Deep Down Under

Prologue

He had worked for many suspicious people but he had never encountered anyone like Dr.Andreas.

* * *

Five miles away at the CERN facility in Geneva, a gunshot disrupted the daily routine of the laboratory. The parking lot was flooded with police cars. At the door of her father's office, Lucia Del Piero, the 27 year old daughter of the accused Andreas Del Piero, stood heartbroken. Her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe that her father had murdered someone in cold blood. What was he thinking? But there was also one more thing, father would never allow her into his office, forget strangers. So how did he get in?

Dr.Lucia was suddenly approached by a tall man, who looked as if he was in his forties. He was dressed in a police uniform. His grey oily hair reflected the light from the CFL above his head making it look silver. "Constable Gerard Silvestre with the Geneva Police Force. May I take you in for questioning?" Lucia didn't feel like talking to anyone at this point, she took one glance at the lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. She stared into his cold, dark eyes. That's definitely not my father.

Lost in thoughts about the whereabouts of her father, Lucia didn't reply the question asked to her, "Madam! I need to ask you a few questions!" this time the constable was annoyed and had lost his cool. He finally gained her attention. She responded "Y-yes, I just want to get this over with." "Me too" said Silvestre in agreement. Finally.

* * *

Dr.Andreas was sitting in the passenger seat of his white Audi, which was unusual as he usually sat in the back. "Where to?" asked Sauvage "The Silver Stars Hotel." Sauvage was perplexed, he was desperate for answers. He held his curiosity. For now.

Dr.Andreas sunk into his seat. He was horrified by his own actions. What have I done? He couldn't go home now, that would be the first place where the police would check. Lost in his own world, the police now became the least of his worries. Through his eyes he spotted a black Mercedes on their tail. Goddamn! The windshield was tainted. He struggled to make out the faces of the two figures trailing them. Then, he noticed the car plate number.

                                                                                       GE · 90657

The Mercedes was now out of his sight, he started to breathe a little easier. The car came to a sudden stop, inertia threw him forward, his face slammed the dashboard and his glasses fell off. "I'm sorry sir" his chauffer apologized. Sauvage bent down to pick up Dr.Andreas' glasses and handed them over to him. Dr.Andreas grabbed his laptop bag and got out of the car without thanking his chauffer. "Why are you spending the night at a hotel sir?" asked Sauvage. Andreas paused for a moment. "Meeting" he wasn't looking straight into Sauvage's eyes "Go home and take a break for a few days" he suggested. His tone indicated anxiety.

Francois Sauvage knew that Dr.Andreas wasn't being straight with him. His curiosity got the better of him. He parked the Audi and got out.

Dr.Andreas was strolling through the lobby of the Silver Stars Hotel and then all of a sudden he stopped. Ten feet in front of him, outside the hotel, in the parking lot was black Mercedes. He hoped that it wasn't them. Now, he was unsure of booking a room in this hotel, moreover his chauffer had left. This is a huge risk.

* * *

Sauvage glanced at his wristwatch. 10 pm. He was wondering why Andreas didn't go home and why he had a meeting at around ten in the night. His anxiety also led Sauvage to investigate. Police sirens, out of breathe, anxiety, Silver Stars Hotel, something is definitely up. Ignorant of the actual world around him, he was putting his life on the line. As if out of nowhere a black Mercedes screeched to halt in front of him. He didn't know anything about what was going on. In reaction to the sudden stop, he recoiled and slammed to the floor. Jesus Christ! He raised his head and blinked his eyes. The scene around him was blurred.

A man got out of the sedan and helped him up. "Keep your eyes open my friend; you never know when death could strike." The man warned cryptically. "People and their secrets, they make you wonder huh?" Sauvage replied, still lost in his own world. The man kept silent. Just outside the lobby, another man dressed in a white suit and a blue turban called out to the driver of the black Mercedes. It was in a language he couldn't understand. The blue turbaned man, then, walked into the lobby. People and their attires. Sauvage thought.

Francois Sauvage was dusting his coat when he stopped cold.

A bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence.

He ran in full sprint towards the lobby of the Silver Stars hotel. He took a quick glance at the black Mercedes. The man was behaving normally as if these things occur on a daily basis. Continuing towards the lobby, he finally reached there. A huge crowd was blocking his view. Making his way through the panicked crowd he stopped in his tracks. He had a clear view of the reason of panic. His day couldn't get any stranger. Five feet in front of him, was a body lying in a pool of blood.

It was the body of Dr.Andreas Del Piero.

* * *

A/N: Hope that this prologue has got you hooked to the book! Please don't forget to vote and comment! And follow at your own will.