~Even more Complicated~

~keep you~

          Eshaal’s POV

          I watched him stand from his seat, walking through out of the crowd of seated people wondering what I was still doing on the stage.
          But as soon as his long, fast legs reached the host, I knew what he wanted to do. At least I hoped that’s what he wanted to do.
          Meet me backstage.
          “umm...” The emcee tilted his head my way. “You’re supposed to leave now.” He whispered whispered with a dent in his cheek as he showed his pearly elite teeth to the crowd.
          Suddenly, I was aware of the thousands of eyes staring at me. I was probably on television right now. I released an awkward smile. I couldn’t go back there. He’d see me and so I did the first thing that came to mind and let my intrusive thoughts win.
          The stage wasn’t far of from the ground, so I jumped down, landing halfly steady on my feet as the crowd gasped and whispered. I blew kisses in the air and ran over to my mother and MK.
          “Mom!” I yelled as I dashed over to her but the emcee had started yapping again so the attention was off me. I stretched my arms out for a hug as tears brewed in my eyes.
          “Honey!” She walked over and then we embraced each other in a tight hug, practically crying in each other’s arms. We finally separated and she held me by the shoulder. “Habibti, you’re okay!” She stated with trembling lips that I also mirrored. “God, you look so fragile. What did that man do to you?”
          “R us the Torrez guy, isn’t it?” Ma Aurora asked.
          I nodded and turned to MK. He was with his phone.
          I walked over. “Drop the call.” I ordered.
          “Boss, just left to find you. I wanna tell him that...”
          “MK,” I called. “Please, now.” I repeated and hesitantly, he dropped it.
          “Let’s take a seat, shall we?” I was starring to feel a but dizzy again. I needed to sit.
          I checked the time, it was... I was running out of time.
           “Listen,” I glanced at all of them in all seriousness. “There’s a bomb...” they stared and gasped. “Yes. I need all of you out of here.”
          “you’re not coming with?”
          “I can’t.” I gave a soft smile. “not yet.” I responded and turned to Ma Aurora. “You need to come with me.” Her face squeezed into one of curiousity. “He... He sent for you. I don’t know why, but he seems to know you.”
          My mother reached for my hand on the table. “How am I supposed to leave my child here? I-I...”
          I squeezed my mother’s hand back. “Mummy, it’s fine. I have Zach, Ma Aurora will be coming with me. We’ll figure something out.” I took her second hand as she shed a tear, “I am lucky you’re here breathing mummy. R isn’t stable and in all his instability he only goes after those in his way.” The tears slowly turned into waterfalls. My heart swelled. I held back my tears by biting my quivering bottom lips. “Mum,” i called but she had her head low and Ma Aurora patting holding her shoulder eith one hand and rubbing her back eith the other. “I squeezed my mums hands softly as i called more firmly making her lift her head “Mum! You do wanna see me again? Don’t you?” I resorted to blackmail.
           Her eyes turned dark, “What sort of stupid question is that?”
           My heart was heavy, I wanted to cry, tears threatened to spill as my throat tightened but I needed to show my mum that I got this. “I got this, mum. InshaAllah, I’ll be out, okay? I’ll we’ll all be laughing when this us all behind us.” Hesitantly, my mum nodded and slowly I left her hand and checked the time. It was... . I was really running out of time.
          “MK, please. Take them out of here to a safe distance. Find a way to send an anonymous tip to the emcee informing him about the bomb, okay?”
          “You’re sure I shouldn’t come with?” he asked leaning forward on his chair.
          I couldn’t help smiling at his wide eyes filled with expectations of me changing my mind about him coming with. I was glad I could look at those Hazel eyes again. “I’m sure.” I nodded and he sighed in defeat.
          “Boss is going to be so pissed.” He pinched the bridge of his nose in a deep sigh.
         “He’ll understand eventually.”
          MK glanced at me, opening his mouth to say something but then stopped in a thought and started. “Are you sure I can’t tell boss?”
          “I am, MK.” I glared. “He’s going to know of my whereabouts anyway. Look, I just don’t anything screw this up.” I glanced behind me, making sure there was no sign of Zach. “pretty sure his pissed as at this moment.”
          I raised my hand to take a look at the watch. It was... “We have to go.” I informed looking at Ma Aurora, who nodded and glanced at my mum.
          “Nothing would happen to her, Zee.” She reassured my mum. “Noth on our watch.”
          I stood up and turned to MK who stood after me. He was already looking at me when he said. “Uhh,” he stuttered on his words. “Don’t do anything... drastic.” I smiled in response and nodded.
          “Don’t forget the tip. If possible send it down to the base in Russia to have a mass message sent out to people here, so they can all get out. Okay?”
           “Won’t that make R go nuts?”
           He was right.
           “Plus, the news will drag national and international attention to the building.” My mum chipped rubbing the snot off with the back of her sleeve.
           Ma Aurora nodded supporting her. I frowned, thinking I was having subtle headaches now. I snapped my fingers, “Tell the emcee to announce the party is over due to some technical issues then.”
           “Yeah,” MK dragged, looking at the stage. “I’ll tell him alright.”
  I smiled knowing MK got my message. Tell meant threaten.
           I didn’t wait for MK to bid farewell before I walked out his front to my mum, hugged her and dashed away with Ma Aurora.

