The Apple Of Distraction

Chapter 2: The Boss's Woman

Ella got shoved into a waiting sedan with her hands bound to her back, a cloth tied over her eyes, and a gun pointed to her side by Reo. The gang divided in a convoy of two sped up non-stop until midnight.

At last, they came to a halt on a plateau and Reo dragged her out of their ride. Her stomach churned and burned with hunger and also, she began experiencing random aches all over her body. When her eyes came free, after her hands, she scanned the environment. There was no human settlement at sight; just sheer darkness and juniper trees. Her eyes watered.

This wasn't what Ella expected when running to Africa. All she had wanted was to start up a new life in Africa, and not land into a mess like this. Already she knew she was far from home but now, she felt lost, totally lost in the middle of somewhere in Egypt, and the fact that trying to escape was suicidal made her feel even more vulnerable.

“Follow me, doc, and try not to do anything stupid,” Reo ordered and cautioned at the same time.

Speechless, she obeyed like a lamb to be slaughtered. A dusty footpath led into a cleared space, to a compound with three huts. They entered the third.

The moment they entered the hut, Ella was able to depict the room as nothing close to a home, but a hideout. Aside from the bed, table, and chair, the room was empty, and the only luminous object was a candle being placed on the table.

Ella scanned the room again and caught sight of a masculine figure lying on the bed. Slowly, the figure sat up. Reo walked over to him and began to converse with the man in Arabic.

Although the two men discussed in Arabic, Ella understood them thanks to the Arabian neighbors her family had back in the States since she was six. The neighbors had a daughter, a good childhood friend of hers, and the reason she often visited the family.

Reo explained to the man on the bed how the a*******n went and Ella understood it now. The man seemed to be their overall leader and though the man was seated, she could tell he was the same height of 6ft just like Reo, except he was bald and kept a mustache.

Reo turned to her; “Doc, meet the boss, Mr. Rasarani.” Now he spoke English.

Ella forced a smile and came forward, extending her right hand to the man in a handshake, “Hi! I’m Doctor Ray.”

Instead of shaking hands with her, Mr. Rasarani stared coldly at her hands and snapped, “I don’t shake bitches!”

Feeling embarrassed at the rejection, Ella withdrew her hands, also being surprised that he too could speak English clearly, unlike most natives.

“Over there,” Reo continued with the introduction, “-is Lordia, the boss’ woman,” he added, tossing his chin towards her left-hand side. Only then did Ella notice a figure lurking in the dark.

“What the hell?” she gasped as a figure emerged from the dark; a 5ft chestnut-haired, probably in her mid-twenties.

“What did you just say?” Lordia retorted, eyeing the American.

Ella shook her head, “Never mind, it was a slip of the tongue.”

“I do mind, b***h!” Lordia bluffed, moving closer to Ella. She hated the fact that the new guest looked strikingly beautiful. “I bet you don’t want to see me pissed off,” she dared.

“It’s enough!” Mr. Rasarani called out to his woman in Arabic. “Do behave yourself, baby, remember why she’s here. It’ll pay to be nice to the guest,” he added and then motioned with a hand while a faint smile played on his lips, “Do show our guest to her room,” he finished, now in English.

Not saying another word, Lordia glared once more at the appraised guest, and then she turned and stomped out of the hut. It was Reo who spoke again to Ella.

“Go on, follow her, and you must do as told,” he advised.

Nodding, Ella followed suit and maintained a safe distance from her new enemy as they entered the next hut.

“That’s your bed!” Lordia said pointing to a bamboo bed. “Ignore these fools,” she added, tossing a chin at about eight persons sprawled on the floor, in chains.

Ella swallowed hard and could tell despite the poor light from the candle that these people in chains were actually natives. “Thank you,” she forced a smile on her dry lips. “Please, can I get some water? I’m so thirsty.”

“No water, no food for strangers till tomorrow,” Lordia retorted, walking over to Ella so that their nose almost touched. “This is my jungle, mine alone. The earlier you stop acting as if you’re so beautiful or something, the longer you’ll last!” she added, before exiting the room.

Ella remained standing for a while. She heaved a deep sigh and dropped the kits' bag on the floor. Next, she pulled off her shoes and slumped into the bed, the moment her back touched the bed; she dozed off.