Chapter 9
It's just like the flu. It only affects seniors and people with illnesses. It's a hoax. Many believed it. Many still do. Those who are too lazy to wear a mask can't blame anyone else but themselves. He's an adult not senile and not a child. Educated or not, he should know what the risks are. He should know not to believe everything he read and hear. Saying 'I told you so' isn't going to help. Besides, he's not here. One down, two to go.
"You know, I'm getting sick and tired of you reading my personal messages." Lucy said after noticing the stare given by the one whom she still doesn't know much about other than she can't be bought with money and very, very nosy. Getting no response is surprising. Well, this is a café. Attracting attention wouldn't be good. "I need to use the computer." Getting ignored is expected. Asking nicely will probably get the same response so there was no need to. "I don't know if you noticed but the stock market crashed six months ago. It has gone up since then and now it's going down again so this would be a good time to put more money in. If you let me log into my account, I can give you some tips on where to invest your money." Maybe it'll change her mind about the offer once she sees how much money is in my account. "What?" Other customers may be nearby but they wouldn't be able to hear. Besides, they're minding their own biz. The staff is looking this way again but that's because she knows we're not from around here. "c'mon, I already told you, I…"
"ssshh"
Fine. Must be Holly. Most likely, it's not good news otherwise why would've she be asking:
"What did he say?"
The phone call didn't last long but where is she going? Signal is given. That's one mean frustrated glare. Okay, fine. Going outside to talk would be better.
"He won't tell her."
Obviously. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, depends on who she talked to. It's surprising though. A male representative should be easier to handle than a female. It worked in the last two banks so what happened?
"She needs to provide proof of relationship and get a lawyer."
Wow, all that just to see if Brooke has a safe deposit box there. Sounds like he knows what he's doing unlike the staffs in the last two banks but "where we going?" The hotel is nowhere near here. Oh. Now it's more clear. This is the way to the bank. "Please don't tell me you're going to try...wait" Lucy held her forearm, surprised that she would since she refused to do so in the last two banks. "What do ya think you can do? This isn't Europe. He probably told his manager what just happened. He probably didn't tell her because he knows she's not from around here." Holly's look could fool anyone but not the way she talks.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"You're asking me?" Seriously? Jesus Christ. She hasn't said anything about herself other than being a friend of Holly's but shouldn't she know what to do? "Can't you get someone to hack into their systems?" This was suggested before but for some reason, she didn't take the suggestion. It might take time but it's not impossible. "You do know someone, don't you?"
"If you don't have any other suggestions, then I suggest you hurry up and think of one."
What the hell? It's not obvious before but now is. "What's the hurry?"
"I suggest you stop asking questions if you don't want anything to…"
"fine" Lucy said after raising her palm to her face, cutting her off to stop her from repeating the same threats. Obviously, she has a lot on her mind, no longer able to think. All it needs, really, is to find the right person to talk to, male or female. Timing and location are also very important. Waiting, planning, and stalking too.
"Now what?"
What a stupid question. "Now we blend in." Sometimes the unexpected happens and when it does, keep going. Improvise. Act like everyone else. This is a club, so dance. Have fun. Geez. How was I supposed to know the bank teller also moonlights as a singer. Yikes, she doesn't have a mask on. It would be difficult to sing with one. At least everyone else does. At least it's not crowded. But this is a really bad idea. It's so loud and dark, it would be impossible to get her attention. Change of plans.
"What did you just do?"
Lucy whispered into her ear since it's impossible to hear with the loud music. It's also necessary in case she thinks the note given to the club staff is to call for help. The song just ended. The note is delivered. Will she do it? It's a small request. There's no reason to refuse unless she's not into that type of music or unless her band members disapprove. Shit. It didn't work. Oh well. "Let's eat first." Lucy took hold of Holly's hand and led the way without waiting for a response. She has no doubt Niki and her not-so-intelligent bodyguard will follow because it's dinner time. Besides, it's difficult to think with an empty stomach. It's difficult to think with the loud music.
The second floor is better. Dinner came quicker than expected. That's probably because it's not as crowded as it used to be. It's also because it didn't take long to decide what to order since this place serves American food. Who knew this place would survive in a foreign island?
