Mission Rebound

You are sweating profusely. You know that it is not time to jest.

Suitcase in hand, you head to the station.

"Argh," you mutter under your breath and check the huge clock on the wall desperately. There are about fifteen minutes left.

You screech to a halt on the platform and catch your breath. That was one bumpy ride back then to reach the station. You recall your horrendous morning. You flinch as that alarming phone call swims into your memory.

****

"Are you alive over there?" your boss shouted earlier that morning. You remember keeping your mobile at an arm's length away from your ear.

****

Thankfully, that call did not split your eardrum in half and did you a favor by reminding you to hurry to the station.

And now, here you are, the only lone and serious person among the several happy and chattering families.

Just great.

The train finally pulls over near the intended platform and passengers tumble out as if there is a pack of wolves on their tails.

"... crowding around me, making me uncomfortable... you should be ashamed!" a woman's voice carries over the entire area. You inhale deeply and stand up.

Actually, you are here to pick this person and escort her home. You are fully aware of how dangerous a task it is...

****

"Remember, you must know why this is a difficult case," your colleague said to you earlier this week. "Firstly, she is our company President's daughter. More importantly, she is an insane brat."

****

You brace yourself as you go over his words over and over again. Your job is simple- receive the lady, drop her off at her father's place in one piece, and return without any further hassles.

The problem is, the second part of the instructions are a bit difficult to execute.

The young woman steps out of the train in a lavish fashion. You shake your head. You are seeing her for the first time, and she is everything what you imagined her to be.

She is dressed from head to toe in clothes that scream 'money'. Her jewelry is worth millions, and her make-up is so thick that you are sure it is to hide her true appearance. You secretly hope that she never finds you, but as usual, your hopes are too high.

"There you are!" she squeals in a rather girlish tone, and you are taken aback. She seemed quite dominating at first, but she acts like a completely idiotic person who would do anything to get even the least bit of attention.

"Good morning, ma'am," you greet her and bow low. She giggles in that sickeningly girlish way which makes you want to punch her face. Alas, your job depends on her safety. Thinking about the horrid prospects of begging on the streets, you put up with her and greet her with a well-practiced smile.

"He is so cute!" she giggles again, and you promptly ignore it. Receive, drop, leave... these are your instructions. You try to keep your temper under control.

"Your father sent you presents, ma'am," you say in a bored voice and hand her the suitcase respectfully. Her eyes go round and wide on seeing it.

"Daddy has sent me what he promised! Thank you!" she shrieks in order for all the surrounding people to hear.

You are already firing a volley of curses at her in your brain. Why doesn't she just behave her age?

"So... shall we get going, ma'am?" you politely ask her.

"Why, yes," she giggles again. You turn on your heel and march outside. Once outside, you order your team members to start moving.

"Oh my- are they all here for my protection?" she simpers in awe. You nod curtly and help her into the car. You get into the driver's seat and fasten your seatbelt. You fire up the engine and start off at a moderate speed.

Midway, you hear the sound of a few cars and bikes behind you. Instantly, you check the rearview mirror. There is nothing to worry about- it must be people going to their workplaces.

But slowly, vehicles start filing in from every direction and crossroad. The stranger part is that all of them are headed in your direction. You call your men driving behind you.

"We're being followed," you whisper into it. The lady gets stiff with excitement.

"Oooh, are we having a car chase? I love them!" she exclaims and finishes with a tiny giggle. Your brow furrows as you explain the situation to her.

"Ma'am, these people are here to kidnap you, or worse, murder you. This is not the time to feel thrilled about such things. Please sit tight and trust us."

"Of course," she says, but you are not convinced that she understands the severity of the situation. You decide to divert your attention back to the road.

You go away from course and head in the direction of the forest, for you have a better chance of losing the pursuers there.

After a while, you believe that you have shaken them off. Unfortunately, you are also separated from your crew.

"Let's stop here," the woman suggests and you nod, halting the car. She jumps out and fans herself with her hand. "That was exciting," she says, still breathless. You huff and stay seated inside. She holds up her nose and sniffs the air. "There seems to be a pond here. Go and get water for me, won't you?"

You survey the situation. You are alone, and the pursuers probably don't know where you are. She seems harmless, so she won't wreck your car apart.

Doing as she says won't hurt, right?

You nod in response and rummage for an empty bottle in the car's roomy compartments. Finding one, you pick it up and walk towards the direction of the pond that the lady indicated.

In a few minutes, you know that you are lost. Grumbling, you turn back and retrace your footsteps.

That woman's sense of smell must be addled... otherwise, how could she smell out a water body? You decide to give her a piece of your mind when you return.

However, you nearly faint in shock when you see your vehicle.

It has been stripped of all its expensive belongings, and the suitcase is gone too.

Your first thought is that the kidnappers have located you.

But on closer inspection, you find a note.

It reads-

"Thanks for giving me that wonderful ride. I enjoyed being with a chauffeur for the first time in my life."

First time in her life...?

You continue reading.

"By the way, the President's daughter... she's still waiting for you at the station. I left the car for you to pick her up. Good luck!"