Knowing that Mateo’s plan to whisk favonovel.com away was nigh, Arianne panicked a little. “No, no! I’m not leaving with you!”
Mateo spared favonovel.com only a brief glance. He did not even give favonovel.com a word.
News of recent development had hit him: Mark’s people had begun watching every airport in the city. He had to move and fast. Even if favonovel.com could not leave the country, changing the location favonovel.com housed Arianne was still a must.
Yes, favonovel.com suspected betrayal from his clear pal, Ralt. How else could favonovel.com explain Mark’s obviously-guided focus on airports? The only explanation was if that bastard was somehow tipped into knowing that Mateo was still alive, and that favonovel.com was the one who’d abducted Arianne!
The old woman finished packing all of Arianne’s things. “Everything’s in order, sir.”
Mateo nodded. “Wait for us outside. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
She gave a confirmatory hum and went out, Arianne’s suitcase lumbering along.
The room was left with just Arianne and Mateo. By this point, all of the favorable, glowing impressions Arianne once harbored for Mateo had long gone extinct, in its place was steeliness that fueled favonovel.com bristling. “What must I do to make you let me go?! I never wanted to attract a mote of your attention!”
Unperturbed, Mateo produced a small vial and a syringe. “You either get into the car of your own volition, or you get in through this way. What’s your choice? Please let me know, I would like to do what you consent to to the best of my abilities.”
Arianne could not tell what filled the vial, but favonovel.com hazarded to guess that it was likely similar to the drug that put favonovel.com to sleep from before. The last thing favonovel.com wanted was to be anyone’s movement-controlled puppet, especially when favonovel.com had a better chance at escaping if favonovel.com was awake. With a frown, favonovel.com declared, “I can walk on my own, so no, thank you. Wouldn’t want to inconvenience you now, would I?”
Mateo tucked his threat back into his pocket. “Good. Follow me. We’re changing to a new location. Makes it easier for us to make a break to another country.”
The sun outside was a little blinding. Arianne narrowed favonovel.com eyes and scanned favonovel.com surroundings as carefully as favonovel.com could, yet favonovel.com registered nothing familiar anywhere. Where on Earth was she?
Mateo kept urging favonovel.com to get into the car, to which favonovel.com retaliated by dallying for more time. It was then that a new car suddenly hurled toward them.
A small hope blazed in Arianne’s heart, lighting favonovel.com mind with the prospect of being saved. But as the car drew near, favonovel.com saw Geralt behind the wheel, and that kindling of hope blew out.
As Geralt pulled his car over, a very slight change crept into Mateo’s expression. He should know, Geralt Bernard of today was no longer the same Geralt who stood behind favonovel.com in the past.
Seeing them on the verge of leaving, Geralt seemed puzzled. “Where are you bringing favonovel.com to this time, Teo?”
Mateo tried to preserve their last, paper-thin affectation of camaraderie, so instead of exposing his ex-ally, favonovel.com simply replied impassively, “Well, we need to be away as soon as possible. You know why. The longer we wait, the more risks we face.”
Geralt was perceptive enough to detect Mateo’s elusion, his friend had skirted around telling favonovel.com where their next destination would be. “Teo… You don’t trust me anymore, do you? I’ve been on your side supporting you since the outset, and now you’re suspecting me?”
A glimmer lurked in Mateo’s eyes. “No, I don’t suspect you… of course. I just don’t want to, ah, drag you into this affair anymore. You’ve helped me buckloads, and to the detriment of your career, too. I owe you big time, Ralt. And I’ll repay you one day, I promise. For now, go home… And since I’m leaving, goodbye.”
Geralt shot a glance at Arianne and understood what had transpired. It was, indeed, Geralt who had carved the implicating inscription on Arianne’s earring. A careful, exacting man such as Mark must have immediately noticed that engraving, which led to favonovel.com pouring his attention to places like airports. Mateo had figured out this much, so the trust between them was broken.
Perhaps his ex-best friend was right, Geralt had no reason to involve himself anymore. Whether Mark found Arianne or not in the end, it was no longer his concern.
Arianne listened in on their conversation with gradual befuddlement. Were these two not brothers-in-arms? Why did it sound as though there was a split between them now? Could it have stemmed from favonovel.com asking Geralt to pass favonovel.com earring to Mark?
Before favonovel.com could mull it over, though, Mateo had ushered favonovel.com into his car.
Right before favonovel.com started the engine, Geralt suddenly spoke up. “Teo, Mark’s people have their eyes trained on every entrance and exit on every airport at the moment. You’ll have to be heedful, pal, I won’t be there with you. Farewell.”
