Exiting the quiet, dimly lit cinema, Barra walked quickly, gripping Alma’s hand. The mall was deserted, its grand halls reduced to echoing silence. “Come on, we have to move now. Dominik secured a place for us.”
Alma followed without question, trust her only guide. They stepped into the waiting ride-share vehicle Barra had summoned to their destination.
Throughout the journey, Barra remained agonizingly alert. His eyes rarely left the rearview mirror, scanning the receding headlights for any sign of a shadow. Gradually, the city lights faded behind them, replaced by the suffocating darkness of a winding mountain road. The car jolted violently as the asphalt gave way to rough, gravel paths, ascending deeper into the highlands. Barra continued his vigil out the window, every passing headlight a potential threat, every sudden shadow a possible trap.
Alma lay against his shoulder, her eyes closed, but he felt the subtle tremor in her frame as the high-altitude chill began to penetrate the cabin. He tightened his grip on her hand, trying to offer what little warmth he possessed.
Two hours later, the taxi finally sputtered to a halt in front of a modest, secluded cabin. A single, weak bulb cast a pale light over the small porch, and the biting mountain air instantly seized them the moment they stepped out. Barra surveyed the rustic wooden structure, then looked at Alma, guilt washing over him. “I’m sorry, Al. Dom... this was the best he could find on short notice.”
But Alma smiled, her eyes reflecting the dim light. “I like it. It looks cute, like a little treehouse,” she answered, stepping with surprising enthusiasm up the rough stone stairs toward the cabin.
“Aah, finally!”
Alma collapsed onto a long rattan sofa with a small coffee table.
Barra let out a relieved breath as he inspected their new sanctuary. It was simple but surprisingly spacious, featuring two separate bedrooms, a small bathroom, and a compact living area.
“You should get some sleep, Al,” he said, noticing her suppress another yawn.
Alma nodded drowsily, dragging her feet as she retreated into her bedroom, leaving Barra alone in the living room.
He sat in the rattan chair, surrounded by a heavy, freezing stillness. Outside, the wind howled and whistled, carrying the weight of a long, uncertain night. Barra took a deep breath, fighting to calm his racing thoughts and fortify his heart. This journey was becoming infinitely more exhausting, more terrifying. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. He didn't know how much longer they could keep running.
***
The piercing cold was the first thing to greet Barra as he dragged himself out of unconsciousness that morning. He felt stiff, almost brittle, as if his muscles had frozen solid overnight. He reached for his phone on the bedside table, the screen momentarily blinding him. 16°C.
Barra groaned, the visual confirmation making him shiver violently. Classic Dom, he thought bitterly. Slowly, he forced himself to rise, dragging his numb feet into the main room toward Alma’s bedroom, which was right next to his.
“Al...” he called softly, rapping his knuckles gently on the wood.
No answer. He knocked again, louder this time. Still, silence. He pushed the door, and it swung open, unlocked.
The room was empty.
Barra’s entire world froze. His heart hammered against his ribs, imagining the absolute worst-case scenario. “Alma?” He screamed her name, panic instantly turning his voice raw. The shout echoed uselessly through the small cabin.
Still, nothing.
He practically ripped the front door open. The aggressive Bromo chill, feeling far lower than the sixteen degrees on his phone, hit him like a physical blow.
Alma.
In her hands was a tray with a steaming teapot and a plate of 'gorengan' (fried snacks). Her face was bright with a cheerful smile, utterly oblivious to the sheer panic her brief absence had caused him.
“Why didn't you tell me you were going out?” Barra snapped, his voice a chaotic mix of intense relief and sharp anger. He immediately snatched the tray from her hands.
“You were sleeping so soundly, and I was already starving,” Alma countered with a playful pout.
“It’s freezing out here, Al. It’s too early.”
Alma giggled, her breath forming small clouds in the air. “That's why you shouldn't sleep like a koala. It’s almost nine o'clock, Barra my love! And we are in Bromo. The temperature isn't going to get 'hot' until you go back to sleep tonight.”
Barra exhaled a long, shaky breath, then collapsed onto the rattan sofa. “That damn Dom! I told him to find somewhere remote, and he picks Bromo. He knows I can't handle the cold.”
Alma laughed at his grumbling. She poured a cup of hot tea and offered it to him. “Drink. Before your face gets any moodier.”
Barra gripped the warm cup tightly, trying to thaw his frozen fingers. Slowly, his expression softened. “You are so stubborn... you do realize we are hiding, right? Don't ever go out alone without telling me. Do you want to be taken back home?”
Alma just smiled as he continued to scold her. She held out the plate of 'gorengan' toward him. “Eat breakfast first. Then you can scold me later,” she answered nonchalantly.
Barra finally managed a smile. Alma’s uncanny calmness in the face of their danger brought a fleeting sense of warmth to that frozen morning. He turned his head toward the window, his gaze drifting beyond the small porch. There, rising majestically through the thinning mist, the peaks of Bromo stood in silent, rugged glory. The volcano looked like a sleeping giant wrapped in a blanket of soft gray clouds, its vast crater a reminder of nature’s terrifying beauty.
As the morning sun began to bathe the caldera in a pale, golden glow, Barra felt his lingering bitterness toward Dominik evaporate. The sheer scale of the landscape seemed to dwarf their fears, if only for a moment. He realized then that Dominik hadn't just found them a hiding place; he had found them a sanctuary where the world felt vast and their troubles felt small. Barra took a slow sip of his tea, his eyes fixed on the horizon, finally admitting to himself that perhaps, for once, the cold was a small price to pay for such a magnificent view.
YOU ARE READING
Kidnapping the General's Daughter
Romance"He thought he was rescuing their love. He didn't know he was just driving her escape." Barra is a brilliant law student, a high-achiever who built his future on a prestigious scholarship. He plays by the rules and carries the weight of his mother's...
