“Sometimes the impossible can happen….”
A young lady stares out a window, a window she’d looked out of for years. Everything out there looks familiar, but nothing is really the same.
At this moment, the phone in the room starts to ring insistently. The lady looks at the phone with a look of apprehension. She walks slowly, and when she goes to answer it, the phone stops ringing. The lady sits in the chair and breathes in a relieved way. However, she is startled when the phone starts ringing again:
- It must be them, it has to be them. Why won’t they just leave me alone?
She clamps her hands over her ears and begins to rock.
- What do I have to do to make all of this stop? How did they find me here?
The phone stops ringing, the lady jumps up and rips the telephone cord from the wall. She looks around the room, how far could she get before they come for her. It had been a mistake coming back there, to her childhood home. The latest in ten long years of mistakes. Home, bittersweet home. Nothing good had ever happened there but she was desperate and hopeful, that for once it could become her refuge.
The memories of the past are suddenly interrupted by someone knocking on her door. This abrupt event caused a reaction of fright and fear. She doesn’t have the courage to approach. Then, she hears a voice screaming :
- “Open the door now! now!”
The girl is anesthetized. The expression of fear is visible on her face. She starts looking around, she doesn’t know what to do. So, the person on the other side of the door is forcing the lock and trying to get in anyway. This person seems determined to break into the apartment. He can only have bad intentions!
Panicked and afraid the lady runs to the window. She can see the car below, the vehicle she had come to know and dread. How did she not hear the roar of the engine? She has to think fast, pay more attention. This is not the time to fall apart. The person on the other side of the door is persistent. The lock won’t withstand much more force and she knows there will only be one chance to escape. But to where? When things were bad as a child there was always the fireplace. She and her brother would hide in there but this is not the time for reminiscing.
She runs over to the casing and prises back a corner. The first splinter flies off the door frame. She takes a deep breath and ducks into the dark space. Years of time, dust and cobwebs coat her face and hands as the lock finally gives up.
At this moment, two men destroy the door, break into the apartment and start scour all over the place. They wear Italian suits, hats and fine shoes. Apparently very elegant. A neighbor witnesses the whole scene and approaches to see what is happening. One of bandits points a pistol and makes a threat:
- "You! get out of here!"
The neighbor walks away scared, while the bandits continue rummaging through everything.
-"She's not here, it seems she managed to escape in time" (says one of them)
- "Someone must have warned her that we were coming. We have a traitor among us. (answers the other man).
The two men rush out and leave. Luckily, they didn't stay long enough to hear that the young lady's cell phone was ringing. Afraid, she didn't answer, but there was a voice recording and she heard:
- "You need to leave your apartment immediately, I don't have time to explain, but you're not safe. Look for me in the city's Marina, pier number 36 at 23:00. Don't talk to anyone and don't go elsewhere. ..."
The recording ends, the young lady is scared and confused. This sounded like a familiar voice, but due to the stress of the situation, it was not possible to know for sure. Can she trust that recording? what to do ? go to that location? look for the police? Fear and tension didn't allow her to think clearly. Her intuition told her to trust the recording, but this could be a trap by the men who broke into her apartment.
Mrs Walker, the only good adult in her life. The only one who took any notice of the bruises, fed and comforted them and didn't expect anything in return. In her haste to get away 10 years ago she hadn't even said goodbye, "I can't believe I'd completely forgotten about her, she had a little terrier, what was his name, Smudge!". Could she still trust her with her secrets? She would need somewhere to stash the bag, afterall... Same old selfish Lola, no matter how hard she tried, some things never changed. Coming back was a mistake, too many memories that wouldn't stay buried.
But that voice on the message, she'd heard it before. What she couldn't remember was where and why.
If she were to get to the Marina by 23:00, she'd have to leave soon. Having no money, she'd have to walk, keeping out of sight meant a very long walk. She wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, well maybe if there was a party at the mariner, she'd fit right in... Ms Syn had said, heels would be the death of them all and she hadn't been joking.
She looked around at the debris that had been her bedroom, whilst slipping off her shoes. There was nothing worth salvaging, she had way too much baggage already. She had heard the car leave but she wasn't taking any chances. Standing still by what had been the door, holding her breath she waited, hoping not to hear any movements. After what felt like an hour, she took a tentative step onto the landing.
All the doors were still open to the other rooms, at a glance they appeared undisturbed. How did they know where she would be? Armed only with a mobile phone and a key she left the apartment, crept past Mrs Walker's door and ran down the stairs and burst onto the pavement. The bag was in a locker at the bus station and she was heading in the opposite direction to the marina.
Darkness had already fallen on the town, which meant the local nightcrawlers would be getting their first glimpses of what was on offer for the night to come.
God she hated being there around them, they made her feel even more dirty as if they knew things about her. They probably did or at least knew someone who did.
The city looks cold, dark and deserted. Going to the marina at 11:00 pm is not a good idea. That place is dangerous e perfect for a trap. And at this point Fátima can't trust anyone. The silence of the night is broken by a call from an unknown number, who will it be??
- Hello?? (speaks Fátima)
A few seconds of silence...
- Hello? who's there? (Fatima insists)
A female voice begins to speak...
- It took me a long time to find you. You escaped from my men who came to visit your apartment. How long do you think you can run from the past? Do you think you can live a normal life after all that's happened? You're a bad girl, you've done a lot of wrong things, and I won't rest until you pay for everything you've done....
