Page 47 of They Found Us
He instantly floors the accelerator. Stones fly up at the car with the spin of the wheels. I am out of the car before it has even stopped. Marco follows closely behind me. We both remove our guns from our belts and enter the house just as another shot is fired. I stop, holding my arm up to stop Marco.
“Our bedroom,” I whisper just as Van joins us. “Go round the back, and get up on the balcony.”
Marco nods.
“Van, with me. Do not make a sound.”
We make our way up the stairs as discreetly as possible. Although my body fights the slow advance, I know the best chance I have of saving my family is with the element of surprise. The sound of my wife’s voice fills my ears. I can’t quite make out what she says, but I feel the pain in her voice. My chest compresses. But I push my emotions down. Gun at the ready, I’m on high alert, prepared to destroy the person who has brought this terror into my home.
As soon as we reach the top step, Sergio appears, running desperately from our bedroom. In his arms is my youngest son. He looks relieved to see me. He runs towards us. I hear the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. I beckon him to move faster. My strides are long and fast as I race to meet him. But I’m too late. A shot is fired. Sergio stops in his tracks. I see the life leave his eyes.
I catch my son before he falls from his arms, holding Sergio upright with my body as I swing my arm around him and fire.
My eyes meet Vine’s. I missed. He wears an amused smirk. Instead of firing back, he retreats to the bedroom.
I pass Zander to Van. “Get him out.” I lay Sergio on the floor.
On entering my bedroom, I find Vine holding my wife in front of him. He presses his gun at her temple with force while using her body to shield his. I notice Alga lying on the floor by my feet. A pool of blood surrounds her. There’s a pang in my chest, but I will have to deal with it later.
“Let go of my wife!” I demand while pointing my gun, trying to find a clear shot.
Vine laughs. “Do you really think you can shoot me without blowing your wife’s brains out all over your bedroom wall?”
“What do you want, Vine?”
“I want your family.”
“Over my dead body!” I boom. But my words give me an idea.
The man is clearly a sadist. He receives pleasure from inflicting pain, humiliation, and suffering on others.
“That can be arranged.” Vine laughs. He then whispers something into my wife’s ear.
She cries out, “No. Please!”
He laughs again and nestles his face into her neck, rubbing his lips against her fast pulse.
The sight makes my blood boil. I want to blow his head off, but I know as soon as I pull the trigger, he will pull his, and she will be gone from my life forever. He continues exploring her neck with his tongue, enjoying her suffering—so much so he relaxes the hand that holds his gun. The barrel is now pointing upwards towards the ceiling.
I keep my eyes fixed on Katie’s, hoping to give her strength and comfort. But as she calms, he becomes more alert, strengthening his grip, and the gun regains its position at her temple.
Finally, I see Marco behind them at the balcony window. He points his gun at Vine. He has a clear shot, but while Vine’s gun is at my wife’s temple, the shot is too risky.
Knowing what I need to do, I put my gun to my head. “Let my family go, and I will kill myself.”
“Leo, no. What are you talking about? Please no!”
Vine is shocked by my suggestion, but I can see his pleasure build with my wife’s horror.
“I’ll shoot myself if you let them live.”
“Leo, no. You can’t trust him. Please, don’t!” Katie cries.
“You wouldn’t do it,” Vine growls and wraps his teeth around my wife’s neck.
My thoughts go to what Van said earlier, that he ripped out a man’s throat with his teeth. I can no longer stand to watch this vile man touch my wife, so I fire my gun into my body. I pull the trigger, feeling the piercing pain rip through my skin—a pain that is almost as bad as the pain that pounds in my chest at watching my wife suffer.
Chapter Fourteen
