Chapter 3 Echoes of the Voice

Max POV.

It's been 3 weeks since I last heard from Josephine, my love. I have tried calling her line but I keep getting this stupid message.

'The number you are trying to call doesn't exist.'

Her number was working perfectly well until she got married to that dweebish fellow.

The office has been boring without her; all I see are shadows of the vibrant moments we used to share.

The worst part is Mr Jerry O'Neil and his wife refused to say anything about it.

"Max!!!"

I finally heard my name vehemently.

Raising my head from the counter, I looked up and it was Luke the bartender.

"Sup Max, I have been calling your name forever... look, your phone has been ringing." His voice was hoarse.

I looked down at my phone only to see 87 missed calls. My brother had been calling me.

"Hello"

"Hi Max, I have been trying to reach you, some weird dude left a package at the house... they said it was a gift from a friend." His voice is feathery.

"A gift," I asked as my eyes furrowed in bewilderment.

"Are the dudes still there?" I asked, still feeling a bit dizzy from the hangover.

"No, they left almost immediately... aren't you coming back, dad is really worried about you." I could feel his voice quake over the phone.

"I will... by the way don't touch that box... just move it close to the left side of the balcony away from the main building."

As I heaved my drowsy body up from the stool, I slipped off only for my hand to be caught by the hand of a strange man.

"Thank you, good sir."

Before I could readjust myself he was gone.

"You forgot your pa..."

My eyes twitched, I looked closely, holding up the paper, it read..." Meet me under the bridge tonight"

I don't understand, the voice had never contacted me in person ever, why the sudden change.

This is just great, first, you ruined my life, and now you are playing pranks on

me.

"Luke, get me another round of Margarita."

As I gulped my drink, I turned the paper and to my greatest shock, it read from..."The voice.'

Paying off the bartender I immediately glanced at my watch.

"Dang it! Am already late.

I zoomed off to meet a mystery person who had been the reason my life was such a mess.

A voice I wished I had never obeyed from the very start.

"Dang it! Am stuck in traffic."

"Max Berkeley! You are late.

I stopped in my tracks, bent down trying to catch my breath. My heart is throbbing loudly.

"Am so sorry... I was caught in traffic... had to pack my car by the roadside." "Enough! I don't have time for your flimsy excuses."

Looking up I could see a figure, am not sure if it was a man or a woman, the hood he or she had on, flowed to the ground.

The cold breeze added to the moment as it flicked the hood to the back making the person in front of me look like a superhero, except I was standing before a villain.

"Max, well done on completing your mission, I must say I am impressed." The robotic distorted voice piecing through my ears.

"You promised she would be safe... but now she is in the worst place any lady can be." I knelt, tears welling down my eyes.

"I wanted her to be safe... I mean that was our agreement... you ruined everything...you ruined my life and hers."

I couldn't hold it back anymore, as I broke down in front of the person I had come to tag... The voice or mystery man.

Josephine Oniels will be going through hell because I failed her.

My life is messed up.

Looking up, I noticed that I now had two more companions.

'Boss, it's done." Said the more muscular guy that just come in.

"Excellent."

I overheard them saying things silently, I couldn't help but wonder what was actually going on.

I stood to my feet, I could feel a sudden sense of trepidation reeking all over

me.

"You see Max, I like you... by the way here is a new rule... you are not allowed to see Josephine Oniels ever again." The robotic voice sounded more glitched.

"Wait! What?" My eyes furrowed in bewilderment as I stared at the person behind the mask.

I couldn't believe my ears.

"You can't be serious... I accept all this just to keep her safe and make her mine...you can't just boss me around."

My voice tremulous, as I clenched my fist.

"Failure to obey will result in the death of your love, Josephine Oniels and all your family members."

I shuddered in trepidation, the voice was this time laced with hatred and

venom.

This can't be happening to me.

"By the way I left your family a present."

The mystery fellow turned and said as the triad made its way away from me towards a vehicle that had all of its plate numbers removed.

I still couldn't understand what the mystery was talking about.

As their car zoomed past me, I turned, my gaze fixed on whoever was behind the mask.

"You have exactly 3 mins to save your family."

Just then it dawned on me that the two guys that joined in on our

conversation were actually the dudes that visited my house earlier when my brother called me.

Oh my God! That package is a bomb.

Oh my God!!!