The Abscond

CHAPTER 2- The Start

"Adam, what are you doing here?", he questioned. They had been at work together less than an hour ago.

"There's a big problem, very big," Adam looked at him trying to hide his terrified face.

He let him inside, and Adam sat back on the chair behind him, with his head in his hands,

"You remember, James, our old buddy?"

"Yeah that guy who quit to start working with," he cracked his knuckles, "him"

"Well he was caught by the police. They know about the organisation..." Adam spilt the bad news, attempting not to shake. He knew his colleague had quite the temper. He was terrified of what might happen next and he tried to push his chair back slowly without him noticing until he noticed he couldn't go any further since the chair had hit the wall behind him

"WHAT?!", Youssef bellowed.

*her pov*

Abigail had been saved by the doorbell.

Once she passed all the creaky stairs, she sprinted up as fast as she could straight to the closet. Youssef had never stepped a foot inside so she hadn't worried this morning about leaving a packed bag there. She had "borrowed" around £10,000 but she knew he wouldn't notice that. It was nothing to him. 

Abi discreetly pulled open the window.

'Phew', she thought to herself, 'he hasn't seen the rope yet.'

She called it a rope to get her act together, but really it was a bunch of strong clothes tied together. Collecting all her thoughts, she made an effort at calming herself..

"I can do this...", she reassured herself.

"WHAT?!", she heard a scream from downstairs, it was Youssef and clearly, he wasn't happy. Out of fright, she instantly started climbing down the so-called 'rope'.

As soon as she reached the bottom, she took a few seconds to process what she had just done. There she hid behind a thick, thorny bush and checked the time on her watch.

"21:39..... 21:40", she read, "Just a few more minutes...."   

The guards standing just outside the humongous, iron gate, were chuckling and having a little conversation between themselves. Eventually, it struck 21:43, and at exactly that moment the guards returned inside the prodigious mansion.

Silently, she darted passed her husbands car and straight through the gate, not knowing where she were to go now. She hadn't really thought that far, she hadn't even imagined getting this far but the mystery person downstairs sure did save her.

Admiring, the multiple colours and dark lights (she wondered how that was possible) that had made a pulchritudinous night sky, she stood there. The stars were scintillating the gorgeous view and a half-moon sat high in the sky fitting magnificently in.

The atmosphere was... strange to say the least. It felt different for her to break the rules and maybe, finally, have the chance to escape and have a new life.

'I bet he won't even search for me', she assumed 'He'll probably find a new chick. Well, I hope so...'

Suddenly there was a loud patter of shoes, panicked, she realised she still hadn't figured out where to go.

"Oh gosh-", she looked around in despair, hoping to perhaps see another house but it was almost like they lived in the middle of nowhere and it was obvious the only way to leave this place was by the mystery persons car. It was the only other sign of the human race here. Fortunately the door was open so quickly, Abi got inside and climbed to the back, curling up into a ball.

"I'll see you later at work buddy. Just make sure you take time to think this through and get a g-", Adam said.

"Just get out Adam! OUT!", Youssef responded, "Why'd I get stuck with the dumbest colleagues? Telling me to relax. Pathetic!"

Adam switched on the radio and connected it to his phone. Then he started playing 'Starships' by Nicki Minaj and started singing with it. She had to try hard not to giggle but it was extremely difficult since his singing was concerningly off beat and he had voice cracks every five seconds.

Soon, Abi could tell the car was slowing down. Adam opened the door and...

there was hip-hop music playing??

SLAM

Adam had shut his door and left the car. Abigail knew he still hadn't locked so she got out.

"What the-"

"I'm his uh-h niece... I'm doing an um.. PRANK ON HIM!! We've been in contact with police so don't bother snitching ahah-", what had she gotten herself into- she didn't even know this man and she was pretending to be his niece. Yep, she definitely hadn't thought it through because now a random man was expecting her to enter the-

the pub?

Oh for Pete's sake.

She stepped inside and memories flooded her mind of when she first met Youssef. He wasn't like this, not at all. He used to be sweet, caring and intelligent. Then the negative thoughts came in

'Maybe I'm the problem, maybe I changed him into that, maybe it was my fault he turned out that way.'

"HEY! Girl, would you mind moving? You're blocking the entrance for my customers", shouted a loud but weirdly comforting voice.

"Oh- uh sorry..", she looked back at the colleague, who had returned back to his car, to get a good glance of what he really looked like since she hadn't seen him yet. She scanned his face, memorising all the details.

"Are you going to get anything or just stand there? I mean your legs are going to get tired after a while." asked the pub owner, smiling.

"Can I have a small iced coffee with a packet of crisps?", Abi started sitting down, "And can I also have an answer to a question please?"

He chuckled lightly, "You're a funny one, you but alright hit me with whatever you've got."

"A man who just entered here do you- know him?", she inquired.

"Darling- you're going to have to give me a better description. A few people have just entered here."

"Ok.. um- so blonde hair, one eye green, other one blue, had a red scarf on and a big black jacket but when he took it off he was wearing a Rudolph shirt? Do you know him? Like does he ever come here?" at this point she was sweating, what if he did and then he'd recognize her and call Youssef!

"Oh that guy. No but why do you care?" the man passed her the coffee and crisps and chuckled again, "We're not a café by the way."

"Yeah uh- sorry but this is like very important.. Do you ever see-" she whipped out her phone and showed a picture of Youssef, "him coming here?"

"Again no but why?"

Abi picked up her jacket and put it on, "I can't say for your own safety but thank you so much...?"

"Alejandro and no problem. I can't wait to see you again, young lady, so that you can bombard me with questions!" he laughed.

She giggled sheepishly and apologised while putting down a tenner. Then she walked out and wondered where she would be staying that night, she definitely wouldn't be to buy her own house yet because: 1. she didn't have enough and 2. Youssef would probably check recent house-owners, well, if he even realised.

Abi came to the conclusion that she would have to sleep on a bench. She sat down on one and clasped onto her bag hoping no-one would take it during the night.

"Excuse me, excuse me?"