Chapter 13

It's finally here!!!!
After all these months, I'm so excited! After this chapter is when everything is really going to start happening so I'm excited to spill the beans on everything now! :D If you've been following this story even after the insane wait for another chapter, I really really owe you:) Maybe you want a teaser of the next chapter or maybe you want to find out what's going on with Alex before everyone else does- I mean seriously- where is that boy!? Just let me know and I'll try to hook you up as a thank you for hanging on so long :) And maybe in the future, I can find a better way to appreciate all your support. Anyway, let me shut up now and get to the chapter!!! Please leave comments and let me know what you think. I need to know if I'm on the right track here or what and the only way to know is if the readers tell me. Thanks again! xoxo

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Click here for a refresher from Chapter 12

Chapter 13 - Piece of Mind

                   Astrid had been sitting on top of one of the tables at the park for about fifteen minutes staring off into space, thoughts running rampantly around her over-crowded mind when Vince drove up in his sleek black car. Because of daylight savings time, the sun hadn't yet gone all the way down even though it was after eight o'clock. Vince couldn't help but notice how striking Astrid was, sitting there with the orange glow glistening off her hair, framing her beautiful face. He got out just in time to hear Astrid muttering impatiently which effectively dissolved any thoughts he had about her beauty. "Finally," she lamented. "I apologize for being late, but some people actually have jobs that require them to work," he snarked. "Not fair," Astrid half-sang before defending herself, "I work. I just happen to finish my work on time unlike some people I know. And do you know why that is, Vince?" 

"Because all you do is point a camera and shoot?" She scowled. 

"Because I don't spend my valuable time making shallow propositions to the people in my work place. There better not be any sexatary juice on that envelope or I will never speak to you again," Astrid sneered as she glared at the paper Vince held in his hands. She expected him to come back with some equally acerbic response, but he just looked down for the briefest of seconds - almost as if he was feeling guilty. Odd. Vince never felt guilty and he'd done plenty to feel guilty for. Including the bimbo that answered his phones these days. "What?" Astrid asked, thinking he might have been admitting to the work fuckery even though she was only kidding. 

      "You probably won't speak to me again after you see this, Princess." She looked confused, beseeching him to continue. That wasn't what she was expecting to hear and his unusual demeanor told her it must have been bad. He sat down on top of the table beside her and opened the envelope. As he pulled out its contents, he explained. "Three years ago, when we first started working together, I tried to find out everything I could about you. Remember when I took you to that doctor friend of mine get your injuries checked out?" 

"Yes," she nodded. "Well, they were pretty severe and so he put you on some incredibly strong meds. They had you in and out…pretty incoherent for a while." "I remember that, too" she said wondering where Vince was going with this. "During that time, I took your fingerprints so that we could scan them and try to find out your true identity. You were out cold when I did it so you wouldn't remember, but I told you about it later. I just didn't tell you the whole truth, but…" Vince hesitated. Something else he never did. "But what? Do I have alien fingers or something? After everything I've been through, I think I can handle this," she assured him. "Your fingerprints were burned off, Astrid. When I said we couldn't find anything, it wasn't just because you weren't in the system which is still true, of course. It was because you didn't have anything identifiable to go on." 

      It took her a moment to process that, but it wasn't really that much of a shock. Why keep that from her for three years? There must have been something else. "Okay, so…no fingerprints. That's fine. I already didn't have an identity anyway. It just means that someone didn't want me to be found and we already knew that. That doesn't explain why you couldn't find people who knew me to talk to or why that was so upsetting to you that you felt like you had to hide it from me. Why don't you explain that," she demanded. "I tried, Astrid. I really did. I even found some people. I went to your grandparents' first thinking they'd be the most concerned or have the most information; that they'd be willing to help you once you fully recovered from your injuries." 

