It was several weeks after I met Lucas that I noticed a recommended article with the title: "Breaking news! US Announced National Assessment. World organizations support it."
"No way! What he was saying is true..." I exclaimed surprised.
This immediately reminded me of Lucas' words: "US and other world organizations are preparing an evaluation challenge."
I read the article and it seems that he wasn't lying. Indeed, it appears that some sort of grand challenge is about to begin. However, there was still not much information about this often so-called "test", including why it is going to take place.
Today was Friday, and, in fact, the news came in handy. I decided to make a move... After sitting on my bed and hesitating, I collected my courage.
I dialed a certain contact on my phone.
Buzz.
"Hi, Helen!"
"Hi."
"How are you?"
"I'm good, not doing anything special... You?"
"I'm alive, well... I've been thinking for a while now about something... Will you go on a date with me?"
"Ha, ha, em... Sure!... T-this is sudden..."
She was clearly nervous but sounded positive.
"Well, why not? How about Sunday?"
"Yeah, sure!" She quickly replied.
"Thank you. Let's discuss details later if it's ok with you."
"Alright..."
"See you."
"Yeah... See you," she replied and I hung up.
Now, let's wait and see.
I inspiredly, looking forward, put the phone down.
Sunday came. We agreed with Helen to go on a date at 5 pm. Regarding location, I chose a small restaurant. It's generally dark, and the reason I chose is that... I like privacy and it may be good for the future...
It is a little past lunchtime now. Birds are singing, and flowers blooming, but suddenly something disrupted my piece.
My phone rang. It said: Helen.
"It's her..." I muttered.
I answered.
"Hello," I said.
"It's your friend, remember me?" the voice said, it was Lucas' voice.
I froze.
Not again...
"Yes, you are-" I carefully said but he suddenly cut me off.
"We kidnapped your friend Helen! Come to the same place as before, or you can't even imagine what we'll do to her," he said aggressively threatening, and the call immediately ended.
"What?!" I almost screamed out loud the next second.
In a hurry, I quickly got dressed and went to The Winchester House. I didn't know what to think and all thought was getting there as fast as I could. Sometime thereafter the same thing as before happened: men approached me, we went to a car, they checked me, blindfolded me, and drove me to the place where Helen was.
The road seemed random again, as the previous time. It took quite some time too, but sooner or later the engine finally stopped.
Once again I came out of the car and observed it.
"Huh?"
Different?
This time it was a different house. It looked much more average.
I looked at the driver.
"What is going on?"
He didn't respond.
They took me inside and led me into the hall, where more than five bodyguards were standing. Lucas was sitting at a small and short rectangular table.
A strange atmosphere was created. Serious, but at the same time relaxed. Dangerous, but also solid. Overall they were waiting for something. Me.
"Oh, Brentley! Sit down here," immediately said Lucas when he saw me and pointed with his finger down where to sit, even though it was the only chair. I did as he said.
For some time we were just sitting quietly. He was looking at me, smiling with an intense gaze. I almost couldn't bear it anymore.
"Where is Helen?" I asked him losing my patience.
He chuckled and responded with a calm voice:
"Helen is gone. You won't see her anymore."
I looked at him dumbfounded. What is this all of a sudden?
"What do you mean?" I asked slowly, slowly.
"I meant what I meant. We kidnapped her. Now, she belongs to us," he said without a care in the world.
"You're playing with me! Why do you do that?" I tried to maintain calm, but slowly my voice was becoming more and more aggressive because I knew what all this meant...
He didn't tell me anything, instead, he snapped his fingers. A bodyguard took the remote controller that was on the table, the whole time, and turned on the monitor on the wall, on the right side of me.
The monitor turned from black to white... At first, I didn't understand... No, more like I didn't want to believe. But...
There I saw Helen. The monitor showed a white room, nothing except a metal bar, on which Helen was tied up.
It was hard to control myself...
Creak!
I quickly stood up, and the chair slid and creaked to the floor. Like out of rage, I tried to quickly reach my hand to Lucas' collar across the table, but... Four bodyguards approached me in a second, took my hands and pressed me with them down to the table. I tried to break out, but it was hopeless. I looked into Lucas' eyes. His smile disappeared and was replaced by an unemotional face.
"Frankly, I am thinking of torturing someone and then turning them into my slave. Yes, Helen. And you can do nothing to stop this. Almost nothing." He said and paused, looking at me.
"What do you want?" I said overcoming my anger while still being pressed to the table.
