Chapter 8

Azelia

The confusion of being in the middle of two routes got me standing still, I didn't know which route to walk in, which seemed quiet, like the passway hadn't been used in a decade, looking at the ground with no footprint I more confused, surrounded by tall trees and foggy dark clouds it'll rain soon.

Everywhere appeared to be a forgotten town with nothing breathing on it, but I didn't know how I got here either, I remember working in the bar with my male customers flirting with me even when I tried to ignore them, what the hell was I doing in such a place, I suddenly heard my name out of nowhere, trying to figure out where it was coming from, he walked toward me and seems to know who I was, dressed in a black suit, he hurriedly approaches me like he was my saviour

"Azelia"

"Azelia"

"Azelia"

Different voices called my name, and it echoed loud in my ears, I crouched down holding tightly to my ears

"Azelia, this way or you'll get stuck for eternity, I believe you don't want that" I heard a silent voice in my heart, I quickly stood up, running to the right route in the divided path leading to nowhere, I gasped and slowly blink my eyes, seeing nothing but shadows, and I felt a headache and I tried to raise my body, but I suddenly felt a hands on my arms trying to pull me down on the bed

"Relax, you ain't fully recovered" a feminist voice played in my head, I lay down and didn't see who it was, I lay down without bothering about where I was, and I slowly opened my eyes, everywhere and saw dark and silhouette of people walked passed me in a hurry

********

Someone held my right hand, squeezing it softly and slowly my eyes opened, the image before me seemed faceless, and I could gradually see who it was, a beautiful lady with black hair, standing beside me, I held my forehead weakly, groaning from the pain I felt,

"Azelia, can you see me, it's Catherine" the voice echoes loud in my head and I can't stop wondering who bears such a name, suddenly a tall man in a white coat hurriedly walks into the white-painted room, and I could see how worried he looked

"Azelia, please relax, you'll hurt yourself," the man wearing the white coat said to me

"Who are you people, how did I end up here?" I angrily asked, I didn't wait for a response, I jerked off from bed my feet almost touching the floor, but the lady beside me held me still, and I could see the people in front of me

"Catherine?" I quickly recognised who she was, my eyes wandered around the room, trying to know where I was

"Am I dead?" Catherine looked at me, perhaps wondering if I had lost my mind

"Dr Gary, is she alright?" I gazed at the woman in front of me, she didn't seem arrogant like other British ladies, and she had a weak smile on her lip, she pulled a plastic chair close and sat down beside me, Dr Gary checked my pulse and eyes, and my temperature seems normal

" She has been unconscious for days, and she's still in the recovery process" Dr Gary smiled at me, and I didn't think I heard him right

"How long have I been unconscious?" Dr Gary and Catherine stared at me, perhaps they didn't know what to say, Catherine's eyes didn't let go of Dr Gary's

"You've been out for not quite long" Catherine sat down beside me, caressing my hair, and I knew she wasn't telling the truth

"Four days" the doctor's words sounded like a surprise to me, I couldn't believe I had been asleep for four days

"Welcome to the land of the living" I heard Dr Gary say as he walked out of the room, leaving Catherine and me, maybe we need time alone to talk, I know nothing about her but it suddenly seems I know so much, and this makes me feel comfortable whenever I'm with Catherine

"Please, I need to go, my friends haven't seen me for days, perhaps they might be looking for me" I pleaded with her, she faked a smile at me

"Azelia, I can't help you with this, it isn't my wish for you to be held hostage like a criminal because I believe you're not, but if you know anything that could hurt Cillian it'll be better you let him know, I promise if you tell him what he needs to know, Cillian who never lay his hands on you, he doesn't punish woman, just tell him what he needs to know and you're out of here, Ricci Morenó wouldn't come for you, I bet you, why protect someone that doesn't care if you dare or live, Bernardo is gone and I can't watch you die, I know it's hard to believe but, I care so much about your well-being and I don't want to watch you suffer because of Ricci Morenó

I listened carefully to everything she had to say, and she suddenly stopped talking and looked at me, I kept mute for a while, and tears dropped down from my eyes because I was back to the beginning of where I was, just like the way it started

"His that man your son?" I could see the confusion on her face as she stared at me

"Who are you talking about?"

