When you know

21. Rupunzel

Ariana slowly entered her apartment building. The two silent and bulky agents followed closely behind her. It was annoying having two pairs of eyes watching her every move. She got out a weekend bag and packed some of her clothes. When she got to her undergarment drawer, she sighed.

'Can you look away, please? This is private!'

With a huff, the two men turned their backs. Kitty was in her cage, her meowing projecting her annoyance. She hated putting her into a cage but had no choice. After the bag was packed, she decided to use the toilet.

The men stood outside her bathroom door. 'Don't try to escape and be quick. You have 5 minutes.'

'Seriously.' She rolled her eyes as she entered the bathroom. As much as she hated wasting water, she turned the tap on as she did not want the men to hear her peeing. She quickly finished and performed ablution again, enjoying the few private moments she had. She put on her soft, strawberry flavoured body cream and quickly, brushed her hair. There was a knock on the door and she knew her time was up. God, she felt like a prisoner and she realised that was exactly what she was.

'I'm done.' She said as she opened the door and then she froze. Her jaw dropped as the scene in front of her caused her heartbeat to pound. She felt like she couldn't breathe. The two bodyguards were on the ground as they lay in the red pool of their own blood. Before she could cry, a gun clicked next to her temple. She didn't dare move.

'One scream and you will join them.' The man said in a quiet yet threatening voice.. 'Do you understand?'

She nodded in reply. He guided her by placing one hand on her shoulder and moving her towards the window that led her out the back. The driver was still in the car but once he realised that she had been taken, it would be too late.

'Start climbing down the rope. Remember, once scream and you will die.'

Once again she nodded. She turned around and put her legs on the rope ladder and forced to look at the murderer and when she did, she almost lost her grip and fallen to her death, had he not held onto her arms. She couldn't believe her eyes.

'Juned?' He looked different, slimmer and more built, as if he worked out, a contrast to the fat slime ball he had been all those years ago. Even his voice was different, his English smoother. His hair was shorter but his dark eyes remained the same; cunning and vicious.

'Anna, it's been a long time.' He smiled at her, but there was something sinister about it. Plus, he had just killed two people, and not anyone but government officials! She gulped unable to reply. She thought he was dead or something. 

Ariana snatched her arm away and carefully begun climbing down. At the bottom, there were two armed men and they bundled her into a black car. Soon, Juned joined her at the back seat, the silencer still in his hand. The driver switched on the lock. There was no escape.

'Aren't you going to ask where I am taking you?' Juned asked.

'Why should I bother caring when your just going to kill me?' Ariana stared outside the window. Juned started laughing.

'Oh sweet Anna, I'm not killing you.' His words sent a shiver through her spine. So, what was he going to do with her? The worst scenarios begun spinning in her mind.

'Don't worry, I will protect you.' She whipped her head towards him. Was he kidding, mocking her? Giving her hope and then would he cruelly snatch it away from her?

'What are you talking about? Don't you want to kill me?'

'Like I said no.'

'But I...shot you.'