"Here, call your boyfriend," Vine handed a phone to Kiara.
With a shaking hand, she received the phone and dialed Jeremy's number. It was still not reachable.
"Is that the only number he has? Which other number does he use?" Vine's voice was full of mockery.
"He has only one number," she sniffed.
"Where is he?" Vine's voice was full of hatred and anger.
"I honestly don't know, Vine. I swear I also don't have an idea. I…"
"But you warned him, Kiara! You called to give him a warning to run away! You loose, useless woman!"
"I am sorry," Kiara had to respond, for Vine had given her the instruction that no matter what he said to her, she needed to respond. She feared to know what he would do if she did not respond, so she just made it a point to say something.
"Listen carefully," Vine started to talk. "Your living conditions, starting immediately, have changed. You shall have no access to any other rooms in this wing, and in the mansion at large, except to one bedroom and a bathroom. And this shall be for as long as I see fit! The two rooms shall be your world; for besides them, you cannot go anywhere else. Bodyguards will be stationed at your door, and your food will be delivered here. You shall not have access to a phone, a laptop, a watch or any other device electrical, mechanical or otherwise."
"I understand, Vine, but please, please I beg you, may I call my mother?" she pleaded.
"Which part of you shall not use a phone did you not get? No TV, no phone, no nothing. I will personally make sure that my son Vincent Lisandro gets enough of everything. I will make it a point that daily he is taken outside to get some fresh air. Once I feel that he does not need you anymore, I will deal with you accordingly!"
"But Vine, a son can never stop needing his mother. Please, please Vine, may you forgive me. I…"
She did not finish what she wanted to say, because Vine started to walk away and he locked the door from outside.
Kiara curled upon the bed and cried bitterly.
Vine heard the wailing, but he ignored it. He went to join Gareth, and the two of them, accompanied by some bodyguards, drove off to Travis and Aletha's house.
Kiara's parents, who were already used to the night visits by the men, welcomed them into their home. Vine had never been to the house; it was his first time going there, and he did not even go inside. He remained in the car outside while Gareth and some bodyguards entered the house. They entered with the instruction not to inform Travis and Aletha that he, was outside in the car. His reason was that he had no time to waste with the two; "especially the blabbing Travis", to use Vine's exact words.
"I have been trying to call Kiara, is there a problem with her phone?" Aletha asked with concern.
"Ma'am Kiara is currently not using a phone. She is failing to let go of Jeremy, so as a way of helping her focus on her marriage, lady Pinkerton suggested that we take the phone away for a while." Gareth explained.
"Oh!" Aletha's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, I thought there was that arrangement where she had a phone which could call only me and her dad, and now she can't call anyone at all?"
"Not at the moment," came Gareth's response.
Aletha looked at Travis with pleading eyes, for she wanted him to say something to defend their daughter, but Travis seemed too engrossed in making sure that Gareth felt welcome, that he missed his wife's pleading eye. Or did he ignore it? One could never be too sure with Travis.
Gareth handed over an envelope to Travis, stating that it came from the master and lady Pinkerton, as an anytime gift to the Noels.
"Ohh," the man rubbed his hands together excitedly before taking the envelope. "What do we have here?"
"It's an open cheque. The money is to cater for your needs," Gareth told him.
"Oh, tell lady Pinkerton that she didn't have to. But anyway, thanks a lot," he held the cheque close to this chest, as if guarding it with his life.
"Are you enjoying your new job?" Gareth asked with a faked smile.
"I am, I am," Travis smiled broadly. At the time of moving to the new house, Travis had been offered a new job at one of the Pinkerton companies; and the remuneration was close to ten times more than what he was earning at his previous job.
When the men left, Aletha tried to make Travis see that something was terribly wrong with Kiara.
"Nothing is wrong with our daughter, she is fine."
"But we cannot talk to her, Travis! Who blocks a daughter from talking to her own mum and dad? If they stop her from talking to Jeremy, I can understand that, but not us, Travis! Not us!"
Travis hugged his wife, not that he really wanted to comfort her, but he just wanted her to be silent. To him, it was a moment of celebrating. With one hand on his wife's shoulder, he used his other hand to open the envelope. When he saw the face of the cheque, Travis smiled so widely that it appeared like his whole face was just going to disappear into the smile.
