Appetite For Love

Chapter Thirty Six

Aden could not believe what Craig had told him last night. In fact, he was truly disgusted.

He was sitting at his kitchen table trying to calm get himself. Just the previous night he had been hopeless, but then Craig changed everything.

*Flashback Starts*

"Why should they? Nothing is concrete as yet," Craig said.

Curious eyes looked at him, but one pair was filled with anger.

"What are you doing here? Let me guess, you've come to gloat, right? Get lost! I don't need you and your fake sympathy," Aden uttered.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way cousin and I don't blame you, but I am here for you," Craig tried to assure him.

Aden got up from behind Aïda's chair and stormed out.

He was outside in the parking area when Craig grabbed his elbow.

"Dude, I'm not telling you again, get lost," Aden said turning to face his cousin.

Craig looked around nervously spotting Johanie, Martin and Zoë looking at him. That piqued Aden's interest.

"Aden, we need to speak in private. Please?"
"Unless you can tell me where to find Aïda, we have absolutely nothing to talk about."

Craig smiled and raised a brow. Aden recognized that look from childhood.

"What? You know something."
"Yes, but we can't here."
"Where is she and is she..?" Aden could not finish.
"I can't say anything now, but here take this," he handed Aden a piece of paper, "my number is on there and so is the place where I want us to meet."

Aden took the paper and placed it in his coat.

"Meet me there in an hour, but first I need you to beat me black and blue."
"What?"
Craig smiled. "It's not like you don't want to. Anyway, we have to make everyone believe that you hate me and don't want to see me again. It's not really a stretch."

Aden did not wait for more incouragement, he punched his cousin in the stomach several times before Martin came between them.

Aden got into his car, read the note and drove off to the his and Craig's meeting spot.

An hour later Craig showed up, looking around casually.

"So, where is she?"
"I need you to listen to me first. You don't have much of a choice."

They were at the beach where Aden and Aïda used to hang out when they were teens. Both of them were shivering, but Aden would do anything for his angel.

"What a great idea you had, is meeting in the freezing cold. Brilliant Craig."
"I have no other option, I'm sure that someone's watching you."

Aden was rendered speechless.

"I know that Aïda is most likely alive."
"Most likely?"
"Yes, I believe that. I also know in what area she might be and you won't believe what I'm about to tell you."

*End Of Flashback*

Aden was so nervous that he accidentally dropped the phone when Craig called.

"Yes?" Aden said hoarsely.
"We're ready to go, I want you to meet me at the same spot as last night, but promise me, Aden, that you won't do anything stupid."

Aden was silent. For Aïda's same he would remain calm and follow the rules. Only for her.

"Do you promise? Otherwise we'll leave without you."
"Okay, I promise."
"Look Aden, I've done everything possible on my part to get Aïda out of there, but there are no guarantees. Be ready for any eventuality."
"I'll meet you at the beach," was all Aden said before hanging up.

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Aden looked at the farm on Ceres where Aïda was being held against her will, through a pair of binoculars. There were about six armed men guarding the house in total, the good news was that one of them was Craig's inside man. They had three dogs as well, but Craig's man had already poisoned the dogs.

Craig and his team were waiting for the man who held Aïda to leave, he had a meeting with his accomplice. Some of his men were going to rescue Aïda while the others planned on getting the mastermind.

"When is that man leaving? We can't wait anymore. We might draw unwanted attention." Kannemeyer.

"If I were you, I'd stay silent, you were the one who prematurely came to a wrongful conclusion. You'll wait till I say so," Craig retorted.

A very red Kannemeyer stayed silent. Najwa struggled to hide her smile, she tried even harder not to glance in Craig van den Heever's direction.

Craig knew and trusted Kannemeyer and the head of the police station, but had only informed them about
Aïda being alive after his meeting with Aden. He had instructed them to tell only the most trusted and dedicated officers.

At approximately 13:43 the man in the house called them with the news that the mastermind was about to leave.

Aden was both excited and scared at the same time.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Aïda heard the car drive off and decided to get fresh air. She had not been outside in a while.

She took a quick shower, got dressed into a mom jeans, a black tanktop, a black waterfall cardigan and a beige trenchcoat. A pair of black ugg boots completed the look.

The snow from the previous week had gone and the sun was out, but there was still that winter chill in the air.

Aïda stood on the stoep for a moment before walking off to the front gate. She leaned on it and relished the feel of the sun on her skin, when a guard walked up behind.

"I know, I know, I'm too close to the gate, but I won't go anywhere. I'm not stupid enough to get myself mauled  by a dog," Aïda rattled on.

"You went get mauled by a dog if you follow my lead," the guard known as Koos said, "Aïda look at me."

Aïda wondered what was wrong with him, he was bolder than usual. None of them ever talked to her for fear of their lives. They treated her like like queen even avoiding eye contact. She kept her back to him and stayed silent, she did not want to be responsible for the man's death.

"Aïda, your freedom is here. There are police and special task officers waiting to save you."

Aïda turned around looking at Koos with with frown. It felt like a dream, but then she remembered the dogs and the totally overwhelming situation she was in, the hopelessness of it. What if he testing her through Koos. No.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going back to my room," she started but he grabbed her gently by the arm getting, get heart was beating faster.

"Look around you. Do you see any dogs?"

That's when Aïda noticed that she had not seen the dogs since stepping out of the house.

"I put poison in their food, it killed them. When I give you the signal, I want you to walk out of this gate, once you're out start running."

"But what about you, he'll kill you and your family," Aïda protested.

She was prepared to give up her freedom to keep these people safe. She was going to live in luxury anyway, totally miserable, but she would atleast have her life. These people and their families will be dead.

"He won't. He is about to be arrested and as far as our families are concerned, they're all in a safe place. The police are waiting for you."

Koos gave her directions. He was about distract them.

Aïda was grateful to him, but still scared. What if it was too good to be true?

She was ready to find out.