~Even more Complicated~

Her eyes slowly opened and immediately closed back due to the immense, bright light that shun above her. She couldn’t feel anywhere but her ears starting to gain its feel heard beeps that gradually became louder, LoUdeR, LOUDER!

She groaned in response to the ear-piercing sound. “Adjust the anesthesia!” she heard in a daze, “Stabilize her!” followed and suddenly she was being consumed into darkness again. “Prepare for immediate intervention.”, “Yes, sir.” The voice faded into the air. Her only thought being, what was happening to me?

The nurse in charge of her vitals witnessed the lone tear of an unconscious mother whose light had been stolen without a warning.



Eshaal’s eyes opened, her blurred vision causing her to blink profusely as she groaned, her head tousling over the pillow. The blurriness cleared and her eyes watered profusely. She felt pains in her abdominal area and groaned, darting up to a sitting position only to cry out in pain while her hand flew to her lower belly. She stayed in that position, scared any slight movement would cause her severe pain.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the previous events. Her struggling to free herself from R’s clutches, She shut her eyes as a tear escaped her eyes falling on the end of her surgical gown. The only thing covering her hair was the blue cap paired with the gown. “Help.” She was meant to scream but it was just a soft cry. She sniffed, tears still dropping from her eyes. “Help.” She repeated still afraid to move from her spot.

“Breathe.” Her eyes snapped open hearing the infamous voice. “Just breathe. Pumpkin.”

“What did you do to me?” she asked, raising her head slightly. She was in a different place now. Not the room, not the dinning, not the living room. This was an equivalent to the hospital room they broke into at Raven to save Ryan. The room that bred a virus. “Where am I?”

“Nothing much, Pumpkin. This is my private hospital.” She heard on her right and then loud, menacing footsteps. “, Now, all you have to do…”

“Stop!” She interrupted him. His mouth halt in surprise, so, did his footsteps. Slowly she raised her head up, took a breath, thankful there was no sudden pain at the movement. “Just stay where you are.”

She tried shifting her leg into a more comfortable position but ended up sucking in a deep breath. The pain was even worse. “You’re in pain, Pumpkin. Let me help…”

“…and who caused it?” she spat, her voice firm. “You said you hated bad parents.” She paused. “I give you the father title and this is what you do with it.” she stated and hissed as a bolt hit her abdomen. “Hit me in the head and then…” She tried adjusting again, her leg over the other was causing it to seize and she needed to rest her back. She groaned as she lifted her leg off the other and placed it beside it. “You’re worse than my father.”

“Have it.” In a flash R was beside Eshaal stretching a trey with some pill and a glass of water.

“No.”

“Not a question.” He replied placing the trey on the convertible table.

“Yet, I seemed to answer it.” She clapped back.

“They are pain killers.” He admitted.

“Remove the pain to inflict another is so R.”

He tapped his fingers on the side of his thigh, impatient. Then, without a thought, he adjusted the head of the hospital bed making Eshaal fall back on the rest, he grabbed Eshaal by the chin. She was caught off guard as he forced water into her mouth, threw in the pill and then poured more in. She swallowed it but then he brought his face closer to hers. “I don’t want to ever hear of this incident, you hear me?” she couldn’t shake her head or nod as his green eyes grew deep like a forest in anger, “I’m helping you get rid of your misery.” Her head was held in place and mouth was in a duck pout. “…and never compare me to that motherf*cker of a father!”

He threw her head away. Eshaal feeling the tingling aftermath of his grip on her chin, painful and throbbing. She raised her head and turned to see him walking away with the trey, “At least tell me what you did to me!” He opened a wooden door and jammed it shut, closed it, then she heard two clicks – locking it behind him. She turned her head side to side slowly to adjust her jaw and sighed.

She took the blanket under her and with great difficulty, pulled it over her head and prayed lying down on the bed. It all happens for a reason. She believed. She just prayed Zach found her soon, somehow.

Two days later, Eshaal was able to walk with the help of Nisha. Nisha helped her out of the room through the wooden door, she slowly walked, every step more painful than the last, as she observed a table with the picture frame turned over but ignored it as a jolting pain shut up her legs to her abdomen. She cried out and Nisha gave her a little back rub with a sympathetic look. Eshaal took in soft breaths to calm her nerves wondering if the pain killers Nisha gave her were working. She took a quick look at Nisha who was already looking at her with soft, questioning eyes that asked Are-you-ready? She gave a nod and they walked up the small stairs to a plain wall with a button on it. Nisha stretched her hand to press it and the wall shook, sliding open.

That was dramatic.

It revealed the living room she had come to know. The white space made her feel a hurl but she stopped it. She still had rows of steps to climb.

R watched as she struggled up the stairs with Nisha for support, his eyes full of pity, his heart pained yet still no guilt. It was for her own good.

R waited till she got into her room with a trey of grapes in his hand. Immediately Nisha came out, she ran to collect the trey from him but he shook his head, not to, and she nodded in understanding as he walked over to Eshaal’s door, took a deep breath, knocked, opened the door and entered.

