Karyme

"Kary, we need to act fast now. Get into the car. Back seat. Crouch and cover yourself with the blanket and diverse tools we have in there. After we are out of here, Kuba will go and tell Miss Lange that there was a crazy girl in that room and she escaped out the removed window into the garden. That will give us some time but not a lot. You hear me, Kary? Focus." He grabs my face. I was staring at him probably creepily for long minutes. "I don't know what happened to you in there but I figure nothing good, but now you need to try to put yourself together so we get out of here and nobody dies."

"Yes, yes, I am OK." Sort of, at least. I shake my head.

All the Polish workers troup lines up so I can get into the car without anybody seeing me. I peek from below the blanket at Damian, who gets into the driver's seat and starts the engine.

"Where are you going so early; you just came?" asks one of the guys at the gate.

"Kein Englisch,/ No English," says Damian rather confidently.

"Where do you go? Where?" repeats the guy rather annoyed.

"Kreissäge. Kaput./ Broken," He points at the broken circular saw above me. I bet he shredded that thing today. But, I must admit Damian is more shrewd than I would have expected of him. This part of his isn't obvious; with his friends, he is always the most sincere and kind.

The guy nods and opens the door. We drive out but a few meters further, Damian curses under his breath and presses the gas pedal.

"What happened?" I whisper.

"I am not sure, but I am seeing in the rear window people gathering at the gate."

"Are they after us?"

"Not yet."

"Where are we actually going?"

"I... am not sure. First, we go to my place so you can get dressed in something more fitting and we can change cars. Then I am not sure if driving you to an airport is a good idea."

"No, it isn't. Stefano has police on his payroll; they will tell him. Besides, I have no documents."

"Then we have to go the land route."

"I, not we. Damian, you have to return there with a new circular saw and act as if nothing happened. Stefano will throw a tantrum but he cannot massacre the whole construction troup of a respectable company and not face legal stir-up. Give me your phone," I say. I hope what I said is true and he won't decide to fuck everything and just do what he wants.

Damian stretches out his hand with the phone. I grab it and turn on the video recording.

"My name is Karyme bint Mohamad Abadi. I am a Swiss citizen and was abducted by Stefano Messina at a party in Rome. I was held hostage against my will and fear for my life. Hereby I ask for justice," I say into the camera.

"What are you doing?"

"If shit hits the fan, tell him this is in a cloud and if something happens to you it will be broadcasted all over Europe."

"He will know I am bluffing."

"But you are not. I have just set up an email that will go off from my secret mailbox, that he will not suspect or have access to, five days from now if you don't stop it. It will go to all my friends in the press in all countries and to my brother. If there will not be anybody making it public because they care about me it will be because they want a smashing title."

"If you are so smart, how the hell did he catch you?"

"I was also stupid and reckless. Won't happen again." I didn't like the excursion into straight dating with a dick down my throat.

"I think you should to go back to Switzerland and to the police. There it's the safest. The problem is that I don't know how you can get there."

"I know... There is no easy way." I breathe in sharply. "I need to get to Roxi."

"Roxi... is alive?" Damian's eyes widen in surprise.

"Yeah."

"Shit, I am so happy. And where is she? Why the hell didn't she say anything?"

"She is in Brazil. Hiding there. The mafia was hunting her."

"Then why the hell do you want to go there?"

"I need to tell her something."

"That can wait. You obviously cannot fly to Brazil right now. You have bigger problems for the time being. You don't even have shoes. Kary, how the hell did you get yourself involved in this?"

"Hmm I wanted to see what happened to Roxi and while doing that I got involved with this guy."

"Hell of an involvement. I swear, all these rich people are bad shit crazy. There were the other day some Turkish guys spying on the villa. One offered me a thousand euros if I open for him the garden gate that he seemed to know about. I told him I am not tired of living..."

"Turkish you say?"

"Yeah, I think so. Not sure. Had that accent and looked slightly tanned, but maybe he was something else."

So maybe Aziz is indeed thinking about making yet another bad decision. But my phone is with Stefano, so I yet again don't have a number. It will take a while till my brother answers a stray email from a spare account because I cannot use the real one since it's still logged in on my phone.

Sicily is a damn island so the mainstream exits are monitored. I need one that is not mainstream and I need it fast.

