HER ATTRACTION

TWO: THE CHASE

The attendant wheeled the baggage cart out of the elevator to the large reception, heading for the entrance of the hotel. Those that have been assigned to catch Riccardo were confused when two other hotel attendants wheeled out baggage carts from different directions, all covered with thick blankets. Riccardo slowly pushed the blanket away and peeped from there. He saw two other suspicious men walking around and speaking, while their eyes darted from side to side, searching for the cart that he was in.

He knew he was in danger and he reached for his revolver at his back, took it out slowly and corked it. He has been well trained in the use of arms. Beads of perspiration ran down his temples as he watched the men closely, waiting for a perfect time to flee. When the men his eyes were on looked towards his cart, he knew that was his perfect opportunity and the perfect time to act.

The men shot at the cart, but he was a swift man, he quickly rolled away from the cart. The attendant that was wheeling him, fell flat quivering and weeping. There were loud shrieks from the innocent people who were going about their businesses and they fled in terror to different directions. While people ran in different directions, he made for the entrance door, while opening fire with the men.

He was in time to run out of the large glass entrance door before it was shattered by his pursuers' bullet. The men outside the hotel building opened fire too, people screamed and ran helter-skelter at the sound of gunshots, but Riccardo quickly ducked behind a white statue of a naked woman and her lover. He caught his breath there while the men shot at him. He scanned the area, looking for any trace of a sniper rifle and he was glad he did. He dived away as the bullet was released and it hit the statue.

Riccardo fired back at the men that were shooting at him and two of them went down. He ran onto the road and impatient drivers honked as he ran in front of them, making them stop abruptly, those men pursued him. They caused traffic on the road. A blue convertible drove recklessly through the sidewalk, hitting adverts and making people flee for their dear lives.

"Riccardo! Look to your left! Run to the car immediately!" the man that had called him earlier said on his Bluetooth.

Riccardo glanced to his left and saw the blue car. He quickly jumped over car bonnets and made for the car. His pursuers shot at him but missed him. He quickly went into the car and the car zoomed off immediately, away from the ruckus behind. Riccardo looked behind and watched as the men ran after their car and how their figures became smaller as their car zoomed away. He heard the siren in the distance.

Sighing with relief, he looked at the man at the wheel. He had never seen him before, he frowned.

"Who are you?"

"Jeremy Jackson," came the reply.

"Why did you save me?"

"Because I work for your father. He would speak to you now."

"What?" Riccardo answered but his phone started ringing and he looked at it, it was his dad. "You need to explain what is going on to me." He slid to the green icon. What do you want?" he asked in Italian rolling his eyes.

"You have spent only one night in America and you have gotten into trouble already?!" his father yelled from the other end.

"If you are going to yell at me, I'll hang up!"

"Jamie Stout is dead."

"What?" Riccardo's eyes grew wide. Jamie Stout was the man he had sealed a deal with last night at the club.

"His body was found in his hotel room, he was murdered with his w***e. It was a blood bath and you are the next target."

"What?"

"Jeremy would take you to the airport, your flight has been arranged to bring you safely back to Italy. Do everything you can to stay alive."

His father hung up, one character of his that irritates Riccardo well. He let out a loud breath and put his phone back inside his pocket.

They got to the airport in no time and Jeremy drove towards the parking. Riccardo needed to know what was going on. He knew it was typical of his father to stalk him anywhere he was, he has men working for him almost all over the whole world.

"Any news on who killed him?" Riccardo asked Jeremy.

Jeremy kept his focus on the road. "Seems you messed with the wrong guys at the club last night."

"What?" Riccardo said and looked out of the window.

There were gunshots from behind and Jeremy swerved the car to dodge the bullets. Riccardo looked behind, a black SUV was coming after them and one of the men poked out his head, shooting at their car. He quickly took out his revolver and loaded his gun. A bullet hit the rear window and it shattered.

"Drive quickly!" Riccardo yelled at Jeremy.

"Try holding them off!" Jeremy yelled back. Bullets flew around and hit the car at different points. Jeremy kept his head low trying to keep them alive.

Riccardo poked his head out of the window, but the men were shooting endlessly and a bullet missed his face by a few inches away hit the side-view mirror, it flew off. He sat back in the car.

