Death Do Us Part

The Awaited Outdoors

Rhea’s work generally did not require her to leave the headquarters of Korlin Group for the building had all the facilities that could be needed for general operations. From conference halls to vast proto-type testing labs for almost every field of operations, the huge campus had it all. Unless Aron Korlin insisted on her accompanying him to a meeting outside the headquarters, her days were spent within the premises of the headquarters and more specifically on the fifty-eighth floor of the main building.

This was in stark contrast with her life before joining Korlin Group. She used to spend most of her days looking for leads. Even when she worked as a freelancer, she would make it a point to spend most of her time outside looking for news, reaching out to her sources, if not anything, visiting museums or libraries. Hence, although she enjoyed working in her new, high-end office, soon, she started to miss outdoors.  

On one such day, when she reached office, Aron Korlin, suddenly, asked her to join him to one of his surprise visits to the company’s largest power plant, which was situated in ten kilometres distance from the J city. J city was only five hundred kilometres away from New Ridge and took less than an hour and a half to reach by flight. From there they would be escorted to the plant in the regional head’s car.

 The flight to The J city was extremely smooth, within 50 minutes of taking off, the flight touched ground again. By the time they finished checking out, a black Sedan of a renowned German brand was waiting in the parking for them. Aron already was familiar with the car and where it would be parked for them so, no one was waiting for them holding signs with their names on them. However, when they reached the car he stopped Rhea from climbing on it immediately, instead, ignoring the guard that was opening gates for them he turned to the driver and asked, “where’s Ralph?”

The Driver was taken aback by the question a little. This happens more often than one would believe. People do not expect Aron to take notice of such details. He calls everyone by their names, can recognize them immediately no matter if he had ever met them because all he needed was their pictures on the employee records and he could give away the impression that they had been working under him for ages.

Rhea could relate to how he remembered every detail of the employees and bring them up when needed, from their past employments to their blood types; but while she would only use such details to understand their behaviour and their motives, Aron would not hesitate to put on a show. And when he did, the reaction to it was priceless. So when he did it this time, she stood by him with a smile to enjoy the show.

The driver took a little time to recover from the sudden inquiry. He fumbled a little then looked pleadingly at the guards to rescue him. The guard, who was opening a gate for Aron, jumped into the driver’s rescue and informed that he was a new recruit and was replacing Ralph for that day as Ralph called in sick the previous night. The last two words were mere whispers as they escaped the guard’s lips under the penetrating stare of Aron. But he recovered quickly. Quicker than most do under Aron’s stare. He straightened his back, but wasn’t uncomfortably stiff, stood silently, looking Aron square in the eyes. Aron did not release the guard from his inescapable gaze, immediately, neither did he ask any question, he just stood there for half a second studying the guard and contemplating something, then took Rhea’s hand in his own, helped her to climb onto the back seat and hopped on the passenger seat himself.

Rhea could sense the tension in the air but kept calm, as Aron seemed extremely in control. The guards were still looking at each other blankly when Aron asked the driver, who was still standing outside holding the door of the driver’s side of the car, to get going. The driver hesitated a little then climbed in and closed the door. The guard who answered Aron earlier came to his window and said, “Sir, I think you would be more comfortable in the back seat. I am supposed to be on the passenger seat, making sure that you reach the destination safely. The passenger seat is not…”

Aron cut in, “Well, what’s your name?”

“Benroy”

“Well Benroy, then you and your colleagues will have to take care of my safety from the other car. You know the black SUV waiting outside the parking.” Aron waited for a little while then deepening the awkwardness, he added with a casual smile, “I think I can keep myself alive for the next ten minutes without your supervision. Until then…” he planted his hand heavily on the driver’s shoulder and shook it goodheartedly which as a result made the whole man shake like jelly, “…Phil here can keep an eye on me.”

Rhea could see the nerves in Benroy’s neck grow prominent from the back seat window. Since they were still on the premises of the Airport, there was little he could do without catching the attention of the airport authorities, at this moment and since Aron was cooperating, to a point, creating a fuss did not seem that smart of a choice. Still, he tried once more, “Sir, at least one of the guards needs to accompany you in this car, and the rest can come in the other car.” To his surprise, Aron agreed, “Alright! As long as you are okay with keeping my assistant company in the back seat.” Benroy signalled his companions to get in the other car and took the seat beside Rhea himself.  

As soon as the car set off Aron switched on the music system and turned the volume up. Sitting beside Benroy, Rhea was growing more and more agitated. There was something about the man, the way he was looking at Aron, the way he kept looking at the rearview mirror to keep an eye on the black SUV behind them made her extremely uncomfortable. She was trying to remember the number of people that she saw were in the black SUV as she passed it on her way to the parking lot. Three, including the driver. Then three of the guards also joined them making a total of six people in it. Then there were two people in this car, who probably also were their allies. She was thinking about this when Aron’s voice jerked her out of it. He was asking for something. She was yet to overcome her trance so she could not make out what he was asking for, so a questioning sound escaped her mouth involuntarily, “Huh?”

Aron turned to look at her and repeated the question. “There’s not a single good song on my phone. Give me your phone, I’ll return it once we reach the plant.” Rhea was confused. Aron has the most extensive playlist that she has ever seen. And why is he so caught up with the songs when they are surely heading towards some serious danger. She was annoyed but still handed him her phone. Not that she could refuse him.

