Finding Mandy

Kelly's smirked, her gaze lingering on Kendrick's uneasy expression for a moment before responding.

"I want it raw, right here and now," she demanded.

Kendrick's eyes widened in shock. "What the heck?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm not getting you pregnant!"

"That's exactly what I want, Kendrick!" Kelly's shouted.

"That's what I want!"

Kendrick looked at Kelly incredulously. "You must be joking, Kelly. You can't possibly mean that. I can't do this! I can't!"

Kelly's expression turned fierce. "Well, then say goodbye to that Mandy girl!" she shouted.

Just then, Kelly called out to the girls on the phone, "Hey, you girls!"

"Wetin sup dis time?" ("What's up this time?") One of them responded.

"Finish h—" Kendrick quickly covered Kelly's mouth with his hand, and moved behind her to continue muffling her attempts to give commands to the girls.

Kelly tried to struggle free, mumbling "Hmmm hmmm" as she attempted to pry his hand away from her mouth, but kendrick grip was just too tight.

He began pulling Kelly backwards towards his desk, and in the struggle, her phone clattered to the ground, the screen hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Suddenly, the girls on the other end of the recording device Kelly had planted on herself immediately piped up, "What's going on over there?"

Kendrick froze, his eyes fixed on the fallen phone, unsure of how to respond to the girls' inquiry.

He knew he had to think fast, or risk arousing their suspicion.

"Uh, she just left to use the bathroom," Kendrick said abruptly.

But the girls were skeptical. "Bathroom?" one of them repeated.

"What about all the noise we heard? And aren't you that American boy who saved this stupid idiot when we were chasing her?" another girl asked, as she recognized Kendrick's American accent.

The other girls began to murmur in agreement.

"Na him o!" ("It's him!") one of them said, while another chimed in, "Yes na, na him!" ("Yes, it's him!")

Kendrick knew he had to come up with a more convincing story, but his grip on Kelly was slowly loosening.

"Uh, yeah, that's right, I..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say, but Kelly saw her chance and bit his hand.

"Argh!" Kendrick groaned in pain, quickly releasing Kelly to nurse his injured hand.

Kelly spun around, her eyes flashing with fury.

"You!" she thundered, her finger jabbing accusingly at Kendrick.

"I warned you not to try to outsmart me, but now that you've decided to play clever, you'll pay the price!"

"Kelly, look," Kendrick said calmly, dropping his hand.

"Don't you think you're taking this too far?"

"No, I don't!" Kelly shot back, her voice rising.

"I'm not taking anything too far!"

"K—" Kendrick tried to interrupt, but Kelly cut him off.

"You better make up your mind, Kendrick. If you don't, I won't just let her die easily. I'll have her raped and—"

Kendrick slapped Kelly hard across the cheek, the force of the blow turning her face sideways and silencing her.

He then grabbed her shoulders tightly, shaking her. "Snap out of it, Kelly! You're not thinking straight. This is madness!" he exclaimed.

But Kelly could only muster surprised gasps, shocked that Kendrick had slapped her.

"Awfa make we kill am?" one of the girls asked, overhearing the exchange.

"Don't even think of it!" Kendrick yelled, his glance darting to the phone.

He struggled to understand Pidgin English, but the word "kill" sent a chill down his spine. He knew they were discussing harming Mandy.

"K-Kendrick?" Kelly stammered, her gaze still fixed on kendrick, and her eyes wide with shock.

Kendrick's gaze shifted to her, his face relaxing as he looked at her, and then he let her go.

He walked over to Kelly's phone on the floor and picked it up.

The screen had a cracked line across it, but Kendrick's face lit up with relief as he saw Mandy lying still unconscious and unharmed in bed, her chest rising and falling slowly.

Suddenly, Kelly hugged Kendrick from behind, her arms wrapping around his torso.

She intentionally pressed her breasts against his back, but Kendrick felt a surge of anger and irritation.

He turned around, pushing her away roughly, and Kelly staggered back, barely catching herself before falling.

Her face twisted in anger, and she curled her fists and shouted, "Strip that brat naked and continue with the plan!"

Kendrick's eyes widened in shock, his grip on the phone faltering.

"K-Kelly?" Kendrick called, his eyes pleading. But Kelly was unfazed.

"Now!" she shouted.

"No, Kelly, please don't do this," Kendrick begged, taking a step closer to her.

But the girls on the other end of the line only laughed, their mocking tones sending chills down Kendrick's spine.

"The moment we've been waiting for," one of them said.

Kendrick's gaze snapped to the screen, and his heart sank as he saw the girls climbing into the bed where Mandy lay.

He swiftly glanced at Kelly, whose shoulders were shaking with rage.

"Kelly, please, you have to stop this. Tell them to leave Mandy alone. I'm begging you, I was wrong, and I'm so sorry," Kendrick pleaded.

"I won't," Kelly spat.

"She's going to pay for your stupidity, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Kendrick took a step closer to Kelly, his eyes fixed intently on hers.

"Kelly, please, don't let this happen. I'm begging you," he said, his voice trembling.

He glanced at the phone again, and his heart raced as he saw them unzipping Mandy's pants.

