Roman calls two hours after. I cut my visit to the next animal park with Yvonne short with the excuse of wanting to rest after the hair incident. So now I'm in my apartment.
"Hello to you too," I say drily as soon as he commands that I speak. "'How are you, Ivory? Did you sleep well, Ivory?' You can pretend to care, you know."
"I hear you disturbed my sister early this morning. What is it?" he snaps.
I groan and roll my eyes. "Well, if you must know, I had to ask you about something. Do you have any connections here in Cuba? Havana most especially."
"We have connections all over the world, Ivory. You know that. Why?"
He sounds like he wants to get off the phone immediately. However, I do not give him the honor, because there's no way I'm letting him off when there's most likely some crazy man out there planning to do away with me. All I did was a buy a car, for goodness' sakes!
"I need backup." I blink. "Or maybe a bodyguard. Two. Three. Four bodyguards at most." I purse my lips after speaking, knowing that I must sound insane.
"What for?" he replies, his tone implying confusion.
"Well, uh..."
"Speak up, Ivory. I don't have all day."
I roll my eyes. "Chill out, Rome. Thing is, I received a phone call yesterday. Someone is trailing me."
"Did you say trailing you?"
"Mm-hmm. Apparently, I've made an enemy here. Someone is trailing me, and from the tone of the person that called me, it's not for good."
I hear something move. He's probably sitting up.
"None of our men have reported such," I hear him say above some tapping sounds. "Had there been any issue, we'd have found out by now."
"The person in question called me, Roman. Whoever this is, he knows me. And he has a strong hatred for me."
There's silence for a moment, then he swears. "I knew you shouldn't have gone along with this," he says, a dark undertone to his voice. "You always get yourself into trouble."
Oh please.
"Just get the guys to sneak around. I have a very bad feeling," I reply, choosing to ignore his earlier words.
"Of course you do. You brought this upon yourself Ivory."
I sigh. "Let's not start this. Just get them to-"
Glass shatters, causing me to look up in surprise. My eyes narrow at the sight before me.
"Roman, I gotta go."
"Why? What was that in the background? Ivory-!"
I end the call and look at the two men who have just broken in, the narrowed state of ym eyes not softening at all. "Who are you?" I ask.
"That's not important," one of them replies. "It's either you come with us quietly or forcefully. Choose."
I laugh sarcastically. "You come in here after breaking two windows and you really expect me to follow you, just like that? Brilliant."
I turn away from them as I laugh, looking for my gun. From the corner of my eye, I see something flying, then I dodge it.
The men shoot more bullets. One hits the light bulb, and everywhere turns dark.
Well, partially. I'm used to darkness.
I take my gun, dive underneath the bed and wonder; where are the security alarms?
I feel around for and open my personal case under the bed, pick up my gun and peep out.
Silence.
At least that's what I think. Then my ears prick and the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
They're still here.
I turn three hundred and sixty degrees on the hard floor, still surveying the room. No one. No foot, no toe, definitely no finger. Not even a fingernail.
Then I feel a movement. They're on the bed, waiting for me to come out.
Thank goodness I installed some cameras and devices in the room. I press a button.
The bed begins to rise and the men stand up quickly.
I aim for the legs. They fall and I crawl out as fast as I can, then pick my purse and phone, before making for one of the broken windows.
One guy pulls the trigger at me, aiming for my hip. I dodge again and the bullet hits the window sill, making a wheezing sound past my ear. Swearing, I shoot and hit his arm, smiling satisfactorily when I hear him groan in pain.
However, almost immediately after the other stranger shoots, apparently aiming for my shoulder. The bullet barely brushes it, but I close my eyes as the heat stings, righting myself within a second and firing at his chest. He drops the gun.
The first man picks the gun with his good arm and fires at me again but misses. I move away as fast as I can when the fragments of the window behind me fly in various directions, then shoot.
He falls down again, blood rushing from the left side of his neck.
That's when I hear the security alarm make a shrill sound. Well, they're here early.
I jump out of the window being careful not to touch any jagged part, then pick up speed as soon as my feet land on the ground, racing away from the area.
I end up in an alley hours later. The only things I have are my phone, wallet, and gun. The three most important things in my life; if you don't include food and water. Speaking of which, I'm starving.
Just then, I sight two boys, obviously brothers. One seems to be about eight years old, the other about eleven. I'm tired and hungry, and there are two boys in front of me downing juice and crisps.
Life can be so unfair.
The younger one stops eating when he sees me, then pulls his brother's shirt sleeve. The elder one looks up, then freezes, his face radiating fear.
Dammit. Definitely not the expression I was going for, so I try to smile, waving a hand. "Uh, Aloha." Or is it Hola?
