Breakdown
But Aziel is not ready yet.
When Kenjal and Andre arrive at his house, they find Aziel in an emotional breakdown. The man looks sadly ahead, it seems as if life was drained from his eyes. “Aziel, no, no, no!” Andre urges him. “You don't give up! Aziel, it is not the time for this. We're about to find her, she's counting on you!" He shakes Aziel like a rag doll.
Kenjal is experienced with emotional breakdowns. Numerous clients have collapsed in his office as a result of severe setbacks they endured, some even having to take a series at a time. He lets Andre do his thing for a while, he knows the men have a strong relationship of trust and that can booster Aziel's confidence.
"Aziel, look at me!" Andre demands. “We know that Loraine is acting unconsciously. Deep down she knows that you will be there to save her, as you always have. You can't leave her like this, man! Not you!" Slowly he begins to get through to him, the empty eyes start to glisten with tears. A few times Aziel tries to say something, but his mind is distracted.
Here is where Kenjal comes in. “You have no choice but to be strong, that's what we are the man for. Our job is to protect the ones we love. Giving up is failing. Think of happiness when she knows you've done everything you can to get her back to where she really wants to be," Kenjal tells him confidently. "You have no right to withdraw from your promises to her, take your responsibility, Aziel."
A sob wells up from Aziel's throat. “I am so distraught and lost without her. My whole life revolves around her,” he whispers. “Every night to that empty bed. It's killing me, man!"
Kenjal nods. “And you are now on set to change that. Waiting for others to do that for you doesn't always work. It is more often God and yourself. Let's go, we have a lot to do". He helps Aziel to his feet, while Andre takes his suitcase. The three of them leave the house, Andre makes sure that everything is closed properly and the alarm is switched on.
When they are outside, Aziel takes a deep breath of fresh air to calm his mind.
When he's ready, he sits in the backseat. They quickly pass by Andre's apartment to get his luggage and begin their journey to Miami. It's about a ten-hour trip, but with Kenjal's fast car they expect to cover it in eight hours, with two restroom stops and a lunch break.
When they finally drive into Florida, Aziel perks up considerably. He's really starting to take an interest in things around him, it's like he expects to recognize Loraine somewhere anytime. Andre and Kenjal smile at each other, this is a real improvement since they found him at home. In Miami they are looking for a nice hotel in downtown where they can spend the night. Not wanting to leave Aziel alone, they ask for a spacious room with three beds. After having settled in, they decide to take a walk to the pier where Andre's yacht must already be parked.
"Hey man, what's up?". Andre gives the captain a handshake and introduces the other two men. "This is Kenjal my boyfriend and that's Aziel looking for his wife, as I told you." The men board and Andre gives the two a tour inside the cabins, entertainment room, kitchen and other convenient spaces. Then they all retire to a small office where they can chat. “Michel, what have you found out up till now?” Andre asks the captain.
“Well, I've talked to a few colleagues who work on the bigger yachts. Nobody could tell me anything meaningful because there are a lot of couples on yachts here,” he explains. "I then spoke to the man from the Coast Guard who registers all incoming and outgoing ships."
He pauses for a moment, which serves him a poisonous look from Andre.
“That man is an old school friend. He said there is no one named Danner Winfield who has registered a boat," the captain said. “But there’s one that has set out, registered in the name of the owner. Ultimately, this owner did not get on board, and a couple alone left to sail away. During a check-up yesterday, he heard the woman in the background calling the man Danner and he answered her by the name Loraine".
Andre and Aziel go hyper, looking impatiently at the captain. “Please, I'm tired of your needless interruption. Are you trying to seem interesting?”. Andre is about to explode in anger. Even Aziel cannot appreciate these breaks and clenches his fists. But the captain beckons them with his hand to keep calm. "I'm just trying to estimate whether I should take you to the man myself to hear the rest of the story or if I tell you the part that won't help you." The men now look at him strangely. “What exactly is going on?” Andre asks.
“Well, he charges a hefty amount for the information. He gave me the description of Danner and Loraine, but of course he could have got that from the internet as well. If he runs off with your money, you can whistle at it because offering a bribe is just as punishable as receiving. How do we test his honesty?”.
Kenjal stands up abruptly. “You can leave that entirely to me, that's my specialization. Let's go to the man." Four men leave the ship bound for an address in Miami. It is now close to midnight and the area where the man lives is not well lit. They drive slowly into the indicated street, it is small and dirty and just like the rest of the neighborhood, it smells bad.
“I've never been in such an environment, the atmosphere here is grim”, notes Aziel with a disapproving look on his face. “This is not a ghetto, just a garbage dump. And watch the rest of the
city is in such good shape.” The three others agree with him completely. Kenjal leaves the lights on the car shining bright. A large mural is in front of them now. “Hey, this is a dead end. The wall is the end. This is a trap!”...
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