Chapter Six: Agendas Unhidden

"Tommy, I'm going to go straighten out that one cabinet." Natalia was smoothing out the last of the wrinkle in the comforter. Tommy emerged from the bathroom dressed in his boxers, holding a towel. "I'll be in the office." With that, she exited the room, and went down into the office. She grabbed a key from inside of Tommy's desk, unlocking the cabinet. It wasn't too unkempt, just some files that Tommy and his workers had tossed in there.

"Yeah, okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Natalia looked up to see Tommy talking on the office phone. He was buttoning up his shirt as the phone conversation finished.

"Going out?" Natalia asked him, putting the final papers in their folders, and locking up the cabinet.

"Yeah, but I'll be back in an hour at the most." He stood in front her, bringing her body close to his. "I want you to stay here. Don't go wondering off the property because I'm not here. Guards will be here. Rich will watch after you."

"Tommy, you'll be back before noon. I won't go anywhere. I promise."

Tommy lowered his lips to hers, kissing her gently before leaving out of the office. Natalia watched him go down the staircase and out the front door. She sat back in Tommy's grand chair, absentmindedly swiveling around facing the security cameras. Her attention was shortly concentrated on two men standing to the side of Tommy's office doors, talking. Quietly, she stood, edging herself to the door and listened in.

"Look, all we do is go in and snatch her. Simple."

"I don't know, man," came an unsure voice. "Tommy will have us done in."

"We don't work for Tommy, stupid!" the other voice semi-shouted, then quieted himself once more. "Just go in and act casually. She'll think nothing of it. This is what boss asked us to do. If we don't go through, he's going to think we wanted a free vacation."

"Yeah, yeah... Okay..."

Natalia heard shuffling as the men prepared to walk into the office. Natalia, get your wits about you... She quickly went to the desk, and pushed the button to call Richard.

"Rich, there's men here," she whispered to him as soon as he picked up his cell phone.

"On my way," he said without any hesitation.

The two men barely made it past the door when Richard stepped up to the door, blocking it.

"I don't believe the two of you had authority to step into Mr. Vercetti's office. I'm going to have to ask you to back away."

The two men became intimidated at Richard's tone of voice, not to mention his massive size, and did as they were told, quietly stepping away, and went clinkering down the staircase. Richard turned into the office and shut the double doors behind him. Natalia sank into the desk chair as he reassured her that the two men were indeed gone.

She sighed. "Rich, they were talking about taking me."

"Don't worry your pretty little face, Miss Ramirez. Mr. Vercetti will handle everything."

Just then, the office phone rang, and Richard reached to answer it.

"Vercetti Estate. What can I do for you?"

"Rich?" said a familiar calm voice. "What are you doing in my office? Is Natalia okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. There was just a little scare."

"What happened?"

"Those two dodo birds were talking."

Tommy knew who he was talking about instantly. "The two new guys. Yeah, I've had a bad vibe from them from the start. Maybe I'm right. I'm rarely ever wrong. Listen, Rich, stay with Natalia. I'm on my way back right now."

Richard placed down the receiver. Natalia looked at him with worried eyes.

"Mr. Vercetti is on his way back. He asked me to stay with you." Richard went to the television and turned it on. "Maybe it's best you relax some, Miss Natalia."

She took Richard's advice and stood from Tommy's chair, went over to the burgundy sofa, and stretched herself out in it. Before she could even really get into the show she was watching, Tommy walked through the office doors. He shook Richard's hand, thanking him, and dismissed him out of the office. Natalia sat up when Richard left, and Tommy shut the office doors. Sitting on a corner of the desk, Tommy focused in on her.

"What happened?" he asked, concentrating on her facial expression.

"Those two men were talking about taking me somewhere for their boss."

"Their boss, huh?" He twisted his body, grabbing for the phone. Natalia could hear him tell one of his men to get the two trespassers and deal with them. "Make sure they are cut off completely, you hear me?" She heard the man on the other end agree, and Tommy hung up. "I guess that their boss won't like that, but it has to be done." Tommy spoke more to himself than to her. "Do you think your ex is behind this?" he asked her.

"Possibly... He's the one who called."

Tommy ran his hand over his face. "Explain to me why he's after you."

"I know some secrets of his. Things he's done, plans he's had."

"No... No, he wants you. There's no way he would let you live if you knew things. He's after you for something else. What is it?"

"Well, I'm not really sure. I know that before I left for San Andreas, a plan of his botched and for some odd reason, he blamed me. I had nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, I know you didn't." Tommy went over to the couch and pulled her up into his arms. "Until I can find him, I don't want you leaving the estate without me or a guard. It's not safe."

"Tommy, I don't want to be someone you babysit."

"I'm protecting you. It's my job." He hugged her tightly, and they stood in bliss with each other until the phone rang. Tommy walked over to answer it.

"She'll be the next one to get it, Vercetti," the voice said, and Tommy heard a click than a dial tone. He slammed the phone down, startling Natalia. "That bastard's gonna get it!"