Welcome back to the Suspended-Release of A Better Pair of Shoes "The Thinner Soul", a novel and UnEarth!
#ABPOS The Thinner Soul, Chp. 27
Radiance- It was all very covert, and happened very quickly. There was no U.S. press or real announcement. All the buzz was kept on the ground there. It was all a cover up. Two nights; two shows, and one very important trip scheduled in between. We'd needed just about everyone's connections, and it caused me to leverage Kaylin's fame. Radiance Dunbar, "one half the songwriting duo".. was like a quick phone call or a stamped signature that appeared to be mine, but it always felt lopsided.
There was more to the plan, and the lowering of Unger, but first we needed to find Eaton. Surely he knew more than we could conjure up just digging around. Cassie was our unlikely informant on Unger's whereabouts, and she had given us a clear window. Rick had been easy to lure, and was not opposed to the news we'd fed him about Unger's illegal dealings. He was our connection in and out of Russia, and had used his international relationships to get information that led us to Eaton's possible location.
We arrived on site, and my guess is that we had all grown up pretty quickly into the affairs of our trip after it became clear that we had been taken to a somewhat desolate and not fully occupied- rundown facility. It was an affirmation that we had crossed the line of scrimmage. I was sure it was the moment we all realized that we may have gone too far in our blind trust. Sam had remained fairly quiet on our journey, and had mostly whispered and passed notes the entire time. I knew he loved her, but all of this had proved it more than I could have known.
He did all the speaking, and he managed never to sweat. Reece remained busy, and took all her usual business calls, but that was all a part of the plan. Everything had to be thought of, and not left to any assumptions. Reece and I stood tightly near the vehicle while Sam spoke with the men at the entry. We tried not to do anything curious, but instead remained quiet and I tried to take in small details about our surroundings. I didn't know who the men thought we were, but I knew we'd been cleared to be there. Our driver didn't appear to feel any real nerves, and I could only suspect he was particularly chosen for our purpose.
We eventually got the wave over, and were asked to reveal our relationships to Eaton. It was somewhat unexpected, and Sam signaled us to give the information. There was no logs or other formalities, just a seemingly down home response to why we were there. It was my first time publicly revealing my engagement, and it apparently brought him.
"Radiance?" He was startled.
"I'm here. Reece and I. We're both here." I conversed with him the way we had for months; through my thinking.
"You don't belong here." I heard, but excitedly proceeded down the wide hall led by the guard. Sam walked beside him, and we followed. Reece and I held each other's hands until we didn't. My first instinct after spotting him was to move closer, but Reece quickly held her mouth and turned to Sam.
He was sitting in a small cell. His hair was cut low, and made it seem like he'd just arrived, but he was under weight and wore bags under his eyes. We were only allowed to speak to him through the bars, and I held him tightly with them between us. He and Reece held on to each other even longer, and they spoke quietly back and forth, whereas we'd spoken intuitively. When we had wrung out all our feelings, and had gotten a clear gist of his well being, the guard approached the cell and signaled us to leave.
Once we'd gotten back into the car, we sat watching Sam as he continued to speak with the guards and then it appeared that he'd passed them some money, and I quickly looked away. It wasn't clear what his instincts had been, and we didn't exactly have a plan. We'd only known how to maneuver on our own soil. We just needed to get back to where it wasn't so hard to breathe or even think, but it was also the last thing I wanted.
#ABPOS The Thinner Soul, Chp. 28
Reece- I'd gotten most of my questions answered. I knew he was protecting Radiance. It was also why he'd left her. The one thing I hadn't asked about was their communication. Understanding that it was the exact method by which we'd actually found Eaton was silencing. I didn't know if it was a spiritual gift or some resource of true desperation. I thought about the dream I had, and how it had also become a definite trigger. The whole thing had been surreal; even the way that Sam could get us connected with the right people in such a far away world. It made him more of a prince in my eyes; the way he wielded his power wisely and didn't ever over step. As we rode further and further away from my brother, I could feel my determination to take down Unger growing. Eaton had promised to get more details to me through Radiance, and that made it a sure thing. What wasn't a sure thing was how to get him freed, and whether Unger was our only way. The most knowledgeable people Sam could reach had only been willing to help us locate Eaton, and nothing more. It was unnerving, and I felt it called for me to do what I'd done as a young woman. I thought about the days I focused only on my survival and my future survival. It had been a sure bet, and it was truly the one thing I was a master at. Even becoming a notable music executive was only a close second. It simply wasn't the prism that I could visually rely on.
My visit with Eaton had taken me back to a time I either resented or avoided. It's the feeling that life is bigger than you, and that your best efforts would only further reveal this truth in an unfriendly way. Everyone had spent the next few days somewhat in their heads. I didn't know if Radiance and Eaton had spoken some more, but I wasn't quite ready to pick up that ball. Feeling crippled in Russia had done a lot to slow down the pulses, and I just needed a few more moments.
Radiance's second show had gone off without a hitch. She'd done everything we'd discussed before we left. I didn't know how she'd managed to pull it off, but she was always better than she knew and anyone could anticipate. I thought about writing a review for Ample Sound, but we couldn't afford to send off any alarms.
A Better Pair of Shoes “The Thinner Soul”, a novel
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