“Looking for us?” The kidnapper sneered. Jason looked to the man’s side and saw Leonardo tied up. “You thought it would be easy to fool me, didn’t you?” The man laughed. Who’s the fool now?”“Get in the car!” He yelled and pressed the gun into Jason’s forehead. He cocked the gun. “And don’t try anything this time because this one’s loaded and I’m afraid to...”In a split second, Jason removed the unloaded gun from his pocket. With a swift, precise motion, he swung the gun upward, using the butt of the weapon, to strike the man with a resounding crack. The man’s grip on the gun loosened, and it clattered to the ground. He stumbled backward, his head reeling from the force of the blow.Wasting no time, Jason struck the man again, sending the man crumpling to the ground, unconscious.The first thing that Jason did was untie Leonardo, who seemed to be frozen by fear. Next, he covered his hand with a handkerchief and picked up the loaded gun. Then he searched the man’s pocket for his phon

Jason got to the apartment building a few minutes before midnight. He showered, then went straight to Amelia’s front door.He stood there and knocked for five minutes.“Jesus better be standing on the other side of this door, because I don’t see why anyone would be knocking like this at this time,” he heard Amelia yell from inside her apartment.She opened the door, and her eyes widened slightly. “Jason? It’s midnight; what're you doing here?” She was clad in her pyjamas, and it looked like she had just woken up from a good night's sleep.Jason walked into the apartment and looked at Amelia apologetically. "Amelia, I’m so sorry to bother you at this time, but I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t important.”“What’s so important that you couldn’t say it on a phone call?" Amelia groaned and gently dragged the skin under her eyes with her palms.“Does a deal with the Spaniards sound important enough?” Jason said it proudly.Amelia looked at Jason, dazed, her mouth slightly ajar. “I’m sorry, I do

For the restaurant where the celebratory dinner would take place, Jason chose Lla Vespera. It was a luxurious establishment. The interior had a refined design, with plush furnishings, rich textures, and exquisite artwork adorning the walls.Their food had already been ordered, and their dinner was served.“I must say, Jason, you have good taste; this place is beautiful. And their lobster is spectacular,” Mr. Ponce De Leon commented as he took another bite of his food.“Really? I just picked the first restaurant I saw when I searched ‘fancy restaurants in New York’” Jason said.The table erupted in laughter, but Jason wasn’t even joking. That’s exactly what he had done.“Eres hilarante,” Mrs. Ponce De Leon said to Jason. She corrected herself when she realised she didn’t say it in English. “That means you’re hilarious,” she smiled.“Yo sé,” Jason said as he took a bite of his own lobster.Mr. and Mrs. Ponce de Leon looked at Jason in surprise. “You speak Spanish?” Mrs. Ponce de Leon a

“Jason, Jason, open up.” Amelia and Franklin had been screaming and banging on Jason's door for the past seven minutes.“What if he left while he was drunk last night and got lost... or kidnapped?” Amelia said, her heartbeat racing at the possibility.“Should we ask the security men for the CCTV footage from last night?” Franklin suggested.Amelia snapped her fingers. “Good idea. Let’s go.”It took them a few minutes to convince the security guards, but they eventually showed them the footage, and the last thing that the CCTV cameras captured of Jason was when Amelia and Franklin escorted him to his apartment.“Thank you,” they said, thanked the guard, and left the security room.“So that means he’s in the apartment,” Amelia said.“Then why the hell won't he answer or open the door? I don’t get it. You saw him last night; sure, he was drunk, but he wasn’t blackout drunk." Franklin scraped his fingers through his hair. Suddenly he remembered something from the night before: “The woma

Jason staggered out of the apartment complex. He crossed the street and nearly got crushed by a car.“Watch where you're going, dumbass!” the driver yelled.“Sorry,” Jason yelled back and stumbled to the sidewalk. He hailed a taxi, "T-Taxi.”The taxi stopped in front of him, and he got in, stumbling while he did. “Where to, sir?” the taxi driver asked.“Just drive; I’m trying to get away from two crazy people,” Jason slurred.The driver thought that Jason was in real danger and became alarmed, his eyes widening. “Of course, sir.” He stepped on the gas and drove away.***“I can’t believe you let him escape," Amelia exclaimed as she walked down the street.Once Amelia got the call, she ran out of the grocery store and joined Franklin to search for Jason.“Now’s not the time to play the blame game, Amelia; I already feel terrible as it is,” Franklin sighed as he brushed his hat back with his palm.“You’re right,” Amelia nodded. "Sorry, it’s just that this is all so stressful. And to to