The Day I Died

...Leo’s POV...

“I remember that day, like it was yesterday. The day it happened. The day I died…”

“You see I always had my er… issues, but nothing like this. I thought my life sucked, but I didn’t have anything to compare it to. My mother died giving birth. My father drank himself to death. I had no other family members, so I was put in the foster system. I had a family until I was 13. Then they had their own kid. They thought that I was old enough to look after myself, so I was kicked out”

“For three years I lived on the move. I never got caught, except once. I spent three years moving from attic to attic, and only once did I get caught. The last attic I snuck into, I was found by a girl named Lydia…”

“Keep going Leo. Tell me what happened.”

“Well I snuck into her attic one night… It was raining so I was desperate for shelter. I climbed up onto the garden wall and in through an open window. It was dark out, and I was tired. I found an old mattress then fell asleep. I awoke when she kicked me. She confided that she had come up into the attic to hide from her stepfather. Strangely, she wasn’t scared when she had found me asleep on her mattress. Neither one of us had ever had a really good friend. We were both alone. Having company was a nice change for us. We became good friends, and I lived in her attic. This lasted about 3 months.” 

“Her stepfather is a nasty man by the name of Lord Tristen M. Crawford. He is insolently proud and arrogant. He owns a very powerful law firm. One of the cases didn’t go so well, and Mr. Paynes one of the clients, lost a lot of money. Paynes blamed Crawford so one night he kidnapped Lydia, stole one of Crawford’s yachts, and took it for granted that he would notice she was missing. However, the only thing Lydia and Crawford had in common was that they both loved her mother. To him Lydia was an irrelevant little kid. They had both spent so much time avoiding each other that it didn’t even occur to him that she wasn’t even there.”

“But you noticed?”

“Yes. I was heading to Crawford’s boat house to meet her, when I saw her struggling. One of Paynes minions had tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and threw her onto the boat. She was hitting and kicking him to try and make him let go. I couldn’t do anything, they had sailed one of Crawford’s yachts out too far.”

“So how did you follow them?”

“As it turns out, Paynes had made a fair few enemies himself. Two brothers had been following him, since he screwed them over. They were in the process of stealing another of Crawford’s yachts when I saw them. So I climbed aboard the boat and found out who they were. We made a deal; they help me get Lydia back, and I help them kill Paynes. The brothers were twins Alphonso, and Lorenzo. They knew how to sail the boat, and I caught on fast.”

“How long were you on the boat?”

“I don’t know. We lost track of time, but it was at least a week. The yacht was stocked with almost everything we could have ever needed. Food, drinks, clothing, and there was enough of everything to have supported us for a few months.”

“So you, and the twins were on the boat sailing after Paynes…”

“Yes. Enzo and Onso taught me well. Soon I knew how to sail the boat just as well as the two of them. We were following behind the boat with Lydia and Paynes, we could see them now. They had sailed their boat into an enclosed bay and were rowing the two lifeboats to shore. We navigated our boat to the next bay and swam to theirs. There was no one else on the boat but us three. So we waited.”

…Paynes’ POV…Two days earlier…

“Is this some kind of trick Miss Crawford? Your father has not yet answered my ransom demand. It has been at least a week.”

“Well first of all, I told you not to call me Miss Crawford. Second, I’d be surprised if Tristen has even noticed I wasn’t there. Third, Tristen is not my father.”

“What do you mean he wouldn’t have even noticed you’re not there?” 

“My father died when I was eight. My mother remarried to Tristen, and then died when I was 12. Tristen and I avoided each other as much as possible and so I very much doubt that he has even noticed I am not there, I don't think he’s even in the country this week.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What for? You did no wrong. You have taken me from him, that is all I’ve ever wanted. Although couldn’t you have by chance kidnapped Leo as well?”

“Is Leo a friend of yours?”

“Indeed, Leo is my best friend, my only friend. You seem to have some kind of understanding of my dilemma. Why be so nice to me, I mean you did kidnap me? Technically you are still kidnapping me.”  

“I had a family once too. My wife and I got divorced and my kids decided to go live with her. I haven’t seen them for several years now. I may have lost a lot of money but I still have some left in a bank in Monaco. How about coming with me? You don’t like your home and I could show you the world.”

“Did you know you’re about the same age as my father would have been, had he not died.”

...Paynes’ POV Now...

“Lydia we will spend another night on the boat and then in the morning we will go and get the rest of my money from the bank. After that I will show you the world like I promised. Where would you like to go first?”

“Can we start here in Monaco?”

“Of course. Have you finished your fish? Right let’s get going then.”

...Leo’s POV Now…

“We waited for Paynes to come back to the boat. When he did it all happened so fast, Onso jumped him, Enzo grabbed his gun, and I grabbed Lydia. Enzo had the gun pointed at Paynes’ head but Lydia surprised us. She screamed no, the three of us got such a fright that we all let go of what we were holding; Lydia, Paynes, and the gun. Paynes lunged for his gun and pointed it at Onso. I charged at him, and knocked his hand just as he pulled the trigger. His hand was jolted and his target had consequently been changed. She screamed. Lydia looked straight at me, unafraid, the same way she had when we first met. Paynes cried out, he seemed genuinely upset. I remember my head was pounding, I couldn’t think straight. It was my fault was the only thing that I could think.”

“What was your fault?”

“I moved his hand when he shot. I made him shoot her.”

“It’s my fault she’s dead.”