34.Alin
Alin
The sharp pain in my neck jolts me awake. How long have I been asleep? Where am I? Why am I in this uncomfortable bed?
In a moment, I remember everything and try to move my body, this time successfully. Good, the drug’s effects have worn off.
I calm down a bit and look around. I’m locked in a cell with a large, barred door in front, surrounded by iron walls. There isn’t even a window. I breathe heavily, and all I can smell is the strong odor of mold and the humidity so thick I can almost taste it. Disgusting.
I will get revenge on Stas for what he did to Cora and his constant threats.
He thinks he knows who he’s dealing with, but he has no idea.
I just hope Luca and Cora are okay. They’d better not look for me; they’ll just get hurt.
I’ll get out of here myself, right after I deal with that piece of human filth.
I look ahead, searching for any hint of a person I could overpower to help me escape, but I realize he’s used what knowledge he’s already learned about me to prepare the area well.
The bars face a very long, empty corridor, and I doubt anyone will come close to me physically now. But someone will have to come here at some point, right? I’m sure he doesn’t want me here for nothing. He said he wanted me to work for him? Delusional .
He kept me alive, so I can try to play that to my advantage. I just hope the Italians don’t get involved; I don’t want more blood on my hands. I’ll handle this problem alone and make sure to get rid of it for them and for myself.
I don’t know how much time has passed since I’ve been in this cell. No one comes, and time feels like an eternity.
Sleep, wake up, sleep, wake up. I start scratching at the walls, going crazy in here.
He’s playing with me, wanting me to lose my mind. I won’t give him that satisfaction.
I don’t know when it’s night, I don’t know when it’s day.
The lighting has stayed the same for so long.
I get disgusting food every few hours from a shitty robot on wheels.
I laugh when I think about it—how scared they are of me and yet still dared to kidnap me.
A bunch of stupid bullies. When I get my hands on them. ..
I return to my small iron bed and lie down.
My body has gotten used to how cold, hard, and uncomfortable it is.
I close my eyes when suddenly I hear footsteps.
I jump up, recognizing Stas advancing toward the cell in the corridor.
The main course is really luxurious today; he came just to die by my hands.
My lips curl into a victorious smile. I raise my hand toward him and pull his body forcefully toward me, his face slamming into the bars with great force. My hand immediately searches for a key in his pockets.
“Bitch, you think I’d come here with a key?
You underestimate my intelligence,” he spits through the bars, struggling to breathe.
I throw his body away and then pull him again forcefully into the bars, this time his head hits the rusty iron so hard that blood starts to trickle from the sides of his head.
He’s laughing now, the bastard is laughing.
I contort my face in disdain and resist the urge to kill him here and now, knowing that no one else will come here besides him. “What do you want from me?” I ask in a quiet but threatening voice.
“Oh, now you’re asking the relevant question. I want you to work for me,” he says directly, not beating around the bush, seeming to think he has a trump card up his sleeve.
“You clearly chose the wrong career, you should have been a comedian,” I reply sarcastically, not letting go of my grip.
“Apparently I haven’t left you alone in here long enough if you haven’t lost your rich sense of humor yet,” he responds arrogantly.
“You will work for me because you know that if you don’t, you’ll stay stuck in this cell, and we’ll hunt down your beloved Italians one by one.
Every day I’ll have your nice little robot friend bring you an organ of one of the Italians we’ve killed with your lunch,” he threatens, and I can’t understand how this bastard still thinks he has the upper hand.
I close my hand into a tight fist, and Stas struggles to breathe. “I’ll l...eave,” he tries to say without air, and I release his breath for a moment, letting him finish his sentence.
“I’ll leave your Italians and their businesses alone, at least for now, if you work for me.” He finishes and coughs a little, it seems the lack of oxygen in this building has affected his brain cells too, or maybe I hit his head too hard.
I raise my lips into a half-smile. “And how exactly will you know that once I get out of here, I won’t kill you and all your soldiers?
You don’t plan for me to work for you while drugged, right?
” I ask in a mocking tone, deliberately provoking him.
I need to find a way out of these bars to deal with the Russians properly.
“I’m at least glad you’re not stupid,” he says confidently. “Reach into my suit jacket—you’ll find a gift,” he teases arrogantly. I pull his body away from the bars enough to access the inner pocket of his jacket, taking out a black collar.
“This will be around your neck. If you disobey me, with the push of a button, you’ll get a strong electric shock that, if sustained long enough, could kill you,” he explains, a victorious smile spreading across his face.
Stas has planned everything down to the last detail, thinking I’m a dog that will roll over and obey his command. My blood boils, but I can’t show him it’s affecting me. I need to think clearly; maybe this will be my only way out of this cell.
“How do I know you won’t touch the Italians?” I ask, releasing his body and holding the collar he gave me, considering his offer.
“Sweetheart, I think I’ve made it clear that I’m a man of my word,” he stands in place, straightening his suit.
This is currently my only choice to get out of here. I can find a solution along the way and meanwhile keep Luca and Cora safe. I’ll have to make a deal with the devil for now.
“Okay,” I agree. The victorious smile stretches across his lips again, and he points at the collar.
