Playing Along

Failing to comprehend what the guy was alluding to; Jean's mind went blank for a moment. He then blinked for a couple of times and wore a serious look.

"Please make me understand. What do you mean I shall forget you and your name?"

Jean said with a confused look.

With a shrug, the guy let out a faint smile and blinked severally.

"Don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't want to tell you my name, I can tell you if you want."

Feeling more confused, Jean scowled.

'How difficult is it for him to tell me his name or is there something that he is hiding from me. I don't think I would even have a chance to know, because I am pretty sure that he won't be willing to share the reason with me.'

Jean contemplated on the matter with a grim expression.

Considering that the guy started by saying that it was unnecessary for Jean to know him. It was difficult to connect that statement with the last one that he said that he could tell him his name in case Jean wanted to know.

When Jean reassessed the first statement in a different perspective, he felt like exploding.

'Could it be that he is telling me that I was going to die in an indirect manner?'

Jean thought with exasperation.

It was difficult for him to welcome such thought, because he couldn't remember offending somebody to the extent of the person wanting to take his life.

'I think I am overthinking…'

Judging from the way the guy voiced out the statement, it was difficult to tell if he implied that Jean was going to die or it was just Jean's overthinking the way he thought.

Suddenly, the guy's voice snapped Jean out of his reverie.

"Hey! You haven't given me your feedback"

The guy said waving a hand to get Jean's attention who was now staring at something behind the guy.

Jean gasped and turned his attention to the guy in front of him.

"Oh, which feedback?"

Jean asked with a confused expression plastered on his bleak face.

The guy smiled gently and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to know my name or not?"

When Jean heard this, he grinned and snorted.

"Of Course, I would like to know, else why do you think I told me mine?"

With that, silence settled between the two. A few seconds later, the guy cleared his throat, looked at Jean and squinted his eyes.

"My name is Rey"

The guy said while stretching his hand to great Jean. Jean immediately stretched his too, and they had a handshake.

"Now that we have known each other, I don't mind if we can have a further conversation in the bed chamber."

Jean said while walking towards the bed chamber. Rey followed him after a few moments of hesitation.

***

In the cabin area…

The ugly guy had already entered the chamber and handed over the briefcase. The serious guy and the lady were now engrossed in going through the documents that they were contained in the briefcase that was now lying on the edge of the conference table.

The ugly guy himself, had already joined the other two guys in watching the ongoing movie in the Devan section.

Everybody in the cabin area was busy in one way or the other.

"Why is it taking him long to come? Could it be that he didn't find him or what?"

One of the guys said while fixing his gaze on the screen in front of him.

"Even if he didn't find him, why stay that long?"

Another guy added.

"It seems that the two of you are much interested in what the guy is doing, rather than the movie."

Pausing for a moment, the ugly guy continued…

"Since that is the case, why can't the both of you join him on the other side, and leave me enjoy my movie in peace."

With that, he snorted and concentrated on the screen in front of him.

The two guys exchanged glances before glaring at him for a few moments. They then straightened their faces and concentrated on the screen in front of them.

During this time, the serious guy and the lady had been attracted by the conversation between the three and were now staring in their direction, with angry gazes written on their faces.

From the way the three quickly kept quiet, somebody could have thought that they were wary of the gazes that the two threw at them. But this wasn't the case as none of them had noticed the two staring at them during this period.

At that moment, another conversation broke out at the conference table.

"Why do you think, it is taking him long?"

The serious guy asked in a neutral tone.

"I don't really know, but I think we have to send one of them to check."

The lady answered in a friendly tone.

***

At the bed chamber…

Two figures sat on the bed facing in the direction of the two windows across them.

These two figures were none other than Jean and Rey.

"I have a question for you."

Jean said with a distant look.

Turning to face Jean, Rey smiled wryly and nodded silently. Noticing that Jean didn't see him nod, he spoke,

"Yeah, go ahead I am listening."

"If you don't mind, can you please tell me what you were trying to imply earlier on, when you said that I would forget your name and even you?"

Jean said with a series of expressions running across his face.

Pausing for a moment, Rey spared a quick glance at the door separating the bed chamber from the cabin area. He then glanced at Jean and let out a sigh.

"I didn't expect you to take the matter with that much seriousness. What if I tell you I was joking?"

Rey said with a grin.

Gazing in Rey's direction, Jean gulped and squinted his eyes.

"So, you want to tell me that you were joking when you said that?"

Jean asked with a serious face.

"…Yes!"

Rey blurted out.

Judging from Rey's reaction, Jean didn't find his answer that convincing. He felt there was something fishy in his earlier statement, but since he couldn't specify it, he let it slide but kept at the back of his mind to remain vigilant.

"Okay if you say so. I am also a fan of jokes, so I don't feel offended in any way."

Jean said with an expressionless face.

At that moment, Rey smiled and gulped.

"I know you must be wondering how you got yourself here?"

Rey asked in a friendly tone while staring at Jean.

"Yes!"

'I think this is the time to win the trust of these people. I need to convince them that I feel comfortable around them for them to grand me the little freedom I need to free myself.'

Jean thought for a while before turning his attention to Rey.

At that moment, Rey leaned in Jean's direction and spoke in a relatively low tone.

"We rescued you…"

"…from kidnappers… I already know."

Jean cut Rey short and completed the statement he was just saying. Jean knew by doing so, it would be easy for Rey to believe that Jean felt safe around them, and in the process, they might grand him the little freedom he needed to escape from them.

So, him saying that he was saved from kidnappers would give an impression that he woke up believing that he was in the hands of good Samaritans. He believed this would work as he suspected that Rey had the same mindset of convincing him to feel safe around them.

'Since the moment he started talking to me, I knew this friendly treatment I was receiving from him was aimed at something. And with me countering him, I think we are now on the same page right now.'

Jean thought for a while as he patiently waited for Rey' response to his previous statement. At that moment, Rey spoke,

"So, you already figured out?"

Rey said with a surprised face.

In response, Jean nodded with a smile surfacing his face.

"We are now in a plane heading to our territories. We could have returned you to your place, but seeing the condition you were in, we decided to travel with you so as to attend to you before we could return you to your place. Keeping in mind that you couldn't tell us where you stay in the condition you were in, it could have been difficult for us to trace your home. I know you could also be wondering why we had to travel with you yet we could just attend to you and release you to your people."

Pausing for a moment, Jean nodded.

After a short while, Rey continued…

"The reason for that was that we happened to rescue you while we were on our way to the airport. And since we were in a hurry and we were already travelling, there was no way we could wait to attend to you. So, we had to carry you along."

Rey said with a serious face.

When Jean heard Rey's explanation, he marvelled at Rey's wit. Although he knew very well what he was saying were lies, he was sure that Rey could have easily convinced him, if he hadn't deduced that they were the kidnappers, the moment he woke up and noticed he was locked up in the bed chamber.

"Thank you for that. If you don't mind, can you offer me something to eat, I am so hungry."

With that, Jean went mute.

'I think this is the opportunity I have to go and convince others on this matter.'

Rey thought for a moment and got to his feet.

"I think you are right. Let me find you something, but you will have to wait for me from here."

With that, Rey stood and headed for the door. The moment he got to the door and was about to open it, the door suddenly flanged open and another guy stepped in the bed chamber.

(*^_^*)