Color Me Grey: Book One of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles (11 page)

Mr. Black was sitting at the table when I
walked in.

“
Come here,” He had placed a chair in
front of himself and was pointing to it.

I went over and sat in front of him. He
reached over and moved the strap of my tank top to the side.

“
Nasty,” he said. “But you’ll live.” I
looked down at my shoulder and it actually looked better than it
had before. Not more attractive, but better. It had started to get
a greenish hue to it and I thought that meant it was healing. He
put the shirt back into place and stood. “Let’s go.”

We went out the door and started another
march out into the woods. We followed some sort of trail. I figured
animals must have made it because there didn’t seem to be people
anywhere close. Before too long we came to a large clearing that
held a beautiful lake. The water was clear and the bottom was made
up of pebbles. I was enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of it
when Mr. Black pointed to a buoy out in the water.

“
Get out there.”

I sat down to take off my boots and he said,
“Nope, just go.”

I started for the lake and looked back at him
over my shoulder. Mr. Black just stood there waiting. I put my
boots in the water and my feet didn’t get wet. They must be
waterproof boots I thought to myself. The water got deep quick and
within two or three steps it was up to my knees and cold. I could
feel my body tensing up and the goose bumps all over. I kept
walking toward the buoy and when the water reached hip height I
dove in and took off for the middle of the pond. I was an all right
swimmer. I had taken swimming lessons as a kid and Mom and Dad had
a pool that I loved to lounge at. Swimming fully dressed with heavy
hiking boots was quite different than a swimsuit though. The boots
wanted to go to the bottom of the lake and walk me to the buoy. I
finally reached it and I looked back to shore to see Mr. Black wave
me in. I swam back to shore and plodded out of the water looking
like a drowned rat.

“
Again,” he said and sat down on the
small beach. If I had known that I was to be tortured I wouldn’t
have taken the job. Funny, I thought, I didn’t actually take the
job, it took me. I hadn’t had any control of my life the second I
had stepped foot into the office of White and
Associates.

I slogged back into the lake and headed back
for the buoy. I knew what was coming when I headed back to shore so
when I reached the shallows where I could stand again I just turned
around and started another lap and began counting. I wonder how
many he’s going to make me do?

I was exhausted and afraid I was going to
drown. I was holding onto the buoy and trying to catch my breath.
The wind had picked up and the water had some waves hitting me in
the face making it hard to not swallow water with each breath. I
was at lap fifty and didn’t know if I could make it back to shore.
My legs were burning and didn’t want to move with the lead boots
hanging onto my feet. The sky was beginning to darken and that gave
me hope. I had made good time on the first few laps but had slowed
a little with each lap and now I was holding on for dear life at
the buoy. I was afraid if I went back to shore Mr. Black would send
me right back out.

I’m NOT going to drown myself for this I told
myself and swam back to shore with renewed energy. I walked up out
of the water thoroughly soaked and freezing. Mr. Black was still
sitting on the beach and I stomped past him toward the cabin. I
didn’t care. He could say whatever he wanted. I was going back to
take a shower and go to bed.

Mr. Black got up and followed me back to the
cabin. I was leading the parade now. He was right on my heels. I
could hear him behind me, but I didn’t dare turn to see his look.
He didn’t say a word though.

I walked into the cabin and went straight to
the bathroom and shut the door. I took a long hot shower and when I
came out I found clean sweat pants and a t-shirt on the toilet
waiting for me. I dressed and walked out into the kitchen and on
the table was a steaming bowl of stew in front of Mr. Black and one
across the table for me. He was sitting with a book in his hands
and when he saw me he put it down and said, “Let’s eat.”

I sat down and ate the wonderful stew. I had
never had better tasting food in my life. I hadn’t eaten since the
jerky this morning. I sat and chewed the pieces of potato and
carrot that I had just put in my mouth and waited for Mr. Black to
say something about me being a
quitter
.

