Back & Forth | Book 1 of Back & Forth Series
Three: Names

A stabbing pain in my head causes me to whimper. The air around me feels different than it was before. As I open my eyes, I immediately recognise my surroundings.

Oh. We’re on the plane already. Where are they going to take me? Are they really flying me to Italy? How the hell did they get through the immigration? They must’ve bribed the staff to let me go with these men.

Luciano sits across the aisle from me. His gaze is fixed on his laptop. He types a string of words on it in a quick manner. Profanity flies out of his mouth as he rakes his fingers through his fluffy hair. He continues typing again in focus. The laptop shut close as he pushes it down. Silently, I watch his every movement. How he acts at the moment tells me he doesn’t realise I’m awake already and staring him.

Luciano searches through his pocket and pulls his phone out. After dialling a number, he puts the phone to his ear. His gaze shifts towards me and I quickly look away from him. With embarrassment still lingering inside of me, I take a glance at Luciano. His intense gaze is still on me as he speaks to his phone. I look down at his body, realising that he’s now completely facing me.

Why is he looking at me like that?

My mind just realises the sunglasses on Luciano’s face have been removed. Now that it’s out of the way, I can finally see his eyes better. The colour of his eyes is brown. Not too light nor too dark. Under the light, the brown hue is visible but not clear enough.

Luciano keeps his eyes on mine. He stays silence as the person on the line speaks. My eyes move to his left arm. It’s currently propped on the table. A pen spins swiftly between his fingers. The little trick plays on repeat, entertaining me for a bit.

Cool. I always wonder how can someone spin a pen like that. It looks so effortless. Luciano makes it look easy now. I’ve tried doing the same trick before but I never figure out how to actually do it.

The call ends. Luciano puts down his phone on the table next to him. His eyes are not leaving mine. Not even for a second. He continues to spin the pen. From the look on his face, it seems as though he’s trying to figure something out. Something about me. His unrelenting gaze begins to make me feel anxious. The voice in my mind tells me to look away but my body won’t obey it. My gaze is now stuck on his.

Snapping out of his daze, Luciano shakes his head. His gaze shifts away from mine as he turns around and face the table again. The sudden movement invokes the confusion inside me.

That’s weird. What was that about?

The dryness in my throat worsens after the deep breath I just take. It feels like a desert right now. Clearing my throat only makes it itchy. I need water. Find me an oasis.

Luciano doesn’t seem to bother checking on me. I clear my throat again, hoping to gain his attention now. However, the action only intensifies the itching in my throat.

Gosh. I really need some water. Not even some, but a lot of it. At least a glass full of it. This dryness and itchiness is killing me in the worst way.

The sound seems to catch Luciano’s attention. He’s now looking at me with raised eyebrows, silently asking me what I want. I better tell him now about my need and desire for a glass of refreshing and tasteless clear liquid.

“Can I have some water? I’m thirsty,” I say.

Luciano looks behind me, staring at whoever sitting behind me.

“Bring her a glass of water,” Luciano says.

He sighs at the request. Looking up, I see Sebastiano walking past me with a disgruntled frown. My eyes follow him to the front of the cabin. Heavenly sound of flowing water fills my ears as Sebastiano pours out water from a glass bottle into a glass. He walks back to me and hands me the water.

“Thank you,” I mutter. Sebastiano gives me a quick nod and then go back to his seat.

The cool water streams down my throat. Within a few seconds, every drop of it has been vanished. Now I feel much better. I still feel the need for some more water but asking for it might be awkward. After all, I’m only their hostage so this will do for now.

Luciano is currently busy with his phone again. However, it doesn’t seem like he’s typing anything like he’s been doing earlier. Out of curiosity, I take a look on his phone screen. I stifle a giggle at the sight.

Interesting. I never thought someone like him would actually play Candy Crush or game of sorts. That game definitely has most people on a chokehold. Maybe Luciano is not as scary as I thought.

