CHAPTER 33: LETTER TO FREEDOM

The sun shone brightly in the sky above when Naomi woke up from her deep sleep. The first thing she noticed was the absence of the room ceiling. Her eyes widened in shock.

What the hell?

She wasn’t in the windowless room anymore!

Where is this place?

How come she was lying inside a tent?

What’s going on?

She quickly sat upright and wondered why she was inside the tent when the last thing she remembered was sleeping on the bed after she had finished drinking the wine with her husband.

That’s when she finally realized she was alone inside the tent!

Dread paralyzed her. Where is baby Jacob?

Where is her husband?

What is this place?

She stood up and rushed outside to investigate what was going on.

Her jaw dropped to the ground at the sight that greeted her vision. She was standing on a beach! The spectacular view of turquoise water, endless stretches of white sand and the sun shining brightly in the sky above shocked her.

She couldn’t see anyone around. She was alone on the beach.

Where is this place?

Then she saw two drones hovering above the tent. They are too high, she can’t reach them even if she jumps high with all her might.

Are these drones monitoring her situation?

How did she arrive here? How did they do it?

She came up with a theory. They drugged the wine or orange juice, then carried her sleeping form onto this beach and dumped her inside the tent.

It’s now clear to her that this is the management’s way of giving back her freedom. They separated her from her husband, and worse, they kept baby Jacob in the facility and she had no idea how to go back to that place to get her son back!

"Give me my son!" She screamed at the drones because they were monitoring her action. She knew they could hear her.

"Zero, give me my son!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Tears of frustration, sadness and anger swarmed her eyes.

She kept screaming for her son until her voice grew hoarse. The sun’s rays were already painful for her skin so she returned to the tent. That was the moment she saw her phone. She picked it up and was disappointed because it wasn’t charged.

So annoying!

As soon as her phone is fully charged she will make a call to her father and inform him that she’s coming home today.

Her father would surely send their family driver to fetch her but she didn’t know about this place. There are no houses and buildings nearby to ask for the address.

What is she going to do now?

She was confused about what to do. Her eyes landed on the wallet. She opened the wallet and saw ten thousand dollar bills inside and a letter from Zero. She read it quickly.

Dear Naomi,

The moment you read this letter you were already released from captivity. Use the money to go back to your family. At the back of this letter is a map that will take you to the highway where you can ride a bus going to the main city. You and Alpha Maxwell were taken out of the facility and delivered to different places. You wake up on the beach while he wakes up in another place.

As for baby Jacob, don’t worry about him. There are many staff in the facility assigned to watching him 24/7. We want you to know that we adore baby Jacob and Madam will personally ensure his safety. She adores your son so much, so don’t worry about his well-being. Baby Jacob is well taken care of.

For your own good, management decided that it is better for you to go home alone so you will be able to face your family with peace of mind. Baby Jacob will be returned to you once you and Alpha Maxwell achieve your goals and you are back together in each other’s arms.

We will have a group chat soon. That is the place where I will upload baby Jacob’s video and photos so you and Alpha Maxwell will get updated on his condition. Rest assured baby Jacob’s well being is our top priority. We just want you to know we are never your enemy, we are your friends. Take care and good luck reclaiming your life.

There is some burger and bottled water in the bag just in case you feel thirsty and hungry.

P.S. If you need some time to recover from the shock, don’t leave the beach right away. Admire the breathtaking views of the ocean and the endless stretches of white powdery sand. Take time to meditate so that when you face your family you are emotionally stable. I hope nature’s healing power fills your soul with calmness and strength to face the ordeal ahead. Good luck!

That’s all. Take care.

Yours truly,

Zero

Naomi stared at the letter for a long time. Anger surged through her. She was about to destroy the letter but realized that it wouldn’t change anything. She won’t be able to go back to the facility because she doesn’t know its location.

She looked at the ocean for a long time, trying to calm her troubled self. She wondered where they dumped her husband? She hoped he was well. She will contact him soon the moment she settles back into her home.

Her stomach grumbled and hunger set in. She grabbed the bag and saw two burgers, two bottles of drinking water, baby wipes and tissue inside.

She picked up the burger and took a bite to appease her hunger, then drank water to quench her thirst.

She stayed on the beach a few minutes more to plan her next move.

Now she is going home without a child and husband to prove that she was kidnapped. She has no evidence, not even a single photo of them together.

Would her family believe that she had been kidnapped? She was confused now. Would she lie or tell them the truth?

She took a deep breath. Time to leave the tranquil beach and go home!

She put the wallet and everything in the bag and with one last look at the tent and the wide ocean, she turned around and followed the map on the back of the letter.

After a few minutes’ walk, she finally reached the highway and boarded the bus, heading for the city.

Meanwhile...

In a wooded area five kilometres from the beach. A black colored tent can be seen erected in a small clearing surrounded by towering trees and wild bushes.

Inside the tent, Alpha Maxwell was stirring in his sleep. When he opened his eyes he was shocked to discover that he was lying inside a tent.

"Why am I here?" he asked and rushed his way out of the tent. That’s when he noticed his location. It was in the middle of the woods.

Bewildered, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Where is this place?"

The last thing he remembered was he was drinking wine with Naomi then fell asleep on the bed beside her. That’s all he can remember.

He just realized that this is management’s way of granting him freedom. He is free now!

But where is Naomi? Where is his son?

He was worried about their safety. Fear gripped his heart.

They must have kept his son inside the facility!

How about Naomi? Did they release her as well?

He needs to find out what happened to them!

He returned to the tent and saw a brown wallet. Beside it was his phone which was not charged and the burger and bottled water in the bag and some tissue wipes. That’s all he got in the tent.

He checked the wallet and it contained a $10K paper bill and a piece of paper with a handwritten message on it.

He read the letter...

Dude, good morning!

By the time you read this letter, you are already out of the facility. I’m sorry things didn’t go according to your wishes. Management thinks differently. Anyway, congratulations on your freedom. This is a chance to return to your old life and start anew.

At the back of this letter is a map that will take you out of the woods safely. You will see a highway after a fifteen minute walk. Use the money to pay your bus fare back to the city so you can go home to your family.

Don’t worry, Naomi was released as well and is on her way home safely. In the meantime, baby Jacob was kept in the facility for his safety. Rest assured we will take care of him to the best of our ability. We will deliver baby Jacob to your doorstep the moment you and your wife are back together.

I will reconnect with you two in a group chat soon. I will frequently upload baby Jacob’s photos and videos there so you can see your son in his adorable form. Leave the tent as it is. Take the rest with you. That’s all for now.

Enjoy your freedom and good luck with everything you do.

Yours truly,

Zero

"Dammit!" Nostrils flaring, Alpha Maxwell erupted into rage. Annoyed that management didn’t follow his request he crumpled the paper and threw it into the ground.

But what can he do?

Even if he screams and shouts, what is done is already done. He finally got his wish! He was now out of the facility safely. Now that he has got his freedom back, he should go home quickly and resume his old life.

He picked up the crumpled paper and went over the map. He grabbed the bag and put everything in it. He left the tent and walked on the path leading to the highway.

While walking, he grabbed a bite of the burger and sipped on the water. The sun was already high up in the sky above. The branches and leaves of the trees shielded him from the harsh sun’s rays. He quickened his steps, eager to reach the highway quickly.

A few minutes later, Alpha Maxwell can be seen reaching the highway and boarding the first bus that came his way.