UNKNOWN
"Boss, Silver Stone is here" Dagger, my new top assassin said to me.
Bringing the glass of martini to my lips, I stared at him.
"Tell him to come in" I ordered. Dagger left my office and shortly returned with Stone.
"How's it going with that rebellious son of mine?" I asked.
Trevor smirked.
"He has no idea what you're planning for him"
"Good. Very good, Stone. Now, tell me, what are they planning to do?" I asked, rubbing my fingers together.
"For starters, they are planning to assassinate you in the most gruesome way possible"
I chuckled.
"He underestimates me after all, doesn't he?" I said.
"Of course, he does. He wants you to come after him. He says he's sick of running"
"Tell me more" I demanded.
"He's going to have you cornered when you come after him. I think you shouldn't underestimate him, either"
"You can leave now" I said and he nodded, before leaving my office.
I chuckled, twirling a small knife around.
"He thinks I'm a fool. He thinks I'm not aware of where his loyalty lies. Traitors disgust me"
"Why let him go? He's indirectly a spy. He's helping them" Dagger said, looking very displeased.
I chuckled, making a cut on my palm.
"Take care of him, Dagger. Don't let him leave the base. As for my son, he'll play right into my hands. He'll be stunned so quickly, he won't know what hit him"I said.
"Of course. I'll take my leave now"
***
RED
My phone rang and I picked the call, bringing my phone to my ear.
"Red, it's me" Stone said, sounding very urgent.
"Why are you whispering?" I asked, frowning.
"Something has gone wrong. I screwed up"
"What are you talking about?" I said, alarmed.
"I don't know how but he figured it out"
"Figured what out? Go straight to the point, Trevor" I said, my grip on the phone tightening.
"He knows that I've been lying to him. He knows I've been helping you guys. I don't know what he's planning now but it's bad. I saw some of the men moving weapons from the weapon room. It's like he's getting prepared for a sacrifice.... only it's actually torture. I heard him tell Dagger to kill me. I might not be alive by tomorrow. I need you guys to be safe. Do not act like heroes by coming here to save me. Save yourselves, got it? Just-"
There was a loud bang and I froze. "Trevor?" I said, rising to my feet.
No response.
"Trevor, are you there?" I said, panicking.
The line went dead and all I could do was stare at the phone, dazed.
"Red? What happened? You look like you've just seen a ghost" Lia said as she closed the door of my room behind her. "Red?"
"I think things just moved from bad to worse" I told her. She paled instantly.
***
"So, you're saying he might be dead?" Lee asked.
"I'm not sure but I think he's in danger-" I replied.
"If he's in danger, don't you think we should help him?" Vanessa cut in.
"He asked me not to come there" I replied.
"What do we do now?" Tori said, pacing back and forth.
My phone vibrated, so did Lee's. It was a video message. I frowned, tapping on the play button.
"Oh my God" Lia gapsed.
Trevor was tied to a chair, gagged with a piece of clothes. His face was covered in blood and there were several cuts and bruises on his bare upper body.
Skull's face came into view and my stomach churned uncomfortably.
"I know you're watching this, Red. Look at him. Can you see him clearly? This is your fault" he said, smirking.
Rage and an intense loathing towards him was all I was feeling at the moment.
He grabbed a plier and grabbed Trevor's hand.
With a sick smile on his face, he ripped off Trevor's index fingernail. Trevor's scream was muffled by the gag around his mouth.
"He's going to kill him" Tori whimpered.
"Look at him, Red. He's a wreck because of you. Everyone who stands in my way, everyone who tries to help you, everyone who protects you will certainly end up like him. It's your fault your step-dad is dead. It's your fault that your sweet mother is dead. It's your fault Theresa dear is dead. It's going to be your fault when Trevor dies..." Skull said and I clenched my fist, dread spreading through my heart like ice.
"That's right. I hear Dahlia is your girlfriend. How wonderful. I can't wait to put her in this chair. I can't wait to put everyone else you love and cherish in this chair-"
My throat was closing up as panic invaded my mind. I snapped, smashing my phone against the wall. I stormed out of the sitting room with Lia trying to catch up with me.
I began to pace back and forth in my room, struggling to breathe.
It's your fault.
It's your fault.
It's your fault.
"No" I gapsed, my breathing uneven.
"Calm down"
"No, don't tell me to calm down! Don't! You shouldn't be anywhere close to me. He's going to-"
Lia embraced me and I slipped out of her hold, gripping my hair firmly.
"I have to go. I can't be around you for your safety" I choked out, my heart still hammering against my rib.
"No. Listen to me! " Lia said, gripping the front of my jacket. "Listen to me, he's trying to get into your head and it's working. Are you just going to let him win so easily?" She said, shaking me with angry tears in her eyes.
I swallowed hard.
