The sky was a gloomy casket-black that sent shivers down my spine. As if on cue, thunder roared and clouds gathered, heralding the arrival of rain.
‘Three guards have been neutralized on the east side. The pathway is clear,’
Abel’s voice sounded coolly in my earpiece.
With determination fueling my steps, I strode into the heart of the main area, the sheer enormity of the space overwhelming me.
Abel and Prince were our skilled overseers, their watchful eyes trailing our every move. Meanwhile, Ace and I kept a careful vigil on the 35-foot soldiers who were tasked with providing us cover.
My heart races as I step into the yard, my gun gripped tightly in my hand like a lifeline. My eyes dart from corner to corner, ready for whatever danger lurks in the shadows. Suddenly, Ace materializes before me with two other men, his face etched with unmistakable anxiety. ‘What’s going on?’ I demand my senses on high alert. His reply hits me like a punch to the gut:
‘They know we’re here.’
Before I can even begin to process this news, a deafening explosion rocks the air. We huddle together, bodies trembling, as debris rains down around us. The force of the blast nearly knocks me off my feet, but I catch myself just in time, my eyes scanning the area for any sign of the enemy. And then they come, bullets raining down on us like a lethal hailstorm, the voices of our adversaries echoing through the air in a foreign tongue.
Frustration coursed through my veins, tightening my muscles and leaving me restless and eager for action. I clench my fists, determination etched on my face as I prepare to face whatever danger lies ahead.
‘Looks like you’ve got company,’
‘Five men are heading your way,’ Prince spoke through the window earpiece.
I stretched my neck, savoring the release of tension as my bones clicked into place. The task ahead would be no walk in the park – taking down five men would require finesse and speed. I’d had it easier when I’d snuck past the guards positioned around the dilapidated house.
The tapping of heavy boots on wet pavement echoes through the otherwise chaotic night. I stand half-hidden behind a thick tree trunk, my finger poised on the trigger of my gun. In the distance, two figures emerge from the mist, their intention clear. I take a deep breath and step forward, firing my weapon into the air. Both men stumble, their bodies crumpling like ragdolls.
But before I can celebrate my victory, a third figure emerges from the shadows. This one is armed with a gleaming hunting knife, its sharp edge glinting menacingly in the pale moonlight. I dodge his first swing, then quickly take him down with a swift kick between the legs. As he falls, I use his own weapon against him, piercing his neck with the blade.
But my moment of triumph is short-lived. Bullets whizz past me, and I know I’m in trouble. Desperate, I grab the dead man’s body and use it as a shield, feeling blissfully sickened as blood oozes over my hands. Finally, my attackers stop firing and I use the brief respite to dart behind a nearby wall.
It’s then that I hear it – the unmistakable sound of gunfire. I peek cautiously around the corner, only to see the assholes drop to the ground mere feet away. Someone else has taken them out, leaving me to wonder exactly who I’m dealing with.
Ace’s welcome was laced with a smug smirk that nearly made me roll my eyes to the back of my head. But we had a job to do, so I gathered my wits and led the way to the door. The hinges groaned in protest as we pushed our way in, my men chomping at the bit to put their skills to work.
Commanding them with swift hand signals, they dispersed, their footsteps ringing out in the empty halls like pealing bells. Suddenly, gunshots shattered the air, and I braced myself for whatever chaos was to come.
As I turned to face the action, a man came hurtling towards me with a vicious right hook. I felt my head snap back in pain, blood filling my mouth, and knew I had to retaliate. Gathering all my strength, I grabbed the attacker, flinging him to the ground with an earth-shattering thud.
But even as I went in for the finishing blow, someone tackled me from behind, knocking my gun out of reach. I scrambled to my feet, determined to finish the job by any means necessary.
The wretched dickhead scrambled to his feet, his movements desperate and uncoordinated. He charged towards me, butted me in the chest like a wild animal. With a vile sneer, he raised a stiff thumb, aimed it at my eyes. I deftly rolled his head away and retaliated with a left to the wind. Spinning around, I delivered a thunderous right that ripped his ear and unleashed a shower of hot, sticky blood.
Before I could catch my breath, the first guy charged at me again, swinging two bone-breaking blows to my head. Pain exploded in my skull, leaving me reeling and disoriented. The brute continued to hammer at me with both hands, his fury fuelling each blow.
Clutching his shoulder for stability, I countered with a headbutt that knocked him out cold.
The sudden rush of adrenaline surged through me, and I shifted into high gear, another guy rushed towards me, dodging his attacks with lightning-fast reflexes. I missed a crucial right but compensated by launching my body towards him, my arm snaking around his thick neck. In one swift motion, I grabbed his left wrist and jerked upwards, breaking his neck with a deafening snap.
