The farmer and his wife were bewildered as to what just happened outside. Both of them were sitting scared, sweating profusely with trembling bodies on the dining chairs. They were looking at the police officer who had held his gun at them and had entered their house from the backyard. How did the police come? Who informed them? "I told you to the check the number she had called," Kiki said in a low brittle voice to het husband. "It"s all because of your greed," she continued.
"My greed? You b.l.o.o.d.y b.i.t.c.h! I did all that you wanted. You were the one who wanted so much money," he shouted back at her.
"Shut up!" the policeman growled at them. "Save your energy to count your days inside the prison."
As soon as Jason and his gang left, Alvarez asked his team to come out of the hiding spots. They surrounded the cottage.
Alvarez picked the duffle bag that Jason had left on the driveway and set foot inside the cottage with an ear-to-ear grin. The couple was sitting looking disgruntled, confused and at their wits end. "Where are the children?" he asked the farmer in a raucous voice.
Kiki pointed at the locked room with a shaky finger. "It is locked," she said shakily.
"Then give me the keys, you dumb woman," Alvarez voice came through gritted teeth.
Kiki got up. Her knees wobbled. She gave a look at her husband and said, "Where did you keep them?" She was hoping to buy time in order to think of an escape.
"I never kept them, you stupid woman. They are in your skirt"s inner pocket," answered her husband in a rickety tone.
All her hopes dashed as she looked at him in disbelief. Alvarez pointed his gun at her. He walked up to her, c.o.c.ked the gun against her forehead. Kiki started s.h.i.+vering. He placed the bag on the floor. Kiki"s eyes traveled to the bag that contained cash. He inserted his hands in her skirt"s pocket and took out the keys.
"You are indeed foolish," Alvarez said to her. "Take them to the police station and imprison them for abducting these children and holding them for ransom," he ordered and after picking the bag he walked to the room, unlocked the door and stepped in. He found the children huddled in a corner on bed. They looked frightened like fowls in a coup who were about to get caught to be slaughtered.
"Uncle!" Dawn exclaimed as soon as she saw him. She didn"t know what was happening outside. She heard so many gunshots that she became scared. Along with Cole, she sat curled in a corner hoping it all to get over. Dawn ran to Alvarez and hugged him tightly. Cole followed her and threw his tiny arms around Alvarez.
"Don"t worry, everything is under control now," Alvarez a.s.sured them. Once they settled, he asked in all seriousness, "What are your plans, Dawn?"
"I have to flee the country," she said crisply. There was no other option left now.
Alvarez stared at the young girl. He understood the urgency of her voice. He could see the determination in her eyes. He gave the bag to her and said, "That should be enough for you to start a new life."
Dawn took the bag. She wasn"t expecting the money. All she had thought was that she would take Alvarez"s help to escape from there, but he had excelled himself. "Thanks Uncle," she blurted with excitement. Five million dollars!
"Let"s go. We need to s.h.i.+p you out of this country before your family retaliates." He literally had to think of a plan to find a s.h.i.+p for them. Putting them on a plane meant that they would have again attracted attention.
Dawn got up. With tears in her eyes, she quickly gathered her things while Alvarez placed some calls. In the next twenty minutes, the siblings were on their way to the port, which was an hour away in the farmer"s car. Alvarez didn"t take his police car. Instead he drove the farmer"s truck.
On the outside, his men were busy calling other units to clear the mess. Alvarez had a lot of influence and that is why Luke made sure that he was in the close circles.
It took twenty thousand dollars cash to smuggle the kids out of the country on a cargo s.h.i.+p that was headed to England.
"Thank you Uncle," Dawn said as she held Cole"s hand.
Alvarez had returned Luke"s favor. He tousled Dawn"s hair and said "Don"t worry. When you reach there, everything will be taken care of. Your father has a very small flat in the outskirts of Bradford, which only your mother knew about. He had bought it for her when they had gone on their honeymoon to England and she had fallen in love with that place. After that the flat was never used. Stay there and stay under the radar. Never call me back and never come back. Whatever has happened is in the past. Just go and live!"
"How do you know about it?" asked Dawn.
"Your father and I go back a long way."
She nodded and embraced him again.
The s.h.i.+p"s siren hooted.
"Go," Alvarez said in a choked voice.
Dawn held Cole"s hand and walked to the s.h.i.+p. They walked and before entering, she turned to look at her country. She filled in its air in her lungs. She would come back and would take her revenge. How could she leave them? They had stripped her and her brother of everything. She swallowed all tears that were forming inside her. Her fists curled tightly to the point that they became white and her nails dug in her palm. She would avenge her father"s death. She would make them pay back and that too painfully. With that thought, Dawn stepped on the s.h.i.+p.
It was evening already and her temperature was slowly increasing.
The young sailor who was supposed to smuggle them out hurried them inside his room. "Stay here. Don"t come out at all. I will bring your food here. The bathroom is right here."
Dawn nodded. "How long will it take to reach England?" she asked.
"Ten days," he replied and left closing the door behind him.
Dawn pursed her lips. How would she manage those ten days? Her symptoms were showing every now and then.