“I won’t open the bars until you put the collar on.
” I roll my eyes at the piece of crap he is.
He just keeps getting on my nerves. I know I can overpower him in a second if I want to, but it doesn’t seem like he has anything else on him or any keys.
He had nothing in his pockets. If there’s no remote control, it means someone is watching us from afar.
How are they communicating?
I’ll sort everything out once I’m out of here, so I can get my revenge. I bring the collar to my neck hesitantly when suddenly I hear a loud gunshot in the background.
“What’s going on?” I shout angrily at Stas, dropping the collar on the floor and moving toward the bars. Judging by his expression, he’s just as surprised as I am, and in a split second, he turns and starts running.
No, no, no, I’m not getting stuck here again . I pull Stas back forcefully until his body slams against the bars again. This time, his back hits the bars, and judging by the sound of the impact, it seems he’ll suffer from a few broken bones when he gets out of here. If he gets out.
“I won’t ask again, what is that noise?” I ask in a slow, threatening tone, starting to crush his neck again.
“It’s not us,” he manages to choke out, and I release my grip a little.
Someone is attacking them, the realization hits me. Luca, what are you doing?
I immediately shrink in my place, fear for his safety surging in my chest, but I can’t hide my happiness.
He came back for me. I’m still holding Stas close to the bars, certain that someone is watching us.
I look for cameras but see nothing. I scan Stas again and suddenly notice a small transparent earpiece in his ear.
I immediately pull it out and speak into it threateningly.
“If you don’t open the bars now, I will cut Stas here limb by limb. How long do you think it will take for the other families to realize your boss is out of the game?” I slam Stas’s head against the bars, letting them hear his groan of pain.
Nothing happens for a long minute, and I wonder if this is what they actually want, but suddenly I hear the hum of the lock opening. The bars are unlocked. I did it!
I hurl Stas against the concrete wall with all my strength, blood trickling from the back of his head, staining the concrete. I don’t have time to check if he’s still alive—I need to help Luca.
I stomp on the earpiece, breaking it into pieces, and start running toward the sound of gunfire coming from the other end of the long corridor, echoing throughout. I reach the end of the corridor and see a large, heavy steel door to my right.
With a strong push, it swings open, and three men turn to me instantly. I react quickly, and before they can aim their weapons, I throw all three of them against the walls with a single powerful blow. I’m a monster today, and I’ll need to stay a monster to survive and get back to Luca’s arms.
I keep running, knocking down more men along the way through the long, old building until my eyes land on another large steel door. This must be the exit, I’m sure. It’s locked with a keypad and fingerprint scanner.
How the hell do I get out of here?! I look around—concrete walls, unconscious men—I’m running out of time.
I have to signal Luca that I’m here. Searching desperately, I find nothing among the soldiers’ belongings—just earpieces.
This place must be one of their secure facilities.
Stas really went all out to bring me here.
Fool . I can’t afford to lose focus on forming an escape plan, not with the mold’s pungent smell growing stronger, making me dizzy.
I lean against a concrete wall, trying to brainstorm before they regroup or, worse, harm Luca before I find them.
Frustration mounts as I glance up and see a small window high up, barred and out of reach. Should I shout?
I try to ignore the smell of mold again, which is now giving me a sharp headache mixed with the dizziness from running this far. The smell is so strong it could choke me. I cough hard, and then logic hits me, and I want to slap myself for not thinking of this sooner.
Where there’s mold, there’s water . Even the tiniest droplets could help.
Closing my eyes, I concentrate on sensing any water source nearby.
There’s water here, I’m certain of it. Ignoring the overpowering smell, I focus deeply, channeling every ounce of my concentration into finding that vital liquid.
When I open my eyes again, I see a large sphere of liquid forming in front of me, and pride fills me.
I transform this sphere into a long water snake, threading it out through the bars and lifting it as high as possible, making it impossible to miss. Luca or one of his men has to see it, I hope.
I hold the water in the air for a long time, feeling my strength draining. I don’t know how much longer I can keep the liquid suspended in the air, and I hope Luca has already spotted it.
I’m getting weaker, the mold around me, the strong smell, and the lack of oxygen slowly sap the remaining energy from my body.
My legs begin to tremble, I fall to my knees, but I don’t let go. I can’t give up.
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierces my shoulder accompanied by the sound of gunfire, and I collapse to the ground.
The water slips from my grasp, and before I can react, Stas is limping toward me with a loaded gun aimed at my chest. I struggle to raise my hand to defend myself, but he fires again, this time hitting my other shoulder.
Pain and exhaustion haze my senses. Stas approaches with the collar, and I try to protest weakly, regretting not ensuring his demise earlier.
Before I can make a sound, a loud explosion sounds behind me, and my eyes start to close.
Am I dying? I hear a familiar voice in the background, shouting my name. Luca? I must be imagining it, for sure.
It’s too good to be true. He can’t have such great timing every single time, right?
I have no water left to tend to my wounds, no strength left to keep going.
I’m so tired, maybe I’ll close my eyes just for a moment. Just for one moment... Luca will come soon.
Everything will be alright, won’t it?