"Brock." The name, raspy and faint, finally broke the sterile silence of the room.
   Julie nearly jumped. "Huh?!" She hadn't expected any kind of response, let alone a name.
   The woman in the bed, her face pale and drawn, managed a weak smile. "That's my husband's name."
   A wave of conflicting emotions washed over Julie. Relief that the woman was at least somewhat lucid mixed with an unexpected surge of curiosity. "Oh. Well, that's… something. You don't remember your own name, but you remember your husband's? And, to be honest, it’s not a common name.” She hadn't met anyone who bears that name except her husband.
   "Actually... my name's Gianna."
   Julie frowned. "Sorry, what was the pretending all about?” Was this woman playing games with her?
   Gianna's smile faded. "What's my condition? Bad, right?" Her eyes, though clouded, held a flicker of fear.
   "Yeah, seems so." Julie pulled up a chair, her professional instincts kicking in, overriding her initial irritation. "Do you mind explaining… any of this? At least to me?" She leaned forward, her curiosity genuinely piqued. Who was this woman, and how had she ended up bleeding on her doorstep?
   "I will. But not here." Gianna's gaze darted around the room. "When will I be discharged?"
   Julie sighed. "Don't know, probably when you're healed enough. And as it is, I don't think my house is safe anymore and actually I still have a frenemy to question." She really did need to talk to her frenemy but she couldn't leave Gianna alone.
   "How about lodging in an hotel for the main time while I explain myself."
   "Sounds like a good idea, but I think I've skipped work a lot, for one I just started. I'd soon get fired." Julie ran a hand through her hair, stress knotting her shoulders. "Alright, let me talk to the Doc."
   Julie hurried out, the scent of antiseptic clinging to her clothes. After a few minutes she came in again. "Okay, I booked a room at a hotel not far from here, and a cab should be waiting outside."
   Gianna blinked, surprised. "That was fast. You're really curious about me."
   "Come on, you almost *died* at my doorpost. I *have* to be curious." Julie replied, helping Gianna off the bed, her movements cautious.
   "Please, gently... it still pains down there." Gianna winced, her face paling further.
   Julie's heart clenched with sympathy. Whatever had happened to this woman, it was clearly horrific.
   The cab ride was short and silent. The hotel, a nondescript building on a busy street, offered anonymity and a temporary refuge. They checked in, and Julie helped Gianna into the elevator, the metallic box rising slowly, carrying them toward the uncertain answers that awaited them.
   In the room, a standard hotel room with bland decor and a view of the city, Gianna settled onto the bed, a sigh escaping her lips.
   "What part do you feel curious about?" Gianna asked few minutes after they entered the room.
   Julie, perched on the edge of a chair, didn't hesitate. "Everything. The part where you end up at my doorstep, that you are a drug dealer, how you got raped and the part that you even have a husband, all of them."
   Gianna closed her eyes briefly. "That's asking me to narrate two-thirds of my whole life."
   "Well, it's your life. You can just tell me what I need to know." Julie folded her arms, her expression expectant.
   Gianna took a deep breath, steeling herself. "(Takes a deep breath) I and Brock are one of the main pillar of the 38th street gang..."
   Julie’s eyes widened. “You mean your husband... but that's hard to believe..."
   "Believe it or not, it doesn't change the fact. We've always been on the gang I mean, that's where we met. Soon the 18th street gang were on our neck, trying to overrule us but then none of us took them serious cause we were always at the top not until I got abducted."
   "Wait, you mean you've been in the hands of your enemies for years now!"
   "Yeah but I know Brock would have done anything and everything to get me back, he'd probably just given up." A shadow crossed Gianna’s face. Years. How many years had she been lost?
   "And besides you can't find him now since the 38th street gang got disbanded. What was it they did to you through out the abduction and how did you escape?"
   Gianna's voice dropped to a whisper. "Just as you might have guessed, day and night they tortured me with their crazy love truncheons. Once anyone of the women become useless they're as good as dead or they just threw them at the road side but I was lucky to be done the latter."
