Chapter 3

Sophie

The birds were chirping loudly. I squinted my eyes to see the brightness of the morning. I was not happy I didn’t get some sleep, but I had to keep going. I took a fresh set of clothes and grabbed my toothbrush, heading to the public bathroom.

I needed a good bath to be able to think properly. I rushed it because there was no privacy, and anyone could just walk in and get a free peep show from me. I didn’t want that. It wouldn’t take me so long to finish bathing and hurry back.

I grabbed my backpack and headed out, knowing I would be back to this place in no time because life was just that unfair. I didn’t have any breakfast because I didn’t want to waste time focusing on the wrong things.

I needed to do this before I chickened out; if there was remotely a way of Antonio catching me up, then it was through this. I stared hard at the cellphone in my hands – it looked more like a torture device now. I didn’t believe I wasn’t smart enough to catch on that the chip might be a way of tracking me.

The road to the airport was long, but I had to manage the walking distance. If I’m going to do this, then I’m going to do it right. The sun wasn’t out yet, and I thanked goodness for that. Walking under the heavy sun with nothing but an empty stomach was just not fair to me at all.

Heavy thinking and determination did wonders to the mind.

Finally, I was at the airport. I looked around – there were a lot of travelers, and they all seemed to be waiting for the next flight. I spotted my mark. She looked expensive, all dressed in designer clothes. I walked up to her, nodding when she looked at me. I sat down immediately, pretending to check something on my phone. She was back to speaking to who she was on a call.

She ignored me as I ignored her, but I’d already seen what I wanted – her tote purse was open, and her wallet was hanging out from it. I made sure her plane ticket was safe in her hands as she was clutching it. I gently took out the wallet from her purse, quickly grabbing her money and the credit card she had there. She had a lot of money in there. I made sure to leave her some. I placed her wallet safely back inside, along with my phone.

The people tracking me would think I was on the next flight out of New York, but I stayed here. It was enough to buy me some time and make some extra money to take care of myself. I stuffed the cash in my hoodie, looking as innocent as ever.

“Hey, excuse me,” I said to her after she dropped her phone.

She stared at me as she zipped up her bag.

“What time does your flight leave?” I asked her.

“10:30,” she said, going back to minding her business.

I nodded my head, checking the time on my watch – she had just thirty minutes to be on that flight. It was enough time for me to withdraw the money from her card. I was not proud of this, but it didn’t look like I had a choice right now. I hated doing this, but this was what survival had turned me into.

I stayed till her flight was called, but she left without saying goodbye. Somehow, that made me feel less guilty about stealing from her. She was a rich bitch after all.

Once she disappeared, I waited and then left after a while. The first thing I needed to do was get myself breakfast. I counted the money I took from her purse, and it had my mouth hanging open. Who walks around with this sum of money?

A whopping sum of three thousand dollars? That’s huge.

Since I left some, it would mean she had like about five thousand dollars there, wow!

I divided the money into three packs: a thousand in my backpack, another in my socks, and the rest in my jeans pocket with the card. I needed to be careful.

I walked out of the airport, my destination already in my head.

I needed food, so I could only walk around till I found somewhere I could eat. I was so busy celebrating my newly acquired earnings that I didn’t notice the figure following me in the shadows.

I had just crossed a glass door when I noticed him staring at me opposite the building, my heart thudded in my chest as I stared at him through the mirror.

Okay, Sophie. Calm down, he is not one of his men.

I chanted to myself, hoping it would calm me down, but it didn’t. I increased my pace as I walked, and I turned to the alley. I had no idea where I was going, but I had to get away from the creep.

I turned to my left and came to a stop. The man was dressed in black. His teeth were almost yellow as he leered at me. I backed up against the wall, my hands desperately searching for a weapon to defend myself with.

“S…stay away from me,” I managed to say, cursing myself for stuttering.

“What’s a pretty lady like you doing all alone in the streets?” he asked, the glint in his eyes a little bit familiar.

Predatory.

“Nothing, leave me alone,” I said. Without warning, I turned my back and ran.

You would think the time I spent running would toughen me, but my heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to keep a good distance between him and me.

His heavy footsteps chased after me, deep down I knew that nobody was coming to save me.

My feet intertwined with each other, and I went crashing into the ground.

I knew I was done for when his hand caught mine, “Now, look what we have here.” He grinned as he peered at the fear in my eyes.

He grabbed my leg, and I lashed out.

“Fuck!” he yelled.

I set out to run, but he grabbed me again, this time pulling out a knife. My eyes widened as he turned the metal blade around for me to see.

“Not so feisty now, eh? If you behave, then I might not have to hurt you,” he said.

I closed my eyes – I preferred death right now.

I waited for the inevitable to come, but all I heard was a thud. I cracked an eye open, and the creep was lying unmoving on the ground.

What just happened?

I opened both eyes and saw a girl peering down at me. I didn’t say anything, and neither did she.

That was until she opened her mouth.

“So, what’s your story?” she asked, leaving me gaping at her.