Chapter: 21
"Nala"
Thomas took a deep breath, wincing in pain. "I was just a business partner of Kaiden's," he said, his voice shaking. "We were working on a few projects together, but when I saw that he was getting involved in some…questionable activities, I knew I had to get out."
"Aren't you the FBI agent" I ask .
"What FBL agent? " He reply but his experience. He's surprised to hear that .
I glance at Lenny look like he's thinking same as me .
I walk to Lenny . "What the hell is this ? Lenny what's going on." I ask him .
He whispered back. "I don't know but lets talk about it later" .
He give me a sign by holding my hand a little stronger .
I remain silent
Lenny's eyes narrowed. "What kind of activities?" he asked, his voice firm.
Thomas hesitated, glancing around nervously. "I don't know if I should say," he whispered.
But I leaned in, my eyes locked on his. "Tell us," I demanded.
Thomas took another deep breath. "Kaiden was involved in some kind of human trafficking ring," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know what to do, so I decided to go to the police. But Kaiden found out, and he came after me."
What human trafficking ring ? . No I know my father is bad but he can't just sell....
Lenny again look at me. Looks like he knows what I'm thinking.
Then he turned toward Thomas .
Lenny's face darkened. "And you've been following us?" he asked, his voice menacing.
Thomas nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe," he whispered. "I even know your mom, Nala."
My eyes widened in shock. "You know my mom?" I repeated.
Thomas nodded again. "Yes, we… we used to work together. She's a wonderful person."
Why .. why mom . Why you now .
Lenny's eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the skepticism there. Was Thomas telling the truth, or was this just another lie?
But as I looked into Thomas's eyes, I saw something there that gave me pause. It was a glimmer of sincerity, of genuine concern.
And in that moment, I knew that we had to hear him .
We looked at each other, and I could see the skepticism in Lenny's eyes start to fade. He nodded, and I knew that we had both come to the same conclusion – Thomas was telling the truth.
" Please let me go now . I have eto go somewhere and if I didn't get there in time . It will be to late . Please Nala . Please" he start begging for me to let him go .
"No, I can't" Lenny says .
I came close to Lenny .
"Lenny let him. Go ." I whisper.
"Nala, no I can't . We don't even know if he's telling the truth or just making a story" .
"Please ,please Nala I know you are not like your father please let me go I will come to you later . I promise . Please" he begg again .
"Fine , you can go now" I say this and walk over to set him free .
But Lenny stop me .
"Nala, is it really what you want right now" Lenny ask .
I nodded .
He walk back in frustration .
Then he came back .
"Okay," Lenny said, his voice firm. "We'll let you go. But if we find out that you're lying to us, you'll regret it."
Thomas nodded, tears still streaming down his face. "I'm not lying," he whispered. "I swear."
We untied Thomas and let him go, watching as he stumbled away into the night.
As we walked back to the hotel, the city seemed quieter, the shadows cast by the streetlights seeming to stretch and twist in ways that made me shiver.
We didn't speak, our minds racing with thoughts and questions. Who was Thomas, really? And what did he have to do with Kaiden?
When we got back to the hotel, we didn't even bother trying to sleep. We sat on the bed, our laptops open in front of us, trying to dig up any information we could on Thomas.
But as the night wore on, we came up empty-handed. We couldn't find anything on Thomas, no matter how hard we looked.
Lenny rubbed his eyes, his face pale with exhaustion. "I need to keep looking , how about you sleep a little Nala ," he said, his voice firm. "There has to be something out there."
"No, I have work now . I can't sleep" u say .
Lenny say " fine but if you are sleepy get some sleep".
I nodded, my own eyes feeling gritty from lack of sleep. "Let's try to find out more about his background," I suggested. "Maybe there's something in his past that can give us a clue."
But as we continued to search, the hours ticking by with agonizing slowness, we still couldn't find anything.
It was as if Thomas was a ghost, a specter with no past and no present.
And as the first light of dawn started to creep into the sky, we finally admitted defeat, our bodies and minds exhausted.
We sat on the bed, our laptops open in front of us, the screens casting a pale glow over our faces. The city outside was quiet, the only sound the distant hum of traffic.
"I don't get it," Lenny said, his eyes scanning the screen. "We've been searching for hours, and we can't find anything on Thomas."
"I know," I replied, my own eyes feeling gritty from lack of sleep. "It's like he doesn't exist."
