III

DELILAH

"You can't do that! Look, we've nothing to do with you!" I say through the mobile that it is still ringing near my chin. I ignore that ringing tune, looking up at him. 

"Oh? What do you know about what we're going to do with you?" His eyes squint as he takes a step in my direction, not close enough to scare me with that proximity. 

"You'll hurt him," I say and he nods. "Sure I will. But we won't kill him, you should be grateful for that." He shrugs like this is normal. Hurting someone cannot be normal, how could he behave so casually about that? 

"Still?" I do not even realize that I am pleading with him through that vulnerable sound. The color of his orbs turns darker as he stares at me as if I stole something from him. 

I look down, mumbling, "I don't want you to hurt him. He's my dad, of course!" 

Of course, this is the top reason why I am not ready to tell them anything. Why would I want them to hurt my father? My dad is innocent, I know. They are lying because this is what they do. They are robbers and no doubt they will hurt my dad for the reason I don't even know. 

I did not believe the reason they gave me. 

"He should've thought of his daughter before messing up with us. And you're wasting our time!" 

"Mad, I don't think you should be this soft with her. She doesn't deserve this and she's proved it. Let's get things done. In our way, of course!"  

My head snaps as I look at Carlos. The gun in his grip is set and he puts the nozzle against my temple. I wince at the sharp pain he makes shooting through my temple by pressing the metal tightly against it. 

"D-don't do that!" I stammer, squeezing my eyes shut. "I don't want to die!" I beg through my wavering voice. My heart is beating faster than before and I can feel my body shivering. 

"Oh yeah, we won't kill you, little one. Not before you talk to your dear daddy!" He grimaces, pressing the point more and making me bend my neck. 

"Here, I'm calling him, and you'll ask him where he is, and I don't want you to stutter or cry over the call so he gets suspicious or I'll shoot you right then!" He threatens before he puts the screen near my chin. 

I stare at the screen through my tear-filled eyes. My eyes burn and my throat clenches from the inside as if someone is choking me. The mobile rings and I cannot tear my eyes off the screen. 

"Handle it. I'm outside, okay?" Mad leaves after he gets the nods of acknowledgment from the two men standing on either side of me. I must admit that Mad was patient with me. Now a guy named Carlos is taking my class and I am scared out of my wits. 

The mobile rings in front of my eyes and thoughts start forming in my mind. These gangsters are very eager to know the location of my father, so from that, I can know that what they do not want to tell me is really serious. 

I see anger in their eyes and I do not think they will leave him alive after finding my father. Mad's assurance was fake. Carlos made it clear to me a moment ago that he would kill me after they would be done with me. 

But I do not want to die. I am a twenty-year-old girl doing MA and I want to achieve my dreams. I do not want to die so soon, nor do I want to let my father die. My mother had died right after she gave birth to me due to severe bleeding — as my dad told me, and since then it was my father who brought me up. I love him the most. 

"Now why are you crying?" He asks annoyingly which makes me realize that I have been crying while debating inside. 

"It's hurting," I whimper, wiping my tears through my shoulder, by pointing it up. 

"What?" Is he really that dumb? I give him a confused look before I mumble, "My wrists." 

"Well, that's your fault," he mutters, "you should've thought before kicking me, no? Now bear it." 

"No! Please! It's too much! I swear I won't kick you again!" I yell, desperate to get out of these clutches. There is no way I am loving being bound like an animal. Is it not too much for someone normal like me? Of course, I am not used to this treatment. 

"Won't kick me? Hell, I won't even give you a chance. Before you try to kick me, I'll break your leg," he threatens, his tone irritated. 

I bite my trembling bottom lip. I have to run away before he makes me talk to my father. That is the only way to save me but seems like I would not be able to make it out. My shoulders slouch and I look down, unable to believe I have to give up after trying so much. 

"Carlos, free her wrists otherwise she won't stop crying and Judas will know she's in danger." The other one suggests and Carlos releases a tired sigh, uttering, "Fine!" 

He comes to release my wrists while I watch him doing so. The scent of mint emanating from his hair invades my nostrils. I patiently wait for him to release my wrists, finally! 

I resist the urge to release a sigh, and I get up on my wobbling legs. If I want to run away, I have to prepare my legs, though they did not move for a small moment. 

