Theme: Obey me
Mara pov
I felt my chest get tight. I couldn't breathe well. "You don't have to do this," I said. My voice came out like a whisper. "I'm begging you, I don't want to die. Not now."
The man in the mask didn't move. He just looked at me. "Talk or forget about it. I will leave you here to rot."
"Someone is depending on me, I can't die now," I begged. I tried to move my arms but the ropes hurt. I felt a weird heat in my stomach. Immediately, my hands and feet went cold, I rubbed my palm together fast trying to get my warmth back. My head started to spin and my vision went blurred with everything else. My knee became weak and I collapsed into the ground.
Four hours later.
I woke up. My head was thumping. I realized the warehouse was quiet. The men were gone. I was alone in the dark. I moved my hands and realized the ropes were loose. I pulled them off and rubbed my wrists which were red and sore.
"Am alive." I placed my hand on my chest and tears of joy dripped down my cheeks. I grabbed my phone from the floor. My heart skipped when I saw the time. 11:30 AM. "Oh no," I whispered. Lina's treatment was starting at 12 noon. I had thirty minutes to get the money or she would be moved to the general ward.
I saw my camera on the ground. It was smashed. I quickly opened the side and pulled out the memory card. It was still okay. I tucked it into my bra and moved. I didn't care that my legs ached or that I was limping. I pushed forward out of the warehouse and found the main road.
I reached my office twenty minutes later. I was sweating and my hair was a mess. My boss, Mr. Vance, was on the phone. He was talking to three people at once, shouting about some news.
"I have it!" I shouted, leaning on his desk. "Mr. Vance, it's urgent!"
He held up a finger to quiet me. He kept talking on the phone. "Yeah, I want that story by five. No excuses." He hung up and looked at me. "Do you have the file, Mara? Did you get the Ghost?"
"Yes," I clutched the memory card hard, my fingers trembling. "I have the memory card. Give me the three thousand dollars. Now. My sister is about to go into surgery."
He sighed and looked at his watch. "Give me five minutes. I have to verify some things first. Just sit down."
"I don't have five minutes!" I yelled.
"Get yourself together." He fired a glare at me.
My phone started ringing in my pocket. It was an unknown number.
"Who could this idiot be now?" I declined the call waiting for Mr Vance. The number called multiple times and it became frustrating.
"Pick your call, it's interrupting my conversation." Mr Vance, replied.
"Sorry sir, I walked a few steps away. "Hello who is this?"
"Mara Santi," a voice said. It was the same deep voice from the warehouse. My body felt cold gossebumps. "Your sister is Lina Santi. She is at Sacred Heart Memorial, Room 402. Am I right?"
"How do you know that?" I whispered. My knee wobbled, I grip the edge of the desk.
"Listen to me. If you do not bring that memory card to the address I sent you in three minutes, your sister will pay the price. I will make sure she unites with her maker."
"Wait!" I gasped. "Please, I'm at my office. I need more time!" I clutched the desk harder, my voice shaking.
"Two minutes and fifty seconds," he said. The line went off.
Mr. Vance stood up. "Okay, Mara. Give me the card. Let's see what you got."