Austin cautiously entered the duplex he shared with his fiancée, feeling relieved that he had good news to share with her. His demanding and dangerous job had been causing strain in their relationship, creating tension that threatened their stability. Despite knowing that his absence was unhealthy for their relationship, he found it difficult to refuse his bosses when his unique skills were needed. As a highly trained secret mercenary, he was skilled in various tasks and was willing to go to great lengths to protect his loved ones and country. Taking some time off work to focus on his relationship with Annalise, who was his only family and the love of his life, became a priority for him. She had entered his life unexpectedly when he needed help, and forced her to treat his wounds. She had been so shocked, but the nurse in her had taken over her fears and nursed him back to health. He had hidden in her home for a while, forged a bond with her, and was determined to protect and cherish her. The rest, they say, is history.
So, here he was trying to fix his broken relationship before it slips completely through his fingers. There was no way he was losing her. She was the embodiment of both beauty and innocence, filled with so much love and kindness; the complete opposite of him, and the reason he needed her like the air he breathes. She grounded him, kept his demons at bay, chasing his shadows away and completing him more than even his work. So he would grant her heartfelt wish and spend the summer visiting numerous tourist attractions in a country that captivated her. They wouldn't be traveling alone but with their friends (James and Sarah) and Annalise's new friend, Bella. He might even tie the knot there; he would see how that pans out.
"Honey, I'm home!" he dropped his keys on the counter and sighed when she completely ignored him. But he wasn't deterred, covering the distance between them, he kissed her cheeks and whispered into her ears, "park your bags, we're going on that trip you told me about."
"What? Seriously!" she glanced at him with questing eyes. He nodded at her and caught her weight on the couch when she threw herself at him. "Oh, thank you! I promise you, you won't regret this decision. We'll have a great time!"
"I certainly hope so," he teased warmly.
"But how did you manage it? I... I thought you were too busy."
"I took some time off, so I'm yours for the whole summer."
"Cool! Our friends will be so happy to hear you're coming. I thought I will be the odd one out with no partner." she kissed him ravishly, pulling at his heartstrings and filling him with no regret. Little did he know that regret comes late.
The next day, they packed their bags and met their friends at the airport. His love, was being secretive about their destination and only revealed they were going to an exotic country with a full summer tourism package. Her friend from work, Bella, introduced her to the package plan and was also going with her boyfriend, Simon, who was the event planner. A tourist bus would pick them up at the airport when they landed and were in the clear. Looking at the brochure, he hadn't seen anything wrong with it. In fact, the pictures of the resort were lovely, and the activities planned, engaging. There were going to be horse rides along the beach, snorkeling, surfing, hiking, sightseeing, and a beach carnival where they could indulge in good music and dancing, patronize some of the local goods on display, mingle, and enjoy some good local dishes among others. He felt it was a good way to spend his time and money, though it was quite pricey than anything he had seen or heard of. He didn't mind spending as he had the dough and his love coveted it. Besides, there was something for everyone.
He settled in to catch a wink before they land. It would be a long one. Hours later, they exited the airport and a beaten bus pulled up before them, claiming to be from the tourism and traveling agency and making him quirk his brows in alarm. Hell no, he wasn't getting in that thing! He didn't pay a fortune to sit in a car that seemed on the verge of breaking down; the car looked as if it would cave over at the kiss of the wind. There was no doubt about it, it was a death trap. It seemed the organizers were a bunch of liars and cheaters who couldn't be bothered with their safety. He suddenly questioned the integrity of Bella and her so-called boyfriend. He wasn't the only one with doubts as their friends made their distaste and disappointment known. Bella, however, brushed their fears aside with a few apologies and excuses he saw as B.S.
"Damn, this is bad. Honey, there's no way we're getting on that thing. Let's get another car," he whispered to Annalise, worry clouding his mind.
