Eve

It was a sort of situation that I was glad Stan was with me. I had to pay off the man that ran the prison to get Callie out of there, as well as getting her passport back. It all had to be done in secret and I had to meet Lasir in a darkened bar that looked like nothing good had came from it in a long time. Stan was with me and I didn’t want to think about what I would have felt like if he hadn’t been. I was still nervous as all get out and the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that he had came back at just the right amount in time.

I hadn’t gotten to see Callie today, but I hoped that she would understand when she was freed and able to walk out of there a free woman. I knew from my own experience that nothing, almost nothing felt better than that and it was one of those times that I was ready for things to finally go our way.

Lasir was waiting for us and we ordered a drink to make it look less conspicuous. I was so nervous about what was going to happen. Her life hung in the balance, no matter if she found it easier to be there than before or not. Even if she stayed, I wanted Callie free and it be her choice to stay. Right now, she didn’t have a choice.

“I told you to come alone Eve. Why did you bring someone else? Who is this guy?”

He hadn’t even looked at Stan, but it didn’t matter. He was here to get his money and he would have left if it was that big of a deal.

“I needed someone with me to keep me safe. I can’t say that I trust you all that much right now Lasir. I just know that I needed protection.”

“I thought you were here alone.”

I was getting this feeling that I was more than a little lucky that Stan had came with me. There was no telling what Lasir’s plans for me was. He wasn’t planning on going through with it. He was now looking a little worried when I started to pull the money out. Stan pushed his way into the conversation, wanting to know what authority he had to release Callie.

“I won’t be releasing her. I’m going to help her escape. There is no releasing her this early.”

Stan looked at me and I didn’t know what to say. I was under the impression that he would get her out and get her passport back, so we could be free. He didn’t say that we would have to run away and never come back. I knew that Callie wasn’t going to like whichever way this went. I didn’t have time to talk to her though. I wanted her free, that’s what we were here to do, but how could she stay here with her new lover if she was wanted for escaping? What if we get caught and then she gets even more time, or worse? There was a whole lot of ifs now and I wasn’t sure what to do with them.

“Why can’t you let her go like you did me?”

“Because he can’t Eve. I had to make sure that Callie was represented so that she would be convicted. It was all I could do to get you out of here. They aren’t going to let go of their prize. I didn’t think they would.”

It was new to me that he had thought that and that he had thrown her under the bus even though I’d asked him not to. Now I didn’t know what to say, but Lasir was looking at me, waiting for an answer.

“She is in love with one of the guards and I don’t know if she will want to have to leave Cambodia. Then she would never see him again.”

He waved me off like it was nothing. “This is normal in the jails. The girls will give what is needed to get what they want, and the guards will say what is needed. It all works out in there, but not out of jail. She will not be happy here with him.”

I wanted to believe what he said, but she seemed happier than usual. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the reputation of running through some men, because she did, but it did feel like this time was different when she was talking to me. Her whole face had been alight, and I don’t know if it was like all the other times. I had a feeling that this time, something special was going on and who was I to ruin it?

Lasir was getting impatient and I knew that this opportunity would not happen again in this way. I was sure of that, but I still wasn’t sure what to do.

“What should I do Stan?”

“I want you home. You know my answer. This fling may end up ruining her life if she stays here. I can’t see that sort of love coming out of this circumstance.”

It was silly because I felt like a whole lot of love had come out of this circumstance, but it was between the two of us. It had come on fast and strong and whose to say that it hadn’t happened that way for Callie as well?

I was confused, and I really didn’t know what to do. I wanted her out of there. It was better than it had been before, but it was still jail and not even a good jail.

“I guess that we should get her out of here. How will we be assured that you won’t tell them that she’s escaped?”

“If she is found here and I’m found to have helped her, there will be hell to pay. I will get more than a few years in jail for something like that.”

I was convinced that he wouldn’t say anything, but I wasn’t convinced that Callie was going to be very happy with the plan. I wanted her to be happy, but it couldn’t be here, right?

I agreed and tried to tell myself that it was the best thing to do. I wasn’t sure if it was, I really didn’t know, but there was a part of me that knew she wasn’t going to be happy here for very long. The appeal of Qing would wane, like it did for everyone else that she fell head over heels for.

I couldn’t leave her though and I couldn’t ask her, so I was going to have to make the decision. Hopefully it was the right one. I really didn’t want my best friend mad at me.

Lasir told us where we should meet Callie and how everything was going to go down. It wasn’t going to be easy and we were all going to have to leave quickly. It was going to put us all in danger and I asked Stan if he was sure about this.

“I wish there was another way. I really do. But this is how it’s got to be.”

“What if she hates me because of this?”

“If she is mad, she will come around.”

I wanted to believe him, but I wasn’t sure that he was right or not. How mad would I be if someone got in the way of me and him? I would have been livid, and I can say that I would have been upset at the roadblock that was in my way. Was I the roadblock now?

“So how are we going to get out of here if she is going to be flagged?”

“I hired a private plane. They don’t check the wealthy in the same way, so we will be able to fly out of here without much of a check.”

He sounded sure and my head hurt so much from all the worry. I was just going to hope for the best. It was dangerous, but everything since I’d been here had been in one way or another. At least I had Stan by my side. Him just being there was a lot off me and I was finally able to breathe. I hope everything turned out okay. One way or another I would find out soon enough.