"Now get it done!" He yells and I nod, taking the mobile from his hand. While I pretend to unlock my mobile, my eyes look around me. Carlos is standing on my right, the distance is not much. His arms are folded on his chest and of course, he is deeply focused on me. 

On the other hand, the second man who showed some mercy to me is standing behind Carlos at a little distance. There is no one on my left and after crossing this small-sized living room, the main door of my house is waiting for me. 

As per my memory, I remember they did not lock the door. When I was running back to my room, I am sure I heard them slamming the door shut. I just hope they did not lock it. Though I am not confirmed, I want to try. One side is afraid of failing but the other asks 'what if I passed?' 

Let us take this risk and see what happens. 

"C'mon, be quick!" He grumbles while I find my dad's contact. Well, it was on the top in the list of 'recent dials' but I wanted some time to think. 

"Yeah, I'm doing it!" I say quietly, pressing the screen against my ear. 

"Turn the speaker on, you cunning kid!" He grits out and I do as he says. The ringtone starts echoing around us, and with each beat, I can feel my pulse rate increasing, sweat forming on the surface of my palms, my breathing turning uneven and finally, my dad answers the damn call. 

"Princess?" He calls out, softly. I glance at Carlos, finding him staring at the screen, more than me. I am glad that my mobile has his attention. 

"Dad, how are you?" I ask, looking at the screen, but the corner of my eye takes care of Carlos. 

"I'm good, princess. What about you? Is my princess missing me?" He chuckles softly and I am glad he is fine right now. Probably safe at some place. 

"Yes, dad. I miss you so much. When are you coming back?" I am resisting the urge to break down right now. I am scared. So much. Yet I am willing to run away if I get the chance. 

"Don't worry. It'll take me two more days to finish the work here. And then I'll come back to you. You take care of yourself, just like you're doing right now, okay?" 

"Yes, dad…" I trail off when Carlos taps on my shoulder. I glance at him, over my shoulder, finding him mouthing his demand. This is the time. 

I nod, looking back at the screen. "Dad, I wanted to say something…" I drawl out, casually taking a step away from Carlos so that I am not under his clutch. 

"Yeah, princess?" 

"Dad, it's just," my heart skips a beat when I bite my bottom lip because the decision is made within me. I am going to do it. 

When I steal a glance at Carlos, I see he is staring at the screen of my mobile. I gulp and utter, "just don't come back here!" and without waiting for a second to pass, I rush over to the exit of the living room to catch the door. 

Carlos takes a moment to realize just what happened and that was an opportunity for me. I rushed to the door side but he was quick enough to chase me. I hurriedly held the hanging pot next to me and threw it at him so the lately filled mud fell over him, on his face. 

"Bitch!" I hear him yelling from behind while I am rushing out. I hear their loud footsteps coming in my direction, along with the worried tone of my father on the other side of the phone but I am going to care less. 

Passing through the long entrance of my house, I jump out of the door frame and scream, "Seal!" so the doors are locked. 

I run for my life, out of the mansion, and I am glad that even if our mansion is small, my dad did not miss making it modern and high-tech. Now that door cannot open without me or my father's voice. Not even the windows of the mansion. 

"Delilah! Delilah, are you listening to me?" After I reach the main road, I can hear my dad yelling over the other side due to concern. Oh no, he has asthma! I cannot make him yell and get sick because of me. 

"Dad! Yes, I'm listening!" I do not stop running because I know if I locked Carlos and his partner inside, I remember Mad leaving the house before handing me to that bastard Carlos. He must have got to know by now and he would be chasing me. 

"What's happening there? Are you okay?" He is worried. 

"Dad! Calm down! I'm okay!" I try to make him understand, "And dad, don't worry, please! Keep your health in mind!" 

"I'm worried as hell, Del!" God! 

I look behind and I cannot recognize Mad if he is chasing me in a car because there are many vehicles running around. 

"Dad, wait!" I say and run ahead. I do not want to take any risk at the moment. My legs are trembling and one of these running vehicles could be Mad's so I can't keep running here on the road. I must be hiding somewhere. 

But where? 

After coming out of the residential area, I do not expect to see any houses here. I am running on the side of the road and there are only shops, hotels, restaurants, and malls on either side of me. Vehicles have made the road busy. 

And I can't even ask anyone for help because, in the morning, everyone is busy getting out for their work. 

Think Delilah! Think if you do not want to get caught and beaten to a pulp but those gangsters!