A LIFE APART
EPISODE 5
WRITTEN BY RUKEVWE MERRY
Annabel’s search for Mirabel ended in frustration. She returned home, exhausted and defeated. Clara and Aaron watched her, their hearts heavy with sorrow. They had been so close to reuniting with one of their daughters, only to lose her again.
Clara tried to comfort Annabel. “We’ll find her, dear. Don’t give up.”
But Annabel’s determination only grew.
Meanwhile, Mirabel arrived at her boss’s hideout, determined to see through her final heist. “This is the last job,” she insisted. “After this, we go our separate ways.”
Her boss, a ruthless cr!m!nal, sneered. “You’ll do as I say. Now, let’s discuss the plan.”
Their target was a wealthy couple, rumored to be transporting $1 million to their house for an orphanage donation.
“By 9 pm, they’ll be driving home with the money,” the boss explained. “My informant says they’ll be traveling without police escort, just a driver.”
Mirabel’s unease grew. “Are you sure there won’t be security?” she asked.
Her boss smirked. “No, they’re a low-key couple. Easy targets.”
Later that night, around 9 pm, the crew set out to intercept the couple’s route. Mirabel’s nerves were on edge, This was her last job.
Meanwhile, Christabel was having severe stomach pain and had been complaining. Her mom noticed she was vomiting seriously and decided to take her to Saint Francis Hospital.
Mrs. Edwards’ concern turned to alarm. “I need to get her to the hospital, now!” she exclaimed.
Christabel’s eyes fluttered weakly as her mother rushed her to the hospital.
In the car, Mrs. Edwards called her husband. “Honey, it’s Christabel. She’s seriously ill. I’m taking her to Saint Francis.”
Mr. Edwards’ voice filled with worry. “I’ll meet you there. Keep me updated.”
AROUND 9PM
9 pm. Mirabel, her boss, and the crew waited, armed and ready. The informant’s intel had promised a lucrative deal. Suddenly, the boss spotted the approaching car’s license plate.
“It’s them!” the boss hissed, signaling the team. The crew attacked, gúns drawn. Tires screeched as they shot out the car’s tires. The couple, Clara and Aaron, refused to exit, frozen in fear.
“Get out!” a crew member yelled, yanking open the door. But instead of compliance, Annabel emerged, gún loaded, her movements fluid and deliberate. She grasped the assailant’s neck, her grip like a vice. “Drop your weapons!” she commanded, her voice steady and authoritative. Her eyes blazed with a fierce determination, as if daring anyone to test her.
Mirabel’s face froze, locking eyes with Annabel. Recognition sparked. Mirabel dropped her gun and rushed toward her sister. Annabel pushed the assailant aside and sprinted into Mirabel’s arms. They hugged, tears streaming down their faces. Time stood still. A gunshot shattered the silence, and the sisters broke apart, noticing their parents dragged out of the car.
Clara’s eyes welled up. “My daughter!” she sobbed, rushing toward Mirabel. Aaron’s voice trembled. “We’ve found you!” But the reunion was short-lived. The boss’s expression twisted. “Where’s the money?” Mirabel stepped forward. “Don’t hurt them. They’re my family.” The boss sneered. “Step aside.” The crew searched the car, finding no money.
The boss’s face darkened as he searched the car, finding no money. “Where is it?” he growled. His anger boiled over, fury etched on his face.
“Fine. We’ll change strategy,” he snarled, eyes locking onto Clara’s jewelry. Diamonds and gold glinted in the dim light, expensive and enticing. “You, woman. Remove your jewelry. Hand it over.”
Annabel’s eyes flashed. “How dare you! Don’t touch my mom with your filthy hands.” Clara trembled, her hands hesitating on her necklace. “Mom, don’t,” Annabel warned. But the boss’s patience had worn thin.
“Remove it, now!” he barked. Clara’s hands shook as she unclasped her necklace, tears welling up in her eyes. Aaron’s face contorted in anger. “Leave her alone!” But the boss’s attention remained fixed on Clara’s jewelry, his greed consuming him.
The boss’s insatiable greed consumed him, rendering him oblivious to the family’s anguish. Annabel’s maternal instincts erupted like a wildfire.
“How dare you!” Annabel spat again, stepping forward, her eyes blazing with defiance. “Don’t touch my mom.”
The boss’s callous slap cracked through the air, striking Annabel’s cheek with a sickening thud. Mirabel’s eyes widened in fury.
“How dare you, boss!” Mirabel screamed, trembling. “Can’t you see our resemblance? She’s my sister, my family. Let them be!”
The boss’s face twisted, his gúñ snapping out of his holster. “I’ll silence this insolent girl,” he snarled, cocking the trigger.
Time froze as Mirabel shielded Annabel. The gúñ fired, its report echoing through the night air. Mirabel’s cry pierced the silence.
She crumpled, blood pumping from her stomach like a river. The boss’s face contorted in horror.
“No! Mirabel, no!” he screamed, cradling her in his arms.
Annabel’s face set in determination. “We need to get her to the hospital, now!” she shouted, pushing the boss aside.
With lightning speed, Annabel bundled Mirabel into the getaway car, alongside their parents.
Tires squealed as they sped away.
At the hospital entrance, Annabel leapt out, shouting for help.
Nurses rushed forward with a stretcher, surrounding Mirabel.
Just then, Christabel and Mrs. Edwards appeared, their eyes locking onto the chaotic scene.
Christabel’s eyes widened, frozen in shock.
The triplet sisters face-to-face, their identical faces reflecting shock, fear, and confusion.
Mirabel’s pale face, Christabel pains, Annabel’s blood-stained clothes, and the stretcher bearing her fragile form hung suspended in time.
TBC
Finally