House of Horror Part II

chapter 34 _ Minister's scar

Inside the Minister's Car

Malek sat in the back seat of Minister Fouad El-Shenawy's car, perfectly embodying the character with meticulous attention to every detail—from facial expressions to the controlled calm of his movements. Beside him, the bodyguard remained alert, his eyes never leaving "the Minister" for a moment. Daniel sat behind the wheel, flawlessly assuming the role of driver Radi, moving and responding as if his body and soul had become one with the character he portrayed.

Breaking the silence, the Minister said in a calm, firm voice,

"Radi, head to the new chalet."

The bodyguard beside him glanced quickly, noticing a small but striking detail: the scar on the Minister's left hand had disappeared. He felt a sudden pain, realizing something was wrong. He quickly turned his gaze to Radi, searching for any clue or explanation.

"Understood, sir," Radi replied immediately, his voice steady and confident.

The bodyguard remained silent for a moment, trying to process the unexpected. The scar he'd always known on the minister's left hand was gone. To make matters worse, the minister spoke of a new chalet, a place he'd never been alone before. Questions crowded his mind: Had the minister removed his scar? What was the purpose of this chalet? And why all the secrecy?

His eyes followed every subtle movement, every flicker of tension in the minister's demeanor, knowing that even the smallest detail could reveal a much larger, hidden truth.

The atmosphere inside the car was heavy with suspense, as if every passing moment was a step closer to uncovering a dark secret—a secret no one dared speak aloud.

—In front of the hair salon

Shadi's car pulled up in front of the hair salon, surrounded by the quiet emptiness of the street. It was nearly noon, and the city seemed to be holding its breath. Inside the car, Majda looked cautiously around before slowly raising her hand to remove Linda's mask from her face. Her gaze was tense, but it carried the silent weight of the danger surrounding her. She approached the dummy representing Shadi, carefully lifted it, and placed it behind the steering wheel, as if trying to convince the outside world that Shadi was actually sitting there.

At that moment, a passerby walked down the street, his eyes drawn to the car. Magda immediately recognized the situation and quickly improvised to conceal her actions. She began a dramatic performance, leaning towards the dummy as if it were Shadi himself, and making intimate gestures to convince the onlooker that a living person was driving the car. She accepted "Shadi" without hesitation, feigning familiarity so convincingly that a casual observer would see nothing but an illusion.

The man yelled at the car and shouted angrily, "In broad daylight, in the middle of the street?" “Go somewhere else, you bastard!” Magda allowed a sly smile to play across her lips, then slowly straightened up and watched the man disappear down the street. Once she was sure the area was clear, she opened the car door and firmly placed the Shadi doll behind the steering wheel, as if he were actually sitting there. She closed the door quietly, stepped onto the sidewalk, slung her heavy bag over her shoulder, and moved with steady but cautious steps, as if feeling her way across the ground, ready for any sudden threat emerging from the shadows. The street remained still for a moment, as if the city itself held its breath in admiration of the skillful trick Magda had executed with such precision and care.

_ In front of the chalet

The minister’s car stopped in front of the chalet, with the security vehicle positioned behind it, closely monitoring every movement. At the gate, the dog sat motionless, as if it knew Malik would be returning to the chalet. Its piercing eyes followed the cars that had stopped in front of it. First, the security vehicle pulled up, and five guards got out—men with bulging muscles and imposing bodies. Solid, gripping their weapons firmly, they were ready to face any threat to the minister's life. Then the minister's car stopped, and the bodyguards quickly got out. The driver opened the door for Malik, who emerged, completely assuming the minister's persona with meticulous detail, and proceeded confidently and calmly.

Malik stopped beside the car and said firmly, "Stay here, Rady. Come inside with me." Malik and Daniel, impersonating the driver, Rady, made their way to the chalet, where the dog remained perched on the closed door, intently watching the passersby and vehicles. One of the guards tried to push the dog away with his large weapon, but the dog stood its ground, growling, its eyes filled with anger and vigilance.

Malik looked at the guards and said calmly, "Leave her alone... don't hurt her." Daniel stepped forward with the key, unlocked the chalet door, and entered quietly. The dog followed him, like a silent guardian, and finally Malik entered and closed the door behind him. One of the guards stood at the entrance, carefully observing the surroundings, while silence enveloped the scene, as if the chalet itself had become a stage. For anticipation and potential danger.