REUNIONCaleb rushed to the door to catch a glimpse of who the mysterious visitor was, but she had disappeared like she was never even there. He looked to his left and right, only a nurse carrying a tray of medication was coming from the direction of the female ward which was on the other wing.He sighed and turned to go back inside, and that's when he heard a familiar voice saying, "Please take me to the open field by the cafeteria, I need some fresh air."Caleb paused right there. He could recognise that voice anywhere.Without going back inside to let the D. I P know he was stepping outside, he followed the direction of the voice.Bella El-Zaki was seeing daylight for the first time in ten days. She was advised to remain bedridden in the ward until she complained to her doctor that she was getting depressed from not being able to talk on the phone or allowed to go outside. "The ward attendant on duty will assist you to go outside when the sun comes up," the female doctor gently s

OUT OF REACH After reading the letter from Hannah - which was masterminded by Caleb, El-Zaki stood up and entered into his private chambers, and shut the door.He was visibly shaken. And trying to wrap his head around the content of the letter made him have a migraine."Bella is my biological daughter?!" It was more of a statement than it was a question. He began to pace about with a glass of whiskey in his hand. As he moved, he gulped down the content and put the empty glass on the table. Then clasping his hands together, he started thinking of what to do next. "How do I tackle this so-called Hannah?" On one hand, his guts told him to call her bluff and ignore her. But on the other hand, his mind was telling him there was an element of truth in what she said. And he could not pretend that that night never happened. How could he when the baby's photos bore too close a resemblance to his own baby pictures? The full hair, pointed nose, and deep-searching eyes. How could he have mis

NO WAY OF ESCAPE El-Zaki dialled Hannah's line several times that day but she didn't respond. He brought out the letter again from his chest pocket to confirm the phone number behind it.He saw that it was correct. "Then why the fuck is she not responding to my calls?""If she has my daug..." he stopped himself in midsentence. "I shouldn't address her as my blood yet. Not when I'm yet to confirm she's actually mine." But the image of Bella's baby photos won't leave his head. And his mind also went back to that Christmas night when he returned home drunk and met Hannah alone in his loving room downstairs. It was like he had never seen a beautiful woman before. The way her bum swayed beneath her bogus uniform sewn to disguise her beauty gave him the bulge. And then his anger on realising his wife left home on some trip with his two-year-old son further made his blood feel hot. His whole plans for that Christmas changed and he decided to improvise with what was available. Thinking ab

HOW IT PLAYED OUT Caleb never knew it was that easy to get to anyone he needed information about. After the strange number that called him and Hannah kept trying to reach them separately, he reached out to Mr Ramirez. Coincidentally, he was about to leave Madrid for Mexico City on a business-related trip which he intended to stop over at the Dezani estate afterwards for the courtesy visit. "Give me a few minutes let me check it with my tech guys," he said. Caleb said okay and waited. By this time, he, Hannah, and Bella were on their way to a small town where they'd be lodging in a hotel for the time being. Mr Ramirez called back to say the call signal was coming from Spring Road. It was the axis where the El-Zaki mansion was located. Caleb thanked the man and said he'd be waiting to receive him in Mexico. From there, Caleb knew what to do. He sent out about twelve men and instructed them to wait at specific points: along El-Zaki mansion, DeZ company, and at every checkpoint with

SHOT BY HIS OWN Caleb made for his gun before he could fire it. But he had already pressed the trigger button with him directly in the line of fire.His reflexes were quick and spontaneous. Caleb made a swift movement downwards and the bullet missed him, though not without brushing the side of his right arm as it flew past to find a target. "Damn it, argh!" came the shrieking sound from the man hit by the bullet. It was Miguel El-Zaki. Caleb became instantly stunned. But he didn't let the moment make him lose focus. This was just one man out of the eight he counted when they alighted from their vehicles. If he didn't handle this one well, he might become the next victim. The light from his lighter gun was still shining at full glare, he turned his face to the shooter just as three bullets whisked themselves past him and were simultaneously buried into the guy's body. The question on his mind was answered when more lights came on from various angles. The shooters were Mr Ramirez