"This is good." Lucy said after taking a drink of the signature cocktail. If Nadia were here, she would've agreed that the name of the drink alone would be able to attract a lot of businesses. Who wouldn't want to know what a Hurricane tastes like? The onion rings though is nothing new. The steak is not as good as Nadia's either.
"This isn't going to work."
"yea, well, I told you. It would be easier to hack into their system."
"You know how?"
Lucy takes a bite of the French fry with no intention in responding since an answer wasn't expected until a thought appeared. "So you're telling me you don't know anyone?" How could that be? "Then how the hell did you find her?" That doesn't make sense unless her hacker died or she doesn't trust her hacker with the secret. Holly did admit lying to Nadia but how much of it is a lie? Has she been lying the entire time? "So you're telling me you didn't actually leave your pimp, your lover." Lucy asked Holly who again has nothing to say. "There's no lover, is there?" Can't be Niki, can it? The only way to find out is to keep on asking and see how she reacts. "That pervert doc didn't have sex with your friend. Your friend isn't a prostitute. You made that story up." That's one convincing story if it is. "Is he a spy too?" Being smart is one quality spies must have but a spy doctor? Maybe he's a doctor, then he became a spy. Possible. "Then…" Looks like Holly has had it with the questions since she just got up and left, heading towards the bathroom. Niki is still here though. "so are you…"
"Hey"
Lucy looked up before responding with the same since she wasn't expecting this to happen because the seat prevented her from seeing who is behind her.
"I just want to apologize…for earlier. I didn't mean any disrespect, but this is Hardrock Café so your request is…out of place, you know what I mean."
The plan was to request a slow love song so she can dance with Holly to attract her attention. It didn't work as expected but it worked. Lucy stood up and did the same, apologizing first before taking the money back. It's not a lot but it is for hers to keep so this is unexpected. An explanation is necessary in case she misunderstood. Club singers don't get paid well. To become a professional singer is almost impossible unless she has connections and a shit load of money. "I didn't mean any disrespect. I just know how hard it is."
"You're a singer too?"
"me? oh no, no, my girlfriend would pay me not to sing." It's working. She's laughing. After complimenting on her singing, it's necessary to make the introduction before she decides to leave. A little lie should help. "Now it's not the time to be shy." Lucy smiled to Niki's bodyguard who's dumber than he looks. Idiot! Say something before she leaves!
"I…you, you have a beautiful voice."
Okay. That's more like it but c'mon, that's it? Idiot! "Have you eaten yet? We would love to learn more about this place from you rather than from a tour guide. We're not from around here, you probably noticed from our accent." She's laughing again. This is easier than I thought. "and we've been tested, otherwise they won't let us off the plane. So you don't need to worry." Success! No time for dinner but a drink is good enough.
For someone who's able to sing in front of a group of strangers, of course, wouldn't be shy so it's easy to get a conversation going. For anyone who lives here her entire life wouldn't want to talk about this place so giving her information about London and Paris easily kept her interested in the conversation. Everyone has something to say except Niki's bodyguard who only responded when asked. Holly, however, doesn't need to be told what to do and knew what to say and when to bring up the issue she had at the bank without being too obvious. Calling the bank representative a jerk was the right call since the bank teller/club singer agreed. Who knew he's disliked by all of her coworkers? Getting her trust didn't turn out to be difficult at all. All it needed was the topic on music. Who knew she's learning to play the guitar too? Like they say, music is a universal language. Music can unite us all.
Mission, part 1, complete but the answer will have to wait until tomorrow since the bank is closed. Lucy takes a seat on the couch to rest until she saw Niki looking at the phone again. "I told you many times, I want to help you find it so I would appreciated if you do as I say and stop questioning everything I do." Niki had previously demanded to eat somewhere else since the loud music at the Hardrock café was giving her a headache. As reasonable as her request was, it was stupid since there's a chance that the part time singer would get a drink on the second floor after she finished her gig and that's exactly what happened. It would've been a missed opportunity if I didn't insist on staying. What the hell? She's ignoring me and obviously finding a lot of interest in Amy's text. "I told you many times, if you don't stop responding in my place, she's going to know and if she finds out, she's going to…"
"ssshh"
What the… Why did I stop talking? "Don't…" Oh. The phone speaker is on. It's Amy's voice. She left a voice on the phone. Oh boy, this isn't good. She's mad. She's crying. Oh shit. "Give it to me."