"The man who believes me to be a spy, the tall black hair guy with blue eyes, he seems like the leader of the gang, the wounded man I helped in the alley?" I tried describing him the best way I could

"The wounded man you helped in the alley, that must be Cillian, it's one of the reasons why I'm helping you feel comfortable right now because I know if you're a mole, you wouldn't have helped save him, you could have finished him right there on the spot because he was good as a dead and helpless man at that time"

"Is he your son?" It seems she tries to confuse me with her sweet motherly word, this got me pissed off, I want to scream but I couldn't do that in an unsafe place, she paused and smiled at me, and she stood up from the bed she sat with me and slowly move to the white painted cupboard in the room, I glare around the room, and it seems like a hospital with space, the room wasn't large, perhaps prisoner are been kept hostage in a small ward like the one I was,

I thought to myself and sighed; she looked at me, forcing a smile; this got me upset, but Catherine could be the only person who could get me out of there. I focused my attention on her because I knew she was trying to do something

Catherine held a white electric kettle poured hot water on a mug and added a brown powder inside the white mug containing the hot water, I could perceive the aroma of the coffee in the ward, but I didn't notice the kettle in the ward, I guess she brought it in some minutes ago, I looked at the tall beautiful lady with long black hair, her pale skin looks flawless, she didn't look aged, but she seems to like his mother, one could tell she was quite a beautiful lady at her youthful age, she looks like a wealthy woman blinded with money, but it doesn't seem she sold her personality because of it, she held a plastic tray in her hands, carrying two mugs of hot coffee

"Have this, it'll help calm you down"

"Thanks" I took it from her, that's exactly what I needed for now, she sat down on the chair, and her smile didn't fade away

"Is he your son?" she slowly sipped her coffee and gazed cautiously at me like every word she said to me meant a lot to her, she placed the mug of coffee on a sauce plate, dropping it on a mini table beside my bed, I waited for her response and it seems she knows I had already had the answer to her question and it doesn't matter what she said to me, I sipped the coffee she offered to me but I couldn't get the best out of the taste, because her refusal to tell me the truth got me had a mixed feeling about who she is,

Is this woman really who I thought she was or she was only faking it, perhaps she was in the games with my abductor, I kept calm, I didn't want to feel nervous around her, and she could sense it

"It's complicated, I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything about Cillian"

"Finish your coffee, perhaps we could talk later" She drank her coffee, and walked out of the room, Catherine didn't bother to look back, my question might have upset her, I inhaled, taking in a deep breath, placing the coffee on the wooden table beside Catherine mug

A few hours later

I jerked up from the bed, there wall had no wall clock hanging on it so I couldn't tell how long I had slept, the two faces I recognised walked into the room, neatly dressed in black suits and shoes matching their outfits, one could think they are brothers, they looked at me and I could tell what they have in mind, was this my last day, why do I have to suffer for what I know nothing about, I thought to myself

"Are you ready to tell us who you are, young lady?" the man behind ask, I could recognise him to be Ethan, Cillian looked at the table to see the mug on the table, fear gripped me and I slowly moved back, Cillian could see the fear in my eyes as he stares blankly at me, he moved the chair closer to me and sat down on it

"Young lady, are you Ricci mole?"

"I'm no mole; I'm telling the truth. Do you want to kill an innocent girl just like you watched those men kill Bernardo?" Ethan looked at me and I could see the surprised look on his face, he couldn't believe I could remember that man's name, Cillian didn't show any expression on his face, I couldn't tell what his thoughts were, that's alone bothers me, my handshake and I suddenly felt cold feet, goosebumps felt my arms, Cillian could see through me, he kept muted but he focused on me

"Ethan, leave us"

Ethan looked calm, he stared at Cillian like he expected him to say that, he hurriedly walked out of the door, he slammed the door behind him, it sounded loud and I could tell he wasn't glad to leave Cillian and me in the room

"I don't want to harm you, so tell me all you know about Ricci, I promise I'll let you go"

I listened to Cillian and I didn't know what else to say, perhaps this could be the end of me, I shouldn't have left my country, if I was in Vatican City, I shouldn't have been held hostage in a strange country where I have just myself, no one would look for me, I couldn't hold back my tears

"I swear, I don't know that man, whatever business you have with him, have nothing to do with me" he listened to me but showed no emotion

"Your encounter with me is a coincidence; I was running away from..."

"I don't care to know who was after you, maybe you're the one after mine with false pretend, but very soon, I'll know" Cillian yelled at me, he didn't want to hear what I had to say, he stopped up from the chair he sat on and hurriedly walked out of the room, and it seems he doesn't want me to get hurt, I wipe uncontrollably but find solace in no one's arms, I folded myself and forced myself to sleep, it could be my last day on earth

A few hours later

Suddenly, I felt a strong hand holding tightly to me, the ward seemed dark and cold, I tried to scream but his hand overpowered me, he held tightly to my mouth like a sheep ready to slaughter like a sacrificial lamb knew it was a man's gripped because I felt it was a touch of a man, his hands seem rough in my skin

"If you scream, I'll cut off your throat" That was his word, finally my doubt was cleared, it was a man

"Okay, I wouldn't scream" in a whispering voice I heard myself say, I stood still and my legs trembled out of fear, his voice wasn't that of Ethan or Cillian, it was a different person, one I hadn't heard before, he blindfolds me, dragging out of the room

"Do you want to kill me, I want to speak with your boss, please take me to him" I couldn't stop crying, I suddenly felt a syringe piercing my neck, making me feel dizzy, and dropping me down to the ground