Maria's POV
I left Fernandez's house for a bar to get food. After several months I tasted good food and drank clean water. Before leaving Fernandez's house he handed me one of his unused mobile phones and in his words he said, "Just in case you need anything. Call me".
Whilst eating at the bar. A drunken old man walked up to me and asked, "Are you not the Lady on TV?" he kept on staggering about. "You're so pretty in person….." he added, trying to come close.
Luckily I was done with my meal, so I moved him out of my way to counter where I paid for my dinner.
But then came again another wash off alcoholic. Who by indication drank to stupor. "Wow. Pretty lady…...i feel for you the moment I saw you on the news!" he said coming so close to
my face that I could perceive his bad breath.
"Should we get a room?" the alcoholic pervert asked. All I wanted was for him to get out of my way, so I'd leave.
Out of self defense, I delivered a punch to his nose the moment he grabbed my waist. He was so drunk that he couldn't even defend himself.
I walked out of the crazy bar to the motel. When I got there, the reception was top notch. And I couldn't differentiate if I was in a five star hotel or a motel. The two couples who handed me the key, kept on asking how they could make me comfortable. It felt weird but I brushed the thought away, presuming perhaps being nice was their nature.
I slumped on the bed staring up at the worn out ceiling. Then I felt the need to switch on the TV in order to extinguish the boredom I felt. And to my utmost surprise I was in the news with a headline, 'Culprit to the state. Report if you've seen this woman in your neighborhood and claim a handsome reward'.
I couldn't believe my eyes, all the channels had my picture. I couldn't believe Rodriguez had to go as far as placing a bounty on my head. I was being paraded as a criminal of the state.
That's when it dawned on me, "I gotta get out of here!". Picking up the hood Fernandez gave me. I peeped through the stairs to the reception. Lo and behold I saw Diego and other suited men handing over the bundle of dollars to the receptionist.
But before the couple could grasp it. Diego shot them both, straight in the forehead. Out of shock I heaved. All eyes turned to the stairs and I took to my heels. At that moment, I could pass off as an Asian bolt with how fast I ran and Tom Cruise with the stunts I pulled. I jumped over the balcony, dodging flying bullets shot at me from behind. I took out my phone and called Fernandez. I don't know if he heard anything I said with the panting but I reported the event anyway.
I landed steadily on my feet on the roof of someone's SUV. I kept on running, not catching my breath for a second. Unfortunately I got shot by a bullet in my shoulder. It almost propelled me to stop but I never wanted to return to that dungeon. I was meters away from a group of well builded men and the thought of me standing a chance of outrunning them began fading.
In the heat of the moment. I heard the rushing speed of a car. I surrendered, giving up the chase. The passenger door opened, the driver happened to be Fernandez. I sighed in relief. In a rush he instructed, "Get in!". I hopped in without hesitation.
The bleeding from my arm began progressively faded my sight. I couldn't bear the pain. I had received two bullet shots in the space of one week.
My vision blurred and I couldn't see where Fernandez drove me to. All he kept on saying was, "You'd be fine Maria. I promise". "We're going to a safe house. No one would locate you there" he concluded.
I woke up the next morning laying down on the snooker table with a rotational light hanging above my head. Moving in a non direction sequence. I stood up slowly and saw my bullet hole had been dressed. I looked over at the chair and found a surgical scissor and the bullet on a plate.
I was just about getting up when I was rushed on by Fernandez. "Easy Maria" he said, helping me down. I looked at him and saw his full attention was getting me down. "Where I'm I?" I asked after he helped me sit up. "You're safe Maria. Safe" he said briefly, refusing to look at my face.
Whenever Fernandez was guilty of something he could never look at me. So I grew suspicious. "Fernandez....." I called his name but he still didn't look up. "Maria, everything I do I do it for you. Trust me" I felt his voice trembling. "What is going...", "Finally. Fernandez you've made my day" another unfamiliar voice said interjecting me. Majestically making an entrance a young man in his late thirties walked into the stuffy room.
