Stalk Me

I put the computer down.

It sucks not being able to get on any social media sites to see what everyone is doing.

Or, more specifically, what they’re saying about me.

Come to think of it, I probably don’t want to know.

James walks in. “How you holding up?”

“I’m okay. I’m having a hard time playing with the girls though. It makes me sad to have to leave them.”

“It makes us all sad. I really think I should be going with you.”

“I think that would make me stand out. People would want to know why.”

“I couldn’t be a body guard. I’d have to get a job there or pretend to be your dad or something.”

“I’ve been looking at the website. I think I’ll be okay there, James. There are people here I don’t want to leave but, honestly, even though I know you have lots of security and stuff, I just don’t feel safe. Even with an armed guard outside my room every night, I can’t sleep.”

“You’ve been handling this better and more maturely than anyone expected. Are you sure you’re doing okay?”

“You know how that night, how I thought my dad talked to me?”

“Yeah.”

“The same voice sort of popped into my head later that night and told me I should go to boarding school. That I’d be safe.”

“Really? That’s pretty cool. Garrett is coming over soon. I don’t know if you know this, but he’s the president of the security firm. You noticed as soon as we found out the police weren’t going to be able to hold him, he asked them to leave. He didn’t want anyone in on our plans for you. We can’t afford any leaks.”

“Okay. What does he want to talk to me about?”

James smiles. “He’s meeting with you first, then with everyone else. There are security protocols that need to be in place.”

I hear the doorbell ring. “That’s him,” James says.

Garrett shakes my hand. He’s built much like James. He’s about six feet tall, lean, and has the kind of look in his eye that lets you know you’d better not fuck with him. I don’t doubt he has a military background.

“Let’s have a seat.”

I sit.

“First of all, I didn’t say this the other night, but congratulations on your escape.”

“Uh, thanks?” Seriously? Can you picture that on a greeting card? Congratulations on your recent escape from being kidnapped. We’re so proud of you. Or. . .

“I want to talk to you about fear.”

That gets my attention. “Fear?”

“Yes, fear. Fear is like a sixth sense. When you feel scared, there’s usually a reason. Have you ever been in the house alone and heard a strange noise?”

“Yeah.”

“You know that tingly feeling you get in your stomach? Or when it feels like the hair on your arm or the back of your neck is standing on end? That’s fear. Your body is telling you that something is wrong. You must learn to trust that fear. If you feel fear anytime, no matter how ridiculous you think you’re being, run. Run and find someone. Call someone. Go someplace where people are. Get yourself to safety. Scream. Whatever you need to do. It’s the number one thing that will keep you safe.”

“So why didn’t I feel fear all those times I was with him? I sat with him. I talked to him. I flirted with him. I never felt scared.”

“There were times he tried to get you to go somewhere with him or meet him. Why didn’t you?”

I think about that for a minute. Why didn’t I? “Warning bells, I guess. Like in my head. I wondered why this hot older guy would be flirting with me. Why he’d want an unknown like me for the role. Why he didn’t go through an agent. It sorta didn’t add up.”

“That’s what kept you safe. James tells me you’re a very bright girl. I’d have to agree with him. Trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.”

“Okay.”

“My job is to figure out all the possible ways he could find you, think of them first, and then do something different. One way we often find people is through social media. I know James took your phone and your computer.”

I nod while he reaches into his bag. He pulls out a new phone, iPad, and laptop. “These are your new toys. We’ve preloaded your phone and email list with the only people you are allowed to contact.”

I scroll through the list and read. “B, D, Garrett, Grandpa, James, Kim, Mom, Sam, Spa, Tom. Not very many. Are the B and D for Brooklyn and Damian? Why did you spell Kym’s name wrong, and who is Sam? And did you already find me a good spa to go to?”

“Both Brooklyn and Damian have unusual names and are in the public eye. We didn’t want to list Tom as Tommy or make Kym stand out with the unusual way she spells her name. We don’t want anyone to co

“Okay, thank you.”

“Now, for social media. I know it’s part of your world, but trust me, with facial recognition software, finding any new account you might form on the sly would be detrimental to your well-being. Just don’t do it.”

“Okay. What else do I need to know?”

“Money is the other way to track people. Your being a minor complicates the issue, so we had to take a few drastic measures.” He reaches into a file folder and hands me an official looking document. “You’ve been emancipated from your parents and are officially an adult.”

“How does that help?”

“It helps us in quite a few ways. You know all those notes you bring home from school that your mom has to sign?” I nod my head yes. “Obviously, they can’t know your mom is Abby Johnston, so we can’t have her signing anything. With this, you are able to sign for yourself.”

“All right.”

“This is a lot of responsibility that we’re putting on you. James seems to think you can handle it. Can you?”

“Considering the alternative, I don’t have much choice, do I?”

“Are you scared?”

“Um, yeah. Shouldn’t I be?”

“I want you to stay scared. The problem is, once you get there, you’ll probably start to feel a level of safety. That’s when people slip up. You can’t slip up. This is your life.”

“I won’t slip up. I promise.”

“Good. So, back to money. James and I have been working closely with your grandfather. He says you are aware of a trust fund he set up for you. You were supposed to get part of it when you turned eighteen and the rest when you turned twenty-five. You’re getting it now. I’ll give you your new identification and account information later, but it’s important that you understand how it all works. Your grandfather asked a friend of his in Atlanta, Sam, to come out of retirement to handle your accounts. All your bills for school, your phone, your credit cards, etc., will go through him. Your grandfather trusts him completely, but it’s my job to not trust anyone. We had his background completely checked, and I feel comfortable letting him handle your accounts, but I couldn’t allow him to know who you really are. The story your grandfather told him is that you are the granddaughter of a friend of his. Your parents recently passed away, you have a large trust, and he was afraid someone unscrupulous would rip you off, so he asked Sam to handle it. Sam only knows you as Keatyn Monroe. Your trust money was run through numerous accounts, a few shell corporations, multiple countries, scrubbed clean, and finally, put back into a trust in your new name.”

I nod my head and try to absorb everything he’s saying. Keep memorizing my new script.

“Any questions so far?”

“What about a car? Am I going to need to get around?”

“As soon as you get settled at school, you will need to buy a vehicle. Be sure to do that right away. I want you to have a car at school. Keep your gas tank full and your keys with you at all times. Your car is another way for you to escape, should he find you.”