"They are shooting endlessly! I need you to swerve the car." Riccardo tried again, this time, he didn't poke his head out from the window, he looked behind, squinted his eyes at the car, making him see the driver of the vehicle and the man in the front seat.

If he succeeds in killing the driver, the rest would be disoriented. He aimed at the driver with squinted eyes and shot at him. The bullet hit his forehead and he fell forward on the steering, making the car swerve out of track and giving Riccardo the ample opportunity to shoot freely. He shot the first man at the passenger's seat in front and he slumped as the bullet hit his chest.

Jeremy raised his head and a bullet from the car hit Jeremy at the back of his head Jeremy fell on the steering his head hitting the horn and their car honked incessantly.

Riccardo looked at Jeremy. "s**t!" he cursed, his driver was down and his car swerved from left to right. He saw another car emerging from behind the first car and he became alarmed. They were two cars. It looked like a very difficult situation but he was not the one to give up. He aimed at the tires of the first car and shot at the two front tires. The car somersaulted and landed in front of the second car. It gave Riccardo the time he needed.

Riccardo cursed, lifted Jeremy's lifeless body away from the steering and managed to control it to the parking. He stopped and hurriedly left the car, running towards the terminal. He didn't know the plans his father had with Jeremy for his return back to Italy but he had to survive. His pursuers came after him relentlessly.

The terminal was crowded and his path was obstructed by crowds of travellers, and businessmen, hurrying to meet up with their flight schedules or to bring someone. He pushed his way through the crowd, colliding with several people who shouted in protest, but he vaulted ahead. The men in suits chased him without giving up.

He didn't bargain for anything, he didn't bargain for innocent people to get involved in that bloody chase. The men shot at him and he kept dodging and instead of him an innocent man or woman would drop dead. The terminal went into a frenzy as people screamed and ran helter-skelter.

He ran towards an escalator and took it in twos, jumping to get out somewhere. Somewhere he could hide. People were still fleeing in terror as a man is being chased by three or more gunmen. As he forged ahead, he took glances back to see the position of his pursuers. Because he wasn't concentrating in front of him, he bumped into something—it was a human, a woman, she yelped as the things she had in her hands fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said in haste and quickly bent to pick the things as she bent to pick them too. He looked up and stared into the most gracious sea blue eyes staring into his. He was trapped and every other sound seemed like a cavernous echo, every other thing around happened in slow motion. She was the end of him. Their eyes locked.

His heart started pounding and he heard his heartbeat. It beat slowly and gradually it increased in tempo, thumping, fast, faster, faster until she blinked and looked away. He caught himself and blinked, looking away from her and his gaze shifted behind her. That was when he noticed that the place was empty now, except for the two of them and the two other men. His pursuers. His heart dropped into his stomach.

He had never been scared for anyone in his life before, never cared how the next person beside him felt, but he was scared for her now. He knew they won't spare her, even if she had nothing to do with him, as long as she had come in contact with him, she was going to die. He had to act quickly, his eyes darted from her to them. Her brows crumpled in confusion, she straightened up and was about to turn, but he stood up immediately and hugged her. The bullet that one of his pursuers shot at her hit him, he turned quickly and took the man down as the siren blared. The second man took to his heels as he heard the sound of the siren.

Isabella has never been horrified in her life like she was at that moment. One man just shot her while another man saved her life. Her eyes were as wide as balls as she watched the man who had shot at her crash to the ground. The siren sounded close by, but it all sounded like an echo to her, as she watched the second man take to his heels. The man that had hugged her pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

He grinned at her and his teeth were covered in blood. "Nice to meet you, Senorita," he said.

She stared at him, still in shock. He left her and grabbed his side where he had the wound and started running away, his blood dripped all over as he ran farther away from her. She watched as he removed his shirt and pressed it to his side. Immediately he entered a door, and a group of cops came rushing in. One of them bent over the man on the floor.

"He is dead," he announced as he felt his pulse.

The voices of the cops were indistinct to her as she kept looking in the direction her saviour ran to. She couldn't even comprehend what had happened.

"Miss, are you alright? Miss? Miss?" one of them called as he came closer to her.

She turned and blinked when she realised that she was the one he was talking to. Some of the cops ran past her, trailing the blood to the door where her saviour had entered.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the cop asked her again.

She blinked twice. "I'm fine."

The cop looked down at her stomach and she followed his gaze and found that her blazer has been soaked with blood.