Fight for Love (2 page)

***

Darkness and
humidity
. My mouth was gagged with thick cloth, my
ankles and hands bound by thick black plastic cable ties. The
vehicle stopped. I widened my eyes to see through pin holes of the
dark tinted windows of the van they put me in. I screamed only to
hear it muffled by noise of the engine as it sped off again. My
breathing quickened as I started to panic I kicked and shook making
as much noise as I could.

No one could hear my plight, my mind thought
of Will. He must be at home by now he must be looking for me. My
ears pricked up to the annoyance of my captors the two men who
stormed my home. He pulled across the small slider and watched.
Biting
his lips. I
clenched my jaw remembering his rancid tongue down my cheek when he
tied me. His salvia felt like acid his accent intimidating and
frightening
as
he
whispered
curses
into
the
shell
of
my
ear.

I felt as we traveled the vehicle go from
smooth to rough. The
sunken
terrain and the frequent judders
and
bumps had we worried. Were they
taking me out to a field to rape and kill me? Where are we going?
Why me? What the hell is going on?

The vehicle stopped. When I heard another car
approach, the engine sounded stronger like a V8 the way its engine
note throated. I quieted my breathing,
my
ears
strained to hear the voices. There was the
soft
sound of gravel crunching
over
tires. The men speaking in a
foreign language the sound of the commotion. They back of the van
opened and the masked men pulled me out into a warehouse.

Tasting
the
air
, I screamed the pressure in my head made it feel
like it was going to pop, but my surroundings were sparse empty and
desolate. Surrounded by collapsed concrete buildings, no one heard
my screams I thought of Will, in the hope he will come for me. I
sniffled and cried
the
salted tears ending at my chin when the
large
heavy metal doors closed to this
disembodied
world.

***

“Claudia!” Perched against the side of the
door. I switched the flashlight and aimed the gun checking both
sides of the door. I stepped in the circular shine of the
flashlight lit up the hallway. I swallowed taking another step. I
listened to the sound of the TV, It sounded like a football game.
Claudia hates sports.

The lounge and kitchen were at the end of the
hallway with our master bedroom on my left in the middle and then
the bathroom across to it. There was water pooling out of the
bathroom the water reached my boot two meters from the bathroom. I
could hear the taps running as I stepped into the water.

I felt my gut churn as I peered inside.
The cone
of light shined
on the mirror making me flinch seeing my reflection. My face
beading with sweat the
dark
sense
of
foreboding.
I
shined
the
torch
slowly
the bath filled to the brim with water
overflowing
like
a
waterfall to the floor below. No sign of Claudia,
I was relieved not to discover her there.

I moved forward again this time
I
could
see
the
eerie
light
.The sound of the TV getting louder the cheers
from the crowd from someone scoring a touchdown. I stepped forward
when the floorboard creaked. Shit! The sound was loud that
it
ricocheted
off
the
walls
then
suddenly the TV switched off.

I stopped to listen for any movement.
Memorizing my lounge where the attackers might be. There was
silence. My eyes shifted side to side as I approached the end of
the hallway. All the lights were off. Just the ambient glow of the
tv. I swallowed again raising my gun. Visualizing the kitchen table
to the left of me the lounge to my right.
Where
would
the
attacker
hide
?

I burst in aiming the gun at the man in a
suit sitting kitchen
bench
he
took
a
long
slurp
out of my
favorite coffee cup
laughing at me. He had
black
curly
scraggy
hair
and
a
mustache
styled
like
a
70’s
pornstar holding
the remote. No sign of Claudia, he kicked his feet forward as if he
was on a fucking swing.

“Where is she?”

He
hissed
“Hey buddy,
Relax…” I cocked the gun and moved forward “Where is
she!”
I
shouted
.

“Safe.” he said holding the smartphone up and
a piece of paper in his hand
his
blasé
attitude
made
me
want
to
shoot
the
tosser with
a savage stream of bullets
.

He threw the phone and I caught it. He said.
“Wait a Skype call will be coming shortly answer it.”

The phone had robust casing with only one app
it was devoid of anything else.It was custom.

“The app lit up and I answered.

“
Claudia!”

***

Claudia

Tension and terror. The warehouse had cold,
damp feel. The
galvanized
corrugated roof lingered with rust and
holes. The light emitting through like spotlights peppered with
dust. Rancid breath man
with
his
vice
-
like
grip
tied me to
an
old
office
chair, its
black
matted
canvas cover wet from the water that
seeped in. The discomfort trickled up my spine. There was trash,
old cars and piles of metal. There was an acrid smell from the
large stack of rubber tyres at the end of the warehouse.

To my left was a large tent there were sounds
of women moaning. The second masked man was peering into the tent
snickering “Whores… too much bloody heroin eh.” Another masked man
tall came with his arms crossed.
What
the
hell
is
this
place
? His voice disguised like the others. He took
out his phone and tapped a few buttons it went on speakerphone the
ringing sound

I screamed as soon as I heard wills voice
screaming my name on speakerphone. The tall masked man held the
phone in front of me while I spoke with him.

“Baby where are you?”

“I don’t know! They took me –“

The tall masked man snatched the phone back
from my face and spoke to will

I watched him pace around me foot relaxed. I
could only hear his side of the conversation he said in a string of
sentences.

“
The Envelope contains instructions for
you to follow…

There was a pause. I looked through

“
You made a lot of enemies William… You
undermined a lot of operations.”