"I already told you. You will participate in the assessment, and only if you will give good results, we'll let you and her free. If you will not, then say 'Hello!' to Helen's misery, because she sees and hears what is happening here," he said and waved his hand.
I glanced at the monitor, the sound was off, but she was crying. I looked at Lucas again. His eyes didn't have the slightest hesitation.
Was it anger but also despair? Maybe. Because I couldn't do almost anything.
After a tense silence...
"Very well," I coldly and forcefully exclaimed.
Lucas' smile widened in satisfaction.
"That's good," he said pleased.
He took the remote controller and turned off the monitor. Bodyguards softened their pressure on me and slowly fixed my posture, yet still continued holding me.
"Free her..." I muttered.
"Hold your horses. First, we will discuss your mission."
"Then tell me everything you know about the evaluation," I said with the same attitude as before, and then he spoke up, while I was quietly and attentively listening.
He began to speak confidently and sharply.
"Tomorrow the registration for the evaluation will begin and it will continue for the next several months. But the tests themselves will be going during the registration too. This is an individual evaluation and it will begin after you register. Many aspects will be tested, like Intelligence, knowledge, psychological conditions, physical health, and much more. The first challenge will start in a week. World organizations were, most likely, secretly preparing for this in a hurry for the previous months. Everyone over the age of 16 can participate. And... There is an aspect that may interest you," he chuckled, "If you pass, you get to choose one person to be saved with you."
"You mean I can choose to save from anyone?"
"Yes~! If they agree, of course, and haven't passed the evaluation themselves."
That... That's a good thing.
"I see."
"Well, that's all I know."
Interesting. Even though that's not a lot of information it is enough for now.
I looked down thinking.
"There is another crucial condition for our cooperation," I said.
"Really, what is it?" he asked with an irony.
"I still don't know... Who are you, really? You keep evading this topic. I want to know everything," I said firmly.
"That's it?" He asked satirically like it was nothing special as if it was a casual topic. "Oh, that's an easy question... Not gonna lie, the first time I heard about you, I thought: 'This is not possible: Such a creature wouldn't exist...'. I was wrong." He passionately said and continued in the same temp. "After I began working in The Growing Company, I witnessed you and after that moment you became my number one thought. Later I left the project, and I was able to make myself a fortune. Years passed. Then one day I found out that The Growing Company went bankrupt and decided to try to find you. Soon enough I found you..." He crunched a little, "Listen, it is true that I want to control you to some extent." He said, like opening up and saying an obvious truth. By being honest he hoped to get more of my trust. "But I don't plan to harm you in any way. Imagine how much we will be able to achieve together... This is perfect timing."
I looked at him skeptically.
"Well, I'm not forcing you to accept everything immediately. We can take it slow for now," he made a smile again.
"Tell me about the people that are working on you."
He laughed.
"It's just me and a bunch of reliable men that I hired from a secure connection. They don't know anything about you and will never slip a word if anything. Let me count. Hm..." He looked at his fingers as if counting, "It should be around 20 men."
"What will you do with Helen?"
"Oh, we will let her go, don't worry. Just make sure she doesn't do stupid things," He grinned. "Wait!" He suddenly stopped. "Just another thing... Until the evaluation is over... You aren't allowed to meet her in person. Except in school of course. We can't supervise that. And also going and coming to school. You know what... I'll be generous, if you agree now, I'll allow you to be together with her for this day."
I didn't like these ideas, but what can I do? I remained silent after his words.
"Well, where this all of your questions?"
"Yes," I calmly said.
"So do you agree to cooperate with us?"
He extended his hand and looked from the corners of his eyes. Bodyguards released me. It was in the air for several seconds while I was looking at it indecisively. But at the end of the day, I have no choice.
I took it and shook hands, and, so, the "contract" was made.
Just like that, a verbal agreement was formed between us. According to it, I would participate in the evaluation and he would leave Helen and me afterward.
"Where is she?" I asked at last.
"She'll be here soon." He stood up and pointed to go into the hallway with his hand. So, I stood up too. He approached me and put his palm vertically near his mouth, trying to whisper something. "Just remember... If you try to escape from us, our killer will find you. Big brother is watching you," he gently told me.
I compliantly looked down.
"Yeah..."
Perhaps, the best thing I can do now is to do my best for them.
After waiting for about half an hour, they brought Helen safe and sound as it appeared. Once again they blindfolded us and dropped us at The Winchester House.