Chapter 5
2140 Words
"Morning Paul how did it go last night?" Ben asked happily that morning he was jovial dressed in a white robe with a copy of fort canon daily newspaper in his hand.
"It went well you will be late for work you have busy schedule today sir I suggest you dress up", He Said.
They were in his home office. It was the most secure part of the house. Not everyone had access to that room. It had secret vaults, sound proof, alarm system and laser security at night. It had biometric scans, bomb proof and earthquake proof too. As if all that was not enough, it had its own CCTV cameras hidden on the walls and not connected to that of the entire house. It was that room that Ben and his family would have run to in case someone managed to go past the security outside his castle.
"Ask the secretary to postpone them we have to pick mum”, He said going through the paper.
"Okay, and I also have something else to show at your free time"
"Is it important?" He asked raising his gaze.
"If the person involved is telling the truth then it is true", Paul Said.
Ben dropped his paper and got off his chair. He poured two glasses of whiskey from a collection of exotic bottles of wine and whiskey on his wooden desk. He gave Paul one and kept one. The conversation was getting serious and the only he knew how to make it more interesting was with whiskey.
"Who have you kidnapped this time? I thought the guy you were meeting didn't have any children?"
"He has two daughters but that's not what am talking about"
"I know right, he must have someone he cares about that is not necessarily his blood", Ben said happily.
Clearly the master and his butler were speaking two different languages. While he was talking about black mailing the owner of club Leviticus which was underway but had not happened yet his butler was talking about something else different.
"Sir you are not listening to me" Paul said.
"No that's not how it works, you listen to me!" Ben shouted.
"Okay"
He was that kind of man who at slightest provocation was ready to remind anyone who he was and who they were in his life. Paul was just his butler. Yet a smart one. There were a lot of things he wouldn't have done without Paul by his side. And it was a good thing he always knew that, sometimes he realized after yelling at him but Paul had gotten used to it. All the yelling and being reminded his place was paying his bills and feeding his children. He could put up with it and expect a fat purse at the end of every month.
"Am an i***t, am I?" He asked.
"No sir you are not", Paul said taking a sip of his drink.
"Just say it this is a free space, in here we are just the two of us", Ben convinced him.
"You only become an i***t when you stop listening to me" He Said.
"Fair enough," Ben Richards said going back to his seat, "You were telling me something go on"
"About the club, am still tracking down a lead by tomorrow we will have the leverage we need to make him sign the papers" Paul said holding his glass with both hands.
"Okay I get that, then?"
"You remember in the hospital when Allan told you the cancer is back?"
"If course I do it was a couple of days ago or three if am right"
"What did you say when he left the room. Can you remember the exact words?"
"I can't but I might have said I want grandchildren before I die" Ben answered obediently.
He was not sure where his butler was headed with his obnoxious Q and A session but he was hoping the means justified the end.
"God might have answered your prayers", Paul said happily giving him a small booklet.
"Melissa is not pregnant right? She can't be pregnant at this point of her career", He said accepting the booklet.
"Just read through it"
There was a test kit, a pregnancy test kit with a newspaper picture of his son Scott Richards. In the book there were words written with a good handwriting he could read without his pair of glasses.
"If something happens to me get me to Scott Richards Jr am carrying his baby"
He looked at Paul and burst into laughter.
"Anyone can come up with this Paul it's a scum", He said.
"What if it's true? Are you not willing to give it the benefit of doubt?"
"Let's assume I believe you, where will you get who wrote this and ask them its bullshit you are wasting my time here I would have made another million!"
"What are millions with no one to enjoy them with?"
"You are crossing a line here".
"Am sorry sir, all am asking is let's go ask her and get Allan to do a DNA test if I fail you are free to fire me. I will go and never come back", Paul said confidently.
There were a few things he knew men like Paul could bet on. But their job, their source of livelihood was not one of them. Once again he realized he was being a complete i***t. If Paul was willing to bet on his job then it meant he was sure there was a chance his son got the girl pregnant. He ought to have believed him. Paul's instincts were never wrong.
"You don't have to bet on your job, I believe you, where do we find her?" Ben asked.
"Already did sir", He said.
Ben smiled and shook his head. Paul was always one step ahead and always had his back. Now he felt like a real i***t. He was arguing with the same man who ensured his safety and that of his family. All he did was pay him money he never did the heavy lifting part of it.
"Where is she?"
"In your penthouse we can stop there on our way to the hospital"
"That's exactly what we are going to do, tell them to prepare tea am going to take a bath!"
"Consider it done sir, which car are you using today?"
"Get the range rover sport"
******
"I can’t imagine dad might die without seeing his grandchild", Scott said massaging his wife's head.
