Chapter Forty-Five

Terrified, Kie and I sat in the back of a pick up truck now. I observed as Jimmy approaches; the people who'd kidnapped us surrounded us.

"We saved your life." Kie whispered, her voice shaking.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry." Jimmy's eyes were glossy. "I'm gonna try help you guys, okay? I swear, I didn't know it was gonna be like this. Look, if you don't fight, if you just do what they say, these guys prob... Probably won't hurt you."

"What did Ward promise you?" I spat out. I wanted to sound confident, but my voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

Jimmy stares at us blankly. "Who?" I stare at him, almost about to furrow my eyes brows. "Hey, just take my advice, do what they say." Jimmy steps away. "Good luck."

Kie and I both looked at each other once he'd gone. "Do we trust him?" Kie uttered out.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "I... I don't know. I don't know anymore." The pick up truck then turns on, and a muscler thug climbs into the back with us.

"All right, lets go." A guard informs and we begin to travel. I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear nervously, trying to look out for the others again. No one. They'd left us.

Kie and I make eye contact again. We decided to keep quiet. I sink lower into the truck, decided that I'd get some rest.

✫✫✫

I'd say a couple of hours had gone by. We were coming into a lovely property now. Kie and I hadn't spoken a signal thing to each other yet.

There were lots of lands where we were driving too and a very nice mansion at the top of the hill. The estate was lined with palm trees. We were driving up the driveway, and we were stopped by some guards.  One holds lesh of a large german shepard.

The pick up stops and the dog sniffs around it. "All right, let them in." One of the declares. A guard raises a barrier, and the pick up continues down the long drive. I gaze around the estate, spotting guard towers armed with guns nearby.

I gulped a little. This place doesn't mess around.

The pick up eventually gets to the mansion and stops by an iron gate. We got out obligingly. One thug had my arm, and another thug had Kie's arm as they dragged us inside the iron gate. I glanced around the backyard; on the patio and balcony, there were many guards.

We approach the front door. A house keeper opens it, frowning. She wears a black dress with a white apron. We enter an elegant fourier with wooden fetchers and floral wall paper. I looked around at the various artefacts on display.

A thug stands at the bottom of the stairs case. "Take them upstairs." The house made demands. "The Orinoco Room."

"This way." The thug takes our arms, gripping tightly, and I winced. He yanks us. "Up." He guides us upstairs. A few minutes later, he shoved us into a room with green walls, and I felt like I could finally breathe. "Inside."

Kie turns to him. "Why are we here? Who are you working for?"

"Dinner at eight." The man spoke, and I finally looked at him again. "I'd clean up."

"Just tell us what they want!" Kie snapped as the thug backs away and closes the door. Kie tugs on the doorknob, but it doesn't open. She then looked around the room.

"Okay." I breathed out as she moved towards the window. "What's the plan? Do we escape?"

"There's no way we'd be able to escape." Kie eyes outside, and I joined her. At least three guards were standing on the deck in front of us armed with guns. I turn away with a scowl.

"Great." I mutter. "So what? Do we oblige? Like Jimmy said?"

Kie looks at me, her jaw tightening. "I guess so."

I then eyed the wardrobe and walked over. I looked at it, and several red, sparkling dress of different sizes were hung up. They were thing straps, too. I grabbed the note off one of the hangers.

Pick your sizes.

I huffed. "Ew." I muttered under my breath. "These aren't even pretty." Okay, maybe I was lying to myself. They're not too bad, but I've seen better. "What size are you, Kie?"

We both ended up trying on the dresses. We both turned to each other, the red dress fitting us nicely. "Reds are not really my colour." Kie frowned. "Defeintly yours, though."

"Sush, you look fantastic." I grinned but quickly wiped it off my face, almost forgetting why we were here. "What do you think they want from us?"

"I don't know." Kie sits on the bed. "I figured it must be to do with your Dad, right?"

"Yeah, but Jimmy was confused when we asked him about it." I added. "So now I'm not sure what to believe."

Kie sighed. "I guess we're just going to have to find out."

✫✫✫

Around eight, the housekeeper comes in. Kie and I both sat up instantly from the bed. We'd both been lying on it and trying to devise a plan for two hours. The possibility of escaping is close to none, just because of how heavily guarded this place is.

"He's ready." The house keeper informed us. Kie and I glanced at each other. Thats the only piece of information we've gotten so far. It's a he we're meeting.

Kie and I followed her downstairs. We pace a small golden statue resting in a dome glass display. The house keeper gestures into the dining room. We entered, and I eyed a man who pours a drink on the far end of the room with his back to us.

"Uh, excuse me?" Kie questioned. The man turns, and my eyes widen. I stumbled back slightly, and Kie quickly held onto me from falling. My brother stares at us, his eyes widening slightly. Kie marches forward. "No, I knew you and Ward were behind this shit."

Rafe frowns as he walked forward. "What are you talking about? You trying to weasel in on my deal right now? Is that whats going on? What are you two doing here?"

"What are we doing here?" I was baffled. "What are you doing here?"

"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know." A man in another corner had his back turned to us with a thic accent, causing Kie, Rafe, and I turn to him. He turns. A tan man with black hair and a beard.

