Chapter 6: Desperate friend in need

“Couldn’t you have said this before making me drive all the way here and you also made me wait for you for around half an hour too?” He drawled grumbling at me. His reaction came as a surprise and blinking my eyes at him I stared at his face causing him to ask, “What?”

“No, why aren’t you asking me anything? I was sure you would call me crazy or something,” I said shrugging my shoulders. It was weird, I had barely known this man and yet I felt comfortable around him to spew out my feelings. Or was it because he was a stranger that it made it easier?

“No, I think I had already established this yesterday that you aren’t a sane person in any terms, and with the declaration that you just made I think that fact has pretty much just solidified in my mind,” he said, nodding at his words as if trying to make sense to himself more than to me. Looking back at me then he asked, “So, do you want me to drive you to a mental facility? I am sure you need to get your brain checked.”

“Hey! I am not crazy!” I grumbled out my words but take no real offense to it when I saw the smile displayed on his face. He wasn’t entirely wrong after all, there was definitely something wrong with me, for me to see future visions but I didn’t mind them.

“That is exactly what a crazy person would say,” he piped flashing me a grin as he adjusted his back mirror. I was about to retort back to his words when suddenly he stilled and without moving an inch he said, “Hey don’t look back and simply just sit inside the car, okay?”

“What? Why? I told you I am not going to the airport anymore,” I said unable to understand what he was trying to say or where he was getting at.

“Stop arguing with me and just get in!” he exasperated meeting my eyes and something in them made me nod along and move back to sit inside. He was agitated and slightly on the edge which made me nervous.

What was happening? Why was he behaving this way?

“Okay now that you have seated inside look into the mirror, can you see those people standing by that street lamp?” he asked pointing at the scene with a shake of his head. Adjusting the mirror for me I looked through it and saw a group of baggy t- shirt wearing people standing huddled around the lamppost.

The area I lived had been a quiet neighborhood with middle class homely families living in it. It had therefore come as a bit of a surprise to find such rugged looking people standing there.

“But this is NYC, its common to find such people around the city, what’s wrong with them?” I asked still not giving into my doubts yet. It could be a normal occurrence that had made them wander to this part of the city, right? Maybe they had come here to meet someone.

“Yeah, I know that dumbass but I saw them checking you out two to three times now. I don’t think they are just here on a walk,” he said and that thought scared me. Could that be possible? Were they here for me?

“B-But I don’t know those people! Why would they come here for me?” I asked frantically about to turn around to look out the window when I am stopped from doing so by a hand on my shoulder which pushes me back to the seat to keep me seated and looking to the front.

“Are you crazy? Don’t let them know that you are aware of their presence!” he said huffing at me as he leaned over to put my seat belt on, “Haven’t you seen any movies? How are you going to face Draven Calix if you make these small mistakes?”

“Calix? You think they are from the Calixes?” I asked bringing a hand to my mouth. What did he want from me?

“Well who else would they be? Maybe Draven Calix snapped and sent some thugs after you to mess you up or something? I don’t know, I have no idea what went down there at your meeting with him, in fact, wait why am I even bothering with all of this?” he asked staring at me with slightly agitated eyes.

“What?” I asked taken aback by his last question.

“I mean you are the one in trouble so why should I be roped into it? I don’t want anything to do with the Mafia. It’s not like I even know you or something,” he said opening my seatbelt, ready to send me out. The nerves kicked in at the feeling of being left alone and grabbing onto the seat belt I locked it back and shouted, “Hey! You know me! You are Nicholas and I am Silia! You are the Mafia expert and I am the desperate friend in need!”

“Oh no, I rather not make friends with a woman who is being chased by a group of murderers and who has apparently pissed off their boss,” he said bringing his hand back onto the seatbelt to open it but I held onto it and pleaded, “Oh come on! Are you just going to leave me to die? I thought you are nice!”

“Not nice enough to get myself killed as well!” he shouted when suddenly he stopped fidgeting with the seatbelt that I refused to let go and immediately put his hands on the steering wheel, “Shit! They are coming towards us!”

“See, it’s too late to escape now,” I said slightly rejoicing and slightly panicking in my head. Our commotion must have alerted them of something being wrong and the group was slowly trudging closer to us. Seeing the big burly men close in on us I patted Nicholas’s shoulder and said, “Come on, what are you waiting for? Drive!”

Realizing that there was no way out anymore he sighed and started the car and almost immediately took off while the men who had been keeping an eye on us raced after us. Taking my head out now from the window I saw one of them raise their t-shirt a gun glinting in his waistband pocket while he took out his phone and called someone.

“We need to lose them and hide somewhere, I think he is calling someone else,” I said as Nicholas grumbled and increased the speed of the car.

“I wonder what did I do wrong to be going through all this. All I did yesterday was to help a sad girl and look what that brought me? I am being chased by the fucking Mafia!” he shouted honking at the cars in front of us in frustration and fear.

Although Nicholas said these things and used this tone, it was clear from his words that he was a good man and even now he could have easily pushed me out and handed me to those people but he didn’t he chose to protect me.

I wish I could help him somehow as well.

“Don’t worry I am sure we will both be alright,” I muttered out my words not really wanting him to hear. I knew for sure that I was going to be safe but I couldn’t say the same for Nicholas because I have yet not seen him even once in any of my visions. Even then if his life really did get in danger and my visions are true then I am sure Draven will listen to my request to save him if something was to happen.

At least I am hoping he will…

Suddenly I feel a slight ache in my head and I saw a black car chasing me. I couldn’t make out my surroundings and I couldn’t see Nicholas in my vision but I was aware of the fear I felt as I saw the luxurious looking black car slowly gaining speed.

Snapping out of that small vision soon after I immediately looked around to make sure that there hadn’t been any car or maybe I wanted to see a black car for my visions to be proved true? I don’t know but I felt my nerves unsettle and work on overdrive as I twisted around in my seat continuously.

“What are you doing?” Nicholas asked looking at me from the corner of his eye as he focused his attention on driving.

“A black car is going to follow us soon,” I mumbled out my thoughts before I could stop them and freezing at my words I am about to deny them when Nicholas shrieked, “How did you know? I think that car is following us!”

Nicholas said as he pointed at a car behind us, it looked similar to that in my visions and I felt my eyes widen at the quickness of it coming true.

“Hey, I think I recognize that car. It belongs to Draven Calix himself!”