Robbery

Mel sitting bleakly on the soft bed, looked at him blankly with tears blurring her sight. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she dabbed continuously at her eyes.

'It couldn't be,' She thought to herself. 'I was fine a while ago.' 

Doctor Hershel gave her the lab test result and smiled to make her feel relaxed. "Your blood was tested yesterday for any infection and came out negative. So we tried an alternative and here we are. You are 2 weeks pregnant."

Mel took the paper, giving it a curious scrutiny. Then she looked up at Hershel with a surprised look on her face. "You said last night?"

Hershel cleared his throat and sat up. "About that. We had to sedate you. You were screaming in your sleep."

Mel had no words in her mouth. Her throat felt parched, and she was desperate for a glass of water.

"Can I get some water, please?" Her voice came out cracked and low.

"Sure thing." Hershel left the room and returned in a moment with a plastic cup full of water.

Mel received it with thanks and drained the cool water gratefully. It felt good the cool sensation it left in her stomach. 

Doctor Hershel exhaled softly. "I know this must be surprising for you, but we ran the tests and you are pregnant. The pain in your stomach earlier was just the baby kicking. All pregnant women sometimes feel those kinds of prenatal pain."

Before Mel would react, Mariah Carie's All I want for Christmas echoed in the room. 

"I'm so sorry. I have to take this. It's my wife." Hershel apologised and went to take the call aside

"Hey, honey. I'm at work." He whispered, looking at Mel with a smile before removing his gaze.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there at Suzie's rehearsal." Hershel said, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket. 

Mel listened to the end of the conversation. Hershel had good relations with his wife and the call ended on a good note — He told her he loved her. 

Mel sulked. She envied Hershel, his wife, his daughter, Suzie, his life. She found it perfect. Tears pooled at the end of her eyes and began to sob.

Hershel became worried, approaching the bed and clapped her hands warmly. 

"Do you mind if we call your husband or any of your family members?" He quizzed. Mel could tell he was worried, but his question shot through her heart like an arrow. 

Family? Her only family was Drake, and he had left her on a whim with no explanation. 

The flood of tears and sobs returned and Hershel suddenly felt guilty. 

"I'm sorry if this bothers you, Miss Melantha," He took her hand in his. "But unwanted pregnancies can be a blessing in disguise."

Mel looked at him, bursting out into a louder sob. 

Throughout the 4 days Mel spent in the hospital, Drake never reached out to her. She grew worried when he didn't take her call. The day she was discharged, she decided to head home in hope that she might find him there, but she didn't. 

Mel dropped her bag to the floor when she arrived the bedroom — the room she shared with Drake. Staring at it made everything feel foreign to her. Like she hadn't slept in this room for the past 5 years. 

When she looked at the unmade bed, heavy sadness rolled within her. She longed desperately to be cuddled in Drake's arms. They wished they would talk through their problems, and he'd tell her why he left the house without a word. Drake was always positive, always looking at the bright side. Yes, they both had their differences, but there was nothing they didn't both talk about. At times, Drake helped her with some issues she had at work and she, him. Now, she wondered if he truly meant his feelings back then when he said he loved her. Drake's car was still in the garage and he had taken hers. 

After having her bath and putting on some clothes, Mel, with a sigh, sat on the black armchair. Waiting for his return. 

Morning fell into the afternoon, and he still didn't show up. She went downstairs to the living room praying he'd be there, but he wasn't. She walked over to the dining room where photographs of her and Drake were taped to the fridge. It was the day she got engaged to him. Drake was dressed in a black long sleeved shirt and denim pants. He had his arms around her shoulder. She could remember that day like it was yesterday. They both laughed at each other's jokes instead of staring at the camera. Mel picked up the photo, kissed it, and taped it back to the fridge. 

When she walked to the living room, Drake's shouts from the night he left, echoed off the walls. Mel closed her eyes to ignore it and when she opened it, she made a decision: to find Drake and tell him about her pregnancy.