Lenny rubbed his eyes, his face pale with exhaustion. "We need to keep looking," he said, his voice firm. "There has to be something out there."
"Let's try to find out more about his background," I suggested. "Maybe there's something in his past that can give us a clue."
Lenny nodded, his eyes lighting up with determination. "Okay, let's do it. Where do we start?"
"We can start with his name," I said, typing away on my laptop. "See if we can find any records of him online."
Lenny nodded, his own fingers flying across the keyboard. "I'll try to find out if he has any social media profiles."
As we searched, the hours ticking by with agonizing slowness, we still couldn't find anything. No records, no social media profiles, no mention of Thomas anywhere.
"This is ridiculous," Lenny said, his voice frustrated. "We're not going to find anything."
I shook my head, my own frustration growing. "We can't give up," I said. "We have to keep looking."
But as the first light of dawn started to creep into the sky, we finally admitted defeat, our bodies and minds exhausted.
"I don't understand," Lenny said, his eyes scanning the room. "How can someone just disappear like that?"
I shook my head, my own eyes feeling heavy with exhaustion. "I don't know," I said. "But we'll find out. We just need to keep looking."
Lenny nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "We will," he said. "We'll find out who Thomas is, and what he wants."
As we lay down on the bed, our eyes closing in unison as we drifted off into a fitful sleep, our minds still racing with questions and doubts.
Nala I think we can do it later . It's to late.
We spent the next two days researching, barely sleeping or eating. Our hotel room was a mess of papers, laptops, and empty coffee cups. We were determined to find something, anything, on Thomas.
I sat at the desk, my eyes scanning the screen as I searched through online records. Lenny lay on the bed, his laptop propped up on his chest as he scrolled through social media.
"Find anything?" I asked, not looking up.
Lenny shook his head. "No, nothing."
I sighed, rubbing my eyes. We had been at this for hours, and I was starting to lose hope.
Just as I was about to give up, I saw something. A small article from a local newspaper, dated many years ago.
"Wait," I said, my heart racing. "I think I found something."
Lenny sat up, his eyes locked on mine. "What is it?"
I hesitated, my hands shaking as I scrolled through the article. "Thomas was in jail," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "For an accident."
Lenny's eyes widened. "What kind of accident?"
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. "A car accident. He crashed into another car, injuring the driver."
Lenny's face went white. "What's the date of the accident?"
"I don't know let's search".
I hesitated, my eyes scanning the article. "It was… a long time ago."
Lenny's eyes locked onto mine. "Nala, I think we should look at the pictures."
My heart was racing as I scrolled through the article, searching for the photos. And then I saw it. A picture of the car accident, the wreckage strewn across the road.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. The car in the picture… it was my mother's car.
Lenny's eyes were locked on mine, his face pale. "Nala, I'm so sorry."
Looks like no only I recognize it but Lenny also did .
I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. The room was spinning around me.
Thomas was the driver who had crashed into my mother's car. The driver who had killed her.
I felt a wave of anger wash over me. How could he do this? How could he take my mother's life and then just disappear?
Lenny's arms were around me, holding me tight. "We'll get him, Nala," he whispered. "We'll make him pay."
I nodded, my eyes dry. I knew that my father was a bad man, but he would never do something like this. This human trafficking shit . Thomas was a monster, and he needed to be stopped.
As we held each other, I knew that nothing would ever be the same again. We had uncovered a secret, a secret that would change everything.
I sat in stunned silence, my mind reeling with the revelation. Thomas, the man who had killed my mother, was still out there. And my father… did he know?
I thought back to our conversation, the way he had sent me to Singapore without hesitation. Why would he do that? Did he know that Thomas was here?
I felt a wave of anger wash over me. Why wouldn't my father be here himself? Why would he send me, his daughter, to deal with this?
Lenny's eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the anger reflected back at me. We didn't need to say a word to each other. We knew what we had to do.
I wanted to scream , how can this happens . It's ... It's not that much okay . I Ii hate it .
"Be strong Nala . Only strong survive and took the revenge" Lenny says these words .
Yeha I have to be strong
We spent the next week searching for Thomas, scouring the streets and asking questions. But he was nowhere to be found.
" I should have listened you Lenny . I shouldn't let him go at that time " I say this with a little bit guilty tone .
"It's okay Nala we will find him okay . Don't be sad . It's not your fault. Nothing is your fault"
"Okay"
I reply I know I had to be strong .
