Chapter 24- Freedom is pain
______Nadia's Pov______
I awoke in a cold sweat and panic was written all over my face. I had just experienced a horrific nightmare and I breathed heavily as I tried to calm my palpitating heart. I was beyond traumatized but after rationalizing the situation, I realized that it was just a dream. It had to be a dream, right?
After somewhat calming down, I rubbed my eyes, trying to distinguish my dreams from reality but to my horror, my dream was my reality.
I was expecting to see my beautiful rose pink room but what I saw before my eyes frightened me, causing me to tremble like a leaf.
I was in a dark and gloomy warehouse. The same one from my dreams and the smell was horrible. I was sprawled out on the cold hard ground and I got up briskly with panic as my heart was ready to rip out my chest in fright.
There were dead bodies everywhere. The warehouse was smelling mucky and the metallic smell of blood contaminated the room, making me feel sick. There was blood in every direction I looked and the old dilapidated warehouse seemed haunted.
I let out a bloodcurdling scream began running like a maniac as I tried to escape.
After about half an hour of banging on the various doors trying to escape, it felt hopeless as all the exits were sealed shut.
I pinched my self continuously in an attempt to wake up from this awful nightmare but nothing happened. It was useless.
I wasn't dreaming. This nightmare was my reality.
My chances of escaping this were slim and the odds of getting out of this situation alive did not look high for me. I was doomed.
I slid to the ground hopelessly and held my knees to my chest as I rocked back and forth.
I began to cry and scream in agony for someone to save me.
I needed a hero. I needed someone to give me my freedom.
______Raymond's Pov_______
In the last twenty-four hours, so many things had gone wrong but I would use it to my advantage.
This girl that was brought into my mess in error would actually come in handy. She was officially my ticket to finding Kyra since they resemble each other so much.
I was on my way to the airport last night when a brilliant idea struck me. Instead of going to Canada with Kyra's look alike, I would stay in America until I found Kyra.
I'll use this girl to trick Kyra into coming with me. It was about two o'clock in the morning when I drove back to the warehouse and I left the young girl in there, together with the pathetic rotting bodies of the guards I had killed in rage.
I then went to another hotel that one of my buddies owned to rest because these next couple of hours would be hectic as I contemplate how I would get Kyra back in my arms.
******the next morning******
The limousine pulled in front of the airport arrival terminal and not long after, Amara walked strutting like a model. The chauffeur was outside the car door waiting to open the door for her while I typed on my laptop.
Her bodyguards carried her luggage and they put it in the black SUV they would be following behind us with.
"Took you long enough." I said, not looking up at her.
"Good to see you too Raymond." she said with a scoff.
The chauffeur closed the door and then we were being driven to the hotel.
The ride to the apartment building where we would be scheming was beyond awkward with silence but that was only because I made it so. I had nothing to say and neither did I want to hear what Amara had to say.
I drank two glasses of wine on our journey while Amara was reading my plans on my laptop for getting Kyra back. She would scheme through it and add whatever she thought necessary.
When we got to the apartment building, I allowed one of my men to escort Amara to the floor we would be on. I took the stairs while they took the elevator because I was going to the underground parking lot. Only my vehicles were parked there as the entire apartment building had been leased to me and it was not a place of residence but rather it was a meeting place for my important transactions to occur.
I decided to drive the navy blue Maserati which was parked there and I drove myself to the warehouse where I had left Kyra's doppelgΓ€nger.
When I got to the warehouse, I called one of my men to get the girl out of the warehouse for me because I did not want to see these worthless scums who were now rotting and smelling up the place.
He carried her out of the building and she was fast asleep. He put her in the back seat and all I could see was Kyra. He laid her down gently and closed the door. As I observed her, I could see tear stains on her precious face. She had done nothing wrong to be in this situation but if I had to get rid of her now, I would have to kill her. So instead, I would make good use of her to catch Kyra and maybe this girl could continue living her life like this never happened.
I decided to call Amara to find out if she had any leads on my beautiful Kyra. I needed to have her in my grasp.
"Amara, have you found anything?" I asked feeling impatient and disgruntled.
"Yes. Kyra is in Virginia at one of the hospitals. She was in a car accident and is currently in critical condition." she said sadly.
My heart felt like it was shattered and a wave of emotions passed through me. Hearing about Kyra's condition made me heartbroken and also enraged.
Why did she do this to herself? Was living with me really that bad? I had so much to offer her. I was going to give her the world but instead, she chose to betray me to be with her mother. Why was this happening to me? Why couldn't she just love me?
I began breathing heavily on the phone and then dropped it as I began hitting on the steering wheel in frustration.