"Where's the fun in that? Come on, baby, this is part of the adventure. Besides, I trust Bella, and she will never jeopardize our lives." Blind trust; a thing that has brought many to their knees, wasn't something he gives easily. He didn't believe a thing that came out of her mouth but had no strong reason to call her out. One thing was clear though, the situation they were embedded in was turning out to be a shitty deal, and he feared proceeding with it. He couldn't help but wonder what other shady surprise awaits them. He smiled in response as the driver took care of their luggage as they got on the freaking bus. The trip to the resort was a lengthy one filled with twists and turns that got his hackles rising higher with each bumpy ride, but he bit his tongue as Annalise seemed to be more in awe than anything else. He, however, didn't like the fact that the cities had fallen away to reveal thick foliage that seemed to go on for miles. He knew from past experience that nothing good comes at the end of a bumpy ride.
Where the hell was the driver taking them? Was the resort buried deep in the forest or something? And where was the beach?
"Wow, this place is so lush and green. Very lovely."
"Hmm... Mhm," he couldn't bring himself to agree with her when all his instincts were clamoring for him to get the hell out of the bus. Regardless of how he felt, he held his peace to keep his baby happy.
Finally, they reached their destination, and he could see a cabin of a sort, surrounded by palm trees and a spread of beach water. He blinked at the scene, thinking how the cabin looked nothing like the sprawling resort he saw on the brochure. Then he noticed some irate travelers arguing loudly with a woman he assumed to be one of the organizers of the tourism shenanigans they were trapped in. He suspected this gig wasn't turning out to be a dreamy one; he was seriously considering cutting his losses.
"I think this trip is a bad idea, honey. Maybe, we should cut our losses now–"
"No, let's find out what's going on. There might be a good explanation for this. Bella will fill us in. I trust her."
"Okay," he walked her to the midst of the other guests who seemed to be in the same shoes with them and waited for their friends to join them. He thanked the driver as he placed their suitcases beside their feet before confronting Bella and her boyfriend. "What's going on here, Bella? Where's the resort? Our expectations are being trampled upon here, and you owe us explanations for this mess!"
"I'm so sorry, guys. There was a mix-up in the bookings, and this cabin is what is available for tonight. The rooms at the resort are full, but there will be available rooms tomorrow for us all–"
"That's complete bullshit!" James exclaimed in rage. "I didn't pay all that money for this! First, the ride was lacking, and now this! Is your organization really legit, or did you trap us?"
"If you have to blame someone, then blame me. I'm so sorry for all the mishaps, but tomorrow things will be better. We will move into the suites of the resort and have a blast. Please, just bear with me."
"Where is this famous resort?" he asked dubiously. He didn't believe a word Simon said but couldn't do a thing about it, for now.
"A walking distance from here. We will head on over there, tomorrow. But for tonight, let's try and get some rest. There are five rooms, a kitchen, living room, two washrooms in the cabin. Each couple will share a room only for tonight."
"Is there even electricity?" Sarah asked.
"Uh, I think so–"
"You think or know?" he interjected in an angry voice.
"There should be," Bella responded, giving him a dirty look that made him want to strangle her. But he was being tolerant today because of his girl. He had heard of tourist traps that overprice unsuspecting victims, duping them of their money for cheap services. He never expected himself to fall victim. He would have to watch Bella and her boyfriend; if they didn't hold up to their end of the bargain and deliver on services and goods, they would answer to him and cough up his damn money! A couple of hours later found them settled in and refreshed. Bella had provided them with a simple but tasty dinner that smoothed their ruffled feathers and made him feel laxated, almost as if he had taken a sleeping pill. He found himself crawling into bed with Annalise falling on top of him in sleep. That was the last thing he recalled before loud bangs that threatened to break his door pulled him from the deep end of sleep.
What in the loving name of God was that?
His head felt like exploding. He stumbled out of bed and yanked his door open; they better have a good reason for disrupting his peace. "Austin, the girls are gone!" James announced in alarm mingled with fright.
"What do you mean by that? Which girls?" he asked, still drowsy from sleep.