It was like he had vanished into thin air.
But we didn't give up. We kept searching, fueled by our anger and determination.
And finally, after days of searching, we thought we had found him. We were walking down a crowded street, our eyes scanning the crowds, when we saw him.
But before we could react, a group of men grabbed us, pulling us into a waiting car.
We were kidnapped.
I struggled against my restraints, but they were too tight. Lenny was beside me, his eyes blazing with anger.
The car screeched to a halt, and we were dragged out, thrown into a dark and deserted warehouse.
And then, we saw him. Thomas, standing in front of us, a smirk on his face.
"You're such a fool, Nala," he said, laughing. "Kaiden's daughter, and you fell right into my trap."
I struggled against my restraints, my anger boiling over. "Why did you kill my mother?" I spat.
Thomas's smirk faltered, and for a moment, I saw something else in his eyes. Something like regret.
"I didn't mean to," he said, his voice low. "But your father… he hurt someone close to me. And I wanted revenge."
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. My father, the man I had always known as ruthless and cunning, had hurt someone close to Thomas.
And now, Thomas had hurt me.
The warehouse was silent, the only sound the creaking of the old building. Lenny's eyes were locked onto mine, and I could see the anger and determination reflected back at me.
We would get out of here, and we would make Thomas pay.
My eyes scanned the warehouse, my mind racing with a plan. I always carried a small knife with me, a habit my father had instilled in me . I carefully maneuvered my hands, using the knife to cut through the ropes that bound me.
As soon as i was free, I threw the knife towards Lenny, who caught it deftly. Together, we charged at Thomas's men, fighting with every ounce of strength they had.
The warehouse erupted into chaos, punches flying and bodies crashing to the ground. I and Lenny fought in perfect sync, their movements fluid and deadly.
But Thomas's men were numerous, and it took a toll on me and Lenny. We were both bleeding and bruised, their bodies screaming in agony.
Just when it seemed like they were gaining the upper hand, Thomas himself appeared, a sneer on his face. But me and Lenny both were relentless, fueled by our rage and determination.
We fought for what felt like hours, our bodies battered and broken. But finally, they managed to overpower Thomas's men and grab Thomas himself.
My eyes blazed with fury as I dragged Thomas to the ground. "You're going to pay for what you did," I spat, my fists flying.
Lenny joined in, his own anger and rage pouring out. Together, we pummeled Thomas, our blows raining down on him like a storm.
"I want revenge for my mother," I screamed, her fists shaking with rage. "For myself, for my father, whom you turned into a monster."
Thomas's face was a bloody mess, his eyes swollen shut. But I didn't stop. I kept hitting him, my anger and rage pouring out.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they stopped. Thomas lay on the ground, his body broken and battered.
I stood over him, My chest heaving with exhaustion. "It's over," i spat. "You've lost."
Lenny stood beside me , his own chest heaving. "We did it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I turned to him, my eyes locked on his. "We're not done yet," i said, my voice cold and deadly. "We still have to make sure he pays for what he did."
And then I pull the gun out of my pocket which I took from Thomas man. "hey hey what are you gonna do . Leave me leave me I beg you please leave me " Thomas shouted but I didn't listen him load it and start shooting him .
One bullet into Chest , he says "stop please stop ." but I didn't and then he says "you know who ordered the accident. It was the person whom you meet earlier " I get shocked . How can it be possible. I meet earlier.
"tell me his name.
I say. " tell. me .his .name" .
I shot again second bullet near heart he become afraid for sometime but then started to laugh ." it was the father of your kidnapper . The father of the one whom from you run away . Whom you shoot . It's was the father of zayden Fuad . It was Mr Fuad"
I get angry . It can't be . It wa
s my father who kills them at first right .my father is monster not his and with anger I shoot , third bullet on heart , fourth bullet on heart again , fifth bullet on head .and then it stop all bullet from the gun finished . It's empty now but I didn't stop I still pull the trigger and shot him. Lenny came beside me he hold me from one hand and pull me closer to him . "It's alright . It's alright"he says while I burst into tears . " Lenny tell me it's a lie ..l Lenny please tell me all he says was just a lie . Zayden dad Mr Fuad can't do this .Lenny" Lenny huds me tighlty and says .
"Listen I don't know if he was telling truth or not but believe me I will find this out for you . Only for you my Nala".