“
Well?” I challenged him after a few
more bites of my stew.

“
Well what?” he asked back.

“
Aren’t you going to say something
about me quitting today?” I threw it right out there.

“
Do I need to?” he asked as he put his
head down and took another bite of his stew.

“
If I had stayed out there another
minute I would have drowned,” I said defensively.

“
You know your limits. Just remember,
the outcome is only as good as the input,” he replied and the
conversation ended there.

I was worried. He didn’t say much about
anything, but I wanted to know if he was upset that I had just quit
out there. I mulled it over while I finished my stew. I got up to
wash my bowl. Mr. Black had since cleaned his bowl and the rest of
the kitchen and had gone to bed. I walked to my room and flopped
down on the bed. I really think I would have drowned, I thought to
myself. I truly believed it too. I wasn’t exaggerating in the
least. I fell asleep content that I had done the right thing but
was more determined to do better.

The next couple of weeks went by pretty much
the same way. Every morning I got up and did laps in the lake,
fully clothed until I could probably have swam back and forth to
that buoy indefinitely. Mr. Black seemed to give suggestions
instead of orders. I guess it was up to me on what kind of shape I
wanted to be in. Running was added to my daily exercise and other
things like sit-ups and push-ups. I did my fair share of chopping
wood too. At first I was a bit afraid I was going to miss the log
and drive the axe into my leg but I got the movements down.

One morning when I reached the lake Mr. Black
was already there waiting for me in a black, tight fitting scuba
outfit. There were two air tanks sitting beside each other on the
beach. He handed me an outfit of my own and said, “Change over
there,” and pointed toward the trees.

After I got the outfit on I went back to the
beach and Mr. Black explained to me how much the air tanks held and
how long it would last. He gave me all the little details about the
art of scuba diving. It was the most I had heard him talk. After
about an hour listening to him we got into the water and I got my
first scuba lesson. After that my days were filled with the same
exercises, except a scuba lesson was added every afternoon. In the
evenings I was given books on scuba diving and told to study them.
I had never scuba dived before this and found it was completely
wonderful. Eventually we started diving after dark until I was
proficient at all aspects.

I had become accustomed to waking before
daybreak, so when I opened my eyes it was still dark. I went to the
kitchen and started coffee. I always slept with my bedroom door
open but Mr. Black kept his shut. I didn’t know if he was in there
or not.

I was sitting at the table thinking about how
strange it was that I had only been there a month and it had seemed
like a lifetime. I was sipping my second cup of coffee getting
motivated to start my day. The sun had just started to peak over
the jagged horizon. Then I heard a helicopter in the distance. It
took me a second to realize it was getting closer. I stepped
outside and saw Mr. Black standing in front of the cabin looking to
the sky. The helicopter reached us and hovered above for a few
seconds and then headed toward the lake.

Mr. Black walked past me into the cabin and I
followed. He went straight to his room and began to pack. He told
me, “Get packed. It’s time to go.”

I did as I was told and packed everything I
had been using into the backpack that had been sitting in the
corner of my room unused. Mr. Black and I were finishing up when a
man entered the cabin.

Mr. Black met him half way across the cabin
and they grabbed each other’s wrists in a sign of gruff
affection.

The man had a boyish quality and seemed to
smile easily. He said, “Great to see you man.” Then he sent a
glance my direction.

“
So this is Ms. Grey,” he said to Mr.
Black.

“
Yep.” Mr. Black now looked to me and
said, “This is Mr. Brown.”

Mr. Brown had already let go of Mr. Black’s
wrist and walked my direction. He had brown hair and eyes. His eyes
were friendly and happy. He was dressed in the same type of attire
that Mr. Black and I had supported for the past month. He had deep
dimples on either side of his smiling mouth. He reached for my arm
and gave it the same shake he had given Mr. Black. He didn’t carry
the bulk that Mr. Black did, but again, he was in good physical
condition.

