28. Eniko
28
ENIKO
Seventeen Years Later:
E niko sat in silence with his prison cafeteria slop in front of him. He thought deeply about his case.
He’d spent years going on these files, trying to find some damning piece of evidence to convict the Ransoms.
“I’d never been so close to catching him before. It’s tough work when it’s only me and my partner trying to put him behind bars.”
It was common knowledge at this point that Diesel was guilty of many major crimes, and he’d gotten away with most of them because those cases normally fall into the hands of the police or BPR agents that had been paid off.
“Diesel must hate that I’m more interested in justice than money. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was on a hit list of his.”
Eniko thought long and hard the past week about how to get Lea and Dineta out of Ryklira Prison.
“This place was an actual fortress, and it’s guarded on every corner. I could put in the paperwork to have them transferred out, but that would take too long. As soon as Diesel catches wind that Lea is going to be transferred out, he’ll take a hit out on her. She’ll be dead before the paperwork could even be signed.” Eniko began biting his thumbnail in thought. “I’m already running out of time as it is.”
Eniko happened to glance up at the woman passing out the food and noticed that something was familiar about her. He watched the woman place a tray of food in front of Lea and then Dineta.
A sickening feeling developed in his stomach.
Something was wrong. He just didn’t know what.
Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning.
My eyes fell to Lea who seemed to sniff the air before her eyes went wide and fearful.
“Stop! Don’t eat any—!” She tried to stop Dineta from taking another bite.
Her face turned red and swelled as she jumped across the table to help Dineta who had fallen over, unable to breathe.
Everything in Eniko’s head moved slowly. It almost felt as if he was able to slow down and stop time.
He jumped out of his seat without giving it a second thought and rushed over to Lea. By the time he made it over there, Dineta was already gone. Eniko grabbed Lea’s shoulders and inspected her for a moment. “Stay with me, Lea!”
Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she was unable to draw her next breath.
Eniko reached into his pouch and grabbed an anti-poison potion. He then pried open Lea’s mouth and poured the liquid in.
Her throat looked to be closed up, but he had to try. She was the key to stopping Diesel. If she died, then all hope would be lost for him.
He would have to start from square one again.
“Don’t think Diesel forgot about you too.”
Eniko heard the woman come up from behind him.
“All loose ends must be accounted for.” It was hard to hear her words over the sound of metal slicing into his neck.
He was so stunned that he didn’t feel the pain at first. It wasn’t until he placed his hand over his neck and felt the blood pouring out that he realized he was in trouble. Panicked, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of items, strewing them across the floor.
There was nothing that could save him, though.
He collapsed to the floor in a pool of his own blood.
Lea…