CHAPTER XVII #2
“That would depend on the depth of the frost line, which can fluctuate,” Luca replied, his breath visible in the crisp air as he rubbed his gloved hands together.
Lo let out a derisive snort. “What are you, some kind of meteorologist now?”
“No, dumbass,” Luca shot back. “Trust me, the snow’s soft enough to dig through. It won’t be a problem.”
“Nico, these are actual graves. Are we seriously going to dig them up?” Lo asked.
“I don’t care,” I snapped.
The thought of my angel being buried alive was far worse than the horror of what we were about to do.
I turned to my men, already gripping the shovels in their hands. “Start digging.”
Without hesitation, we ran down the path and began searching the grounds for any graves that seemed to have been recently disturbed.
The sky decided it was the perfect time to shower us with a mix of rain and snow, making it much more difficult to dig as the mixture flowed down the graves.
My shovel's edge hit the packed snow with a heavy thud. I pushed it forward, feeling the resistance as it penetrated the frozen ground, then lifted it with a grunt, tossing the snow aside.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, each impact sending jarring vibrations through my arms. My muscles screamed at me to stop, and a dull, numbing pain throbbed in my fingers, yet I pushed on.
Nothing was going to stop me from finding my angel.
Even if the cold threatened to freeze me to death, my love for her would warm me and set me free.
I drew quick, labored breaths, the cold air stabbing at my lungs like a thousand tiny needles. With every swing into the ground, my hope chipped away.
I cursed under my breath, feeling the swing of the shovel as it dug deeper into my soul, reminding me of my failure to protect the one person who owned my heart, soul, and mind.
The snow- and rain-soaked ground became a battleground as we desperately dug for Gigi.
Grave after grave, we worked furiously. A sinking dread settled in my stomach.
Each body we uncovered that wasn’t her felt like another dagger to my heart.
What if we were too late? Was this just a diversion, another one of the Puppet Master’s fucked-up games?
I glanced down at my watch, my heart pounding, and froze. “She only has eight minutes of oxygen left!” My desperation grew as time slipped away. I kept digging, and as soon as I saw a body wasn’t Gigi, I pushed forward.
We were soaked from the cold, shivering, and covered in snow and mud. We moved on to one grave after another, each hole revealing nothing but despair.
Luca roared as he drove his shovel into the earth with a violent thud. Dirt and snow flew up around him. “She’s not fucking here!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the stillness of the cemetery.
“Where is she then?” Alphonse shouted frantically. His cheeks and nose, bright red from the biting cold, dripped with snot, mirroring how the rest of us looked.
I hurled the shovel to the ground. Dropping to my knees, I buried my fingers in my hair, gripping it tightly as a guttural, animalistic sound tore from my throat.
Where the hell was she? If she was dead, I wouldn’t be able to survive.
I’d follow her into the abyss. But only after I killed the Puppet Master.
“Nico,” Lo murmured, clutching my shoulder. But there was nothing that could subdue the fury from drowning me. I unleashed the beast from its cage.
I sprang to my feet, snatching the shovel back up, and swung it wildly at the gravestones.
“Nico! Stop!” Lo shouted, but I continued on the warpath until thick arms encircled my chest, restricting my movements.
“Get the fuck off me!” I spat, thrashing against the grip.
“You need to calm down,” Alphonse seethed in my ear. “Now is not the time to show weakness in front of your men. Get your shit together.”
My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, and I squeezed my eyes shut as the icy rain battered my face. Each drop was a cold reminder, urging me to gather my thoughts and regain my composure.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, Alphonse loosened his grip but didn’t let go entirely. “Are you good?” he asked.
“Yes,” I gritted through clenched teeth.
He finally released me, and I opened my eyes, my gaze locking onto an angel statue. My feet propelled me toward the statue. I grabbed my shovel and continued. That’s when I noticed a grave that was freshly dug.
I started to shove the blade in the soil but stopped.
What if she wasn’t a coffin? If I dug too deep, I might accidentally injure her.
I dropped the shovel, fell to my knees, and pushed into the snow and dirt with my gloved hands.
The snow and rain still coming down made me sink further into the ground.
Then I felt something .
“Gigi!” I dug faster and faster. “Gigi!” I called out again as I tried to get to her.
Suddenly, Lo, Matteo, Luca, and Alphonse came beside me and joined me.
“Gigi, baby!” I called out, my voice breaking. I dug deeper, my hands trembling from fear and anger, dirt flying everywhere.
“Come on, come on,” I urged, clawing at the earth until my fingers brushed against a wooden box. Using the shovel, I struck the wooden box with a sickening thud. It splintered open, and my heart dropped.