They had just finished their early morning exercise, s*x and they had ordered breakfast in bed.
"Am sorry I can't help", Melissa said.
"I mean can't we give him a gift"
"My career to be sabotaged as a gift to your father? Unless you are talking about invitrifertilization out of the womb or a surrogate mum am not carrying a baby I don't even know how to cater for one!"
"I want a normal baby, one you will carry not the scientific one we are lucky our gametes are working perfectly we should use them", Scott said readjusting his position.
"We are not talking about this anymore", Melissa detested.
"You know hiding from this conversation is not going to help baby we..."
Suddenly their door was knocked.
"Who's it come in!" Melissa ordered.
She had them to thank for interrupting the most scary of conversations she usually had with him. Two maids came in. One was carrying the breakfast in bed rack another one had the tea in a flask with two cups.
"Good morning Master Scott, good morning Mistress Melissa, breakfast is ready", one of the maids said happily.
"Give us a minute to freshen up just put them on the table", Melissa directed them.
They placed everything they were carrying on the table bowed and left the room.
"Come on let's brush and go to our various jobs", She said happily putting on her robe.
Scott Richards joined her reluctantly, clearly he was not done with what he was saying before the maids came in and interrupted the conversation. He was trying to give his old man joy or a glimpse of it. He was happy with his billions, servants and power but he was not happy with parenthood. Ben had missed his window of opportunity in parenthood with his son Scott. He was busy looking for money that time and he had always said it loud that his second chance was with grandchildren. When Scott's sister Amber died the burden to give his father a grandchild fell on Scott and it was now getting stronger with his father having less than a year to live.
The couple went to brush their teeth together before they ate their breakfast. They took a shower, had another round of s*x and prepared for work being driven in the same car with their security detail driving behind them in an SUV. The driver first dropped Melissa at FCNN.
"You have dinner plans tonight?" She asked when the driver pulled over at the parking lot.
"It's a surprise hunny, have a good day", He kissed her on the lips before the guards opened the door for her.
She waved at him and marched inside sandwiched between two guards with Ruth following them behind. He looked at her lustfully.
"Let's go" he said to the driver.
******
When she woke up Arya was lying Ina king sized bed. Light was coming from a large window with curtains when she raised her head the curtains opened bright light blocked her Visage.
"Good morning what should I play you?”
A robotic monotone voice asked from the bedside stool startling her. The walls were painted Grey, on the wall above her head were pictures of wildlife and serene environment. There was a set of pillows, white bed covers on a six by six vanished bed.
"Birds by imagine dragons", Arya said.
She was not worried about her surroundings. She walked to the window to observe the blue sky as imagine dragons birds hit song blasted the speakers. For a guest she had overstayed her welcome already. And she was not worried. She had nothing to be worried about even though she was a little bit scared, you don't get thrown out of your house only to be kidnapped and kept in a very comfortable room you have ever been. It was not a normal occurrence. The thing about her bravery was the fact that she was sure she had done nothing wrong to offend anybody. She had not hurt anybody and whoever her captors were they would have killed her already if they really wanted her dead. She was also in no hurry to escape she sat there with her head between her legs occasionally watching the sunset from the top most floor of an expansive building trying to imagine what life had in store for her and if anyone had found her message about carrying Scott Richards Jr's baby.
The door was knocked. Two men dressed in usual bodyguard style. Black suits, white shirts and black ties with earpiece devices connected on their ears.
"Good morning mum, feel comfortable Mr. Paul will be here in minutes", one of them said.
The other went to the kitchen. She could see him preparing breakfast. This was amazing she had never imagined being a VIP kidnaped girl. Being a hostage was better than her real life on the streets and the cold, with no job and no family far from home yet home was not comfortable.
"Who is Paul and why am I here?" Arya asked.
"My name is Ian, and am not allowed to tell you anything else my job is to keep you safe", he said standing close to her.
"Okay"
"Am sorry" Ian said.
"About what Ian?"
"About all this I mean you are kidnapped, you don't even know where you are and why you are here it's all..."
"Depressing? Is that what you were going to say?"
"Yeah that and sad, anyway if you need anything I will be in the kitchen preparing breakfast for you my boss may fire me if he finds you hungry" Ian said looking all shy and smiley.
"Who is your boss?"
"The richest man in Fort Canon, Ben Frickin Richards baby!" He bragged.
Her heart skipped a beat. There was a faint smile on her face as she got up on her feet.
"Don't tell me you will try to run coz I will have to chase after you"
Ian didn't know how a fool she would have been to run from the very person she was looking for.
"Am just helpless not stupid Ian, am going to take the shower you said!" She said looking enthusiastic.
He was also surprised by how lovely she had become.
- Writer
