A Hopeless Pursuit (Forbidden Love Series Book 10)

"Take her to Sayulita and dump her at the doorstep of my house there.  If she dies I wouldn't be held responsible, " said Harry Lennard as a plan to get the money came into his scheming mind.

Frankie carried the unconscious Lisa to the car and drove her to Sayulita. He just prayed that she didn't die on the way. It was a long ten hour journey and he was sure that she wouldn't be able to make it there. Lisa gained consciousness twice and Frankie gave her water, banana, clear soup and bread which he bought for her on the way to keep her alive. Thankfully she didn't throw up and slept the rest of the journey. He reached Sayulita by 5 o'clock in the morning just before daybreak. It was still dark and no one saw him parking the car in front of Harry Lennard's childhood home. He carried Lisa out of the car and climbed up the stairs of the villa style beach house.  He laid her down on a couch on the patio outside.

He took out her handbag and mobile and left it on the table in front of her. Although Harry Lennard hadn't told him to, yet he felt that he should return her stuff and free her. It would give her a chance to return to her loved ones. He left her and rushed back to his car and sped off.

The moment Frankie left with Lisa, Harry Lennard messaged Liam Parker, giving him the address of the meeting place.

 

 

Change Of Scene

 

Liam's phone vibrated with an incoming message.

Meet me in two hours at Caridad Boxing club, Caridad Tepito 1, Tepito. Ask for Creighton. If you involve the police, you will receive your fiancée's body instead.

Liam showed his dad and Laurence the message that he received. Eric Parker asked his HR manager to collaborate with the police. They updated the police about the venue where the exchange would take place. Eric Parker, Liam and Laurence left for the boxing club.

"Would they bring Lisa along?" Asked Liam with a pale face.

"I doubt it. Unless he's sure that we've paid him the exact amount, he wouldn't release Lisa," said Laurence.

"Then what do we do? We have fake money. Once he finds out he would never release Lisa," said Liam worriedly.

"The police have suggested a plan of action. We first keep our eyes open and check out the number of men involved. Once we hand him the money, his attention would be diverted. We take advantage and somehow take him at gunpoint. The police would then over power his men. We will demand Lisa. Once we get Lisa the police can arrest Harry and his men," said Eric Parker.

"What if he doesn't release Lisa?" Asked a scared Liam.

"Then the police take them into custody and interrogate them," said Eric Parker.

"Sounds good. Hope it all works out and we are able to rescue Lisa, " said Laurence. All three of them had a licensed revolver hidden inside their socks. They reached the venue. It was a crowded boxing club full of athletes, onlookers, coaches and workers.

"Where can we find Dan Creighton here?" Liam whispered into Laurence's ear.

A bearded man approached them. "Creighton?" He asked eyeing the black bag of fake money that they were carrying.

"Yes," said Eric Parker.

"This way," the man said looking all around them. "Are you alone?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes," said Eric Parker. He knew that the police were shadowing their every move. He led them towards the back of the club to an abandoned go-down. Eric Parker looked around to get a rough idea of the number of men and their positions. He already detected three men watching them as they entered the go-down.

"Three," muttered Eric Parker and Laurence and Liam on either side of him nodded.

"What a pleasant surprise! My childhood friend is here!" Exclaimed Harry Lennard, standing in front of them.

"I'm not surprised Harry," said Eric Parker, looking at him warily.

"Of course you are. Had you expected me here?" Asked Harry Lennard with a chuckle.

"No we're not. We know who Dan Creighton is. It's you, " said Laurence and Harry Lennard looked at him with a bewildered expression. Laurence poked Liam and they jumped onto an unsuspecting Harry Lennard and held him at gunpoint. Before Eric Parker could catch hold of the man who brought them inside, he picked up the bag of money which Liam had dropped to the floor in order to over power Harry Lennard. He rushed out with the money in the blink of an eye. Eric Parker too rushed out after him.

"What are you staring at? After him. He's escaped with the money," yelled Harry at his men. They all came out of their hiding places and started rushing after the man.

"Where's Lisa?" Demanded Laurence.

"Let me go else you will never get Lisa back," chuckled Harry Lennard.

"Unless and until we get Lisa we won't release you," said Liam.

"You can't do anything to me. I'm your dad after all," chuckled Harry Lennard with a smug expression on his face.

"You're not my dad. I'm your brother's son, not yours. Since you haven't treated me as a son why should I treat you as a dad?" Demanded and angry Laurence.

"So you know," said Harry Lennard, trying to look for an opportunity to escape.

Eric Parker came back with the police taken custody of all of Harry's men. "You're game's up Mr. Lennard. Surrender immediately, " said one of the officers. 

"No way. If you arrest me, I shall never give you any information about Lisa, " threatened Harry Lennard.  He pushed Liam suddenly and the revolver fell from his hands. Before reality could register in their heads Harry Lennard made a dash for the exit. The police officer in-charge of the operation fired at his boots. His right leg was injured yet he limped away and disappeared. They all rushed out to hunt for Harry Lennard.

"He can't go far. Raid the place. He's hiding somewhere," the officer barked st his men. They arrested the other men while a team of police officers searched every corner of the club for the next two hours. There was no sign of Harry Lennard anywhere. It seemed that he had disappeared from the face of the earth. His men had no idea where Lisa was.

"Frankie, one of our men took her somewhere two hours ago," informed one of the men.

"Where?" Asked an officer.

"I have no idea sir. He drove her to some place," informed the man.

"Do you know the car number?" Asked the officer.

"No sir," answered the man. "But I have Frankie's phone number." The police officer nodded and the man gave him Frankie's number. They tried it again again but it was switched off.

"Damn, he's switched off his mobile. Now what?" The officer asked his colleague.

"He might be driving. Let's inform the headquarters to keep a track of the number in case he switches it on," said the other officer.

It was late at night and Eric Parker, Liam and Laurence sat on a stone bench outside the club,  distraught with worry, waiting for the police to find Harry Lennard. He was the only one here who knew Lisa's whereabouts. Finally someone informed them about blood trickling out from under one of the changing rooms in the locker room for the male athletes. They all hurried to the place.

"Vacate immediately. Let the police do their work," announced the officer in-charge. The athletes crowding around the place moved back to allow the police inside. They cordoned off the area to make the investigations easier for them. They pulled out the blood-soaked body of Harry Lennard who it seemed had slit his wrists with a knife he might have found in the locker room. There was blood everywhere. It was a gory sight and the police completed sealed off the entire wing.

"It's suicide. He couldn't escape so he took his life in desperation," one of the officers informed Eric Parker. The three looked at one another with pale and devastated faces. How would they ever find Lisa?

"What about my sister, officer? How will we ever find her?" Asked a distraught Laurence.

"Investigation is on Mr. Lennard. We're trying to track the man Frankie who took Ms. Lennard away," informed the officer. "There's not much to do here. Mr Parker, I would suggest that you go back to your hotel. Once we get an update about Frankie or Ms. Lennard, we will call you," said the officer.

Eric Parker got up. It was true that their presence wouldn't help much. "C'mon, we're going back to the hotel," he said to Liam and Laurence who looked lost as if they had lost the will to live. They all walked back to their car dejectedly. They hadn't thought in their wildest dreams that this would be the outcome. Had they lost Lisa forever?