Chapter 70
Life was perfect again. Like, Barbie Dream House perfect!
We were back in New York. The routine was back. Gabriel went to work (doing boring logistics stuff), and I stayed at the estate being a rich, happy housewife.
I am not mad at him anymore. Nope! I decided to delete the "Bad Thoughts" folder in my brain. Empty Recycle Bin.
Gabriel is not a cheater. Natalia is just a delusional ex (who probably needs a hug and a therapist). And Sydney... well, Sydney is safe in the woods with her peppermint husband.
Everything is fine!
Today, I visited Stephie. My best friend! My partner in crime! She was sitting on her patio, drinking herbal tea. She looked... better.
Remember the scandal? The awful video that leaked? The internet trolls?
Gone. Poof.
Just like Gabriel promised. He fixed it in one day. He scrubbed the internet clean like he was wiping a dirty window. Stephie is safe now.
"You look glowing, Ali," Stephie smiled, putting down her cup.
"I am!" I giggled, shoving a macaron into my mouth. "Marriage is great! You should try it!"
Stephie's smile faltered a bit. She looked at her phone.
"Maybe one day," she whispered.
I noticed something.
On the table, there was a bouquet of flowers. Not from me. And not from her ex, Chad (that bastard!).
The card said: "Recover well. - S."
S?
Sean?
One of Gabriel's men? The guy with the suit and the tablet who always looks stressed and cocky at the same time?
"Stephieee~~" I poked her side. "Is Sean visiting you? Yieeee!"
Stephie blushed! She actually blushed!
"He... comes by," she mumbled. "To check on security. Per Gabriel's orders."
"Uh-huh," I winked. "Security checks. Sure."
I finished my milk.
"Do you want to go shopping?" I asked, bouncing in my seat. "There is a sale on washi tape at the mall! Let's go!"
Stephie shook her head gently. "Not yet, Ali. I... I'm not ready to go out there yet. The anxiety..."
I stopped bouncing. Poor Stephie.
"Okay," I hugged her. "I understand. I will go buy the washi tape for both of us!"
I kissed her cheek. "Bye, Steph! Tell Sean I said hi!"
I grabbed my pink bag and skipped out of her mansion.
★
I didn't call the driver. I wanted to be an independent woman today!
I booked an Uber.
Vroom.
I arrived at the mall. It was glorious.
I went to the craft store.
I bought Pink Yarn (to make Gabriel a scarf, even though he will never wear it). I bought Pastel Origami Paper (to make cranes for peace!). I bought Ingredients for Onigiri (because I missed Sydney). I bought a Hello Kitty Notebook (to write my feelings).
I was carrying three big paper bags. I felt successful!
I stopped at the ice cream stand.
"One scoop of Strawberry, please! With sprinkles!"
I sat on a bench, licking my ice cream. It was cold and sweet.
Nom nom.
I looked at the people walking by. Families. Couples. Teenagers. Everyone looked happy. The world is a safe place, right? Gabriel said so. He said he protects me.
I finished my ice cream. I checked my watch. 4:00 PM.
Time to go home and cook dinner for my Hubby!
I walked out of the mall. I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for my Uber. It was a quiet street. A bit shadowy because of the tall buildings.
A black car drove up slowly.
An SUV. Tinted windows. Very shiny.
It stopped right in front of me.
I smiled. Is that Gabriel? Did he come to pick me up? I took a step forward. "Gabby?"
The side door slid open.
Screech.
It wasn't Gabriel.
Three men jumped out. They were wearing all black. Black hoodies. Black pants. And black ski masks covering their faces.
My brain froze. Robbers?
"Hey!" I clutched my shopping bags. "No! My yarn!"
Before I could run, a rough hand grabbed my arm.
"Come here," a deep voice growled.
"NO!" I screamed. "HELP!!"
I tried to pull away. I dropped my bags. My pink yarn rolled onto the dirty pavement. My origami paper scattered like confetti.
The man didn't care. He dragged me. Another man grabbed my waist.
"Let me go!" I shrieked. "My husband is---!"
WHAM.
A fist.
A hard, heavy fist punched me right in the stomach.
"Oof!"
The air left my lungs instantly. Pain exploded in my belly. I doubled over, gasping. I felt like vomiting my strawberry ice cream.
My legs gave out.
They dragged me inside the SUV.
Thud.
I landed on the floor of the car.
"Shut her up," someone said.
A heavy hand clamped over my mouth. It tasted like leather and dirt.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
I tried to bite! I tried to kick!
But they were too strong. One man grabbed my wrists and twisted them behind my back. Zip-tie. He tied them tight. It hurt!