Eshaal’s face paled at the sight of him. “Hello, pumpkin.” He closed the door behind him and the memories of her struggling from his clutches rushed back. She had a one …conversation with Nisha and needed to confirm it. He dropped the trey of grapes on the bed stand.

“What did you do to my kids?” She asked.

“What kids?” she gave him a glare and then he tilted his head. Eyes dancing in amusement. “I thought you didn’t believe you had kids?”

“R, I…”

“Forget I said anything about you being pregnant, okay?” She opened her mouth to retort but he held up a hand digging into his back pocket. “What you should worry about is Friday.”

She didn’t respond but she was curious. “Your show. The fashion-show I’m hosting.”

Then it clicked. She’s going to miss it, it’ll all be in sophia’s hands and… “Your assistant is still going to do it, don’t worry. I made a poll and she is part of the people who voted Ready,” Eshaal breathed out a sigh of relief as she heard the news. “Does that make you happy?” She felt his eyes throwing daggers at her and just nodded to satisfy him. “Good, we’ll be going Friday.”


It’s all for the best.

Zach read it repeatedly for the nth time and his mind rushed to a place of darkness. A place avoided slumber because he wanted to hold on to that glimpse of hope.

He opened the closet door to an empty space. Full of bedazzling expensive clothes, shoes and accessories yet empty as the only presence he wanted had vanished into thin air. The sound of her laughter jumping off the walls as he took turns, endless turns looking for her.

The Yakuza showed they really ran the city as they could breach anywhere without warning or explanations. It made it easier to look around. Zach’s men had arrived to speed up the search. Casinos, Hotels, big and small, residencies, nowhere was left untouched and that included Torrez.

R was informed about Zach’s arrival later, his men hadn’t got a hint of the search until later but it was too late. Zach made it necessary for the Yakuza to to search six buildind thoroughly as they were the only building with unbreachable security cams.

R was monitoring the compound through his window. Waiting for his guest to arrive as he went up the stairs, heading for Eshaal’s room.

When he got there, Eshaal was in a fallen state. The gold scarf she had changed back to on her head firm yet the rest of her, her purple gown, her body screamed for help. Her head rose up at the creak of the door, her face was pale and lips dry. She scooted back on her bed, her body flinching at the mere share of space and oxygen as she shivered, the goosebumps on her body permanent from the start of the day. “What do you want?” she stumbled over her words as her heart raced in fear.

“Come, Pumpkin.” His gentle voice rose made the bumps even more prominent.

She shook her head hesitantly and his face morphed into one of a monster. “I said come!” She jumped at the sharp, authoritative voice.

Hesitantly, she came down from the bed. Zach was on his way in. He pressed the door bell, two men from the Yakuza and three from the Mafia right behind him as he counted. If they didn’t open the door in three seconds, he’ll find another way in. 3, 2… A woman opened the door. Olive skin and curly hair. “Search.” Zach instructed and they immediately barged in.

The lady looked confused, frowning at the men going in to search the house. “We have permit to search.” Zach pulled out a permit and raised it to show her.

She still had a frown on her face but Zach could care less. “Hello.” Zach’s eyes flew over to the voice.

He scanned the man, up to down. Long legs and torso, lean body, black, curly short hair in a slick back. Hands in his pocket and the smile of a gentle man. What really piqued his attention were the leather gloves and that this man looked like a copy of his grand-father. All he needed to do was grow his hair longer and that was it. “ID?” Zach asked.

The man took out a wallet from his pocket, flipped it over, and pulled out an ID. It had a small stoic picture of him on the side and his name read – Sangiovanni Torrez – From Manciano, Italy. Age: 52.

Zach handed him his card back. “You own the Hotel?” He asked to confirm, retracting his hand.

Mr Torrez smiled and raised both his hands in a small humble-like gesture. “It’s one of my greatest achievements.” He rubbed his gloved palms together.

Zach was about to ask a question but got interrupted, “Excuse me?” they both raised their heads to see one of the men in the Yakuza, Mahito with his hands holding the railings, that rested on a long shelf of books.

“Mr Torrez.” Zach watched from his side eyes as he smiled up at him.

Mahito nodded. “Do you have kids?”

Zach’s eyes immediately turned to him to see if he’d be thrown off by the question, he was, his face grew gloomy. “I had a daughter.”

“I want proof.” Zach spoke up.

He dropped his head and dug into his wallet again, pulling out a small picture and handed it to Zach. The girl had brown hair, she revealed her complete, white teeth with a smile that showed smile lines that went up to her eyes holding green orbs. The only thing they had in common was the green eyes. “Biological daughter?” Zach asked handing him back the photo.

“I always thought we looked alike…” he chuckled, smiling down at the picture and with a subtle sigh, he kept the picture back, “Adopted. She was adopted.”

“Where was the picture taken?” Referencing to the background in the picture. It was wooden, it looked like a cabin.

“We went on a vacation to Switzerland.”

“I need to see a certificate.”

“I’ll be back.” He turned to walk away.

