LEGACY
CH: 17-The Kidnapping
For the next month or half Marie and her father and Alex had moved to the estate that she had inherited from her own adoptive parents by their own will. They were staying on the private lands in the castle in which Marie had spent most of her summers as the child and the location was unknown to anyone except her and she wanted that way for it was peaceful enough and lush French country side welcomed the fugitives there. And for the first time Bourne had agreed for Marie to have her own way to choose the location where they would stay for few more months. At least they were out of the sight of searching CIA's agents but they could not escape the Jackal who waited a right time to strike and he would do it when Bourne least expected it would happen.
Since Alex's abrupt visit, Marie couldn't settle down her thoughts and there fore, sat in her favorite armchair by the window thinking. Shaken beyond belief, she couldn't possibly sleep soundly now. Observing the dark scenery of the night, she noticed the clock jump from four to five am. Growing restless, she needed to jog few kilometers in the countryside to ease the memories from the last night.
Leaving the note to Alex, she changed into a loose T-shirt and black shorts, strapped on her runners and welcomed the morning breeze with open arms. The first ten minutes of the jog felt like the pure bliss, being one with the nature and the road. The sun had yet to fully rise and she could see the glistening morning dew on potted plants and evergreen trees. This was how it felt to be alive.
Jogging up the hill, she noticed five men jogging toward her. She found it odd that there were people out here in this early in the morning. Usually it was just she and the road but today, the men seemed in excellent physical condition. They didn't seem to be from around the area.
"Good morning," The tallest one yelled.
"Uh… Good morning to you too," she replied, not sure whether she should stop to chat with him.
"We were wondering if you know where we can find Marie Beaumont." They stopped simultaneously, forcing her to stop as well, and make conversation with them.
"Well, you found her. What can I do for you?" She asked, trying to calm her raspy breathing from the run.
The man hidden behind the other four pulled out a handkerchief and forcefully showed it onto her face. She tried desperately to back away from them but she was too late. All five men worked in unison, constricting her movements by holding her by her waist, arms and legs. She didn't even have a chance to scream. Without much effort, they restrained her and she could do nothing but breathe in the fumes of the chloroform from the handkerchief. Moments later, she was driven in a deep wave of unconsciousness as the tallest member picked her up and carried her gently in his arms. One of the men pulled out his cell phone and ordered for their ride to pick them up. A black suburban rounded the corner and all of the men climbed in neatly, securing Marie safely in the back seat.
Three hours have gone and still Marie has not returned from the morning jog. It was unlikely of her to be late for anything especially when her work was her life. She would be dead without it and now Alex found himself strolling up and down the main hall, waiting impatiently for the front door to open. Five minutes turned into ten, then ten minutes to thirty, thirty to another hour, and then another hour. By 9:15, Bourne pulled his vehicle up the driveway and opened the door by his own key. A distraught Alex, who has definitely seen better days, greets him.
"My God Jason, she's not returned," Alex said, dragging Bourne into the home.
"What do you mean she hasn't returned? She has to go with me to pick up Marie from the airport at ten. Where the hell did she go?" Jason asked, feeling ferret and worrisome.
"She went for her jog early in the morning and she's still out there. Do you think that maybe something might happen to her?"
"The Jackal, it must be him he had marked her with the death and now he had came back to get her and yet he did now when I was not around. God damn it Alex!" Bourne yelled." You should watch her every move!"
"She won't let me for she said that she hated to have a bodyguard around her and she needed her own privacy."
"And that privacy she got was only way for the Jackal to get her and now he did. You stay here in the case she comes back and this is the false alarm. I have to go and pick up my wife." This last sentence seemed to be said by David himself who was beyond word angry.
Her thoughts slowly returned to her but she felt drowsy and weak. Everything was out of perspective and she couldn't open her eyes to view her surroundings. It took so much energy for her just to feel around and find out where she was but nausea taking control of her body. Finally, she fought the temptation of drifting off into oblivion by rolling her irises down and opening her eyes to take in the small room that held her captive.
She discovered that she was held down to the wooden table instead of the metal board she assumed previously. It was so difficult to move and she could no longer fight off the pain in her head. Soon she was taken back by darkness once again. Two doctors in the white coats entered the small room, where the only furniture was the wooden table and the chair to the right side. One doctor walked around and sat down on the chair, taking Marie's temperature and pulse.
"Do you think she's ready for the first dosage?" The one sitting down asked.
"Let's wait a couple hours until she regains consciousness. The chemicals will flow into her blood stream and other cells components at a much faster rate, therefore will prove to show greater signs of effect." The other doctor responded.
"I agree. She won't know what hit her."
Marie and Jason arrive back at the estate two hours later and Marie was shocked to see the estate and the castle that she was about to stay for some time. She gazed at Jason who was driving and kept his eyes on the road the expression was dark and emotionless like the mask. Something was not right and she could sense it.
Not asking she looked at the castle before her instead and focused her mind on something else. So this was the place where Jason's daughter and lived. No she might be her stepdaughter as well now Marie corrected herself as she came out from the car. Jason led Marie to the main door of the house and they stood together as they waited there for Alex to open the door. Alex did so and welcomed them in and after the hug he stepped backwards allowing them to come inside to the main hall with the words that Marie has not returned at all when she was supposed to.