Dana, her newly hired assistant ran to meet her the second she walked through the elevator doors. "Mel, are you okay? I heard you were in the hospital."

"Yeah." Mel decided not to give her any details for now. Her reply was monosyllabic.

Before she arrived Marcus' office, she had nodded to sighs, answered "yes" to questions and hugged some wimpy walruses. 

"You look pale." Marcus sat up from the sofa and went to put his protective arm around her shoulder.

Mel noticed he was looking sharper than usual. He had shaved his beard and trimmed his overgrown hair. His new look made him seem younger.

"Well," Mel answered, taking a seat facing his desk after they pulled away from the warm embrace. "I got sick."

"Yeah. You called it in 2 days ago." Marcus went to sit in his office chair. He plopped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Spill it. What's wrong?"

Mel knew she had to tell him what happened, but instead she settled for lying. When that didn't work out eventually, she had to tell him the truth. Maybe, because she trusted Marcus and he trusted her.

"I'm pregnant." She blurted out without warning.

"What?" Marcus had a look of surprise on his smooth looking face, suddenly feeling excited. "Woah. You'll be a mother. Congratulations." Marcus stood up to give her a hug.

"Thanks." Mel's reply came out in a low mutter and they both pulled away.

"Woah. This is great news. First, you get engaged then you get promoted and now this? You must be on Lady Luck's payroll because girl, you're so damn lucky." Marcus' cheeks got dimpled when he smiled at her. 

Mel chuckled nervously knowing she was anything but lucky. A woman whose fiancé left her a week after their engagement isn't lucky. 

Mel muttered "Thanks." 

"You're welcome. Now, get out of here. Take the day off. Take the week off even. I don't want you stressing that baby. We don't want you stressing my godchild." Marcus shooed her away as he returned to his seat.

Mel smiled and thanked him again. After biding a goodbye greeting to her friends and colleagues, she set out to look for Drake.

The taxi pulled to a stop and Mel came out of the backseat. Just ahead of her was Higgs Global, the only skyscraper in all of Pearson lane. Higgs Global was the tech company where Drake worked. Mel knew if he wouldn't some home then he would definitely show up at work. 

"Hello there. Welcome to Easton hotels. How may I help you?" The receptionist in the person of a petite blonde beamed at Mel as she approached the front desk. 

"Hi. I'm looking for Drake Parson." Mel drummed her finger against the mahogany desk.

"Do you have an appointment with him?" The woman asked, her fingers clacking on the keyboard as she searched the name "Drake Parson" on the computer.

"No. I'm his fiancé. I'm here to see him. It's really urgent." Mel explained.

The receptionist looked at the ring on Mel's finger. She noticed the tired look on her face and felt sympathy for her. "Okay. One second, ma'am."

"Thank you." Mel smiled and looked around the place. This was the first time she had ever visited Drake at work. She hoped he wouldn't turn her away when he sees her.

The receptionist put down the phone. "Ma'am?"

"Yes?" Mel's refocused her attention on the receptionist, a hopeful smile gracing her lips.

"I'm sorry but no one goes by that name here." The woman said sympathetically.

Mel felt a rug was pulled from under from her feet. "I'm sorry. What?" 

"I think you must've mistaken Drake Parson for Darryl Pearson. There is no employee here bearing the name Drake Parson, ma'am." The receptionist explained again. 

Mel shook her head. "That can't be right. Did you spell the name well? It's D - R - A - K - E. Then Parson. I'm sure he's here."

The receptionist did as she said and had the same answer. "I'm sorry, ma'am. No employee like that exists."

"Oh my God," Mel steadied her breathing. "That's impossible. I was there when he walked in here for the job interview. What's going on?"

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The receptionist asked.

"This must be a joke. He's trying to get rid of me, isn't he? Please, tell Drake that I have to speak to him." Mel grabbed the edge of the desk for support.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but no one like that exists." The receptionist had a brisk tone now.

