The Bank Client

Chapter 12 - Security

The cold wind is blowing against her cheeks. She felt like her internal organs are twisting and weaving into each other. She let out a squeal.

"I wanna do that again!" Ana wailed. She had just finished zip lining from the rooftop of a 43-storey tower to the other rooftop of a 38-storey building in Cebu City.

Ryan had a 5-day convention to attend to in that city, and she had just arrived to spend the weekend with him. He had her flew in directly using his private jet after her training this afternoon. She just brought along her notes to study with but she doubted if she could ever touch them.

Her boyfriend was still finishing up with the conference when she arrived. So she had herself booked on some sky adventure rides on one of the tallest towers in the city to pass the time and to relax herself from the weeklong stress from her training. Besides, she was getting bored at the hotel.

Both of them had stayed in in her condo last weekend. Giving her ample time to read in advance her handouts, while Ryan spent some time on the gym and did some laps on the pool.

Cece became a stay-in companion slash housekeeper to Ana as what Ryan had told her. He doesn't want her to be alone in her unit especially when he is not around. He said he has hired Cece permanently from the agency. That's what he wanted her to believe in.

He did not move in with her yet as he wants to take things slow this time. And he doesn't want to beleaguer her with his presence that would launch the press people into intruding with her privacy again. He doesn't want any distractions for her during her training period. Hence, unbeknownst to Ana, Cece had been fending of the media who came to bother Ana in her place of dwelling. Nobody gets to the twenty-fourth floor without clearance from Ana, and of course, Cece, who secretly monitors the traffic in the elevator and the fire exit.

"Ok, Ma'am, this way please." The crew ushered Ana back to the ramp where she will sit on a swing-like rope and be pulled back to the rooftop of the first tower.

She looked back at Mario, her assigned bodyguard for tonight, whose face has turned white and he looked like he's going to throw up. The zip has to be done simultaneously in a group of four. And since her group lack one more, she had Mario do the zip with her along with two others whom she doesn't know but were next in line to her.

When they got back to the other tower's roof deck, she saw that a lot of people had already line up waiting for their turn on the zipline. Mario went ahead to approach the crew. She knew he would have her on a privileged line and she would be queued ahead of these people.

"Hmmmm... Mario!" She called. Considering his appearance after the zip, she reneged on the idea of having him do it again. "Let's try the skywalk!"

Probably this time, Mario will not feel sick walking on a narrow walkway made of glass that is hanging on the perimeter wall of the 42nd floor. She thought.

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He had been informed that Ana had already arrived in Cebu at half past six this evening. And it's almost 9 o'clock now. He tried calling her phone on his way to the hotel, but she was not answering.

"Dessa, inform the hotel that Ana and I will be having our dinner inside the suite." He told his secretary who was sitting in front beside the driver.

"Yes, sir," Dessa replied and immediately called the hotel.

"She must be probably tired and fell asleep. Any update from Mario?" He said as soon as he heard her ended the call to the hotel.