Albert ordered the men to put Joel in the car. Seconds later the car wound its way through the deserted roads, Joel's foggy mind struggling to comprehend his surroundings. No amount of struggle could free him from the grasp of these tough looking men. He wasn't in his best so he couldn't even save himself if he wanted to. Joel was turning into a liability even for himself. Joel's pounding headache intensified, making him give up his struggle. As the car came to a halt, his gaze fell upon an unfamiliar building. It was so quiet and the mysterious air surrounded it. "Where am I?" Joel demanded, his voice laced with a mix of anger and distrust. "Albert, why did you bring me here?" "You're somewhere safe," Albert replied, turning to face his men who were waiting for his next command."Don't fool me. There's nothing safe about this place." Joel snarled, jerking out of the men's hold. They were quick to hold him down. "Why would you bring me to such a place if you do not have Ill inte
Joel’s eyes stared blankly at the wall, his mind consumed with self-loathing. How did it come to this? He couldn’t believe that an hour ago he was held captive by Albert just so he could bring him back to his senses. He stepped in front of the mirror and was disgusted at the reflection that stared back at him. He had lost so much weight. His once clean shaven face wasn't so clean anymore. He picked out a razor to shave before he stepped into the shower. His ego was hurt but he had to admit that Albert was right. Just because Anna wasn't found doesnt mean she was dead. And he couldn't hand it over the trophy to his enemies on a platter of gold. They are all in a competition to oust one another. Ruining himself with his own hand was giving the enemy more points and more advantage. He was such a fool. He thought. When he stepped out of the shower, he felt better. He dressed up quickly to head for the dining room, as he was already feeling famished. Albert had ordered his meal to be pr
Joel's footsteps echoed on the wet pavement as he approached the Hotel. It was an old hotel in the middle of town, it was so quiet and didn't have people walking in and out of it like other big fancy hotels. Joel believes the Brotherhood must have chosen this location as their meeting place because of its quietness and privacy.As he stepped in through the metal door, Joel was greeted by the figures of three figures dressed in expensive suits. They all raise their heads to meet his gaze. "You're late Winston." "I'll prefer being called by my name," Joel answered as he dropped into the leather seat. "I'm sorry, the rain caused a traffic jam.""Welcome Jeol," the familiar man seated in the middle said, his voice smooth and gentle. "It's good to see that you are still on your feet after all that has happened to you." Joel wasn't sure if he was to take the man's words as a complement or a tease. He nodded curtly, his heart racing. "I know you all have wanted this meeting to be held
Joel was waiting for an answer. With the reaction they had on them, he was almost sure they knew who was causing him so much pain. "I'm all ears, gentlemen," he whispered, becoming impatient. "Don't put any ideas in your head yet." One of them was quick to say. "We are only being cautious. We aren't sure yet but with you asking for our help now, we have no choice but to investigate and confirm who is or are after you." "And here I was thinking you already had an answer to my question." Joel said rather loudly. "I hope this investigation won't take forever because I'm running out of time.""I hope you can trust us more than you do now. If you know who the Brotherhood cult is you would go home from here and have a nice sleep. But we'll let you off the hook because you have no idea of our capabilities." "It would be amazing if you could blow my mind because your confidence is off the roof." Joel stood up to pour himself another glass of champagne. He felt like drinking another becau
A few people were talking to the nurse at the reception area. Joel wasn't expecting the hospital to be that busy by 7AM. He sat in a metal chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He stared at the floor, trying to ground himself, breathing slowly to keep himself calm. His head felt heavy from the lack of sleep and even at the moment he felt so anxious because he didn't know what news to expect about his wife, Anna. When the reception area was free of people, he approached the reception desk, his voice barely above a whisper as he stated. "I'm Joel Brown and I'm the husband of one of your patients, Anna Brown." He leaned into the nurse. "I got a message last night that I should be here by 7 AM." The nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, gave him a brief sympathetic nod. "You can see Dr. Patchman now." Gesturing toward a door down the hall. Joel gave her kind smile before scurrying away. His heart raced as he walked down the corridor, his footsteps echoing against t
A week later Joel had rushed over to meet the Brotherhood as soon as they called. This time at their official meeting point. He was already a part of them so he was given the main address to where the Brotherhood converged for their meetings. He had come to them in desperation, and now he was about to find out what the Brotherhood had done to give him what he desperately needed. The last time they met at the old hotel, he asked them for help and they promised to get back to him in less than a week. He was being hopeful and the news had come earlier that morning: the charges against him for Xavier's death had been dropped and the media had declared him innocent. He rejoiced for a moment before Albert came in to tell him about the meeting. He was happy with the outcome but he couldn't dismiss the suspicious thoughts his mind harbored. When Joel entered the chamber, the leaders of the Brotherhood were already waiting. Five men sat around a circular table. Their faces were unreadab
Six months had passed and Joel had found a way to survive all that has happened to him. Now he was standing in his lavish living room, surrounded by friends and colleagues celebrating his win; the immense success of Winston Successes. The company's turnaround was nothing short of miraculous and Joel was the man of the hour. Being the end of the year, It is a great time and season to celebrate such a winAs he mingled with the guests, a familiar face approached him. It was Clark, a close friend. He met Clark in Mexico years ago. Clark only recently moved to Florida three months ago and has really been a good friend. "Joel, I am beyond shocked. How did you do it?" he said, his eyes flashed with curiosity. "When I came over to Florida, you were at the brink of disaster and now…this" A little smile appeared on Joel's lips. "Honestly, Clark, I can't explain the effect my suffering had on me. I can remember being determined not to allow whoever was out to get me to win." "I envy you,
Joel sat in his office beaming with excitement as he discussed his upcoming engagement with Emma. He looked like someone who had fallen in love all over again. He flipped his pen continuously on his desk while smiling and speaking excitedly. Albert couldn't help but take in the new Joel. He had to do what he had to do to get Joel to his senses months ago, but Joel behaved like he was reborn and triumphed through his sufferings. He doesn't even talk about Anna much but he hears from the maid that they've seen him on several occasions staring at a picture of hers. There's no doubt he's still in love with her. Albert was happy to see him as a new man but he was worried and he was determined to speak to Joel about the matter. The moment Joel ended the phone, Albert dropped into a seat and pulled himself forward. "Sir, are you sure about this?"Joel's smile disappeared as he put on a straight face. "What do you mean, Albert?""You've only just known this lady, Emma. And now you are ru