A hot slap jerked Reyona awake.The pain sang through her body, clearing her fuzzy head for a moment.She tried to reach for her stinging face and found out that she couldn’t lift her hand.She started panicking before she realised that her hands were tied to the iron chair she was sitting on.What?She blinked hard in the dark room as she tried to remove her hands from the tight bounds.“When you are done with your drama, let me know.” a rough voice said close to her ears.Reyona jolted and tried to talk.Her mouth was also tightly gagged and all that came out was just an incoherent muffle.“I am going to release one of your hands, then you will make the transfer. After that, you will be allowed to see the girl. Nod if you understand me.”Reyona quickly nodded as tears squeezed out of her eyes.She had never been more terrified in her life.She had never known that the worst feeling she would have in her life was one she would feel in the presence of a faceless man she couldn’t see i
His security men’s missed calls were the first thing he saw.Then he swore when he saw Officer Guy's missed call as well.He saw a message notification sign at the top of the screen as he dialled Officer Guy’s number back.“Hello”: he said as the officer picked up the call. “Sorry, I missed your call. I wasn't with my phone.”“It is fine, we found the van.” “What, where? Is she…” “No, she is not there. Not much clue here either. They strip it down. I am beginning to think we are dealing with some professionals here.” “But the van, plates and everything. It can lead you to…”“Yes, that was our initial thought as well, but we just released the van to a very happy grandfather a few minutes before you called. It was stolen, Mr. Rohan. They stole it from the man’s grandson, who decided to test his driving skills without telling the old man. It was reported stolen in another district the same day they kidnapped the girl. So it was a one-stop job.”They stole the car, then drove straight
Reyona had no idea how much time had passed before the door opened again.Never in her life did she know that she would be so grateful for that tiny slant of light.The light did not even reach where she was, but it was something.Something other than the crippling darkness that seemed to be seeping under her skin.Keeping Allysyn's face in her mind had been one of the things that had staved off the gloom.Reminding herself that the girl was alright was the goal.Maybe they can release Allysyn even if they keep her?Then she would remember Pat and sobbed behind her gag.When she started giving in to despair, she would remember Maxwell.He must be on his way already. He would surely get them out of this, and they could all go home.Then she would remember Junior and vow to open her heart to that delightful kid fully.Then her family would come to her mind and she would wonder what they would do if something happened to her.It was the darkness.It was doing something to her mind.It wa
“And then she ruined everything!” Susan’s crazed eyes shone at Reyona in the dark.She could see the way Allysyn jolted even though she couldn't see the girl’s face.“Please, make this stop” Reyona prayed in desperation as she continued trying to move her hands.At one point, she thought she felt the tie on the right hand slacken but soon realised it was just her imagination.The hands were tied separately and so tightly that she couldn't even move them an inch from the spot they were. At this point, her tears were mingling with her snot as she kept her eyes pinned on the spot where the girl stood rigidly while her crazy mother kept prattling on about how Reyona took everything from her and ruined her life.“You were nothing but a bet, you know. I could see your stupid virginal look in that gym that day and I told Tommy to ask you out. It was all a lie! I was behind every step of it the entire time.”Reyona was no longer surprised by anything again at that point.She just wanted to
“Hey, you! Stop!” Susan ran faster!They were not going to shoot!Cops don't just shoot at people randomly. If she could just get to the end of that alley with Rad, she would be safe!He would have activated their plan B already.If she could get to the alley at the same time as he did, she would be safe.Unless he chose to fuck her up and bail, those cops behind her have no chance.Though she was getting breathless and wished she could quickly get a puff to keep up her energy, she ran with everything in her.She had a third of thirty million waiting for her anyway.She wouldn't need to work anymore for the rest of her life.Fuck her kids and Tommy.The little bitch had chosen the life wrecker over her anyway.Whatever happened was not her fault!She just needed to catch up with Rad and her life was set forever.He was right…She frowned as she saw him trip and fall as he rounded the corner.What the…She knew something was wrong when he was not getting up immediately.She got to th
“Go, we will stay” Celia said when she saw the torn look on Maxwell's face.He looked back at the “In operation” sign still showing over the door, then back to Reyona's gurney and nodded, “Thank you” before he hurried after her bed.Celia moved closer to her husband, and they held each other as they waited.“I thought they don't do operations in the emergency room,” she said in contemplation.“They could, in peculiar cases,” Andrew said in a sombre tone. Urgent, peculiar cases.”“Oh, God. Please let her be okay” she prayed as she held him tighter.After a while, she said, “They should know.”“Her family?”Celia nodded and said, “They would hate themselves if they couldn't be here for her at this moment.”“Maxwell felt….”“It was good that we didn't tell them when she was still in danger, but not anymore. They need to know now.”“Okay, I guess you are right,” Andrew said as Celia put on her phone.“I can't believe they are having twins. Can you believe that?” Celia asked with a pensive
Maxwell was contemplating whether he just saw her finger move or he was hallucinating when Andrew came in.He looked at Reyona's still body and said “Still nothing?”“I think I saw her finger move,” Maxwell said woodenly. Then he shook his head while still staring at the hand. “No, I think I was just…it didn't move.”Andrew nodded and said, “Can you step out for a bit?”“For what?”“It's Allysyn.”Maxwell’s head jerked upwards at that. “What?” How could he have forgotten that she was still in surgery?It's been over two hours.Maxwell saw the doctor close to the door, and he was already walking towards the doctor even as Andrew jerked his thumb towards the doctor.“What is going on? What happened? How is she?” He asked anxiously as he went out.“She is fine. She is fine. I need you to know that she is fine.” the man said automatically.Yet the way he said it made Maxwell ask, “But?”“She sustained an injury. A nasty one from a blunt hit to her Coccyx, that is her tailbone. We had to q
He was going to get better.He would show them.Every single one of them would see.What was so difficult about being sober?He would be sober, and that damned Rohan would take him seriously.Everyone would treat him as he deserved to be treated.He deserved to be allowed to help find his daughter.She is his daughter, after all, not theirs!He would stay sober and get a job! Then he could get his children back and take them home!“Sober, yes,” he thought as he lifted the glass of beer to his mouth.Right after having this last drink, he would do exactly as he had said.They should have found her by now, right?Thomas's gaze went to the small blinking TV atop the head of the bartender.The small tavern was the type where he could get a cheap, watered-down beer.Just the type he could afford with the last dregs of his latest sales - his mother's china plates.The bartender had collected money upfront before pushing the sloshing beer his way.“Snobs everywhere. Even a stinky bartender d