Chapter Ten

Hearing Police sirens, Katrina ambushed to the window and peeped outside. There were about three cars with armed police officers outside her house; ready to ensure her arrest but they didn’t know that this task was not going to be easy. Katrina may have been lazy and shrewd when it came to fulfilling her duty at work but she was an agent; trained in armory and a skilled fighter at NBCI; and nabbing her was almost impossible unless NBCI intervened. Katrina dashed to her parents’ bedroom and held them at gun point before asking them to tie themselves up with the ropes she threw at them impudently. Weeping profusely, Sarah stared into her daughter’s eyes; an unusual and evil glare pervading them and making her daughter suddenly unrecognizable. The Chief was amazed too but he had a hunch that Katrina was doing this to save them from being labelled her accomplices.

“Katrina Boyaze, surrender yourself now!” The Chief of Police barked into the micro phone for a hundredth time; inwardly cursing Katrina for her needless stubbornness to surrender herself, making them wait in the biting cold.  Katrina sneered as she left her parents’ room; a gruesome look pervading her face. She rushed into her room, and grabbing hold of both her handguns, she wielded them; shooting at the police cars through the window. The police officers scampered to safety, taking cover behind trees and cars as two of them were gunned down, falling dead instantly.

“Hold your Fire!” the Chief of Police shouted before calling for backup; and this time they called the right people. Lance and his squad jumped into their jeeps and set off to Katrina’s house.

“They may be no match for you but I am different. Just wait and see how I take you down, sly woman.” Lance’s inner voice pounded angrily. Soon, the Jeeps arrived at the scene and Lance immediately swung into action, wielding his AK47 before getting off the vehicle.

“I want Katrina Boyaze; Dead or alive. Bring her to me!” Lance shouted as he turned to his squad members.

“Yes Sir!” they all shouted before joining the police squad.

“One last chance, Katrina! Come out willingly or we are coming after you.” the chief of Police shouted. After seeing Lance, his morale and courage was suddenly boosted but Katrina responded with heavy firing from both her guns, stopping only to reload them. 

In retaliation, Lance raised his arm, motioning his squad to open fire too; making Katrina panic as the bullets tore through the curtains with a deafening noise of gunfire and breaking glass. Sensing a change of strategy, Katrina somersaulted to a corner in her bedroom and waited patiently for a chance to fire, and slowly moving her head towards the window, she spotted the NBCI jeeps and stiffened with anxiety. By now more policemen had gathered, surrounding the entire Chief agent’s house. She also spotted Lance, walking down to the frontier with his rifle; ready to charge. His squad came dashing to him in unison with some covering him; firearms forward while others hovered around him in a semi-circle, backing him with buffers.

“Teargas!” Lance shouted as he motioned to his men and the police altogether; and soon teargas canisters were being fired into the bedroom, making Katrina retreat though this move only inspired more rebellion in her. She rushed to her safety room and suited up into an NBCI uniform before grabbing a few weapons; knives, darts and an oxygen helmet to protect herself from the teargas which had already spread through her entire room. Satisfied with her pick, Katrina rushed out of the safety room with loaded revolvers; heading down stairs to the basement where she used the secret door to make an escape. Meanwhile, Lance strayed from his team and went on a private patrol, surveying the surrounding of the house. He was about to give up when he noticed some rose bushes vigorously moving even though the night was cool and warm; devoid of winds.

“My grandfather and I planted these.” Lance smirked, recalling Katrina’s words, and without hesitation, he took out his pistol; arming at the roses and Katrina would later find herself trapped in front of a loaded gun with Lance ready to pull the trigger.

“I knew that you would be the one to find me.” Katrina commented with a chuckle.

“Then, why did you try so hard to escape?” Lance asked with eyes vigilantly fixed on Katrina.

“It felt good having you look for me for once.” Katrina said, laughing profusely as she also poited her gun at Lance. “…too bad I don’t love you anymore.”

“Do you really want to do this?” Lance asked with a mischievous smile.

“Wouldn’t it be great to die together?” Katrina asked, making Lance chuckle.

“Sadly, I can’t be yours even in death.” Lance said, firing into thin air; alerting the others. Infuriated, Katrina groaned as she pointed her other gun at Lance; making them two. Lance dropped his gun; steadily and slowly making his way to Katrina.

“Pull the trigger.” He said, taunting her softly before raising his voice. “What are you waiting for, Katrina? I said pull the trigger.”

“No!” Katrina growled hysterically; abruptly dropping the guns on the ground. “I love you!”

“Sadly again, I'll never love you. You knew all this, Katrina so why did you try so hard? Why did it have to be this way?” Lance whispered into her ear as he moved closer to her; hands around her waist. Katrina closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Lance as she wept bitterly. Lance planted a kiss on Katrina’s shoulder; just in time for his men to arrive and cuff her; taking her away.

