Page 13 of The Triplets and the Blonde

Ch. 6 Kira and the fourth trip

Three days I stayedon the metal bed. At least I thought it was three days. There was no way to actually tell the time. No one came to visit me. The Trips didn’t come back to check on me. Not that I cared. I was more concerned about the lack of food and the pain in my back.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t used to going long stretches without food. But water. They didn’t even come in with water. There was a sink attached to the toilet. So I did sorta have water. There was no cup so I had to keep using my hands to get as much as possible. It was more annoying than anything.

My stomach growled, betraying me. When was the last time I had eaten? I couldn’t remember. Maybe the morning I stole from them. I couldn’t remember what it was. I grabbed my stomach willing it to stop growling. I would not give them the satisfaction of knowing how hungry I was.

Chills ran up my spine. I was so cold. I wrapped my arms around my legs, shaking. It must have been from the lack of food. My back was in so much pain I couldn’t even lay on it. I tried but it felt bruised. So when I did sleep it was on my side. I had to get out of here.

I searched the cell for a way out. A loose screw in the floor, a brick in the wall I could pull out. Anything. There was nothing. I tried to get the chain off my ankle. That only resulted in broken and bleeding nails. I wasn’t sure how, but I would get out of here.

“Sweetie?” Pat came barreling toward me carrying a tray.

Beef, cheese, and freshly baked bread filled the air. My stomach growled. I needed that food. As he got closer I saw red, green, and orange fruits. Some I didn’t recognize. The bread was covered in melted butter. The beef swam in a thick sauce. It was more food than I had ever seen. Was he bringing all that for me?

He set the tray down on the other side of the gate, out of my reach.

“Please, I’m so hungry,” I begged.

“I know. I would have come sooner, but they wouldn’t let me.” He pulled a key from his pocket. “They are awfully mad at you.”

“I don’t give a shit if they are mad. They deserve to have everything taken from them. Not just one tiny bag.” I clenched my fists.

Pat unlocked the gate. “Can’t you just tell them whatever they want to know?”

“I can’t. I wish you could understand. A part of you has to. You were homeless, right? Or are homeless. Do you live here?” Maybe I could get him to help me.

“My family has worked for the Cartrights since before the new classes were formed. I was born in this mansion. I grew up with The Trips. Please believe me when I say they are good people. The head of the family, well not so much, but don’t worry they don’t come around here very often.” Pat brought in the tray and set it down.

I grabbed it and bit into the bread. It was still warm. I let out a low moan and continued to eat. As I ate, Pat talked.

“You should have seen them when they were younger. Running around the castle playing tricks on everyone. No one could tell them apart. Not even their own mother. Not that she was around much. My mother basically raised them. Oh man. All four of us drove that woman crazy, still do.” Pat grabbed a piece of cheese and plopped it into his mouth. “She says that I’m the fourth trip. I agree. We did everything together.

Oh man. I remember when Aiden got his pecker caught in his zipper. You think the broken nose you gave him was bad. Nope, that was worse. Jason has had a nose stuck in a book since before he could read. And Derek, that man. He wanted to be a magician. He read about them when he was little. Thought he could bring the tradition back. His parents put an end to that.

They all have to work in the family business. Real Estate and NanoTechnology. I know they don’t actually go together. But that’s what they do.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked in between bites of beef. It melted in my mouth.

“So you can understand. They are real people. They were raised by a homeless woman, my mother. Yes, we got to live in the mansion instead of on the streets, but that doesn’t change our class.” He grabbed another piece of cheese. “Whatever you took from them, give it back. Is staying locked up really worth it?”

“I thought they were gonna kill me if I didn’t give them what I took?” I asked.

“Like the pot roast? My mom made it. Best cook around.” He waved his hands in the air. “Sweetie, I told you they are good people. They would never kill you. Although you are starting to look like death. I’m glad I brought you food when I did.”

Well, that made up my mind. There was no way I would ever tell them. Not that I had planned on it anyway. For a brief moment I had considered it. Vickie had to be well on her way to Mexico by now. I could give them the bag and tell Carlos I couldn’t complete the mission.

The one thing that was stopping me was Carlos. He had given me 50k as a down payment. What would he do when he found out I had given The Trips back the bag? He wouldn’t be okay with it. I didn’t know if he was capable of killing. That was something I wasn’t okay with. Death wasn’t an option for me. One day my life would be better, I just knew it. I would have to stay alive long enough to see that come true.

One day I would get out of here. Maybe sell the bag to Carlos and find my way to Vickie. We would live out our days somewhere on a beach. It would be better than this. Life would be better.

“Pat, I really like you. I think you are a good person. They aren’t. No Elite is.” I grabbed some cheese and bread from the plate and shoved it in my hoodie for later.

“Hopefully you change your mind soon.” Pat grabbed the tray and stood up. “You don’t have much time.”

“You said they wouldn’t kill me.”

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