DESIRES.

CHAPTER FIVE

Gladys was slowly regaining consciousness. Her head felt dizzy and it took a while before her eyes opened fully. She could tell she was lying flat on her back and both her hands and feet were tied with ropes. In an effort to try and free herself she realized that she was tied onto a wooden bed. There was a black mask covering her face and she could barely see through the small holes on it. A bright light was emanating right on top of her and she could hear the soft hum of an air conditioner. The first thought that came to her mind was that she was being held captive in a hotel room. It was clear that nobody else was in the room as no sound had been made when she effortlessly tried to free herself.

She let out a deep sigh and tried to think of other ways to escape. Just then she heard someone opening the door and her heart rate rose in a matter of seconds. Cold icy droplets of sweat were already forming on her forehead. She heard the door get opened and shut within an instance. There was some little movement in the room and she could now sense a figure standing close to her. The mask was immediately taken off and her eyes struggled to see due to the bright light.

“I see you are awake now sleeping beauty.” He lifted his face just above the light and she could now make out his face. The man looked like a movie star with his fine complexion and flawless skin. He let out a smile exposing his wonderful set of teeth. At first glance nothing about him looked dangerous but Gladys knew better. Before she knew it he brushed his fingers across her left cheek and she shook him off immediately.

“You do realize that your cooperation is highly needed.” A wide grin crossed his lips when he said this.

“I want you to tell me everything about the inspector. I know you are aware that he is alive and you’ve been hiding him all this while. Just tell me all I need to know and I promise you will walk out of this alive.” There was something in his voice that made it clear that he was not joking around. He simply stood there and stared down at Gladys patiently waiting for a reply.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. The inspector is dead and….” The rest of the words didn’t come out before an excruciating pain penetrated her soft cheek. It blew the air out of her lungs and she was now gasping for air. He had slapped her! His hand now hang in mid air and he seemed to be contemplating on whether to strike her again or not. The innocent look on his face was not so innocent any more.

“It’s very simple if you tell me what I want to know. You really don’t want to push me to my limits, that I can assure you will end badly.” Finally her breathing had come back to normal and she looked up to meet his gaze. Her mind went back to the time she was kidnapped and it hit her that this was the same guy who had threatened to shoot her.

“Since you don’t want to talk yet let me give you some encouragement.” Those words sent a cold chill down her spine. He took off his coat which she now noticed he had been wearing all that while. He placed it on a chair at the corner of the room and then moved back to open a drawer that was just beside the bed. From it he removed a small dagger. Her eyes widened and she made another pointless struggle to escape. She wanted to scream but her voice failed her. He could feel her tension and this amused him even more.

“If you scream you will only make matters worse. I won’t hesitate to slit your throat wide open.” As he said this he placed the edge of the dagger on her neck and began to glide it slowly down her chest. It reached the top of her blouse and without a second guess he tore it across leaving her chest exposed. Gladys could feel the tears dotting her eyes but there was nothing she could do. “Please, please don’t do this. I beg of you please!” The tone in her voice made him stop and he withdrew his dagger. He however didn’t bother to look at her face but remained fixated on the lower part of her body. She had on a skirt and he placed his hands on her thighs. In a moment he had ripped off her skirt amidst her attempts to protest.

He then took the dagger and placed it just below her chin. “I’m giving you one last chance to speak the truth.” His tone was hard when he said this. Gladys kept quiet trying to weigh her options. She loved me so much and was more than willing to risk her life for me. With that she had her mind made up. She looked him straight in the eyes and was just about to speak when his cellphone rang.

It was in his coat so he was forced to move to the other side of the room in order to pick it. After picking it he pressed on the receiver dial and placed it to his ear.

“He is already dead. We don’t need the girl anymore. You are free to do with her as you please and then dispose of her.”

“Understood sir.” The call was then cut off and he immediately looked back at her. There was a devilish smile on his face. “There is a change in plans princess, looks like your dear inspector is dead after all.”

“Nooo!!!” Gladys yelled not wanting to believe that I was actually dead for real this time. She pulled against the ropes in a fit of rage but that did her no good. He was impressed by her strong will power and he started to approach her. In a flash he was right on top of her and he covered her mouth with the palm of his hand. She struggled to shake him off but he overpowered her and forced her to submit to him. The tears flowed from her eyes as she lay there helpless against her attacker.

It was hard to tell where I was when I finally woke up. My eyes were still a blur but I could notice a bright light from above. Something warm was tickling my face but I wasn’t sure what it was. As my eyes started to see clearly I made out the figure of a wild fox. We stared into each others eyes for a split second before I jumped back in fright. Before I knew it the creature had taken off obviously alarmed at my reaction. One look around told me that I was deep in the woods. It was the early hours of the morning and I could feel the nature around me coming to life. There was a log lying next to me and that is when I noticed a sharp pain from my forehead. I placed my hand on it and there was a trail of blood. On looking keenly at the log I noticed there was blood on it too and figured I had hit my head on it.

