Thread: The Truth-Seer (InsertNameHere and Chanti)

Sunny came awake slowly. She was vaguely aware of people moving around her, speaking. Her first true awareness of was of her roiling stomach threatening to empty its contents. Then it was her aching head, pounding out a rhythm on her brain. Reluctantly she blinked her eyes open, peering through squinted lashes into the brightness of the room beyond. She rolled her head slightly, and stopped when she saw him. He moved through the room, sitting down in the chair at the side of her bed. After the last few days the sight of a strange man should have terrified her. But Sunny was Sunny, and even with her rebelling body she instinctively understood this man meant her no harm. So there was no trace of fear in those deep-sea blue eyes that blinked out at him from underneath the tangled mass of blond hair. She didnt scream. Didnt run. She simply listened. Her only real visible reaction was how her eyes teared up when he mentioned her grandparents. His bedside manner needed work. He was brusque and efficient in his words, nothing in his manner or speech reflecting his emotions. But Sunny could sense them anyway. His earnestness, his regret, his anticipation. Truth lent a sweet spice to each sentence he spoke. Whether the words were true or not, HE thought they were true. And really, what choice did she have? Her grandparents were dead, whether he knew that or not. She had no money, her grandparents had been poor people living off social security. They had homeschooled her and though she was a bright intelligent girl, college had never been encouraged. Her little job at the gas station was nothing that would draw her back. She wondered if her little home even existed anymore. The bastard who had captured her was just as likely to burn it as not. She had always been afraid of using her talent for the wrong thing, but this man was not an evil man. She didnt get the impression he would use her wrongly, at least not intentionally. And he HAD saved her from a fate worse than death, then promptly offered to free her. Werent there some cultures in the world that believed if a person saved your life, you were in spiritual bondage to that person till the debt had been repaid? Perhaps the people from those cultures were the only ones who could really understand the sheer gratitude that nearly overwhelmed her when she looked on this brisk, cold man. Why would she leave his offered protection and return to nothing but guaranteed danger? She didnt take three minutes. She barely took one. Long enough to take a deep breath and sit up in bed, still wearing the faded pink tank top, jeans, and sneakers she had been taken in. Dom had not had any interest in providing more than the barest necessities for his new toy. My grandparents are dead. There is no need for you to protect them, but thank you for offering. I accept your second offer. I have nothing to return to. Her eyes were bleak as she shifted to get out of bed, her stomach rumbling loudly. I dont have any ID for the plane though. Sunny soon realized the difference between my jet and the jet. Within two whirlwind hours of crawling out of the bed she had changed into a pair of perfectly fitting charcoal-colored silk slacks and and a loose, billowy white silk top with strappy black sandals. She felt like a different person in the new clothes, brushing her hair into something resembling tameness in the bathroom before following her new boss out into his sleek black limo. Her wide blue eyes took in everything. The silent efficient staff that had produced her new set of clothes, makeup, and hairbrush. The dark silent men with guns in clear sight around the perfectly groomed estate. All of them, she knew instantly, intensely loyal to the man she followed. The jet itself was breath-taking. Sleek and silver, with a plush luxurious interior. Her boss was on the phone when they entered, but the smiling flight attendant greeted her. She was never asked if she wanted something to eat. The flight attendant must have heard her stomach grumbling, because no sooner was the plane in the air then a delicious bowl of lamb couscous with pine nuts and currants was placed in front of her, with a small cup of hot amber-colored tea and a glass of cold water. When she finished that a tray of baked, gooey brie cheese, tiny rounds of bread, and clusters of fat purple grapes was brought out and placed in front of her. When her new boss handed her a box full of files with terse instructions to review them on the flight before he returned to yet another phone call, Sunny slipped her feet out of the sandals and curled up crosslegged in her seat. All through the flight she munched and studied. Sunny had always enjoyed school. The grandparents that homeschooled her did not believe in restricting children. Sunny had started her education in a carefree natural way with many excursions out to view science in action in her backyard, multiple hands on projects scattered throughout the house, and books spilling out from every sunny corner in the home. By the time she was in middle school her own natural sense of competition ensured she stayed well ahead of other children her age when she submitted to the annual testing. Her grandparents had been puzzled at this odd trait coming from their