"Keep the speaker on and I'll give it to you."
"Fine." Complain later. Call now. Hope she's not sleeping. It's now 8:30 so it's only 5:30 there, so she shouldn't be…
"Where are you!"
Getting yelled at is expected. Coming up with a good reason for not picking up her call is difficult since there's no logical reason other than "I'm in Reyjavik."
"whaat?...with whom?"
With whom? not why? That could mean she heard something or she could be thinking I'm here with Grace. Lying to the former agent would be difficult so there's only one way. Tell her the truth, just not everything. She should know I have nothing to do and Reyjavik is safer than staying in London. She should know this place could help me remember. "and Brooke could have hidden the key here" Lucy immediately signaled Niki to keep her mouth shut since she looks like she's about to say something. "I've got bodyguards. So don't worry about me, okay? How's ZJ?" Did I change the topic too fast? She's not responding. That could mean she knows something isn't right. "babe?"
"She's still sick. It's my fault. This is all my fault. I should've never let her help me."
Ohhh..babe. Obviously, she's having second thoughts and don't know what to do. "come home"
"You know I can't right now."
"Then get me clearance."
"That's not what I want to hear right now! You're not helping!"
"okay okay calm down, sshhh" Oops. Better not say that before she gets more upset. "Listen to me, this is not your fault. She wanted to help. She's mature enough to make her own decision. She's fit. She's strong. She's going to get better. Did you watch the news, there's this news guy, he got it too. He looked awful in the first couple of weeks but he got better and he's nowhere as fit as ZJ…and did you read about the police officer in ahh…I forgot what city he works for, he got it too and was in the hospital for 3 weeks on the incubator and he came out fine and that guy is overweight, like beer belly overweight. You just need to think positive, okay?" Need any more examples? There is no sound other than the sound of sniffing ssso…
"you mean ventilator"
"mhm, he was on the ventilator for 3 weeks"
"you said incubator"
"I did?" Oh. Anyways."Where is she? Is she in the hospital?" That would be bad if she is.
"She won't go."
Oh. That's a good sign then. "Okay, listen to me. Do not push her if she doesn't want to. She's as stubborn as I am. I know she's not going to let you go near her. So don't try. What she needs now is rest not stress so don't do anything she doesn't want you to do. Talk to her when she wants to talk. Show her you care. Make her breakfast if you can. Make those shapes out of fruits and veggies, the heart shapes, stars shapes, flowers, you know, those always cheer me up." ZJ might be a tough chic but who wouldn't appreciate seeing that in the morning. Medicine helps but sometimes all it needs is some love and a peace of mind.
"I miss you."
"I miss you too." Lucy quickly stepped further away with the phone since Niki is coming closer for whatever reason. Holly is sitting on the couch doing nothing but listening.
"I love you."
"I love you too." This time, she didn't end the call until Amy did. She must be really stressed out. She didn't ask any questions other than with whom. Now that the call has ended, it's necessary to ask Niki what her intentions are. "You want to let her know? Go ahead. See what happens." Lucy extended the phone towards her but quickly pulled back before Niki could get it. "Do you have any idea what she would do if she finds out?" She should unless she thinks she can threaten Amy not to do anything. Maybe she thinks Amy isn't capable of doing anything. "I told you many times I am trying to help you. I don't want the key. I don't need the key. If she knows about you, I have more problems, I won't be able to think, if I can't think, I can't help you, I'm sure you wouldn't want..."
"Fine"
Fine? Okay then. "Then let me keep the phone."
"no"
It didn't work but it's worth a try. "Then stop responding to her messages without letting me know! Stop typing full words, she's going to figure it out!" Jesus. Who texts with full words these days?
