Blue Rose

Chapter 1

5 years later

Cadrez woke up with a start. he sat, transfixed on his bed, staring at the black wall in front of him. The dream. It was always the same. Visions of his dream re-flooded his consciousness. A vision of a single, red rose weeping forth dews of the iciest blue...of an angry, deep blue sea swallowing him--floundering, drowning, dying. He wiped the cold beads of perspiration on his forehead and ran his long fingers through his dark hair. Wearily, he looked at his alarm clock. Another day. Another eventfully, not-looking-forward-to day. He was about to throw down his comforter when his phone beeped. A single message.

'We found her.'

'Where?' His fingers shook a little as he typed that simple question.

'Here.'

And quicker than lightning, so not typical of him, his lanky figure jumped out of bed.

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'Maya!'

The slim, petite girl turned her dark head and made a face at the auburn-haired girl. 

'Aren't these just gorgeous?'

Maya, despite herself, giggled.

'I can't belief you talked me into this, Cass! I should be in the gym, not out shopping for some Disney princess shoes I will not definitely wear!'

It was Cassandra, or Cass' turn to make a face.

'Aww...you trained too hard! You won almost all the inter-college gymnastics competition, you're on the way to the nationals, I dare say, and you still think of training? Workaholic! You're still only seventeen Maya! And  I still think these pumps suit you to a T!' Cass laughed, holding up a pair of leather, orange pumps with a striking red bow. She knew she herself won't want to be caught dead in one of those but teasing Maya was something she enjoyed. Maya joined her college two years ago--a quiet, beautiful young lady with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Those eyes had made Maya 'famous'-- she had olive complexion, but those eyes--those eyes could 'kill' any man. Maya kept a lot to herself initially but Cassandra being Cassandra, she persisted in including Maya in her social circle and both have been close buddies ever since. Maya, in all her friendliness and good manners, seemed mysterious to Cassandra. There was something more to Maya then meets the eye, but Cassandra could not quite placed it. Shrugging, Cassandra decided to let the matter rest--after all,  everyone has their own secrets...including her. 

'A penny for your thoughts!' Maya's voice boomed in Cassandra's ears. Two years with Cassandra and she already felt she could trust Cass. 

'Ouch!!! I do believe you enjoy making me deaf, Maya!' 

Before Cassandra could give her one of her infamously painful pinches, Maya scooted off.

'You won't caught me dead in those!!!'

Cass shook her head. Sheesh! That Chikano certainly did not have any taste in clothes. Jackets, jeans and boots--these were Maya's staple clothings. She wanted to give a disdainful look at Maya's ankle-length leather boots, when she realised Maya really had disappeared.

'So much gratitude for my efforts at dressing you up right for your study date with Jack! Alright Miss Leather and all, if it's hide and seek you want, it's seek and destroy you will get!'

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Arya stooped to pick up a scarlet red, leather boots on display. She just love anything that is red.Red is so fascinating, mischievous yet mysterious. Standing up, she held the boots in her hands when she felt a hard object thrust against her right ribs. The boots dropped immediately to the carpeted floor. 

She knew the feel of a gun's nozzle anytime.

'Pick that up...slowly, and be as natural as you can, or else...'

Maya frowned, but obliged, her hands shaking as she picked up the boots. Her mind raced. Logic was telling her that she knew this would happen one day but her heart was hoping that this day would not come. She found the courage to speak and when she did, her voice was breaking. Her throat had gone dry.

'Who...who are you...what do you want...'

'Your uncle sent his regards...Miss Arya!'

Arya's blood froze. 

'You have got the wrong person, Mister...I am Maya...'

'Really, Maya? Is that what you call yourself now? You have like, what...ten aliases perhaps in the past five years...Maya, Jennifer, Sonia...smart of you to keep moving from one state to another...Ahh! But not so smart when you keep winning those competitions! And those eyes don't lie! Mr Cadrez would like to hear your adventure very much!'

Arya's face paled further, then a warmness spreads through her being.  Cadrez. She shook her head to clear her mind and keep her emotions in check.  Cadrez aside, Arya was not going to give up what she had fought to stay away from so easily.

'Look, I don't know who you are and if you don't leave me alone, I will scream!'

'You look, Miss Arya..there, your friend...follow me, or else...'

Arya automatically turned and winced as the hard nozzle pressed harder. But her eyes widened. She caught Cassandra walking, in the opposite direction, unaware of a burly guy following behind her. The guy looked like any ordinary shopper but hopelessly out of place in this ladies' zone. He towered from behind her and then looked above Cassandra's head to catch her eyes. She could guess what he was hiding beneath the ubiquitous jacket he was wearing.

'Please...don't hurt her...I'll go with you...'

Arya walked measuredly with the two men to a white Porsche parked outside of the mall. Despite herself, she smiled grimly on seeing the driver.

'Ah! Mr Cadrez! Still here, are you? Behind the wheels?'

Cadrez stared straight at the road. He did not look up. He dared not look up. Those eyes could make him falter.Already, his heart was beating so fast, he had the urge to hold his chest to steady its beating. Instead, he gripped the steering wheels harder. 

'Get in, Miss Rodrez...or I'll bust your arms--again!'

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'Sheesh! Where did that Maya hide herself? '

Cassandra peered around the mall.She was perplexed. Maya really seemed to have disappeared for good. But to where? And why?

She approached the nearest sales person after Maya did not answer her repeated calls.

'Excuse me, have you seen a pretty lady, my age, jacket and boots..passed here?'

'Oh! The one with those blue eyes?'

Cassandra nodded and smiled broadly. Yup. That's Maya.

'She went out...'

'Of all the...'

'With two men. In a lovely white Porsche.'

'What???'

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