It took 8 minutes of running around and asking were the elevator to the top floor was and another 2 minutes to get there.
          We got into the elevator and I pushed the highest number in the buttons and breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw I didn’t pass the time.
          “I’m sorry, Eshaal.” Ma Aurora started. I whipped my head over to her so suddenly I started seeing her in twos. “I shouldn’t have brought you into my family’s problems. You’re here because of me and your mother...” she paused, pressing her lips in a straight line. “Alizey is in that condition and I, i'm really sorry.”
          I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I started to hear sirens and the straight metal walls became distorted and curvy. “Eshaal?” I heard Ma Aurora in an echo. “Eshaal?!” She yelled, catching me by the arm as I stumbled backwards threatening to fall. “Sh*t! What has he done to you?!” I stumbled again, my back hitting the smooth surface of the wall. “You need to sit, Esh.” With her hand as support, I slid to the floor of the elevator softly.
         I felt taps on my cheek. “Eshaal!” More taps. “Stay with me.” The silver walls started to spin and my cheeks started to hurt where Ma Aurora kept tapping. It was an oozing pain. I needed the blue-IV thing. Ma Aurora was the last face and last voice I heard before the elevator dinged, “Eshaal!” I blacked out.

Zachariah’s POV

          Eshaal was playing hide and seek with me. I just knew it the moment I got back to the table we had all sat. It was all empty.
          I checked my phone and well-enough, there was a text from MK.

          We’re outside, boss. There’s a bomb.

          Right on top was a text from Alek saying he was here.
          Nice timing, brother.

          Where did she go? I typed and sent, immediately a bubble appeared with three buttons on it and then words.
          She took the elevator with your mum, I’m not sure, boss.

          My jaw tightened as I read the message. Why didn’t he tell me the minute he saw Eshaal? He and Sophia. Of course. My wife was probably conditioned by R and threatened her with a bomb.

          A notification popped up from my phone but I had no time to check, I pocketed and immediately scanned the hall for an elevator. I spotted one at the far end of the crowd of sitted audience.

I made a beeline for the elevator but it was in use. I pressed the button beside it, tapping and tapping impatiently but seconds felt like forever.
          What if it’s too late? A lump formed in my throat as my fingers took a mind of their own, tapping as my thoughts rattled. I am going to see her, that’s for sure. R will make sure of it, it’s part of his plan but the real question is iif we’re  going to make it out. We will.

          Abruptly, I peeled my fingers from the button and ran looming for the stairs. I waved a waiter, “do you know where the stairs are?” I asked

Her face only brightened. “Mr van shov!”

         Oh, for f*cks sake. I spotted another waiter some walks behind her and ignored her, “Excuse me.”
          “Sir! Wait wait...” She urged and I walked asking the waiter the same question. She pointed immediately and I thanked her heading towards the cream door that somehow blends into the walls of the hall with an exit on the top.

          I started my way up the stairs, running. I’ll get there in no time I said in my head as I unbuttoned my blazers and pulled it off to feel lighter.
         


  Eshaal’s pov

         My eyes fluttered open, Zooming in and out on what was in front of me.  
         Someone.
         “You’re awake.” Ma Aurora asked.
         “Yeah. I...” I stuttered raspily looking around abd blinking as I got an itch in my eyes. Automatically, my hand reached to scratch but It held back behind me abruptly.
          I tried again and again till I realised I was tied up. “He drugged you didn’t he?”
          I’m an experiment and i’m dying. “I... I won’t say drugged.” I responded with my voice still raspy before I looked around. This place looked like a store room. There were cleaning supplies and... food supplies? Okay, who runs this establishment? “where are we?” I asked out instead.
          “We’re still at the event. Just, I don’t know what room.”She sighed. “He covered my face up.”
          I stood up to a kneeling position and a wave of dizziness shut through me at the sudden movement. “Are you okay?” she asked.
          “I’m fine.” I whispered as I closed and open my eyes to steady it. Slowly, i crawled over to the door on the side.
           “What are you doing?”
           “I wanna try see if I can...” I eventually got there. I lay down flat with Mt legs crossed NY the ankle in the air. I bent my legs to drag the door handle down open . It didn’t budge.
          No surprise.
          Then I rested my leg on the door and took a deep breath with my eyes closed then opened it back and started using my foot to hit the door violently.
          “What are you doing?”
          “calling him.” I responded with a pause then continued.
          Suddenly the door clicked leading me to stop with my assault and quickly get into a more modest position. By the time I was back up R  was at the door with his hand resting on the knob. Ma Aurora and I both straightened up.
           He looked at me, his eyes speculating and then at Ma Aurora. “Come.” he told her.
           “where are you taking her?” I asked in defence.                   
           It didn’t occur to me that she had stood up and was walking over to him. She wasn’t tied up like I was.
          Umm...
          R walked over to me menacingly  and squatted to my level. He smiled and placed a hand on my cheek. “She’s in good hands, pumpkin.” He said, my eyes strayed over to Ma Aurora. Those weren’t the eyes of the mother of the son I married. Her eyes were dead and cold. Did he do something to her?
             My eyes travelled back to R’s green ones which were now distant as he stared at me. He seemed to be in deep thoughts as he rose from his crouched position.
              I was wondering what he was thinking looking at me, “What?”
              “I think I want to keep you too, pumpkin.”
              My heart did a backflip. I was too stunned to speak and he knew it. His triumphant smile said it all as he turned away and walked back to the door, closing the door behind them.
            Should I be confused?
            Should I take it as I see it?
            I steadied on my knees and crawled with both my hands tied to my back, straight to the door. I pressed my ears to the surface in an attempt to listen but it proved futile. All I heard were murmurs, I couldn’t make out a single word.
            I sighed and the rage boiled up to my throat. I let out a scream and rested my forehead on the door.
          What was happening?