"Kelly, please, stop this," Kendrick continued pleading.

"Just tell them to stop, and let's talk about this."

But Kelly's expression only hardened, her smirk deepening as she folded her arms across her belly.

"You have to agree to my request, and I'll tell them to stop," she said.

Kendrick paused, knowing he was cornered. He could refuse, but she wouldn't listen, and Mandy would suffer the consequences. He felt trapped, with no way out.

"Come on, do you want to see mandy being raped?" Kelly asked and kendrick glanced at the screen once more.

His eyes expanded in shock as he witnessed her pants being tugged down, and he rapidly shifted his attention to Kelly.

"Fine, Kelly, fine. I'll do what you want. Just tell them to stop already," Kendrick said.

Kelly unfolded her arms and grinned mischievously, her eyes fixed intently on Kendrick.

She began to take slow, deliberate steps towards him, closing the distance between them.

Meanwhile, Kendrick remained frozen in place, his heart racing with a sharp, piercing anger that seemed to immobilize him, rendering him helpless against the situation.

"You promise?" Kelly asked, as she stopped mere inches from his face, their breaths almost intertwining.

Kendrick reluctantly nodded, his eyes fixed on hers.

"You girls?" Kelly called out, her voice ringing out across the room.

The girls immediately paused, their hands hovering above Mandy's ankles, where her pants were bunched up.

"Put them back on, just her pants, I mean," Kelly added.

Kendrick felt relieved, and he glanced at the screen, seeing that they were indeed carefully putting Mandy's pants back on.

But then, in a sudden and unexpected move, Kelly snatched the phone away from him and slammed it hard onto the ground, shattering it into pieces with a loud clatter.

Kendrick stood there, stunned, gazing at the shattered phone in disbelief, struggling to comprehend Kelly's sudden outburst.

"Why the hell did you do that?" he asked.

Kelly's smirk grew wider, and she grasped his face, her fingers wrapping around his jaw.

"I want us to watch it on your TV instead," she whispered, her breath dancing across his skin.

With that, she slowly began to lean in, her lips inching closer to Kendrick's, and his frown deepened in response.

His instincts screamed at him to pull away, but his body seemed frozen in place.

He was willing to kiss Kelly to save Mandy, but his heart wasn't in it.

His mind kept drifting back to Mandy's soft, inviting lips, which he had grown to cherish.

The thought of Kelly's lips touching his made his skin crawl, filling him with disgust.

As she closed in, her lips mere inches from his, he couldn't take it anymore.

Kendrick swiftly stopped her, his hand gripping her waist, and Kelly's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"What's the holdup now?" she whispered.

"I need a minute to think," Kendrick responded.

But instead of backing off, Kelly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in.

"I've given you plenty of time, let's get this show on the road," she purred, her gaze fixed on his lips.

"No way, you haven't given me enough time to think about this," Kendrick responded.

"What if you get pregnant?"

"Like I said earlier, that's exactly what I want - to be pregnant with your child," Kelly replied, a dreamy smile spreading across her face.

"It'll be a symbol of our relationship."

Kendrick's face turned incredulous. "Don't you care about how your parents would feel about that?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"My mom's cool with me having a kid at 19. Besides, we're both adults, so she wouldn't mind."

"Your parents might be okay with it, but mine definitely won't be," Kendrick countered.

"Especially my mom. They sent me here to learn a lesson, and you want to get me in trouble by getting you pregnant?"

Kelly laughed. "That's not trouble, that's love."

Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "Love? You think this is love?"

"I don't love you, Kelly. And even if I did, I'm not ready for a kid. You're only going to ruin your life because I won't take any responsibility for a child."

"Hmph," Kelly laughed again, her fingers tracing gentle circles on Kendrick's neck.

"You will, and you must, regardless of whether you love me or not."

She paused, studying his expression before adding, "I'll take the case to court, and you'll be compelled to accept it."

Kendrick shook his head. "Not a chance, Kelly. You'd end up being the one in tears, for pushing me into this. And that's all the evidence I need to prove that this would lead to a world of heartbreak."

Kendrick's gaze locked onto Kelly for a beat before he said, "Knock it off, Kelly. Stop what you're doing right now, or you'll regret it."

Kelly's expression turned serious, and for a moment, Kendrick's words seemed to sink in.

But she shook off the warning and smiled instead. "I won't regret a thing," she said.

Then, her gaze drifted to Kendrick's lips, and she added, "It feels like forever since I've tasted those sweet lips."

She gazed up at Kendrick and said, "How about a kiss to seal the deal, and then we can get started?"

Kendrick shook his head. "No way, Kelly."

Kelly's face fell, her brow furrowing in a frown. "No?"

Kendrick softened his tone slightly. "Just give me some minutes to think this through, and then we can do whatever you want, okay?"

Kelly's smile returned, her voice playful, "Fine, you've got ten minutes...but in the meantime..."

Her eyes locked onto his lips, and she leaned in, her lips parting slightly.

Kendrick's eyes narrowed as he realized Kelly's intentions. He frowned, annoyance flashing across his face, and he reached out to stop her once more.