"Give me one good reason why you shouldn't be locked behind bars?" the man said and I was thrown aback. Fernandez buried his head into the ground and I was puzzled by what he meant. "Chief Andres" the man extended his hands for a shake which I didn't reciprocate. "I prefer being called detective Andres. The 'Chief' sounds too high and dignifying….." I immediately interrupted him. Bringing back his statement of arrest.
"Behind bars? I….." I asked innocently. He came close to my face and said, "For the death of Mr and Mrs Morales. Your parents. THAT'S WHY!" he snapped.
I couldn't believe my ears. "How would you think I could kill my own parents?" I was unable to find words to say. "Money, power, total control perhaps...you tell us" he said, already judging me with his countenance. I looked at Fernandez who could no longer look me in the eyes. "Is this a step up? Huh Fernandez. YOU SET ME UP?" I included angrily.
"This is all orchestrated by the Rodriguez goddammit!. I was held hostage for eight fuc*ing months. I was on a shoot out last night. Guess who shot me?. Rodriguez men, Jordan boys!. You should arrest that spoiled prick, not me!", I added angrily. "Well you're true about one thing. The young heir is a proud prick. But not a cold blooded murderer like you've said. These people are good" detective Andres stressed further, sounding so naive.
"Maria...it's" Fernandez tried speaking but Andres interjected him once more. "We found your parent's murder Weapon, all carrying your fingerprints" he said trailing around me like a vulture. "I could never take the lives of people who meant the world to me. Only God knows how the Rodriguez got my prints on the evidence. I was held against my will for months. Enough time for them to conduct their experiment" I defended further. But I grew more frightened when detective Andres dropped a pair of handcuffs on the table despite all I said.
"This could be your fate", "A deal to get you outta the mess" Fernandez interjected Interrupting detective Andres who wasn't pleased by his intrusion. Fernandez read his countenance and thought it wise to stay put. Detective Andres then said, "Maria. Scratch my back and I'd scratch yours".
I couldn't believe he made such a ridiculous demand, I became browned off. "If you think Detective, you are gonna ride on this body the way you please. Then you're highly mistaken. Read my lips. MISTAKEN!" I replied moving close to his face, "I will NOT have sex with you" I added and concluded harshly. The two men stood speechless watching my anger mellow down, like cold water poured on hot coal.
"Wow!" Detective Anders exclaimed, walking towards the corner of the room where he continued to stare at me. Fernandez then came close to me and whispered into my ears. "He doesn't want to have sex with you Maria....but to bargain for your freedom!". At that moment I felt completely stupid. Eight months in solitary confinement definitely made me lose my sense of reasoning to decoding a simple ironical statement.
I tried mumbling out an apology but Anders interrupted me. "I wondered how the sweet Heiress. Loved By everyone. Daddy and mommy's little princess could orchestrate and carry out such brutal murder. It's either you didn't do it alone, you were helped by someone…" he turned slightly to Fernandez "Or you're innocent of all these" he added. "With Fernandez being a nail in the foot. I had to give you a chance" I looked at Fernandez who only kept on looking back.
"So you'd help the force, nib this secret Mafia family in the bud. I have a wife and kids. It would be my word against billions of dollars" he obviously insinuated he didn't want to get involved.
"But you Maria have a reason to fight. If you say they're shady you must be ready to prove they are shady" Andres spoke further as the tension in the entire room intensified.
"Here," Andres said, tossing a paper on the table. "A six month contract. If after six months you fail to produce any evidence whatsoever for your innocence.....", "You cuff me to the cell" I interjected. Concluding on his behalf. And Anders nodded in confirmation. My mind kept racing with thoughts. I was scared of returning back to that hell hole. I was scared of reuniting with my tormentors.
"I could take you in this very moment. The decision is yours. Are you ready to walk down that line to prove the truth or be bound in a cage for the rest of your life" Anders spoke further.
"The cuff…..or…..the contract?" Andres asked. Fernandez kept looking at me unsure of what I'd chosen. I turned to the table and saw he had kept my options side by side. There came a minute of silence, then my decision.
"Done" I signed.