I opened my eyes slowly to observe my surroundings. I was tied again but not to any chair. I was sitting on a dirty floor. My first instinct was to look for the boy, but I didn't find him. I hoped Pat and the rest of the team were actually making efforts to find me.
"Hello Laura. Are you done thinking of escape routes?"
"Jared" That was the only word that could come out of my mouth. I was totally finding it difficult to believe. I knew Jared was a lot of things, but I never would have believed he was involved in drugs.
"Surprised ain't ya?" He asked with a smirk.
"Jared. Tell me it's my vision that's going bad and not you standing in front of me dealing with devils" I croaked.
He laughed wickedly. "19 years and you didn't realize??!! How naive could you be!!! I've been running a drug cartel for years now."
I opened my mouth in shock. Tears were rolling out of my eyes in disbelief and disappointment. I'd been arresting terrorists and putting them in jail, while there was one right under my roof. Matthew walked in then with some guys that were fully armed to the teeth. Cold shivers ran through my spine.
"Boss I see you guys are having a reunion. The plane leaves for Mexico in 2 hrs. We were waiting for our guys in New York. They just arrived a few minutes ago"
"Alright" Jared replied.
"You're the boss. Like the actual leader?? Jared why??!! What do you think your children will say when they see or hear about this?" I cried out.
"Keep quiet and stop talking" He ordered.
"They're the same thing" I replied to spite him. My eyes spotted something shiny - a broken glass.
I quickly grabbed it and slowly began to cut the rope.
"You're still being a bitch, right? You have the guts to correct me when I'm wrong, huh?!!" He slapped me. I gritted my teeth in pain and continued cutting the rope behind me, which was very difficult, considering the fact that my hands were both tied. My wrists were bleeding, but I didn't mind. I needed to get back home to my children.
He bent down to my level and smiled.
"Don't worry. You'll be humbled when we get to Mexico. It's a really nice country" He stood up and stretched his hand. "The amount I'd get from handing you over to my clients..." He daydreamed.
That was when realization dawned on me.
"You're involved in human trafficking too?" I couldn't believe my eyes. I started crying, knowing fully well what was going to happen to me the moment I stepped foot off American soil. It'd be very hard for anyone to find me.
"It pays better than white collar or even brown collar jobs. After I got framed up for fraud at the bank, it was so hard to get a job. I couldn't tell you because you had a lot of problems to deal with. I hated asking you for money all the time. I needed something badly and then this opportunity came along. I couldn't reject it" He replied.
"But I never complained" I replied.
"But I felt it" He said.
"I regret the day I married you. I regret ever knowing you, but you know what I don't regret? The products of our union, our kids. And if there's anything that'll make me maintain a clean reputation, it's because of them. Jared it's not too late to turn yourself in. I promise you, I'll make sure you get a reduced sentence and if possible get you an amnesty from our superiors in the US government" I tried to persuade him.
"Can you even hear yourself??" He laughed wickedly. "A reduced sentence. I don't even want a reduced sentence. I am guilty of every charge labelled against me. Do you know all the things I've done? All the people I've killed?? And you want me to get a reduced sentence. No can do, Laura. I'm going to complete my mission with the cartel and then I'm going to turn myself in. But until then, I still have a lot of things to do"
"Are you under pressure?" I asked gently. He turned away.
"I borrowed money from them and couldn't pay back. The rest is history" He explained coldly.
Before I could reply, there was a large commotion outside and shouts of 'FBI' rang out. I increased my place with trying to cut myself lose.
Jared looked at me. He brought out his gun and then I stood up and pushed him to the ground. I quickly grabbed the gun from him and pointed it to his head. I wondered how he was made a drug cartel leader when he wasn't even steady with a gun.
"Hands behind your head Jared. Put 'em where I can see them" I said to him.
"You wouldn't do that, Laura" He turned to me and sat up. "You wouldn't arrest me, and you know why, you care so much about our kids. You know Alex will never forgive you if she hears that you arrested or shot her Father, no matter how much she hates me"
I shut my eyes tightly to hold back the tears. "Stop talking Jared" I cried out and my hold on the gun loosened. "Just stop talking and trying to mess with my head. I'm trying to uphold Justice. And do not ever mention my kids"
"You know I'm right"
I dropped the gun instantly and a shot rang out. Jared screamed in pain as his leg was shot. I looked up and it was Tash.
"He was bringing out a gun" She said.
I looked at his hand which held a small firearm. She rushed towards me, but not before Jared shot me on my shoulder. I fell down and blacked out immediately.
"Wake up Laura"
"It's been three days now"
"Come on mum. You can't do this to us"
"Laura''
"We've tried our best. If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, we're taking her off the mask"
The voices were muffled and so low. I tried opening my eyes, but I felt so weak and my head was pounding.
"She's waking up!!" I heard someone say. The voices were getting more audible and louder. And suddenly I could see. I remembered everything that happened in a rush. The memories were so clear.
"Hey babies" I said to Alex that were sitting on a chair around. My team mates and Mason were all in the room there, giving relieved smiles.
Alex's eyes widened in excitement and she rushed to my bed side immediately. She started crying and patted my arm gently. "You scared the shit out of me. And don't you dare tell me not to use swear words because I'll be damned"
Everyone in my room, including me, laughed heartily. Mason was there too. He just kissed me on my cheeks slightly.
"Welcome back to the land of the living Laura"
I smiled.
"Aww you guys are so cute together" one of the nurses said.
"They're just best friends" Tash said, sadly.
"Unfortunately" Alex added with a scowl.
They were later asked to excuse me, while the doctors ran some other tests on me to confirm that I was fully okay. Tash walked in later.
"How're you holding up baby girl?" She asked.
"What happened?" I asked.
"If I tell you to wait till you're discharged, I'm sure you'd beat me up and I'll end up being on this bed instead of you" She laughed and continued "Jared has been arrested already. We found the boy. We were lucky to have arrived at the time we did, because they were already on their way to catch up with the helicopter that had just landed on the roof top. He was charged with murder, arson, felony, human trafficking, drug trafficking and every other terrible crime you could think of"
I winced in hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Laura" She said genuinely.
"It's fine. How are my children?" I asked, already knowing the answers.
"They were with Mason. They're fine. Amanda has been hysterical though, but she's doing perfectly okay"
I sighed in relief to hear that.
"When am I going to be discharged?"
"I think it'll be tomorrow. The doctors have to certify you completely healthy, before discharging you. And Charles said you need to rest for a week, before coming back to work"
"What??!!" I sat up. "A week? What would I be doing at home?"
"I dunno... Playing mummy with your kids, sleeping, making homemade food and cleaning, doing groceries and laundry" Tash said sarcastically.
"That was a rhetorical question" I rolled my eyes and she laughed. She left soon after promising to stop by after work.
I longed to call my kids but I didn't have a phone anymore, unfortunately.
Mason came in immediately, holding a new phone in his hands. He gave it to me without a word.
"Oh Mason" I hugged my best friend, crying on his shoulders.
"As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you're going to have a very long talk with the twins when you get home. I'd have loved to stay ad be with you, but I want you to be with them and talk to them alone. But if I gets crazier and you can't handle it, just call me"
I nodded.
I knew that the fact that their father was arrested would not sit right with them. I was prepared for whatever was going to happen, but I was not prepared for what actually happened.