As she extended the phone towards him, he caught her hand instead of just the phone. Right at that moment, the car slowed down a little, allowing another black SUV to take over. Rhea instinctively looked out of the window, but Just then Aron applied a little pressure on her hand, bringing her attention back to him. As her focus returned to him she saw him flash a brilliant smile at her and say, “Thank you!”

For a moment, she felt like she was overthinking about the whole ordeal. Maybe these men are here to escort them safely to the plant. Maybe the regional head arranged for the additional SUV to ensure better safety for Aron. But then again, the ID hanging from Benroy’s pocket was so obviously forged! And so did that of the other guards. So, as she leaned back to her seat, she knew that they were facing impending danger, but it did not make her paranoid as it did before. She visibly relaxed.

The car they had just let past them slowed down reducing the distance between them. Also, the SUV behind them caught up closer. Whatever, was to happen would happen soon, she realized, and involuntarily looked at the rearview mirror only to find Aron looking at her through it too. The three cars were now moving at the same speed and the distance that they were in told her that the autonomous break assists were turned off. She could see only the side of Phill, whom she in her mind had already started to address as Reaper Phil, was covered in sweats. Aron adjusted the temperature on the air conditioner, turned slightly to Phil, and with a jolly air asked him, “What’s the matter, Phil? Why so nervous!”

Reaper Phil tried to smile to lighten the mood but failed horribly. Benroy said with a fake smile, “Maybe he is nervous, cause he’s driving you.”

To this Aron asked Phil again, “Is that so Phil?”

Phil nodded awkwardly.  

Taken by the friendly atmosphere in the car he also relaxed a little and smiled meekly. Seemingly encouraged by Reaper Phil’s smile, Aron started to tell a story of the first day of one of his father’s drivers, how he faltered and fumbled under the stare of his father. He switched the music system to radio as he told them about how young Aron at the back seat switched on a toy robot, which made mechanical firing sounds and the driver mistook it to be real firearms setting off, and jumped out of the car.

Continuing with the story, he turned to Rhea and offered her the phone back. As she extended her hand to take it, just like the last time he took hold of her hand, which made the phone fall. Aron immediately left an alarmed glottal sound, which caught the attention of everyone in the car. Rhea squeaked seeing her phone fell on the floor of the car and was about to jump in, to get it but at that very moment the car drove over a huge pothole, swaying the entire vehicle and making the phone vanish under the seats.

Before she could try again and pick it she felt Aron’s hand holding hers tightly making it impossible for her to bend enough to pick the phone up. Aron announced loudly how sorry he was for the mishap and started to fuss about it, which began to distract Reaper Phil. Aron unfastened his seat belts, reclined his seat and was ready to dive towards the back when Benroy asked him to remain at his seat, and assured him that he would find the phone for him.

Benroy had already unclasped his seat belts, by the time he finished talking and was bending over. With his head under the reclined backrest of Aron’s seat, he was looking for the phone, when Aron took hold at the steering wheel. Before Reaper Phil could understand what was happening Aron turned the wheel fiercely, driving the car off the road. Reaper Phil pressed sharply on the break, in panic. This made Benroy roll on the side and hit his head right at the back of Aron’s seat.

Aron threw a massive punch at Reaper Phil’s temple, immediately knocking him out. The noise and the commotion alerted Benroy and he was about to get up when Rhea smashed the laptop on his head so hard that he started bleeding. Aron got hold of his head and smashed it sharply against the champagne cooler taking rest of his consciousness out of his body. The man fell on the seat, unconscious. Aron opened the door of the driver’s side, rolled now Drooper Phil off the car, and took the wheel himself.

This entire ordeal seemed to have alerted the passengers of the two SUVs that were sandwiching them so far. Both the cars took a halt as the sedan went off the road. People started to get off the cars when Aron set the sedan on motion again. As he switched to the sports mode the German engine roared magnificently and before anyone else could respond the car was far beyond their reach.

Aron was about to ask Rhea to roll unconscious Benroy closer to the door so she could open the door and push him out once he stops after a little while, when he saw the woman doing just that. However, this seemed to have brought some consciousness back into the torpid assailant. Rhea noticed that and packed a punch right under his jaw, which seemed to knock him back to unconsciousness. With a smile, Aron sped off. 

*** 

Rhea noticed that they weren’t heading towards the west, which way they should have aimed towards if they were to go to the city or the power plant. The assailants were taking them somewhere towards the east and now they were going further into the east. She was thinking about this when the car took a halt in front of a mansion and started honking like anything.

She was about to voice her discomfort and also the fear that sleeping beauty, Benroy here might just wake up because of it when the gates opened and the honking stopped. Aron drove in and stopped dramatically right in front of the porch after a ninety-degree spin. The owner of the house, a man at his early 60s came out hastily and was about to express his dissatisfaction at such an entry when Aron, rage painted all over his face, appeared from inside the car. He came out of it and closed the door with a loud thud, then went to the passenger seat opened it only to have an unconscious Benroy fell on the ground. Then went to the old man and with a poorly suppressed anger asked, “Uncle Ben! Is this how I’m to be welcomed at your home from now on?”