My Soul to Keep

The air was hot, thick and charged with tension as Matt's car came to a creeping stop. There was a small batch of traffic ahead barely moving forward. Several cars ahead, Terra could make out an overturned diesel truck across two right side lanes. She glanced over at Matt, who continued to look straight, she couldn't swallow the silence any longer. It haunted her with all the horrible things that might happen to her, that could have happened to her.

“I wonder if anyone got hurt...” she peeked in Matt's direction a second time, but he was static. “I hope not...”

“Now you talk?” He snorted.

“I can't pretend that I didn't try to escape, but can you blame me?”

“No.”

“I-I'm sorry...” Terra momentarily stuttered over her words in surprise.

“I said no. I don't blame you.” Matt glimpsed in Terra's direction, and then quickly back to the road. “I'm trying to help you, Terra. I'm not the bad guy here. However, there seems to be no convincing you...so I'm saving my breath.”

Terra took a few moments to process his words quietly.

“Won't stop me from talking...”

Matt reclined in his seat a little and let a sigh roll slowly from his chest. He knew she would force him to speak sooner or later with her rambling.

“So, how exactly are you helping me?”

Matt remained silent as he merged into the left most lane and slowly around the diesel. An officer had parked his car and was directing traffic alone. Terra's eyes lit up.

“Don't get any ideas.” Matt warned through his teeth.

“Oh now you talk?” Terra mocked with a smirk.

“Terra.” He warned looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Well somebody better answer my question, or I might just cause a scene.”

“I already told you-”

“Then refresh my memory.” She ordered crossing her arms over her chest.

The cars in front of him halted to a stop, causing their car to stop in front of the officer. Matt's hand slipped from the wheel and onto his lap. He leaned his head back in his seat and licked over his lips.

“Oh look,” Terra said with a happy tone. “he's looking this way. Should I wave him over-”

“I'm in a special branch of the FBI and I'm undercover as a gang member to uncover a large trafficking market.”

“And that has what to do with me?”

“The guy we're after has his hands in everything from girls to drugs. He runs everything, but he's always moving. We have to bring him down.” The line began to move again and Matt crept his car away from the officer. “He's got a lot of...detailed information on you.”

“He does?”

“We found one of his little hideouts in LA. You're everywhere, plastering his walls and mirrors. Pictures, text messages, emails, job information and even your medical records. He seems obsessed with you. You're an object of focus.”

Terra was completely floored. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter and looked out of the window.

“How? How does he have all this information on me? Why?”

“We're still trying to put the pieces together. Every place we stumble upon is the same, but there's never anything that explains why you or why his obsession...”

“So, you started working at my job...”

“To try and put the pieces together. I thought maybe you two had been involved-”

“I would never date someone like him!”

“It wouldn't be obvious that he was into that lifestyle. Not if he wanted to buy and sell you.”

“So...that night after the dinner. The guy you shot..”

“One of his guys sent to retrieve you. That much we know.”

Finally the road opened back up and Matt could pick up his speed.

“So, now that you know, will you cooperate?” Terra ignored his question.

“He could have been anyone. The mail man, a neighbor, a co-worker...”

“Terra, don't worry about it. We're on top of it as much as we can be.”

His cellphone, which was mounted to the hands free system in his car, began to ring. He answered it, but didn't get to speak before the voice of Johnny filled the car.

“We've got a location on him, nothing much on his movements or whether or not he's alone...”

“Give me the location.” Matt answered with a scawl.