"Could you find that guy again?"

"I don't know. I don't think he lingered out of obvious reasons."

"You know what? Drive me to the docs where the rich people have their yachts."

"Kary, what the fuck?"

"He will not search there because it doesn't make sense and I plan to get myself a ride. And after that, I kindly ask you to search for that guy and tell him that Karyme wants to send his boss a message. If he seems to not know what you want, just walk away, if he does know, give him this." I take a piece of paper that was lying around in the car and scribble a message on it in Arabic.

"Kary, what...?"

"I think that might be an old friend but you can never be sure with those people."

Damian is driving like crazy on the Sicilian streets.

"Kary, I came here because it's good if we are on the move but, do you really want to do that?"

I look him in the eyes and give him a big hug.

"You, take good care. I would hate myself so much if you die."

"I will. Nobody wants to die but I really think it's a bad idea. Sadly I don't have a better one."

I kiss him on the cheek and whisper, "I am getting myself a ride now."

Then I get out of the car and walk confidently to the boats. In front of me is one of the biggest yachts parked. That one has a captain visible on board, meaning it's the one ready to sail right away.

"Care to give me a ride, boys?" I scream from down under. "Where is the owner?"

For silent five minutes, there is nothing. Was I an overconfident dumbass? I hope not because I am here for everyone to see and Stefano will know. He probably already does.

Shit. Still nothing and this is getting embarrassing to stay there in a skimpy night shift hoping for something that will never arrive. I have never been stood up on a date, but that's how it must feel.

Damian is still there staring and opens the door of the car. There is also a black car, very tiny, arriving from the distance. I hope not... Fuck! I have just sentenced us both to death.

"Damian drive before they see you."

"And you?"

"Go find Aziz's man and tell him I need help. Now!"

Damian nods and drives away. He is not stupid or tired of living.

"Mademoiselle, you said a ride?" Interrupts a mellow voice.

A man in his late fifties is looking at me from the deck. He is not very tall, has a full head of grey hair and is dressed in linen. He is reasonably good-looking for a guy my father's age.

I put my best smile on and say, "Yes if we sail right away."

"Your wish is my command." He stretches out a hand so I can climb on deck.

"Who do I have the honour of meeting?"

"François Orsini. And what's your name, my precious?"

"Anjali." I chose the first Indian name that I recall from a movie. I hope I look Indian enough.

"Oh, Indian. By the looks, I thought you were Arabic." And you wouldn't be wrong...

"Yes Indian, but I grew up in the UK."

"You are a beauty. Today I was feeling lonely and you fell into my lap. Where do you want us to sail, cherie?"

"To Ostia. I need to get to Rome." I need to talk to Marco.

"What are you planning to do there?"

"Meet some friends. And I don't want to be late."

"Are your friends as beautiful as you are?"

"Actually extremely beautiful." If you like men.

His grin becomes wider and he gives the signal for us to sail off. Finally!

"We will be stuck on this boat for the next twelve hours, ma belle."

Oh yeah. Twelve hours in which I am not sure I can avoid his dick being shoved down my throat. At least he doesn't want to get me pregnant.

"Then, I hope you have champagne and a bikini for me."

"For sure, more alcohol than you can dream of. Bikini? There might be some too for all the ladies that end up her without one."

Great way to make a girl feel special.

"Now, give me a kiss for taking you on this adventure without knowing you."

Oh. I have most certainly daddy issues but they don't manifest in wanting to hook up with guys his age. He would be so angry... I am a bit ashamed in the depth of my mind but better ashamed than dead or pregnant by Stefano.

I bow to kiss him and he presses his tongue into my mouth. Grose.

"Let me search for that bikini."

I go under the deck and lock myself in a toilet. There I unlock Damian's phone and connect to the WiFi. This should help Aziz find me if he will be searching. I hope he doesn't hate me too badly. If I get out of this alive I will help him bone that chick he likes, I promise.

There are indeed several bikinis lost around here. Some even with a price tag on them.

What I learn, is that François dearest really likes skinny girls. There's no problem with these preferences per se but the damn bikini is very tight and revealing on my curves. Father would again be ashamed of having fathered me.

