HIGH STAKES
1366 Words
“What? Why?” Rose asked as she saw the sudden panic in her daughter’s face. “What happened?”
“No time to explain to mom,” Vivian said. She quickly packed up the wad of files on the table. She also placed her phone in her purse. When she was done, she walked up to her mom.
Vivian took another quick glance outside the café and saw that the car had already parked. Two tall men in suits were alighting from the car.
The sight of the men made Vivian’s heart start racing. She was pretty sure that those men were not stopping in the café just to have a drink.
Her mother, on the other hand, was completely confused and disoriented. “Answer me, Vivian, what is happening?” She asked as she followed her daughter’s gaze and saw the two men in suits getting out of the car.
“There is no time mom. We need to move.” Without thinking, Vivian started dragging her mom towards the kitchen area of the café. “Just stay calm and keep your head down,” she whispered.
The staff were looking at her and her mom with curious eyes. Some of them even tried to stop Vivian , but she did not bother stopping and just walked straight through them.
Vivian was not going to wait for the men to come inside the café, they looked dangerous.
Vivian and her mom quickly passed through the kitchen and reached the back door of the café. Vivian allowed herself to take deep breaths before pushing the door open and firmly locking it behind her.
“Tell me what’s happening, Vivian,” Rose asked again,
“Not now mom. I will explain everything to you later,” Vivian said as she put her head down and started dragging her mom towards her car.
“Wait, that’s my car?” Rose remarked, pointing towards a gray car parked at the extreme edge of the parking lot. It was one of the cars that Vivian had noticed when she first came to the parking lot.
It was the nearest car to them and that was the car that Vivian rushed to. “Where’s the key mom?” Vivian asked, her heart racing, her fists clenched.
Rose was still not sure what was going on, but when she saw the panic and worry in the eyes of her daughter, she decided to be silent and just comply with her daughter’s request.
“Here,” Rose said as she put her hands into her jean pockets and offered the keys to Vivian.
“Thanks mom. I am driving.” Vivian replied as she quickly opened the car doors and both of them went in.
The moment Vivian started the car, her phone rang. Vivian quickly picked up the call and put it on the loudspeaker when she saw that it was Marcus.
“Who the hell are those guys in suits, Marcus?” Vivian screamed,
“Wait, are they there already?” Marcus answered, clearly shocked by what he had just heard.
“Yeah, two tall men in suits. I could see from their eyes that they were definitely not here to drink coffee.” Vivian replied through bated breaths.
“Where are you now, Vivian? Marcus asked.
“I am pulling out of the parking lot,” Vivian replied, breathless.
“Good, you need to leave now. There is no time to explain over the phone Vivian. You need to get out of there now and fast.” Marcus replied,
Vivian fearfully looked behind her, half expecting the two large tall men to start rushing towards their car. “Who’s onto me Marcus, Who are—”
“Not now, Vivian, they have been tracking you now for a while and they are on to you. Just move.” Marcus answered, “I have tracked your position by the GPS on your phone. There’s a safe house two blocks away. Just go forward and make a right turn after two blocks.”
“Wait, why is there a GPS tracker on my phone?” Vivian asked, her tone furious as she drove the car out of the parking lot and started driving in the direction that Marcus pointed her to.
“For the last time Vivian, not now.” Marcus interrupted, “Just do what I tell you to do if you want to live.”
“Who is this?” Rose asked. She had been silent throughout this entire situation, but when she realized that her life and the life of her daughter could be at stake, Rose decided to speak up.
“Who is there, Vivian?” Marcus asked,
“It’s my mum,” Vivian answered quickly as she took a side glance at her side view mirror.
Shock ran down her spine as she realized that she was being followed by a black car similar to the one that the two suited men had walked out of.
“I am being followed, Marcus. What should I do?” Vivian asked. She clenched the steering wheel in fear and pressed her foot to the pedal in order to go faster.
“Nothing, just go to the place I pointed out to you. My guys would take care of it.” Marcus snapped back. Vivian could tell that he was somehow losing his patience with her.
“Ok.” Vivian was just about to reply when she heard a loud and sharp c***k sounding behind them.
“What’s that?” Her mom screamed as she took worried glances behind them,
“They just fired a shot.” Vivian murmured, “Oh my god. Someone is shooting at us.” It was only then that Vivian realized that she was in a chase for her life. The full gravity of the situation had only begun to dawn on her now.
“Move faster, Vivian,” Marcus answered, “Just floor the gas. You are one block away from the turn now. Once you make the turn, my men will be able to protect you.”
“Okay,” Vivian answered back, her voice barely a whisper as she tried hard to calm her nerves.
With bated breaths, Vivian took a quick glance at the sideview mirror and caught a glimpse of one of the men in a suit leaning out of a window and pointing a gun at them.
“Get down mom.” Vivian shouted. She quickly lowered her head to the steering and, at the same time, she raised her hand and pressed her mom’s body down. It was only then that Vivian realized that her mom was crying. Now that her hand was pressed on her mom’s body, Vivian could feel her sobs.
“Just hold on mom. I will get us out of here.” Vivian swore as she pressed her foot on the gas pedal. She no longer cared about over speeding, both of their lives were in danger.
“Lord please help us…”
Vivian took a quick glance at her mom and sighed. In all the 32 years of her life, Vivian had never seen her mom this scared and flustered.
“I think they are getting closer, Vivian.” Rose yelled, her voice a complete mix of fear and shock.
“I can see that mom.” Vivian yelled back,
“Take the right turn now, Vivian,” Marcus said, snapping both Vivian and her mom out of their thoughts.
Vivian had been so preoccupied with losing the black car that was following them that she had forgotten the instructions she was given.
With a nod, Vivian quickly tightened her grip on the steering wheel and turned the wheel right, the moment she reached the next turn.
“I’m in the street now,” Vivian muttered. She was still taking side glances at the mirror, the black car was just behind her, and she was expecting the car to follow them in making a right turn.
It did. But before the heart of Vivian and her mother could fall into a deep pit of despair and desperation, they heard a large boom.
- Writer