       "You found my family and you didn't tell me!? All this time that's all I've ever wanted -  you knew that - and you kept it from me! Vince, what is wrong with you!" He stopped talking softly, stopped trying to be sympathetic and stopped looking guilty. He raised his voice to yell back at Astrid because her words sparked an anger in him that he hadn't felt since two and a half years ago when he first met her grandparents. "What's wrong with them! That's what you should be asking! I kept this from you because it would have killed you, Astrid! They're horrible people who could have both of us and whoever else you come in contact with killed and for three years I've been trying to figure out whatever secret it is they have so that I could get you out of this mess and you can have your life back!" Astrid shook her head back and forth trying to will his words to make sense. "I don't understand," she whispered. Vince became calm once more, exerting his usual work-mode aura of indifference and professionalism even though it was clear he felt anything but. On top of the sudden anger, he felt used and unappreciated; like Astrid had severely taken him for granted. But, he pushed those feelings aside and began to explain to Astrid what he'd kept from her and why. 

      "I went to your grandparents house. Their address is in this envelope as well as information on a few of the other people I found, but your grandparents are the only stop I made. They threatened to kill us both if we did anymore digging and believe me, they have the means. I don't recommend you visit." He tried to make the last statement sound like a joke, but it was clear, even through his light tone of voice that he sincerely meant what he said. Astrid didn't crack a smile; instead, she sat impatiently waiting for the rest. Vince saw the need in her eyes and immediately continued. "Apparently, when you were seventeen they had you put in some kind of institution. It's obvious you escaped- your injuries, the confusion, loss of memory- it all ties in with your grandparents somehow, but I can't gather enough information to figure it out because all knowledge of your existence and every record that was ever created on your behalf has been erased. The only thing left is the people who knew you then and approaching them is deadly. For them and for you." 

      It was too much. Too much to digest. How could simply talking to people be dangerous? What was so important about her previous life that someone felt it necessary to eradicate any and all proof of it? And why hadn't they just had Astrid killed if they didn't want her searching? "So why give this to me now? I assume they know where I am…why don't they just come kill me?" "I never told them where you were or gave them any information on you other than what I absolutely had to in order to get them to speak to me. They probably could find you if they wanted, but something has them terribly occupied at the moment. You'll see- everything's here. I've been having them watched; bank accounts monitored and such. It just doesn't make any sense. I convinced them to leave you to me and they agreed saying that if they heard even a whisper about you trying to find out anything, they'd react accordingly. So far, I've managed to keep everything quiet and you've been so far inside your own head that we've never had a problem. But you talking to people is dangerous. I knew you'd only be convinced if I showed you exactly how dangerous it is. So that's why I'm giving you this now." 

     He finally handed over the envelope and the few pieces of paper he'd pulled out. They were the papers showing that her fingerprints were indeed burned away. They even tried to use prints from her palms. They were also burned beyond recognition. Astrid turned her hand over and saw the tiny print-like indentions in her fingertips and looked up at Vince, questioning. "We had synthetic fingerprints made for you and burned brand new into your skin. Part of the cover of your new identity. If you got into a car accident or needed prints for any reason, it would look far too curious for you not to have any," he explained. Funny that she never remembered taking notice of her bare hands those first few days out of the woods or that she didn't have any memory of getting new fingerprints. It did make sense though. She was so beaten up and hungry that her hands certainly weren't her greatest concern to begin with and for the burning of the new prints, she was probably unconscious. Yet, the word "burned" didn't seem right. Astrid always thought the words "burn" and "scars" were synonymous, yet her hands looked perfectly normal. She asked quietly why there was no visible damage to her hands and Vince explained the only ways he knew of to remove fingerprints were with a nearly minuscule, high temperature laser that would be very meticulously used only on specific areas of the skin indicating that it would have been done in a hospital or lab somewhere; more than likely, at the institution, but for what reason, he couldn't be sure. The laser beam would have either been run across her fingers and hands individually for a few seconds or she would have placed her hands on a laser field of some sort and had it all seared off at once. The only other way is to use acidic chemicals, but what method was used is nearly impossible to tell. Either way, the pain was probably unbearable. He also explained the new ones weren't really burned on like he'd said earlier. They were basically super-glued to her skin with some kind of test product that was supposed to be a chemical, non-dissolvable adhesive. She was the first to ever use it and so far, it had proven to work miraculously.