When a flash of dark brown hair appeared, I almost cried in relief.
But that relief shattered like glass when I took in the scene.
Gigi was unconscious, naked, and her body was a canvas of bruises of all shapes and sizes as well as cuts.
My heart dropped like a stone, and the world suddenly felt heavy, as if the God of War had just stepped in, ready to unleash his wrath.
“Gigi!” I shouted, panic flooding my veins.
“Is she dead?” Alphonse asked frantically.
I pulled her from the darkness, cradling her in my arms and close to my chest.
“Gigi, baby, wake up,” I pleaded in a whisper.
I glanced back to see the horror etched on Matteo, Alphonse, Lo, and Luca’s faces, their expressions mirroring the despair that was boiling inside me. “She’s not waking up.” A small guttural cry escaped my lips.
I turned back to Gigi. My heart ached in agony, each beat a reminder of the pain she went through.
My sweet angel.
The anguish I felt when she had been taken was nothing compared to this raw, searing pain I felt now.
“I’m here, baby,” I said, my hands shaking as I worked to unshackle, her but the collar wouldn’t budge.
The fury bubbling within me screamed for vengeance, a relentless force demanding that we make them pay for every moment of her suffering.
I wrapped Gigi in my coat, cradling her fragile form against my chest. She had lost so much fucking weight, and she was cold. So fucking cold.
But then she let out a soft whimper, and my heart soared. “I’ve got you,” I whispered, my heart breaking at the sight of her injuries. Every bruise, every cut, felt like a dagger in my own flesh. I carried her out of this hell, my soul screaming for justice.
I rose to my feet, Luca and Lo standing a few paces away.
“Is she—” Luca started, as he stepped forward.
“She’s not dead,” I replied, my own voice barely more than a whisper, thick with emotion.
Lo’s face paled. “Oh, fuck,” he whispered.
“Let’s go.” I stepped forward, my heart quickening with anticipation to get my girl to the hospital, when Alphonse’s hard tone brought me to an abrupt stop.
“Wait. Don’t move.” Alphonse stood frozen, eyes scanning the grounds. “Something doesn’t seem right.”
I tightened my grip on Gigi, thankful the snow showers had subsided. “What do you see?”
“Just… something is off,” Alphonse insisted, his gaze flickered toward the tree line. “I can feel it.”
A chill ran down my spine as I sensed the same. Everything felt too still, too quiet.
“So, what? We’re just going to stand here and wait for them to take us out?” Luca whispered fiercely, his gun steady in his grip.
“Forgive me if I don't trust his instincts,” Matteo countered.
Alphonse's gaze hardened. “In a time like this, you always go with your gut instinct. Never question it.” Alphonse faced the ground again, cautiously stepping forward.
A faint glimmer appeared in the distance, confirming he was right. I cursed under my breath, shielding Gigi. “Take cover!” I ordered.
But it was too late.
A shot rang in the air.
Luca crumpled to the ground, a cry escaping his lips.
“Luca!” Matteo shouted.
“Motherfucker!” he cursed as he frantically tried to stem the bleeding on his leg with his hands.
“You dumbass!” Lo scolded, rushing over to his side.
“Shut the fuck up and get me out of here,” Luca grunted.
Matteo and Lo ran to Luca’s side. They grabbed the back of Luca’s jacket and hauled him out of the way. Matteo crouched over the wound, his brow furrowed. “It went through. You’ll live,” he said.
Matteo drew his knife and cut a strip from Luca's jacket, wrapping it tightly around Luca’s wound.
“Fuck off,” Luca spat. “You weren’t the one shot.”
“Knock it off,” I hissed. I turned to Alphonse, dread clawing at my insides. “Do you see anyone?”
He peered over the statue and shook his head. “Why come now?” he muttered. “This was a fucking trap.”
Before I could respond, bullets tore through the statue, splintering the stone and sending debris raining down. I pivoted, instinctively shielding Gigi with my body as chaos erupted around us.
The rapid-fire onslaught felt endless, each crack of a bullet echoing like thunder.
Finally, the gunfire dwindled to silence, leaving only our ragged breathing hanging in the stillness. I glanced around, adrenaline still pumping. “Are you all good?”
Alphonse nodded sharply, his head resting against what was left of the statue. Lo, Luca, and Matteo murmured their reassurances.
“What now? We’re trapped,” Lo asked.
My gaze drifted toward the rear of the cemetery, where I spotted a large mausoleum. I turned to Alphonse, pointing toward the building.
He tracked my gesture and nodded.