Page 81 of Salvation

Only, he gurgles as blood trickles from his mouth, creating red rivers over his chiseled cheek before creating a smaller pool on the floor. He looks at me with a mixture of fear and acceptance. His eyes show both his terror and his acceptance at his fate.

Dear God, he’s choking on his own blood.

This is real.

He gurgles once more, and his eyes widen before he reaches out for me… his hand weakly lifting.

His mouth moves. I can’t hear him, but I can see what he’s saying. “I love you. I love you, Hope. I’m sorry.”

I can’t move. I can’t breathe.

This is real. This is happening…

Oh my God… this is really happening…

It’s not a nightmare.

The darkness consumes me, and I feel weightless as my bones liquefy… I try to speak but nothing comes out as I succumb to the darkness consuming me.

No light… only darkness.

* * *

Dear God… Hope just shot Gabrial. She shot him to save me.

She just shot one of the men she loves to save the other one.

She has to get out of here.

I’m pleading with her to listen to me. She needs to go. My backup will be here any minute. She cannot be here when they show up.

I’m not certain she even hears me. Her eyes are wild… crazed. She looks over at Gabrial as he bleeds out from the gunshot wound to the chest, and she screams again…

Then, as if she cannot stand the sight, or the reality of what she’s done, her eyes roll back in her head. I’m sure my arm is screaming from the gunshot, but I can’t even feel it. I’m too consumed with Hope. I’m able to catch her before she hits the ground, but I lose my balance. Rolling us, she lands on top of me.

A shadowed mass appears in the busted door and racing feet pound against the concrete. I look up expecting my backup, but instead see Max, Gabrial’s right hand man.

He shouts as he sees the bodies all over the floor, screaming out with despair, “Dios mío! Qué diablos? Qué ha pasado? Qué demonios?” He wails in English, “Oh my God. What the hell?”

He looks across at Gabrial and his face shows raw pain. He mutters hoarsely, “Oh, Gabrial… Nooooo…”

I scream for him. Frantic to get his attention. I need his help. “Help me, Max! I need you to get Hope out of here! Please! I can’t! My arm is fucked up and backup will be here in a few minutes. Please…

“Please get her out of here, Max. I need you to do this!”

He looks torn, as if he doesn’t know if he should take Hope, or go over to Gabrial; finally, after tossing one last look, filled with despair and agony at Gabrial, and making the sign of the cross, he reaches down and scoops Hope’s blood covered body into his arms. She’s completely unconscious again, and her hair is stained red, matted to her head with Alan’s blood.

He looks back at me, and then at Gabrial. His eyes are glassy and full of pain. Gabrial manages to gasp out, barely able to be understood, “Th– ank y– you. Go, M…a… x…

“Go… Please…”

With one last anguished look at Gabrial, he nods and races out the door with tears in his eyes. A minute later, I hear gravel fly and tires peel out as he leaves the parking lot. I can hear the sounds of sirens in the distance.

Thank God.

I’m still looking over at Gabrial, and my throat begins to close at the realization of the situation I find myself in. I’m having trouble breathing as everything crashes down over me, threatening to suffocate me. Gabrial gasps again. Blood is dripping from his mouth and the puddle around him is growing larger with every second. “L…uke… come here...”

Somehow, I manage to crawl over to him using my good arm as the sirens get louder, coming through the walls of the warehouse. A dark smear of blood behind me marks my progress. As I reach him, I stare at him, taking in his dark hair and perfect features. He smiles sadly and coughs. Blood continues to trickle from his mouth, leaving red smears, like dripping paint, down his cheek. “I— I’m so…rry…. Never… would… have shot… you… N–never…Take… take care of… he…r…

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