      They sat quietly on the picnic table watching as the sun finally disappeared from sight, both pondering on his or her own issues. Astrid was revolving around the same topic as always, just with a different set of questions in mind. She thought about interrogating Vince for all he was worth, but the envelope was pretty substantial in size so it was likely that all the information he had, she was now holding in her hands to peruse at her leisure. She also wondered how upset she should be with Vince. Yes, he'd lied to her, but he was doing it for her own good and his as well. Not to mention the fact that he was always there for her when she needed him to be and was the one person who she had no secrets from. She felt inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt simply because he was giving her everything now when he could have just come up with some other cock and bull story to tell her and she would have had no way of knowing other than her own intuition. Plus, after all he'd done for her, she could never intentionally put him in danger or expect that of him; she'd taken him for granted enough it seemed. 

      Vince was musing along similar lines. What if she never spoke to him again? Maybe to her it wouldn't be such a big loss. It might even help him out a little not to be looking over Astrid's shoulder for her all the time without her knowledge- a huge relief. But he just couldn't see it that way. He'd grown attached to her. She was the only woman he knew that he could say anything to, be completely honest with and still be accepted. Probably his only true friend. He didn't have to hide or pretend with her just as she didn't have to with him. Astrid always cracked jokes about his promiscuity and womanizing, but she never really held it against him. She didn't know that he wasn't nearly as much of a man-whore as he led her to believe; at least not anymore. Astrid was the better half of the reason for that. She helped him see things in a whole new light and he had such respect for her. The way she carried herself, handled things with such dignity and pride; he admired it. She was unbelievably strong and determined, which only made him respect her even more. Her fire and tenacity were what drew him in at the beginning, but as he got to know her, he saw so much more that was special about her. The more he delved into her past, the more he genuinely wanted to help her. Her whole life was such an enigma that the puzzle intrigued him, but not only that; Astrid herself intrigued him. What had happened to her to turn her into the woman he'd adored almost since the moment he met her? He cared about her too much not to have her in his life in some capacity or another.

      Once the two were completely submerged in darkness, Astrid broke the silence. "Do you think I shouldn't go - I mean…to the bar tonight?" she asked. "If you're not talking to me, you might as well talk to someone," he sighed, his tone bitter. She looked intently at him, meeting his eyes and said softly, "I'm still talking to you." It was a loaded statement. It meant everything from "thank you" and "we're still friends" to "your opinion matters to me," and even though Astrid found it difficult to actually say those things, Vince read it in her expression and tone of voice. He smiled slightly, nodded and then answered her question more seriously. "I think you're going to do what you damn well want to. So when you go talk to her - because we both know you are - just be careful." Astrid nodded seriously and checked her watch. It was nine fifteen. She still had almost two hours before 'Lita got off work and would be free to talk to her. It had been such a long day, but her mind was working too frantically to be exhausted. "And Astrid?" She glanced up at the sound of her name. "What I mean by 'be careful' isn't 'shut down and don't tell her anything'. You have to be honest with her. If you're going to let her help you, you can't hide anything from her. She has to know all the facts because if she doesn't it could put all of us in danger. But, be smart about it. If you can't trust her with that - don't go." "But-" Astrid started and Vince cut her off. "I know you're going to. So - just be careful. 'Kay?" She sucked in a gusty breath, gave Vince a mock-salute and said, "okay," in the same tone a soldier might use to say 'roger that'. 

