Chapter 101: Chapter 101

‘Is it true that Madison Connor, is the woman you publicly humiliated some months back in New York?’

‘Is Madison Connor really your long lost childhood sweetheart?’

‘Is it true that you placed the 10 million dollar bounty on her head?’

‘What do you feel about this whole abduction? Do you feel like it’s connected to you and…’

The second Damien stepped out of the hotel to welcome the chief detective in charge of Madison’s case, he was swarmed by flocks of journalist and reporters who were eager to get him to say something.

Something they would feed the hungry media, and words they could twist to their own narrative. But Damien would be damned if he said a thing.

As he walked, his guards and the officers with him tried to deflect the advances of the hungry journalists, and Damien himself tried his possible best not to take their questions to heart.

He was doing a good job of ignoring them, already talking to the Detective, when suddenly a reporter from nearby asked a very triggering question that had Damien freezing in his feets all of a sudden.

He turned towards the direction of the so called reporter, and his eyes blazed with fury when the lady repeated her question yet again.

‘Sources say that this abduction of Madison Connor is somewhat related to the death of your father? Sources say you have it out for the Connors and that you are hellbent on…’

‘Who the fuck leaked the information of his revenge plan with the Connors to the public?’ Damien asked himself inwardly, his jaw gritting as he stared at the reporter who was currently pushing her microphone and camera up his face.

She saw he was giving her his attention and she seemed to be reveling in it. Not until Damien let out a curse, his hands shooting out and grabbing the fucking camera and microphone at once, he threw the device on the floor and all hell let loose.

Reporters began to scramble about, getting the message that he had been trying to pass ever since, and as they dispersed Damien could only exhale in relief.

The commotion made it easy for him to get back in the hotel, and apologizing to the detective for the uproar, he ordered the hotel manager who was standing by him to close the building.

Work was closed for the day, and every other day till Madison’s case was solved.

He didn’t want what happened today to repeat itself again, because honestly Lord knows he wouldn’t be able to control his self.

“So as we were saying…” Damien began, the moment they got into his suite, with his guards flocking in but just before he could finish his statement, the shrill sound of his cell phone vibrating in his pocket came through and he excused himself.

Quickly bringing out the device from his pocket, Damien swiped the answer button the second he saw it was an unknown number and placed the phone on his ear.

“Hello. Who is this?” He questioned instantly, his hunches up already as he tried to figure out who this mysterious person was.

If it was anyone who could lead him to Madison, then he would be more than grateful too…

“Hello Damien.” An all too familiar voice called out, and Damien’s train of thought froze instantly.

It was Mason Connor, and a wave of anger and fury coursed through him. At first he felt like hanging the call up, but then he reminded himself that maybe the motherfucker had something tangible to tell him concerning this case.

He’d already prepared himself for whatever the Connors would say to him, concerning Madison’s abduction, but as usual he definitely knew when to draw the line if they dared take things too far.

So calming his rising temper down, and managing to voice out cooly, he asked, “What the fuck do you want from me man?”

For a few seconds Damien got no response, and dragging his phone out of his ear he tried to see if Mason had hung up on him, but the call was still ongoing.

“Hello? I said what do you…”

“Calm down man. I’m here to make peace and not the other way round. Chill, and let’s talk man to man.”

“Huh? What?” Damien queried, his brows up and turning to face the detective, he excused himself again, promising to get back to him as soon as possible and then he concentrated on the call with Mason.

“What do you mean? Is this some sort of prank?”

“No it’s not, and I do mean what I just said. Damien I’m sorry for…”

No freaking way! That was the only thing that came to Damien’s head when Mason Connor began to apologize all of a sudden.

His jaw dropping open, and dumbstruck at the same time, the grip he had on his phone tightened as he listened to almighty Mason Connor apologize and talk calmly to him.

This was like a dream. A dream he never thought would come true… What the hell?

…….

KATHERINE

“What? I can’t accept a measly 7 million dollars as a bargain. What the heck?” Katherine spurted our, her eyes burning with fury as she stared at the men in front of her.

Earlier, when she’d started torturing Madison, one of her men had come to inform her that some men were here looking for her.

The men who were human traffickers, had been solely invited by her because she wanted to sell Madison to them.

She’d already thought of selling Madison for 20 million dollars, and if no one accepted the bargain then she would have no choice but to finish the bitch off with her hands.

Now though, she stood dumbstruck as the leader of the traffickers stared smugly at her, calling the dumbest price she’d ever heard.

“I’m sorry, but that’s the least we can give you. That’s what we brought from home, and the cash is stacked in this bag with me.” He began again, swinging a heavy black bag in front of her, and the action only irritated Katherine all the more.

“The least you can give me from my offer of 20 million dollars, is 7 million dollars? Do I look like I’m joking here or what?” Katherine spat out, almost yelling but she held herself back.

