Sarah I study the other occupants of the room, regretting my choice. They seem to be his bodyguards. Even if I manage to get the keys out of those pockets, chances of a smooth escape are slim.Dark shades, casual fitting wears, they are all dressed in black, except the man standing before me, now shirtless.His eyes are bloodshot, with a weak sparkle in them, as they peer down at my body. He seems amused by my compliance or maybe he's just a sex hungry pervert."Shawn must have said alot about me, I suppose. Or maybe your father did, " he says, serving himself a cup of wine as he unhooks his belt.My eyes brighten up. He knew my father. Of course. It's the only reason he's willing to help."Your father and I used to be very close until his premature demise. I guess it all happened for the better. I get to see you again. Ahh. That little girl, he cherished so much... Look how much you've grown."He knows me? The damned man knows me. He's probably one of the men my father had promised m
MarcoSome pain are easily forgotten until they're dug back up. The more I try to erase the thoughts of Sarah, the more messed up my day becomes.The innocent girl seems to be all that I need but the darkness around me is more than I can bare. It can never be safe for her.I adjust my leather jacket in front of the large mirror in my room. A clean shave and a new haircut. Anything to keep me hidden, to keep away from my rivals flocking about in search of me.Andrey promised my safety, but I can't bank on that. I've to pull some strings myself. It's a good thing I've a reputable image in public.I glance at my wrist watch. It's about evening. Sarah should be preparing to be at home. I've spent the last couple of days on her trail, keeping watch from a distance like a creep. She barely leaves the house after getting back from the hospital. I bury a cap over my head,wearing a dark shade as I step out.I need to another dose of her beauty, until I can control the thoughts of her.I pull o
Sarah I rush back in, my heart racing ceaselessly, as I take off my jacket. I slide gradually to the floor as the bleeding increases. The jacket I used to cover up my injury is stained. Thankfully, Marco didn't notice. A sharp pain shoots through my side, reminding me of the danger I only sparsely escaped. Was it a stray bullet, or a deliberate attempt to take me down? I would never know.I try to catch my breath, my mind racing with questions. Betty's sudden appearance and timely rescue offer some relief, but there's an unsettling feeling at the back of my mind as I notice that the bedroom door wide open. Someone was here or I'm just being paranoid. "Mind telling me who the bloody hell was that and why he came?" Betty questions, towering above me with a sneer. "My personal affairs stays personal. Either you help me stop this bleeding or you leave me the fuck alone," I yell back, taking up a scissors from the first aid kit.Betty scuffs, finally squatting to help me."All I'm doing
SarahThe best I can do is play cool and hide my anxiety, else I'll blow the whole thing off. I turn off the engine but my hands are still glued to the wheels,"I've a sick two-year old who wouldn't take his drugs till he sees his mama," I say, as convincing as possible. One of the cops takes a step closer, scanning the insides of the vehicle. “Your papers?”“All updated.” I reach for the car documents and after scanning through he signals to the other cop ahead. "What's in trunk?" "Just clothes for the weekend.” My hands are shaking as I avoid his gaze.Immediately the barricade is taken off. I strike the vehicle back to life and prepare to zoom off when another voice booms from the corner,“Just to be sure ma'am, we need to check the trunk. We don't need to waste your time. Open it up, I'll go check.”I'm stuck. I'm fucking stuck. I watch the man walk around the car, halting by the trunk.I smile nervously at the cop standing by my window as I unlock the trunk.“I really don't kno
SarahI try to lift myself off the floor but my body seems heavier than usual. Those injections must have been hard drugs. From the moment I stepped out of my car to the moment a gun was pointed at me, my heart has been working overtime.I don't know who they are. Although very tipsy, I can still hear their voices flying over my ears.All of my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. After all they got their package. I attempt another cry for mercy,"Please, let me go," propping myself up slightly to meet the gaze of the man standing next to me."Isn't she adorable, Pope?" one of them ask. I recognize the voice. He had tried to force a kiss on me before i lost control of my body to the drugs. Whether he eventually did steal the kiss or got even more, it's hard to tell. Evil monsters with weird names, that's what they are. I cannot but dread what is to become of me if I spend another minute here. The room I was kept in earlier, the harassment from these men. All of it reminds me a lot of Luca