The connection is terminated. The ghost of the past was more alive than ever and danger was on all sides. Going to the Marina seemed like total madness, you can't trust anyone.
Fatima hadn't noticed, but on the other side of the street were two men. They were beautifully dressed in Italian suits and shiny shoes. They start walking hurriedly towards Fatima, she looks scared and immediately tries to get away from the men, she looks for a door, or some way out. She runs into an alley, soon after she jumps a wall and hides behind a tree. However, the bandits are determined to find her. They scatter and start scouring the place with a pistol.
Fatima has no alternative. She cannot go to the police as she would have to explain the whole situation she is involved in, and it would be impossible not to mention her past. She would end up in trouble with the police! She, too, could not involve other people in this dangerous situation. There were no alternatives, what to do? Time was running out, the bad guys were approaching...
Then the desperate girl remembers the man from Marina, he had a familiar voice, and he didn't seem to be one of the bad guys. She decides to ask for his help.
- I need help, there are two men chasing me!
- I heard Fatima, where are you? I'm going to help you.
Now, she remembered who owned that voice. The clumsy Fatima speaks aloud:
- Patrick?? is that you ??
This draws the attention of the bandits, he fires three shots in the direction of Fátima, who starts to run back through the alley from which she had come. The second bandit hears all the commotion and joins the chase.
- Patrick, I'm on Main Avenue, there are two men trying to kill me! I'm running from them!
- Fátima, look for a safe hiding place and call me later. I'm coming to save you! I arrive soon!
More shots are fired, and the poor girl barely gets hit. She manages to get into an abandoned building. She goes upstairs, and hides on the third floor of an unfinished building. So she pulls out her cell phone to update Patrick on her situation:
- Patrick, I'm on the third floor of a building under construction, right after the abandoned park.
- All right, Fatima. I get there in 10 minutes, it's a little far from the Marina.
- Patrick, are you crazy? I'm stuck, in 10 minutes they'll get me!
- I'm doing what I can, turn off your cell phone now!
Fátima hides behind pieces of wood, the bandits know she is in the building under construction, and they are searching all the spaces.
Patrick parks his car a little farther away, he doesn't want to draw the bad guys' attention. He sneaks up on the building under construction.
Fatima has been caught! One of the bandits finds her and points the pistol, when he was going to fire, he is hit on the head by a blow given by Patrick using a steel barrel.
- Let's go, Fatima!
The second bandit notices the movement and tries to shoot Patrick and Fátima. They run, down the stairs and down the street. They manage to get to the car. The bandit shoots several times, and breaks the rear windows.
- Hurry, Patrick!
- Shut up, Fatima!
He manages to start the car and leave the place in a hurry. The two depart safely.
- Patrick, stop that car! stop that car now!
Patrick pulls over the car, Fátima opens the door and starts walking along the sidewalk.
- Hey crazy woman, I took a risk to save your life, I deserved at least a thank you!
- Patrick, have you forgotten everything that happened to us? Do you think I'm going to fall in love with you just because you want to be the hero all over again? I'm tired of you!
- Fatima, I haven't forgotten the past, but don't behave as if you were a saint. You also made mistakes, and because of that we are in trouble!
- Patrick, you don't need to help me. You saved me, thank you! Now you can go.
- Fátima, why did you return to Nova Odessa? It wasn't a smart decision. You should have forgotten the past!
- Patrick, that's not your problem. I have unfinished business in New Odessa, for that reason I have returned, but there is no time to explain now.
- You are an inconsequential woman! you just do stupid things!
- Patrick, you bastard! I will never be your wife! you're here doing all this to try to win me over. I'm tired of your games!
- Fatima, this is not true. We are all at risk here in New Odessa. If you have business to resolve here, you'll have to wait for another opportunity. Let's go back to the Marina, I have prepared a boat that will take us to the Island of Vera Cruz, there we will have support, we will have our friends and we will be safe. Once we've sorted this out, you can go back to New Odessa and sort out your mysterious business! Be smart, and save your life!
- Patrick, what a stupid idea! do you know how long it takes a boat trip to Vera Cruz?? It's 4 hours of travel in a sea infested with sharks! The sea is guarded by maritime police and helicopters.
- Fatima...
- And that Caribbean island is horrible! A poor, dirty island full of slums. Is that hole you want to hide in?
- I'm tired of this arrogance! Yes, you will go to Vera Cruz, and after all this mess is resolved you can go back to Nova Odessa and do what you want with your life! I'm tired of your immaturity! The choice is yours: stay here and be chased, or go with me to the island. Make up your mind soon, we can't just stand here all night.
- Patrick, I'll go with you, but only if you give up this idea of having me as your wife, because that's impossible!
- Fatima, I don't know when you became this annoying person! Don't worry, I don't want anything to do with you at all.
Then the angry girl gets in the car and the two drive towards Marina. Arriving at pier number 36, there is the boat that Patrick prepared for the trip, and Fátima protests:
- Patrick, where did you get that old boat?? How am I going to travel 4 hours inside this crap? where are the security items? What if the boat sinks?? do you want me to be eaten by sharks? This boat has no roof, what if it rains? Will I get all wet? You are a wretch!
Patrick takes a deep breath and looks at the sky:
- My God! This trip is going to be very long…………
