As Peyton slowly came to her senses, she tried opening an eye a crack to check that she hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up and was actually in her dorm with her roommate, Ann, snoring in the bed opposite hers. Unfortunately, the harsh glow of colorful fluorescent lights overhead dashed any hopes of that. Not wanting to let anyone know that she was awake just yet she tried sorting through what had taken place in the last few hours. Getting chased by a crazy knife man just didn’t seem real to her and the man with the tattoo's sudden change when she was diner was so extreme it made her wish she could just melt into a puddle and slip out before the big man and woman even noticed.   

Keeping as still as she could, she tried to get a feel for their responses to her. She could make out a woman's voice in what sounded like a one-sided argument. At least she thought it was an argument. It was in a language she was unfamiliar with, not that she was much of a linguist having flunked every French, German, and Spanish course she had taken in high school. She risked moving her head to see if she could get a better look, only to get a shooting pain down her neck as she did so. She couldn’t help but groan out loud, causing the speaking to suddenly stop. In the next moment, the man was crouched next to her concern in his eyes. He helped her slowly sit up, letting her rest against the counter.   

“Um, thanks,” rubbing the back of her neck she had a proper look at the man. He was massive, like line-backer massive, but he had a kind face almost boyish. His only flaw seemed to be a grizzly scar hidden behind the collar of his shirt.   

“I wouldn’t say that yet,” a cool voice said from behind her. “Your friends are still in the parking lot,”   

Peyton’s panic returned to her all at once as she scrambled to stand, stumbling from around the counter to look out the window. The woman wasn’t kidding. Out in the parking lot stood the three men. The hooded pair were arguing but the one that had the knife was stood there staring into the diner. He caught her eye and smiled bringing the knife up to his lips, she stumbled back into the big man. “I-I don’t know what they want, why are they still here?” she looked around frantically, she spotted the woman sat calmly at the counter once again she was through by the ridiculous of this gorgeous woman wearing an expensive evening gown sat at a diner in the middle the warehouse district. She also couldn’t help but think that she had seen her before. Shaking her head she continued looking around, eyes locking on the payphone in the corner. Ignoring the man and woman she strode to the phone quickly dialing 911.   

“That's not going to do you any good.” she glared at the woman as she waited for a dispatcher to answer. “It’s true you and I both know that Lysander,” she was talking to the chef but Peyton knew that it was directed at her.   

“Emergency services. What’s the emergency?”   

“Hello, hi, I need the police. I’m at a Diner in Westdale, some men were chasing me. One of them has a knife. I can still see them outside.”   

“Of course, mam I just need some more information which diner are you at?”   

She looked around for a name and the big man pointed to a sign behind the counter as though he could fully hear what the operator was saying. For some reason, he had a sad look on his face. “It’s called Lysander’s Diner,”   

“What is your full name?”   

“Peyton Beauchamp,”   

“And is there anyone with you there Peyton?”   

“There is the chef and another woman,” she heard the woman sigh at the mention of her presence.   

“Okay Peyton I have a car on its way now, they will be there in a few minutes, please stay on the line. Do not hang up?”   

“O-okay. I can still see them they are in the parking lot.”   

“It’s alright Peyton, the police will be there soon,”    

As if on cue she could see the red and blue flashing from the end of the streets, “I see them, they are at the end of the street,”   

“Good the officers will sort this out for you, just stay inside and on the line until they come to you,” the woman scoffed at what the operator had said drawing Peyton’s attention. The woman just shrugged and went back to whatever she was doing on the laptop. The big man, who she assumed was Lysander just gave her a sorrowful look then went about busying himself behind the counter.   

Peyton held her breath as the police car approached pulling into the parking lot next to the men. She watched as cautiously the police officers got out of the car and walked up to the two hooded men, ignoring the one with the knife completely. Slowly she released her breath watching the encounter, the men looked like they were showing the officers something, then they all laughed and the next thing Peyton knew was that the police were getting back into their car and pulling out of the parking lot. Distantly she could hear the operator calling her name and realized that she had let her hand with the receiver drop.   

“Sorry, I’m still here but the police are leaving. I don’t understand the men are still out there. What am I supposed to do?”   

“Don’t worry Peyton it will all be delt soon,” the operator replied then abruptly the phone went dead.   

