LOVE AND MONEY #2

Story so far:

Hector is devastated because his love, Julia,rejected him. Then he receives a call from his friend  informing him that Julia is gone and he is the prime suspect.He advises him to run away before Zyed’s men catch him. He is shocked beyond words and nostalgically remembers the rose he gave her..could Julia really choose someone over his love?

Suddenly,Zyed’s men break into his abode and take him away in a jeep….what would they do with him?

To read the full first part, click here.

#2.Ominous DAWN

As Zyed’s men pushed him inside,Hector was  greeted by a familiar odor of the car, but  this time the situation was different. This time he wasn’t one of them, He HIMSELF was being taken as a hostage. And when he saw police jeep turn away in different direction from them, he clearly understood what was to come up.  His senses urged him to get out of the mess as quickly as possible. He struggled with all his strength and gave Zyed’s men a tough time handling him, but was eventually overpowered.

“Where is Julia? What have you done with her?” roared Billy, one of Zyed’s men and Hector’s closest friends. He sucker punched him and repeated the question. Hector could only bewilderedly stare at him. Were they the same people he knew, Hector thought.

They kept on hitting mercilessly and asking the same question and hector kept on repeating his truth  but in vain. He looked at Billy with a hope that at least his dear friend would understand but it was as if he didn’t want to hear what Hector had to say, all he wanted was to label him as guilty.

“For godsakes,I love Julia! How Can I do anything to her?? “ Hector bellowed.

Soon the jeep stopped outside a deserted place. This time the devils had more wicked plans. They dragged him inside and hurled him down on the floor. Then began the blood curling torture.  They tied him up and did not hesitate for a moment to use lashes and hunters in bid to make him spew out the truth.They wanted to hear him admitting the accusation. The choice was his own.Either the hunters or the false truth.

Hector writhed in pain, but did not give up.He was wretched to see who was inflicting the pain on him-His own friends, the people he had served all these years with his loyalty and dedication.

At last, they left him to rot in that dark and dingy room. Bleeding profusely, all he could do was to condemn the day he had joined Zyed and his men.He was about 15 at that time. He needed bread to survive and Julia’s father a faithful servant. Hector’s loyalty and obedience  eventually earned him the position of his right hand.

‘I did  all his filthy work with my own hands to see this  day? What did I get in return?? Years of faithful service ,still they don’t trust me at all!’  He was sick and tired of telling them that he didn’t know anything. He didn’t do anything! But what was the use? Julia probably eloped with that wealthy snob and he was left to rot in hell.

Hector was drowned in these  thoughts when he heard some noise outside the room. It seemed Billy was talking to someone and his words were getting louder and clearer. Soon Billy stepped in the room and gave Hector an evil grin.He was talking on his handheld transmitter.

“No sir, he hasn’t spilled it out yet..but he definitely will in a few hours” he tried to calm Zyed down.

Billy was taking full advantage of the situation to get close to Zyed ,to become his coveted right hand man. Moreover, it was getting  as easy as a pie for him, for now he had his only enemy under his control. He gave a shit where Julia was. All he wanted was to get rid of Hector.

Hector had clearly understood Billy’s intentions by then. He was heart broken to see all his beloved relations showing their true self one by one. Yet He was more concerned about Julia’s wellbeing ..these wretches were wasting their time on him and he couldn’t do anything but lie helplessly on the floor. He remembered what she had told him the other day. The shrewd minister had given her some jewels, hadn’t he? But Why her? What could he want from her ? As he reeked in pain, the whole episode flashed before his eyes.

She was sitting in the lawn that day. He went and sat beside her. They were friends for a long time now and Hector used to teach her horse riding.

“Julia, do you believe in true love?”

“Hmm..maybe. But what happened? Why are you asking such a question out of the blue? Something brewing hah?” Julia answered.

“Haha..yeah kind of.”

“What! Really? Who’s she? Somebody I know of?” asked Julia excitedly.

“Hmm yeah..you know her very well.” Hector said blushing

“Ohh..great. Do Make me meet her. Right now I have to go and get dressed. I and Toby are going out in a while you see, But I’ll surely catch up with you once I come back. Also, I think we’ll have to postpone the horse riding for tomorrow”

Hector was perplexed and cared a damn about a Horse- riding class at that moment. “Toby? How do YOU know him?” He asked.

“Common friends,duh. Anyways,I got to go..so..” she started to leave

“Wait! I wanted to talk about something important….I…I brought this for you. ” Hector finally mustered some courage and presented to her the magnificent red rose he had found with utter difficulty. It had a strong scintillating fragrance and looked as fresh as a rose which just bloomed to its full.

“For me?Ohh..umm thanks..” Julia took it hesitatingly

Hector knew if it was a do or die. He could loose his love if he did not act fast. So, in the same instant, Hector fell down on his knees and uttered the three magical words.

“I love you Julia ,from the core of my heart. Would you marry me?”

To say Julia was shocked would be a massive understatement. She was mad.

“Are you out of your senses?!Have you forgotten who you are? “

“But Julia.. ” Hector tried explaining

“No, you listen! I don’t see you anything more than a friend.What do you have to give to me anyway…

She showed him her diamond studded necklace. “Toby gave me this as a token of his love. He knows me, understands me and loves me. So please stop this nonsense before I call someone”  she screamed and started inside.

Hector was shocked beyond words,’Toby and Julia… ?!’ He could not digest it.

“Julia listen to me..Julia?!”

He tried stopping her but His words fell on deaf ears. She  angrily threw the rose ,where it fell into the dirt and got trampled under her feet. To her, the jewels were far more precious than some meager rose.

Hector saw her walking away and stood there angry and heartbroken. All these years he had continued partially because of her. Working with Zyed allowed him to meet the Julia,
to drown in those emerald eyes of hers, to enjoy helping those delicate hands balancing the horse,
to see those feet as white as the waves of the ocean strolling the garden,searching for the roses she adored.

But that maiden had vanished into thin air , nowhere to be found. Not just for Hector but in reality too. Julia’s father had made police seal every nook and corner of the town. Still there was no sign of his precious daughter.

What had happened to her? Where was she?

Go to next part

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