Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
Chapter Thirty Two
Jason watched Manisso board the plane, then Elizabeth and lastly himself. Manisso seemed to inspect the plane. It was a small twin-engine plane, its chartered destination unknown.
"All right then, you've had your night's sleep. Tell me what you know about Jaime." Jason looked at his watch. It was 10 a.m. It was getting late. They got up later than Jason had anticipated and then had to wait for the plane to arrive.
"Rosco, came to me six nights ago asking for a villa to stay in. He asked that it be secluded and large. I told him I couldn't help him. I had no such place. I mean, after my 'death' I had nothing except the clothes on the 'stranger's back' and what I had managed to save up in a few months work. Rosco demanded I find him a place that night. He was in a terrible mood. I told him of a couple of friends who had a country villa. It was a large estate and was well secured."
"Where is it?" Jason asked.
Manisso waved his hand for him to slow down. "Don't worry, I'll get there. He chased my friends off the estate and threatened to kill them if they didn't remain quiet. I told my friends I'd put them up in a little apartment I had in the city until the man left. So they kept quiet."
"Get to it. Where is the estate?" Jason commanded.
"It's in the country, just off the autobahn. You take the #65 down to the autobahn and take the third exit off. You go down at least 16 miles down the road and turn left of the Carleni's vineyard. You go down seven miles from there and you'll see a grove of trees. Behind those trees is the Prellei's estate."
Jason quickly jotted down the directions. He nodded to the man.
"Thank you," Elizabeth said softly. Jason had almost forgotten that she was there.
"Elizabeth let's go." Jason motioned her out the door.
As she climbed down the steps, Jason began closing the door. Manisso stopped him. "Thank you for not telling Mr. Nam. He would have killed me."
Jason nodded and pulled the door until it sealed shut.
As Jason and Elizabeth stood by the black sedan, they watched the plane pull away. Elizabeth protected her face in his chest. Jason wrapped one of his arms around her and with the other shielded his face from the propellers' blast.
"Jason?" Elizabeth asked, as soon as the plane was far enough that the wind didn't blow them away. "What would have Mr. Nam have done if he had found Manisso?"
"I can't…" Jason didn't finish his sentence.
In the distance, a couple of feet up into the take off, the plane flashed in a burst of smoke and flames. BOOM! A rush of air blast against them.
Jason pulled Elizabeth into him, shielding her from the warm air that came from the wreckage. Both of them slowly stood up as they watched the ball of flame fall from the sky.
"Jason, you…you…you didn't know that was going to happen…did you?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes fixed on the now smouldering black twisted metal.
"No!" he exclaimed.
Jason scanned the area, his hand grasping the revolver that was holstered on his shoulder. "Elizabeth, get in the car!" he said calmly.
Elizabeth was in shock and didn't move from her position in front of the sedan. Jason shuffled her into the passenger seat. "And stay down."
Jason surveyed the flat terrain. He saw no movement. Jason slowly got into the car and started the engine. He began to back out and turn onto the road, which lead to the autobahn.
Out of nowhere a black car with tinted windows blocked their exit. Jason quickly manoeuvred the car towards the airstrip. But suddenly another black tinted car drove to block their escape. The cars boxed them in. Jason grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her from the sedan. "Elizabeth, we're gonna have to make a run for it!" Jason whispered.
"Where?" she cried hysterically, "There's nowhere to run to."
Jason scanned the terrain once more. They were close enough to a small set of bushes that they could possibly make it, but Jason hesitated. He didn't want to risk Elizabeth's life if there wasn't a chance. But they were sitting ducks in the car.
"Mr. Morgan," an older man's voice called out through a speaker.
Jason peeked out over the dashboard. They were surrounded by four, armed men in black suits. They were Asian in descent and had black sunglasses on. "The Nams."
"Who?" Elizabeth gasped.
Jason sat up straight. "Elizabeth, it's the Nams."
"Mr. Morgan, please step out of the car and meet me in my limousine."
Jason scanned the airstrip again and found a long white limo driving towards them. "Jason," Elizabeth whispered, "Did they just kill Massino?"
"I assume so," Jason stated.