      "Alright then, Princess. If you wake up in the morning and decide you really are still talking to me after you've read all that, give me a call and let me know how things go down tonight. That is…unless you want me to go with?" "I appreciate the offer Sparky, but I think I can handle this one on my own. Besides, I think 'Lita gets enough ass grabbing and lame pick-up lines at work without you coming in all 'hey, do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?' Astrid made a horrible imitation of him by doing a ridiculous man-strut and deepening her voice so that it sounded more like a grunt rather than someone speaking. Vince chuckled and then nodded as if this response was just what he expected. "Noted," he said as he got up from his place on the table. "And I don't walk like that," he told her as he made careful paces back to his car. Astrid held in a snicker when she noticed his plain attempt not to strut like a male model down a runway in Paris. "Honestly," he said as he opened his car door, "do you really think she'd mind it coming from me? I mean, seriously - have you looked at me lately, Princess?" He gestured up and down his body from his chiseled face down to his trim waist. "This is sex personified. Women can't resist this," he smiled cockily. As usual, Astrid rolled her eyes and shrugged him off proving that there was at least one woman who could resist him. "Sure they can't. If they're blind, deaf or mute." "I resent that," he said feigning offense. "Although," Vince continued, "that mute thing does sound pretty nice." Astrid quickly smacked him in the back of the head. "That's my girl," he muttered softly as she jogged lightly back to her car.

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     Astrid made the short drive back to her house in no time at all. She was in a rush to settle down and start going through some of the documents Vince had given her before she had to meet 'Lita in an hour. Not only did she think it would be best to be prepared with the facts, but she was also insanely curious, if also a bit anxious. She would have asked Vince to stay and go through it with her, but she felt it was something she needed to do on her own. Although, it might have been nice if Alex were around. Assuming they ever got around to telling each other anything.

      As soon as she shut the front door behind her and hung up her keys, she dialed Alex's number, once again getting the voicemail, but this time there was no ring. Funny. That meant Alex was either out of area or his phone was off, both of which were uncommon, the latter more than the former. Eight days without so much as a text or an email. Right there, Astrid decided. Ten days. She'd give him two more days to get in touch with her or vice versa before she had Vince out looking for him. If she could only stand to wait two more days...

      Astrid's cell rang - effectively taking her out of her Alex-induced haze of worry; it was 'Lita. Once again, her boss was taking complete advantage of her and asking her stay until one in the morning to close. 'Lita was just explaining the situation to Astrid when she was rudely interrupted by none other than the bar wench herself. "I don't pay you to stand around and talk on the phone. Get your ass back to work," came a scratchy, croak of a voice. "I was supposed to meet a friend tonight and now that you got me working 'til closing, I'm having to change my plans AND I'm entitled to a break since you didn't let me have lunch yet and I've been here for more than one shift on my freaking day off I might add!" 'Lita argued acidly. "I said get back to work," the lady croaked in response. 

      'Lita sounded like she'd had about as much as she could take. Astrid could hear her gritting her teeth as she tried and failed to talk calmly. "I'll be off the phone when I get good and damn ready to get off the phone, Francis." Then, she began speaking to Astrid again. "If you don't mind giving me your address, maybe I can swing by tomorrow?" Astrid was just about to answer when she heard Francis mutter again. "Off the phone. Back to the bar. Or you're fired. Doesn't matter to me. You're just a useless blonde whore with a knack for plying men with liquor and bending over for tips. Girls like you are a dime a dozen around here." It was silent for a moment. Astrid wondered if she should just hang up to let Lalita off the hook or if she should drive over there and mind-whammy that bitch, but 'Lita's rapid intake of breath brought her back to reality. 

      Astrid thought she was going to cuss Francis seven ways to Sunday or else tell Astrid she needed to go, but 'Lita did neither. "Astrid? You mind giving me that address. I'm coming over right now." Taken aback but proud, Astrid quickly rattled off her address and told her to keep an eye out because the dirt road can really creep up on a person. 'Lita gave her a hurried "thanks" and immediately began speaking to Francis again. Astrid heard a firm "I quit. Do it yourself you musty old hag," before the phone slammed down and the line went dead.

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So, what do we think? Please review...I'll bring Alex back in a hurry if you do :) Or Vince if you prefer...I'm not sure which characters my readers have a preference for, if any, so some feedback on that would be fantastic *hint hint* 

Go To Chapter 14!