Lethal, page 30
He continued to explain with no further stalling or delays. I was unsure if he had admitted defeat or if it was hope. Nonetheless, I was on the receiving end of some very useful information.
“You sang like a canary on crack.” I mused, folding back the plans once we were done.
“Would you let me go now, in exchange for all that information?” he was quick to ask.
Alas, it was hope. I smiled to myself, handing the plans to Jamal who stood right behind me. Then I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees, and regarded him as the loathsome being he was.
“You, Frank Lopez,” I smirked, “looked me in the eye when you put a bullet in Feroz Jamshidi’s chest. You killed him despite knowing who I was and what I could do to you. You didn’t just murder one of our most respected soldiers, you killed my best friend and family. And that puts you in my black book.”
I got up, rounding the chair and glancing at him one last time before leaving.
“So, you are going to lie on these cold floors, covered in your own bile and blood, and starve on a piece of bread until the day I decide that you have paid for what you’ve done. I will kill you with my bare hands but there is no way you are ever going to see the outside of this cell, ever again.”
I hadn’t realized how big the lobby of the Vitali mansion was until it was filled to the brim with people. Members of both the Donati and Vitali family talked in groups, all eagerly waiting to be directed. There was an excited chatter since last night’s attack and the need for vengeance drove them all.
Xavier nodded at me to begin and I took the floor, standing few steps up the grand staircase for a view of the entire room.
A hush fell over the crowd and hundreds of pairs of eyes snapped their focus towards me. It momentarily froze me in place, the sudden attention, and I forgot the words to the short speech I had prepared, dropping directions on how we were going to proceed with the attack. I was rendered speechless until I had no choice but to improvise.
“I’m not Captain America or anything,” I started, eliciting a few laughs, “but there are some things I want to say.”
I looked at Xavier, and then at Aurora, who nodded at me with encouragement.
“One hundred and fifty-seven.” I continued, “That’s the number of lives we have lost since this war began two months ago. Two months since Ever, the heir to this throne was stripped from her mother’s arms. One week since we lost Feroz Jamshidi.”
I locked eyes with as many soldiers as I could.
“And over two decades since my father, the infamous assassin who went by the name Dante, murdered the don of Velov family, setting in motion the current chain of events.”
A shocked murmur rose through the crowd as every person turned to the one next to them.
“Yes, my biological father is Dante. And he is the one Karina wants. But she made an enemy out of me- out of us when she came for our families. Now, I have trained you for this moment, this final battle. And I don’t know about you, but I am ready to put this shit in the ground.”
“So are we!” shouted someone, and he was joined with a chorus of ‘yes’ and ‘yeah’.
“Well, then, you all better strap on your Kevlars and grab your favorite guns, because it all goes down tonight.”
Another round of affirmatives.
“Oh, and one more thing,” I added, grabbing their attention again, “No one lays a hand on Karina Velov. That bitch is mine.”
Over the next hour, plans were formed, teams were divided and each member was instructed on their job. Penelope, Jamal, and their tech guys worked overtime to get us entries and exits and the possible number of soldiers we’d be facing.
The emphasis remained on bringing back Ever, Alina, and now Alistair. Every minute that passed felt like a weight being placed on my shoulders. Karina Velov was volatile and vengeful, and I had no intention of leaving Alistair to be on the receiving end of it.
Cars were being loaded with ammunition, teams were being briefed for one last time before we left when the entry of two people halted us all.
Ozzy shot me a grin and a two-fingered salute, wordlessly letting me know that he was here for me. Following which he proceeded to chat up with Mikhael, allowing Dante to move towards me alone.
My father ignored the hundreds of stares that were directed at him, completely unnerved by the attention. People were surprised, shocked, and revered by his presence. He was enjoying it, I could tell by the twinkle in his eyes. But his confident stance never wavered as he fixed the black jacket he was wearing and halted in front of me.
“I promised you I’d do anything in my power to help. So, here I am.”
“You’ve been hiding from her for over two decades. Why would you suddenly want to turn around and march your ass to her home?” I crossed my arms.
“Because I want to earn your forgiveness. I am tired of running. Believe it or not. I never wanted you to be a part of this-”
“And yet, here we are.” I chuckled humourlessly, “You know what, Dante, let me clear something up for you because I don’t think you understand quite yet how catastrophically pissed off I am.”
I smiled at him, which was anything but genuine.
“If you think that you can show up for one battle since the day I was born as a way of earning my forgiveness for abandoning me, you are dead fucking wrong. I am never, ever going to let you forget that because of you Feroz is dead, and that Alistair might die too.”