sweet-tempered grand-daughter, but they decided no one was perfect and tolerated her competitiveness. Sunny taught herself to learn, using online games and programs to sharpen her memory and sense of logic. So as she read and studied, she easily placed names of people with organizations. She quickly saw the connections between the organizations, and learned patterns in the behavior of both law enforcement and criminals. It could, perhaps, be forgiven if a frown occasionally wrinkled her brow, or if a look of uncertainty crept into her eyes from time to time. Because her new boss was holding nothing back. The information she was reading could result in the prosecution of hundreds of powerful men throughout the world. It was both astonishing and disturbing on the deepest level to read about the threads that tied together some of the most powerful, manipulative men and women that lived in the world. Some she had once thought were reasonable, good people.but they were certainly not. Sins of every kind unfolded themselves on paper in front of her, truly revolting deeds that almost always boiled down to one or two things money and power. These were the two things these people sought. And it was these people powerful people that ruled the world both openly and secretly that her boss sought to bring down. She read about weapons. Handguns and rifles and automatic rifles. Missiles and tanks and weaponized drones. She read about drugs of every kind, some she had never even heard of. She read about secret military bases, dozens of vicious cartels and mobs scattered throughout the world. And somewhere an hour shy of Englands green shores, she drifted off to sleep with a file of known Russian hitmen open on her lap and a miniscule drop of brie clinging to the corner of her mouth. When they landed in London, Sunny found herself dispatched with two grim looking discreetly armed bodyguards, a black credit card, and orders to buy a wardrobe. The bewilderment on Sunnys face when she was given her marching orders resulted in her being placed into the capable hands of her first ever personal shopper. Black credit card in her sweaty palm, Sunny found herself being marched all over London by an overly enthusiastic dark-haired woman who seemed to know every womans fashion store in London and determined to drag Sunny through them all. Sunny was torn between horror at the cost of the garments, and a shopping high from being in London shopping at the swankiest stores. London! Who would have ever thought little Sunny Rayne, the daughter of a drugged out mother and raised by hippie grandparents who regarded money with contempt would be in London! Dropping thousands of dollars on clothes and shoes and bras and panties. Even jewelry! Her favorite had been The Shop at Bluebird, a store that reminded her with a moment of bitter-sweetness of her smiling grandmother, with its eclectic and fun loving dcor. The late afternoon sun was casting shadows over the centuries old city when Sunny was delivered by her unsmiling bodyguards to the doors of the Hotel 41, escorted inside. She fell instantly in love. This was a far cry from the tiny two bedroom one bath bungalow she had grown up in with her grandparents. The only other hotel she had ever been in was a Best Western, and she had considered that the height of luxury. But THIS.this wasnt even in the same ballpark as the Best Western. From the classic sharp black and white flooring to the dark wood paneled walls, this hotel reeked of exclusiveness and money. She tried not to gape, but the amused glances from her guards told her she had utterly failed. She didnt really care. The room they took her to was small but luxurious, with a bed that invited her in for a long well-deserved sleep. But sleep would have to wait. The room was full of packages from her shopping trip, and the bodyguards passed on orders she would be meeting Mr. Valsaint for dinner. Whether alone or with associates, she did not know. She showered, and from her clothes she selected a satin strapless cocktail dress to wear for dinner. Its dusky emerald green color showed off her blond hair and blue eyes perfectly. She put her hair up in an elegant twisted knot, did her makeup and slipped into some strappy black heels. A glance in the mirror, and she did not even recognize herself. It was a different girl staring back at her, startled at the site of the stranger. Dear God, what was she doing? Mr. Valsaint was no saint, he was involved in criminal activities that would shock her poor grandparents. And Sunny had promised to help him! How could she, knowing people would get hurt? Of course they were not innocents, and she somehow knew that Mr. Valsaint would avoid innocents getting hurt if he could. But this was a cruel, deadly world she was venturing into. She didnt understand the rules, didnt understand the warning signs of danger. She had only Mr. Valsaint to rely on for protection. Had she made the right choice? It didnt matter. It was too late to back out now. She was committedseveral thousands of dollars of that commitment was scattered around the room in bags and boxes from the best botiques in London. God help her. The door swung shut behind her as she smiled at the two bodyguards waiting in the hallway to escort her to dinner with Mr. Valsaint.