A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL "What do you want to discuss with me, sir?" Caleb asked Mr Ramirez. "Call me Antonio," he drawled. Caleb kept silent. The man continued, "You look like a promising young lad. What I want is to make you a life-changing proposal." "I-I thank you for this offer. However..." "Don't turn it down just yet until you hear everything I have to say. Which of course I cannot outrightly tell you on the phone until we meet one-on-one." Caleb thought to argue that it was too late into the night for him to drive. But the man's next statement was as if he was reading his mind. "If you are worried about your safety, then I can send my men to bring you wherever you are." At this point, Caleb knew he would have no excuse to turn him down. "I will come over by myself, thank you." When the man ended the call, he growled in agony. "What have I gotten myself into?" But he knew he couldn't go alone. He needed someone he could count on their loyalty. And someone that could hav
HOLD HIM DOWN As she was arranging the guns, she overheard some voices coming from behind the room. She pressed her ear against the wall to listen and the conversation was about Caleb. "It's almost time. Are you sure the Dazani boy is coming?" one of them was saying. "He gave me his word. So I have to believe he will keep to it," his partner said with confidence. "That must be the stranger Caleb was talking about," thought Adriana. "How do you propose to do it?" the first person went on to ask. "I don't think he's going to like the idea one bit." "I have my ways. I am not called a sweet talker for nothing," his partner replied chortling loudly. "You must not be present when he comes," he added as a suggestion. "I don't want him feeling overwhelmed. However, you can be within earshot in case we have to use a little persuasion to make him cooperate." "I copy that, boss." "A little persuasion?" repeated Adriana in a whisper. "What exactly does that mean?" "Although, I'm hoping
THE DIE IS CAST Caleb felt his limps giving in under him. He was either going to partner with this man in whatever business he is into and stand a chance of getting Mr Benson back or heed the Emailer's warning and El-Zaki continues to win. "You are running out of time, Dezani," Mr Ramirez prompted him. He had gotten Caleb boxed into a corner, exactly how he wanted. True to his words; he wasn't called a sweet-talker for nothing."The clock is ticking," he continued, raising his hand to his lips and staring at him over the rim of the half-empty glass of spirit. "And every minute wasted, makes them farther get away." Someone's phone buzzed in the room. It was Antonio's. He swept his eyes over the screen and a half-grin curled the corner of his mouth. "The caller is one of my men. And whatever command I give this minute is what they will do. I only asked them to delay the process until we've had this meeting." When Caleb didn't give an answer, he picked up the phone and pressed the re
THE EXTRACTION "Are you sure about this?" Caleb asked Adriana for the umpteenth time. "You said earlier you hadn't had enough sleep." The doctor had insisted on joining them on the extraction mission. "I am a medical practitioner and my services might come in handy in case one of us gets injured," she replied, then raised her eyebrows inquiringly, "Don't you think?" "One of us?" echoed Caleb. "Are you seriously considering becoming a part of this..." he wanted to say "mess" before trailing off and finally settling for, "underground network?" She regarded him with a silent appraisal and shrugged. "I like to think you trusted me and found me capable before you came to me for help. Isn't that right?" "Yes, but..." "No buts," she cut in when Caleb started to argue. "I know what I'm doing. Pedro would have been here to help you if not for m-me." She broke off as her voice started to quiver. They were standing outside the hotel by Caleb's Cadillac Escalade. The other two were still i
A BLOODY ENCOUNTERDoctor Fernandez had made a quick stopover at the hospital to carry her first aid box, a drip stick and a pint of blood from the blood bank. She gave Caleb the blood to smear some on his face, head and part of his upper body.It was Caleb who remembered the stunt he and Pedro had pulled when they embarked on the planned trip to El-Zaki's mansion before their mission was aborted due to the ambush that led to the first bloody clash.Caleb did a perfect job and it wasn't difficult to fool the security guy. He let the doctor drive in after seeing Caleb's messy body and the drip infused into his forearm. His head was bandaged with a bloody gauze. As soon as they passed the gate, Mr Ramirez put a call to Caleb. "How do you plan on getting him out with just the two of you?" Caleb didn't know what Adriana was planning. It was shameful to imagine that the same person he didn't want to be in their team happened to be their only shot at succeeding on this mission. But it was
PLEASE DON'T DIE"Can't you hear me?" Caleb shook Adriana by the shoulder but she didn't stir."We have to go, Dezani, otherwise the police will round us up." Mr Ramirez repeated impatiently.Caleb didn't pay him any mind. He kept trying to rouse the doctor. "Is this how you easily abandon one of your own?" His tone was laced with accusation and bitterness.Another gunshot thundered forcing Dragon to yell at them. "They're coming. Let's leave, now!"Caleb went down on both knees and scooped Adriana into his arms. Then in a swift motion, stood up and ran towards his car. Mr Ramirez was behind to help get the door. He lay her on the backseat and closed the door. Just then a bullet flew past his ear by a hair's breath. "Fucking bastards!" he cursed and shunted to his side. Then crawled on all fours to the driver's seat and got in.Mr Ramirez wanted to make a run for his car where Dragon had already started the engine but bullets were flying everywhere. He wouldn't make it without being h
HE SUSPECTS FOUL PLAY"How is that possible?" roared El-Zaki. "That a man well-guarded is snatched right under the noses of the police?" "They came heavily armed with sophisticated weapons. We lost two of our men during the attack while three others are severely injured," the deputy inspector explained. "I don't know how I will explain this to the commissioner by morning." "That is your kettle of fish, deputy inspector Brown. I've got a much bigger problem at hand." "Do you know how many of my men have been killed tonight? All of them! They've all been slaughtered like chickens." El-Zaki continued to lash out at the man without any consideration. He was so enraged that his explanations fell on deaf ears. "Well, there's only one course of action that can save your ass: and that is for you to find out those responsible and hint at me. I want to know who they are. Whom they're working for. And lastly, how they got wind of the extraction plan because no one else except you, and maybe
TAKEN BY SURPRISEEl-Zaki secretly arrived in Spain and checked into Ley Roy Hotel. At the airport, he told Nathan he wanted to travel alone. "I will need you to stay back at home to keep the place running while I'm gone," he stated. "But, boss, Mr Hart..." "My son will be busy at the company as usual," he reminded him when he brought up the subject of Hart being around, "so I will need someone to be my watchdog at home." Nathan at first thought it was a calculated attempt to keep him at bay. But after the Don left and he spoke with Barrister Crusoe via his new private phone, the old lawyer told him it was a perfect time to carry out their assignment. "No, this is just perfect," he said gleefully. "Now that he's gone, the house will be less guarded. And we will make our move to find the document. "Don't you think, as you stated before, this might as well be a trap?" reasoned Nathan. "Perhaps he has hidden cameras installed in strategic places and might catch us red-handed." The