” he broke away as an ‘ahem’ was heard followed by another loud throat-clearing from the man by the front door and Anthony walked back not finishing what he was saying.

Dammit. So close to getting answers.

A sulfur scent caught her nostrils and saw the shadows of the men as if they were standing near a fire. Definitely fire as she saw the orange reflect on her wall.