She was sure she heard a voice call out her name.
Her instincts were as strong as they were very sensitive. She looked as far as her eyes could reach, and even searched the corners where the voice had echoed from...Nothing!
No one was insight.
She turned to Alfred. He too had heard a voice call out her name , but he couldn't tell whose it was.
The day was bright, and warm, and even though the park was fairly filled with cars, it wasn't crowded with people.
But she knew she heard something.
"Do you think it was Mr Marcus, Mom. He's the only one we've been expecting, and there's no reason for him to hide."
"Yeah! But what if he wasn't the one Alfred? Mr Frodd tracked us down here remember? So, l'm thinking anyone can."
Ava's face whitened.
Again, her heart fluttered so fast within her breast, it felt like a bird frantic to escape.
She chose to live on the island for reasons stronger than social status.
She wanted peace.
She wanted solitude and safety for her and Alfred.
Alfred hurried into the house, leaving his mother still staring out into the car park. His stomach was churning so hard, he could hear the sounds clearly. Nothing was going to stop him from enjoying his meal, with or without Mr Marcus. He had hoped he would show up and make his day even more memorable.
Coward!
Marcus lay restless and hungry in his mercedes waiting for the man who called Ava's name and disappeared in a snap.
He did not mean to hide from Ava. Infact, He had hoped to see her reaction on his face and win her heart, through Alfred, but it looked like he wasn't the only one who had planned on visiting Ava and Alfred that day.
He had seen someone familiar walk out with Ava and Alfred, and how they both bade him farewell.
They looked like Baltimore's perfect family... To him, nothing was perfect. If Ava were a trophy to be won, he vowed he would fight and win.
But just as he rose to close the door to his car, a voice coming somewhere opposite him, called Ava's name, and instantly laid flat inside the car he came out from, closing the door immediately.
Slowly but fully aware, and sensing danger, he went back into his car as if forgetting something. His car screens were tinted, so it was easy to observe from its safety what had just happened.
He saw Ava turn, but her eyes met no one. A number of cars were packed with nothing to suspect, while people went about their business. Still Ava lingered on the front pouch, hoping to spot anything unusual. She had stayed for over an hour, before Alfred came to fetch her. She had swayed her hair in full swing to take one last look at the car park.
For a moment, Marcus thought their eyes met.
Damn! He had exclaimed excitedly.
This girl was too beautiful not to stare. Three years after and she still glows like the sheath of a rainbow.
Her brown soft brown eyes had an intensity that awakened his strength repeatedly. He had been close to her once, her curves had stretched his desire to fufilling his baser need for pleasure. But then, his will had reminded him that Ava wasn't Angela or Lyn or any of the girls he had met. She was incomparably like herself. Too much like Ava—incredibly intelligent and addictively beautiful and , for this, he would treat her with respect.
The car moved briefly ,then became still again.
Coward!!!
Marcus cursed again. It was nearly 8pm, and the man hadn't raised his head still.
His stomach growled again.
His hunger pangs were becoming more unbearable, but he was determined to wait to know why this son of a lowlife would want to hurt Ava. He thought to wait a while further...or go to meet him.
He followed his instincts.
Marcus strode down a lane adjacent to where a fleet of cars were sparsely parked. The evening wind was cold.He was freezing, yet people milled about, gathering in corners to laugh and talk like they were in no hurry to seek warmth. Marcus knew the exact lane where this car parked, he hurried, taking giant strides as he walked.
From where he stood, he could see clearly the plate number of the fairly used Hyundai. Marcus thought to confront whoever was in there tactically without rousing attention, but he wasn't too sure if he was unarmed.
When he neared the car, close enough to open its doors, Marcus pounded the screen with his fist. At once, someone leaped from the floor, his face was masked, only his eyes were bare.
"Do you mind stepping out of the car?" Marcus barked impatiently.
The man's eye widened. He wasn't expecting an intruder, till he was ready to carry out his assignment. Without thinking, he wound his glass half way. Marcus seeing an opportunity, smiled ruefully, forcing the door open from the inside.
"Whaaa the hell do you want and who the..."
Marcus didn't wait for him to speak further. He yanked him off his seat, banged his chest against his car with his arm twisted painfully backwards.
"You'll get to hell first, if you don't tell me why you stalk Ava?"
A dark pulsating silence ensued as the man tried to measure Marcus with the corner of his eyes.He thought Marcus was an under cover cop who had the strength of a Ninja. He wasn't sent for a combat. He wasn't even trained. His mission was more of verbal than it was physical.
The man kept quiet.
Irritated and impatient by the man's unrequited attitude, Marcus turned him to face him. With his left hand, he removed the cloth over the mystery man's face.
Very unfamiliar.
Marcus assessed him disdainfully.
He didn't look like someone who wanted a fight, cos he wanted none, but why was he here? Marcus wondered.
"I am going to ask this just once, after which l'll break your arm, and slit your throat if you don't give me an answer this minute. Who the hell sent you to stalk Ava?"
"Answer this minute!" Marcus demanded imperiously. By now, people were beginging to turn their heads and whisper. Marcus didn't want the attention, else the police would be here in no time.
"Relax Dude", the man finally said.
"There's no need for that. I didn't come to fight either."
"We can go into my car, and l'll tell you all you need to know", the man shrugged his shoulders, wondering what sort of man looked this handsome and so strong at the same time.
"You'll be sorry for what l'll do to you if you don't speak here and now."
"Alright!Alright!"
A muscle ticked by Marcus' eye. He glared at the man longer than a moment. He didn't look violent. He had searched him too and found nothing , but he needed him to talk anyway, so he loosened his grip around his arm slowly.
"I work for Lyn." The man started."She asked me to threaten Ava to leave a Marcus Thompson, that if she didn't, Alfred would go missing and he'll be lost forever."