Chapter 18
333 Words
Chapter 18Pierre immediately saw the change in her face. “Talya, what’s the matter? Are you feeling okay?”
They were in the elevator on their way down to meet Khalid at the neighborhood café for breakfast.
“I’m okay. Let’s get to the restaurant as fast as we can. There is something very wrong. I can feel it.”
“We’ll be there in a few minutes, don’t worry. It’s not far, I know the place. Khalid pointed it out to us when we came off the shuttle last night.”
“Do me a favor; whatever happens in the next hour, tell Khalid Tattoos will be only five hours away. And please repeat exactly what I’ve said.”
“But we’ll see Khalid in five minutes – what do you think is going to happen in that time?”
She didn’t have time to answer; the elevator doors were opening on the ground floor. Talya saw the car first. It was parked in the driveway. The insignia on the side door told her it was an official vehicle. Pierre was observing Talya. He was utterly confused. They had almost passed the car when Talya heard two doors open and close from behind them.
“Ms. Kartz?” a steady and calm voice said from over her shoulder. Talya swung around to face the caller. He was an average-looking man, with a plain face adorned of a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He smiled. She didn’t. She glared at him, waiting for some sort of introduction, which she got readily.
“We are government agents, Ms. Kartz, and we need to take you to our office for a chat with our superiors.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” she questioned, sneering. Pierre had a good grip on Talya’s arm now.
“Yes we do, and, Captain Masson, I’ll ask you to step aside. This matter does not concern you.”
“There is no way I am letting Ms. Kartz out of my sight, and you can’t...”
“Step aside, Captain,” the second man ordered aggressively while grabbing Pierre’s hand off Talya’s arm. Pierre blurted out some other comments while the first man pushed Talya into the backseat and came to sit beside her, slamming the car door on Pierre who stood bewildered beside the departing vehicle.
- Writer
