Chapter Three

The screeching had stopped. The air was calm. Everywhere was dark. It felt hot. The smell of burnt rubber and gasoline was chocking. The engine was off.

“Cough!”

Slowly opening her eyes, she squinted, trying to make out what was I front of her. An all-black executive car, the same one Jane saw earlier, stood there breathing hot air at her face.

She couldn’t get up. This whole incident made her forget she was on the floor and was being held captive. But her kidnappers were still alert, closing in on her slowly from their scattered positions, trying to take the driver by surprise.

They took each step with caution, guided by the motions of their one-eyed boss. With each passing moment they closed in on Jane, who was still sitting, frozen still, eyes fixated on the cars bumper. She was in trouble.

With a loud kicking noise, the engine roared. The car was on again, pulling away from Jane’s face, swiftly in reverse motion, knocking out one of the kidnappers behind. One man down.

It then drove straight past Jane’s side, carrying her hair back with dusty wind as she winced. It was going straight for another one of the men, who in turn jumped out of the way.

Jane turned, surveying the chaos around her, before spotting Alice laying on the floor unconscious. She crawled quickly to her. Putting Alice’s arm round her neck, Jane hoisted her into a sitting position.

A most bizarre spectacle unfolded before her. The kidnappers were running helter-skelter, a trying to avoid the rampaging vehicle chasing them.

Jane’s bewildered expression began to chuckle a little bit, who wouldn’t? her captors were rolling on the floor, slamming walls, and bumping into each other. One guy even jumped out a window, shattering the glass all over the floor.

“What on earth is going on” Jane whispered to herself with a little smile, just as Alice began to mumble: she was waking up.

“Jane, what’s going on?” Alice asked, her head resting on Jnae’s shoulder.

“I have no clue anymore” Jane replied, her eyes fixated on the car causing all the mayhem.

Another one of the kidnapers ran for the door, hoping to escape like his friend did through the window. But then, he stopped in his tracks, in utter shock, fell to his knees.

The quick sound of a siren froze everyone in place, directing their gazes towards the entrance. Red and blue light shone on the face of the man hopping to run. The police had come. The other criminals fell to their knees as well, it was over for them. The car finally stopped.

Jane, relieved though that the police had arrived, was a little bit sad it ended. But was more preoccupied on the driver of the car. ‘Who is he?’ she thought.

Her thought coincided with the car, as its door opened. Black leather shoes, the first sight Jane caught, lead the way as a moderately hair hand gripped the top of the door, using it as leverage he pulled himself out.

He stood tall, with a thick jaw line covered by a midnight shadow. His hair combed back, black and short. Dark jeans, grey shirt and a silver watch.

Jane and Alice stared at him, trying to figure out who the mystery man was and why he saved them. He wore sunglasses, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

He turned to them and removed his sunglasses, revealing gentle soft blue eyes. Instantly Janes heart skipped a beat, she was at ease and felt a way she had never felt before.

He then went to meet the police officers who were apprehending the kidnappers. As they talked Jane was completely fixated on him. What was making her feel this way, she wondered.

A couple police officers walked up to her and Alice. “Are you guys alright?” one said, helping them up. “Hope we were not too late?” the other said concerned. The pair handed them water and covered their shoulders with blankets.

Jane seemed not to hear them.

“We’re okay, thank you.” Alice quickly responded, seeing as Janes focus was directed elsewhere.

“Who is that man?” Jane asked interruptingly, as she opened her water, eyes still fixed on the mystery man.

“Oh, he’s the one who called us.” One of the officers replied.

“Okay? But who is he, what’s his name?” Jane asked again.

“I don’t really know mam.” The officer answered.

There was a short pause, the officers didn’t seem to know what to do, Jane’s reaction was unusual for a kidnap victim.

The mystery man had finished his conversation with the senior officer and was headed their way, Jane quickly threw her face away.

“Anyways, I’m fine, physically at least.” Jane said, trying to spark a conversation with the police. “And who were those people, and why where they after me?”

“They said they were hired by someone over the phone, they don’t know who it was.” The officer replied.

“Who takes a job from someone they’ve never met?” Alice asks, inserting herself into the conversation.

“I’m guessing getting two hundred thousand upfront helped.” The other officer said, as he joined in. “Whoever hired them promised five hundred after the job was done.”

“Hope I’m not interrupting?” a cool voice said behind Jane.

Jane turned; she was face to face with the mystery man. There was a sparkle in his eyes.

“My name is Michael Cooper, I’m the new head of security at the company, you can call me Mr. Cooper.”

She was lost, and didn’t know what to say for some seconds.

“Oh… I see” she replied quickly before it got awkward.

“I’m sorry to rush you, but we need to get you home before the press get here.” he said.

“Okay”

“Your driver, Amos, will be here shortly” he said, turning away from her.

He was going towards Alice. Jane was somewhat in disbelief.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concern in his voice.