“How old was your daughter?” Mahito asked stopping Mr Torrez from walking any further.

Zach studied him for a while and then glanced up, “His child isn’t that old…”

“12.” Their eyes snapped to him who responded to Mahito.

Mahito nodded, distastefully. “What did you find?” Zach asked.

“Maybe he invites tons of women to live in his child’s room cause I see adult women’s clothing.” Mahito remarked, eyeing Mr Torrez.

“How do you explain that?” Zach jumped in.

“Fetish.” He answered. “I have a Fetish for grown women’s clothing.” Mahito snickered while Zach internally cringed.

Zach wasn’t buying that and something wasn’t adding up. Mr Torrez was about to turn into a corner when Zach called and his heart jumped seeing Zach next to the book shelf, “Don’t try anything Stupid,” Zach pointed at one of the men walking towards the Korean-styled doors leading to the dinning. “They are everywhere.”

He made a single nod. “All blood.”

Zach watched him as he disappeared to the back with one of his men behind him.

Zach turned and looked up at the books, his eyes scheming aimlessly at the Endless trail of books on the shelves yet his nose caught a whiff of a peculiar honey-like scent. He followed the scent, focused cause a scent as light as honey could easily be lost.

He took a turn at the side of the shelf that only led him to the door of the dinner room on the far end.

He took some steps and then he lost the scent. He frowned and turned back, walking to the shelves, observing it’s every inges.

Nisha quickly walked over to his aid. Her smile enough for a ‘hi, may I help you?’

“What perfume does your boss use?”

He needed to ask. Eshaal never used perfumes to smell honey-like, as he called it. He recalled sniffing her perfumes in their closet to find what made her smell that way, he wanted to smell the exact way. But he never found any of the perfumes honey-like. He had gone as far as trying her lotions, shampoo and cream. Still nothing.

That was what made him conclude it was her natural scent. She just smelled so sweet, not the artificial sweet, Honey-like sweet.

Nisha’s expression turned to one of confusion and then she shrugged. Zach only nodded looking up at the shelf and sighed. The scent still lingered in his nose but the air had forgotten it.

He held his breath a refusing to breathe out, wanting to keep the scent, he so longed for. His memories Painting out her smiling face like a follow-up response until Mahito interrupted. “We haven’t found anything suspicious. What are we to do now?”



She rested her ear at the back of the door, body aching but she’d summon the strength. She heard murmurs but couldn’t make out the words. R was hiding her from someone. She fisted her hand and banged it on the door in hopes that someone would notice the door shake – the damn book shelf! But all she got was a startling surge of electricity up her arms and to her body and like a child running after it’s mother, an intense ache followed making her fall back down, violently through the wooden staircase and unto the floor where she laid frozen in her spot cause she couldn’t stand up.

It was a migraine all over her body, not excluding her head. I should’ve yelled instead. “Zach!” It came out as a helpless whisper as a tear escaped the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t Sob. The pulsing pain was too much. She could hear each pulse like a heart-beat. She opened her eyes her surrounding zooming in and out as the pulses got louder.

She placed her palm on the floor and pushed herself up as the pulses still carried on strong as she crawled towards the table so she could use it as a support to pick herself up. She gathered strength and raised her hand to touch its surface but ended up knocking down a picture and a hurl rushed to her throat, forcing it’s way out of her mouth. It made her cry out and fall back to the floor in a pool of her own vomit. The pain was so unbearable yet she couldn’t scream, her throat felt like it was on fire, like there were several cuts tearing their way up she was afraid a swallow would cause it to burn her.

Again, she felt weak. Beyond weak. She felt faint, she placed a palm on her tummy, though she knew her baby wasn’t there.

*

He indeed didn’t try anything shady, he brought legal documents, Zach had given it to his men for a scan, to check its authenticity with a device in the car. It came out as original.

Zach still suspected the man. He didn’t remember ever seeing his grand father smile, but looking at this man, imagining it wasn’t so hard.

The resemblance, The women’s clothes and the smile. Three ingredients for the recipe bull-sh*t.

Mikhail pulled him aside. “Is he clean, boss?” Zach threw daggers with the look he gave Torrez who’s green eyes spelt Welcome.

He turned back to MK. “No, something isn’t right.”

“So you said for the last 10 and then some, Boss.” MK deadpanned.

Zach sighed frustrated, took a step towards Torrez. “Have you been to pitigliano?”

“Oh, yes.” He said.

Before Zach could speak, MK yelled, “Boss!” He didnt want his boss revealing information in the fit of vexation.

Zach understood, “Explain to me what – not one, but several – womens clothing are doing in your kids room?” Zach buttressed his former concern. “According to the certificate you’re a single father too. So, if at all it’s some kind of fetish, it’s a f*cked up problem.”

“I didn’t want to have to narrate my sad past to you. But...”, He sighed. “They are for my late mother.”

“Late mother?”

“This is why i didn’t want to say it. You’ll think I’m making things up. I’ve been through a lot of tragic events, so my memories are stored in there. I like leaving things as it was.

//***//