My mind went back to what had happened the night before. I had thrown myself out of the car and had rolled severally on the ground before landing next to the huge log. After that I was very sure that I had passed out. There was no way I could tell where I had rolled from for there were big trees all over the place. To my dismay I was lost and it was going to take a while before I found my way out of the place. Luckily I had not sustained any other injuries and my left arm had miraculously survived the ordeal. I then slowly stood up allowing the leaves that had covered me to fall back to their original place on the ground. The pain from my head was not going away any time soon so I tore a piece from the lower end of my shirt and wrapped it expertly around my head.

The chirping of the birds rented the air as I began to move. I had hardly moved two paces when I noticed an object just barely two meters from where I stood. A huge leaf had covered its top but it could still be seen. A smile fell on my dry lips as I walked over to pick up my gun before placing it in my pocket. A lot of scents were emanating from the forest and I felt even more secure having my gun with me.

Once or twice I would look back at the slightest sound until I finally became comfortable with my surroundings. After walking for a while I came across a stream that was flowing down from a hill. I felt my head and realized that the cloth was already soaked in blood. I unwrapped it and began to wash it with the stream water and wiped my head with it as well. All this while my mind was running fast as I tried to think on how I could leave the woods. I had already escaped the jaws of death twice before and this was a close one as well.

After washing the cloth I dried it off and then carefully wrapped it back on my head. The water was cool and refreshing and I figured that it must have come from a spring up the hill. The sun was already blazing its rays through the forest and I could not help but admire the view. As my eyes perused the place I saw something that held my gaze for a while. Just up ahead behind a couple of trees was a small wooden shack. Slowly I rose from the stream and began to move towards it as my curiosity took the better part of me. I took out my gun and held it firmly in my hand in case I was to meet unexpected company. As I drew closer I noticed there was no sign of any lifeform near it. It simply looked old and abandoned. Once I was at the door I took a deep breath before finally entering the shack. The wooden door made a loud creak as I pushed it ajar allowing light to enter the place after what seemed like an eternity. One look at the place was enough evidence that no soul lived there. There was a chair at the far corner and a table just at the middle. Those were the only pieces of furniture present and I would have looked away had I not noticed the torn pieces of rope lying next to the chair. I made a step closer towards it and a sudden memory flashed through my mind.

I could see myself strapped onto a chair with both my hands and feet tied up. The thought of it scared the hell out of me and my heart began to beat rapidly. My eyes swept the floor and I noticed there were blood stains just a few inches from the door. Another memory flashed through my mind and I could now see myself lying on top of a man whose throat I slit open. It was all coming back to me right now. In those two flashbacks the room I was in looked exactly like the shack and that sent shivers down my spine. I had been held captive in that very room!

If that were true then I was not far away from the main road and this gave me hope. It was a long shot but it was the only thing I could think of doing at the moment. With renewed energy I left the shack and made my way up an unmarked path which would hopefully lead me to safety.

As the rising sun blazed its rays to usher in the entry of a new day, a dusty for wheel drive vehicle tore through a rough murram road leading to an uninhabited place. Inside the car was Leonard and three of his goons as well as Clarissa. She had fallen silent since the tragedy that had occurred the previous night. All she could do now was to steal glances at a man who had caused her the greatest grief in her life. Leonard sat comfortably on his seat completely unaware of her constant stares. He had displayed much enthusiasm when my car had blown up, obviously paving way for his sinister plan. He had his eyes fixated outside the car window with a happy expression on his face.

They had left the main road about an hour ago and the murram road seemed to stretch on till eternity. In about two hours time there came to view a metal silver gate surrounded by large trees. As the car drew closer two men appeared and they opened the gate to let the car in. The place looked old and abandoned especially since there were large holes protruding into the ground as well as some few buildings. The car came to a halt in front of a huge building which looked more like a warehouse.

As the occupants came out Clarissa pushed Leonard out of the way and was going to make a run for it. However the driver who was a hulk of a man was soon hot on her heels. Before she knew it he had caught up with her and he grabbed her with his bulky hands. He then placed her on his shoulders and carried her back amidst her protests. Leonard broke into a prolonged laugh as he held himself against the car to prevent himself from falling.

“My oh my what a stunt. I thought you would be a good girl and behave. It’s not good to keep your father waiting. I am sure you are dying to see him too. ”

Clarissa began to throw a fit as she yelled and threw her hands and feet hysterically. The driver however appeared undisturbed by her actions and carried her into the building as instructed by Leonard. The building was filled with various types of machines and most of the equipment there looked old and outdated. There was a staircase that led to the upper section of the building which was at least more spacious. As they moved up the steps the painful moans of a man filled the air. Once at the top they could now see a man all tied up and lying on the cold hard floor. His clothes were tattered and it was clear from his frail skin that he had not had a proper meal in a while. His eyes blinked and they looked worn out from lack of sleep. At the sight of the men his moans grew louder as he writhed on the floor.