Out of the window, the sky is dark and cloudy. I take off my shoes. In Arturo make myself more comfortable, I bring my knees to my chest. I guess I’ll enjoy this while it lasts. This moment could be my calm before the storm. What awaits me after we land might either be the death of me or the beginning of my suffering.

I focus my mind at the clouds outside the window. My serene mind suddenly gets invaded by thoughts of possibilities. The what ifs when we’ve arrived at our destination. It causes a mental havoc in my mind. The chaotic images playing in my mind add more to the mayhem inside of my head. However, I keep my exterior calm as if I’m not currently thinking about repeatedly raped by someone to the point of dying.

Around two hours have passed. There’s no signs that the aircraft will land anytime soon. Boredom emerges from inside of me. I shove my hand into my pocket. My heart skips a beat when I replace nothing in it. I check my other pocket and I’m met with the same result.

Where the fuck is my phone?

“Where’s my phone?” I ask.

“I took it and turned it off. We can’t risk getting tracked,” Luciano says. I scoff at his response.

“Oh trust me. No one will try to replace me. My parents don’t even give a shit about me. Now give me back my phone,” I say.

“No,” Luciano says. I shoot him a look, but he only continues to play his game.

“Just give it back. I’m bored. I want to play games on my phone too,” I say. If he can play games on his phone, why can’t I?

“Then you’ll stay bored,” Luciano says.

Does he even have my phone? Did he throw it away while I was deep in my drug-induced slumber? Oh no. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. I should’ve stayed awake when I woke up earlier.

“At least show me you have it with you,” I say.

Luciano reaches into the pocket of his jacket. With unreadable expression, he holds up my white coloured phone.

“Here,” Luciano says.

Okay. He actually has my phone. That’s good, I guess. I have memorable pictures in there and games I don’t want to lose. Thank God he still has my phone with him. I hope I’ll get it back later. My virtual Tamagotchi might be dying by now.

The phone goes back into his pocket. I frown at the thought of my virtual pet dying.

Oh man. This sucks real bad. I just want to give my pet some food and bathe her.

“If you want some snacks or more drink or watch something, just go to the front of the cabin. The minibar and the TV are there. I’m not handing your phone back. Not now,” Luciano says.

Okay. Does that mean I’ll get my phone back at some point? Probably.

This might be my last hours of freedom so, I better do something I want. If there’s a TV, there might be Netflix on it. Perhaps I can watch a series from my watching list. Actually no. I’d rather go back to sleep. When we land, my last bit of freedom might not exist anymore. I won’t be able to sleep a lot like I always do. So, I better get more sleep while I can.

“I’d rather go back to sleep,” I say.

“Suit yourself,” Luciano says with a shrug. He continues to play the colourful game on his phone, his eyebrows furrowed in focus. I can only think of when we’re going to land as I watch him busying himself with his game.

We’ve been up here in the clouds for hours. When are we going to arrive? Where are we going?

“Where are we actually heading?” I ask.

“You’ll replace out later,” Luciano says. His gaze is still fixed on his phone screen. He loses the level. He immediately plays it again, not a single glance at my way.

“You spoke Italian so I’m guessing we’re flying there. Am I correct?” I ask.

“You’ll see later,” Luciano says.

Why can’t he just be straightforward? What am I going to do if I know where we’re going anyway? Escape? How would I do it? I don’t know anyone and they’ll absolutely catch me fast if I attempt to leave.

“When are we going to land anyway?” I ask.

“In around nine hours,” Luciano says.

Nine? Nine freaking hours? Fuck. That’s a long way to go. They’re absolutely taking me to Italy. There’s no way they’re not taking me there. If it’s not true, it has to be somewhere in Europe.

