The tough hours 1

As the days passed, Ethan's situation became more dire. His company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

He had used almost fifty percent of his company's capital plus all the savings Ella had made from her restaurant to pay off the half of the debt he owed Mr Bernard and because of that both the company of Ethan and Ella's restaurant suffered great loss.

They sold their apartment and moved to the family's mansion since Mr. Jonathan and and his wife had returned to England.

Mr Bernard on the other hand kept on pressuring Ethan to pay him back the remaining money he had borrowed from his company.

All Ethan's pleas for him to be patient with him went on deaf ears. It was like pouring water on the leaf of a cocoa yam.

When Mr. Bernard noticed that his pressures on Ethan wasn't yielding any results he started threatening him through his social media handle with some text messages like. "You don't know who you are messing with."

"No one owes me time in New York City and moves around freely".

When Ethan started receiving all these text messages from Mr Bernard he knew immediately that his life and that of Ella was no longer safe in New York city but he dared not try to escape from New York because he knew Mr. Bernard was a syndicate and could easily track him anywhere he runs to around the globe. He had no other choice than to face his fate in New York City.

* * * * * *

After a hectic day at the office Ethan was busy arranging some files on his table when his phone vibrated signaling an incoming message.

After arranging the files he took the phone and unlocked it and saw a text message from an unknown number stating . "Watch out your wife is the next target."

Immediately Ethan saw the message his heart skipped and without hesitating he dialed Ella's number but unfortunately it rang without any answer. He dialed it two more times and still no answer and immediately he remembered that he had the contact of one of Ella's waitress and once he dialed the number she picked up.

When Ethan asked her about Ella's whereabouts she informed him that Ella just left the restaurant twenty minutes ago and without hanging up the call he dashed out of the office and started driving home while praying silently in his heart that nothing happens to Ella.

* * * * * *

The disappearance of Ella struck Ethan to the veins.

He has being a shadow of himself. He couldn't eat or get any sleep because the thoughts of something bad happening to Ella wherever she was kept on hunting him and he couldn't but blame himself because deep down he knew that Mr. Bernard was responsible for Ella's disappearance.

It has being two days of fruitless search for Jeff who is a member of the FBI and his colleagues.

During all these while they couldn't prove that Mr. Bernard who was the only suspect was responsible of Ella's disappearance because he wasn't in New York when the event took place, he traveled out of New York city for his business affairs.

On the third day he was sitting on the bare floor his back rested on the couch lost in his thoughts when his phone started ringing and immediately he took his phone he saw and unknown number and without hesitating he picked the call and placed it on his ears.

"Hello who is this? " he asked with a trembling voice.

" Who we are does not matter" the masculine voice answered with a harsh tone from the other side of the phone. "What matters is the message we want to deliver to you"

Ethan remained silent anticipating the message they wanted to deliver to him.

"Our boss said that you have up to forty eight hours to get his thirty million dollars ready if not he will be pleased to send you the corps of your wife. After the forty eight hours we will contact you in order to give you the address where you will bring the cash. And don't even think of getting the FBI involved." The man warned before hanging up the call.

" Hello! Hello!" Ethan exclaimed before realizing that the man has hanged up the call.

He tried calling back but it didn't went through because the line was already switched off.

Ethan sat on the floor lost in his thoughts.

Where was he going to get such amount of money in less than forty eight hours?

He couldn't loan money from the bank because he had no collateral to give in exchange and he had tried reaching his aunt but her line was going through.

It felt as if he was facing a problem without solution and before he could realize what was happening hot tears started streaming on his face.

For the first time in many years Ethan knelt down and prayed, he never prayed on his own unless Ella forced him.

After the prayer he drifted to slumber. It has being three days of sleepless nights for him.

Ethan was awaken by the ringing tone of his phone.

Once he picked the phone he saw that it was his best friend Jeff that was calling and immediately he picked up.

"Hello Bro any good news? " Ethan asked while scrubbing his hand on his face.

"Nothing yet. But we are still on the search" Jeff replied. "By the way haven't you received any call from the the people that abducted her?"

"No" Ethan lied because the people had warned him not to get the FBI involved.

"Ok Bro we won't stop finding until we find her" Jeff assured him before hanging up the call."

Once he hanged up the call he saw that he had a text message from an unknown number and once he opened the message he saw that it was a location that was sent to him and under the location was written: "Go and save your wife before it's too late."

When he checked the number that sent the text message he realized that it was the same number that sent him a text message that he should watch out for his wife that she was the next target.

Immediately Ethan felt a pang of joy but at the same time he was afraid because it could be a trap.

Without hesitating he called Jeff and explained everything to him and Jeff told him to wait for him that he will come and fetch him in less than thirty minutes with his men and they will go and check the place out