Chapter 54

Louisa woke up with a bitter taste on her tongue. Her throat was dry as sand and felt like she had not had a drop of water for days. Her nose was raw, and her head was throbbing. She moved her fingers around her forehead and nape, looking for the telltale sign of a bump. Thankfully, there was none. Turning to her side, she slid her legs down the side of the bed. Someone had removed her shoes and her bare toes curled when they touched the cold, marble floor. The throbbing in her head lessened when she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. The room was dark. Only a small, portable rechargeable lamp on the bedside table gave it illumination. And except for the bed she was sitting on, the room was completely bare of furniture. There was not even a light bulb in the overhead socket.

The cold fingers of dread clawed at her guts as the events of the past night came flooding back. She couldn’t believe how she had let herself in this situation. Kidnapped! By Arthur! How could she have let it happen again? She should’ve told Gabriel about Arthur. She shouldn’t have let Matthew leave. She should’ve asked her best friend to drive her home. Instead, she put up a brave front and pretended nothing was amiss. In her defense, she wouldn’t have driven home alone if she thought Arthur was an immediate threat. Unfortunately, she thought wrong.

Arthur, you bastard! I regret all those times I’d been nice to you. I should’ve known what a sicko you are.

Thinking of Arthur brought back dire memories of the night in the caves. What started as an innocent outing turned into a nightmare. Had Matthew and Mang Tino not found them there in time…Louisa shivered as the full import of the matter hit her. She must admit that she was partly to blame.

Then again, she was young and naïve that she never thought ill of Arthur’s jokes and affectionate pecks on her cheeks. She trusted him the same way she did Matthew. Even when he started leading her down into those caves, she didn't suspect any wrongdoing. It was only when he started kissing and groping her that she realized how dangerous Arthur was. And no matter how hard she pushed him away, or made her displeasure known, he wouldn’t stop. In fact, it only made him more persistent. For a girl of fifteen, it was a traumatic experience. And the main reason why she avoided boys in college. It’s also why her first real kiss from Gabriel was on a different level.

Gabriel!

Being reminded of her fiancé jolted her out of her reverie. She jumped out of bed and grabbed the portable lamp. Swiveling around, she soon spotted her discarded tote and shoes near the door. Rummaging inside her bag, she breathed a sigh of relief when she found her mobile. Her brief delight turned to dismay when she saw there was no signal.

Damn! How can there be no signal here? Where did this psycho take me anyway?

She slid the phone inside her pocket and moved towards the door. Whispering a silent prayer, she carefully turned the knob. And lo and behold! It wasn’t locked! It only meant three things. One, Arthur was a complete fool; second, he was a careless fool; or third, he was a very confident fool. Louisa feared the last one would be it. Meaning, either they were somewhere remote, or he wasn’t working alone. Then, Louisa heard muffled voices outside. Neither one belonged to Arthur, confirming her suspicion. She could distinguish at least two men, both speaking in Tagalog.

Louisa pressed her ear closer to the door. It sounded like they were dragging something heavy between them. Then, Louisa heard the opening of a door. There were more grunting and grumbling from the two men. And after a long stretch of silence, the slamming of the door. One of the men cursed his companion for causing too much noise. The other one retaliated with a loud snort. Which was, based on the scrapes and bumps she heard, followed by a short scuffle. When all was finally quiet, Louisa turned the knob and peeked outside.

The hallway was dimly lit. But she could still make out the vague outline of a flight of stairs at the far end. Light from the lower level spilled up, illuminating it. She debated putting on her shoes or going barefoot. But seeing that the hallway also had marble flooring, she opted to go shoeless. Grabbing her bag from the floor, she turned off the portable lamp and set it aside. She wouldn’t be able to use it anyway since it would be like a beacon in her dark surroundings. The shoes went inside her bag; she’d be needing those when she finally reached the road. Satisfied with her choices, Louisa slipped through the door and closed it behind her.

Okay, now that we’re out, what should we do?

Walking on tiptoes, Louisa made her way towards the stairs. It wasn’t the wisest choice since the two men could very well be lounging somewhere down there. Still, she saw no other way out.

