chapter 6

There's no threat Lewis hasn't tried. There's no excuse he hasn't given. But nothing worked on Paulo. It was as if Paulo had become temporarily deaf to his voice.

Finally, the black car slowed as the tall gates of the mansion slid open. The place was enormous, far bigger than Lewis's imagination.

Lewis sat stiffly in the back seat, he wasn't going to move but his heart was pounding with every second that passed.

Taking people without their permission wasn’t right.

Stopping an ambulance to abduct a patient wasn't right but these people were unbothered.

The car stopped in front of the grand entrance of the mansion. Before Lewis could even process his surroundings, the doors of the car in front opened. The two men who had followed them stepped out quickly and pulled the elderly woman from their vehicle. She was still unconscious on the stretcher they had taken from the ambulance.

“Careful with her,” Lewis said immediately as his instinct took over.

One of the men glanced at him but said nothing as they carried her toward the house.

Lewis was scared but he didn’t move. He wasn't ready to give up easily.

Paulo noticed.

“Get out of the car,” Paulo said.

Lewis stayed seated. “I’m not leaving this car. You have to take me back,” he replied firmly.

Paulo opened the car door and leaned slightly inside, his expression was calm but his eyes were sharp.

“That wasn’t a request,” he said firmly.

Lewis stepped out slowly, looking around the massive compound. The building towered above him with its tall pillars and expensive tiled walls.

To Lewis, the house looked less like a home and more like a fortress. He knew it would be harder to escape if he entered inside.

As they approached the entrance, Paulo walked in front. Lewis quickly slipped his phone out of his pocket, trying to call for help. He barely got the screen on before Paulo’s hand snatched it away.

“Hey!” Lewis protested. “Give me my phone.”

Paulo held the phone up, examined it, turned it off immediately before sliding it into his own pocket.

“You won’t be needing that,” he said casually.

Lewis stared at him, frustration boiling inside of him.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice shaking slightly with both anger and fear.

Paulo smirked faintly. “I’m Paul,” he said, pausing for a second. “Paulo for acquaintances.”

Lewis blinked at him in disbelief. “That’s not funny,” he snapped. “Seriously, what was this? was this a kind of prank?”

Paulo raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I'm joking?”

Lewis opened his mouth to reply, but Paulo slowly lifted the side of his jacket. A gun was tucked neatly against his waist.

Lewis froze and his stomach dropped immediately.

“I don't do pranks,” Paulo said quietly.

At that moment, every hope of escape disappeared from Lewis' mind. For the first time since the ambulance was stopped, the situation fully sank in.

These men weren't joking with him. For a brief moment, he considered running, but the men behind him made it clear that running would be a terrible idea.

Paulo stepped aside and gestured toward the entrance.

“Go in.”

Lewis swallowed hard as he accepted his ill fate. Slowly, he walked inside with the hope that if he attended to the woman on time, he would be able to leave.

*****

The inside of the mansion was just as intimidating as the outside.

Shining marble floors, high ceilings with diamond chandeliers. The paintings on the walls looked older than the building itself. Also, it smelled expensive.

But none of that mattered to Lewis as he was ushered into the hallway.

The elderly woman had been placed on a large bed in one of the rooms. The two men who had carried her in stepped aside as Lewis approached.

“Move,” he said quickly, setting his bag down.

He checked her pulse again. It was still steady. He placed a blood pressure cuff around her arm and began examining her carefully.

“She fainted because she was in shock,” Lewis muttered while working. “Does anyone know the reason?”

None of the men answered.

Lewis looked up, annoyed.

“No one?”

Still, no one answered.

Lewis sighed in annoyance. They don't know about her condition, yet they obstructed medical attention.

“Of course you don’t know.”

He grabbed a small flashlight from his bag and checked her pupils. “Her breathing is stable,” he continued. “She just needs rest.”

Paulo leaned against the wall, watching him work.

“It seems you were prepared for her,” he said.

Lewis ignored him.

After a few more minutes of monitoring and adjusting the blanket around the old woman, Lewis finally stood up.

“She’ll wake up in a few hours,” he said. Then he packed his equipment quickly. “Now that I'm done here, I’m leaving.”

He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the door.

Paulo stepped in front of him.

Lewis stopped. “What now?” he asked impatiently. “My phone right?” He stretched his hand towards Paulo.

“Who said you were leaving?” Paulo asked calmly.

Lewis stared at him. “What else am I supposed to do here?”

“You are supposed to wait until she wakes.”

Lewis laughed in disbelief. “Wait until she wakes? What am I? Her personal nurse?

“You heard me,” Paulo said.

“No, no, no. My job was done here. If you need further care, you can invite a doctor or take her to the hospital.”

“You leave when she wakes up,” Paulo replied.

Lewis’s frustration exploded. “Can you hear yourself? She won't wake up anytime soon and I have a job to go back to.”

Paulo shrugged. “Take this as a part-time job, then.”

Lewis shook his head, trying to push past him.

“I’m going home.”

Paulo didn’t move.

Lewis placed his hand on Paulo’s chest and shoved him slightly.

“Move.”

That was a mistake because in one swift motion, Paulo shoved him back. Lewis lost his balance completely and crashed onto the marble floor.

Pain shot through his butt and back as the impact knocked the breath out of him. He groaned loudly as he tried to sit up.

Paulo looked down at him, angry.

“I suggest,” Paulo said calmly, “that you stop testing my patience.”

Lewis stared up at him in disbelief. Slowly, he pushed himself up, rubbing his butt.

“I swear down, you will regret messing with me,” he said as his chest rose and fell rapidly.

Fighting was an option because he wasn't fit to go physical with Paulo. Even if he tried, there were too many for him to fight.

Running wasn't an option either. He didn’t even know where the exits were and they had guns.

He looked around the room again as his latest reality hit him like a physical blow. He was locked in a big house, with strange men holding guns. No phone, no way out.

Lewis exhaled slowly, but inside, his mind was racing. He didn’t know who these men were. He didn’t know what kind of place this was. But one thing had become very clear. He wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

So he picked up his medical bag from the floor and walked back toward the bed where the elderly woman lay sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the chaos around her.

Paulo watched carefully as Lewis pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I'll wait.”

Paulo tilted his head slightly. “Smart choice.”