MY LOVE INCARNATE

FRANCE: PARIS

The phone keeps ringing non-stop. Fred step out of the bathroom with a towel over his head to dry off dripping water from his wet hair. He just had a late night shower ready to go to bed. He sluggishly pick up the phone from his bed to see who has been calling him.

He stare at the strange number on the screen which reads restricted number. Without having much thought he answer the call.

“Who is this?” he asked softly slipping his slippers off his feet as he climb the bed.

“Huh….” A voice grunts from the other side of the phone which makes Fred squeeze his face.  He then wait for the person to talk.

“If you need your girlfriend come to the address that will be sent to you. And mind you, nobody should know about this” a hoarse voice threatens.

Fred quickly stand up from the bed squeezing his face more in confusion.

 "Hadiza!" he let out and could hear Hadiza his girlfriend's voice grunting in the background.

 The call instantly gets disconnected. Fred looks perplexed staring at the screen of his phone confusingly.

 “What has happened?” he asked no one in particular.

 "Ding!" a text message pop up from his phone.

Fred quickly check the text. It is an address and a picture of Hadiza tied up with blood stains on her face and a gun pointed to her head.

Fred's eyes widened in shock. He instantly rush to his wardrobe and quickly pick up a shirt and trousers. He put them on hastily making a run for the door.

He seems to have forgotten the car key. He run back inside again to pick his car keys. He dishevel his hair as he look for the car key. Seeing Hadiza in that state makes him panic.                            

He gets into his car and ignite the car then speed off to the address sent to him. Though he did not know the address but with the help of the Gps, he believes he will get to the place.

On the way, Fred keeps dialing Hadiza’s number but it was switched off. He tried calling several time but still the same respond. Cold  sweat forms on his forehead as he becomes more agitated.

 Although, Fred is the CEO of Brain, a reputable company in Paris which has other companies crawling behind it. But right now, the Almighty Brain’s CEO looks panicked and frightened. Fred has never thought that anything could cause him to be frightened out of his shell. He has always have everything at his beck and call. Never has he imagine he could be as helpless as he is right now.

Fred loves Hadiza so much that he could not bear to lose a strand of her hair. Seeing Hadiza kidnapped and hurt in such way gives Fred so much fright. Apart from Fred’s family, Hadiza is the only person who could move Fred like that. Just the knowledge of Hadiza been in danger scared him out of his wit. The picture which was sent to him makes his mind run wild with bad thoughts.

 “Who the hell could have done this?” Fred thinks loudly driving with a full speed.

After much thoughts he couldn’t figure out who could possibly kidnap his Hadiza just to threaten him. He really hope it was just a threat and nothing else. If anything could happens to Hadiza because of him. He will not be able to forgive himself.

Seeing the Gps blinking red. Fred made a rough stop after driving for hours. He quickly get out of his car holding his phone. He look around the place which is full of bushes and just an abandoned building. 

 As he was still looking at the building, his phone rings. It is the same restricted number.

"Hello" Fred instantly answer the call looking around the place to see who is talking to him but he sees no one.

 “Come into the building" the harsh voice said and ends the call.

 Fred sigh deeply and  rush into the abandoned building. Fred's face turns dark when he sees Hadiza being held by two hefty men in black with their faces covered while Hadiza has been terribly beating. One of the men holds a big iron rod standing in front like the boss.

Hadiza start struggling to get away when she sees Fred, her face already stained with her own blood. Fred’s heart race faster looking at Hadiza's beautiful face battered and covered with blood stains. He made a move forward to approach Hadiza but one of the men instantly place a knife to Hadiza's neck which abruptly stopped Fred from moving any further. 

“If you move one step forward this goes into her throat” the one holding up the knife threatens.

“What do you guys want?” Fred ask furiously. His eyes already lose its color seeing Hadiza in such state and unable to do anything. It makes his heart ache badly. His fists tightens in frustration making his fingernails burrow into his palms. He has his eyes fixed on Hadiza who was in tears struggling to get herself freed.

Fred made a move towards them again but the one with the knife draws the knife more closer to Hadiza's throat cutting a little of her neck. Fred widening his eyes in shock.

“Stop!” he yell at them and move backward so they will not hurt Hadiza more. Hadiza look so frightened. Her eyes begging for Fred to help her. Knowing that the men are not joking, Fred knelt down.

“Take me instead. Just leave her alone” he said pleading.

 "We will decide about that ourselves, Fred Anderson” the one with the iron rod said arrogantly.

Two of the men then start to untied Hadiza and immediately take her away towards the back of the building.

“If you dare, follow us” the leader said to Fred who look confused to see them taking Hadiza away.

"What are you doing?" Fred quickly stand up and run after them but the leader locked the door to the back of the building from outside which hinders Fred from following them. Fred push the door hard to open the door but the door will not budge. 

“Hadiza!” Fred shout for Hadiza banging the door. He look confused not knowing what to do. He turn around and see a big stick at a side. He quickly run to take the stick if it could help him break the door. Fred keeps hitting the door with the big stick until the door luckily opens.

He instantly charge towards the only narrow pathway at the back of the building. He run as fast as possible. Then he start to hear Hadiza’s voice calling for him. 

“Hadiza!” Fred also call for Hadiza to let her know that his right behind them. Because it was already dark, Fred could not see the narrow path clearly, but with the help of Hadiza calling for him. He keep following her voice using his phone’s torchlight.

Fred will have called the police or someone for help. But he did not want to risk losing Hadiza because he believes that those men will kill Hadiza if they know he called the police. So he decides to follow them to plead with them and give them anything they want do he could get Hadiza back.

After following them for sometimes. Fred catch up with them. He sees that the narrow path actually leads to small  plain land. Before the plain land there is a large river.

“What is this place?” Fred thinks and try to hide so he will know what the men intends to do or probably see their hide out. But then, the men brings Hadiza towards the river and make her to kneel.

“Blame Fred Anderson for causing your death and not me” the leader said and raise the iron rod in his hand to hit Hadiza's head. Fred knowing what the man is about to do, run out of his hiding.

 "Hadiza!" Fred shout and run as fast as he could to save Hadiza, but he was too late. The man already hit the iron rod on Hadiza’s head.

 Seeing the iron rod hits Hadiza’s head hard. Fred’s face flash black and white, his eye balls turns extra large with shock. Hadiza slowly landed on her face in pain with her blood splashed around. Fred falls to the ground on his kneel trying to reach to Hadiza’s body. But the men seeing Fred running towards Hadiza hits him also gently with the rod too behind his neck and push Hadiza’s body into the river.

 Fred gasps in pain as he gets hit my the rod on his neck. He sees as Hadiza’s body rolls into the river while trying to stay conscious. But he also falls face down and everything turns black.