Running up the stairs, the chaos around me fades away as my sole focus is finding Irena. My heart races as I scour every empty room on the second floor, desperate for any sign of my baby. Suddenly, I sense her presence behind one closed door. With a powerful kick, the door flies open, revealing Grzegorz holding Irena hostage with a knife to her neck.
My heart pounds so loudly, drowning out the sounds of Irena’s muffled cries. Upon closer inspection, I am consumed with pure, unadulterated rage.
Dry streaks of tears painted on her face, dark, hollow sockets where her eyes once shone brightly. She has been starved, beaten, and bruised, the evidence of her torture marked across her skin.
‘You’re stupid for coming here,’ Grzegorz spits through trembling lips as the sweat pools on his forehead.
‘You’re an imbecile for taking her away from me,’ I hiss menacingly, baring my teeth.
With a lightning-quick motion, I draw my minigun from the holster, flaunting the silvery weapon in Grzegorz’s face. He flinches back, fear etched on his face like a permanent marker.
Irena, held hostage by Grzegorz, trembles in terror, her heart racing with fear.
To my relief, he wasn’t smart enough to use Irena as a shield.
I hold my ground, taking aim at Grzegorz’s shadowed shoulder blade, his Achilles’ heel.
With a burst of courage, I pull the trigger, and the bullet ricochets through my flesh with a sickening crunch. Grzegorz screams in agony, and the knife clatters to the floor as he releases Irena from his grasp.
At that moment, nothing but darkness envelopes me, a whirlwind of unchecked rage and fury. Great balls of fire burn within me, the weeks of bottled-up indignation at last erupting like a silent volcano.
With a fierce tug on his hair, I snatched the blade resting at his side and plunged it savagely into both his eyes, the sockets bursting as if they were just rotten eggs.
Gooey blood spilled out from where his vision once was, painting the floor like a grotesque canvas. But the symphony of his agony, was the sweetest melody to my corrupted soul, sending shivers down my spine and awakening every twisted impulse within me.
I snarl, feeling the rage course through my veins like a river of lava. ‘Dead isn’t enough. He took everything from me, so I’ll take it all from him.’ With each word, I plunge the knife deeper, letting the twisted pleasure wash over me like a tidal wave. My hands shake as I remember her screams, the way he laughed as he broke her.
But now, with each stab, it’s as if a weight is being lifted from my soul.
The darkness inside of me is finally finding its release, and I let it take over completely. The smell of death and decay fills the air, and I can’t tell if it’s coming from him or from within me.
Finally, when I can’t lift my arm another time, I stand, breathing hard, covered in his blood. I feel his life draining away under my feet, and I smile, knowing that justice has been served. But then, I hear her voice, and I remember that justice isn’t always enough.
‘Saint he’s dead,’ she spoke softly.
As she enveloped me in her embrace, a new world was born. Her touch ignited a warmth that suffused every fiber of my being. My heart quickened, nerves tingling as if they had been asleep for ages, now awakened by her touch.
Finally turning to her, I traced her delicate features with the tips of my fingers. Her eyes—oh, her eyes—shimmered with unspoken secrets and emotions. My lips parted to speak, but her voice cracked first. ‘I-‘
‘Shhh,’ I murmured, silencing her with a finger to her lips as the world around us vanished. “I’m sorry about everything Irena. I’m sorry about the contract, I’m sorry about hurting you that single thought shatters me in ways that I cannot describe.”
Gazing into her eyes, everything else seemed insignificant, unimportant.
She smiled weakly, her fingers tracing every line on my face, and it was as if angels had touched me with their kisses. “It’s okay. You’ve come all this way for me.”
The words ‘You’re here’ fall from her lips as tears roll down her face like tiny streams. But my heart is full of warmth and love for Irena as I take her in my arms and repeat softly, ‘I’m here’.
At that moment, my heart swells with joy that I’ve finally found her, even though I can’t help but feel pain that she’s in this state. Yet, knowing that she’s finally safe in my arms, I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I want nothing more than to whisk her away to a place where we can make a new start together.
‘I lo-‘
Suddenly, her words are interrupted by a deafening gunshot that shakes me to the core. Frantically, I pull Irena close to me and try to shield her from the bullet. As I brace myself for the pain, I feel nothing.
That’s when I realize – I’m the one who’s not been shot.
Gasping for air, Irena clutches her stomach as blood seeps through her fingers. Her eyes widen with disbelief as she turns towards me, searching for answers that even I don’t have.