“
Once my contact confirms the kill we will
let her go.”

“
Exactly The phone, I have, has been set
up with an encrypted messaging system so you have access to your
beloved. We only want you to carry out our instructions and then
she goes free. My contact will drop you at
the airport.”

“If you contact any authorities Army or
police I won’t hesitate to kill her.”

He paused

“
If you try to trace this phone I will
kill her.”

“
Be a good soldier and follow the
instructions… no one needs to die.”

He paused for a moment laughing at a comment
Will made when he ended the call. His Black leathered gloved hand
scraped the side of my cheek. He held my chin. He slipped the phone
into my hand. He said.

“Your boyfriend is a funny guy. Make sure he
doesn’t fuck things up.”

He crouched and took out his large knife
twisting it from side to side. The gleam of it and its serrated
edge made my eyes widen in fear. He cut the ties and He placed it
in my hand. The chat screen was open. My username was Juliet and
his Romeo.

***

William

“You better hope I don’t make it back…” The
man on the phone had laughed before he hung up. My eyes flicked to
the screen. I was left a chat screen my name was Romeo hers was
Juliet. Before I could type something the tosser on the kitchen
table interrupted. He dropped my favorite cup on the floor it
shattered into pieces.

I raised my eyebrow and he snorted “Put the
phone away we go now to Airport.”

My jaw grinded as the pool of black coffee
trickled between us. I grunted “You broke my cup.”

He hissed. “So?” He pushed me down the
hallway. We went to the garage and he took to the wheel. I sat in
the passenger seat to look at the phone there was a message.

Juliet: Will it’s me Claudia are you
there?

Romeo: Baby I’m here are you ok?

Juliet: Yeah a bit shaken but ok I’m in some
warehouse.

Romeo: I’m gonna get you out.

Juliet: They said if you come for me they
will kill me.

I paused knowing that they might be
monitoring the messages. I opened up the folder to see a picture of
the target I was to assassinate some Afghan warlord located west of
Afghanistan in the province. There were questions blooming in my
mind. Why me? There was a plane ticket flying emirates that went
from Auckland to Dubai then a transfer to Kabul Afghanistan total
travel time with transfer 26 hours.

The ticket was one-way.

It bothered me that the tickets were one way
and the name they setup was Romeo and Juliet. My
mind
seized
.Jaw grinded I had to be sure if she was

Romeo: I’m headed to the airport. The flight
is 26 hour's total I'll touch base when I land.

Juliet: ok

Romeo: Baby I need to
know
it’s
really you.

Juliet: CC.

Romeo: Keep messaging me on the hour every
hour so I know. Bring up all moments we shared from each deployment
so I know.

Juliet: ok I will.

I sat back into the chair and wiped my eyes.
Relieved the tosser next to me laughed.
I
felt
like
ripping
that
mustache
and
shoving
it
up
his
arse
.

We were in the roundabout of Auckland airport
when he stopped at the terminal. We abandoned the car. While I
checked in while tosser kept watching. We took the elevator up to
the terminal. I kept staring at him. Memorizing his face.

Both of us caught in each stare I muttered
“scumbag…” His smirk angered me I wanted to choke him and throw him
off the elevator. We walked through the café and food places when
we came to the gate. He took out a piece of paper with a number he
said.

“Call this number when you land. My Contact
will be alerted and pick you and provide what you need. It’s a long
flight Will I’ll be sure to keep your pretty missus company.”

I
wrenched
the
paper
out when he smirked he put his fingers like a V and flicked his
tongue like a snake.

I said, “You of all people better hope I
don’t make it back…”

Auckland, international Airport on the
International wing, had a string of Duty-free shops before I sat in
the lounge. My flight was to board in 15 min. It was hard but in
any hostage situation, I wrestled in my mind that If I was to go
through with it. Claudia was going to be a dead anyway.

I darted back and jumped back through the
departure gate and hid behind a pillar I spotted the Tosser on his
phone walking back over the air bridge. I looked at my watch and
set 26 hours. The countdown. I had to accept the reality this was
the only way I could save her.

***
Claudia

Brittle coldness and the pungent smell of
rotting
meat
drifted
across
from
me. Whiffed from the side. Tall man picked up
the phone to answer he put it on speakerphone. I eavesdropped again
to the string of sentences.

“Boss. Will has departed now for his
flight.”

“Fantastic, he should arrive in there in 26-
27 hours.”

“Do you think he’ll do it boss?”

“I’m certain... He will do anything for
her.”

“I’m on my way back now,

“No Wait. I need you to do a pickup from
Jasper at the Quadrant Hotel in the city. Penthouse Apartment
22.”

“Confirmed.”

They moved me into a cold room, the floor wet
with blood of the carcass. I couldn’t breathe. They shut the door
when I looked around only the blue-white light of the cold storage
shined. MY skin had goose bumps I was
alone
with
these
fountains
of
ice
and
meat.

I took out my phone and typed up a message
the time when Will came from his deployment and took me for a
picnic.

Juliet: Remember that time when you took me
for a picnic up the summit of Mt Wellington? Gosh, I remember you
deciding on a spot between the two pine trees that had the view of
Rangitoto Island. You took out the basket and blanket. The weather
was so perfect, the food and the wine. I liked how you gorged into
what I made like a hungry bear. Army food must that repulsive
LOL!