Abduction

After Dexter slammed the hotel door behind him, he laid his head against the door and groaned. A lot had happened in the pace of a week. He left the hotel and headed towards West Coast Children's Park. Dexter let out a breath of relief as he saw the sun was already up. He made his way past men and women heading to their places of work. His stomach grumbled. He hadn't dinner last night and was quite famished. A black van pulled up a few paces ahead of him and a hefty man in a black sweatshirt and pants got out. The man began walking towards Dexter, who slowed down, being suspicious. The man took no notice of Dexter and passed by him. Dexter turned to watch him walk slowly down the street. Suddenly, someone covered his face with a bag from behind him and Dexter struggled to free himself from the tight hands grips that grabbed his hands and legs. He was lifted, thrown into the van and tied up. Dexter yelled, but his voice was drowned by the sound of the moving van.

Dexter began to think. Who were these people, and why had they taken him? Who had sent them? Loan sharks or....Terry? Karen could do this also. He sighed dejectedly.

The van drove on for a long time and then stopped in front of a huge compound with tight security. Dexter could hear men's voices and marches like in military drills. Was he arrested by a security agency? He thought. What security agency would arrest him this way?

He was pulled out of the van and bustled up into a house in the compound. One of the men opened a door and Dexter was pushed in so roughly that he almost stumbled. There he was tied firmly to an iron chair. A man pulled out a syringe and took Dexter's blood.

"Take off the bag," Dexter heard a man order.

The bag was taken off Dexter's face and Dexter glanced around him.

He was in a big room with just a bed, two chairs and three hefty men in the same black clothes like it was some kind of uniform. One had blonde hair and tattoos up to his neck. He seemed like the leader.

"What do you want?" Dexter asked, glancing at each of them.

They didn't respond. The blond-haired man gave a hand signal and the other two went out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Dexter struggled to free himself and then stared at the blonde-haired man who dragged the second iron chair towards him. He sat down heavily on it and stared at Dexter.

"Who are you? Why did you abduct me?" Dexter asked.

The man looked him over and then glanced at his watch. He sniffed and then said in a husky voice.

"I'd ask the questions," he said, then fixed his cold stare at Dexter.

"Who are you?"

Dexter scoffed weakly. What the hell? Did he abduct someone he didn't know?

"I asked you a question," the man said, gritting his teeth.

"Dexter. Who are you?" Dexter asked.

The man leaned forward, scrutinizing Dexter's face. "Where are you from?" He asked.

As he leaned forward, Dexter could see both eyes were of different colors. The left eye was milky ash while the right was blue. He had a fierce look and a cut on his upper lip.

"Listen, I don't know what you want, but I assure you, you have the wrong person," Dexter said.

The man chuckled. "I would be the judge of that. Now answer the fucking question," he yelled in Dexter's face.

"I would speak to your boss," Dexter said cooly, returning the fiery gaze. He wouldn't be messed with.

The blonde-haired man forced a half grin, still staring into Dexter's eyes. Dexter was tough and he knew it. He sniffed again, then stood up and kicked away the chair, still staring at Dexter.

Dexter wasn't intimidated by his actions as he relaxed in his chair. The man walked out, slamming the door behind him. Dexter heard the key turn and knew he had been locked in. He struggled to loosen the rope but it was so tightly knotted that it hurt his flesh. Dexter sighed weakly. He wondered what he had been injected with. The door opened, and another man stepped in, closely followed by a woman in that same uniform and a mask holding a covered tray. The man moved behind Dexter and untied him while the woman placed the tray on the second chair, drew out her gun from its hostler and pointed it at Dexter. Dexter eyed her over and concluded from her stance she was trained. He rubbed his hurting wrists watching them as they walked out and shut the door, locking it behind them. He moved over to the door and examined the kind of lock which was strange to him. He moved to the window but as he touched the burglary proof, he was thrown back by a wave of electric shock. Breathing hard, he looked around and saw four discreet cameras. He knew he was being watched. He checked under the bed for anything he could use to pick the lock but found nothing. Exhausted, he slumped on the bed and closed his eyes. He thought of Ronnie. He couldn't afford to die leaving him in this cold world. Whatever these people wanted, he was going to make sure it had nothing to do with him. His stomach rumbled, jostling him to reality. He sat up and stared at the tray. He laid back, refusing to check what he had been served. It could be poisoned, he thought. He tried to sleep but his grumbling stomach refused. Weakly, he opened the tray and saw he had been served salad, roast beef, mashed potatoes and orange juice. Dexter fell on it immediately and in a few minutes it was all gone.

Hayley got out of her car and stared at Mirabel's luxurious mansion she had gotten last year to mark her seventy-five years birthday. The opulent mansion, with its manicured gardens and imposing entryway, was the epitome of an exclusive lifestyle that Hayley would never be able to afford. The ostentatious mansion's garish gold-plated fixtures, neon-lit fountains, and over-the-top interior design screamed of tackiness and excess, rather than sophistication and refinement. Hayley walked into the house and handed over her coat to the doorman who held the door open for her. She glanced around in admiration. The luxurious mansion's expansive marble floors, high-end appliances, and state-of-the-art home theater system were just a few of the amenities that Mirabel could simply not live without.

"Mi amor!" Hayley heard Mirabel call out and turned in her direction as she majestically descended the stairs.

She held her hands open and Hayley walked to embrace her with a smile. Mirabel felt shrunken in size in Hayley's arm. Mirabel took in Hayley's wonderful scent in pleasure and turned to look into her face inquisitively.

"You look beautiful mi amor," Mirabel said with a smile that reached up to her eyes.

"You also look amazing Mom," Hayley said, smiling.

In her heart, she wished she could do something about Mirabel's health.

"Come on, join me for lunch," Mirabel said, ushering Hayley to the dining room.

Hayley glanced around the room. Mirabel had spared no expense on the interior decoration. Everything was shiny and expensive. The chandelier glowed, the chairs and table were shiny gold and the flowers all glittered. Hayley settled into a chair beside Mirabel's and gasped at the lovely array of dishes set before her. It seemed like a feast prepared for ten people.

"So..." Mirabel began. "What is it you wanted to tell me,"

Hayley took a sip of her red wine and replaced the cup on the table.

"I have broken up with Rob," Hayley announced, avoiding Mirabel's stare.

Mirabel wasn't surprised. She knew their relationship wouldn't work out seeing that they were of different make-up but had hoped it would. She wanted a man who would cherish and support Hayley in her decisions.

Hayley glanced at Mirabel who went on sipping her vegetarian soup.

"Aren't you going to say something?" She asked, wondering about her unusual silence.

"No am not my love," Mirabel said and sighed weakly. "I just want you to be happy,"

Hayley smiled. "I'm happy, mom. Truly I'm," she said.

Mirabel nodded. "I know you know what you are doing," she said. "So tell me, was you or was it him who initiated the splitting?"

"I did," Hayley replied.

"Was it because you couldn't stand his fugly personality?" Mirabel asked in a southern Mississippi accent.

Hayley laughed. "Well no," she said. "It's because I caught him cheating on me in the house you gave to us."

Mirabel's eyes widened in astonishment. That slimy son of a b****

"Who was it," Mirabel asked. "Who was he cheating with?"

"Your granddaughter," Hayley said with a fiery rage in her eyes. "June Pusey!"