REWARD OF EVIL

ON THE ROAD

Loretta drove along the road, looking all distressed on noticing a white cab which followed keenly behind her; keeping a close watch on her. She instinctively turned her gaze to the seat beside her as she reached for her phone. Loretta anxiously surfed through and dialed Paola's line, staring through the side mirror as she balanced her gaze between the road ahead and the mirror.

" Hey, Lore, what's up with you ?" Paola's voice echoed from the other end of the phone.

" Fine, I guess " She answered absent-mindedly, still gazing at the car behind her through the mirror, wondering.

" Hey, girl, is everything okay? You seem so down and absent-minded– Come on, tell me, what's it?" Her question spontaneously drew her full attention.

" Huh? – oh, yeah, umm, are you home? I need to talk to you " She answered.

" Yeah, I'm home but can you tell me what's going on now? I'm a little worried" Paola insisted but she instinctively pull a blunt excuse.

" Don't worry, we'll talk about it when I get there. I've got to go now– Need to handle something urgently, bye "

She spontaneously dropped the phone back before Paola could say more.

PAOLA'S HOUSE

" Hey, wait, Lore? – Lore?" Peep, a sound dropped the line. She groaned, rolling her eyes in the process as retrieved the phone from her ears.

" Oh, gosh– what's going on with her? What was so urgent that she couldn't tell me?" An inaudible sigh escaped her lips as she settled in one of the sofas in the hall. " I hope she's alright "

Paola added with a faraway look in her eyes, her eyes betrayed her worried looks.

" What should I do ?– what should I do? " She muttered. " Or should I call Bianca over? Maybe she'll know what to do. " She deliberated and as if on an impulse, affirmed her thoughts. "

Yes, I guess that will do–I'll call her now " She briskly adjusted herself on the sofa while she surfed through her cell.

ON THE ROAD

Loretta sighed, dropping the phone back on the seat with divided attention. She kept gazing anxiously at the mirror from time to time.

" It seems I've got company " She muttered.

" Could it be Bello? I'm so sure he's the one tailing me. I've got to lose him– I've got to but how?"

Her worried gaze took the better part of her as she drove on with a furrowed brow, planning how best she could lose her stalker. Just then, she noticed a police barrier along the T_ junction.

" Yes, that's it" She muttered with a faint sigh of relief. Without a second thought, she drove towards the barrier. The cab tailed on and parked at a distance as its occupants kept watch over her from a distance.

Meanwhile, Loretta had pulled over in front of the barrier with the bid, they had retracted but just when she gazed back at the mirror, she noticed it wasn't going to be an easy task losing them. Loretta saw the car still parked at a distance, in wait to continue the chase. She feigned a sigh and leaned her head over the wheel with closed eyes.

" That was pretty close – But I still need a way to lose them " She whispered in desperation with no plan at all in mind.

OTHER END OF THE ROAD

" What's she doing over there " A man at the back seat of the car queried as he leaned over his ears.

" Can't tell, sir" The driver answered.

" Alright, keep a close eye on her. Make sure we don't lose her, okay?" He pressed.

" Alright " The driver responded and the man tapped his shoulders before settling back in his seat.

" Good, I've got to attend to this call now " He exuded while he dug into his pocket for the phone which kept ringing for the past 10mins.

THE POLICE BARRIER

Loretta's head was still pinned on the wheel as her mind strategize her next move when a sudden movement startled her– she felt a soft hand over her shoulder. She jolted, terrified by the sudden action of the unknown intruder; not hesitating, she swiftly lifted her head to find who it was.

" No, please, don't hurt me" Was the first cry that exuded her lips but then, a sense of relief instinctively swept through her at the sight of the person before her– It was one of the police inspectors on duty. She sighed, breathless.

" So sorry ma'am– Sorry for scaring you. Just wanted to find out if you're alright "

" It's okay, I'm Fine– Thanks " She answered, glancing through the side mirror to check if the cab was still there and to her surprise, it had never moved an inched from where it was.

" God, damn it, it's still there" She whispered.

" Is everything alright ma'am?" The inspector inquired.

" Oh, yeah, everything is fine." She sharply cut in with a forced smile. Just then, a long track approaching from the other side of the road caught her attention. She found it the best way and opportunity to lose her guest.

" Yes, this is the best time to lose them– I just need to monitor this track. The moment it blocks their view then I'll move" She thought to herself.

" Okay, since you are fine, I'll like to get back to my post" The inspector's voice cut in.

" Sure, do–Thanks " She answered and he strolled back to his post.

Loretta immediately drove off the moment the track got in between the cab and her car, blocking their view on her.

*********

After the track passed, the driver looked across the street only to find the spot empty with no sign of Loretta's car anywhere.

" She's gone, sir" He announced which made his partner jerk up, glancing out of the window in the process.

