Chapter Four
1233 Words
“Who are you and why did those men kidnap you?” I asked. I needed to take her home before the kidnappers returned. I knew they wouldn't rest until they found her. Because that CJ guy they were talking about was taking it personally.
“Am...,” she paused and looked at me as though she didn’t want me to know who she was or what all this was about.
“Look, kid, your secret is safe with me. I can't take you home if I don’t know who you are. Those men would be back, and they won’t stop until they find you,” I said, trying to build trust.
“Hanna, that is my name. I am...,” she paused for a few seconds. “The daughter of Fredrick Cooper."
I froze. My feet felt weak. Her words felt heavier.
“Your Father, is Fredrick Cooper?" I asked.
She nodded, without saying a word.
“Do you have a phone? I need to speak with my father not to make the transfer.”
I dipped my hand into my pocket, took out my phone and gave it to her. She took it from me, walked a few steps away, dialed a number and was talking to someone. I couldn’t hear her from here.
When she was done with the call, she came back to meet me.
“My dad is on his way here,” she said. There were signs of relief in her voice.
“What about the ransom money? Has he given it to them?"
“No he didn’t,” she said sharply, looking away.
“So, who were those men that kidn*pped you earlier?” I asked, walking a bit closer beside her.
“I don’t know who they were, maybe some hungry folks who needed to kidnap a rich man's kid to survive.”
I laughed calmly. “I don’t think it was just a mere k********g. You remember one of the men said that they wouldn’t let you go even after your father paid the ransom. I think it's personal.”
“Fine,” she exhaled. "I don't know who the guy CJ is, but I know it has something to do with my father.”
“Your Father, Uhh,” I said. I kept my face straight even though I was afraid of mentioning her father's name.
A few minutes later, five cars arrived at the spot, all in black, except for the police vehicles, packed behind.
A man stepped out of the car. Walking towards us.
“Daddy!” She shouted and ran to meet him.
Three muscular men followed him from behind each in a black suit, like it was some kind of uniform.
“Oh my little girl,” he hugged her tightly.
“I miss you dad,” she said, almost crying.
I looked away. Such a scene reminds me of Jennifer and Miss Raymond. What they did to me, served as a scar in my mind.
Mr Fredrick turned to me standing a few inches away from them.
“Go wait in the car,” he told her. He stood watching her until she stepped into the car.
He turned again and looked at me. His face looked hard, I could literally see the veins on his temple. The smile he once had when his daughter was with him disappeared.
“Do you know who I am, son?” he asked, walking closer to me with both hands in his pocket.
I nod, swallowed hard immediately, not sure why he asked because everyone in the city knew who he was, the Mafia who was feared by all.
He looked back at the car. “Hanna lost her mom when she was little. That wounded me so much. I think each day how my little girl would grow up without her mom by her side,” he said, his emotions stiff. “I never thought about how losing my wife had changed me. Today, you helped me find my daughter. I am grateful for that, so...” he turned to one of his men, gave him a sign with his finger and the man came forward. He was holding a bag in his hand.
I got scared a bit but didn’t want them to know. My eyes tilted to a stone lying beside me. I thought I could defend myself with it, if they tried to attack.
The man dropped the black bag before me.
I looked at both of them, confused about what was really going on, and what was in the bag?
“Open it,” Fredrick said, his voice sounding commanding.
I bent immediately, unzipped the bag. Staggered backwards when I saw what was in it.
Fredrick laughed. “That is seventy billion dollars. That's my way of thanking you,”
I was speechless, it was as if my consciousness had left me.
“I—I sho-should I take this money?” I stuttered.
“Yes, all of it,” he said. “And one last thing my daughter said, you heard the men talking about a so-called CJ.”
“Yes, sir, I think he is their boss.” I replied with my hands folded behind me.
“Hmm, I want you to do me a favor. I want to give you an offer, find out who this CJ is and, I promise to pay you handsomely,” he said.
I froze the dollar bills that fell from my hands.
“Sir, I am not a cop, I am just a regular guy,”
I said, looking and confused. “You could get the cops to do that for you, that is their job to take down bad guys.”
He walked closer to me, I could tell he was angry. “My daughter told me over the phone how you single-handedly knocked out one of the thugs with a gun. Come on, son, you got potential.”
I was surprised that his daughter sold me out to her father. I couldn’t imagine she told him all that in just a three-minute phone call.
“Okay sir,” I said, looking slightly away, and didn't want him to notice it. I am too young to die, not when I am seventy billion dollars rich. At least I had more than enough to buy the house back from Jennifer and still have a lot remaining for myself.
“Don’t, turn off your phone, my men will keep in touch with you.”
I nodded, with no sense of smile, my jaw tightened.
Before he could step into the car, he turned to me. “My men will leave you with one of the cars. Inside it is a key to one of my exclusive villas. You can keep it, just clean up and look good, son,” he laughed and entered the car.
I rushed to the black Jeep that they left for me. I opened it. Slide into it. Found a card with a key written ‘Grand villa’ and the address written below it.
My mind couldn’t believe I was rich. In just a day of being pushed out of my house by my so-called wife and mother-in-law, I made billions. Now I had to take my revenge on those two who made my life miserable, including all those who stood by their side.
- Writer
