In Your Arms

“Marcus, I need you to bring it to me right now.”

“What’s wrong, Yvonne? Are you in trouble? Should I call the police?”

“Marcus, everything is fine. I just need that box as soon as you can.” Yvonne said, trying to sound as calm as she could with someone listening on the other line and a gun pointed at her head. “I’m in the West End on Peters and Whitehall. There’s a warehouse on the corner. Just come inside, I’ll be waiting there for you. When do you think you can get here?”

Marcus looked at his watch. “I should be there in about an hour.”

“Good, I’ll see you then.”

“Yvonne.”

“Yes, Marcus.”

“Maybe when you get finished with your business we can have dinner.”

“Marcus.” She said frantically. Then she calmed down. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s a date. I’ll see you in an hour.” Marcus hung up the phone and called Janice. He told her to clear his calendar for the rest of the day. “For the rest of the week, Janice. I need some time off. Maybe I’ll take a trip.”

“Marcus, I know you’re hurt. I know you want to get back at Randa for what she did. But give yourself a chance to heal.”

“Thanks, Janice. Sometimes I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Marcus finished up his paperwork as quick as he could in anticipation of seeing Yvonne. He drove downtown, stopping on the exit ramp to buy a red rose for Yvonne, wondering if she would like to go to Aruba with him.

Won’t that piss Randa off? Marcus thought and smiled. Not that I care. She gets what she gets now.

He arrived at the warehouse and went inside. When he came through the door, Yvonne came to meet him. Marcus saw her swollen eye.

“Yvonne, are you all right?”

“Thanks for bringing this to me, Marcus.” Yvonne said loud enough for her new friends to hear. She took the box from Marcus and whispered, “Wait for me outside. Have the car running.” She looked over her shoulder. “Sorry I can’t do dinner, but call me tomorrow and we’ll do lunch.” She took the rose and kissed him. “Please, Marcus, just go.” She whispered and turned away.

Yvonne looked back as Marcus walked quickly to the door. Once Marcus made it safely out the building, she tried to hand the men the box. “Open it.”

They watched closely as Yvonne put the box down on the table and opened it. She handed the bag to them. The bag was opened. While one busied himself with the papers, the other smiled at the money and Yvonne removed the nine from the box. She fired two shots, returned the papers to the envelope, put them back in the bag, picked up her rose and headed for the door.

When Marcus heard the shots coming from the warehouse, it only served to increase his already heightened sense of anxiety, to say the least. He got out of the car and had just reached the door when Yvonne came out.

“What happened in there?”

“Not now, Marcus, we gotta get outta here. Get in the car and let’s go!” Yvonne shouted as she walked quickly behind Marcus.

Marcus got in the car and drove away quickly.

“What happened? Are you all right?” he said to Yvonne as he looked in the rearview mirror.

“I’m fine, Marcus, just drive.”

“Where to?”

“I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go. Just drive.”

“Okay, we’ll go back to my hotel.”

“No, they know about that. That’s where they found me.”

“Who is they? What are you involved in?”