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Chapter 4
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Alexx strode inside, dragging Elaine in by pulling her hair. She attempted to free herself, but his grip was strong and she was afraid that she would get a handful of her hair yanked out. He wrinkled his nose and scowled. Then, Elaine was dropped like she was a sack of potatoes. She scrabbled across the floor and reached to push the door, but Alexx grabbed the back of her shirt and held on tightly. He cornered her and she glared at him disdainfully.
“You are not going to try and escape. Don’t breathe a word about this incident to anyone. Understand?”
Elaine’s face was hard to read, but it appeared that she was in deep thought. Alexx started tapping his foot, waiting impatiently for her response. When he looked away for one moment, she spit at him and shook her head defiantly.
Alexx sneered as he wiped the saliva off. “You’re going to regret that. Help me find Ezio or you know what will happen…”
Elaine’s bravado fizzled, just like a fire that had been extinguished. Her head sank and she whimpered.
“I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt him or my parents.”
Alexx’s tense body relaxed. He smiled fondly and patted her head.
“Now that’s a good girl,” he gushed. She burst into tears at the disparaging remark.
Ezio swallowed loudly, feeling as if there was peanut butter stuck in his throat. He bit his tongue; it was all he could do to not scream. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he could tell this was really happening. He could spot Elaine and Alexx’s features from a mile away. However, in the short amount of time he spent with Alexx, he knew that Alexx would never act that way. The erratic behavior just didn’t fit. Ezio’s brain immediately went into overdrive. He backtracked, thinking about past events, making sure to cover all the bases.
The police station was the last time he had saw her when she was forced to go back home. Even if she arrived safely, how did Alexx get a hold of her? The thought was simply horrifying. Guilt weighed him down and his spirit was crushed. If only he had ignored the package in the mail, there wouldn’t have been a chain reaction, leading him to set out and find answers. The alternative was not much better, but maybe Elaine wouldn’t be in this situation. On the bright side, their relationship had changed for the better, all because of the day she told him the truth.
He thought about several options and began to consider which one was the best move. If he kept quiet, Alexx would most likely leave. Jumping down would get him caught, but he didn’t want Elaine to suffer any longer. He got angrier the more he glanced at Alexx and Elaine. Alexx was snooping around, seeing if Ezio was anywhere in sight.
How could Ezio not see this coming? He never should have been so fast to trust people. Elaine and Violet were the only two people who were close to him. Elaine had done everything she could to protect Ezio and there was no way he was going to let her down. Doubt clouded his judgment; he threw any common sense out the window. Ezio dropped through the opening and tumbled down, doing a somersault before staggering to two feet.
“Let my sister go,” he growled.
“Aw, how sweet. The big brother comes to save the day. Unfortunately, that’s not an option unless you come along willingly with me.” Alexx said.
Elaine met Ezio’s stare and bit her lip, a clear sign that she was distressed.
“Fine. I’ll go. How do I know that you’ll release her?”
“You have my word, Ezio. I don’t break promises.”
Alexx wrapped an arm around Elaine’s shoulders and nodded. “Come on. Follow me.”
“I thought you were going to let her go.”
“Silly boy…We had a deal. I never said when; you didn’t specify what time. Don’t worry; we haven’t harmed her in any way. We need her to make sure you comply. Think of it this way: If something goes wrong, then we do have to kill her. It’s just collateral damage.”
Ezio’s shoulders began shaking. No, no, no. His face was flushed, knowing that he had been tricked. He should have been more careful with what came out of his mouth. The next few minutes would be a good time to find a way to stall.
The door swung open, so Alexx and Elaine stepped to the side, out of view. Alexx barged in, panting heavily and grinning from ear to ear. “You should have seen the looks on their faces, Ezio. It was priceless! Those men were no match for the popsicles, let alone the cereal. The lemon meringue pie was incredible. I mean, it was literally flying and leaving people blind. Anyway, what’s our plan for getting out?”
Ezio had no doubt this was the real Alexx. “I hate to break it to you, Alexx, but we have a problem. My sister’s in trouble.” He looked at the fake Alexx. “Make that two problems.”
“Gah! Who—what—how? You’re me?” Alexx yelled, finally seeing the other Alexx.
Alexx ripped soap containers off the walls, while the other Alexx followed suit. The bubbles were brought to life and they attacked each other. Sink faucets joined in as well, soaking everyone in the nearest vicinity. This was definitely not Ezio’s idea of a bubble bath.
Beep! The bubbles disappeared and the fake Alexx was talking into his earpiece. “Ooh, delightful. I should tell them the good news, yes?”
He turned towards Alexx and Ezio. “My boss wants to apologize and you both are free to go for the moment. After all, we’ll be seeing you soon. Bye-bye!” The fake Alexx guided Elaine out, making sure that Ezio saw the tip of the weapon in his jacket pocket.
Ezio kicked every stall door so hard that they banged against the wall; he wanted to punch the first object he came across, but that would only result in a broken hand. He couldn’t afford to be injured. Elaine was out there with an imposter.
Alexx, who was a bit shell-shocked, exhaled. “Look, I’m sorry that I got away—I mean the fake Alexx…What we need to do is get back and we can figure things out. Oh, and who’s Izzie again? I don’t think she’s here.”
Ezio found himself telling the same story he had told Hayden and the other few people he knew would keep it secret. It was becoming repetitive, but it grew easier each time.
When he was finished, they walked out. Nobody dared to look at the two; they just parted and made a pathway. Back at the hotel, the elevator took them to their floor.
“Oh no,” Alexx whispered. The two doors for the rooms they had booked were slightly ajar.
YOU ARE READING
Jigsaw (Undergoing major editing)
RandomEzio has always been different, so different that people don’t believe that he’s related to his family. Even Ezio doubts that he’s their biological son. His grey hair and mismatched eyes turns others away. Also dealing with amnesia, he doesn’t remem...
