hapter 55
Fate or Ruse?
If the guests at The Hilton Hotel had been told that they would be pawns in what they assumed to be an elaborate scheme to affect the finances and credibility of the Mooze family, they would have steered clear of the establishment. Still, they could admit that no one can predict the events of the future.
Never in a million years would they have considered the possibility of being held against their will in one of the most secure places in the city. Residents booked suites in the establishment due to the mere fact that it was renowned for being secure and fabulous. Now, most of them wish they had simply stayed home or tried making a reservation elsewhere,
The tourists who had arrived in the city to experience the culture of the people quietly swore to never return if they made it out alive. Huddled together in an open space which appeared to be a hall used for various events, this wasn’t the holiday they were looking forward to.
They sat in tense silence, apprehensive about what would happen next as the crowd steadily grew at intervals. Suddenly, the door burst open and a man entered with a woman. “Everyone’s here,” he informed the two guards in the corner as he led her to the center of the room.
“Sit,” he said to her, and she lifted her gaze to meet his. She looked around, chuckled, and then took two steps forward. She started to say something but then locked gazes with one of the hostages, and a look of recognition
crossed her features.
She quickly looked away, hoping that the guards had not seen the exchange, then slowly sat down. The tension in the room was palpable as the guards paced from one end of the enclosure to the other, then huddled together in the corner, speaking in hushed tones as they kept their guns trained on their victims. She raised her head and looked at the sea of faces belonging to men, women, and children who were terrified.
She could see the look of helplessness and resignation in some of them and ached to reach for the phone in her pocket. She looked around and saw that the guards had changed positions; this time, they were standing closer to the door, and soon enough; they started exiting the room.
When the last person shut the door behind him, she remembered the conversation she had with the one who dragged her in and reached into her pocket. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A familiar voice said in a hushed tone.
She raised her head to look around for the person who had spoken and she realized it was the same person she had noticed when she entered the hall. When they locked gazes, she heaved a sigh as he made his way towards her. “If you tell me you’re here because the universe wants us to meet or some other cheesy line, I’ll walk out this door and tell those sinister–looking men out there to shoot me already,” she replied as he sat next to her.
“Well, hello to you too, Charlotte,” he said, chuckling. “I didn’t peg you as one to have a flair for the dramatic.”
“I guess certain situations can bring out parts of you that you never knew existed, Thiago,” she responded with a shrug, and he chuckled.
“Well, this is quite the experie…” he uttered, but she interrupted him.
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Chapter 55
“I might have asked this before, but are you following me?” she asked and dropped her phone in her lap before crossing her arms.
“That’s downright ridiculous,” he added, scoffing. “Why would I be following you around? If I were, do you think rd be careless enough to get myself in a position like this?”
“I had to make sure ‘cause these meetings…” she started to say, but he cut her off.
“Seem too recurrent to be left to chance?” he finished, and she shrugged in response.
“Well, that. And who knows? It might not be an act of carelessness per se. You might just have rotten luck,” she replied, and he stifled a chuckle.
“That’s one way to look at it. I already think I have terrible luck anyway,” he answered, and they grinned.
“Why did you say I shouldn’t call for help?” she asked, picking up the phone. He reached out and took it from her. “Hey!” she yelled, then slapped a palm over her mouth as her eyes darted to the door.
“Calling the cops is going to trigger these men. Anyone who could pull off a scheme this airtight, especially here, would ensure that they could track signals or whatever, making sure their plan goes off without a hitch. This would cause more trouble,” he said, putting the phone in his pocket.
“That’s mine,” she retorted, and he nodded in response.
“I know that. You’ll get it once we’re out of here,” he replied, focusing his gaze on the door.
“What makes you so sure we’re leaving here?” she asked, and he smiled in response. A genuine one this time, like the one she had seen during their exchange on the plane. He looked around like he knew something she didn’t, then leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“I’ve got people who would risk their lives to keep a valuable asset alive,” he answered and returned to his original position.
“You? You’re the asset?” she asked, as doubt clouded her features.
“Yes, well, I like to think so,” he replied, running his hand through his hair.
“Well, they better hurry then. Those men out there have concocted the most sinister plan for this place. They intend to burn it to the ground,” she said as her eyes darted to the door.
He squinted his eyes and shook his head slowly. “Surely they wouldn’t do that with people in here,” he muttered after a brief silence.
“Oh, they’re willing to do that. The guard that led me here was quite the chatterbox. I’m not sure what kind of statement they intend to make, but they are ready to set everything on fire,” she answered. “Including us.”
A collective gasp echoed throughout the room, pulling them out of their conversation with the realization that everyone else had been listening. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that aloud,” she stated, smiling wistfully.
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