After composing myself, I looked in the rearview mirror and Kyra's lookalike was still sleeping angelically on the backseat.
If only she were Kyra. Then everything would be fine. Unfortunately, I needed the real Kyra for my life to be complete and to get what was rightfully mine.
****half an hour later*******
I drove back to the apartment where Amara was plotting how we would kidnap Kyra from the hospital. She was busy sending emails, trying to get some inside men and women to be stationed at the hospital as staff.
"Pack your things." I said as soon as I walked in.
She looked up at me in confusion.
"We're going to Virginia." I informed her.
There was a knock on the door and two of my men had come up to take our suitcases.
Amara logged off my computer, putting it in the case and then returning it to me. She exited the living room to get her handbag which was in one of the bedrooms and then followed me out of the apartment and to my car.
"Do you have sleeping pills in your bag?" I asked curiously.
"Is that even a question? I even have a tranquillizer darts in my bag." she responded cockily.
"Good. It will come in handy." I said and she then entered the passenger side of the car.
I got in just in time to hear her gasp.
"I could have sworn she was Kyra. They look almost identical." she said in complete bewilderment.
"She's some lookalike my men mistook for Kyra. I killed them all in the warehouse for making this situation way more complicated than it had to be." I informed her.
She watched me horrorstricken but I ignored her. It had to be done. I had no regrets about killing those worthless and pathetic men.
I started the car and then began driving at full speed to the airport.
"I need you to keep an eye on her until we figure out exactly what to do with her. I want her highly sedated at all times because I cannot afford her escaping and telling the world of my plans. I don't want to have to kill her by force." I explained to Amara.
****the next day****
"Raymond, I've visited Kyra in the hospital so I know of her exact location, how many guards are outside her door and how to get in and out without being seen." Amara informed me, "I've also taken note of all her bruises."
"What's her condition at the moment? Is she stable?" I asked feeling overwhelmed.
"She is better than when she was first found but she has a few broken ribs and bruises on her body. She is still in a coma from the accident she was in." she said sadly.
"I have an idea. We're getting Kyra back soon." I told Amara and she looked at me perplexed.
"Even if we get Kyra in and out of that room, in less than ten minutes we would have the police chasing us. The moment they see that bed empty, it's going to be World War 3." she exclaimed.
"That's the thing. 'Kyra' will still be there. We'll replace Kyra with her lookalike so it will take them a little while longer to realize she's actually gone. By the time they realize, we'll be far away and gone without a trace. And this time, Kyra won't ever escape again."
"Raymond, you're such a genius." Amara commended me.
____Nadia's Pov______
My head feels so light and my eyes so heavy. I feel too weak to move. What is going on? Why am I feeling like this?
After what felt like an eternity, my eyes slowly fluttered open. After trying to regain full consciousness, my numb legs finally stopped tingling and I was able to fling them off the bed. With all the strength I could muster, I sat up on the bed, with my legs dangling on the floor.
I sat, trying not to do any sudden movements or whip my head too suddenly because I still felt dizzy.
The room I was in was strange and I knew instantly I was not in the comfort of my home. It looked like a simple hotel room and panic consumed me.
I thought I was suffering from a terrible hangover from drinking too much with my friends but in fact, I had not been home for days. I was living my worst nightmare. I had been kidnapped due to mistaken identity and heavily sedated for who knows how long. I had to escape my kidnapper and get back home safely. I would not bother trying the white doors because my kidnapper was most probably on the other side waiting patiently for me to awake or do God knows what with me. All I knew was that I was not going to stick around to find out.
Based on the furniture in the room I was in, I could tell that I was in a lavish hotel but this was no time for me to explore and fantasize about it. The girl I was mistaken for must have obviously been through hell and damnation for her to run away from this.
I got off the bed after sitting on the bed for what felt like ten minutes. I saw myself in a mirror and the girl staring back at me looked ghostly. My eyes were lifeless and my face as white as snow. My hair looked a mess and my petite frame looked even smaller.
There was an adjoining bathroom with the door wide open so I went inside and opened the tap to rinse my face. There were some scrunchies in the bathroom so I took one and put my hair in a messy bun. I needed my hair out of the way for when I made my escape. Nothing would stop me.
I exited the bathroom and saw closet which to my luck was filled with clothing items. I changed from the nightgown I had been put in by whoever had me trapped in this place and quickly put on black jeans and a long-sleeved grey top. There were also boots there which I quickly put on.
I had wasted enough time. I needed to get out of here and quickly.
