NO WAY OF ESCAPE El-Zaki dialled Hannah's line several times that day but she didn't respond. He brought out the letter again from his chest pocket to confirm the phone number behind it.He saw that it was correct. "Then why the fuck is she not responding to my calls?""If she has my daug..." he stopped himself in midsentence. "I shouldn't address her as my blood yet. Not when I'm yet to confirm she's actually mine." But the image of Bella's baby photos won't leave his head. And his mind also went back to that Christmas night when he returned home drunk and met Hannah alone in his loving room downstairs. It was like he had never seen a beautiful woman before. The way her bum swayed beneath her bogus uniform sewn to disguise her beauty gave him the bulge. And then his anger on realising his wife left home on some trip with his two-year-old son further made his blood feel hot. His whole plans for that Christmas changed and he decided to improvise with what was available. Thinking ab
ONE DAY ONE TROUBLEMadam Rebecca's reaction made El-Zaki to suspect she was up to something. He snarled at her."Why aren't you answering him?" Apparently, he could hear Hart saying hello, hello several times trying to get his mother's attention. He shouted from the background. "She can't speak because her plans have been foiled." Madam Rebecca forgot about the call and faced him. "Maybe if you weren't such a lousy husband, none of this would have happened," she accused him. "And, oh, my son won't go to their office because he's innocent. You will handle them all by yourself!" she snapped. Hart knew he had to finish up whatever he was doing and get back home immediately. Whenever his parents began their quarrel, it was usually messy. He ended the call by himself and went back to talk with barrister Crusoe. Surprisingly, the man was no longer there. "What now?" he murmured looking around for him. There was no sign of the barrister. He searched the surroundings and even asked the
HOW IT PLAYED OUT Caleb never knew it was that easy to get to anyone he needed information about. After the strange number that called him and Hannah kept trying to reach them separately, he reached out to Mr Ramirez. Coincidentally, he was about to leave Madrid for Mexico City on a business-related trip which he intended to stop over at the Dezani estate afterwards for the courtesy visit. "Give me a few minutes let me check it with my tech guys," he said. Caleb said okay and waited. By this time, he, Hannah, and Bella were on their way to a small town where they'd be lodging in a hotel for the time being. Mr Ramirez called back to say the call signal was coming from Spring Road. It was the axis where the El-Zaki mansion was located. Caleb thanked the man and said he'd be waiting to receive him in Mexico. From there, Caleb knew what to do. He sent out about twelve men and instructed them to wait at specific points: along El-Zaki mansion, DeZ company, and at every checkpoint with
BAD IDEA"No please, you can't let him meet me here," pleaded the barrister.Everyone's attention was immediately turned on him."And why is that?" queried Caleb in a tone that registered his displeasure."It's a bad idea.""Bad for whom?" added Mr Ramirez. "By law, I am his lawyer and by that, I'm under oath to keep whatever he confides in me a secret. If he meets me and finds out I've given any information to you, he can sue me legally," he explained.His explanation made sense but it didn't solve a thing for him, reasoned Caleb. "Right. So what if the so-called lawyer is found culpable in a crime of forgery?" There was a moment of silence before Mr Ramirez spoke. "We can keep you safe only if you promise to cooperate during his arrest and interrogation. In which case you'd be found guilty of complicity. However, if you plead guilty, the charges for your sentence would be reduced based on your testimony that as his lawyer you were bound by oath to keep his secrets." They were st
SHOT BY HIS OWN Caleb made for his gun before he could fire it. But he had already pressed the trigger button with him directly in the line of fire.His reflexes were quick and spontaneous. Caleb made a swift movement downwards and the bullet missed him, though not without brushing the side of his right arm as it flew past to find a target. "Damn it, argh!" came the shrieking sound from the man hit by the bullet. It was Miguel El-Zaki. Caleb became instantly stunned. But he didn't let the moment make him lose focus. This was just one man out of the eight he counted when they alighted from their vehicles. If he didn't handle this one well, he might become the next victim. The light from his lighter gun was still shining at full glare, he turned his face to the shooter just as three bullets whisked themselves past him and were simultaneously buried into the guy's body. The question on his mind was answered when more lights came on from various angles. The shooters were Mr Ramirez
ON THE RUN"Sir, we have reasons to believe Madam Rebecca is trying to leave the country. Our men at the airport axis have reported seeing her with big luggage leaving home en route to the airport.""Are you sure?" Caleb asked even though he could already guess the answer. With her husband taken which she has probably been informed, she might know he will go after her next. "We are sure, boss." "Right. Stay on the line while I call my contact at the airport."He was referring to Mr Ramirez. He didn't have to call anyone else when the man might pull something faster like a rocket flying through the sky. Antonio himself didn't let him land when he chipped in, "Is there a problem at the airport?"Caleb nodded. "Madam Rebecca is trying to sneak out of the country." "Who is that?" "It's the ex-don's wife. Perhaps she has gotten wind of her husband's gunshot injury and is afraid I might send men after her. That's why she wants to leave the country." "But do you really need her?" Mr Ra
A NEW BOND"Okay. Thank you, Miss...""Miss Jacob." "Right. Miss Jacob before you go, can we take a look at the surroundings and see if we can find anything that could help us in investigating these criminals?"Mr Ramirez became tense. If they find the bullet from the lighter gun, they will be able to trace it to its manufacturers. And it was only three manufacturers that produced such bullets. One of them being his personal factory. "Of course, officers, you are free to do so. As long as the clients aren't disturbed in their rooms," she added sweetly. "Thank you." Then to Caleb, the lady said, "We apologise once again for the ugly incident. We are going to get to the root of the matter and make sure those responsible are duly punished according to the law." Caleb nodded in approval as she went back inside. But the inspector wasn't done yet. He said to Caleb, "If you won't mind, my men can carry you to a hospital to have your wound properly tended to." Caleb politely declined.
TOO HOT "She is a stubborn woman and will not willingly disclose anything unless we make her a deal.""What kind of deal?"Caleb shrugged. "I wouldn't know until we find out what she's afraid of losing and then offer her a guarantee of safety. She might jump at it like a horse would wiggle its tail when you dangle a carrot before its eyes.""That's not a bad idea. However, I think it wouldn't be enough to threaten a woman of such grit. If it's somehow confirmed that Hart is not El-Zaki's son, what we really need is to find out whether he has other children that may rise to fight the woman once they learn the truth." That was another angle Caleb hadn't considered. However, he didn't need to find out about his other children because Hannah had already attested that Bella was his child. And Bella's case was enough to cause trouble. It was going to have a sweet ending when the proud peacock discovers that the ordinary chicken is the preferred domestic pet. Caleb didn't want to complete