Top Secret ✔

Chapter 8 || Cheer Up, Buttercup.

A/N : I woke up to hear the shocking and devastating news that the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean. The entire nation and world is in grief. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of passengers and crew members on board the flight. So sorry for your loss. They are in the presence of God right now :')

Chapter 8 || Cheer Up, Buttercup.

      As I walked over to the familiar huge building, a black limousine skidded and braked right beside me. Me, being the paranoid freak as I always am, walked a little faster while clutching my bag close to my side. You can say that I watched a tad bit too much of Hollywood movies, but you can never be too cautious.

A few more metres, Ari.

I heard the driver horn and I jumped a little before hurrying my steps and urging my feet to walk as fast as they could.

A little bit more.

"Anne."

I turned to the direction of the sound. There was only one person who would call me that with a British accent.

Maria.

Oh.

I spotted Maria leaning on the window of the limo and almost smacked myself for being so stupid. Yeah, because someone would kidnap you and throw you into a limo. Wow.

"Yes, Maria?" I squeaked.

"Come on in." she unlocked the doors.

I admired the sleek black car and gaped at her. "Me? In that?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. Hurry up." she said with a sense of urgency.

I nodded and quickly walked to the passenger door. I opened it and went into the car. I patted the leather seat before finally placing my butt onto the seat. I stared at all the complicating-looking buttons while my inner child self was urging me to press all of them just to see what they would do.

"Anne." she called, waking me up from my trance.

"Yeah?" I muttered distractedly.

"Where is the picture?"

I was about to ask her what picture she was talking about while I was opening the mini fridge and was shocked to see that there was, indeed, champagne bottles until I realised what I was here for.

"Oh, right." I fumbled around in my bag and produced the single microchip which contained the picture. "It's blurry." I warned her.

She snatched it away from me and stared at the microchip, examining each single detail that was there. "Where was this?"

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"Where was this taken?" she rephrased her question so that it was more.. understandable.

"Oh, at the Batu Caves temple."

"Did you follow him? Or?"

"A taxi driver took this picture and he sent it to me." I lied through my teeth.

"For free?"

I hesitated.

"How much?" Maria instantly caught on.

"For free." I nodded.

"Okay."

I tried not to show my surprise at how easily she believed me.

"You can go home now." she unlocked the doors again and waited for me to go out.

"Now?"

"Do you plan on spending the night here? All you have to do is send me to my apartment and you can stay in the car until the sun comes up." she suggested amusedly.