"Where's Annalise? Is she with you?" James asked instead, trying to look beyond his shoulders, but his height and breadth made it difficult, then his words sunk in and panic gripped him from within. He rushed back in to find an empty room. What the hell? In his sleepy state, he had completely missed the fact that he was alone. "She's gone too, right?"
"What the fuck is going on here?"
"We don't know. We all woke up to find our partners gone. We don't know what to think about it. We've searched the premise but nothing, and the worse thing is, there's no resort anywhere here. It seems we're in the middle of nowhere with no signal or internet service!"
"What? That's serious! This doesn't make sense, James! People don't just disappear into thin air," he exclaimed in agitation, pissed at himself for letting his guard down. He suspected from the get-go that something was horribly wrong with the trip, especially when that shitty bus turned up. Nothing panned out as expected, making him suspect foul play, but this was really dire; no signal and internet meant unseen trouble on the horizon. He wished he hadn't dismissed his misgivings to please Annalise, and now, she was gone. He would never forgive himself if something bad happened to her. Never. "Where's Bella?"
"Simon claims she went for a run."
"Is Simon here?"
"Yes, down in the living room."
"Great, just give me a minute to prepare. I'll be down soon, and don't worry about anything, we'll find them."
"But how?"
"Trust me, I will handle it," he shut his door with a resounding click. It was time to get some answers, and some shitheads would roll and pay if he didn't like the answers. He walked towards his squeaky bed and pulled out his black suitcase that has a secret X-ray proofed compartment for his favorite babies. He opened the secret compartment and regarded his set of weapons and satellite phone, pulling out his revolver, shotgun, and karambit knife, he harnessed it to his body discreetly. It was a good thing he hadn't changed to his pajamas last night and was in his khaki trousers and t-shirt, and could move immediately. Grabbing his phone, he tried calling Annalise and wasn't surprised when it was a dead end. He smiled tightly, thinking how he had gone to great lengths to keep her away from the dangers of his work. Now, his deadly talents might very well save them all. Walking down to the living room, he cornered Simon and drilled him, but the idiot made the mistake of feigning ignorance. He pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Simon's head just as Bella strutted in like she didn't have a care in the world. "Start talking or I put a bullet in your head."
"What the hell is going on here?!" she screamed at him in panic. "Put your gun away!"
"Don't you dare move an inch," he hissed at her in anger. "I need answers now! I could investigate on my own and dig out the filth here, but this is easier. So tell me, what have you done to our women? Everyone, except you is missing."
"Annalise and the other ladies are gone?"
"Wrong answer," he said, shooting Simon in the knees, the shocked gasps and painful screams fueling his anger more. "Try again, the next bullet goes in his other knee."
"How did you get hold of a gun?" he smiled as he shot Simon's other knee, eliciting a series of expletives from him.
"Answer correctly, or the next bullet goes into his head–"
"Answer him, Bella! I don't want to die here."
"Shut it! They will kill us if I talk!"
"I will kill you both if you don't, and still find Annalise. Annalise will know who you really are, a low scum trafficker. Now move! James, watch him, shoot him if he tries anything funny," he handed James his shotgun. "The rest of you, come with me. I might need your help," he said, following Bella out and traversed the woods with his gun trained on her. They passed a ditch filled with amputated bodies that reeked of death before reaching a small shed guarded by some wicked looking men. Without hesitation and with swift movements that displayed his talents he shot them dead, and hit Bella on the head, knocking her out before invading the shed and finding the girls all tied up and unconscious. Without a word, they carried their women away and left the horrible place in a car they found on the scene, heading straight to the airport without stopping for anything or a backward glance, and with a lesson they would never forget. That was a close call.
Merci pour la lecture!
Nous pouvons garder Inkspired gratuitement en affichant des annonces à nos visiteurs. S’il vous plaît, soutenez-nous en ajoutant ou en désactivant AdBlocker.
Après l’avoir fait, veuillez recharger le site Web pour continuer à utiliser Inkspired normalement.