“
I think Mr. White misses you guys,” he
said with a grin. “Actually, we have a job to do so I was sent to
pick you up. You all set?” He looked to Mr. Black.

“
Good to go,” he said and started for
the door.

I went back to my room to grab my pack and
followed Mr. Brown out the door. We walked the distance to the
lake. The three of us got into the helicopter and Mr. Brown flew us
off the mountain.

*****

I had thought we were at the end of the
Earth, but as it turned out we hadn’t been all that far away. Mr.
Brown flew us back to the office building in less than an hour and
a half. He landed the helicopter on the helipad at the top of the
building and we all got out and trooped into the building to the
elevator.

Once in the elevator Mr. Brown asked Mr.
Black, “So, how’d it go out there?”

Mr. Black looked at him but didn’t say
anything. The question was asked with a level voice but I got the
impression Mr. Brown was hassling Mr. Black about me.

“
Mr. White was getting antsy. I think
he was wondering what you and Ms. Grey were doing out in the
woods.” This was a definite rub.

Mr. Black’s jaw started to twitch. I had
never seen it do that. I must not have ever made him mad. Mr. Brown
was getting under his skin though. I wasn’t appreciating the
implication either. I decided it was time for me to speak up. I
didn’t need to be compliant anymore. I was in my element once
again.

“
Excuse me, Mr. Brown,” I said and he
turned to face me. The grin fell from his face when he saw the
expression that I was wearing. “I don’t appreciate the implications
you are making. Mr. Black is a perfect gentleman and I am
not
easy.” He just stared at me with a dumbfounded look
until the elevator doors opened. My gaze didn’t falter until he
turned and left the elevator.

I turned to look at Mr. Black. He was
smiling.
Not a cocky grin that I had become used to seeing
around these men, but a genuine smile. It was a great smile. I
wondered why he didn’t do it more often.

Mr. Black followed me out of the elevator and
reached the door to the office in time to open it for me. I stepped
in and there was Gabriella. I could see her eyes brighten when she
saw Mr. Black. I could understand her appreciation for him better,
now that I had spent some time with him. I still didn’t know him
well, but I knew him well enough to think he genuinely was a good
guy.

“…
to speak her mind,” I heard Mr. Brown
say from inside Mr. White’s office. I looked inside and saw that
half grin on Mr. White’s face.

“
Please take a seat Ms. Grey. Mr. Black
would you please come in and brief me on your progress?” Mr. White
said raising his voice enough so we would be sure to hear
him.

Mr. Black stepped into the office and shut
the door behind him. I had seen the questioning look in Gabriella’s
eyes so I had taken the seat directly in front of her desk.

I could tell she didn’t know what to think of
me anymore since I had spent an entire month with the man of her
dreams.

“
So what was it like, spending an
entire month with him?” she asked.

“
Okay, I guess.”

“
You look different. You look…tougher,”
she added.

“
I’d hope so,” I said. “Mr. Black had
me up at the crack of dawn
every
morning.” I stuck my tongue
out and she giggled.

“
You are
so
lucky,” she said. “I
wish it could have been me.”

“
No you don’t,” I said. “You want
romance not ass chewings.” Mr. Black had
never
chewed my
ass, but I thought it sounded good.

“
I didn’t realize how much I had missed
him until I saw the two of you walk through the door,” she said.
“Isn’t that silly? He wouldn’t even give me the time of day and I’m
infatuated with him.”

“
I don’t think that’s silly. I feel the
same way about another man,” I said back.

“Who?” she said and got a sparkle in her
eye.

Shit, now what do I tell her?
I’ve got it
bad for Mr. White.

“
When I was twelve, this guy came over
to my place and I haven’t been able to forget him since,” I said.
It
was
true.

“
Do you know where he’s at?” she asked.
Then the door to Mr. White’s office opened up and Mr. Black came
out. He turned back to Mr. White and said, “No. My way or I don’t
go.” He pointed at me and said, “Up, let’s go.”