Allison's POV:
I couldn't divert my gaze from the men clad in black suits, their eyes concealed behind dark shades, despite their gradual approach. As my senses snapped back to reality, fear coursed through me, causing me to shiver and take a step backward, my heart pounding, and my eyes wide with dread.
"No, wait, hold on," I began, lifting my hands in the air, but their footsteps pressed forward, ignoring my plea. I shook my head, unsure of my next move. "Look, I'll scream, alright? Just stop right there." I cautioned, then turned to steal a glance at the security guard who should have been stationed outside my office building. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen at that moment. Cursing my luck, I turned back to face the approaching figures, contemplating whether to shout for help.
"Hey," the bald man in the suit interjected, his voice stern. "Don't even think about screaming or getting clever." he warned, shifting his coat slightly to reveal a holstered gun at his belt. My heart skipped a beat as I grasped the gravity of their capabilities.
"Don't attempt anything foolish. Or we won't hesitate to use our guns, and there's no one around here who can save you." the other man with curly hair threatened, prompting a hard swallow from me.
"No..." I stammered, my breaths coming in heavy gasps, making up my mind to scream for help no matter what they said.
"We could have you in that car and gone in just a few seconds, before anyone even thinks about coming to help you." the curly-haired one added. My eyelids felt heavy, and the realization sank in that I was trapped in this situation with no alternative but to comply.
"But... why are you taking me? And where? And who the hell are you guys?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Just come with us." the bald one ordered abruptly, gripping my arm tightly as I scanned my surroundings, desperately hoping for someone to come to my rescue.
"Please, let me go. I don't want to go with you." I pleaded while he continued to drag me toward the gleaming black SUV.
"Get in the car, or we'll have to use our gun to make you cooperate." the curly-haired one threatened again, and tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't hold them back any longer. Fear engulfed me, my body shook, and a torrent of negative thoughts flooded my mind. I wondered if they intended to take me somewhere to kill me or rape me or maybe, beat me up and cut my limbs or something. Terror consumed me, but they paid no attention and tossed me into the car. The bald one claimed the front passenger seat, while the curly-haired one entered from the other side and sat beside me.
As I continued to breathe heavily, my tears tracing paths down my cheeks, the man in the driver's seat started the car. My heart raced once more, and restlessness gnawed at me.
"Please, tell me who you are and where you're taking me?" I cried, looking at the curly-haired one, but he swiftly withdrew his gun from his belt and pointed it at me, sending shivers down my spine. "Please, no." I pleaded anxiously, raising my hands in surrender.
"Then stop talking and sit quietly," he ordered angrily. I gulped again, my eyes wide open, and I fell silent, pondering who these enigmatic people were. Memories of recent days flooded my mind as I tried to fathom why I might have landed in this terrifying situation. Suddenly, it hit me. Jacob Hayes! I thought, my eyes widening further as I looked up at the curly-haired man.
"Are you... Are you working for Jacob?" I asked, my voice trembling. He continued to stare at me. "Just tell me, is it him?" I inquired anxiously.
"We're not allowed to reveal anything to you." The bald one replied from the front seat.
"But why?" I blurted out in frustration. Suddenly, the curly-haired one brandished his gun once more and aimed it at me. I immediately turned toward him, hands raised in surrender, my eyes wide with fear.
"I'm sorry, please." I begged.
"We can't take you out just yet, but we could sure as hell put a couple of bullets in you." The curly-haired one snapped angrily. I vigorously shook my head in terror, tears brimming on the edge of my lower eyelids.
"I'm sorry, I'll stay quiet." I whimpered, and he continued to glare at me. My thoughts raced back to his words. I realized they weren't permitted to kill me, which offered a faint glimmer of hope. But the unsettling 'yet' lingered in my mind. What did he mean by 'yet'? Were they planning to kill me, but not immediately? I wondered, my eyes widening as my heart raced. I couldn't hold back my tears any longer, letting them stream down my cheeks as I envisioned Jacob Hayes, aiming a gun straight at my forehead and pulling the trigger, much like in my nightmare. I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and shifted my gaze to the right, where the curly-haired one still glared at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned my face to gaze out the window, resigned to my uncertain fate.
The car journeyed on for about fifteen minutes. During that time, I remained silent, afraid that saying anything might provoke them. I was convinced these were Jacob Hayes's henchmen, especially since he was the only one who had invited me to collect my ID card from him that day, and I hadn't shown up. I didn't want to anger these men, considering Jacob Hayes's reputation as a rumored mafia boss. But questions gnawed at me. If he wanted me dead, why not order his men to kill me discreetly outside my office and escape? Why go through the trouble of bringing me to him? Was there a more brutal plan in store for me? I wondered, swallowing hard as tears traced paths down my cheeks. I cursed the moment I had chosen to take Josiah's task to the next level and ventured into that perilous under-construction building, landing myself in this life-threatening predicament.
After about another ten minutes, the car came to a halt at a desolate location. To the right, there was barren land, and to the left, some buildings were still under construction. I wasn't exactly sure of the place, but it seemed close to Kinton Town, judging from the route we took. I grew increasingly certain that these were indeed Jacob Hayes's associates since Jacob's own construction project was located in Kinton Town. It struck me that Jacob had a penchant for conducting business in remote, uninhabited areas with no other buildings, restaurants, or signs of human presence. But the question that gnawed at me was why. Perhaps these locations served as hubs for his illicit activities, and that's why his men had brought me here. It meant he had something unlawful in mind for me as well, and my heart raced at the thought.
The curly-haired man exited the car, and my anxiety grew. As the other two men followed suit, I nervously waited. Suddenly, the door on my side swung open, and I quivered. I turned to see the curly-haired man holding the door open while the bald one approached me. As I tried to resist, the bald man seized my arm and forcefully pulled me out of the car.
"Step outside." he barked angrily at me, and I shook my head in fear. As he continued to pull me along, I surveyed the surroundings, and a chill ran down my spine. There was absolutely no one in sight except for those three men in suits and myself.
"Please tell me what he's going to do?" I cried as the bald man dragged me towards a building.
"Keep moving," the curly-haired one ordered, while the bald man continued to pull me.
"Please, ask him not to kill me. I don't want to die here." I pleaded again, but they paid no heed, forcing me to walk towards a staircase that looked unfinished and crooked at the corners. My steps hesitated as I reluctantly moved forward due to my overwhelming fear.
"Hurry up. Our boss is waiting," the bald one growled bitterly. Waiting to end my life, huh? I thought resentfully as I increased my pace. As we climbed the stairs and reached the first floor, I was surprised to find it had a polished floor, and there were more men dressed in black suits.
"Here," the bald one directed me to turn right, where I saw a well-designed wooden door with a roaring lion intricately carved in the upper middle section. My breaths grew heavier as I stared at the door, wondering if Jacob was on the other side.
"The boss is in there, waiting for you," the bald one informed me, and I swallowed hard, turning to look at the menacing lion carving once again, realizing that the lion was ready to hunt its prey.