"No !" Mel screamed. "You're lying." 

"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to leave before I call security." The receptionist warned, her hands already clutching the telephone beside her computer. 

Mel was hell-bent on staying to find Drake but by the time she knew it, she was sitting in a police cell. 

The smell of urine hit her nose and she became nauseous. Clasping her hand around the cell wall, she called out weakly. "Hey, please. Can I get out of here? It reeks. I'm pregnant." 

One of the officers, a barrel-chested man with thin black hair on his head, hissed at her. "If you're pregnant, then I am too." He pointed at his big tummy and his colleagues burst into laughter.

"Can I at least get some water?" Mel asked. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am but this ain't no restaurant." The fat officer laughed.

A slim, short officer spoke with a North American accent. "She probably thinks the police are your friends." 

Mel rolled her eyes and sat on the floor. She knew she was never getting out. Another officer passed by with a poster, taping it to the walls. Her eyes flickered to it, and she stood to her feet when she realised the face looked familiar. 

"Oh. You've seen him? That's Drake Parson, most wanted man in the city. He's involved in all kinds of evil, that one." The fat officer explained to her while pointed at the poster and stuffing sprinkled doughnuts in his face. 

Mel thought she was going nuts. The man in the wanted poster was her fiancé, Drake Parson. Earlier today, he didn't exist at the office and now, he's a criminal? Surely, she was imagining it.

"It's all a nightmare, and you'll wake up from it soon." She told herself, rubbing circles on her temples.

The officer who taped the poster to the wall, a short charcoal skinned man, joined in the conversation with the big officer and the others. "Yeah. I heard he's a Mafioso." 

Mel couldn't keep silent any more. She was forced to ask. "He's in the mafia?"

"Yeah. This information is supposed to be classified but all you need to know is that Drake Parson is a member of the most dangerous crime syndicate in the city. Probably dead by now if you ask me." The fat officer shrugged his shoulders carelessly and reached out for more doughnuts. 

Mel collapsed on her knees to the floor. "What?"

A female officer walked to the cell. "Miss Mel, you are granted bail by the court." 

Mel wasn't even listening to them. Her heart raced in her chest and in the next instant, she threw up.

Mel rummaged through her office desk for her laptop and flash drive. She had decided to leave the city. Thankfully, she showed up late at night where only a few workers were. None of them suspected anything. They all thought she was taking some items she needed for her week off. 

Mel tried to steady her breathing, but she found herself crying. "Oh God." 

She quickly packed her stuff in her trolley and pushed them towards the elevator. When she got out of the door, the lights went off and screams followed.

The lights came back on. Standing in the midst of the room were three people dressed in black from head to toe. Their faces were hidden behind bunny masks. 

The one in the middle wearing a lion mask screamed in a distorted voice. "Your hands on your head now!" 

Everyone standing in the room had their hands on their heads including Mel who was terrified. The man standing next to her had peed himself out of fear and Dana was crying loudly.

"Shut the heck up!" The robber with a lion mask pointed his gun at her and pulled the trigger.

The clamour increased and so did the armed robber's orders. 

"Bag every jewel you find and don't leave any stone unturned. Panic or play hero, and you'll end up like that woman. Let's move, people !" He yelled.

While stuffing expensive stones and jewels into a black duffle bag like the robbers ordered, Mel felt her hands shaking uncontrollably.

The one in lion mask grabbed her by the collar and dragged her to the centre of the room.

"I told you not to panic !" He kicked Mel in the stomach, and she winced in pain.

"Mel !" Marcus who was held down at gunpoint by two other bunnies, yelled as loud as he could and got a punch for his troubles.

"This is what you get when you disobey simple orders !" The leader yelled. He knelt down before Mel who laid on the floor bleeding.

He pointed her Glock 33 at her head. "When you get to heaven, tell God this place was overrun by the deadliest crime syndicate in the city."

He pulled the trigger three times.