WHAT HARRISON SAID
1253 Words
The lump in my throat didn't go down even as Harrison's voice came on the phone. I tried to know what he was thinking through his voice, to know if he really cared about me, but his voice was as professional as it was when he spoke with his clients.
"Harrison Templeton speaking. Who is this?"
From among the people in the room, I heard the voice of a woman, clear and crisp.
"Good evening, Mr Templeton," she said. "You're speaking to Gee."
"Did you say Gee?" Harrison cut in. "Is that supposed to be a name?"
"It doesn't matter what you call me, what does is that —"
Harrison didn't let her speak. "Look, woman, I got a number of things lined up for me to do, I won't fancy this idle chitchat."
"If you could just listen to me —"
"What is your name?" Harrison snapped out. I heard him bang a table.
I heard Gee take in a calming breath. "We have Veronica with us," she finally said, ignoring the name saga.
The pause that followed might have lasted for just a few seconds, but it felt like days to me.
"Give the phone to her," Harrison finally said.
"Not yet," Gee cut in. "First, if you want her to be released, you must pay three million dollars."
Harrison laughed, loud and hearty. "Three million dollars? Is this a joke? How much did I get her for?"
My heart sank. Harrison still thought I was a commodity to be bought and sold. My heart hardened the more against going back fo him. I would rather die here than go back to him.
"I don't know what game you all are trying to play," Harrison was still saying, "but I can see your location clearly on my device. I am coming to get Veronica in less than five minutes."
"He's lying," the Uber driver said. "Unless he's coming with a jet fighter with the speed of light, it'll take him over fifteen minutes to get here."
The one eyed man growled, "He's never going to find this place."
"Is that what y'all are saying?" Harrison chuckled. "It seems to me you have no idea whom you're messing with. If you know what's good for you, set her free and put her in an Uber back home."
"You must be a stupid man," I heard Gee say and it seemed to me like something had fallen from the sky. Harrison was certainly not the man to use that word for.
And just as I expected, he ended the call. Chaos broke out among the kidnappers.
"He's such a rude fool!" said the Uber driver.
"But he can buy your whole family's net worth a thousand times," Gee retorted.
The one-eyed man walked towards me and grabbed me by the hair. "Looks here like he doesn't give a dime about your safety. I guess I'll go on with my first threat," he said.
At first I didn't understand what he was saying until he grabbed my left breast. This sudden act brought back memories of a month ago, moments after I was sold to Mr Harrison, to be his breeder and slave.
"Don't touch me like that," I said, and tightened the muscles of my face for the slap that I knew was coming.
The slap did come, but it was withheld inches before it hit me. I felt the air of the force.
"Raza, leave her alone," Gee said. I guessed she was holding his hand.
"Stay out of this, Glazer!" the man snapped, and I sensed how angry he was. "You cannot keep bossing around here. Okay? Know your place."
"That is true," the Uber driver said. "All of this was our idea, remember? I took the risk of going there and waiting for the right moment. I also had to convince her —"
"We owe her no damn explantation," Raza cut in. "Bring Veronica into my room, man. I'll have her first. Since Harrison thinks he can joke with us."
"No one is having no one!" Glazer shot out, and I heard the sound of a gun pulled out. I felt a warm liquid spreading in my groin. I yearned desperately to see what was going on.
"What did you say, Glazer?" Raza asked, his voice lowered in warning.
"Listen to me, man," Glazer said, "I am aware all of this wasn't my idea. But since you called me into this, then I must have a say." After a pause, she said, "I am taking her home. I am saving her from you horny vagabonds."
I heard her move towards me and she began to untie me. She used one of her hands, and I knew she held the gun with the other.
"Glazer!" Raza and the Uber driver shouted at the same time. It was so loud, so full of anger that I trembled from it. But Glazer kept untying me. I wanted to tell her to stop.
Then I heard the rush of feet towards us. Followed by two gunshots. Two bodies fell. I shut my eyes tightly and screamed.
"Keep your freaking voice down, woman," Glazer snapped as she peeled off the last strip of cloth from my eyes. I raised my face to look at her, but I only saw her eyes, because she was wearing a black nose mask. She almost looked Asian.
I saw the bodies of the men on the floor. The bullets had hit them through the chest. Glazer was a good shooter.
"Get up," she ordered me. When I wobbled to my feet, I was inches taller than her. But the power she oozed was enough to subdue me into obedience. As she laid me outside the underground hideout, I couldn't stop wondering. Why did she save me? Why did she kill her men just to save me, a stranger? Did she think I was special?
As we entered her car, a sleek black Benz, she asked me, "Your name is Veronica, right?"
I nodded.
"You must be wondering why I saved your life," she said, starting the car. "Well, here's your answer: are you pregnant for Harrison Templeton?"
My heart skipped a beat. Now, what really was going on? First, Harrison had decided to accept me just because he was promised I had a fertile womb. Secondly, Smitty the bodyguard had told me to run away before Harrison got to know about my pregnancy. Now, Glazer had killed her gang members, just because I was pregnant for Harrison! What was it about Harrison and my pregnancy?
"Yes, I am pregnant for him," I admitted. Lying to her might make her turn against me. "Please can you tell me what is going on? I am so afraid."
"Don't be. It isn't good for the baby. I'm driving you to my place. It's downtown." She exhaled a long breath. "Harrison will come after you."
Even though I had just met her, I felt somehow relaxed with Glazer. It was like we were meant to be.
"I don't want to go back to Harrison," I said.
For a while she didn't answer, and when she did, it was to say:
"It's easier to say. But once Harrison knows you're pregnant, which I bet he does, nothing can stop him from finding you."
She sounded so sure about Harrison. "Have you known him before?" I voiced out my curiosity.
"Tighten your seatbelt," she said instead, and drove off into the night.
- Writer
