The Accountant

30. Princess

Dinara

-Where am I?-

Feeling like her head was splitting in two, she groaned. She tried to shift to lessen the ache. It was no use. Everywhere hurt. Especially her shoulder.

-Think!-

She couldn't. Her mind was blank. So blanked.

Something was telling her, that this was bad. Wherever she was. It was bad. She had to go back to her family. Who were her family?

Her blue-violet eyes opened and her lips twisted. Glancing around, she tried to remember where she was.

This was some kind of a warehouse. She was on a small cot, IV inserted in the back of her left hand and she was in a Mickey Mouse shirt with bandages underneath. The room she was in was small and poorly lit.

She was a captive. Someone took her from her family. Again, who was her family?

Fear made her hyperventilate.

-I don't remember anything.-

***
It was evening when she came to. Her room was very dark, only a reflection of lights from the street can be seen from a small window.

No one came to her. No one offered food or water.

On wobbly legs, she tried to get up. She was able to. It was a small victory.

More alert, she glanced at the window once more. Presumably, she was kidnapped, there was only one sensible thing to do. Escape.

Go to the nearest police station and report herself missing. She snorted. She was one piece of work. Maman had always told her so.

She was jolted from her musings. Who was maman?

It was really frustrating her to no end. She would make sure to try harder later after she escaped this place.

***

She was being followed. Men. Two of them.

She didn't know she had skills, she was able to grab a gun from one of the guards and shot some of the men guarding the perimeters of the warehouse and she did it without batting an eyelash despite her injuries.

How to get rid of her tail? She was still hugging the shadows of the dockside, trying to look for the best place to hide.

She scanned her surroundings. Maria. That was the name written on a cargo vessel docked half a mile away. Okay. Think, girl! What else did maman teach you? Whoever she was, she had taught her a lot. Maybe she also knew how to swim.

Let's put that to the test.

"Hey, stop!" She didn't need to look back to check if those men were her captors.

Without the slightest hesitation, she jumped into the frigid waters. It was clumsy and her body went deep. She peddled her legs and arms weakly, spreading back and forth under the water, bringing her back to the surface.

I can swim. But her injured shoulder would not be able to hold on for too long. Shit!

Then gunshots thundered in the distance.

Holy shit!

____________

Dominic

Beau gave them the exact location of where the enemies were keeping Dinara.

It was a delipidated warehouse southwest of San Francisco Bay's western edge, near the Golden Gate Bridge. A lot of legal and illegal activities circulated in the area.