I awoke feeling like I'd slept for days. I likely did. My stomach growled angrily. Upon feeling a mattress beneath me and soft, furry blankets laying over me I opened my eyes.
I sat up and looked around what was a beautiful bedroom. Three of the four walls were glass allowing me to see the forest beyond. The bed was dressed with sunset colored blankets. The dresser across the room sat below a television. To my left was a light orange vanity, what I assumed to be the door to a bathroom, and a walk in closet. Then I noticed the round mini fridge acting as a nightstand.
I swung my legs over the bed and opened the fridge. I grabbed a sandwich from a Tupperware container and sunk my teeth into the meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I groaned as I chewed, rolling my eyes as I tasted the sweet vinaigrette. After each bite I told myself I'd savor it only to fill my mouth again. When the sandwich was gone I grabbed a container of hummus. I emptied it in seconds and grabbed a bottle of water. I drained it without the bottle leaving my lips.
I stood to look for Ray only to notice that I was in a nightdress. I found I was still in the same underwear, though.
I crept out of the bedroom and found I was in a loft overlooking the rest of the cabin. Before me was a living room. Leather couches circled a bear hide rug that sat before a fireplace where a television was mounted. To the left was the kitchen and seating area.
I opened the door beside mine. I stepped into Ray's room. The one wall that wasn't glass was painted black. The floor was a black carpet while mine was white wood. The bed was dark purple. I stepped into the walk in closet to find that every article of clothing was suited to her style.
She was short and chubby with curves I envied. Her face was serpentine. She was covered in piercings; her belly button, eyebrow, nose, lips, cheeks, and ears. She had a sleeve of weapons tattooed on her right arm and fairytale creatures on her left. Over the rest of her body were designs, video game characters, and other spur of the moment things she got. Of course my name was tattooed across her knuckles. Hers was on my ankle. Ray often dressed like she came out of a sci-fi dystopia; goggles around her neck, studded leather jacket, torn clothes, and jewelry she fashioned out of recycled tech. The fact that her clothes and her room suited her so well made me feel uneasy.
I crawled onto the bed and shook her. When she didn't respond I slipped under the covers and pulled her close to me. I'd never been so scared I'd lose her. I never thought I'd lose her. As teens we bickered like no other but I always knew that when I needed someone she was there. When she began to rouse I held her tighter. I murmured soothing things to her. When she opened her eyes I grabbed a sandwich from the mini fridge. She sat up and grabbed it immediately.
"Where are we?" She asked, still half asleep.
"I don't know. We were abducted."
She paused before taking a bite, "Are you sure the food is safe."
"It's not like they couldn't have killed us."
"True."
She ate as quickly as I did. Wordlessly we left her room and walked down the stairs. Below the staircase was a workout room.
We walked out the back door and onto the porch that overlooked a clear lake where fish darted around, chasing each other. I could smell pine and fresh rain.
"There's no fence," Ray thought aloud, her tone foreboding.
"My phone was taken."
"There's no computer."
"If we leave we're lost."
I walked back inside and strode to the fireplace. I lit a stick from the holder and tossed it onto the logs. Crouching I watched as the flame ate the stick, spreading to the larger log. The smell of burning wood filled the room. I collapsed onto the couch and rubbed my face. I heard the door close. When I opened my eyes I saw Ray sitting across from me.
"I'm sorry. This is my fault."
"It isn't. We're used to mom dating shady but stupid men."
"Why do you think they brought us here?"
I shrugged, "Maybe they're thinking over what they should do with us?"
"We're loose ends."
I sat up and scooted closer to her, "I won't let anything happen to you."
Ray smiled when she saw my face light up. I leapt off of the couch and ran to the cupboards. I opened each one, then the fridge. My excitement shifted to desperation and I ran up the stairs and searched each of our bathrooms for anything I could use for self defense. I stomped back down the stairs and threw myself onto the couch hard enough for the springs to whine.
"There's nothing I can use. Not even a knife."
"We'll figure something out. We have each other."
It was then the door opened and both of us rushed to our feet. We stood side by side, clutching each other's hands. The woman that shot me strode inside. She wore a wide brimmed sun hat, clunky sunglasses, a tight black dress, and a fur coat. She took off her glasses and hat and set them on the island separating the kitchen from the dining nook. Facing us she stood straight as a pencil.
"You two have seriously pissed me off," She said, her words contradicting her emotionless voice. When we didn't respond she said, "You are far too old to be sticking your noses where they don't belong and living to tell the tale."
Ray's hand tightened in mine. The woman eyed her and my chest became hot. I remembered then that it was my birthday that Vince used as his code.
"Vince won't forgive you if you kill us."
Somehow her face soured even further, "I didn't come here to kill you," She hissed like the snake she was before turning to Ray, "Go to your room."
She looked to me and I nodded. I watched her leave, all the while feeling the woman's eyes turning my flesh to ash. When we were alone she pointed at the couch and I sat. I heard the click of her heels placing her behind me. I gasped in shock when I felt another pinch. Something cool spread through my veins. The woman replaced the needle with a cotton ball that she taped down. The woman stood before the fireplace, her arms crossed and her hip cocked.
My body loosened. The room became a little fuzzy but I didn't feel tired. My skin began to tingle and my head felt light. My eyes dried out, forcing me to keep blinking and rubbing my eyes.
"What did you find out?"
"That you and Vince are assassins."
Vince. I wished Vince was here instead of her. I hoped I hadn't hurt him.
"We're not assassins, child," She said like I was stupid, "Who else have you told about us?"
"Just Ray."
"Will you go to the police?"
"I don't know."
"Meaning?"
"If you're not criminals then I won't."
She shouted out to Ray who wasted no time running down the stairs to sit beside me. Whatever she read on my face struck terror in her.
"What did you do to her?"
The woman came to stand before Ray and pulled out another needle, "Comply," She said with a pointed glare at me.
Ray took one more look at me before grabbing my leg and squinting her eyes shut. Her nails dug into my leg as the serum filled her. I grabbed her arm in both hands. When the woman finished I wrapped both arms around Ray. The woman took her place before the fire. She waited for the serum to visibly take effect. When it did she asked the same questions she'd asked me and received the same answers. Once it was over she motioned for us to follow her.
The house moved against me as I walked. I held onto Ray for dear life to keep steady. Once we were inside the woman's car she started down the dirt road.
"This was all my fault," Ray said, "Please don't hurt her."
"No, this-"
The woman held up her hand to silence us both, "You annoy me."
She was silent for a long time. Out of curiosity I watched the clock. It took a half hour for us to get onto a lonely highway.
"My name is Viper. You can call me V."
"Is that your real name?" I asked.
"Among friends."
"We're friends?"
Her smile was like a whisper in a concert but it warmed my heart nonetheless, "You caused a lot of trouble and didn't have a lot of time to plan. You clearly have talent. I want to give you an offer but you can't tell Vince. Understand?"
"Yes," Ray and I said in unison.
"We're not assassins. We're spies. I'd like you two to join us."