“I’m sorry miss, but that’s what we can give you and honestly there’s no going back.”

Trying to calm her rising temper down, Katherine forced a warm smile up her lips and said yet again, “Okay, give me 15 million dollars, and you can have her. I tell you she is a good bargain, because I’m sure you’ll make more than this when you sell her to your buyers.”

Silence fell completely, and the atmosphere becoming tense, Katherine waited for the man to say something.

Something positive of course, but the reply he gave was one she wasn’t expecting at all.

He began by laughing, the sound of his cackles itching Katherine’s skin, but she kept her cool.

“15 million dollars? Oh woman, do you also think I’m joking here?” The man asked with a scoff, and before she could continued he added, “Can I see the picture of this lady you want to sell to us?”

Katherine hesitated, her brow raising up instantly at the unexpected question, but she obliged them.

Motioning one of her guards to get her cell phone, the device was soon brought to her and sharply she searched through her gallery collection and brought out a photo of Madison.

Handing the phone to one of her men, who handed it to the traffickers, Katherine once again stood still waiting for them to say something but all of a sudden they began speaking in Spanish much too her confusion.

‘Un nina en esto noticias.’

‘de ninguina manera.’

‘esto no puede ser verdad.’

‘Es… ella es la única.’

Katherine stared at them in horror, as they continued speaking in Spanish or whatever this language was, and as they kept on talking she decided that she just couldn’t bear it anymore.

“What the hell are you talking about?” She half yelled, startling them and the leader turned to face her, handing back her phone and Katherine collected it haughtily, a hiss escaping her Luis.

“I’m sorry we got lost in the moment for a minute.”

“I don’t care about that. What the hell were you people talking about? Are you taking the 15 million dollars or not?”

“Suffice to say after seeing that picture, I’m afraid to say we can’t even offer 7 million dollars anymore.”

“What?”

“Yes! I bet you have no idea but this lady in your custody, has her pictures placed all over the news and there’s a bounty of over 10 million dollars on her head. If we’re caught with her, we would be arrested and even be sentenced to some years in prison.”

“Wait… wait… what?” Katherine stuttered, a chuckle bubbling from underneath her throat and she began to laugh heavily.

“Surely you must be joking right?” She asked after a while, composing herself but the look on the men’s face clearly told her that they weren’t joking at all.

“I don’t even get you. You said she’s…”

“She’s Madison Connor right? I bet she’s the daughter of a rich man. The bounty placed on her, was just so huge.” One of the trafficking men chimed in, and Katherine nodded her eyes widening in horror, as she began to wonder how these men knew the name of that bitch.

“No way!” She exclaimed, and switching on her phone yet again, she began to scroll through her news feed expecting to see something but she didn’t.

“I can’t see anything on my…” Katherine trailed off, her eyes landing on a rather absurd headline and truthfully Madison’s picture was splashed all over.

“What the fuck?” Katherine cursed, her hands leaving her phone and she didn’t even make an attempt to stop the device from falling to the floor.

The glass shattered, and her mouth hung open as she stared back at the traffickers, and back at her already damaged phone.

What had she just seen? Madison Connor splashed across the news? A bounty of 10 million dollars placed in her head? The fuck!

That same bounty would be placed by none other than Damien, and the realization slamming through her like a rock, Katherine’s chest started to rise and fall.

“So you see?” The leader of the traffickers said, his elbows crossed, and a smirk on his face he continued, “Now the least we can even offer for her is from 1.5 million dollars down. If we buy her, we’re taking a huge risk and…”

“Just shut up!” Katherine yelled in anger, and heaving slightly she stared at them with red glazed eyes and then she said, “You know what, I think I’m done with you lots here. You can take your leave now.”

“Won’t you bargain again and…”

“I said leave! Take them out.” She yelled again, ordering her men to show the traffickers the way out of the warehouse and quickly they jumped into action.

Just before they left, Katherine stopped them and gave out a warning, “If any one of you, say a thing about this. If you leak this location to the media, I swear you’re going to pay for it.”

“Be rest assured we won’t.” The leader said turning around to face her and then he finished, “In case you’ve changed your mind, you can just give me a call. I’m at your service. Also don’t forget to be very careful.” He warned cryptically, and Katherine just rolled her eyes.

The second they left the building, she began to par-amble about, her whole body shaking as she began to think of what to do with the bitch.

Just because of her, Damien had placed a bounty of 10 million dollars. Not half a million, not one, not two… but ten freaking million dollars.

“Arghhhhh…” She screamed out loud in frustration, her voice echoing through the walls of the room but she didn’t care.

Now more than ever, she was left with no other option than to kill Madison. She was becoming more than a nuisance and the best thing to do, was to end her life.

Fists clenched, teeth gritting, Katherine began to walk back to the torture room. She was going to whip that bitch so badly now, till her anger receded.

Yes, she was going to do that!