ENG | The Cursed Scepter

The Great Escape

Ignacio never imagined that his day, once wonderful, would change so drastically. He wanted to savor and sip the wine, but besides it being too early, he might not pay attention to what was happening six tables ahead. Furthermore, Ignacio was the only one who stayed, all the other hotel guests had fled.

No one was foolish enough to ignore the orders of five heavily armed men.

Except him.

Some would say he was a stoic, practicing self-control in the face of risk or danger. But in reality, it was simply something intrinsic to people: fear. There were many signs. The shaky legs that prevented him from getting up and running towards the door, the inertia of hands resting on the tablecloth, concealing how much they trembled, or, to his terror, the curiosity to know what was happening.

And what was happening? The men, a team that resembled the U.S. Marines from American movies, aimed their heavy rifles at a woman. Not just any woman. Jacqueline Andrade, or when on missions, Jane Smith. A special agent from a secret division of Interpol for extraordinary crimes, she was his contact and security.

Ignacio noticed how the woman's dark and beautiful eyes, which enchanted him from the first day, scanned the room. They weren't nervous or desperate. Jackie seemed to faithfully analyze each of those robust men from varied backgrounds. For a moment, her gaze met his. But he had no doubt that Jacqueline's attention was on the leader of the armed team that invaded the hotel restaurant.

With brown hair, the wavy tips only accentuating the symmetry of her face, she was stunning. She had full breasts and a slender waist, and if he didn't know her profession, Ignacio would think she was an actress or a model.

When he first met her, she had a darker and straighter hairstyle. Perhaps she changed her appearance according to the mission? He didn't even want to think about what Jackie would do if she had to enter a casino. Because he had no doubt, she would enchant all the men and maybe even some women.

His Jackie was beautiful and deadly. Especially with the leggings highlighting her legs and glutes.

He swallowed hard, entranced by the beauty and the cocking of a rifle.

"Wow! They never said you were pretty." One of the men, near the drinks counter where a bartender offered the best drinks, said that and took a glass from the table. "If we weren't on a mission, I'd buy you a drink."

"And I, with all my education, would tell you to go to hell." Her voice was sweet but determined. "Now, guys, what kind of reception is this? Your mothers didn't teach you respect when dealing with a gentle lady?"

"Gentle..." The leader spat in mockery. "Someone who kills soldiers for information is far from being gentle."

Interesting sequence of events...

"A woman needs to use every weapon she has to defend herself." She shrugged. "Or are you, mercenaries, going to tell me you don't kill and behead women and children to get what you want?"

She gritted her teeth and slyly reached for a beaten leather briefcase. The leader of the squad, a tall and muscular man in peak physical condition, noticed the movement and placed the rifle barrel on the suitcase.

Jackie stepped back. The leader smiled, irritating her even more. She nibbled on her full lips.

"No jokes." The five men spread around the chairs around her. Two of them stopped on each side. "Come on, Jacqueline. Don't make this hard..."

Jackie dragged the chair and stood up. At the same time, she opened her hands to show she was unarmed. It was impossible not to notice how the loose T-shirt went down to her hips or how the soldier at the counter devoured her with his eyes. That soldier couldn't contain the lust in his gaze, and that made Ignacio clench his fists.