"Hold up, Kelly. I mean it. Give me some space."

This time, Kelly's eyes remained closed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't stop me, Kendrick."

With that, her lips met his, but Kendrick's remained still, refusing to reciprocate.

He felt nothing - no spark, no excitement, his heart steady and unmoved. Unlike Mandy, he felt all those things and wanted more.

He simply gazed at Kelly, his expression unreadable, and didn't return her kisses.

This made Kelly pull away, a frown on her face, her eyes meeting Kendrick's annoyed gaze.

She didn't like being rejected, and her expression showed it.

"Fine," she said, pulling away, much to Kendrick's relief.

"I'll give you ten minutes to yourself to think. And don't think I'm not counting."

She glanced at her wristwatch, then held it up for Kendrick to see. "It's 5:25 pm now. When it's 5:35 pm, you'd better be ready."

Kendrick remained silent, knowing he had to make the most of this opportunity.

He walked over to his plush couch, sat down, and pulled out his phone from his pocket to call Emmanuel, completely tuning out Kelly, who began fiddling with his TV.

As he turned on his phone, his brow furrowed in concern at the string of missed calls from Emmanuel. Had he accidentally put his phone on silent mode? He wondered.

Kendrick quickly dialed Emmanuel's number, and he answered instantly. He made sure to keep the volume low, so only he could hear Emmanuel's response.

"Yo, what's up? Any news?" Kendrick asked in a hushed tone, ensuring Kelly couldn't overhear their conversation.

"Yeah, man, where was your phone? I've been trying to reach you for a while!" Emmanuel replied.

"It was on silent, sorry about that. What's going on?" Kendrick asked.

"You should keep it loud next time, dude! I found some broken phone pieces at the restaurant gate, and I think it's connected to Mandy's kidnapping," Emmanuel said.

"No kidding? I think so too. I've got the phone in my car. I never really saw Mandy's phone up close, but I'm pretty sure it's hers, and..." Kendrick's voice trailed off as Kelly glanced over at him.

"Uh..." he muttered, his eyes fixed on Kelly.

"Yo, man, you still there?" Emmanuel asked, but Kendrick was too distracted by Kelly's gaze.

Kelly smiled sweetly at him, "Nine minutes left."

Kendrick's jaw clenched, and he looked away, trying to break free from Kelly's unsettling gaze.

Kelly, however, seemed unfazed. She knew she had Kendrick right where she wanted him, and soon she'd have complete control.

With a confident smile, Kelly hooked up another phone to Kendrick's TV, which would display Mandy's image.

Kendrick's anxiety spiked as he realized what Kelly was up to, but he was powerless to stop her. So, he refocused on his call with Emmanuel.

"Is something wrong, man?" Emmanuel asked, sensing Kendrick's tension.

"Yeah, everything's going down, you know that already. Just spill it," Kendrick replied.

"So, like I said earlier, I'm pretty sure the phone is Mandy's, and—" Emmanuel was suddenly being cut off.

"Excuse me?" he said at the person that bumped into him.

"What's going on?" Kendrick asked, noticing the interruption.

"Yo, bro, I gotta call you back," Emmanuel said before abruptly ending the call.

"Yo, Emmanuel! Emmanuel!" Kendrick repeatedly said, but when he realized the call had ended, he muttered a swear word. "Fuck!"

Kelly glanced at him as she heard the word, but Kendrick's gaze was fixed on the ground, his mind racing. He needed to think fast, or he'd ruin his life.

...

"Excuse me? Can't you even say sorry?" Emmanuel asked.

The person who had bumped into him remained silent, their eyes darting nervously around, as if they feared someone was after them.

Emmanuel's gaze narrowed, scrutinizing the person from head to toe, his frown deepening in disapproval.

He noted her tattered and boyish appearance.

The strong scent of alcohol and cigarettes wafting from her made his nose twitch, and he wondered what she was doing there, and why she looked that way.

"Yo, miss or mr, what's your problem? Can't you even apologize?" He asked.

The lady finally glanced at him, her eyes cloudy.

"Free me, What's worrying you like this?" [Let me be, What's your problem?] she asked, her voice croaky.

Emmanuel exchanged amused glances with Richard, who had been standing beside him since they arrived.

He then turned his attention back to the lady.

"I should be the one asking questions. You don't just bump into someone as if you're being chased and then proceed to talk trash. What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"Let's just leave her alone; we don't have time for her drama," Richard chimed in.

Emmanuel's gaze lingered on the lady, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke.

"You should be grateful I'm busy right now, or else you'd have to explain your carelessness and disrespect."

The lady's eyes blazed with anger.

"So, just because I accidentally bumped into you, you're being utterly rude?" she asked, as she took a step forward, her index finger pointed accusingly at Emmanuel.

Emmanuel's response was a mocking smirk, which only fueled the lady's outrage.

She shoved him backward, her hands pressing against his chest, prompting Richard to jump into the fray.

"Hey!" Richard exclaimed, inserting himself between the two.

He pointed a finger at his temple and asked, "You dey crase?" (Are you crazy?)

"Na your papa dey crase!" (It's your father who's crazy!) The lady retorted.