" What? what do you mean by she's gone? Where did she go? How could you lose her" He angrily inquired but the driver just stammered?

" Sorry, sir, I was shortly blocked by that track which just passed by"

" God!!– Damn it !!!, Come on, let's get out of here. We need to find her else we're doomed. You know how her father could be with things like this. We'll lose our jobs if he gets to know this. Hurry now, she wouldn't have gone that far"

" Alright, sir "

Not waiting for another minute, their car hastily veered off with no particular destination in mind.

***********

Loretta drove off the main road and took the road through the woods in an attempt to lose the cab. It was such a quiet and lonely root to which most vehicles hardly use due to robbery attacks and murder.

She drove halfway through and gazed back, the cab was no longer behind her. She heaved a sigh of relief, swiftly dabbing the sweat off her brows. "Finally, I lost him " She stuttered, little did she know that her car had run out of diesel during the chase.

Her car suddenly came to a stop with no intention of moving any further– It wouldn't move no matter what she tried.

" Hey, what is wrong with you?" She howled as if it could hear her. "How could you ditch me like this on this..... this...lonely road." She stuttered, her eyes swiftly surveying her surrounding which seem extremely quiet. " Please just respond this last time, please " She helplessly cried, trying to get it to start but to no avail.

PAOLA' S HOUSE

Bianca anxiously rushed into the house with an etched panic gaze as she kept calling Paola's name.

" I'm over here, Bianca" She answered from the kitchen on hearing her feet briskly trod in. Bianca spontaneously sped towards the kitchen.

" Have you heard from her again?" She asked.

" No, she should have been here by now but she's still not in. I tried her line as well but she's not answering" Paola stated.

" Come on, let's try again– I'll call her " She offered.

" Okay, go ahead."

Bianca drew out her phone and dialed Loretta's line. It rang for some time without an answer. They both grew impatient and nervous.

" I'll try again," said BiansaidIt went through and she finally answered. Paola quickly signaled Bianca to put it out on loudspeaker which she hurriedly did.

" Hey, girlfriend, where are you and why haven't you been answering your calls?– We've been so worried sick about you" Paola cried.

" It's quite complicated dear. I'll tell you when I get there" She answered.

" Alright dear, just tell us where you are now "Bianca insisted.

*************

" I'm at the...." Loretta began but then, she heard Eden's footsteps approaching which made her instinctively pause in her words as she scanned around, tensed.

" Lore? Lore?– Hey, Lore, come on, talk to us" They shouted from the other end of the phone but it was of no use.

Loretta crept around, terrified " Who is there?" She cried but was hit with drop-dead silence which got her more tensed and frightened.

"Show yourself, whoever you are" She howled in a shaky tone. She slowly turned around and instinctively trembled, her knees suddenly felt numb.

" Bello ?" She cried.

" Yes, baby girl? " The man wearing a sinister smile answered and Loretta spontaneously staggered backward in fear which caused her to lose her balance in the process. Bello chuckled with a broad smile as he approached her; she slowly crawled backward on the ground– Her legs had earlier given up on her which made it impossible to run.

" Long time, hope you didn't miss me too much!" He added skeptically.

" Don't come any closer " She shouted and He laughed.

" What if I do?– Huh?" He answered with a smirk and held her closer to himself, licking her face in the process to which Lorette felt disgusted.

"No, let me go!! Please " She pleaded in tears; this rather caused the beast in him to come alive. He furiously pushed her to the ground and slapped her.

" Keep quiet!!!" He angrily yelled.

*********

Paola and Bianca on the other hand heard the screams from the phone. They glanced at each other, trembling nervously in fear.

" Oh, my God, Oh my God– What should we do now? He's going to kill her" Bianca cried, panicked.

" We need to save her– We need to do something now" Paola stuttered.

" Hurry, I know what to do– Let's record the voice while we use your phone to alert her parents. We can track her location after that, okay?"

Paola who was by now beside herself with tears nodded.

*************

" I told you, Lore, there's no way you can escape from me– I know your every move " Bello exclaimed and kissed her tears which made her shiver.

" No, please don't hurt me, please"

" It's too late, Lo_re_ ta " He whispered and pounced on her like a wild beast– She spontaneously let out a helpless scream.

He tore her clothes and forced himself into her. She screamed in pain and agony which irritated him even more. He furiously slapped her.

" Shut your mouth, bitch." He chuckled. " I'll have you to the fullest– You know why? " A mischievous smile lingered on his lips. "Because you're all mine, now" He shouted as he thrust into her even harder, accompanied by a ruthless force.

She screamed in tears. After minutes of satisfying his ruthless desire, he got off her. She crawled slowly away from him, groaning in pain as she bled.

He finally drew out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her.

" Please, don't kill me" She cried.