The blond walked a circle around the BMW MINI, then smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, Rita. When have I ever gone back on my word?"
Rita chuckled. "Okay, I'll go inside and keep an eye on her. As soon as she's asleep and it's quiet, I'll call you guys."
Meanwhile, Victoria, hidden behind the curtain, had heard every word of their conversation.
It seemed Rita and her friends were after her car.
Victoria pursed her lips, trying to figure out the best way to escape, when she heard someone coming up the stairs.
A moment later, Rita knocked on her door again.
"Miss, are you asleep?"
Victoria forced herself to remain calm. Leaving the curtain partially open, she called back, "Not yet. What is it, ma'am?"
"Oh, it's nothing, nothing. I just came to check on you. There was something I forgot to mention," Rita said with a smile.
Victoria had a bad feeling. "What is it?"
Rita replied, "Well, the electricity in town isn't very stable. It tends to go out at night. I was afraid you'd be scared if the power went out, so I came up to give you a heads-up."
Victoria's heart sank.
Just then, Rita tiptoed over to the circuit breaker, grabbed the switch, and pulled it down.
Click!
The room was plunged into darkness.
"Oh dear, look at me jinxing it. Speak of the devil!" Rita said with feigned annoyance. She pressed her ear to the door and raised her voice slightly. "Miss, are you alright?"
Victoria wasn't stupid. She knew the difference between a power outage and someone flipping a switch.
"Miss?" When there was no response from the room, Rita called out again.
"I'm fine. I was getting sleepy anyway," Victoria said.
Rita's eyes lit up. "Good, good, that's good. Well then, you get some sleep, miss. I won't bother you!"
Victoria listened as the footsteps outside faded away. Covering her mouth and nose, she walked to the bed, grabbed the drugged blanket, and stuffed it into a cabinet. Then, using her phone's flashlight, she scanned the room.
It was clear Rita and those thugs were planning to make their move tonight.
If they only wanted the car, Victoria wouldn't have cared. When you're in a strange place, staying alive is what matters most. But… Garnett had always taught her never to bet her life on the good nature of others.

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