THE WATCHMAN

Wrong Place, Wrong Time!

Sergio Angel was getting impatient at Antonio's refusal to admit knowing them so he burst out in anger.

"Cut the crap Antonio! There's no time for this. I know you can recognize us and you've gotten memories back, so please stop wasting our time!"

This assertion startled Antonio de Castillo, as he was telling the truth about his memory loss.

"Calm down Sergio". Tina Gyang said, "You don't want to scare him, and make matters worse. It's clear he doesn't remember any of this and any of us so, let's look for ways to get that memory back, or else we are doomed".

"He's lying! Sergio Angel screamed at Tina Gyang. "He remembers us perfectly, he's just pretending".

"He is just buying himself some time. We are talking about Antonio de Castillo here! Do not underestimate him. Sergio Angel warned her.

" I suggest we do what needs to be done before it is too late!" Sergio Angel said, implying that they should use a procedure that's they had all been trying to avoid.

This procedure could fry Antonios' brain permanently.

"What needs to be done?" Antonio asked. "What are you people going to do to me?" Antonio De Castillo was trembling with fear at this point in time.

Sergio Angel slowly walked up to him with a wicked smile on his face. When he got to the spot where Antonio was seated, he walked around him, easing Tina Gyang out of his way before, stopping directly behind Antonio.

He placed his both hands on Antonio's shoulder and leaned towards Antonio so his mouth was close to Antonio's ear.

He whispered the words... "We are going to pick apart your brain, till you are ready to tell us the truth or you remember who you truly are!"

These words sent fear down the spine of Antonio, because he had no way to fight back nor did he know he was even capable of it. He was still paralyzed from his waist down so there was nothing he could do.

Antonio looked helplessly at the two other people in the room and realise that those two were not on the same page with Sergio Angel, so he tried to plead with them

Looking at the expression on their faces, Antonio knew that there was nothing they could do to stop this man. This was a pre-planned arrangement.

Julio walked towards the door and banged on it three times. After a few seconds, it swung open and one of the men in white robes walked in and wheeled Antonio out of the room, but this time they did not go to the normal room where he was usually kept, they took him to another room that looks like a lab.

It was painted all white, with a chair in the middle. The chair was made of leather and also had leather straps on both arms and legs.

There were two men already in the room when he was wheeled in. Antonio was picked up and placed on the chair and his hands and legs were strapped to the chair.

Facing the chair was a large mirror but this time the mirror was transparent and he could see those who were on the other side of the mirror.

It was a long wait as the other two men in the room continued their work.

After a few minutes, one of them picked up a large syringe injection and injected the back of his neck with a strange blue substance.

Antonio felt a chill from his head down to his chest and then he was injected with another substance and suddenly his whole body became numb. He only had feelings from his neck upwards!

The strange thing about this numbness was that he could feel touch and feel pain but he could not move.

Then a door in the other room across from the mirror opened and the three familiar faces from his interrogation walked in.

From his short period with them, he knew their names were, Tina, Julio, and Sergio. He definitely would not forget those names anytime soon.

They all sat down and waited for the procedure to begin. After a while Antonio began to hear a whirring sound from behind him from across the glass he could see the reflection of two terminals coming close to each side of his head and something else at his back but he couldn't see what it was.

The terminals just stopped short of touching his skin and then everything became silent.

One of the men in white turned towards the mirror to look at the three people sitting across from them. Sergio Angel nodded his head and the man pressed the button.

Initially, nothing seemed to happen then suddenly...

"Arrrrgh!" Antonio screamed. He felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck, piercing into his skull. He could almost tell that whatever was piercing his call had touched his brain

Antonio was shaking uncontrollably as the electric current was being passed through his brain to juggle his memory.

"Pleeeease!" He screamed in tears, pleading with them for mercy, but his pleas fell on deaf ears and the torture continued.

The current continued to surge through his brain and after some minutes it all suddenly stopped.

" We cannot continue..."

One of the men in a lab coat announced. "His brain cannot take any more".

"Dammit!" Screamed Sergio Angel. "Continue the process, I say!" He angrily instructed the man through one of the speakers.

"If we go any further, we may fry his brain and the whole process would have become a waste of time!" the man retorted, trying to reinforce his position on things.

The three of them had a deliberation between themselves, and afternoon some minutes, Sergio Angel said... "Let's wrap this up, we continue tomorrow".

