Paradise Entrance

Chapter 2: Mistaken Identity

It was a bright sunny day on the tropical Island city of Amare, the city streets buzzling with cars upon cars 

and tricycles along with the island people filling the streets with tourists, locals and businesspeople and students alike. 

The people relaxing the beaches across the road from the resorts, this was the ultimate tropical Island paradise.

Lara had decided to go and buy a couple of things from the local markets for her trip to the sister Island to Paradise Entrance.

Lara’s point of view:

How exciting! The locals are so friendly and the markets are full of people and buzzing with local fresh produce, this place is beautiful. The smell of freshly made BBQ meats and street food in the air along with petrol and diesel smell from the roads and highways not far from here. So excited to board the buss today.

Lara was so excited to be here in the Island of Amare, away from the hustle and bustle of work back home.

Meanwhile:

“Your highness, do you think it is a wise idea for you to go out?” asked the princess’s personal aid. “I am going out disguised, no one will know who I am” she smirked and left the palace to go out on her own against the wishes of her personal aid.

The princess’ point of view:

I am over it, people watching my every move since I was born. I want my freedom, just a little freedom to be by myself for once. 

I know they are trying to protect me, but I am 17 years old for goodness sakes! 

Walking with my hoodie and walking passed the normal girls at the high school on this beautiful sunny 

morning, laughing and joking around with their friends… that’s all I want… just a normal life… where I can go to school and make friends like that… I don’t understand why it is like this…. 

since my parents died, they left me to look after the country, but my uncle is the prime minister looking 

after the Island of Amare at the moment until I turn 18 years old in six months’ time. 

Anyways, I just need to get away for a little bit, I am going to Paradise Entrance for an escape. My parents 

used to take me there when I was younger on family trips and such, will be good to get away for some 

“fresh air” from the palace for a bit… I am sure my personal aid won’t mind…” I snickered and chuckled to 

myself buying a ticket and waiting on the bus for it to leave, as I took out my phone and played some 

games, as the bus waited for other passengers to board….” Is what I thought. 

Meanwhile:

After buying some things at the market that morning, Lara set out on her Paradise Entrance adventure. 

She printed her bus ticket online and went that morning to the Paradise bus excursion bus, sitting on the window seat.

The bus was crowded and full of people, when the last woman walked in on the bus on this beautiful 

sunny day in paradise. “Mind if I sit here?” the woman asked Lara. “No, not at all.” Lara smiled as she took 

her bag off of the seat next to her to allow the woman to sit next to her. “Thank you.” She smiled.

As the bus took off, the women begin to chat and speak to each other, “My name is Lara, and you?” Lara 

asked this woman. “The name is Clara…Clara Mendoza” she said shaking hands with Lara. “Clara, I like 

that name” the women giggled. Clara looked out the window more than Lara did, “Would you… like to sit at the window side?” Lara asked softly. 

“Oh really? You won’t mind?” Clara asked softly yet with the sound of excitement and gladness in her 

voice. Lara chuckled, “of course not, here take a seat” Lara said as she got up and allowed Clara to sit on the window seat.

“Thank you kindly.” She said with humbleness in her voice. “She seems nice” Lara thought.

About 45 x minutes into the drive, the bus just passed over the bridge and entered the border of Paradise

 Entrance. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Island of Paradise Entrance, we hope you enjoy your 

stay here” the bus captain said on the intercom. The people on the bus cheered.

Shortly after, their cheers turned quiet as suddenly, men dressed in black and on motor bikes surrounded the bus. The people on the bus screamed in fright as the men stopped the bus.

The bus driver, fearing for the lives of the people on the bus, stopped the bus and allowed the men on. 

The men wore black masks to cover their faces, “don’t anybody move, and no one will get hurt….” The men 

said with authority in their voice, as they walked over to Lara’s seat. The men looked Lara’s seat number, 

“What is your seat number?” the man asked her. “46” Lara responded calmly. When suddenly, the man 

took her by the hand forcefully. Everyone grasped on the bus, “shut up! If you report us, everyone on the 

bus dies!” the man said with a broken accent. As he took Lara by the hand and took her outside of the bus, 

put a blindfold on her and tied her hands and the men with him, put her in the 4 x 4 and took her away.

The bus driver reported this to the police once the men were gone and police had arrived on the scene shortly after.

“as Lara is in the 4 x 4 blindfolded, with her heart pounding as the fear set in, “where… where are you taking me?” she asked. “You will see” the man responded simply.

When they arrived at the camp, she is taken to an interrogation room.

When they get in the room, the man removed her blind fold, she grasped as she was surrounded by men in the room, armed with loaded weapons. 

“You… have been difficult to get a hold of but we finally got you now…” the man grinned. 

Lara remained silent. “Wait till Drake hears about this….” 

The man smirked as he tried to embrace her face when she pulled away suddenly. The man pulled his 

hand away, “that’s alright, Drake will deal with you once and for all…” the man said. “Eban, that’s enough, leave her for Drake.” The other man said.

The men left the room and it was just Lara. “Where…. Am I?” 