“We’re definitely going to Italy,” I say. “If that’s the case, what’s the reason? As far as I remember, I’ve never done anything wrong to any Italian. How could I do it? It’s not like I know lots of Italians. The only Italians I know are the ones I met on the internet. Besides, we never go past the ‘hi, how are you?’ ‘I’m fine. How about you?’ phase. So, why are you kidnapping me? Did I offend any Italian for introducing myself to them?” I ask.

“You’ll know about it from the boss,” Luciano says.

Gosh. My patience is really running thin right now. Why is it so hard to just tell me the truth? If I’ll replace out about it anyway, why not waste time and just tell me everything already? Wait. Does this actually mean he actually doesn’t know the reason for kidnapping me?

“Are you kidnapping me just because your boss told you so? Without any question why? Does that mean you’re just following your boss’s orders blindly?” I ask.

To be honest, it sounds pretty crazy that someone will do something like this out of their loyalty to their boss. Just blindly following orders with no free will.

Luciano takes in a deep breath, looking pretty fed up by my relentless questioning. He lets out an exasperated sigh as he puts his phone on the table. The look on his face shows how tired and angry he is at the moment. That’s probably because I asked too many questions. I can’t help it though. I just want answers. I want to know what’s going to happen to me later.

“We know exactly why we’re kidnapping you. We’ve planned your abduction for months. It’s crazy that our boss tells us to go through the riskiest and most impulsive plan he has ever came up with so far. You’re just a collateral to the real problem. We could’ve solved this problem easily but he decided to take the most difficult path. We’re literally risking ourselves getting caught by the local police but my boss doesn’t care. He’s so hellbent on getting you,” Luciano explains.

“Months? You’ve been stalking me for months? What the fuck? Did you follow me everywhere I go? Hacked into my devices?” I ask. I gape when a thought crosses my mind.

“Did you put hidden cameras in my room?!” I ask.

Oh no. This is horrible. So fucking embarrassing. I’ve done so many stupid shit while I’m alone in my room like talking to myself, laugh by myself, dancing weirdly, and other cringe stuff. I definitely look mental in the footages.

Luciano chuckles at my accusations, shaking his head slightly. Why is he laughing? Did he watch me do those weird shit?

“We didn’t go as far as putting hidden cameras in your room. However, we did follow you everywhere and hack into your phone,” Luciano explains with a smirk.

Fuck my life. He must’ve seen all the weird stuff I watched and searched for on the internet. This is so fucking embarrassing. From the smirk on his face, I can bet he knows about those ASMR roleplay audios that I’ve listened to for my acting practice purposes. Fuck. This is so bad.

“What the fuck?” I ask.

“Don’t blame me. Blame the boss. I’m just doing my job. He must’ve lost his sanity when he came up with this plan. I’ve told him this is stupid but he insisted on going forward with the plan,” Luciano explains.

“What the fuck do you mean by that? How is this plan stupid?” I ask. Luciano shrugs as he takes his phone.

“Nothing I can explain now. Boss’s order,” Luciano says.

A name pops in my mind. I nod to myself at the name. Yep. I’m going to call Luciano’s boss Alessandro.

Who the fuck is Alessandro? Why does he kidnap me? What does any of his problems have anything to do with me? Just like what I’ve said before, I barely know any Italian. Did these men actually kidnapped the wrong person? I don’t think so. Luciano has told me they’ve planned this kidnapping for months. They know I’m the target. But why? Why is this happening? Alessandro needs some fucking explaining to do.

“Did you just say Alessandro?” Luciano asks.

Shit. Did he heard that? I thought I was talking in my head.

I turn away from the window and stare back at him.

“Yeah. What’s up with that?” I ask.

“Where did you get that name from?” Luciano asks. His gaze pierces deep into my eyes. The look on his face shows how serious his question is.

“I made that up. I literally made up names for each of you here. What’s up with Alessandro?” I ask. Luciano narrows his eyes at me.

What’s going on? He’s acting strangely right now. Is it actually the name of someone he knows?

“It’s the boss’s name. Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that,” Luciano says.