“Hello? Hello!” she tapped on the switch hook trying to get a dial tone only to be met with silence. She put the receiver back into place and sat down in the nearest both in shock. She could still see the men outside, the hooded two were pacing as though they were waiting for someone and the one with the knife was just standing there staring inwards. “What am I going to do?” she muttered putting her head into her hands. After a few moments she felt a reassuring hand on her back she lifted her head to find a piece of pie and a cup of coffee placed before her on the table. Lysander stood to the side an apologetic look on his face.    

“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking a sip of the coffee. “Do you know what I should do?” His eyes glanced toward the woman so quickly that Peyton thought she had imagined it before he slowly shook his head. That’s when she remembered what happened when the guys left. In the blur since regaining consciousness, she had thought it was Lysander that had scared them off. But that wasn’t it. It was only when that woman had come in from the back room that they had fled.   

Peyton snapped her head in the direction of the woman. She was still sitting working on the laptop very pointedly ignoring the whole situation. Shotgunning the coffee Payton stood up and approached the woman.   

“I know you. You were on the news the other day,” there was the grand opening of a new skyscraper downtown for the company's new offices and it was plastered everywhere as due to the speculation as to why. “Why are they so afraid of you, do you have something to do with all this? And how did you know the police would do that?” she pointed out the window and paled as a van pulled up outside and several more people dressed in similar clothes got out. One however was wearing a suit. “Great and now there are more of them,” the woman raised an eyebrow and turned to look out the window.   

“I wouldn’t have thought I would see him here.” the woman looked Peyton up down and that’s when she realized where she had seen her before. The woman sitting before her was Adriana Arnault possibly one of the wealthiest people in the country, and the owner of some new pharmaceutical company. “No, I don’t have anything to do with your current situation no matter how coincidental my presence here might seem. As for the police well, that man out there in the suit was sat at a table not 30 minutes ago eating a ridiculously expensive meal at the fundraiser for the mayor.”   

“So, you're telling me that the police don’t mind if I wind up dead?” She knew that there were rumors of police corruption but this seemed ridiculous to her.   

“No, I am telling you that the man out there has some very powerful friends and that for some reason he wants you dead. Probably for some pointless sacrifice but who knows with that filth.” Adriana sneered and made a dismissive motion with her hand. “I would suggest that you go to him, I don’t think you will like it if he has to come in here for you.”   

Lysander made some motions with his hands, sign language Peyton guessed explaining the one side argument she had heard on waking.    

“And why would I want to do that?” Adriana replied, “It could end up worse for her anyway.”  

“What are you talking about?”    

“Lysander here thinks that I should save you. I think that if you were stupid enough to let this situation happen to yourself then what use will you be to me?”   

“You can do that? You can help? Please, I’ll do anything. Just help me out of this”   

“See Lysander, one small hint of peril and she is willing to just sign herself over,” The big man frantically signed something in response. The woman sighed, “Very well but she needs to understand that it will bind her for life.”   

“What will, can you please explain to me what is going on?” She looked out the window to see that the suited man had started talking to the man with the knife.   

“You have gotten yourself into some very big trouble, Miss Beachamp. That man out there is extremely deranged and for some reason, you have been marked for one of his sick little playthings. Lysander thinks that if I offer you protection that will be enough to stop him. However, I don’t see why that would ever be a benefit to me.” Lysander something else and the hardness in Adriana’s eyes softened. “Enough, you made your point.” casually she turned to Peyton, “I will make all of this go away but you have to agree to one thing,”    

Peyton noticed that the man had started to approach the diner causing her mouth to go dry “What?”    

Adriana smiled and not in a friendly way “You will enter my service. I haven’t decided as what yet, but know that you will do whatever I ask you until such a time that you are excused. Do we have an agreement?” elegantly she stuck out her hand.   

Peyton's head reeled everything was happening so quickly. Could she really not get out of it herself? She thought staring at the hand. What could some woman do that the police couldn’t and how did she tie into it all, clearly they were afraid of her but would the boss be as well? She could feel her breath get faster as all those questions went through her head, then bell chimed at the door forcing her to settle it.   

“Fine, okay.” She shook Adriana’s hand. “What could be worse than this,”   

“You have no idea,” Adriana whispered, dropping her hand and turning to face the door.