"Then why are we going to meet them?"
Jason turned to Elizabeth. "They won't hurt us Elizabeth. Massino had unfinished business with Mr. Nam. I can't explain it to you right now Elizabeth, but he's not going to kill us."
"Fine," she said shakily. "Let's go then."
Jason got out of the sedan and walked around to the passenger side. He helped the trembling Elizabeth out of the car. "We'll be fine. I promise."
Jason kissed her on the top of her head and led her to the waiting white limousine.
***
Oh please don't let them kill us. Oh please!
Elizabeth couldn't stop praying. It was the first time she really ever experienced true fear. The fear she had of Helena had been one mingled with disgust and anger. This experience was just plain excruciating fear.
"We'll be fine. I promise," Jason said, kissing her on the head. He walked her towards the limousine.
Elizabeth found herself afraid that her knees would give way. "Jason, I'm making you keep that promise."
He stopped her just before the limousine. Jason cupped her face and gazed into her petrified grey eyes. "Elizabeth," he paused. "You know I care for you and I will protect you, right? I am promising you…I will not let them hurt you. Do you understand me?"
Elizabeth felt his eyes pierce through the shock of the plane explosion and the overwhelming sense of helplessness she felt as they tried to speed away from the menacing cars. Closing her eyes she nodded her head. Elizabeth took a deep breath and regained her composure. "I'll be fine Jason." Elizabeth grabbed Jason's hand and he squeezed it.
Elizabeth swallowed hard as they entered the dark, leather-interior limo.
"Mr. Morgan. Ms. Webber. How nice to see you again! Please have a seat." Mr. Nam spoke politely.
"Mr. Nam," Elizabeth gulped. "What brings you here?"
Elizabeth slid against the well cared for leather seats. She felt Jason's hand squeeze hers as he slid in beside her. "Mr. Nam," Jason greeted.
"Mr. Morgan. How glad I am to see you? I am sorry to have frightened you that way, I just needed to speak to you about how the search is going."
"I think you already know, don't you?" Elizabeth accused. She covered her mouth, appalled at how she had lost self-control. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
Mr. Nam eyed Elizabeth for a moment. "I think you did…Ms. Webber."
Elizabeth lowered her gaze to the floor of the limousine.
"Mr. Morgan, Ms. Webber is correct in her assumptions, however misplaced they may be. I know about Massino. What I want to know is why you didn't inform me about this turn in the investigation?" Mr. Nam glared at Jason.
Elizabeth watched Jason continue to remain calm. She always admired that trait in him and wished that Elizabeth, herself could remain calm herself.
"We were too involved in the investigation to call you at the time. We had to move fast to find Jaime. Even now, we are wasting precious time trying to find her."
Mr. Nam studied Jason, seeming to look for any trace of insecurity. 'He won't find any,' Elizabeth laughed to herself.
"I think you could take a little more time to inform me of little finds like Mr. Manisso," he said carefully, waiting to see if Jason got his full meaning.
"I didn't think that was necessary. The objective is to get Jaime back. I could care less about Manisso."
Mr. Nam nodded. "I suppose you are correct Mr. Morgan. Excuse me for overstepping. I am…I am just worried about my daughter."
"Well, I think we've wasted enough time, don't you?" Elizabeth quipped. "I mean, we could be out finding her right now, right Jase?"
Jason nodded. Mr Nam bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of their desire to leave. "Please, keep me informed Mr. Morgan? Ms. Webber?
Both of them nodded.
As Elizabeth felt the hot breeze of the air hit her face, she greeted it with a smile. Never had she ever been so intimidated by one person in her life. Even her family didn't quite match up.
"Jason," she finally spoke when they reached the sedan. "Why didn't you tell them about the Perelli's villa?"
"Because Jaime wouldn't want him to know. Besides, the information will slip when and if we find Jaime there."
Elizabeth nodded as she got into the passenger seat. She breathed a sigh of relief to be away from all of the tension and stress of that situation.
"Jason, she's going to all right isn't she?"
Jason didn't say anything for a moment. "We'll get to her in time Elizabeth, for whatever they are planning for her."