   A wave of nausea washed over Julie. "My God!" she whispered, disgust twisting her features. "I bet there were other married women."
   "Off course there are, I wish someone could put an end to them."
   "Sorry, is there any difference between the 18th street gang and the 38th street gang."
   "Unlike the 18th we only trade drugs, carry out mission for people for a price, rob places we discover too much of money in and some other stuffs but we don't assault people nor abduct women for trafficking."
   Julie shook her head. "Doesn't seem to me like your gang's operations were good, they just don't do the worst maybe that's why it got crushed down."
   Gianna shrugged. "Psst, whatever you think. My current objective is to find my husband before my time runs out and start a new life if possible."
   "I guess so, where do want to start from cause I need to get back to work as soon as possible?"
   "I'll start by getting healed first."
   "Wise decision." Julie rose, her mind already racing with possibilities. She had a feeling this was going to be a lot more complicated than she'd initially thought.
****
"Looking for me?" A voice, laced with amusement and menace, echoed through the trees. Overlord stepped into the clearing, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "You should have just escaped with your friends. You think killing me will end this gang?"
   Brock's face was a mask of fury. "Where's my wife?" The words were a guttural growl, barely controlled.
   Overlord chuckled, a chilling sound. "Sorry, you mean your *ex-wife*?" He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing light. "Maybe I don't remember her, but come on, you know what happens to women we abduct." He continued, licking his lips. "She would have been sweet."
   Rage, cold and pure, surged through Brock. Every muscle in his body coiled tight. He picked up a fallen tree log, the rough bark digging into his calloused hands. He approached Overlord slowly, deliberately, each step a promise of violence.
   Soon he picked up his pace, running at Overlord. Mr Brock swung the log at him but overlord block it with the chainsaw running through it.
   Overlord seeing that Mr Brock was opened launched the axe at his abdomen but Mr Brock reaction was faster as he sprinted backwards, dodging the axe.
   "Looks like you're skilled." Overlord commented.
   Brock froze, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice dangerously low. "Saying I am skilled means you don't even know who I am cause the real Overlord will definitely know."
   A slow smile spread across the man's face. "I guess you are right..." Overlord replied pulling off the max he wore. 'I'm Canton, one of the lord's in this gang, who are you?"
   "Sorry, I don't make friends with my enemies. Where's the Overlord? You are a waste of my time."
   "An advice from me, try as hard as you can to escape cause anytime from now the meeting would end and you know what that means, it's you against ten lords." Canton stated, swinging the axe stylishly. "It's best to live to fight another day than die not achieving anything."
   "I assume you are the weakest among them that's why they sent you out here, right?"
   "Ow! That hurts. You think that's why?" Canton asked, throwing away his weapons. "Let's find out then."
   Canton threw a punch at Mr Brock which got dodged but he felt the pressure. The both of them exchanged fist multiple times and it was clear that Mr Brock was being overwhelmed.
   Soon he was lying on the ground defeated.
   "I might not know who you are but I also earned being a lord." Canton said, picking up his chainsaw. "The reason I'm here is because they want you to die mercilessly and I'm good at fulfilling that." Saying this, Canton swung the chainsaw at Mr Brock but before it could click a bullet went through his heart.
   "Bull's eye!" Hackerman exclaimed running towards Mr Brock along with Rina.
   "Night watcher, we need to get out of here." Rina shouted. Getting to Mr Brock she raised his beaten body up. "Damn! Why's he so heavy."
   "Come on, they are closing in."
   "Sh*t! Give me a hand." Rina shouted and Hackerman joined and lifted Mr Brock by his shoulder. "Why are they taking so long."
   "Who are you talking about?"
   "Our men are coming to help us."
   "Really!" Hackerman exclaimed as they made their way to the other side of the building.
   Turning round the building, the three of them halted in fear. There were five Lords standing before them with different weapons.
   Mr Brock raised his head to know what was going on, 'Seems like we're just getting started. You better have a good plan to escape them, Rina.'
......
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