Chapter 12 - Daydreaming (1/2)
The black car which was tracking the GPS went around the backstreet before entering the main road. They sped on the road following the location for more than fifteen minutes. When they finally blocked the vehicle, it was an empty truck that was going out of the city before the peak hours.
The officers were perplexed. That truck couldn't enter the passageways. Alarmed, they immediately checked the truck, in and out. They got the President's blazer on the truck's driver. Anya wasn't there.
An officer questioned the driver, ”How did you get this blazer?” There was a fierceness in the tone. They didn't suspect him because the kidnapper was tall whereas the truck driver wasn't only short, he had a potbelly.
The truck driver saw the firearms in the leather handgun holder and the uniforms three men were wearing. He mistook them for the military. He responded promptly glancing at the blazer, ”I was smoking when this fell on me. When I turned around to see who threw it, there was none.” Then he took the truck and drove away.
The officers hadn't expected to be fooled. They took the driver for questioning in case he was lying. One of them hesitantly reached Bernard through his secretary Yulia, ”President Collins, the kidnapper tricked us and escaped with Ms. Owen.”
The officer heard nothing in response. Bernard instructed somebody while the call was being hung up, ”Write down the kidnap case and look for her. Now.” They need a more professional team to find Anya.
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Half-past eight in the morning,
Linus Collins drove his Buggati inside the guarded gates. The driveway gave a stunning view of the magnificent mansion - Oasis. The mansion seemed to come out of a fairy tale with a touch of a contemporary style. The extravagant estate was surrounded by landscaped gardens, offering every luxurious amenities a top-notch resort could offer.
The servants had started their day with cleaning and gardening. They modestly bowed towards his car without caring if Linus's eyes were on them or not.
Linus would have slowed the speed, rolled the windows down if his mood was good. Now he straight pulled the car in front of the mansion door. He alighted the car while noticing a guest car in the yard.
Brushing off all other thoughts, he jogged inside without understanding what his brother could be so busy with that he couldn't answer the call.
As soon as he entered the mansion, his speed lowered, looking at the maids murmuring with each other while glancing upstairs repeatedly. His brother hates to see people group up and gossip, especially if it's the working hours of his subordinates. Hence none lags or lazes in their work. So the view came as a surprise to Linus.
His footsteps caught the attention of ladies. Unlike his personality outside or with his knowns, he treated the staff accordingly. The uniformed maids quickly formed a line and lowered their heads. They didn't dare to say anything as they weren't allowed to speak before being questioned. They greeted in unison, ”Mr. Collins.” They looked like school children standing in line waiting to be reprimanded.
A middle-aged man was alighting the stairs. He was wearing navy blue trousers and a vest on his white shirt. The glasses on his nose bridge made him look stern. He paused looking at Linus, ”Mr. Collins?”
Linus looked at the butler and went towards the stairs, ”Uncle Oliver, where is bro? Is he home?” Then he glanced at the maids who were standing without getting to work, ”And what is going on?”
The butler faintly smiled hearing the rows of questions. ”Mr. Collins, your brother is in his room. He brought…” He paused his response. He glanced upstairs and another smile graced his face, ”I think you should go and check yourself, Mr. Collins.” He was polite and respectful.
Linus was amused hearing the butler trying to keep the things mysterious. He was even more curious, ”Alright, Uncle Oliver. I am famished.” He was really hungry during the ninety minutes drive around the city.