The Price of a Secret

23 | LABYRINTH OF TRAPS

Simon wouldn't give up. He was determined to fight for Elizabeth's love. The feeling of having her in his arms was something transcendental. Not even when they were together for the first time did he feel such a strong spark between them. It was as if their bodies were consumed by desire, each one knowing the other's secrets. They were destined to be together. He could feel it.

The love he felt for Elizabeth had irreversibly pacified him, and he could no longer live without her. Despite her wanting to push him away, he wouldn't be able to distance himself. He still didn't understand why she was doing this, but he wanted to find out. He felt it had something to do with Mason. He feared that Mason might harm her.

As his vacation was coming to an end, a tightness gripped his heart. Before, he had wanted to return to the Battalion urgently to stay away from her. Now, he desperately longed not to go back. He couldn't imagine going a single day without seeing her. Since the Fire Department's schedule was 16x32, meaning he worked one day and had the next day off, he could continue to see her, but he knew that on the days he would be at the Battalion, his heart wouldn't be there with him. Thinking about how to protect her in his absence, he devised a plan to deceive Mason. They needed to hire another security guard for Elizabeth, someone who would protect her from him.

Still pondering his plan, Simon gets into his car and drives quickly to downtown San Diego. Arriving at the mechanic shop recommended by Mason, he looks for the supervisor. The place was well-organized and seemed trustworthy.

"Sir, James? I'm Simon, and I came at Mason Williams' request to check on his wife's motorcycle," Simon says, offering his hand to the man who greeted him.

"Hello, Simon. Welcome."

"Thank you. What is the condition of the motorcycle?"

"Well, it suffered a lot of damage due to the fall. Come and see." James leads him to the back of the shop, where the motorcycle is on a lift table. From what Simon could see, the motorcycle had several scratches and dents, and some parts were disassembled for repair.

"Wow. It looks destroyed," Simon says, thinking about how Elizabeth managed to survive if the motorcycle was so wrecked. A shiver runs through his body. He couldn't even imagine living without her.

"Yes. Let me give you the diagnosis: The motorcycle suffered misalignment of the front suspension, affecting the stability and handling of the vehicle, making it more difficult to control. It also had damage to the structure, and the chassis has cracks and deformations that may compromise the integrity of the vehicle, affecting its drivability and safety. We also found leaks of fluids, such as engine oil and brake fluid. These leaks represent a threat to both the vehicle's performance and the driver's safety, as they can lead to failure of the affected systems. But what surprised us the most was the rear brake system. The connection of the rear brake fluid hose was very loose. It may have loosened due to excessive vibration, but this is not common. This probably made braking difficult, causing the rider's instability and the possible fall. Does she live in a rural area?"

Simon was still processing the information: "The connection of the rear brake fluid hose was very loose... This probably made braking difficult..." There was the confirmation for his doubts. Elizabeth's motorcycle had been tampered with.

"Simon?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. Yes, she lives in a rural area, but it's just a 300-meter stretch of dirt road to the highway."

"That's strange. So, that wouldn't justify the hose becoming loose."

"James, do you think the fall could have caused it to become loose?"

"Highly unlikely. I would say almost impossible. We would more likely see ruptures in the hose, not the loosening of the connection."

"Right. Well, how long do you think it will take to fix it?"