Page 31 of Sinister Savior

Ervine nudges Thomas aside and shuts the door, and I realize I’m in for a long night. The pain meds are making me see double now, but it still won’t stop me. I force myself to raise my head as I hear Ervine climb into the car. I watch him hand Sam a gun, and Sam puts it in my hand. I’m going to get one shot at this, and if I fail this time, I die. And I’ll end up losing the four men who are with me and any others Ervine has on the way to meet us.

I rest my eyes until the car stops again, and this time, I know it’s a showdown. I muster all the strength I have left by thinking of Alice and how she depends on me, and I open the door. This time, I hold all the pain in, not even letting a peep squeak through my lips with my teeth clenched together. It moves me, forcing me up and out of the car, stumbling toward the old rag-mop factory. It’s my brother’s hideout, where he keeps his women, which is the only logical place I could imagine him bringing Alice. If I’m wrong, then we’ll blow our cover, but I don’t think I’m wrong.

This time, every step I take seems to go more smoothly. I don’t know if it’s the priest’s prayer working or if my rage is kicking in and making me forget the pain, but I’m moving. And I’m like an unleashed freight train. I lead the charge toward the building with my gun raised, and I hear the footsteps of at least a dozen men behind me. We move as one unit until we enter, then a few men follow me while the others fan out.

This time, my object isn’t Paolo. I know he’s not here. My aim is to get Alice and get out, and I know exactly where she’ll be if she’s here. I move swiftly up the hallway toward the stairs, and we ascend one flight. It’s hard to breathe, but I keep moving. I won’t stop now. I blink my eyes rapidly to keep them focused and let one of the guys move first through the door to the second floor. He begins firing immediately, so I and the others walk through with guns raised and ready to go. I’m amazed that in my condition, I manage to hit anyone, but I take out a few guards and we move closer.

As we do, I hear screaming from women, several of them. It only boosts my confidence that we’re in the right place. I move faster, but not fast by any means. Every foot of ground we take is a step closer to her, to knowing she’s safe.

Firing off a few more rounds, I manage to reach the door and pull it open to find exactly what I expected. Alice clings to the chain link enclosure, weeping and screaming my name. She reaches for me, squeezing her arms through the barrier.

“Mario, oh, God! I knew you’d come.” She moves as I do, but I am barely holding on now.

“Stay back,” I tell her, and I don’t wait for her to move. She scurries away as I point the gun at the lock on the door and fire. It hits squarely on the lock and the metal spins in a circle. The blast is so loud, she covers her ears and cowers, but when I open the door, she wraps her arms around me. “Fuck!” I shout, but she doesn’t let up. I gently put my arm around her as I listen to the other women screaming.

“Mario, we gotta go, man.” One of my guys is at the door cautioning me, but I won’t leave these women here, especially when Alice pleads with me.

“Please, Mario, we have to take them.”

We don’t have time, but she’s right. I limp over to the cage, and Ervine’s jacket falls off my shoulders. I feel the blood seeping out the bottom of the bandage into my slacks and press against the wound. I’m out of breath, wheezing and groaning, and they all move away from the lock in a herd.

“I… Alice…” I lean against the fence, and she takes the gun from me, gripping it with both hands.

“Cover your ears!” she shouts at the women and then fires at the lock. It takes her two shots to hit it, but it too breaks loose and the women are free.

The next thing I know, Sam is by my side, forcing me to lean on him, and Alice is doting, pressing on the wound. They lead me back into the hallway where Tony and Ervine lay cover fire for us and the ladies. We weave our way down the stairs toward the exit, stepping over bodies and puddles of blood. I want to stay and fight, to put this thing to rest now, but if I don’t get out of here and stop my bleeding, I’m not going to be around long enough to hear Alice’s voice tell me she loves me.

My vision begins to dim, darkness creeping in from my periphery toward the center until I’m heaving just to breathe. Sam gets me to the car, and Alice opens the door. I bang my head on the roof as I collapse inward. I don’t even know where the women go, but I know Sam and Ervine will take care of them for me. When Alice climbs into the seat next to me, sobbing and going on about how badly I’m hurt, I lay my head on her lap.

“Shh,” I tell her, trying to comfort her, but she’s so strong. She holds a finger to my lips.

“Baby, I’m here. Stop talking. Please, save your strength. I need you.” Her lips push against my temple, and I focus on breathing deeply.

When Ervine gets into the car, I say, “To Agnus… fast. They’ll be on us soon.” And then I pass out again. But at least I know she’s safe. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

23

ALICE

The car carries me God only knows where while Mario lies on my lap. His head is drenched in sweat, and I saw the blood oozing from the bandage. He was shot in the gut, probably the same time Paolo’s men took me. That must have been what that loud bang was that startled me awake. I’m so naïve believing that I’ll ever be safe. It isn't that I don’t trust him, but I know how powerful Paolo Gatti is. Maybe Mario has forgotten.

It obviously seems like he’s outmatched, and I know he’s outnumbered. That man must have a small army to be able to keep women caged up like that. I’m so glad Mario helped me get them out of there. They have families and lives to return to. I only pray they are safe and that Paolo can’t go and hunt them down again. That Mario can actually do as he says he will and stop his brother once and for all—but it doesn’t look likely.

I sweep some of his sweat-soaked hair off his forehead, and he moans. He’s in so much pain. It isn’t the activity that made him sweat, but the pain he is pushing through.

“Baby, I’m worried about you. We should take you to the hospital.” My hand trembles as I pluck more sweaty ringlets from his temples and smooth them back.

“No, to the safehouse,” he grunts, and I look up at his friend in the front seat. The driver, whom I don’t know, continues going where he intends to go, and I turn to Mario’s friend.

“You have to see how sick he is. He needs a doctor.” My pleading falls on deaf ears, or at least ignorant ones. He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t turn around or even acknowledge that I’m speaking. I hate this. “Did you hear me? He needs a doctor!”

The shout draws the eyes of the driver upward, and we make eye contact in the mirror for a brief second, but he doesn’t slow, doesn’t turn toward the hospital. The passenger turns over his shoulder and looks at Mario, and I see the frustration in his eyes. He knows Mario needs a doctor too, but he was given strict instructions and he will follow them. It’s the way of these people, and it’s aggravating as hell.

I’m not getting anywhere, but my heart is panicked. I reach for Mario’s pants pockets to search for his phone, but his pockets are empty. He’s soaked in blood with more seeping through every second, and these assholes are going to listen to him and let him die instead of taking him to a hospital to get emergency medical care.

Mario grabs my hand so tightly it hurts, and I wince, but I know he doesn’t mean to hurt me. “Alice, please. I’m taking you to a safehouse where Paolo won’t get to you. Okay?” His words are strained. I can barely hear him.

“No, bud. I need to be with you. Someone has to take care of you. You’re still bleeding. You’re going to die. Please…” My words spill out of my mouth, but he only squeezes harder and starts coughing. I whimper and look for anything to help me. “Fuck’s sake, he’s going to die. Take us to the fucking hospital!” I’m crying now, pleading with them, but they only care about one thing—following orders.

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