Chapter 2: The Unexpected Savior

Chapter 2: The Unexpected Savior

Kat’s P.O.V

"Kathleen! Why the hell aren't you ready yet?" I heard my mother's voice from downstairs, calling out to me angrily.

I smiled to myself but said nothing in response as I quickly changed into my work clothes. But my mother continued to speak, annoyed by my lack of response.

"I asked you to change into something decent and you're taking forever to get ready." She sounded very impatient. "You know how important the delivery time is for our customers. Get going already."

Taking my time to fix my collar and tuck my tee into my jeans, I smiled at the image that stared back at me. Satisfied, I made my way out of my room and down the stairs to our little family owned fried chicken joint, where I worked as the delivery girl for my hardworking parents.

"Kat, I don't want to keep reminding you that you have an important delivery to make. What's the hold-up?" My mother's voice sounded angry now. "If you do not come down now, I'll get mad at you."

I emerged almost immediately to embrace her tightly and place a fond kiss on her cheeks. “Don’t get mad, maa; it’s not good for your health.”

My mom let out an exasperated sigh as I went to pick up the order packed carefully in the delivery box.  "I'm ready. Do I look good now? You asked me to change the other jeans because it was torn."

"No," my mother spoke with distaste, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me from head to toe. "This isn't any different from that last one, and what are you wearing?" She walked closer to where I was. "Turn around."

I gave her a three-sixty, showing off my newest jeans and the black shirt I loved the most, paired with the blue vest that I wore for deliveries. My mother nodded sadly. "You removed torn jeans and wore normal jeans. What's the change? Do you not have any beautiful clothes?"

"Mom, I'm going to deliver at the mansion. I'm not fishing for a husband.” I frowned at her. “This is what I always wear for deliveries and you have never complained before. What's with the attitude today?"

"You look like a thug in that jeans and black shirt, you should wear something nice.” She sighed, a faraway look in her eyes. “Besides, the big mansion has a handsome and eligible bachelor. You should dress nicely when going to make deliveries there. It's more than just delivery, you know? You could get lucky with that man for all I care."

I gave her no response, only a hug before setting out on my way.  Ever since my mother was diagnosed with leukemia, she began to nag often about my marriage. I had to live with her attitude, just like she had to live with the terminal disease.

I had thought that the nagging would stop once she was declared free of leukemia last year, but she still insists that she could die at any moment and hence, finding a husband for me before she died was her top priority.

It didn't take long for me to arrive at the mansion. None of the gatekeepers were at their position, which was odd. The gate was wide open and the compound seemed like something was off.

Thinking that someone must have left in a hurry and forgotten to shut the door, I shrugged and shuffled to the door with my delivery and rang the bell, but no one answered.

I stood at the door, impatiently and consistently ringing the doorbell while peering into the door of the house that made of stained glass. The man living in this mansion had a very fine place and that was my first time seeing the inside. However, I didn’t expect to be ignored like this. No matter how busy the people inside were, shouldn’t they at least come get their order?

"Hello," I was getting worried and nervous. It seemed like something funny or strange was going on. "Who is home? I'm here to make deliveries." I couldn't help but wonder why my mother insisted I make the deliveries and made me change my outfit twice before leaving. If I left earlier, maybe I would have met someone at home.

When no response came, not even from the people who worked in the big mansion, I decided to leave, still perplexed that the rumored billionaire left his house unattended to. Why were there no staff at the gate? Why weren’t there any maids or butlers in the house?

Were they getting robbed or something? I couldn't tell.

I bent down and dropped the package by the side of the door. They were prepaid. I couldn't go back with them and although I needed someone to sign the delivery papers, I decided to take the risk of leaving without having someone sign since the area looked eerily silent to me.

I turned around to leave, taking quick strides to the gate, when something strange made me pause before I could go out of the gates.

"Leave me alone!" The cry was faint and shrill.

I quickly looked in that direction of the lawn, but saw no one. 

"Who is there?" I asked anxiously, my heart thudding against my ribcage. It sounded like a little girl and she seemed very distressed.

"Leave me alone! Daddy, Mommy, someone help! Chef Koko, Aunt Mira..." The little girl was desperately crying for help.

I dashed closer. "Is everything okay?" I was going to say out loud. But my tone became inaudible when I saw what was going on.

Two men were carrying a tiny girl to a black van, who struggled in their grip, kicking and screaming as she was being taken away.

I quickly hid around the corner of the big house, watching the whole incident unfold with my eyes wide in horror. There was a woman with bleached blonde hair in a light pink dress, who seemed to be accomplice of the kidnappers, as she seemed to guide them to where the kid should be placed.

“Hurry up!” One of the men jumped into the van, behind the driver’s seat as he motioned for the others to get in as well. “Throw the kid in, we don’t have much time!”