MarcoHow the fuck did she get involved in this? I find it hard to wrap my head around the whole situation. Sarah the nurse? How did she transform into Sarah the crack dealer? And now an auction prize? Dammit. If I was fast enough, I would have found out first. It would have been easy to clear out the mess. But, now that the Master is actively involved, I'm sure as hell that I will be needing a greater force to get her out of this twist. The only person I can trust to win such a war is Igor Sidorov. Shit! I still have an unsettled beef with my father. How would I open up to tell father I'm working for one of his enemies. The same man he had to sell his daughter to for a peace offering.My father isn't stupid. He'll connect the dots and finally shut me up forever, just like he did mother and blamed it on cancer.He won't dare lay a finger on Sarah. I will save her before it becomes another complex problem like that of my sister."You saved the day, Bricks. You're catching on fast," I
SarahThe burning spotlight and the threatening faces glaring at me only adds to my unease as I stand at the centre, like a trapped prey. The luminescence exaggerating my nakedness with my head drooped. I can't bear to look up. Timid. Scared. Or broken. I can't define what I feel. Several warnings, No, threats have been made if I fail. The only way to escape this is to win the highest bid and hope that whoever buys me is less of a beast compared to the rest of the predators hunting me. If my father were still alive, I'm certain my life can't be as bad as its turning out to be. I could have ignored our differences and requested for his help. But now, I'm all I have. The prices don't stop skyrocketing, and it's seem more like a competition, than a bidding. Just as planned. The speaker blares as the announcer exclaims at every raise. “a thousand dollar,” a thick voice booms from the far end of the room. I'm tempted to look up. For the first time, I hear such a voice commands both respe
Sarah "We couldn't wait any longer. He was too stubborn," the biggest among the three men that welcomes us says to him. Apparently, he's the boss, like I expected.My new captor holds dearly on to me but my gaze is fixed on the morbid body lying at our feet. Without a remorse, he drags me along."Discard the mess and clean your tracks," he booms as we walk into the lobby of a large mansion. My breathing is tense. If only I could scream or run. Fuck! it's pointless. Our hurried footsteps echo loudly as he continues to pull me."What about Shanghai?" one of his guards call out from behind. He doesn't seem to stop walking fast as though there is something so important and we're late for it."Shanghai? What about him? Didn't he stop by?" he questions as we approach one of the flight of stairs that converge at the top, leading to the first floor. It's a massive place, the railings gleaming like molten gold, and floors so immaculate they seem to echo every step. The cream-colored walls pla
SARAH I struggle to find my voice, as I reply,“I’m okay—”“Not you. I’m talking about Carlos. He has a fever.”He heads for the door without waiting for my response and for a moment it feels like I’m living a dream. Has he forgiven me?He drives hurriedly to the hospital, as we both sit in awkward silence as I rock Carlos.In no time the doctor attends to him. I’m worried about Marco’s sudden appearance but more about my son’s condition.I've been home with him all day and I didn't notice. He might think of me to be a careless mother.I jump out of my seat as the doctor walks out with a numb expression.“Mr. Sidorov, I’m afraid your son might be needing blood,”“What happened to him!” I squeak, unable to contain my emotions with the news.“There's no time to go over the details but this is critical.“I’m his mother,” I say with a breaking voice as Marco meets my gaze briefly. I take a nervous gulp as I walk behind the nurse.The thoughts of Carlos overshadows my thoughts, but ther
SHAWN“What is she doing here?” I say under my breath while groaning in pain from the second kick.The cops are here.This is certainly not ending well. Coughing sporadically, I grab my chest, crawling my way towards the scene.“Maria, get back,” I yell, but she's not looking in my direction. She doesn't see me.Her gaze is fixed on a man. A man I remember vividly. A man I hated. A man Giovannin tried to kill. Or we all thought was dead.“Sarah? How did you get into all these?” the man says, walking slowly towards Ricco and Maria, who grabs my woman tight on the throat and threatens,“Seems to me that you underestimate me.”He sends a shot in the air, and resumes the weapon on her temple.He’s hurting my little boy. I can see the grip on his waist.I try to save her, but I’m losing so much blood.And Maria, she still doesn't see me.Jealousy courses through me like a wildfire. With the last of my strength, I escape my captor’s grip and run to the centre of the battle.“Let her go!”