Windows! Find a window, Louie!

As she turned around to go back to where she came from, her hand brushed against another doorknob. It must be the room where the two men went in a few minutes ago. Where they dumped whatever heavy thing they were lugging between them.

Louisa felt the hairs on her neck prickling. What if it was a person they were dragging inside? Shouldn’t she at least try to see if she could help get that other person out, too? But she also needed to get out fast. Before Arthur came back. Self-preservation vs. compassion. Louisa chose the latter. She opened the door and slipped through. Hoping against hope she was doing the right thing.

***********

Angelo never thought he would experience fear on this level. He feared for Louisa. But he feared for his brother even more. Only his anger kept him moving. And he must vent it one way or another, otherwise, he’d explode. His fingers gripped the steering wheel as he turned into the dirt road. This was where they would meet with Miguel and Matthew. A few meters in and he saw his brother leaning against his black Toyota Hi-Lux while speaking into his phone. He parked beside Miguel’s Pickup, killed the engine, and jumped out of his car. Martin and Isabella were following behind.

“Migz, where’s Matthew?” he asked as he strode up to Miguel.

“I was just talking to him. We split up earlier after Gabriel disappeared. He’s now with Tio Ramon and they’re on their way to the police station,” Miguel replied pocketing his phone. He glanced at Isabella, his brows raised in question at Angelo.

“We had to rush here, didn’t have time to drop her off at the villa.” They had earlier agreed to drop off Isabella at the villa. Miguel would’ve argued the point but seeing as it would serve no purpose, he let the matter go and turned to Martin.

“Martin, how should we go about this? Do we have confirmation that Arthur has Louisa?”

“Not only Louisa. We’re pretty sure he also has Gabriel,” the PI replied. Miguel muttered muted curses as he slammed his palm against the fender of the truck.

“We have to go there, Migz. Isabella thinks he’s gone down the deep end. Both Louisa and Gabriel are in danger,” Angelo said. His calm voice belied the tension in his guts.

“We have to wait for Matthew and Tio Ramon. I’m sure they’d be able to convince the police of Louisa’s abduction.”

“But we don’t have time, Migz. We don’t know what Arthur would do to Gabriel!” Angelo almost screamed at Miguel.

Angelo worried about Louisa, but he knew Arthur would not harm her. Gabriel was another matter, though. He was a threat to Arthur, and threats were best discarded at the earliest possible chance. Only now, since their rift, did Angelo feel genuine concern for his eldest brother. It wasn’t because he deemed himself partially to blame for their present situation. He also regretted withholding vital information from him. He should’ve warned him of Isabella’s arrival, should’ve told him about Arthur’s connection to Louisa. Waves of guilt crashed down on him as he contemplated his brother’s and Louisa’s precarious position. An almost inhuman terror made him restless and dying for action. He was like a caged tiger eager for flight and Miguel was standing in his way!

“Alright, alright. There is something we can do while waiting for the authorities to arrive,” Martin said. “Angelo and I will scope out the place. If everything looks okay, we’ll go in and try to extract Gabriel and Louisa. You,” he said, pointing to Miguel, “will stay with Isabella a few meters outside the compound. Wait for Matthew and the police, if ever he’s successful at acquiring their aid.”

“But won’t it be dangerous?” Miguel said, casting a meaningful glance at his brother.

“As I said, we’ll scope the place out first. If I see a platoon of heavily armed men or black-hooded ninjas patrolling it, we'll abort. If not, we’ll sneak in like quiet mice,” Martin said in an attempt to lighten the mood. The slight smile on Miguel’s face was proof of its success.

“Sorry, I know I sound like an old maid with twisted knickers, but I can’t help it. This is new to me, man,” Miguel said.

“It’s okay, Miguel. I promise I won’t put any of you in harm’s way. If I find it’s too dangerous to go in, we won’t. We’ll return here and wait for the authorities to arrive.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Miguel agreed, turning to Angelo. “Good enough for you, Angel?”