The driver carefully put Clarissa down who at once ran towards man on the floor, her dear beloved father. “ Dad…dad…,” she called out his name as she lifted him up from the floor. Her eyes were already tear stained and she hugged her father tightly as a torrent of tears flowed down her cheeks. She quickly removed the cloth that was used to gag his mouth and he began panting as he sought for words.

“You monster, how could you!” she barked at Leonard who stood like a pillar all this while. The Governor finally spoke in a weak voice. “Cla…ri…ssa…I…I am really sorry for everything. I never meant for any of this to happen.” He then let out a dry cough that shook his whole body.

“Enough with all the talk about being sorry. You are only trying to save your skin and you know it.” Leonard began to move closer to them.

“Stay away from us! What is he talking about daddy?” The question hang in the air for a while. The Governor stared into his daughter’s eyes as he pondered on what to say. “Do not believe a word that comes out of this man’s mouth. He is a man run by greed for money and power.”

The sound of a clap filled the air and it was accompanied by a hearty laugh. “Bravo, bravo my dear friend, you failed to mention that you are just as greedy for money and power as I am.”

“You and I are nothing alike! You crossed the line when you dragged my daughter into this.”

“No need to raise your voice at me. She won’t believe you are that caring and loving father once she finds out the truth.”

“This is between you and me. I don’t want her to be apart of this.”

“I'm afraid that can’t happen. She was already part of the deal and you thought you could dupe me just like that.”

Clarissa just stared at her father unable to understand what was actually going on. What was it that her father was actually involved in and how was she apart of it all? “Dad, what the hell is he talking about? What are you hiding from me?”

“She wants to know the truth. So you better start talking or I will.” There was an air of silence as everyone went quiet. The soft hum of a car’s engine could be heard outside. Leonard glanced at his clock before looking up at them.” I will give you two sometime to talk things out. I will be back shortly.” He then left leaving two of his men behind.

The Governor looked up at Clarissa trying to find his voice once again. He finally opened up to her about his relationship with Leonard. They had been working together, looting city funds in non existent projects. They had also come to make an arrangement for Clarissa to be engaged to Leonard but he later thought against it. It had also reached a point where Leonard’s hunger for money had superseded their initial deal. He tried as much to put a stop to it but there was a lot of incriminating evidence that would have implicated him as well.

“I am sorry Clarissa. I know I did not have the right to drag you into this mess. Please forgive me my dear.” Tears were hanging on his eyelids but Clarissa simply looked away. She was now ashamed of the man whom she once looked up to and admired. Everything she had believed about him now seemed to be a complete lie. In that tense moment Leonard reappeared with another man in tow. He walked with a limp and was forced to use a clutch to support himself. Nothing about him seemed pleasant at all.

“What is this? You never said you had them here.” His voice was hoarse as he pointed his clutch at them.

“I did what you asked for. I got you the Governor and I made it clear I wanted no more involvement in this.”

“That is correct but you are leaving something behind. You made contact with the inspector and I don’t know how much you told him. There is no use denying it Ben.” For a moment he stood there like a frozen statue. He wore a worried look on his face and a trickle of sweat made its way down his shiny forehead.

“It isn’t what you think man. He held me at gunpoint and I had to save myself. He shot me on the leg for crying out loud! Besides, you already told me he is dead. ”

“I know all about that. However I have to clear some loose ends. Its nothing personal, just business.”

“What do you mean clear some loose ends? I helped you get him and that was the end of our deal.”

Leonard looked at one of his men and made a signal with his finger. The man brandished out a pistol and aimed it at Ben. His eyes widened at the sight of the pistol and he let go of his clutch. The look of horror was evident on his face as he slowly stepped back and ended up falling with a loud thud. He waved his hands frantically in the air as he pleaded for mercy. A deafening sound broke through the air as a shot was fired. The bullet went straight through his head and his arms fell back on top of his body. Clarissa was scared by the sight of a dead body in front of her. Blood was slowly oozing from the hole on his head and his eyes remained wide open.

“Clean this mess up and dispose of the body immediately. ” The men responded immediately to the order and the body was soon carried off. The Governor wore a worried look on his face. He never knew his ‘friend’ could be that dangerous. Leonard once again approached them. “I hope you have seen how I dispose of people who dare cross me. I am giving you one last chance to give me what I want. When I get back I will be expecting a positive answer.”

His eyes were focused on Clarissa when he said this and then he left leaving them alone. They simply looked at him as he disappeared down the staircase.