The President's Daughter

Chapter Twenty

It is late in the afternoon before we arrive at Nick's home, my brain already ticking with ways to either persuade Nick to let me go, or to escape Nick's presence. Nick did not mention one word between our last words and to his house, and neither did I for that matter. It seems as if the both of us were lingering on the past while dreading the future.

Nick pulls into the driveway carelessly, scraping the front bumper of the Audi. I cringe.
"Now you will stay here while I dispose of this car," Nick commands while switching the ignition off. "And if you move, I will have you in this house in the worst possible way imaginable!"

I linger on these words before getting out of the car, the small glass shards aggravating my skin. My legs are cramped and it takes me a moment to find the strength to remain standing. Nick drives off swiftly and I am left alone.

Plan.

I could make my escape now, only that Nick's threat would soon become true. After all, he found me with what I now deem as the Spanish mafia. However, the thought of resting and eating outweighs all thoughts of freedom and escape. I am tired and struggling to stand up, which are two things that will not help me if I want to escape.

I will stay.

I look at the house... Every window contains bars, while every wall contains at least three security cameras. The walls are brick, and the only brick walls on the street. The garage door is not the usual sheet metal, rather it looks like strong, thick metal used to construct skyscrapers. What is this?

I hobble over to the front porch and knock on the door, having a suspicion that Nick is not the only one who inherits this house. After all, a house wouldn't need security measures for one insignificant person. Unsurprisingly, the door is opened...

The man that opens the door does not look Spanish, rather he looks like he is from a western country. He looks at me, confused, before recognition fills his face.

"You must be Alexandra Maria Alvarez," he says, his accent British.
I nod weakly, my eyes darting around him to the various television screens inside. I am on every single one of them.

"Well, don't we have much to talk about!"

With that, I am dragged inside and the door is slammed shut. I look around and notice various television screens, computer screens and surveillance screens set up in what seems to be a living area. Multiple sleeping bags cover the floor while rubbish covers the sleeping bags. Only now I smell the stench of body odour in this place.
"What am I doing here?" I ask.

Rather than answering me, the man drags me by the arm, carelessly stepping on sleeping bags as he does so. I slip and slide as I slip on the sleeping bags, the man's pace impossible to keep up with comfortably. He throws me towards a nearby chair, most likely expecting me to sit down. I do so, rubbing my arm from where he had grasped me. The man snatches a stool from the corner of the living room area and places it in front of me. He sits on it and looks me in the eye.
"Well done, Miss Alvares!" he says sarcastically. "Well done!"

I am in shock. What have I done wrong?
"Um..." I begin.
"Is that all you can manage?" the man sneers.
"What did I do?" I ask, my voice quavering.

The man laughs and rolls his eyes. "Your lovely Government friends, including your father, are in massive trouble! You have no idea what you have done!"
I am confused. What have I done to get this? However, I know I'm not going to be able to prove any case of innocence before I know what this is about.

"Why?" I query, playing the game.
"You Miss Alvarez," the man begins, "Have managed to leak confidential Government secrets. War is possibly on your father's doorstep."