***************************************************

Susan didn't exit the elevator until it returned to the ground floor. When the elevator doors opened she made a beeline for the spot where the Oraha and Jose Reyna were seated.

They were shocked to see her return so quickly and not in the foul mood with which she left their presence earlier.

"We have a problem! A big problem!" She said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Susan, what is it?" The Oraha asked while motioning for her to sit in between him and Jose Reyna.

"You look like you have seen a ghost!" Jose Reyna said as he tried to calm her down and understand why she looked so scared and worried.

" It would have been better if I saw a ghost!" Susan sarcastically replied. "At least a ghost may not have the powers to hurt me. I can say I just saw the devil and his apprentice!"

"Calm down Susan, and please stop speaking in parables, just tell us who exactly you saw and what happened? The Oraha said in a soothing manner.

Susan took a deep breath and said "I was just standing in the same elevator as lord Murillo and Ricardo Pereira!"

" You were where?" The Oraha asked in shock.

"And with who?" Jose Reyna asked particularly interested in Lord Murillo.

"I just said that I was in the same elevator with Lord Murillo and Ricardo Pereira and, it was by a mighty stroke of luck that I wasn't seen by both men!" Susan repeated to their hearing.

"So you mean Lord Murillo is in this very building that we are in?" Jose Reyna asked.

"Yes, he is". Susan replied.

"Who is this Ricardo Pereira you keep talking about?" Jose Reyna asked.

"A betrayer! A bloody betrayer!! That is what he is!" Susan replied with a scornful expression written all over her face.

" But not one you should take for granted". The Oraha interjected.

"The amazing thing about it all was that I was shielded from their view the whole time by that young manager who welcomed us into the hotel. What is his name again? Marco..." Susan said, trying to remember the young managers', name.

" Marco Lahm," The Oraha said.

"Yes, Marco Lahm!" Susan said. "He shielded me the whole time and waited until I was safe before exiting the elevator. And I am sure he did that deliberately".

"I was initially scared and concluded that he was one of their agents and that I had been caught because I didn't see his face and I was sure he was supposed to have exited the elevator before me but he didn't exit probably because he had to protect me it was only when I was safe he exited and then greeted me with a smile!"

"How did he know that I was in danger to protect me?" Susan asked with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Did you send him or something? she inquired turning to face the Oraha.

"Absolutely not!" The Oraha replied, "But I believe he had noble reasons which I will find out later, but first we need to leave this place immediately".

"We cannot waste another minute here as we do not know who is who. We are definitely in great danger!" He said.

"Everyone get to your rooms! Pack up, we will all meet at the parking lot in ten minutes. Alert all agents around the hotel. The Oraha instructed.

They all hurried to their rooms and began to get ready to check out of the hotel. Susan decided to take the stairs this time to avoid any unplanned meeting with Lord Murillo or any one of his agents.

Exactly 10 minutes later, they were all back at the parking lot. But The Oraha was nowhere to be found.

Jose Reyna tried his best to reach out to him on phone. But there was no response. So they decided to do a mini search of the hotel.

"Where are you, Bernardo? Jose muttered to himself, with a worried look on his face.

*****************************************************

When The Oraha was done packing up his things, he called up my Marco Lahm to his room and explained the reason for their hasty check out of the hotel.

I" understand perfectly, Sir". Marco Lahm replied.

"I was in the elevator with Ms. Susan Boyle and Lord Murillo and, I did my best to avoid any altercation which I knew would erupt, had Lord Murillo and his agents' laid eyes on her". Marco Lahm detailed.

"And for that, we are very grateful to you! Susan owes you her life!" The Oraha replied.

"I'm going to guarantee your safe exit out of this establishment" Marco Lahm assured The Oraha.

Marco Lahm urged The Oraha to use the elevators so he could have a quick exit, promising him that they were safe at that very moment.

When he had convinced him, they exchanged their final pleasantries and Marco Lahm left.

The Oraha followed Marcos' advice and used the elevator to reach the parking lot quickly.

It was a smooth sail all through until the elevator unexpectedly stopped on one of the floors.

When the elevator doors slid open, The Oraha was shocked to find Ricardo Pereira standing in front of him with a gun pointed at him!

Both men Stood Still staring at each other for a while before Ricardo broke the silence.

"Good day, My Oraha!" He said sarcastically and with a mischievous smile on his face.