The room I was in had a balcony so I decided to use it as my escape route. I attempted to open the double white doors leading to the balcony but it was locked, much to my horror.
I was trapped and felt like crying, but I was not going to give up so easily. I needed my freedom.
I looked at the dresser and saw a few hair clips.
Perfect!
I grabbed a few clips in haste and ran to the balcony door as I tried to pick the lock.
Fifteen minutes later, I finally heard the door click.
I turned the knob with trembling hands it finally opened.
"Yes!" I shouted in relief.
Oh no! I covered my mouth in fright. I said that too loud. What if he heard me?
I quickly exited the room and stood on the balcony, closing the door behind me as quietly as I could. I needed to put my plan into action now and fast.
It was freezing outside but I'd rather freeze here than be stuck with my kidnapper. I let out a shaky breath and my breath could be seen in the cold air.
Adrenaline consumed my body and I walked to the balusters and held the railing. It was now or never.
I prompted myself up on the railing careful jumped over it so now I was standing on a thin, icy ledge.
I was not concerned about how high up I was or the fact that if I made one wrong move that I would go tumbling down five stories.
All I wanted was my freedom and I was determined to get it.
The balcony to the other apartment was only a few feet away.
I walked on the ledge, carefully, trying to hold my balance. I was scared for my life but not as scared as I had been the last couple of days with my kidnapper.
I held onto the wall as I shuffled along the thin ledge to the other balcony and I jumped over the railing and onto the balcony.
I almost missed a fall jumping over but I managed to grip the railing tight enough to avoid slipping off the ledge.
My body was trembling like a leaf as it was freezing outside. No snow was falling at the moment but the sky looked grey and dreary.
I walked towards the balcony door and tried the knob but it was locked.
I still had a clip in my pocket and used it to unlock the door.
After struggling for a while, it finally unlocked.
As soon as opened the door, I was grabbed by the throat and pushed onto a wall.
I was beyond startled and I began clawing at my attacker.
"Help!" I screamed but it sounded hoarse due to the air being sucked out of me.
I began feeling weak and useless as he was too strong and powerful. I was beginning to black out when he stopped choking me and my body dropped to the floor.
I gasped for breath as I coughed, my mind still trying to comprehend what was happening.
I groaned in pain as I was kicked in the stomach.
Ughh. I held my stomach as tears began to stream down my face.
This was not going to end well. I had just gotten myself into some deep shit and this was it. I was going to be a goner.
I just wanted my freedom but everything comes at a cost.
I then felt myself being picked up from the ground from my shoulder like I was a rag doll.
"Just like beauty is pain, so is freedom." the man sneered at me.
He then slammed my body into the wall with so much force that I fell to the ground yet again.
He began kicking me all over and my screams of agony did nothing but ignite his anger and brutality towards me.
Not long after, I heard my bone in my back crack.
The pain was unbearable.
I then received a hard slap to my face and then continuous punches to my face.
My screams were deafening and the pain was making me feel lifeless.
What had I done to deserve this?
Tears were rolling down my face at rapidly and uncontrollably.
He then grabbed me by my feet and began dragging me.
"Please. Just make it stop!" I cried out but it was useless.
He then let go of my leg and I remained sprawled on the ground in pain and the only thing could hear was my racing heart.
I thought all the torture was done but I was wrong.
I was lifted to my feet despite all the pain I was and I cried out. I could barely stand and I was beyond weak. I cried out in agony as I was disoriented and could not understand what was happening.
I then felt someone give me a hard shove and I lost my footing and rolled down a flight of steep stairs.
I landed with a loud thud and I was in so much pain that I could no longer speak.
My leg felt like it was broken and my wrist sprained.
My shoulder was probably dislocated and my back probably had a slipped disc, not to mention a few broken ribs.
My eyes could no longer stay open.
I then felt the presence of someone coming towards me.
I was surprised I was not dead yet. I did not want freedom by death but I guess it would be the only freedom I was going to end up with. I was not going to make it out of this alive.
I suddenly received a hard knock on my head and I felt blood trickling down my face.
I received another blow and this time I coughed up blood.
I knew I could endure pain but this was beyond ridiculous.
I sustained another blow and then everything went black.
_____END OF CHAPTER_______
Thank you for reading guys. I made this chapter long and gruesome for you guys.
Please vote, comment and share this book with your friends.
I've really been trying to update when I say I will but work has me so exhausted. I wish I was writing as a living because then I would be very frequent with my updates. However, this is not the case for me as writing is still a hobby until this book gets recognised by a huge publisher.
For now, I'll try to update when possible.
In the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram @iconic_author758
I love you guys.
~Whitney.