Suddenly, my attention is diverted to Anatol. He’s propped up against the door, crimson-red blood oozing from every wound. I raise my gun in retaliation, but he slumps down to the ground, his weapon clattering to the floor.
Irena stumbles and I rush to catch her, praying that she’ll make it through.
She mutters something incomprehensible through labored breaths.
‘Saint,’ she whispers, her voice barely louder than a whisper. My heart aches at the sound of her voice cracking.
‘S-saint-‘ she breathes. ‘No, no, you’re going to be okay Doe. You’re going to be okay.’ I soothe her with words, promising her that she’ll pull through.
But my quick fix isn’t enough. Her blood loss is getting worse by the second. I rip off pieces of her shirt to try and stop the bleeding.
Irena’s eyes shine with tears as she gazes at me, her delicate hand brushing against my cheek. Her brown irises are filled with pain, yet they remain stunningly beautiful.
‘Saint,’ she whispers, her voice trembling.
My heart clenches in my chest, threatening to suffocate me as I gaze back at her. ‘No, my love,’ I utter, my emotions choking my words. ‘I won’t let you slip away. I just got you back.’
Panic courses through my veins as I contacted Abel through the earpiece.
‘Abel, are you there?’ I shout, desperation overshadowing my voice.
‘Yes, what’s going on?’ he responds, his tone laced with concern.
‘Irena has been shot,’ I exclaim, the fear in my voice palpable. ‘Get the car started. We need to get her to the hospital.’
As I reach out to lift her, she winces in pain and stops me. ‘I have to-‘ I begin, but she cuts me off with a firm resolve.
‘No,’ she breathes, tears now blurring my vision. ‘There’s no use.’
With a long, melancholic sigh, Irena pulled at my shirt and drew me closer.
Her lips met mine in a gentle, affectionate kiss as she pressed her forehead against mine, her eyes locked onto mine.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I choked out the words, ‘I-I just got you back.’ Irena nodded, her lips trembling. I could feel her struggling to catch her breath. “I know, my love. I-I know.”
“But t-that does not matter what matters is that you made me feel like a person…Saint, I love you unconditionally,” she whispered. “My only regret is that I wished I had told you sooner.’
My world shattered into a million pieces. I tried to speak, but my throat was choked with emotion. I had rebuilt my life to have her back in it, only to have it col apse again.
No, I couldn’t bear it.
My world had crumbled once before when I lost her, and I refused to let it happen again. She was my soulmate, the very reason why I existed in this world. Without her, I was nothing but a mere shell of a man, a lifeless ghost roaming the earth.
Her life force was intricately woven into every fiber of my being, inseparable and irreplaceable. If she were to die, then death would undoubtedly claim me too.
As I held her in my arms, I could sense her life force slowly ebbing away.
My heart felt as though it was being crushed under the weight of a thousand boulders. I gripped her hand tightly, hoping it would be enough to keep her with me.
As I draw Irena nearer, her petite hand finds mine and guides it to her chest. The melody of her heartbeat dissolves into a heartbreaking symphony of slowing beats, causing my own heart to fracture into a million tiny fragments.
‘I love you, with all my bruised heart, and after that. I’ll still love you, Saint. My heart is yours. Tame it, break it, bleed it out. It’s finally yours.’ she breathes out a smile tugging on her bruised lips.
Her words slice me open, a declaration of love that transcends time and space, and with it comes the haunting realization that she is saying goodbye.
Yet, despite the bruises and ruptures that come with love, she gently asks me to conquer and claim her heart as my own. Just like I asked her to do with mine two months ago.
As she breathes out her final utterance, a gentle smile lifts the corners of her lips, My own breath catches in my throat as I feel her tender fingers release their hold on mine, slipping away like a dream, a moment too fleeting.
‘Irena,’ my voice trembles with desperation as I shake her gently, hoping for a response. ‘Doe, you can’t leave me now. Wake up, please.’ Tears well up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. ‘You’re everything to me. My heart, my world, my everything,’ I whisper brokenly. “No, no, no, no, fuck please no.”
Holding her close, I rock back and forth, my heart heavy with the fear of losing her once again. I refuse to let her slip away from me. Not after everything we’ve been through. Not after finally finding her again.
‘I just got you back,’ I cry out, my voice raw with emotion, ‘Please don’t leave me now.’
Please.
Moments later Abel comes rushing in, he pauses in his tracks when he meets my gaze. Then his eyes slowly move towards Irena, and he’s shoulders fell in defeat.
“Shit.”