The man who had the girl seemed to be trying his best, but the girl proved to be very stubborn and refused to get in. Kicking the man's legs, hitting his hands, punching his face, and eventually landing one of her feet on his private organ.

That angered the man. He used his masculine jaw to give her a knock on the head, and she cried out in pain, making me wince as I watched the ordeal helplessly.

"You little, bratty bitch. I let you off easy, because I didn't want to hurt you. That doesn't mean I don't know what to do. Stay silent or I'll make you unconscious."He threatened the child.

The girl could barely move now, all she did was cry. She made no sound as the tears kept trickling down her plump, full face.

"Get in!" The driver said impatiently.

 The lady was in the van already. She and the driver impatiently watched the man struggle to get the girl into the van.

 "You said you can handle this, you fool. The first time we are letting you do the most important job and you decided to screw it. If this doesn't work out, we are done with you." The woman bellowed authoritatively, seeming to be the mastermind behind all of this. “If you fail, we’re all going to prison! So get your ass moving!”

I looked around the house, on the ground, trying to find something…anything that would help me save the poor child. But I was worried about being seen by those people as well. If they knew I was just a harmless girl, they wouldn’t be scared or affected and the child would be in grave danger.

Finally, I found a few pebbles by one of the bushed in the manicured lawn and ducked behind the bush so I could pick up the pebbles.

Picking up a large one, I threw the pebble at the man holding the child, momentarily distracting him.

"Come on! Get into the car." His accomplices snapped at him.

I threw another pebble that landed on the van and this time, all of them became alert, looking around for who was throwing stones at them.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? It seems like someone is here!" The woman sounded scared and angry as she spoke. She looked to the left and the right, her eyes scanning the entire area to search for who might be throwing the stones.

I ducked behind the tree, making sure that my body was covered so as to avoid discovery.

"Whoever the fuck you are, we'll kill you if you don't leave," the driver threatened as he called out to no one in particular. "We have a gun here and we are not afraid to shoot."

I threw more stones at them, hitting the van on purpose.

“Shit! We need to get out of here! Leave the fucking girl!” The woman in the van yelled, closing the door.

Convinced that they were slightly displaced, I rushed to the scene, charging at the man who had the girl with him. He started running when he saw me coming, with the plans of running out of the gate and into the bustling street.

I pulled my shoe off of my foot and threw it at him with all my might. He staggered but did not fall. The man was a great sprinter and would have done a lot better if he didn't have the girl in his arms. However, it didn't take long for me to close in on him either.

 Being an athlete back in my high school days, I easily took off my other shoe and this time, I aimed for his head. Throwing my shoe with all my might, I saw it hit him square on the back of his head, causing him to lose footing as he stumbled to the ground, still holding the girl in his hands.

The child had stopped moving, which is what scared me the most, but when I tried to free her from his grasp, the man wouldn’t let go. He had a vice grip around her.

I straddled him immediately, landing several slaps and punches at him wherever I could. He struggle with me and the child, but didn’t let go.

"Who the fuck are you?" He was breathing hard, still holding onto the girl and defending himself.

"Let her go!" I arched my knee and hit his thigh with it. "You little filth! You guys were trying to kidnap her, weren’t you?" I didn't stop hitting him as I spoke. "Let the girl go."

The last blow on his ankle and wrist simultaneously did the trick. He yelped out in pain, letting go of the girl. She fell to his side and sustained a scratch on her skin.

But that’s when I heard the screech of tires, and I turned around towards the van, with the fear that his colleagues were coming for me. I didn't realize that they had driven off immediately after I had started chasing the man.

But my distraction with the van was all the other man needed as he pushed me off of his body roughly, causing me to fall hard on the rough concrete and scratch my palms.

The driver of the van horned loudly, cursing out loud, as the man on the floor stood but didn't go for the girl as she was only a few feet from me. Instead, he ran in the direction of the van and got into it in a hurry and the car immediately drove off, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake, causing me to cough as I crawled on my hands and knees to the girl.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, still shocked by all that happened in a few minutes.

The girl looked up at me weakly, her eyes barely open and a cut on her forehead that was already bleeding. She was really beautiful, and I wondered who in their right mind would have the strength to hurt such a precious little thing.

My eyes widened in surprise as she embraced me tightly and I returned the hug, wrapping her in my arms just as tightly.

I didn't completely know what was going on, but I was glad I was able to save the little girl.

"What's your name?" I asked her, but there was no response.

It was only when her grip loosened and her arms fell loosely by my side that I understood that she had lost consciousness, and panic began to set in.

“No…what’s wrong? Are you okay?” I shook her lightly, but there was no response. “No! No! Someone…help me!”

I looked around desperately at the street, but there was no one around…no one to help me and the little girl.