Chance and Reason

Chapter Six

A/N: Thank you for making it to the sixth chapter! I'm trying to keep up with regular updates, so please let me know what you think so far. Enjoy!

When morning came, Camila awoke with a new fire in her stomach. A decent night of rest and a mug of strong coffee left her feeling ready for the day ahead; it was like her soul had been rejuvenated. Even her bodyguard's subdued and sombre mood could do nothing to dent her cheerfulness.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked Lauren as they descended the stairs to the car.

"I guess..."

"And how's the apartment?"

"Fine,"

"Great!" Camila responded enthusiastically, "I'm glad to hear that you've settled in,"

Lauren stared at her blankly like she was speaking a different language, her green eyes darting suspiciously over Camila's wide smile. This just made Camila grin more brightly, secretly relishing seeing the agent looking out of her depth... up to the point that they stepped onto the street and laid eyes on the vehicle in front of them.

Camila's car had all four tyres slashed open so that they lay deflated on the tarmac, looking like they had melted. Across the windscreen was spray-painted the message "SHUT UP" in sharp red colour, and one of the passenger windows had been smashed in. There was even a large dent in some of the bodywork, where it appeared somebody had taken the sole of their boot to the door.

"What the hell!" Camila screamed, running over, but Lauren seized her sleeve and pulled her back, saving her from running across the ground that was now littered in glass.

"Watch yourself!" she barked, "Go back to the apartment. I'm going to telephone the station quickly, and try and clear this up,"

"But, I've got to run my errands..."

"You can still do that. After I've made the call and sorted this out, I'll get my car. It's parked a few blocks away. Just sit tight,"

Camila knew better than to put up an argument, so she did as she was told. She sat upstairs chewing her nails nervously until her mobile bleeped with a message informing her that Lauren was parked and ready outside. When she came back down, she found the agent sat in the driving seat of a glossy black Mercedes-Benz. One nod of her head told Camila to get in the back.

"What did the station say?" Camila asked hesitantly as they drove off.

"Officer Mendes is coming by this afternoon, but there's not much that he can do," Lauren replied slowly, glancing up at Camila's reflection in the rear-view mirror, "Your car was insured, right?"

"Of course," she confirmed, "But can any evidence be taken from this? Does it tell us anything?"

"No," Lauren shook her head, "All that can be said is that the message suggests that the attack comes from the same source as the first. Apart from that, we get nothing,"

On hearing this, Camila slumped back into her seat, the seemingly indomitable good mood from earlier starting to slip away. She allowed Lauren to finish the journey without any further interruptions.

They reached the stores after the agent skilfully negotiated the morning traffic, dipping and weaving in and out of the long lines of stationary cars. Camila entered various shops and managed to gather all that she needed. It took her less time than usual, as she was constantly aware that every minute she wasted lingering about the aisles would leave Lauren increasingly bored in the car.

"Is that everything?" Lauren queried as the trunk slammed shut.

"For the time being," Camila chuckled, "You can never do quite enough shopping though,"