Then, darkness.
A rough sack was shoved over my head. It smelled like dust and old gasoline.
"No..." I whimpered into the fabric. "Please..."
I couldn't see. I couldn't move. My stomach was throbbing. My wrists were burning. And my bag... my bag with my inhaler... was left on the sidewalk with the spilled ice cream.
The car engine roared. We sped away.
★
Time passed. I don't know how long. Maybe minutes? Maybe hours?
I cried silently under the sack. My tears made the fabric wet and sticky against my face.
Gabby... where are you? Save me...
The SUV stopped.
"Get her out."
The door opened. Rough hands grabbed me again. I was dragged out. The air outside was cold and damp. It smelled like... rust? And the ocean?
"Walk," a man pushed me.
I stumbled. I couldn't see my feet!
We were walking on concrete. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Then, a heavy metal door creaked open. CREAAAK.
They shoved me inside.
The smell changed.
It didn't smell like the ocean anymore. It smelled like... sweat. And fear. And something metallic. Like copper.
They dragged me down a long hallway. My sneakers squeaked on the floor. Then, another door. They threw me forward.
I fell on my knees. Thud. My poor knees! I gasped for air inside the sack. It was hot. I wasn't alone. I could hear them.
Sob. Whimper. Sniff.
Other people?
"Please," a man's voice cracked nearby. "I didn't do it. Please let me go."
"Shut up," a guard barked. Smack.
The crying man went silent, turning into muffled sobs.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Where am I? Is this a kidnapping ring? Do they want money?
"I have money!" I cried out, my voice muffled by the hood. "My husband is rich! He will pay you! Just let me go!"
No one answered.
The atmosphere in the room was... heavy. It felt like the air before a thunderstorm.
Then... silence.
The guards stopped talking. The crying victims stopped wailing.
Why?
Click. Clack.
Footsteps.
New footsteps.
Heavy. Slow. Deliberate.
Thud... thud... thud.
They echoed on the concrete floor.
Someone had entered the room. Someone scary. Even the bad guys were scared of him.
"Status," a voice said.
It was low. Cold. Distorted by the echo. I couldn't recognize it.
"Six targets, Sir," a guard replied nervously.
"Good," the Cold Voice said.
CLICK.
The sound of something cocking.
My blood turned to ice.
Bang.
A gunshot. Loud. Deafening. Something heavy hit the floor nearby. Thud.
A woman screamed. "NO! NO PLEASE!"
Bang.
Another thud.
The screaming stopped.
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
He is killing them. He is executing us.
One by one.
Step. Step.
"No..." I whispered, shaking my head violently inside the sack. "No no no..."
Bang.
Third body.
He was getting closer.
I could hear his breathing. Steady. Calm. Not like a murderer. Like a machine.
Bang.
Fourth body.
My chest started to tighten.
The elephant. The invisible elephant was sitting on my lungs again.
Wheeze.
"Huk... huk..."
My asthma!
I needed my inhaler! But my hands were tied! And my bag was gone!
The sack was suffocating me. I couldn't get enough oxygen!
Bang.
Fifth body.
Silence.
Only me left.
I was the last one.
I heard the footsteps stop in front of me.
I saw the shadow of the man through the weave of the sack. He was tall. He was standing right there.
"Please..." I wheezed. "Can't... breathe..."
I wasn't begging for my life anymore. I was begging for air.
"Huk... huk... mama..."
My body jerked. I was hyperventilating.
The executioner didn't shoot.
He stood there. Watching me struggle. Watching me suffocate in the dark.
Why isn't he shooting? Is he enjoying this? Is he a sadist?
"Huk..."
My vision was spotting black. I was going to die. I was going to die alone in a dark room with a sack on my head.
Gabby... I love you...
Then, the Cold Voice spoke again. Not to me. To the guard.
"Remove it."
Footsteps approached. Rough hands grabbed the bottom of the sack.
Yank.
The sack was ripped off my head.
Light.
Blinding, harsh fluorescent light flooded my eyes.
I blinked, tears streaming down my face, gasping for air. "Huk... haaa..."
My vision was blurry. I saw a figure standing in front of me.
He was tall. He was wearing black trousers. A white dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He was holding a black gun in his right hand.
There was a splatter of red blood on his pristine white cuff.
I looked up.
My tear-filled eyes tried to focus.
The broad shoulders. The sharp jawline. The perfectly styled dark hair. The cold, dead eyes that were looking down at me with zero emotion.
My heart stopped beating. My lungs forgot how to wheeze. My brain shattered into a million pieces.
...
...
The executioner. The monster. The man killing people in the room.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was my husband.
"Gabriel..."