"Fine"
"and stop saying fine! That's rude!" Lucy said before going into the bedroom. Slamming the bedroom door will let her know how I feel. She should already know though. Despite the situation, this hotel is nice. The color is relaxing. The panoramic view of the city, ocean and mountain range at night is beautiful. It would be more breathtaking in the winter time with snow falling. The bathroom is quite unique too, a glass wall separating the rooms. Amy would agree but would she be willing to take a bath with me in this oval shaped bathtub with the curtains opened? No one should be able to see thru the panoramic windows from outside. Shoot. Forgot to scan the room. Cleaning service is necessary but she shouldn't have let anyone in here when we're out. Stupid, god damn ... what the.
"mmm, mmm"
"Shut up!"
"Don't move."
Without a gun, nothing can be done except do as told. "Who are you?" Obviously these 3 men with face masks on don't work for Niki since she too is lying face down on the ground, duct taped with her back stepped on, like Holly. "What do you want?" Can't be money. Can it? This is an expensive hotel so maybe they do want money. Shit. They must be traffickers but why is he staring at me? I'm not a woman. He knows I'm not a woman, right?
"you, it is you."
God, he stinks. He's not drunk but stinks of alcohol. "You know me?" Lucy immediately duck to avoid the hit to her face, then pushed him forward before running back into the bedroom but was not quick enough to close the door. No knives. No sharp objects. The chair will have to do. "Look buddy, I don't know who you are but you might not want to get near me. I have covid. (cough cough)." Oh shit, here he comes. Throwing the chair towards him isn't going to stop him but it brought enough time to go inside the bathroom door and lock it which isn't a good idea either since the bathroom is surrounded by two walls of glass. All it takes is one bullet to break it. He might not shoot but he can also break it with the chair if he wants to. "I don't know who you think I am but you got the wrong person! I'm not from around here!" Can he hear me? "You want money! I can give you money! 10,000 Euros! Okay?" Maybe too little? "One hundred thousand!" Lucy said as she raised 5 fingers up while continuing to cough and hope he's not too drunk to ignore the possibility that he could get infected. "What?" The popping veins on his forehead can be seen clearly thru the glass. Where is he going? Damn it. Told her to give me the phone. "One million!...Euros! Not kronas!" What's he doing? He's standing at the bedroom door. What the…hell? There's Niki being pushed towards the bed followed by Holly, both bound by duct tape on the mouth and arms. What? Why isn't he talking and only pointing to Holly? Now he's doing the same thing to Niki. Huh? He's letting them go? Why? Oh fuck. Their arms are no longer bound but no one would be able to fight back after being tazed even if it's just low voltage. It's not enough to knock them out but it hurts. What the hell? Now it's obvious what his intention is. He wants to humiliate them in front of me. He's going to rape them in front of me after they finish taking their own clothing off. Why? Why? He could just break the glass. Why didn't he? Why didn't they? Finding out is not important now, need to stop this now. "I know what you're trying to do but I don't care what you do to them! I don't care! They're going to kill you, all of you!" Fuck, they're not listening. They're laughing, enjoying the show, watching them strip. Sickos. What can I do? What can I do? Nothing. Okay, if they want me to watch, then let's watch. Standing still with arms crossed will get their attention. Smiling would let them know something is wrong. A shrug will confuse them. If they won't listen, then maybe using the shampoo to write on the glass will get them to. No one in this situation should be as calm as me. Hope they can read English. It worked. The word Spy caught their attention. Next. Russian. Maybe I should've wrote this word first. Is that a look of fear? Next word. Key. Should I continue writing? It's hard to write each letter backwards. "They're Russian Spies! If you don't believe me, look in the safe. It has all their passports, fake ones. There are others. If you touch them, they're going to torture you and your family. My girlfriend is dead." They don't need to know how she died. "They have my friends. They forced me to be here. What you saw in the café is all pretense." Maybe they did. Maybe they didn't but they must have saw me from somewhere. "Go ahead, go look in the safe. I'm not lying, man. I don't know who you are." With half of their faces covered, they expect me to recognize them? Recognize him? Whoever he is, his half covered face now looks different from before, confused mixed with curiosity.
"what's the number?"
Jesus. Who is this bald guy? Was he not listening? Is he dumb or did he too drank a lot too? "She knows." Lucy pointed to Niki who's upper body is fully exposed. Her mouth is no longer duct typed. She better give it to him. She should know revealing my gender isn't going to help her.