“If you really give us fake names, what do you name me?” Luciano asks.

“Luciano,” I say. His eyes widen at the name. By the look of it, I definitely get his name correctly. The look of shock vanishes and scepticism replaces it.

“What do you name the others?” Luciano asks.

I shift in my seat. Sebastiano is busy with his phone as I look at him. Annoyance shows clearly on his face as he stares back at me.

“He’s Sebastiano,” I say. Sebastiano’s look of annoyance suddenly disappears. He’s now staring at me with astonishment. My gaze shifts to Pietro and replace him sleeping in his seat.

“That’s Pietro,” I say. My eyes are now back on Luciano. He looks amazed, confused, but also suspicious of me at the same time.

“So, did I get their names right?” I ask.

“You got Sebastiano’s name correctly, but not Pietro,” Luciano says. He takes a glance at Pietro. My heart skips a beat when he closes the gap between us. With his face nears my ear, I can feel his breath tickling me.

Why is he so close to me? What is he doing?

“His name is Niccolo. Pietro is his dead twin.”

The revelation shocks me. I stare at him with my eyes wide open.

“WHAT?!” I say. Luciano quickly hushes me. A warning to not wake up Niccolo.

“Sorry,” I whisper with an awkward apologetic smile. Luciano goes back to his seat, his feet still pointing at my way.

I don’t understand. How did I get everyone but Niccolo’s name correctly? This is crazy. It’s absolutely insane how I got his dead twin’s name instead. Am I actually a psychic? I guess I am. There’s no other explanation. This is no coincidence.

“How did you replace out about our names? Did someone told you about them?” Luciano asks. I focus on Luciano again. His shocked and confused expression is no longer there. Now he’s staring at me suspiciously.

Why would someone do that? Who the fuck would do that?

“Who the fuck would even tell me about your names? I’ve told you I barely know any Italian!” I exclaim.

Luciano seems to be adamant in his sceptical view towards me. His narrowed eyes tell me about it clearly.

“Keep saying that. Alessandro will be the judge of it,” Luciano says.

What the fuck is going on? What the fuck is wrong with him?

“Fuck. Fine. Whatever,” I say. I roll my eyes at his dubiousness. I take my eyes off him and turn away from him. With my chin propped on my fist, I stare out the window. Annoyance is still swimming inside of me.

Fine. I’m not going to blame Luciano for having suspicions on me. It does sound unbelievable that I’ve guessed almost everyone’s names correctly. I would be sceptical too if a stranger told me they know my name from just guessing it. The problem is, why is he so overly suspicious about it? Does this have anything to do with why I’m kidnap? Does someone I know somehow have a connection to these men? Who?

I’ve never felt this confused yet amazed in my entire life. Considering how I’m always confused all my life, this feeling of confusion is new to me. I wonder what Alessandro will think about this. Is he going to kill me? Probably because he suspects me as a spy? We’ll see about that later.

The cold air around me makes me shiver. My clothes can’t keep me warm since I’m only wearing a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and white sneakers. I wish I have a blanket now.

I curl up in my seat. The lack of warmth causing my body to tremble. I hug my legs, trying to keep myself warm.

“Here’s a blanket,” Luciano says. I turn around and see him holding a grey-coloured sherpa blanket in front of me. I take the blanket from his hand, immensely grateful for it.

“Thank you,” I say. Luciano only gives me a shrug and then goes back to his seat.

Did Luciano read my mind? That doesn’t matter. What’s important now is that I have something to warm me up. I can finally sleep peacefully now without worrying about dying from hypothermia.

I spread the blanket over me and tuck it under my chin. A big yawn escaped my mouth and I quickly cover it. How heavy my eyelids feel at the moment tells me that sleeping is definitely the right thing to do for now.

I close my eyes. The blanket keeps me feeling comfortable. I keep staring at the darkness behind my eyes. After God knows how long, I finally drift off to the land of unconsciousness.