Chapter 57 - Kidnapped Again

"Wait! You two!" 

The two kidnappers felt their bodies stiffen as someone called them from behind. They couldn't stop themselves from feeling that they had been exposed. If they were exposed, they couldn't even dare to fathom the punishment that they would be going through. Stealing Vitello's woman was akin to suicide already. But this job was going to earn them at least two to three grand USD which was a huge sum in their currency. Moreover, only after taking the risk, they could earn some big money. 

The manager swiftly walked and stood before them. Scowling he said, "You two just picked up the carpet and left the rest of the stuff in the storeroom?"

The manager was already annoyed with his lazy workers. It was already a big deal that their company was managing the grand event that was going to be celebrated in the palace in a few days. Therefore, they couldn't imagine making any kind of mistakes. One mistake and they would be out of the industry. 

The kidnappers realized that they were still not caught. They still had the opportunity to take this woman out of the Palace. "We will pick the stuff after placing this carpet in the load carrier. Manager, the carpet is very heavy so please let us place it first." 

"No, put the carpet here and pick the other things first. I do not trust any of you as you all have the tendency of slacking off. " Of course, he was not going to let them get away from his eyes. "Are you hearing me?" 

"Yes, manager," One of them immediately said. Turning to his partner, he continued, "Let's just keep this carpet at the side. We have done a hard job of rolling it. Let's not have someone undo our hard work." 

The second one naturally added. Flattening the carpet meant losing the woman. And losing the woman meant getting their head slaughtered. 

"Why does this carpet smell so badly?"The manager asked, covering his nose in disgust. 

"The carpet was damped and you know the odd stuff that had accidentally gotten poured on it in the storeroom. We shouldn't waste our time." The second one instantly changed the course of the topic. Even they were disturbed by his disgusting smell. What could they do? 

"Finish your work quickly." 

___ 

Three hours. It took those two kidnappers disguised as the company workers three freaking hours to do that shitty random work. During this time, Persephone who unconsciously wrapped inside the heavy and thick carpet was breathing shallowly. She could sense that she was confined in a small space and this was also the reason why she couldn't breathe properly. The sweat and this darn stench were killing her. Still, she couldn't open her eyes or use her hands or feet to get out of this confinement. 

A duct tape was pasted on her mouth to shut her. But it seems that those idiot kidnappers didn't know that duct tape actually didn't work to stop the captive from screaming. They had watched way too many Hollywood movies. Moreover, she could tell that these kidnappers weren't professional like her father's men in NYC or Villain's men here. 

After all, she was a woman with experience in kidnapping. Not once, but twice. It was the third time she was getting kidnapped. 

"Alpha, the carpet is still here. Let's pick this quickly and leave." 

"Hurry up, little Gama. We must not be caught." 

"What's this disgusting stench?"

"Lord knows…."

"Let's just leave." 

Persephone could hear two men speaking to each other. She felt like someone had picked her up in the air and was now walking. 

[These pallbearers (not exactly) of mine are now scaring me.]

She wanted to scream but her slightly unconscious body wasn't permitting her. Perhaps, it was her brain that was still conscious which was telling her that she was getting kidnapped... again. 

Damm, she should be given the Guinness world record for getting kidnapped for the maximum time in just a limited amount of time. Oh, yeah, look at her for breaking world records. 

As they walked a few steps, Persephone heard Villain's voice from afar. 

She struggled to scream but no voice was coming out of her mouth. But she was hellbent on screaming… 

And so she did…

"Villain!!!"

It was a muffled scream but she did. 

"Little Gama, increase your speed. This bitch is awake." 

"Villain!"

They kept on walking fast as she continued screaming. 

_____

"Mr. Vitello, everything is alright?" A soldier dressed in a military uniform asked Santiago who seemed to have stopped giving them orders. They could tell that he was distracted. 

"Do you hear someone calling for me?" Villain asked the soldier with furrowed brows. He swore that he heard Persephone calling for him or his brain was playing games on him again? 

"Umm...No." Soldier awkwardly replied. 

"You all can take a short break. We will discuss the security arrangement after thirty minutes. His Majesty's security must not be neglected during the celebration." Villain walked towards his resting room wondering if he had really heard Persephone's voice. He couldn't help but think what he must do to get her out of his thoughts. That sneaky little thing had crawled into his dreams, thoughts, mind… 

Little did he know that it wouldn't be long till she would sneakily crawl into his heart too or perhaps, she had already entered her heart. 

"Yes, sir!!" He heard the soldiers behind him say. 

As if on cue, Santiago's phone rang. His expression turned frigid all of a sudden as he heard the content of the call. The guards surrounding him could sense the bloodlust which he was emitting. 

"Villain!"

He again heard a muffled scream but when he looked here and there, he saw that there was nothing in front of him but two workers loading the load carrier vehicle. 

Persephone had gone missing again! He didn't know what to do with her. He was going crazy now! Had she not learned her lesson? Did she forget what happened last time? Why must she put her life in danger time and again? 

Closing his eyes, he smelled a familiar stench and subconsciously followed the stench and he reached near the vehicle which had just turned on. 

His phone rang once again. 

"Check all the cameras. Make sure you find her soon. I need Persephone Marino at all costs." 

"Villain! Help me." 

Another low scream again. But this time, he was sure that he heard it. It was his Red's voice. She was screaming for help. But where was she? 

"Red, where are you?" Santiago shouted, his expression pained. He was glancing here and there, looking all lost and pained. 

His eyes focused on the same load carrier once again. 

'The stench… that was Red. And she had to be in that vehicle.' 

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

"Get me a car now! " Santiago shouted to a soldier patrolling the palace. A moment later, an army jeep stooped in front of him. He slid into the driver's position and said, "Give me your gun. Inform the police to stop car number XXX. I want that woman to be safe by my side. Do you get it?"

"Yes sir!!"

….

"Sir, we lost them," the military man sitting beside Santiago informed. "They weren't even stopped by the police. It seems that we have to take help from the military." 

"Officer Collin, take the military vehicle back," Santiago said as he stopped the car and got out of it. "Inform his majesty not to involve state forces at any cost. This is a conspiracy. I repeat this is a conspiracy to frame him. It's your responsibility to protect our king and people." 

"Yes, but let me help you, Sir," The officer tried to negotiate with Santiago. 

"No," He refused. "I will manage ahead." 

Santiago walked for a few meters and then slid into the black range rover parked by the road. He lost Persephone's car. Even the police failed to stop the kidnappers. As a professional criminal, Santiago could say, it was a bigger conspiracy. If it wasn't, the kidnappers wouldn't be able to pass twenty police check posts with ease. 

He dialed a number and immediately the rest of the dark horses were connected to a conference call, "Bloody rain." 

Bloody rain was the code word for plan B. 

"What are the orders?" Nash's calm voice was heard. 

"Nash and Callum, engage Marinos with small battles. Make sure they can't reach Maisea with their full power. Russian, Irish, Mexicans, or I don't care who you make your ally for the time being. Nicolas and Alessandro must not reach here." 

"Killian, keep our men ready. Make sure they trace her location before she enters and non traceable area." 

"On it, San," Killian grunted. 

"And keep His Majesty along with the royal prince, princess, and the Duchess of Orin safe. Joseph had lost his bloody sanity. If he fails to get Persephone, he will surely go for these three.. Innocents must not suffer because of our personal problems. "