Lara thought to herself as she was tied up and left there.

About an hour later, other men arrived at the camp and Drake, who was the leader of the rebel clan.

Eban, kept an eye on the woman from the interrogation glass in these police like interrogation room. 

Drake walks in the door, “I got the message you got someone for me, who is it?” Drake said as he walked in. 

“Look, its Carla Mendoza, we intercepted her bus coming into the Island, there she is….” Eban said. 

Drake looked and a smile popped up on his face in satisfaction, “Good man, let’s go meet our “queen” shall we?” Drake said as he took Eban and both men walk into the room together. Lara grasped when the two men dressed in black walked in, almost like black military clothing.

“So, miss Clara Mendoza, we finally meet….” Drake said, walked around her very slowly, whilst Eban stayed at the door. 

“What?” Lara asked. “You have no idea how long we have tracked you down, but we finally got you now…”

 He grinned as he pushed her chair back, “Ah!” Lara grasped, as her chair almost fell back but Drake 

caught it with his leg as he sat on the table. “Maybe we should give you a little of your own medicine 

before we get down to business?” Drake said. “Wait, I am not the person you are looking for!” Lara said in 

self-defence. “Yeah, that’s what they all say” Drake said with a serious tone of voice.

“I am telling you the truth! My name is Lara, Lara Hamilton, I am not even from here!” Lara said in fright, 

when Drake heard this, he looked at her closely, he pulled her seat close to him and he looked closely into 

her eyes, “I am telling you the truth….” Lara said in self-defence. “How do I know you are not lying?” Drake 

Leered. Lara swallowed a breath. “There was a lady, on the bus, who sat next to me, but we swapped

 seats… her name was Carla Mendoza….” Lara said as sweats began to fall down her face.

When Drake heard this, he pulled out a photo of Carla Mendoza, “Was this, her?” Drake asked her. “Yes,

 that was the woman, who is she?” Lara asked. Drake went silent and glared at Eban. Drake got up 

suddenly and walked to Eban and punched him, “You got the wrong one you fool!” Drake said, Lara grasped.

“The bus driver said she would be sitting in seat 46!” Eban said. “You stupid fool don’t rely on false 

information!” Drake said as he kicked Eban on the ground.

“Please, stop!” Lara cried. Drake turned around and looked at Lara, then took Eban and left the room.

Lara cried as she feared for her life at this stage, thinking she had just been kidnapped. She can hear the men outside talk in their native language.

Drake was outside talking with his higher-ranking officials, “They kidnapped the wrong woman….” Drake told his higher-ranking officer. “Stupid fools…” the colonel said.

“What do we do about the girl?” Drake asked. “We keep her here as prisoner, she is just a civilian and won’t be worth much to us” the Colonel said. “Roger that” Drake said and walked off.

Shortly after, Drake walks into the interrogation room. Lara flinched as she thought he was going to hurt her. 

He walks towards her slowly. Lara grasped as he pulled out a pocketknife. Lara flinched as she looked away, “if I cut these ropes, promise me you won’t scream or run” Drake said sternly. Lara nodded yes in agreement.

Drake took her hands and cut the ropes and gave her some water. Lara took the water and drank is 

quickly as she was thirsty, she was not used to the tropical climate. 

Drake looked at her, “I am sorry, there seems to have been some confusion…” Drake said. “You think!” Lara responded in sarcasm.

“Only problem is, we can’t let you go…” Drake said. “What…” Lara questioned confused. “We can’t let you 

go, because you have seen our base and have heard too much, and if word gets out of who we are, we will know who it came from and can’t risk that…” Drake said sternly.

“I give you my word, if you let me go I will not report it to the police, but if you let me go in peace, I will not 

say a word…” Lara said wanting to leave. “I am sorry, no can do….” He replied to her. There is an awkward 

silence between them as tears began to fall on Lara’s face softly.

“So…. What are you going to do with me?” Lara questioned. “we are going to keep you here as prisoner 

until we decide what to do with you…” Drake responded. “are you going to kill me?” Lara asked. “not if you 

comply with what we tell you.” Drake said sternly as he took her from the interrogation room to the prison cell just outside the interrogation centre, in this tribal like village.

Drake locks her in the cell and leaves. Lara sits there in the bed and starts to cry, “My family don’t know I am ok… will I ever see them again?” Lara thought to herself, being in this prison cell. “Some holiday this turned out to be!” She grunted.

Eban, Drake and the Colonel have a meeting what to do with their prisoner, “How about we kill her, destroy any evidence?” Eban said. “No we don’t kill our prisoners, Eban….” The Colonel said.

“Ulrick will be back from his mission shortly, let him deal with this, this is the last mistake you ever make, Eban…” the Colonel said as he glared at him.

Shortly after, they hear a scream from the prison, as Lara screamed as a snake had entered her prison cell, she jumped unto the prison bar cell and managed to escape through the window and ran through the tribal village, bumping into Eban in the middle of the village, surrounded by huts.

“We meet again” he smirked and pushed her to the ground.