But this guy freaking adores it. His eyes are glued to my ass and boobs. One hour gone, eleven more to go. Let's learn something about this guy and possibly make him like me.

He opens a champagne bottle for us. It's the good stuff. Then again, what's to expect from a guy with a huge yacht?

You are extremely beautiful and incredibly seductive, now go there and charm the hell out of him; I tell myself.

"Well, sir," I say clicking our glasses, "What made you accept my humble request?"

"I like the gratitude of damsels and I was looking forward to a rather dull day. Now not anymore."

"Pray, what do you do for a living if you have such time and opportunity to be bored?" Rich heir? I bet.

"I am a businessman. I was here on a business and pleasure trip. And I was anyway heading to Rome, but maybe I would have left only later today. And you?"

"I uh... Just broke up with my boyfriend."

"Poor bastard. You don't look like the type one can easily get over."

"I am certainly not." I give him a million-dollar smile. Ten hours and a half to go. "What are you doing in Rome?"

"Some other business, and some other pleasure. But besides that, I am tending the engagement party of the grandson of a friend and business partner. The boy was contemplating marrying my niece but he decided otherwise in the end. His loss, Arabella is a knock-out."

"Decide? Is it an arranged marriage? I thought you don't do that in Europe."

"Some people do. It helps you unite your blood line with quality people." I have to work really hard to keep a straight face. So it sounds like he is also part of the obscure business. That is not at all reassuring. If I don't please him, they will never find my body in the ocean. Shit.

"So it's a very important party. Do you need a date?" I give him again my best smile.

"Hmmm... I am recently divorced. I actually planned to get there alone and find a willing lady but arriving with some arm candy that seems to also be very charming will for sure anger my ex-wife. You got yourself a deal."

Yey. We'll see if I will actually attend.

"So who are the people, show me at least a picture and tell me the names. And if you want me to say something specific to make your ex-wife jealous, just brief me." And keep this conversation going and the booze for you so we don't have to fuck.

He searches for something on his phone and then shows me a paparazzi picture.

"The boy's name is Marco, and his grandfather's name is Lorenzo. That's all you need to know." I count in my mind to ten till I say something.

"And the girl?" I whisper.

"Honestly, I don't remember. These Asian names are all the same to me, but the surname is Yoshida. That's an important family in Japan."

"I bet they are..."

"Now come here..." He claps his thigh. Eight hours to go. Fuck...

I oblige and sit on his lap. He drank already five glasses while I am still at my first. That's good.

"Tell me more about yourself and about this party. Do you have children?"

"I have two twin daughters. They are eighteen. I actually wanted to send Lorenzo a proposal for them too to marry the boy. A ten-year age gap in not so much but my brother was really offended and he still calls the shots in the family so I had to back off."

"I see. It's better this way. Eighteen is barely legal and way too young to marry."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six." The math is matching for me to be your daughter.

"Just how I like them." Oh boy... Sure you do.

He moves his hand up my back and finally reaches my breasts.

"I must admit I have never slept with an Indian girl." And it will stay this way at least today. "Land of the Kama-Sutra. You must be very good at it." I forgot about that.

"You would be surprised." Not in a good way... but still.

He pushes me down on the sofa wherever we were seating, watching the sea. It's unavoidable. Just imagine something nice...

He lays over me and starts kissing me. He's not particularly good at it and smells and tastes of alcohol. I try to participate half hearted. What I notice though, is that he isn't hard. Not that my experience with men is very broad but shouldn't he be?

He utters a swear word in French and I guess that would confirm my theory.

"Everything all right?" I give him a kiss on the cheek edged with my own flavour of malice.

"Yes, relax. I will make you feel good," he says and moves his hand into my bikini shorts.

I stare at the ceiling of the boat and try to think about something... Roxi, Damian, cheese and crackers, something, just not the here and now. Boy is this bad. I would think that a straight guy in his fifties found the clit already in his journey but nope with a popping p.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah." I try to bring out a fake moan and a halfway convincing lie.

He sits up and wants to take my slip off. Ugh no. I don't want your tongue there.

"What's that?" He frowns at the horizont.

"What?" I look that way. A few speedboats come from the shore towards us. Fuck.

I look around and from the other direction, small but still noticeable, a helicopter is flying our way.

Fuck.

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Getting there. :D.