C3 THOMAS KRONZ

Annie felt another round of icy chill over her body. An addict right behind her, that could be deadly serious, she thought. He could do anything to get her killed and get away with it. They will say he had a mental disorder and that was why it happened. A Doctor can cover for him, but she is dead already.

The moment Grandpa's words hit her memories again, her thought took a twist. “If the guy isn’t a criminal, then he may be an impostor—”

Was he an Impostor?

Is he one of them?

Her thoughts started building up once more and then she asked nervously, “what t—then d—do you want if not m—my car, my money and—” she found herself stammering. She never loved to talk that way, but the tension right within her is creating another version of herself, which she hates.

“Shut up and bring both hands behind you,” now furious but still having his voice under control, and his eyes were almost everywhere looking around for any possible intruder.

Annie obeyed and was surprised she was handcuffed in a few seconds, “What! What are you doing? Are you a cop? What was my offense? I only came to the mall to shop and now you are—” she got scared and her heart race faster now. She felt fear burning down to her stomach right through her throat and she couldn’t help it.

“Get in the car” he pushed her into the back seat, while he entered and sat in the driver’s seat, and a few seconds later, he was at top speed.

Annie could see the man now who had been behind her all this while, tormenting her and disguising his voice, like he couldn’t speak well or more like an old man having a cold.

It was Thomas, Thomas Kronz!

“How did you find me, Thomas? What are you doing to me?” She demanded, sounding angry.”I never was responsible for your suspension from the law school—” Annie remembered now and the memory of the past just resurfaced in a way she knew why Thomas maybe after her.

“I know you never did, but you were part of them, the ones that called themselves brilliant and you know what? I am the dull one, carrying you to where nobody on earth will ever find you—” Thomas mocked her and spoke more clearly now. He lit a cigarette and started smoking.

He will drive for a while and then stop to release the smoke on Annie’s face and start driving once more. He did that almost six times before throwing away the butt of the cigarette out of the window. Annie kept coughing and screaming, but now Thomas was on high speed as if he wanted to fly.

“What! Thomas you can’t do this to me.” She felt her saliva piling up within her mouth “why not go after Raphael, after Muller—” she protested as she struggled to set herself free from her handcuff.

“Muller is dead already; I put a hole in his head—” Thomas whispered.

“You did what?”Annie didn’t let him finish. She felt an icy chill run through her breast to her thigh. She cannot possibly believe Muller was murdered by Thomas. Why did he do it? Muller didn’t do anything wrong and now he and been shot to death by the same man holding her hostage. She sighed and yawned as if she has just woken up from sleep.

“I said, I put a hole in his head,” Thomas repeated and shouted. “My gun did it and I am mad, crazy! Now I got you—n” He glanced at Annie in the back seat with redden eyes as he drove in speed fearlessly.

Annie knew it was revenge, but she knew she didn’t do anything, but why is he after her? Or he is just being jealous that she was a friend of Muller and for that unreasonable reason, he killed Muller. She felt so confused and only wished she could persuade Thomas whose face looked disfigured like a wounded monster. “Stop the car, Thomas or I—” she screamed but knew it wasn’t loud enough to get any attention outside.

“Jump out if you have the gut. You die and nobody. I mean nobody will come for your pieces, not even Donald or Karie.” He laughed wickedly and his words peppered down her esophagus.

Annie looked at Thomas as he drove so fast and wondered what he had turned into.

Has he turned into a criminal, a kidnapper, or both?

“Stop the car—” he lifted her voice once more, but now tears clouded her lovely eyes. She knew she had to mount up pressure on Thomas to stop the car or he gets her killed in a car crash.

“What will you do Annie?” He cut in angrily, shutting her down. He sounded more like a rehab patient, she thought.

Annie felt his rage and the way he often lifted his left hand to stop her torrent of words that sounded like an axe on him, but he wasn’t ready to yield, instead, he drove like a madman.

Where is he taking me to?

Annie’s thoughts resumed.

That thought rang a bell with a sound piercing into the head of Annie, who was not only feeling the pain of the handcuff on her wrists but also receiving bruises from the windshield to her right and left, because of Thomas's over speed.

Annie was now feeling Thomas may crash into anything like the street light, trees, just anything. “Keep your speed down. You are getting me scared.” She screamed but noticed Thomas was all deaf ears now.

“You are only scared. I still have to make you scarier because right now, I am beside myself.” He kept on looking at his side mirror as he accelerated even more. “I just realize you got a bodyguard, right?” He was jittering now but kept on with his speed.

What, a bodyguard?

Annie struggled with her handcuff to see behind, but it was difficult. “Shit,” she cursed.