Angelo wanted to disagree. Yet if he did, there would be another argument and they would lose precious time. He could always improvise later if needed.

“Good! Let’s go then!” Martin said, clapping his hands together before turning to Isabella. “You better go with Miguel. And please, stay inside the truck this time?”

Isabella smiled and followed Miguel to his truck. Martin turned and jogged to Angelo’s now idling Ferrari. A few seconds later and both vehicles were driving out at top speed, spewing dust and dirt in their wake.

***********

Louisa regretted leaving the portable lamp the moment she slipped through the door. The room was pitch black and very cold. She wanted to turn back and get the lamp but didn’t want to chance running into the two men. Plus, she needed to find out if it was a person they dumped in here earlier. To avoid bumping into furniture, Louisa walked with hands extended before her. A few paces in and her foot hit something solid on the floor. Since her hands touched nothing but thin air, she decided it wasn’t furniture. Or if it was, it must be a low stool or something.

OMG! Could this be the thing that those two men dragged in?

She moved her foot against the object. It wasn’t as hard as wood or stone. She slid her foot further up the object and realized it was denim she felt.

Pants? Lifting her foot from the object, she prodded it further. And she was right. She was stepping on a human leg. Louisa was about to remove her foot when the leg moved, throwing her off-balance. Instead of falling backward, she fell forward and on top of the human body below her. She heard a muffled “Ooof” when she hit the body’s stomach. It was a man!

Scrambling off of the live body of a man, Louisa sat back on the cold marble floor and gathered her wits about her. Taking in a few deep breaths, she braved the unknown and moved closer to the man.

“Who are you?” she whispered in the dark.

No answer, just some stifled moans and then silence. The man was still out. She used his leg to orient herself. Then crouching on all fours, she approached the supine figure. Her eyes were now growing accustomed to the dark and she could almost see his outline before her. It was a man. And a big man at that. The question was: could he be an ally or a foe? What if he was as bad as the other two or even Arthur? What if he was one of them but now fallen from Arthur’s good graces?

But what if he wasn’t?

As she moved closer, she caught a whiff of something very familiar. Gabriel’s cologne! The thought sent a chill down her spine.

No, it can’t be Gabriel. How did he know that I’m here? It’s not him. But the cologne! It’s not a very common one, Louie. Damn! Why did I leave the lamp behind?

Fear galvanized her resolve to find out if it was Gabriel. She could ask him, but seeing as he was still unconscious, it wouldn’t help her much even if she did. Then a sudden thought hit her.

The scar! Gabriel has a distinct scar on the left side of his chest.

Louisa moved her hand beneath the man’s shirt and searched for the tell-tale scar. Her breath hitched when she found the indented bit of flesh. It was there. The scar was where it should be. It really was Gabriel. Louisa fell forward and embraced her fiancé. She moved her hand upward, her fingers traveling around his face. There was something tied around his mouth, too. Louisa pulled down the gag and kissed her fiancé’s cold lips. Still, he did not stir.

Gabriel was strong, it would take a lot to bring him down. Unless someone surprised him and hit him from behind. Terror gripped her heart as with shaking hands she reached around Gabriel’s head. Her fingers found some sticky fluid behind Gabriel’s head, somewhere near his nape. She didn't have to see it to know it was blood. Such a vicious blow would be enough to bring down even a buffed-up wrestler. She hoped it wouldn’t cause any lasting damage. But for now, having him wake up was more than enough for her.

She turned Gabriel to his side and tested the bindings around his hands. It wasn’t a rope, but more like a torn strip of material from a cotton shirt. She located the knot and worked it, glad it wasn’t a complicated one. Arthur’s minions looked like they were not used to this kind of work. Once done, she took out her handkerchief and pressed it against Gabriel’s nape. It didn’t get soaked through. The wound was already closing, but there was a lump the size of a golf ball in the same area. No wonder Gabriel was still out for the count. She needed to get help. There’s no telling the extent of Gabriel’s injuries, especially in this pitch-dark room.