"9…9…9…9…...1"
Why speak so slow? She's stalling? Why? Maybe she's waiting for that idiot? He's probably still sleeping. Hope there's more than 3 passports in there. She must have. How else was she able to get permission to come here? Russians aren't allowed...unless she's not from Russia.
"That's not it." Said the third guy who just checked the safe.
Oh, she lied? What the hell does she have in there then?
"What's the number!"
This is really not the time to piss him off. He's high. High on what, not sure yet but…oh. Did she just… Whatever she said is not French or English. It's probably cursing or threat. That doesn't sound like Russian. German? Does she really this is going to help?
"What time is it?" Lucy asked but no one answered. "Time! What time is it?" Lucy said loudly again, pointing to her own wrist in urgency. He didn't answer but his bald friend did. "She didn't call them back. They know something is wrong. They're going to kill my friends! Give her the phone!" No one is moving. "She's stalling! Give her the phone to call them back. My friends are going to die! They're coming! They're coming! They…" What the… That's the fire alarm. In this expensive hotel? They looked surprised too so it can't be them. "It's them. They're coming!" Lucy quickly took one towel before opening the door. Really? Guns again? It's obvious they're not going to use it. "They did this to create confusion! They're coming! We have to get out of here before they get here." Why is no one moving? "You don't believe me. I told you I don't know you. I'm not lying!" It would help if he shows his entire face. "And I told you! I don't know where the key is so stop following me! Leave me alone!" Lucy said to Niki and Holly. The fire alarm is loud so yelling even louder is necessary. "If you want to shoot, shoot. I don't want to be tortured again. I'm going to leave now." Lucy said as she took 2 slow steps back. "Get out now before they see you, they're going to get your whole family. My girlfriend is dead because of the key. She's dead!" Running now might cause this stinky bulky guy to shoot so taking each step backwards is necessary. Shit. Who is it now? Someone is continuously banging on the door. Oh no, it's Niki's bodyguard. Idiot! Now he's awake? "Wait" Lucy said to the bald guy who's heading for the door. "It could be them." He's not as big as the stinky drunk but his eyes alone with the bushy eyebrows could scare people off. Asshole. Maybe I should go back to the bedroom in case they start shooting. Good idea. Who…the hell is she? They have others outside? Whatever she said to the bald guy must be important and urgent. Is there a real fire? What? He's signaling to the other two so there must be. What are they saying?
"no!"
No is good. Is that English? Is he referring to the fire? Whatever they're arguing about, it seems the shorter, bald guy lost. Okay okay, don't need to push. What about them?
"Go!"
Go? Is that English? It could be since the only other guy in the bedroom is unwilling to leave. Bastard. Whoever he is, it's clear he's not the one in charge. He might not be but he doesn't seem like a follower either. Followers don't yell back. Some do but not the ones who rely on the leader for a paycheck. As soon as he got out, the bedroom door is quickly shut and locked. At this point, Niki must be cursing at me while blocking the bedroom door with whatever she can use.
The alarm is even louder in the hallway. Looks like some guests are also hoping that it would be a false alarm. Why are we taking the elevator? There's a fire. Isn't there? If there is, they must know where it is. God, please don't let me be stuck in here with these 3. Oh. I don't mean more people God. Now the elevator is more packed than before. What's wrong with these people? Don't they know not to use the elevator when there's a fire! Using the towel to cover her face is now necessary. God, he stinks! If I don't die from covid, I'm going to die from his odor. (cough cough, cough cough) Now they care? Okay, let's continue. Maybe they will let me go. (cough cough cough cough)
As soon as the elevator door opened, everyone rushed out. Chaos is expected in the lobby but surprisingly, it's not that crazy. Oh. It's not traveling season. Many are standing near the reception area asking for information or complaining. Some are wearing masks. Most aren't. These three are wearing one for a different reason. This would be the chance to escape. They're not going to shoot not with this many people, not with the cops here and outside. All I have to do is get to one. Holy cow! It's freezing. Should've grabbed my coat. "Where you taking me?" Asking is to distract them. Obviously, it didn't work but two against one is better than three. Whoever that stinky guy just got a call from must be important since he stayed behind to pick up the call. Perfect. Now would be a good time to make another offer. "I'll give you one million Euros to let me go. Euros, not kronas…each. All I need is a computer, I'll wire it to you." Letting them know how it can be done without my wallet just might be able to convince them. "you have an offshore account?" Don't have one, no problem. "Do you have a bit-coin account?" Jesus. Why are these people so outdated? "I'll show you how to open one. Okay?" They're laughing. Why? "Look, can you at least tell me who he is so I…"
"AH!"