"If you leave, you won't be able to protect us! Leaving won't do us good! I love you, Red but please don't let Skull do this to you"
I sank to my knees and Lia went down with me, embracing me.
"You're not alone, Red. You're not" she whispered, her voice firm.
I closed my eyes, slowly relaxing in her arms.
"I'm sorry" I muttered.
She ran her fingers through my hair, gently.
"You're going through so much, Red.... it's understandable considering everything you've lost. But, I want you to remember that you've got me"
"I feel like I'm too much of a wimp. I keep breaking down.... it's not normal" I muttered against the crook of her neck.
She sighed.
"How long have you been experiencing panic attacks?" She asked.
"When I was fourteen, I had my first panic attack. That was the first time I met Skull. He scared me half to that and he asked his men to entertain me. When he meant entertain me, he meant beat me up"
Dahlia gasped.
"He started visiting very frequently. He would threaten my mom and I. I was terrified. At the same time, I was having trouble at school. I was depressed...my panic attacks worsened. My mom insisted that I had to see a therapist. It worked after a while. But then, this whole mess has thrown my life into a frenzy"
"I'm sorry" Lia said, squeezing my hand gently.
"Do you think you need a therapist?" Lia asked, cautiously.
I sighed.
"I dunno... maybe..... when this is over"
"Okay"
****
Lee sat down on the couch beside me, taking a deep breath. There was a heavy silence between us, but then he said, "Are you okay?"
"Not really" I said, staring at the wall.
"D'you wanna talk about it?" Lee asked, turning to look at me. I shrugged.
"I don't know, Lee. I just know that I'm loosing it. I'm slowly loosing my mind over the shit that's happening"
"You're not loosing your mind, Arch"
"You don't understand... I've been having panic attacks more frequently than before.... I'm worried but I'm trying not to be. Lia is helping though. She might as well be the reason why I've not totally lost my sanity"
Lee smiled.
"The things women do for us..." He said, shaking his head. I smiled, my gaze meeting his.
"You're strong, Red. Perhaps even stronger than I am. I haven't gone through half of the things you went through. Don't ever underestimate yourself"
Maybe he was right, maybe he was wrong.
I didn't know.
Lee was probably the only person apart from Lia and my mum who knew me inside out.
"Believe me when I tell you this, you are stronger than you think.... Don't let Skull rip your apart. Protect the ones you care about. Your strength comes from how fiercely you love"he said and patted my shoulder.
"Goodnight, mate" he said and left the sitting room. I heaved a sigh and rose to my feet. I was heading towards the passage way when I noticed a movement in the corner of the room. I halted, cautiously taking out a pocket knife.
"Who's there?" I said, moving closer to the corner of the room. Perhaps if I had been observant enough, I would have noticed that someone else was behind me. The next thing I felt was white hot pain as an object was slammed into the back of my head. I sank to the floor, my vision blurring over. My assailant did not relent. My head was smashed against the wall. I could feel a warm liquid blinding me. The last thing I thought about was Dahlia before everything faded to black.
****
TREVOR
I slowly gained consciousness, pain racking my whole body. I slowly sat up, realizing that I'd been untied. I guess Skull is stupid after all. I limped out of the room, avoiding other workers. Just as I was about to go into the bathroom, I bumped into Dagger.
"Wow, you actually have guts" he said, taking out his famous daggers.
"I guess I have to kill you myself" he said, attacking me. We both struggled. I managed to disarm him and slam his face on the toilet seat. He sank to the ground, unconscious. I grabbed his gun and moved out of the bathroom. Two workers were having a conversation as they passed by.
"The girl has been captured"
"I hope Skull gets rid of that rebellious son of his"
My heart sank and I immediately knew what to do. I had to find Dahlia first.
I owed Red my life and I was sure he would want me to get to Dahlia first.
*****
DAHLIA
I groaned and opened my eyes, wincing at the pounding in my head. I blinked, realization hitting me when I noticed that I was tied to a chair.
I looked up to see the devil himself, staring at me with an evil smirk on his face.
Alarmed, I struggled against the ropes holding me bound.
"Where's Red? What did you do to him?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
He looked surprise.
"You're tied to a chair with me standing in front of you, brandishing a knife....Yet, you're only concerned about that pest?"
"He's your son! He's not a pest!" I said, glaring daggers at him.
He chuckled.
"You're fiesty. Little wonder he likes you. You two must be dangerous together... that's why I will get rid of the both of you"
I gritted my teeth.
"I'll like to see you try you troll" I growled.
He narrowed his eyes, his palm colliding with my face.
I clenched my jaw, spitting directly on his face.
Bullseye.
Of course, it landed on his eyes.
"Come on, why don't you do what you want? I'm not afraid of you one bit!"
The door opened and someone walked in. He whispered something into Skull's ear. His features hardened immediately and he stormed out with the informant.
Red, where was he?
Was he alright?
I had a bad feeling about it all. We were in deep trouble.