Chapter Two: On the Run

"That idiot is not here." Angie had the familiar voice swear once again. That was Ashley, her best friend.

"I do not know where she else she could have gone to. Give me time to think." Ashley continued.

The people she was talking to ignored her as Angie could hear doors to various rooms in the house opening and closing. When one of them was about to open the study room door, she heard Ashley yell, "Let's get out of here."

Shortly, Angie heard several footsteps descending down the staircase and sighed heavily. She was not even aware she was holding her breathe.

In total she counted a search party of around 8 people with the exclusion of her "BEST FRIEND." That was really close she thought while sighing heavily.

Suddenly, Angie heard Ashley yell once more, "wait, we need to get some money, I know where Angie keeps some money for emergencies."

Knowing Ashley must be forced to come behind the desk to access money from her drawer, Angie panicked. To make herself invisible, Angie hurriedly moved to hide behind a stack of books. These were shelved in the bookshelf nearest the door.

In her mind, Angie imagined that if worse came to worst, she would try and run out of the house. How she could manage that was a mystery to her.

At the moment, she had no time to attempt solving the mystery. Her ever growing amount of fear would not let her. Would she be caught?

Sadly, Angie could not dwell on her worries as the door got forcefully kicked open. In the nick of time, the room was also promptly filled with light. This in turn made Angie's eyes squint in an effort to adjust to the blinding light.

On entry into the study, Ashley first grabbed the two one hundred dollar bills on the table. Stashing them in her bra, she swiftly moved to behind the desk.

Bending over instead of sitting down, Ashley started pulling the drawers from the top. In her focus, Ashley did not even notice the important documents she dropped on the floor.

In the second drawer, there was even an open cheque that failed to catch her eye. An open mouth smile graced her face when she reached the last drawer. Bundles of notes were stacked in there.

With eyes gleefully shining, she started stuffing the money into a duffel bag she had. Midway, she looked up and realized her companions did not follow her up.

With a cunning smile, she stashed a few more bills into either side of her bra. Standing up. She also stashed a few bills on the waist band of her inner wear. And some more on the waist band of her skirt.

On noting the drawer was empty at long last, the smile on her have widened to an ear splitting grin. One look at her would have had you guessing she had won a beauty contest.

And prize for the contest, spending a night with prince Charles. Only downside, there was no one to envy Ashley's reward.

Looking at Ashley from her hideout, Angie imagined only the money in the duffel bag would be shared. Her friend's greed really surprised Angie. In all their interactions, she had not noticed that side of her.

Having gotten what she looking for, Ashley left the study room. She did not even bother to put back the drawer content. Even the drawers themselves were left completely pulled out.

As evident, it seems luck was on Angie's side. Thanks to her lucky stars. Angie had not even remembered the money in the drawer. She had only taken money she had kept in the inbuilt safe.

This forgetfulness could mainly be attributable to the fact that, in Angie's mind, the money was already spent. Specifically, about 50,000 dollars meant to pay their domestic staff. Shop for groceries. And the rest be used in refurbishing and decorating the house was in the last drawer. Well now in Ashley's pockets.

Once everything was quiet, Angie tiptoed out of the house through the kitchen door. Angie now knew she had to be extra careful. Her best friend being among her attackers made things difficult for Angie.

This is mainly because they had known each other for the longest time possible. As such, they instinctively knew each other's moves in different situations.

Imagining Ashley might have decided to leave someone watching the house, Angie decided to take further precautions. It would be terrible for her to be caught unaware. This is following the trouble Angie had gone through just to get away from her captors.

Little did Ashley and crew know, Angie was inside the housethe entire time they were there. Once out of the compound, Angie walked a few metres from the house, hailed a cab and left.

In all honesty, Angie could not believe that the woman she had loved and treated like the sister she never had could do this to her. To her innocent mother. In fact, it would take a lot of work to convince both her heart and brain that her friend could hurt her and her family that much.

The cab dropped her at a motel by the name Secretive waaay out of town. Angie did not want to risk being seen by anyone who might identify her and inform her offenders.

It was while in her room in the motel that she realised how hungry she was. Knowing macaroni or rice would not quench her hunger, she chose to have ugali, fish and some greens.

While eating, Angie decided to process what had transpired in the past few hours. Because she was still afraid, Angie decided to take more precaution.

She went back to the reception and asked to be transferred to another room under an alias. For the trouble, she generously tipped the receptionist. Before leaving, she also instructed the receptionist to say she stayed for a few hours then left in case anybody came asking.

Just as Angie had anticipated, someone came looking for thee the following day. Had she not prepared to go for a run, Angie might not have known. As a matter of fact, she would have been caught and taken back into captivity.

Precisely, in the process of going out for a jog the following morning before 7 am, she heard Ashley at the reception making enquiries about her. She froze on the stairs.

"She is not here. It seems the stupid cab driver lied to us. Does he even know what he was talking about?

It seems he only wanted to scam us the $5000 we had promised as reward money. Finish him off." Ashley said. "Yes Marcus. We will get married soon, first let's find the idiot and take everything she has."

Good Heavens! Her fiancé (Marcus) too. To think that she was on her way to buy a burner cell and call him.

Betrayed by two people she trusted the most, Angie was rendered both speechless and immobile. In fact, even her thoughts left her and she stood there staring blindly ahead.

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