20. One Last Breath
20
One Last Breath
A N ice-cold shiver ran along Roselin’s spine, even though the cafe was warm and cosy. Her senses were on high alert as her best friend begged her through the phone. Nadia’s voice trembled almost as much as Roselin’s hands.
“Please, Rose. Please , help,” Nadia pleaded.
Roselin restrained herself from spitting all the questions out at once, no matter how hard it was. “Where are you?” The word rushed out of her mouth, her heartbeat racing. She tried to keep her voice down as her gaze shot through the cafe. No one paid any attention to her, and she was uncertain if it was a good thing, or if it pissed her off they were all enjoying their little personal bubbles, as if she wasn’t in distress. They were all laughing, talking, or working. She wanted to scream at them to open their eyes to the ignorance of the surface world, but she once was part of them. Could she return to obliviousness?
“At the apartment,” Nadia said, pulling Roselin back in.
Crap, they were just there. “Ryu’s looking for you. I’ll call him, and we can come and help, and—”
“No! Rose… you don’t understand. You need to go alone.” The last part of Nadia’s words set off every alarm bell in Roselin’s head.
To come alone sounded like the stupidest plan ever. “I can’t.” Somewhere in the back of her mind, the possibility that Nadia might be involved in the grand scheme of it all grew inside her. Smart people came prepared, even if it meant questioning her own friends, Roselin told herself. However, what if Gale was there? What if he did something to Nadia? It could be a trap. But Nadia wouldn’t endanger her, right?
Roselin took a deep breath to prevent herself from crushing under the weight of her whirlwind of thoughts. If there were no consequences, she’d hide in a painting and ignore the world.
The sound of rumbling came from the other side of the phone. “Gale, don’t,” Nadia said.
Roselin’s heart stopped for a moment. Gale… it was a trap. Or was Nadia trapped?
“You fucking bitch.” Gale’s voice made her break out in a cold sweat. “You come alone to the apartment. If you tell anyone, I’ll hurt her,” Gale snapped. “I’ll hurt Nadia, and it will be on you.”
The blood drained from her face, but anger quickly took over. Why was everyone putting their sins on her? “I swear to God, Gale, if—”
“If what, Rose ?” An unpleasant tickle ran through her body as he spoke her name. “What can you do when you always hide behind Ryu’s skirt?”
“I’m not hiding, you little turd,” Roselin hissed in a low tone so no one in the cafe was able to eavesdrop.
Gale breathed in frustration. “You better be here soon. Alone. Or bodies will drop.” The connection broke off, and a sharp breath escaped her.
Bodies will drop? Gale watched too many action movies. It was an empty threat, Roselin tried to convince herself. He couldn’t be serious. He wouldn’t kill Nadia… there was no way.
Her fingers raked through her hair. What was her plan? She already established that going by herself would be stupid. It would also be foolish to not go. And Gale was dumb but he might be smart enough to have someone watch them if she didn’t come alone. Shit. Why did she think he wouldn’t become a murderer? Why did she save his life? He was responsible for so many deaths. And there was no way she could casually walk into a group of terrorists. But what were her other options? Her trembling hand covered her mouth. She needed to go to Nadia alone. Was risking her own life worth it?
What was her plan?
Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to stop the flood of thoughts from drowning her brain. A calm she didn’t often feel washed over her. She could do this. She had to.
First, she should get out of here, but the front door where the Driver was waiting wasn’t an option. She scanned the cafe. There must’ve been a backdoor—she knew they had one. The employees came in from another entrance.
She rose to her feet, walking to the toilets in the back. As Roselin straightened her spine, she opened a door. ‘Walk with confidence, and people won’t question you’, she told herself, something her mum used to say.
Roselin held her chin high. Someone sat in what seemed to be the break room. Shit. The person’s eyes shot to her, and Roselin put on a smile. “So nice to see you again. Have a lovely shift,” Roselin said as she kept walking like she belonged. Quickly opening the backdoor, the icy wind brushed against her face.
First step, done. Next, go to the dorms. The cafe wasn’t far from campus, and at a quick pace, Roselin began to walk. Her heart pounded in her ears as her leg muscles protested at the speed she forced them to move. Please, God, if you’re out there, make sure nothing happens to Nadia, Roselin thought. She repeated the prayer over and over in her head. Don’t let Gale be a murderer. May this all be a mistake. Something that would become a running joke years later.
With heavy feet, Roselin dashed up the stairs. Every step took more effort compared to the one before as she fought the urge to run the other way and call Ryu.
Roselin grabbed her phone from her pocket. Her fingers hovered over the list of unknown numbers Ryu or his clan texted and called from. Please let this be the right one … she went to voicemail.
“Ryu, I’m at my apartment. Gale is here. He says he’s going to kill Nadia,” she whispered into the phone. “Please come.”
Ryu would know what to do. After all, he had his shadows. He’d realise to scan the area, take out all the people who were with Gale—if only he received her message and be here in time. In the meantime, she had to handle this herself; get Nadia out, and get out herself.
She drew a few deep breaths to stop her hands from trembling. “You can do this, Rose,” she said to herself.
She could do this.
