19. Kidnapped
The board of directors droned on and on in the background as Angela simply ignored them after all either way, they were going to go with her idea whether they liked it or not. She always let them argue out of respect and nothing else. Her phone rung and she glanced at it annoyed. Adrian's name flashed on the screen and puzzled she took it excusing herself. "She is gone," was the first thing Adrian told her. Angela froze, "Explain," Angela said coldly.
"I was driving her home from the coliseum gym when a truck hit the car. I lost consciousness when I woke up she was gone," he explained. "I am tracking the car that was seen after the crash. It was a black sedan. Someone was taking a video of the crash when it pulled over and took her. I have already found the truck driver."
"Come to the headquarters with the driver the resources here will be more than sufficient to find her," Angela said putting down the phone her hands clutched around it tightly. "The meeting is adjourned," she said and walked out. Stacey joined her, "Confirm if my husband is still in Dubai and if he had planned something behind my back." Angela stopped in front of the elevator and turned to look at Stacey, "Invite the two responsible for her long-distance safety." Stacey nodded and walked away while Angela took the elevator to Olympus. "Pandora I want you to go through all telephone conversations and messages in the past twenty four hours within Nairobi area. Anything that is suspicious show me," Angela said immediately she gained entry. For half an hour she read and discarded any call scripts and messages slowly and meticulously. She was interrupted by Stacey informing her that Adrian, the driver and her two guests have arrived. She left Olympus and went to the interrogation rooms. The first person she saw was Adrian who stood at the edge of the vast sound proofed room. His shirt collar was soaked in his blood and he had an open wound on his forehead. His eyes looked a little crazed and he was looking at the truck driver like prey he couldn't wait to put his hands on. She looked at the two male guests standing stoic on another end. "You had one job," she said softly. "I thought you were the best assassins in the world thus capable of protecting just one girl and then this happens. Tell me with the money I am paying you what is a suitable punishment for such failure?" They said nothing for a few minutes so she said, "Good we are in agreement." She took a gun from Sang's holster and shot each of them one shot through the head. She handed the gun back to Sang' and looked at the driver who looked as if someone had already tortured him. She turned to look at Adrian, "Did he have anything to say?" she asked.
"Yes, he told me of a warehouse on Mombasa road," he said.
"Put him in the car he will be coming with us," she said. "He will die eventually just not as slowly as he thinks. Attacking my property is akin to starting a war with me and a lack of respect."
The warehouse was indeed guarded and to make their way inside a gunfight was in order. After her twenty or so guards had cleared the front, they led her inside the warehouse forming a shield around her and Stacey. Shirleen sat in the middle of the warehouse tied to a chair a man stood next to her a gun pointed at her head and Angela's dear uncle stood on the other side. "I did guess it was someone from my family. Nice to see you uncle," Angela said smoothly as though bored with a heavy sigh. "The punishment this time will not be lenient you must understand this."
"What I do understand is that you have no right to be the head of the family," he spat.
"So?" Angela asked with a condescending laugh, "You thought kidnapping my husband's illegitimate child with his mistress will what exactly? Compel me to hand over my position?" she laughed sarcastically looking at him like he was insane. "She is my prisoner to ensure my husband behaves. My insurance policy so to speak."
"I am willing to do anything to be head of this family. The position was supposed to be mine," he said furiously, "Your father, my brother was going to let me inherit that position until he was killed."
Angela looked at her uncle without a word for a few minutes, "Uncle that my father did not live long enough to completely disinherit me is not my problem but yours. You should have urged him earnestly to remove my name from the family registry when he disowned me but since you failed to plan for your future you have no right to stand before me looking indignant and shouting your failure. It is absolutely embarrassing." Angela turned away from him and said to the room at large, "Since she is your girlfriend and I know you are itching to teach someone a lesson, kill everyone involved do not leave a single one alive. The driver is yours to do with as you so please, but I want my uncle alive bring him to the interrogation room. I am a monster but even I have a line I cannot cross apparently and that is killing my own family. Do we understand each other Adrian?"
"Yes," Adrian replied from somewhere in the warehouse. Angela satisfied with the answer started making her way to the warehouse door when the first gunshot was heard followed by another and another. By the time she was at her car Adrian was walking out of the warehouse carrying an unconscious Shirleen in his arms as if she was made of pure crystal that could shatter at any moment. Sang' was guiding her uncle to another car. Adrian stopped in front of Angela, "Put her in my car. Both of you will receive medical attention at the headquarter infirmary," she said without glancing even once at Shirleen before she slid into her car.
Adrian kept glancing at the rear-view mirror where the images of the two women at the back seat was reflected. One was unconscious while the other was pointedly looking outside pretending that the young woman beside her was invisible. "Thank you," Adrian said gruffly.
Angela turned to look at him through the mirror, "There is no need to thank me. I did it out of selfishness and nothing else. She is a big player in my plans without her I have no bargaining chip. It seems she has become quite important to you too. Elizabeth's death may have driven you a little crazy, but I believe this girl's death will completely break you. I need you to be in perfect health to fulfil the role I have planned just for you Adrian Maliekhe."
"You can't bear to even look at her," Adrian observed softly.
"She is a reminder of my husband's betrayal and infidelity. The day I found out about her mother it was as if Lawrence had thrust a sword through my heart. Looking at her is like someone twisting the sword each time," Angela said softly turning to look out the car window indicating she was done with that conversation. "You must understand Adrian that living is all about the choices you make moment by moment. Even if you come across a log bridge, you must make a choice. Do you go forward? Do you turn around, or do you stop? Where I am now is the result of the countless choices I made in the past. I remember the first choice that drove me to this path of choices that led me here today." Adrian was silent throughout the rest of the drive and Angela was lost in her own thoughts. Both were aware that Shirleen had already regained consciousness and was pretending to be unconscious to avoid the woman she deemed to be her mother's murderer. Angela watched Adrian without making it obvious she was doing so. At one point before she knew who he was she had thought to make him her guard dog just like all the men working in her security firm. A guard dog who would always obey her every command without question, but he had proven her wrong. He had proven to her that he was no guard dog repeatedly. He had proven he was a wild wolf that she could not hope to tame. He was a wild wolf that only Shirleen could get close to and pet. A wild wolf that will soon only obey Shirleen's orders. With all his skills and connections, he was extremely dangerous. The car stopped in front of the HQ building and Sang' quickly went to open Angela's door. "Did you know the most beautiful English word in this world is mother?" Angela asked no one in particular. "Take her to the infirmary and then meet me at the interrogation room. I want to find out how many of my family members were involved and how much they know of your girlfriend's existence." Without another word she stepped out of the car and walked to the entrance where Njiru and Stacey were waiting for her. Adrian turned to look at Shirleen a smile on his face, "Hallo darlin'," he said softly reaching for her. "Let's go have you checked so that I can stop worrying." Shirleen nodded reaching for him too.