The younger one rattles away in Spanish, terror written all over his face as he scrambles to his feet. I'm staring at them in serious confusion, wondering how to calm them down, when I feel a presence behind me. That's when I realize that it's not me they're looking at.
They were able to follow me all the way here? Persistent much?
I turn slowly, then sigh inwardly as I come face to face with a man holding a gun.
"Alright, I'm yours," I say. "You can kill me now."
Then I feel the cold steel of my gun reassuringly.
*
"How did you know I was the one?" I ask as I sit on the couch, dropping my phone after the call with Ford. Thank goodness it's soft, because my body still hurts.
The guy drops his gun in a case, shrugging. "Master Deville sent a photo along with your information."
I snort. "Sure he did."
So Ford, most likely after arguing with Roman, thought well of me and sent the man I met in the alley as a bodyguard- Hugo is his name, apparently.
"I could have killed you," I say. "I never miss my mark." Once or twice, that is.
He laughs and moves to the cute-looking kitchen. "You could have, but I knew you were going to attempt that."
He had managed to introduce himself before I pulled the trigger.
"Lucky you," I say and place my head on the couch's armrest, curl myself into a sleeping position. So darn soft. He comes back some minutes later.
"Would you like to eat something?"
I'm about to refuse when my stomach growls. Swearing, I pick the remote on the small table in front of me and I hit the power button. A Telenovela series is playing. "I wouldn't mind something light, thank you."
"A sandwich, perhaps?"
"Yes, that'll do." I tap another control button to increase the volume while he nods and returns to the kitchen to continue whatever he's doing.
"So why are you here in Cuba?" he asks out of the blue, staring at me from the corner of his eye.
"You should know, considering the fact that you were sent by Ford," I reply, cringing as the male character on the screen places a kiss on the female character's hand.
"Well...Mr. Deville didn't inform me of your relationship in any way. I was only paid to find you and help in any way I can. I was there when you landed on the grass behind the building of your condo but I could not talk to you because of the security guards that were coming."
"Hmm. I see." I look around the house, looking for something I can use to change the subject. I'd rather choke on a bullet than tell him. "You own this place?"
He takes the bait. "Yes, ma'am."
"All of it?"
Raising a brow, he nods. And I become genuinely surprised. "How come? What do you do for a living?"
He pauses for a moment. "I'm a lifeguard."
"Say that again?"
Chuckling, he turns to the cooker. "I'm a lifeguard."
I take the interior decor of the apartment along with the size, and I assure you, there's no possible way for a lifeguard to afford this.
"Surely you don't rely on that salary alone. What else do you do?"
He stops again, then sighs. "I guess I'm the kind of guy that does everything that comes to me."
Hold up.
I'm silent for a minute, my ears tingling. "So...if I pay you to kill someone, you will?"
"If worst comes to worst," he replies with a shrug and stirs the contents of the pan.
I'm the kind of guy that does everything that comes to me.
That's not what someone like me wants to hear. If he can say that, then...I'm not safe here. It means that he will gladly-
"Here," his voice says and interrupts my thoughts.
"Thanks," I reply quietly, placing the tray of eggs and toast on the table. "Uh...random question: How much did Ford pay you?"
He quirks a brow as he sits beside me, a plate of food in his hand. "Why on earth would you be asking about that?"
Because I want to know if it's includes you killing me.
"Just curious," I reply with a shrug.
He glances at me for a minute, his eyes showing that he doesn't believe me at all. "I choose not to answer that, ma'am."
"Uh...right," I say awkwardly, mentally planning how to find out that piece of information.
A few moments later, I give up on the awkwardness. "You know any place I can get some hair dye and a spray tan?"
"I'm sure we can find somewhere around," he answers, dropping his fork. "But I have to know why you're searching for such."
I blink. "I need to change my look so I can lay low, Hugo. Get with the program. You have a place, right? Take me there."
"I reckon a place or two, but no."
I look up at him, surprised. "No?"
"Mr. Deville gave me strict orders not to allow you out of my house until the dust settles."
"The dust is settled now, jeez. Just show me where it is. Unless you want to get it for me."
He nods. "I'll do just that. I'd like to prevent my head from being taken apart by Mr. Deville."
Of all the...he just foiled my plan. I want to leave here and go somewhere far away, as far as I can. If he does anything that comes to him, I can be killed in a millisecond.
I stare at my food, the thought of being killed fresh in my mind. Who knows if it's poisoned?
He apparently notices my expression, because he immediately asks if there's anything wrong with the sandwich.
"No...no. I was thinking about something." I stand up. "Can I see my room, please?"
At first he looks confused, then he nods and stands up. "Right this way."