Unexpected: Day 17

Word Count: 117,114

Summary of Events:

Hilton arrived at the airport and met Mr. Warren, a friend of Kerri's father, who drove Hilton to his home and invited him to stay for dinner, which Hilton accepted upon meeting Mr. Warren's daughter Gemma; he even considered accepting the invitation to stay for the night until Mr. Warren brought up the manhunt in St. Lucia in casual conversation, making Hilton think of Meinwen and how she was in danger. Meinwen decided to text Hilton a better description of the warehouse so he could find her, but was interrupted and taken before the woman. Hilton, having received Meinwen's message and determined her mobile had been discovered, searched diligently for a warehouse matching her partial description; on finding one, Hilton went to scope it out and was caught by a burly man who took him before the woman, who questioned him and ordered him thrown in the cell with Meinwen when he admitted he knew her . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Immediately Hilton was turned and shoved out of the room by the man who was still holding him tightly.

He nearly stumbled down the stairs before being pushed through another door into a corridor, down a flight of stairs, and into a second corridor that rather looked like what he imagined a maximum security prison to look like.

Another man Hilton hadn’t realised had accompanied them unlocked one of the heavy metal doors and Hilton was shoved inside.

Stumbling, he barely managed to keep his feet as the door slammed behind him resoundingly and the bolt shot into its place.

The room was furnished with a mattress, across which Meinwen — at last Meinwen! — looked to have cast herself, although she was now looking at him with a startled look and tear-reddened eyes.

“Uh oh,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Hilton replied. “Have they hurt you?”

“No,” Meinwen replied, turning to be sitting on the mattress. “You’re bleeding.”

Hilton reached up and touched his cheek where it stung. He felt warm moisture, and when he drew his hand away, he saw bright red blood like had stained the wall in that room.

“What is the matter then?” he asked, wiping the blood off his hand and looking back at Meinwen.

“I was caught using my mobile and taken before the woman,” Meinwen replied. “And she killed one of the men who kidnapped Dr. Stiles because they didn’t frisk me for it.”

She sniffled and swiped at her tearstained cheeks.

Hilton walked over and sat down on the mattress beside her, putting his arm gently around her.

“You couldn’t have known she’d be that testy,” he said, even though he wasn’t sure if that was really comforting.

“I shouldn’t have taken the risk,” Meinwen replied. “I had to destroy my mobile… stomp on it and break the SIM card so she wouldn’t use it to make me into her scapegoat.”

“Why would she want to do that?” Hilton asked, feeling shocked. He’d merely thought that Meinwen had gotten it taken away from her.

“Why do you think?” Meinwen asked. “She doesn’t want to go to jail, she likes her life of crime, and I’m the perfect victim for her, I even have technology she can hack and manipulate.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a more ruthless person,” Hilton said.

“Yes,” Meinwen said. “This whole kidnapping thing is proof.”

“What do you mean?” Hilton asked.

“She kidnapped Dr. Stiles to avenge the death of someone he apparently killed by killing him in return,” Meinwen replied.

“What?” Hilton asked, confounded. “Sure he’s sort of a… a… slimy person, but not a murderer.”

“I couldn’t find any evidence that corroborated it online either,” Meinwen said. “But that’s what she alleges.”

Hilton was surprised, and he wondered if he really ought to have risked getting it in the neck like this for someone like Dr. Stiles was alleged to be.