Roselin opened the door. A burst of confidence pumped through her veins. Or was it the adrenaline? At the dining table sat Nadia, turned sideways towards the entrance. The tears from the sobbing she heard through the phone were nowhere to be seen on Nadia’s face, and her heart dropped. Next to her stood Gale, a butcher’s knife in his hand. Both their eyes snapped to Roselin.
“Rose, so nice of you to join us,” Gale said as he stroked Nadia’s hair, and the corner of her lips twitched up.
Did Nadia smile?
Roselin wanted to cuss him out, but pissing him off when he held a butcher’s knife might not be the smartest move. So she decided on a simple “Gale.” And she met Nadia’s doe eyes. “Are you okay?” Nadia showed no sign of fear at all. Did Roselin walk into a trap?
Nadia’s lips formed a thin line.
Did Nadia choose Gale over her?
To be fair, from her friend’s perspective, Roselin chose Ryu over her… but she didn’t. Not exactly. Shit, Nadia, what are you doing? Roselin thought as if Nadia had the ability to read her mind somehow and answer her.
Gale laughed. “Oh, yeah, the empty threat from our hero, Rose. Unlike you, I would never hurt Nadia.” His fingers brushed Nadia’s cheek as he grinned at her, and Nadia returned the smile.
So it was a trap? A part of her heart broke, and her stomach churned, but her fear and betrayal quickly turned into anger. She scoffed. “So we’re going to ignore you cheating on her?”
His lips pursed together as his eyes snapped back to Roselin. “You’re the last person to judge anyone. Walking around high and mighty but sharing the bed with a serial killer at the head of organised crime in OUR city.”
Roselin stomped her feet. “He only kills murderers. One murderer to bring down the number of our city’s killers. Carrying sins to clean Arcadia.”
Gale laughed again; one that made her blood run icy cold. “Does he teach all his whores to say that cute little line?”
“I’m not his whore.” Damn it, why was she arguing with Gale about this? Why didn’t she leave—running away from all this mess? She could, but what if there was the slight chance Nadia wasn’t here of her own free will too? Roselin wouldn’t forgive herself for leaving if Gale hurt Nadia.
Shit, Ryu, where are you?
Gale turned Nadia’s face up to him. “Do you agree with your friend?”
Nadia shook her head and met Roselin’s eyes. “He’s the Sin Eater, Rose. I told you not to go out with him. Ryu is evil.”
Evil? Something snapped inside her. “You’re the one to judge. Like the guy you date is such a saint. He cheated on you, harassed me, and you walked back into his arms as if nothing had happened.”
“And you did after Ryu attacked Abasi and cut your arm,” Nadia raised her voice.
“Well, Gale is a fucking terrorist, letting trams explode and killing innocent people just because his delicate feelings got hurt!”
“You fucking bitch,” Gale said as he stepped forward, but Nadia grabbed his arm, feigning like she was strong enough to hold him away from Roselin. They all knew she wasn’t, yet Gale stopped. A small spark of hope lit up Roselin’s heart. Maybe she was able to talk herself out of this. Maybe nothing bad had to happen.
Nadia’s face turned pale, and for a second, Roselin thought tears formed in her best friend’s eyes. “You did what?” Nadia’s hand fell from his arm.
Gale snapped his head towards Nadia. “You’re going to believe her over me? Come on, you know me!”
A trembling breath left Nadia’s lips. Her hands clenched into fists, and with the gesture, something lifted from her. A decision was made with one last glimmer in her eyes before the emotions faded.
“Nadia!” Gale yelled.
Roselin’s heart sank as defeat crossed Nadia’s face. Her expression softened, as if Nadia was telling Roselin it was okay. “You need to run,” Nadia said with a weak smile. “Gale’s going to kill you. I tried to convince him not to. To play along with his game. But I failed. I’m sorry, Rose.”
“NADIA!” Gale screamed, yet he turned to Rose.
There lay something in his penetrating stare she had never seen someone have before, and it froze Roselin to the ground. Her body numbed, but her brain overflew.
Nadia closed her eyes as she looked away. “You’re a monster,” Nadia whispered under her breath. The vein at Gale’s temple pulsated as his head turned red.
Gale’s fingers clenched the handle of the knife. Slowly, the adrenaline jump-started the feeling in her limbs again, her mind yelling at her, but everything happened too fast. Faster than Roselin was able to move. Yet it seemed like time stood still as the scene played before her.
The knife slashed and tears rolled along Nadia’s face. With one clean cut, crimson liquid splashed out of Nadia’s throat. Nadia grabbed the wound, and Roselin startled, but for some reason, Nadia remained calm; there wasn’t shock in her eyes.
A scream worked itself out of Roselin’s mouth as she dashed to Nadia. “No, no, no .” She held Nadia’s numb body in her arms, her hand on Nadia’s pale face. Warm blood ran down Roselin’s skin. “Please don’t die.” She stroked Nadia’s hair. “I’m so sorry, Nadia.” A sob broke her voice. “This is my fault. Oh my—”
This was her fault. She was wrong. She did this.
“Nadia,” she sobbed. “Please don’t leave me too.”
Nadia…