Bash: 2 mins
I glance around the room, looking for something to distract them with. When I don’t see anything, I do the next best thing. I throw my flashlight into the stairs.
“What was that?” one of the men asks.
“I don’t know. Go check it out,” the second voice says.
I crouch down at the bottom of the stairs as I wait for the man headed my way. I listen to his footsteps and send a thanks to God that he’s coming from the left, the same side I’m hidden on. It’ll give me an extra second to take care of him. As soon as he clears the bottom of the stairs, he’s looking up instead of where I’m hidden. I jump up and grab each side of his head before twisting it quickly. The crack can be heard down the hall as the man falls to the floor in a soft thud.
“Jerry?” the other man says. He starts to walk toward the end of the hall. Just when he’s about to me, his radio crackles and a voice comes through.
“There’s been a breach. Left wall. I repeat. There has been a breach.”
You can make out gunshots in the background as the man talks.
“Shit.” The man turns to return to his post, but I jump out and snap his neck, just like his buddy.
Before he hits the ground, I’m already moving toward the door. I press my ear to it and listen. I can’t hear anything. I’m about to investigate the hall when I catch her voice. I don’t hesitate. I bust into the room.
The room in question is a large office. Fillipo is sitting behind his desk with two guards on either side of him. Gina, who has been missing since she lured Sofia into a trap, is sitting on the edge of the desk next to him.
“Lorenzo. How nice of you to join us. I hear your men are outside.”
I grunt as my eyes flicker to Mia, who is on her knees with her hands tied around her back. She looks up at me, and her eyes are cold and unfeeling.
She’s fire and ice. You’ll fear the cold but crave the burn.
I focus my eyes back on Fillipo.
“What do you want, Fillipo?”
“What do I want? Ha! I want what’s rightly mine! Bastiano is not qualified to run this family. He’s too young and dumb. His father was a cruel man, and he will treat his men just as bad. This family needs a strong head to rule it, not some child!” he rants.
I grit my teeth. I want to raise my gun and put a bullet between his eyes. If Mia wasn’t here, I would do it. I wouldn’t even care about the guards who would probably kill me in return. Instead of arguing, I make my demand.
“Let Mia go. You have me. I’m worth more to Bash than she is. That’s what you want, right? A hostage?”
His cold, humorless chuckle fills me with dread. This isn’t about Bash.
“Oh no. Miss Mia here is about to tell me what she did to my son.”
“I told you,” she starts, “I tried to save him. He bled out. There was nothing I could do.”
“Lying whore,” Gina mumbles.
“Like you, Gina?” I interrupt. “Why don’t you tell me what you have been up to? I mean, other than betraying the family and sucking this guy’s old, wrinkly dick.”
Gina walks around and slaps Mia. I itch to jump forward, but those guns trained on me and Mia stop me.
“I didn’t betray the family. I betrayed Tony. He’s a sniveling bottom-feeder who had no future! He was a sorry excuse for a lay. Fillipo is the family. He’s the future. You’re betraying the family! Both of you.”
I grit my teeth at her words. She’s delusional.
“What about his wife, Gina? Do you really think he’s going to leave you for her?” I see the doubt creep in at my words.
“Enough!” Fillipo looks to her before he slams his hand down on his desk, making Mia jump.
I want to reach out and curl her into my arms. The blinding rage from before starts to cloud my vision.
