The Unknown Billionaire

Chapter 33

After two hours of traveling, Vere finally arrived in town and immediately disembarked. He started walking towards the place where Alexa's friend, Anthony Blair, usually stayed. Anthony worked on one of the trucks that transported fruits and vegetables to the big city. 

After a fifteen-minute walk, He finally reached the large truck where they loaded the produce. Without further delay, she began asking the truck drivers. "Hello, sir. Do you know Anthony Blair?" Vere inquired. "Yeah, the third truck," one of the truck drivers replied. 

He quickly headed to the third truck and asked, "Hey, are you Anthony Blair?" Vere questioned. Anthony responded, "Yeah, how did you know me? So, we know each other." "From Alexa. He told me to find you here," Vere explained.

"Are you a relative of Alexa?" Anthony asked Vere. "No, just a friend," Vere replied. "There's no mobile phone signal in Alexa's place, but I'm glad I found where she lives."  "Yeah it is! so whats your name? Anthony ask Vere."

At that moment, Vere thought it might be best to change his identity to avoid raising suspicion. By the way My name is Wayne Cole. I am from Bormio," he said. "Alright, Wayne. After one hour, we are about to leave," Anthony informed him.

After an hour had passed, the truck began its journey. Vere, who had been dozing off, woke up when Anthony's voice brought him back to awareness. "Hey Wayne, wake up! We have a checkpoint ahead," he told Vere. 

Vere quickly roused himself, and after ten minutes, they arrived at the checkpoint. Anthony pulled over the truck, and the military personnel approached them.

They requested to inspect the contents of the truck, including the paperwork, and after a brief inspection, they were allowed to proceed. In that moment, Vere fell silent, contemplating his situation and how he would face it once they reached the city.

Vera couldn't help but feel the weight of her predicament as he and Anthony disembarked at a driver's stopover late in the evening. The scenario ahead was far from easy; he needed to reach his mansion to resolve the situation.

 However, he had neither his wallet nor any identification to help him in this endeavor. His only chance lay in getting to his mansion, but he knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, with police officers likely keeping a watchful eye.

 As they entered a small restaurant for a quick dinner, the television was broadcasting news about a prison break that was currently underway. Vere's anxiety grew, but he knew he couldn't afford to let it show. Anthony, trying to maintain a calm facade, initiated a conversation: 

"Vere, don't you think it's strange how they haven't caught those escaped prisoners yet? They're causing quite a stir." Vere, his mind racing, replied, "Yes, it's quite alarming. But sometimes, the news exaggerates things. Let's hope the police will handle it efficiently."

Their food arrived, and they continued to eat, trying to maintain an air of normalcy while keeping a close eye on the television. Vera couldn't shake off the feeling that her situation was becoming increasingly perilous.

After their meal returning to the truck, they engaged in conversation until they drifted off to sleep. They were awakened by the blaring horns of other trucks, signaling the resumption of their journey. It was around four in the early hours when they set off again.

 As Anthony drove, the topic of the escaped prisoners inevitably resurfaced. "That one prisoner, he looked strangely familiar. I feel like I've seen him before, just not sure." 

That time, Vera's heart raced as the memories flooded back, and he began to worry that Anthony might recognize him as one of the prisoners, as he had grown a beard and his hair as part of his disguise.

Anthony glanced at him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes and asked Vere. “What do you think Wayne? "Really? Do you think so? That's quite a coincidence." As Vere quickly tried to downplay his comment, not wanting to raise any suspicions. "Yeah, sometimes it happens that you see people similar or familiar, but it is not them and probably your imagination only. You've been on edge with all the news lately." Vere added. 

 That time Anthony seemed to buy his explanation, and the conversation shifted to other topics. However, Vere couldn't shake the fear, and the tension in the truck remained palpable as they continued their journey.

On the second day of Vere's journey, he realized that they would arrive in the city where the dangerous situation awaited him the next day. They stopped at a second overnight rest area, and he decided to borrow a phone to try calling James. He dialed James' number, but there was no answer. At that moment, he couldn't help but worry that James might still be in a bad condition, and for him, there was still no hope.

 He handed the phone back to Anthony, and after that night, they resumed their journey the next morning. As they approached the city, just before they could cross a large bridge, they encountered a police checkpoint. Anxiety gripped Vere once again as they pulled up, and the police officers began to request identification cards from all passing vehicles. 

The police officer approached their truck, and Anthony handed over the necessary documents for the cargo and his licenses. However, it was Vere who drew the officer's attention, and when he asked for his ID, he feigned nervousness, saying, "Sir, I seem to have lost my wallet in the mountain." The police officer nodded, saying, "Alright, no worries. Just give me your details." Vere quickly fabricated a name and address: "Name? Wayne Cole. Address? I'm a tourist; I'm actually from Bormio." 

The officer jotted down the information, and Vere breathed a sigh of relief. However, the tension remained palpable as the police officer waved them through. Vere knew they were getting closer to the heart of the dangerous situation that awaited him in the city.

As the truck continued down the road, they noticed a police car trailing closely behind them, eventually pulling alongside and signaling for them to stop. Vere couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety, but for Anthony, this unexpected turn of events was met with confusion.

 He wondered why the police had stopped them. The truck came to a halt, and both Anthony and Vere disembarked, along with a policewoman who had exited the police car. She walked towards them, her expression serious. "Hey, sir," she said, "the tire in the back of your vehicle is flat." 

Anthony appeared puzzled by this revelation, as he hadn't been aware of any tire trouble and he rushed to check and it was. However, for Vere, it was a moment of recognition. As he locked eyes with the policewoman, it dawned on him that she was Crystal, the woman whose car broke down when they were going to the house of the Fuentez family, and they ended up being invited to the party where they got to know Crystal well, and the feeling was mutual.

 "Crystal," Vere said, his voice carrying a mixture of surprise and relief. Crystal's eyes widened in recognition. "Mr. V.," she replied, so that Anthony could not see and hear Vere's name so that Vere would not be compromised. "It's really you." “And it looks like you're a long way away. My duty just finished and now I'm going home. So I will take you for a ride?”  Crystal said to Vere. And so Anthony said,"Yes, Wayne, you should get some rides or else you might be late for your flight.”

At that moment, Vere felt an overwhelming sense of trust in Crystal, and he had confidence that she was his best hope to navigate the treacherous situation he now found himself in. As he looked at her, there was no hesitation or doubt in his mind; he believed that Crystal could understand why he escaped the prison and that it was because of an impending crisis in his life he was facing.