THE ALGORITHM

4.

Cameron glanced at Bilal. She spent days at his mansion, enjoying the pampering of his staff. However, she was still afraid of the man. Bilal had a mean and sinister look.

"He did, but...We must leave...it's unsafe for us to be here in Manhattan." Cameron cried. "We have to go."

Quickly, Andrew spoke in his second native tongue, but Cameron replied in English.

"Yusef, he's the one who had me kidnapped. He's going to kill us, Dad—If we don't leave now." She spoke in a panicked tone, trying to control her breathing.

Andrew was surprised by the information. He didn't know who Yusef was, nor why the man was coming after him and his family.

Bilal wasn't surprised to hear Cameron cry out about the situation. She mentioned how cruel Ricardo was and how powerful Yusef was.

"Tell him, Bilal. Please...tell him." Cameron replied hoarsely as she glanced at Bilal.

Everyone's eyes were on Bilal, who didn't seem bothered by it. He remained calm and said, "You should listen to your daughter. I don't think being in New York is safe for you and your family."

"Everything will be fine." Andrew pushed out sternly. He gained a little confidence from receiving his daughter back. However, he wasn't aware of how serious the situation was. Bilal found it to be weird since his daughter was kidnapped.

"This is not something we should take lightly!" Cameron raised her voice.

"Now, now...we're safe." Andrew glanced at his guard and said, "Take her to the truck, and do not leave her. She needs to be supervised at all times."

Andrew neared Bilal and pushed out, "Who is Yusef?"

Bilal tucked his hands inside his pockets and said, "A powerful man who sees you as a threat to his organization..."

Andrew dropped his head and muttered something. Bilal decided not to continue the conversation. He had no involvement in the situation. It was up to Andrew to investigate and research Yusef and his drug operation.

"I don't think I want to know who this man is," Andrew confidently stated. "I have my daughter, and that's all that matters. Thank you again, Bilal. I appreciate your discretion and effort."

###

The ceramic plate was piled with food. Four spicy grilled shrimp tacos were settled on the plate. They were neatly aligned in a row and filled to the brim. The shrimp were jumbo and grilled to perfection with the right amount of seasoning. A lime slaw was placed on top. It was made from carrots, lettuce, and a tangy sauce that complemented the other ingredients well.

Bilal sent his cousin, Natirah, to spy on the young chef. She was bright and attentive. He figured she wouldn't cause any issues and ruin their plan. Besides, this task wasn't dangerous at all for her. Natirah wasn't some soft and angelic angel. She'd worked for Bilal for years and wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty.

"Whew..." Natirah bit into her taco and immediately loved how the spicy flavors danced on her tongue. She furrowed her brows as she sat there, amazed by how good it tasted.

After chomping down her second taco and drinking the rest of her Sprite, she called for the waitress. An average-height woman appeared at the table. She was blonde and wore all black. She held a subtle expression as she focused on Natirah.

"Hi." Natirah pushed out while eyeing her name tag. "Katrina." She clasped her hands and continued to speak. "I have some concerns about my food. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the chef. Could you please let them know?"

"Um...I have to see..." The woman trailed off. Natirah realized she had a thick accent. "I'm not sure if she will be able to do that. The chef is busy and...It's not possible to pull her away from the kitchen."

Quickly, Natirah reached inside her purse and spotted a fifty-dollar bill. She handed it over, and Katrina wasted no time grabbing it.

"Oh..." Katrina raised her brows, looking at the money. She didn't understand why the woman offered her money, but she decided not to overthink it. Money was money, and she wasn't going to refuse it. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." Natirah nodded and watched as the woman disappeared. She sat there thinking about what she would say and do next. She couldn't allow herself to seem suspicious at all.

Katrina alerted the chef, and she made her way outside the kitchen. Natirah watched as the girl neared her. Immediately, she furrowed her brows in suspense. She was unsure about the chef and their exterior. She looked calm and relaxed, as indicated by the subtle expression on her face.

"Hi. What's the problem with your food?" The woman questioned her without enthusiasm.

Natirah squinted her eyes and asked, "What's your name?"

"Penny." The chef pushed out dryly. She looked agitated from being interrupted. She hated it when customers wanted to speak with her directly.

Natirah checked her out, trying to spot the key clues Bilal gave her. Dark skin, head full of hair that was locked. So far, Penny checked all the boxes.

"The tacos weren't good."

"Really?" Penny scanned her plate, noticing most of the tacos were gone. "Seems like you were enjoying them to me. You have one and a half tacos left."

She didn't bite her tongue, and that took aback Natirah. She wasn't expecting her to be so bold and fiery.

"Well...I didn't enjoy them. The shrimps were cold."

"So, what would you like me to do about that?" Penny eyed her with curiosity as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I would like..." Natirah trailed off, trying to think of something. "I would like one of your hosts to bring me a mango margarita. I'm sure that'll compensate for this mishap."

Penny nodded and left the table without saying much. Natirah wasn't sure if she would agree to her demand. She didn't care since she leaned over to inspect Penny's shoes. As expected, she wore dirty white Converse sneakers with the letter P on them.

"Found our girl..." Natirah trailed off.

###

Yusef wanted to send a message. It was his way of getting everyone's attention. Multiple news stations and blogs reported the death of Andrew Choi and his daughter, Cameron Choi. According to the anchorwoman, they were killed in an explosive attack.

Bilal was stunned by the news. He wasn't expecting to hear such tragic information being reported. He sat on the sofa while glancing at the mounted television.

"...In a shocking turn of events, the highly respected Senator Andrew Choi and his daughter, Cameron Choi, were killed early this morning when an explosive device was planted in their vehicle."

The woman continued to speak, mentioning the key witnesses who were present and the damage caused by the explosive.

Bilal tuned her out and couldn't help but shake his head. He was shocked by their cause of death, but he wasn't surprised that Yusef had gone to the extreme.

Yusef, he's the one who had me kidnapped. He's going to kill us, Dad—If we don't leave now.

Cameron tried to warn her father, but he wouldn't listen.

Leaders and politicians across the nation expressed their condolences as they mourned the loss of a dedicated public servant and his daughter.

The anchorwoman was warning residents to remain cautious and report any suspicious activity in the area. Bilal turned the television off and walked out of the room. He had to leave because he needed some fresh air.