Striking in the middle of talking always works but hitting both of them at the same time is impossible. After kicking the bastard in the leg, Lucy quickly ran across the street just in time so that the car passing by was able block the bald guy from following. Running like this brought back memories of the old days but in this case, it's different. Who the hell are they? What do they want from me? Fuck. Where's the taxi when you need one? Shoot. "Stop!" Lucy waved her hands while standing in the middle of the street. Jesus. So fucking rude! Must be the disguise. Who would stop for a man? Uh oh. He's coming. Asking for help is now necessary but where the hell is everyone? There's no curfew here. Is there? There's one. Hope he speaks English. "I'm sorry to bother you but it's an emergency. Can you take me to the airport? I'll give you 10,000." Taking time to think is necessary but please hurry. "20,000, Take me to the airport. Please. It's an emergency, I can't get a taxi." If he refuses, then there's only one other way, tell him I just got robbed but would he let me in if he knows that the robber is standing right there with a gun? Probably not. "Thank you." Oh, he's not alone. No wonder he hesitated. "I'm sorry to bother you. It's an emergency." Keeping her hands up is necessary in case they think I have other intentions. (cough cough, cough cough) Oh man, this is really not the time to cough but it's uncontrollable. "I'm not sick. I was just running around, trying to get a taxi." The bald guy is not following so that's good. Phew.
"Are you in trouble?"
Is that obvious, isn't it?
"Do you need to go to the police?"
"No, I just need to get to the airport." Going to one of the police officers was the plan until she saw the bald guy waving to one after exiting the hotel. It might just be a polite gesture but who knows? They might know each other. He might even be a cop. But why would they be after me? Why would they do that to Niki and Holly? Corrupted cops exist everywhere but why me? "Can I borrow your phone?" It's normal to think about it. Everyone's phone has personal stuff. If I were in his situation, I wouldn't either. Maybe I'll just wait. It's only an eight minute drive to the airport.
"Here"
"oh...thank you." Lucy took the cell phone from the driver who kept his eyes on the road. "It's locked."
"it's ah…I love you, always and forever."
"Huh?...oh...I get it." Cybertalk. That's one way to remember the pin. Got it. WOW. Is that his girlfriend? A lot of people have pictures of their girlfriend on their phone. Is that her? It's too dark to tell inside the car. It would be rude to shine the phone light on her face. Can't tell with her half-covered face anyway.
"She's hot. Isn't she?"
Since he asked, it's only appropriate to respond with. "Very beautiful. You're a very lucky man." There's no reaction from the one sitting next to her, so maybe this isn't her.
"She's my sister."
"oh" That's odd. Why would he have a picture of his sister on his phone as the wallpaper? Is she dead? It's inappropriate to ask so...
"She's not an actress, in case you're wondering, or a model or anything like that, a lot of people thinks she is."
Oh, so she's not dead. "She can be if she wants to." Lucy lets out a short laugh after he did.
"Are you in that business?"
Oh, maybe she does want to. Maybe that's why he has her picture as the wallpaper so he can show it to people quickly. Sorry to disappoint you. "no, I ah...I don't know anyone in that business." Lucy again responded with a short laugh at the end until she noticed the sign outside. "um, I meant the Reyjavik airport not the international." The International airport is more than an hour away.
"I'm taking you to the hospital."
"What? No, I'm not sick, really I'm not."
"You will be after I'm done with you."
"what?...ARGHH!"
One zap caused her entire body to jolt back against the seat, her veins to vibrate, her muscles to weaken, and her mind to realize the mistakes she made. No wonder he didn't ask for the money first. No wonder the bald guy didn't follow. No wonder this woman is sitting in the back seat.
"Who...the hell...are you?"