Louisa planted a soft kiss on Gabriel’s lips and rose to her feet. She needed to find a way out of this room without going through the goons upstairs. Straining her eyes against the dark, Louisa crouched and again crawled on all fours. After a few meters out, her fingers touched a soft, velvety material on the floor. She gripped it tight and tugged hard. It did not give.

A curtain! And if there’s a curtain, there’s a big chance it’s covering a window!

Excitement ran through her veins and Louisa jumped to her feet, hanging on to the curtain. After tugging the curtain to the side, she saw a tall, sliding glass window. She groped for the lock, found it, lifted it, and slid the panel. It was a little stuck, but it finally moved with a bit more force. She poked her head outside to assess her surroundings. They appeared to be in a split-level house set on sloping terrain. Based on what she could see, they were several meters from the ground. It would be dangerous to jump outright. But if she held on to the sill, she could slide down. Then she could leap the remaining distance without fear of breaking her ankle. The ground was also thick with wild carabao grass guaranteeing a smooth landing. With a tentative plan in mind, Louisa went back to Gabriel to check on his condition. He was starting to stir, his hand going behind his head.

“Gabriel! It’s me, Louie.”

Her voice was a harsh whisper, but it was music to Gabriel’s ears. He bolted right up and regretted the deed. Shards of pain shot through his head making him nauseous.

“Are you alright?” Louisa asked, reaching up to caress Gabriel’s cheeks. Gabriel grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Louisa! Thank God! I thought I’d lost you,” Gabriel said, raining kisses on Louisa’s face.

“So did I. Oh, Gabriel, how did you find me?”

“With a lot of help from two very unlikely people, my dearest. But let’s not talk about that now. We have to get you out of here.”

“I know. Arthur’s gone mad. He’ll be returning soon so we have to hurry. Can you get up?”

Gabriel hated lying to her. But he very well couldn’t tell her his head felt like a pincushion or that the room was swimming in front of his eyes.

“Yes, of course! Come on, dearest, let’s go!” Gabriel said, rising to his feet while Louisa grabbed her bag and took out her Hush Puppies. She slipped into them and slung her bag onto her shoulder.

“Ready?” Gabriel asked. His head was throbbing in a dozen places, yet he put on a stoic face and took her hand. He was about to head for the door when Louisa tugged him back.

“Not that way. We can go out the window. We’re only several meters up and it’s a short jump.”

“Are you sure?” Gabriel knew girls weren’t good at jumping out of windows. Then, he remembered. Louisa was also ‘little tyrant Louie’. Of course, she would be okay. She’d even do better than him. “Of course you are. Lead the way, little tyrant Louie,” Gabriel said.

Louisa smirked and led Gabriel to the open window.

“See, I told you it’s a short jump. I can slide down if you hold on to my hands, then when I say let go, just do it, okay?” Louisa said, breathless at the prospect of finally escaping. She turned to Gabriel and saw him making mental calculations in his head. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be okay, I promise! Have you forgotten how many trees I’ve climbed and jumped out of?”

Gabriel grimaced as images of the hoyden Louisa flashed through his mind’s eye. Well, at least they gave him the assurance he needed. Yes, she can do this. She’ll be okay.

“Shall we?” Louisa asked as she positioned herself on the narrow windowsill. She swung her legs out the window and twisting halfway back she extended her arms and held on to Gabriel’s. “Now, let me slide down my legs as you lower me down to the ground.”

Gabriel held Louisa by the arms while she slid her feet against the exterior wall of the house. As she continued with her descent Gabriel let her arms slide down him, until he was holding on to her hands. He could see she was near the bottom. Louisa looked up and nodded at him, let go, she mouthed. Gabriel nodded back and opened his hands, letting go of her.

Louisa landed on the soft grass with the grace of a cat, brushing off the dirt and bits of grass clinging to her pants. She turned to see if Gabriel was making his way down from the window. But when she looked up, the glass panel was already back in place, the dark curtain visible behind it.

She looked around to see if he had already made his landing without her knowing. But except for a few dried-up bushes, the ground was completely empty.

Gabriel didn’t jump.