***
As soon as he dropped Vine off at the mansion, Gareth proceeded to call his men. They went off to carry out their next task.
At that very same time, in Jacob and Nesisa's house, the couple was asleep. In the room next to them was Jeremy, wide awake. So many things ran through his mind, and he was seriously depressed. He walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and when a part of his mind told him to go outside to experience some fresh air, his other mind refused do that; thinking that it was too risky. But he badly needed the fresh air, so he opened the door and started walking outside.
It felt like he had not been out in centuries, for when the wind beat on his face and neck, he really felt revived. With his eyes closed, Jeremy faced the direction from which the wind was coming, and he spread out his eyes, smiling broadly. He opened his eyes in time to see from afar, a string of lights coming in his direction. What? Cars? Cars; seemingly a motorcade, at that time? Where were they going?
Jeremy instantly had a very bad feeling, and he immediately knew that they were coming for him.
The attic! The attic! But then, a man had previously peeped in that attic, and had not seen Jeremy. What if he was coming back to verify, and to see that for real, the attic was empty?
In a flash, Jeremy switched off the kitchen light and having no other space to hide inside, he ran behind the house. Behind a bushy flower, he prayed for his life, for that was the only thing he could have done at that time.
Sure enough, as per his guess, the cars came to his house, and they stopped. The front of the house was not very well lighted, but he could make out the cars clearly. From the angle where he was, he could see the men getting off the car and heading for the kitchen door.
Gareth, who was leading the team, knocked angrily at the door, but since he assumed that it was locked, he did not try to open it.
The knock woke Jacob up with a startle, and he woke his wife up.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered.
"Yes, the knock woke me up as well," the woman said.
Jacob pulled on a trousers and a shirt, and telling his wife to dress up but remain in their bedroom, he went downstairs.
"Who is there?" Jacob asked.
"It's Gareth! Open up!" he commanded.
Before the door was fully opened, Gareth yelled, "You have an attic in this house?"
Jacob was not sure whether it was a question or a statement…so he just remained silent.
Pushing him aside, Gareth entered the house and the bald man with him. They headed straight to the attic, and he flashed his lights in the room, and saw no-one.
"Why is there a mattress and blanket here? Does anyone stay in here?" he asked the bald man.
"I should think so, sir Gareth," the man nodded his head.
"Why didn't you tell me about the mattress and blankets earlier on?" he asked the man.
"I…I was going to tell you, sir Gareth," the man thought it was too dangerous for him to say that he had not seen them. He knew that once he mentioned that, he was going to suffer for failure to do a thorough job.
"When?" Gareth barked angrily.
"I…I honestly was going to tell you." he stammered.
Gareth motioned with his hands for two bodyguards to come forward.
"Take him down and wait for me in the car. This man here, whom we thought was one of us, is a mole."
"I am not a mole, sir Gareth! You have to believe me. I am not a mole!" the man tried to plead for mercy.
"Enough! Take him away!" Gareth's orders were immediately followed.
The man, scared for his life, was kicking and fretting, asking to be released.
From his hiding place, Jeremy saw two men carrying someone, headed towards one of the cars. He almost screamed, assuming that they were taking his brother away. He stood up from his crouching position and watched closely. The man who was being carried to the car was pleading for mercy, and Jeremy could swear that the voice was not his brother's. Even if he were to assume that trepidation might have contributed to the voice change; there was no way it would have changed the voice that much. So then who was it? Who was that man being carried away?
"My brother, I am sorry. I am sorry to both you and your wife…and your son too, for bringing this mess into your home." Jeremy whispered to himself, sincerely meaning every word he said.
Inside the house, Gareth went into a corner and called lady Pinkerton.
"Gareth?" her sleepy voice came.
"Lady Pinkerton; we have a mole. Earlier on he searched the attic and…"
Before he could finish his narration, the lady spoke:
"And you're calling me this late; disturbing my sleep, just to tell me that there is a mole? How long have you worked for me, Gareth? I thought by now you would be well aware of what we do with moles. I told you this Jeremy case is of utmost importance to me, because it involved the apple of my eye; Vincent Lisandro. Do what you have to do, Gareth; and when morning comes, show me what you have to show me."
"Consider it done, lady Pinkerton." His usual devilish smile appeared on his face.