"Who are you?" Rafe asked.

He points to himself. "Me? My name is Carlos Singh." He wags his finger at Rafe. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Cameron. Miss Carrera and Miss Cameron, I do apologise for the rough tactics in bringing you here. But please, come. Sit down." I remained still along with Kie. "Come now. I don't bite."

He entends a hand. Kie, Rafe, and I glanced at each other. Kie entered the sitting room first, followed by me, then Rafe. "Rough tactics." Rafe pipes up. "What about me?"

Carlos was pouring himself a drink. "Yes, Mr Cameron, false pretences. But the end justifies the means, I'm afraid. Sit down." Rafe complies, and I followed after him; Kie was already sitting. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Why are we here?" Kie asked.

"Well, Miss Carrera, Miss Cameron, and Mr Cameron." Carlos begins. "We share certain interests, you know. Objectvices."

"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe cuts in. I shoot him a look.

"It is." Carlos points at him. "Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it is also something much, much bigger than the cross. By orders of magnitude..." Carlos regards a painting. "The complete of a grand quest. You see, the story goes 450 years ago, a spanish solider came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the spanish solider, where the beads come from, the spanish solider replied he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado. And for the next 450 years, people tried to find the gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, Captains of ships, tribes, entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow. Thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. To bring full circle a quest that has gone on for almost 500 years. Perhaps... Perhaps the greatest quest  in the history of the western hemisphere, you know. And you three..." He chuckles. "You three are going to play a part in that." Rafe looks aside, tight lipped. "What about you, Miss Carrera?" Carlos continues, starring at Kie. He sits. "Are you interested in history?"

"I'm more of a future person." Kie strongly spoke, keeping her gaze ahead.

Rafe groaned slightly. "Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you said, okay? How much you gonna keep philosophising?"

Carlos chuckled. "You are a direct, aren't you, Mr Cameron?" Rafe glares at Carlos.

"What do you need from us?" I gestured towards her and me.

"I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want." Carlos explained.

Kie shakes her head slightly. "Which is?"

"An old manuscript." Carlos revealed. "A diary, actually." I kept a straight face but I knew exactly what he was talking about. Rafe's eyes shift, landing on me. I don't dare to look at Kie but I knew she knew what he was talking about, too.

Denmarks Diary.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rafe claims, and it's true. He doesn't have any idea. Kie shakes her head. I was practically frozen, but ever so slightly, I shook my head, keeping my gaze forward.

"This is ridiculous." Kie scoffed. "I don't know anything about a diary."

I pursed my lips, trying to act like I have no clue. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to act clueless. Carlos knits his brow. "But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?"

Kie inhales sharply. "Look, I want to help you, but I can't."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that you know." Carlos tells her. "Because, unfortunately, I don't believe you. Why are you being so quiet, Miss Cameron?" I turned my head towards him, making brief eye contact. "Trying to hide something?"

I tilted my head innocently. "I don't read," I respond. I was trying to out on my best 'dumb' blonde look.

Carlos shook his head. "You and your friends here couldn't have found the cross without it."

"He's not our friend." Kie quickly spoke.

Carlos looks at Rafe. "We can't all be friends, you know."

Rafe sighed. "Look, this is ridiculous. Okay? I'm out." Rafe went to stand up. He backs away and I make brief eye contact with him, pursing my lips. "I don't know anything about a diary—" He bumps into a guard, blocking his path.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr Cameron?" Carlos questioned. Carlos stands up, repeating the question. "Do I look like a fool to you?" Rafe turns around, shrugging. "You have the cross. Those two and their friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary." Rafe looked at Kie and I. "And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your sister and friend to tell me." Carlos points at us. "Once I have the diary..." He smiles at us. "You'll be free to leave."

✫✫✫

"Enjoy the grouns during your stay." Carlos had lead us back to the bedroom. Rafe, Kie, and I followed inside. Carlos turns to us. "I must warn you, though. I'm not a man of infinite patience. You have one day. Go to the window for a little demonstration." He pats Rafe on the shoulder. "I think you'll enjoy it, you know." Carlos exits, one of his guards shutting the door behind him.

"Hey. Hey!" Rafe walked over to the door, trying the knob. "You're just done talking?" The door locks. "Hey!"

"It's locked." Kie spoke softly before walking towards the window, and I followed her.

"I wouldn't bother. We've tried that already." I called over my shoulder and stood next to Kie near the window. Rafe eventually joined us.

Below, guards escorted Jimmy. "Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe questioned as he stood behind me.

"We know him." I informed. "It's Jimmy Portis." Rafe shoots me a look. "He was trying to help us."

The guards take Jimmy out of sight; Carlos had appeared and looked right at the window. He takes out a handgun, and my breath hitched.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Rafe mutters. We all gap, looking at the window. Carlos had turned around the corner from out of view, and a few seconds later, a gun shot was heard, and I cringed. I closed my eyes, turned away slightly, letting out a low whimper. They killed Jimmy. "This diary." Rafe pants, then placed his hands on me, turning me to him. My eyes shot open. I was frozen. "Hey, no bullshit. Don't bullshit me, Stormy. Okay? Does either of you guys have it? Kie?"

Kie locks eyes with Rafe. "No."