I could just imagine her with her hands and feet tied and her mouth sealed with a tape. How far did they bring her already?
With Stanislav, a security i met on the eighth floor, I went to the main floor where the staff usually gather.
Now he brought me to the cleaning part of the hotel, carts and baskets were opened at his command. It took long enough to find her, only if i could hear her crying and found her already, because i know she would cry to catch the attention of the surrounding. But they probably put her into sleep, or threaten her not to make any suspicious sound.
"Sir, there is a staff you haven't checked yet." Said one of the housekeepers to Stanislav.
"Where do they go?" I asked instead of the security that was going to ask first.
"That way, just a few minutes before you came here. We don't know why they went out with all the sheets and blanket. They said they are going to take the garbage out or something.. " He ponted at the door that lead to outside.
"What are they like? Height? Weight? Facial look?"
"One of them is thin and pale, he has brown eyes and messy eyebrows. And the other one is of average weight, a bit taller, he has strong jaw lines and some acne scars."
"Alright, thank you." Heading out to the door, there were so many trash cans that were used for throwing out the garbage from the hotels.
I looked around to find anyone, no one look like what he described just now. I searched for them in a nearest and possible place for them to be in, and that was the parking lot in the basement. A darker and more hidden place is the best place for them to get her into the car. There might be cameras catching them, but they probably got her covered and and people would less likely to notice it, unless she moved and hopefully she would be recognized.
The security helped me to find the men, there were more than eight people in the basement. I could not check them out without missing the other people.
there were two men opening their car door, a man and a taller man, but were not really similar to what was described, and another man came to them and did not seem to look suspicious as well.
"Do you think they are already out, sir?" He asked, perhaps thinking it was the time to start to give up and give the rest to the police.
"Probably.." I sighed, but still turned my head left and right finding them.
I still look around the basement, but a car passing by made an unfamiliar sound from the luggage. It sounded like something trying break free by punching the steel from inside, either to really break the luggage or trying to get noticed. A cry for help could be heard along with the punching sound, it was no other than Tiina.
He looked at me as he heard it, and immediately ran to stop the car, the driver drove faster, that made them seem more suspicious.
He tried to connect with another security who guarded at the entrance. We kept running until we saw the car stopped by the securities, they could not do anything to get away without being too reckless and getting even more suspected.
As we walked closer, they were trying to argue with the security saying that the luggage should not be opened otherwise the inside of it will pop out and would be difficult to put them back in place, in another way to say it, they were saying that they put so many things inside it.
"Aren't you guys the housekeepers? Is it the time for you to go home yet?" I asked them, they looked like what was described, although they were not wearing the uniforms, and they used it as an excuse to say that they were not. I could tell they just came to the hotel a few days ago, the security recognize them as a customer instead of the staff.
"Why are you saying nonsense all of sudden? Who the fuck are you?" The shorter guy said more aggressively.
The security thought it was pointless to ask them more when they were already obvious. One of them tried to hold them and get their key. But trying to get away and pulled a gun, pointing it towards the security.
I took my Swiss army knife set from my pocket and trying to snatch away the gun while having the knife set as a defense. There were two of them, the other guy pointed his gun on me as well as the other security if they try to get closer.
We were four, another security tried to take him down from behind, he was too strong so another one came to help. While the shorter one tried to make my hands tired by keep struggling out from my grip.
But i released my grip after Stanislav took the key from his pocket. He tried to get it back but letting his gun kicked and got unarmed. He ran away from the entrance followed by his friend, there is no use to stay there for him knowing that he would lose to four men if he stay. They left their car in the entrance, the treasure was kept in a box on the driver seat, nothing seemed ruined.
The luggage was still making a sound, although not as aggressive as before, the cry turned into a sobb. Stanislav opened it before the person inside could run out of breath, there she was, vertically lying in the luggage sobbing. She looked at me with her teary eyes, and reached out for me. She was breathing fast to catch the fresh air after being locked in a small space with no ventilation.
We held each other's hand to help her up, she jumped to me and suddenly hugged me as if asking for protection. I could feel her wrapping her arms around me while trembling, asking me to not ever leave her alone just like what i did.
Stanislav decided to move the car that had been blocking the entrance for a while. The police knew and find those guys.
She kept holding my left arm tight while i brought the treasure in another free hand walking to the elevator. We requested to have her room cleaned, her safes lock was already broken, the treasure was kept in my safes instead. A few things had to be repaired there.
"It's time for you to rest, okay? I'm sorry to leave you alone, i will make sure that won't happen anymore."
I opened the door for her to enter her room, but she stood still, staring at the floor while holding her hands together, not even thinking to walk in.
"Please.. let me be in your room.."
"But, Tiina.."
"Please..? I can sleep on the floor.."
"That's not.. Okay then, i will order an extra bed."
Imagining being in her place i would also think it is not safe in her room, we moved her stuff to my room. I ordered an extra bed, she laid down on it when the extra bed arrived.
"Tiina, you're not supposed to sleep there."
"Huh?" She said, confused.
"Sleep here, it's more comfortable." I patted the bed i have been using, it was always clean and neat after i use it.
"I will sleep there instead." I said.
"But.. okay then."
We switched bed, watching television before we were tired enough to still stare at it. She got tired faster than me, no wonder why, it had been another bad day for her, rather traumatic. She pulled the blanket covering herself up to her neck.
"Eduard?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you.. for always helping me." She smiled.
"No need to thank me, Tiina."
"Good night.."
.
.
05:00 in the morning, but my phone rang, fortunately managed to make me awake but not Tiina. It was from by boss, i wonder what he would talk about. I walked to another room to make sure Tiina would not know the conversation.
"Hello, boss?"
"Eduard i have plan that we should change."
"What is it?"
"Mr. Braginsky will arrive tomorrow, he is going to take the bear head when she sleep, make sure that she won't wake up during that. After that don't let her check for the treasure, take her to a trip until the replica is done, it won't take a few days and we will give her the replica."
"I get it. One more thing, yestersay two people was trying to abduct her along with the treasure, it wasn't in your command, right?"
"Huh? Of course not."
"No wonder why, okay then. Just to make sure."
"Alright, i'll see you in a few days."
He ended the call, he was always like that, improvising before the due date. I would not be too shocked if he come up with new plan after this.
I walked back to my room, seeing her still sleeping soundly, her eyes were not as red yesterday. Just in two days, it will all end and she would not know what was exactly happening. There might be a time when she would realize, but i would already disappear from her sight. Not sure if i really want this and when this kind of thing will end for me, i was pretty sure he had another task for me after this mission end, either the better or worse one.