Lance sighed. He had all the reasons to be happy now that he was free from Katrina’s clutches but all he felt was guilt and sympathy. Lance joined everyone in front of the house a few minutes later, and turning around, he beheld the Chief Agent and his wife. The man looked infuriated as he and Lance engaged in a staring contest.

“Are you alright?” Lance asked Sarah.

“I’m fine, Agent Lance. Please accept my apologies for my daughter’s conduct. It was totally unfair.” Sarah replied warmly.

“Your husband doesn’t seem to think that way.” Lance said, motioning his head towards the chief who had a grimace expression.

“Sadly, we never choose whom we fall in love with.” Sarah said, glowering at her husband before she walked away in disappointment. Lance also tried to live but the man held him back; a hand on his wrist.

“Believe it or not but I'm deeply sorry…” The Chief said.

“Please go to headquarters. Katrina needs you.” Lance said before walking away.

***

Sunny walked into the room and found Pavel smiling heartily as he watched the news. By now the arrest of Katrina Boyaze was all over the news. Sunny’s eyes glittered with a sense of recognition as she stared at the television. The Chief Agent was being interviewed and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity towards him. 

“I am deeply ashamed of my daughter’s actions and she has to pay for her crimes but she is my daughter and I will make sure to help her while she goes through this phase of returning to the path of righteousness and justice…”  the chief said. Sunny sat down to watch the news but Pavel switched the Tv off after noticing that she was also there. No trafficked woman was allowed to watch television or own a phone in the brothel.

"I was watching.” Sunny complained, hitting Pavel with a pillow. He looked at her; grimacing, making Sunny flinch with fear.

“Sorry...” she said, moving away from him. Pavel smirked and extended his hand to her; and without a second thought, she put her hand into his palm and he pulled her close to her.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked smilingly.

“I didn’t mean to hit you.” Sunny replied; a little frightened.

“I liked it because I love violence you see.” Pavel said, kissing the back of her hand. Sunny pulled her hand away immediately and looked away fearfully.

“But I don’t.” she said.

“It’s okay. I can live with that.” Pavel said smilingly. “Today, I have a reason to celebrate so I will take you out.

“Where to?” Sunny chirped.

“A paradise on earth.” Pavel said, taking her hand into his before tagging her along to wherever he was going. Sunny giggled, blushing as she and Pavel walked to the place he claimed was paradise on Earth. She was not scared even though they were passing through a creepy dim-lighted small pathway tunnel because nothing about Pavel surprised her anymore. He was eccentric, rude and a ruthless killer; what could be worse than that and anyway, she had no right to live a normal life in her condition-at least that is what she thought. Pavel stopped in front of a huge mirror, making sunny wonder if they had reached their destination but he shocked her when the mirror turned to be a secret door.

They passed through it and came to a brand new world of the brothel that Sunny didn’t know existed. Women dancing half-naked, men ululating while drinking and lavishing money on the women they were cuddling. Sunny flinched, almost shutting her eyes so that she could not be a witness to this happenings but the look on Pavel’s face motioned her back to reality as she forced a smile, pretending to be happy in this so-called paradise.  Pavel took sunny to the dance floor and danced away while she followed his lead, fidgeting endlessly. Even in her real life, Sunny was not much of a dancer and so she couldn’t be one after losing her memory.

“I feel dizzy.” Sunny said as Pavel twirled her but her voice was swallowed by the loud music in the club while Pavel skidded across the room, attracting the attention of the women in the club. They swarmed around him, screeching happily as he grooved to the beat; spinning and break dancing. Soon some men also joined in, whistling in support and while he was so engrossed in the blissful feeling of being gloried, he forgot about Sunny who had suddenly felt a severe headache due to twirls. She moved back, trying to find a safe and quiet place to recuperate when she stumbled into a man, smoking a large Cuban cigar devotedly. Sunny winced as she inhaled the toxic smoke of the cigar and started coughing heavily. The man laughed hysterically; assuming she was a new girl who hadn’t smoked before.

“There...you will get used to it.” he said; releasing the smoke in her face, causing Sunny more pain and luckily for her, Kedade came to her rescue, sending the man away.

“Hey, girly!” She said, holding Sunny in her arms while she struggled to breathe. Soon people started gathering around them, prompting Pavel to rush to the spot to go and see what was happening. Kneeling down beside Sunny, Pavel clasped Sunny in his arms; letting her lean on his chest before he fumbled into his pocket, taking out an inhaler which he administered to her. The doctor had given to him earlier and he always kept it with him incase Sunny had an attack. As soon as she had felt better, Sunny embraced Pavel, crying profusely.

“I don’t want to be here, please.” She stuttered as Pavel wrapped his arms around her affectionately.

“I'm sorry. I should have been here.” He said; looking into her eyes. Sunny brazenly held his gaze as he abruptly leaned in and kissed her; his lips meeting hers passionately unfazed about the lingering eyes on him. Kedade flinched back with shock. Up until this day, she thought she could win Pavel back.