MarcoThe words escaped my lips before I can catch them.Our baby. The dream of seeing her again had been long dead.And now, she's not only right before me, she's holding on to a version of me.I don't need to ask questions. The resemblance is unmistakable.I feel my world breaking as I force my limbs away from her.My Sarah.It's too surreal to believe, yet I'm going to fight this battle to the end.I turn around abruptly, ordering Sophia without meeting her gaze,“Inform the rest about the new development. At all times, keep an eye on her.”I hear the vehicle zooming off behind me but I don't look back. It'll require more effort to pull away from her ensnaring stare.There's a man just ahead of us and a parked van by the road side.“Where's our man?”“We lost him,” I say, heading straight for the back seat of the cop’s car.“That was not the plan—”“Our lives will be in more danger if we waste precious time. The governor is behind all these,” I reply the detective.“And who is th
Marco“They are here,” I hear Luca say beside me. “Who let the damn cat out?...who!”His voice reverberates the area while I struggle to get back on my feet.There's danger. Evidently. And the room is quiet. The blaring siren from outside foretells nothing good.It's either the cops have found us or Sophia didn't do a good job in concealing our movements from Ricco.“We don't have much time to debate. We have to leave—”“Who made you the boss?” Luca interrupts Padre as I regain balance on both legs. He successfully hijacked the attention from me.All I can think about is the woman that captured my heart years ago. And still does.Sarah. She's here.My environment fades off for a moment, playing back memories from the past.A loud cry snaps me out of my reverie, “Marco, Run!”Before I make the first move, the whole crowd scampers off fleeing away with their weapons, including the voice that yelled at me.I sight Padre’s back view fleeing with the rest.The concentrated smell of gaso
SarahI can feel every one of my pores seeping out sweat as I try to reach Shawn who is backing me. We are both tied to a wooden chair, hands to the back.“What in the world are you up to?” I whisper to him, yet my gaze is fixed on the men surrounding us.This was not the plan.“It’s the only way to put an end to this madness,” Shawn responds, clearly unbothered.“Carlos is all alone with some stranger—”“He’s my son too” Shawn yells back, a drop of sweat hanging on his nose as he spins over the chair to face me.“You either do as I say or you get us all killed…including Carlos. We can afford to make mistakes now—” Shawn stops abruptly.He stares at me for more than a second as we both look to the direction of the sudden noise.“They’re here,” he whispers rather to himself, adjusting his position while clutching the weapon in his hands, enough to stay hidden.My heartbeat thumps loudly as I watch the shadow flicker behind the dusty windows ahead.All I can think of is my son laying s
Marco My grip tightens on the steering wheel, my mind becoming as reckless as my speed.Sarah. The same old Sarah.If this Shawn really has her, then there's no going back.But...what if it's a prank?I've been here a couple times to believe such stories.The thoughts of Sarah clouds my mind.“Give me the phone,” I demand, my other arm outstretched.My heart's thumping faster all of a sudden.It can't be the stranger in my back seat. Certainly not the cars chasing close behind.It must be her.Again. Sophia hesitates at my request, but something in my expression makes her give in. I glance down at the message glaring back at me:“Turn around, or you’ll lose more than the game. I've what you need, MARCO”I clench my jaw, my knuckles turning white. “He’s bluffing,” I say, though I don’t fully believe my words. My heart pounds harder by the minute. Sarah has always been a delicate piece. Somehow she mixes up with every part of my business and makes it hard to execute ruthless decisio
Marco Before I can respond, Sophia’s already packing up her equipment, saving files, closing out of secure databases. “I’ll reroute everything to a mobile setup. With that, I can operate from the road.”“Good. I'll be in the car. Meet me in five,” I say, heading toward the door. I glance back at her. “Sophia—thanks.”She gives a sharp nod, though I catch a glimpse of worry on her face. We've been here before.History is about to repeat itself. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to do this without you,” she finally chokes.We’re in the car and halfway across the city before either of us speaks again. I steal a glance at Sophia, her eyes focused, fingers tapping on a tablet as she keeps an eye on Ricco’s movements. Every minute counts. Every second. If Ricco’s man gets to Padre first, we lose the one card we have against him.Not just him, including the corrupt officials funding their activities.Padre is the only key, we can't affor to lose it.As we approach the penitentiary,
MarcoAs I turn to leave the lab, Sophia grabs my arm, her grip surprisingly firm for someone half my size.“Marco, please listen to me. This isn’t about Padre alone. Ricco’s reach is deeper than we think, and getting tangled up with Padre could ruin everything. They’re tied to powerful groups, and they don’t tolerate outside interference.”Her words sink in, but there’s no going back now. I give her a straight look, pulling my arm free from her grip. For one, she knows she can't stop me.“If this information leads us to unraveling Ricco’s entire operation, then it’s worth the risk.”She sighs, adjusting her glasses and muttering something under her breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I slip out of the lab, heading into the cool evening air. A quick drive brings me to the outskirts of the city, near the penitentiary. It’s set behind high towering steel fences and walls.At the entrance, I flash a badge I’d 'gotten through a past job, posing as an attorney. The guard bare
Marco"How many times do i have to repeat this? I'm not Betty," she responded in a frenzied whisper as Ricco's voice overshadowed every other sound in the room. There's another task. Never an end to his missions, but thankfully, amongst all the people he called out, I don't fall in the list.Celebrating the temporary freedom, I watch as Betty gets up from me to join the selected crew.I don't pay much attention on the instructions. It's none of my business.Big Tom is addressing them but Betty and i exchange eye contact. I need to find the truth from her and the only way to do that is to exploit her witnesses.It's not my fault that she provided me one on a platter of gold.After a brief discussion with Ricco about the delivery of new sets of ammunition, i head out of the mansion, in search of Betty.I find her standing by her car, about to get in."Elizabeth Maguire," i announce, few metres away from her. I watch her reaction as she stiffen. Definitely Betty. One doubt crossed. N