“Ale-”
“No.” I stopped him, “I have a good mind to hand you over to Karina Velov myself, but that would bring me no peace. That’ll satisfy not even one percent of my vengeance. As for your forgiveness, that depends on whether I get to Alistair in time or not. Because if I don’t, I will put you in the ground with my own bare hands.”
Forty-seven: Siege
Alexandra
Every hour or so, my eyes would glance at the clock. 10 hours since Alistair was taken. 12 hours since Alistair was taken. 14 hours. 16. 24. My fingers would occasionally reach for the ring Alistair’s had given me, as if driving strength from it.
I sat on the bed in one of the guestrooms, head held in my hands, hearing people rush by outside. Earpieces were checked. Weapons were lined up. I kept replaying the plan in my head over and over again- where I had to go, which door to enter through and where to go looking for the captives.
“Alexandra?”
My eyes locked on to Mikhael, who stood at the door with a rather excited smirk on his, reminding me of the day I met him at ‘The Factory’.
“We’re waiting for you outside.”
With a determined nod, I reached for my bulletproof vest and the rest of my gear. I holstered my guns, my knives and looped the earpiece over my ear. When I looked into the mirror, I took a deep, deep breath and reminded myself who I was- one of the most powerful assassins in the world. I mustered every murderous ability that I had been taught over the years. Every bullet that I fired, every knife I threw, and every person I killed.
There was a reason why I was called ‘Letalé’. It was high time Karina Velov realized that.
When I walked out through the front door, intent on getting on the road, I was confronted with an army that was almost triple the size of mine. The driveway was littered with black SUVs and vans and hundreds of soldiers in armed gear were assembled across the grounds.
Mikhael sauntered up to me with his smirk and spoke before I could even ask my question.
“We are not the only ones who want Karina Velov dead. Standing before you are all the families she has massively pissed off.”
“How did you manage to get them all here?” I asked, amazed at the crowd before me.
“I wasn’t just learning the ways of business while I was away.” he answered with a hint of pride, “My brother sent me to make some allies, and to reach out to anyone who wanted revenge on Karina but didn’t have the resources to. He told me you’d need all the help you can get.”
“He what?” I turned to Mikhael.
He nodded, “Yeah, he called me when I was in Seville, to tell me about Feroz’s death, and then directed me to hunt down every mobster who has ever had a beef with the Velov family. He said and I quote, ‘I want her to know she will be heading an army that wins her this war.’”
Alistair Donati- yet another reason why you have my heart.
My eyes roamed over the massive crowd with a feeling of absolute exhilaration and excitement. I'd been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now thanks to the army Alistair had prepared for me, I had hope of winning.
“Well then, what are we waiting for?”
Karina’s home wasn’t just a mansion. It was a whole castle. There were three buildings in the estate- one was hers and the other two housed her soldiers. The structures were built in the shape of a C with a massive fountain situated between them.
Our teams surrounded the estate from about half a mile away on all sides. The jet-black gear and vehicles did well in blending with the darkness of the surrounding woods. While the teams were to attack on command, Ozzy and Xavier were to accompany me to the dungeons.
“You’re coming with us?” I’d asked my boss with surprise.
“I was a coward for not going to save my wife. I was too scared. But not this time.”
Now he stood beside me, poured over the maps, and understanding the plan yet again to save his daughter.
“Security’s pretty tight.” Faye ran back to us, shoving her binoculars in place, “I count about 30 right by the front gate. The driveway has more armed men loitering around.”
“Everyone ready?”
A chorus of ‘yes’ traveled to my ear through the wire
“We shoot to kill. Slaughter every last one of them.”
With my final command, we were off. My heart began racing with excitement as we stealthily made our way through the woods and out into the open.
This was it. It all came down to this moment, this night. Seeing the support Alistair had gathered for me swelled my heart with pride and confidence.
The estate had two main entrances. And according to Frank, two underground tunnels led out deep into the woods. Currently, both of them were heavily guarded by our teams. We weren’t going to allow Karina even a sliver of hope for the chance of escaping tonight.
The Velovs were in for quite the shock when a sea of armed soldiers emerged from the woods and surrounded them from all sides. They took a second too long to process what was happening before they had a bullet put through their heads.
“Heading in now!” Jamal’s voice came in my ear. He was coming in from the rear gates.
“So are we,” I replied, shooting a guy in the neck.
It was a quick round of gunfire as our soldiers filtered their way into the estate, covering the grounds and eliminating the enemy one by one. My eyes caught sight of Jamal leading a mass of black from the space between the three buildings. There was no way a single Velov member would survive the night.
“Ozzy, Xavier- you’re with me!” I commanded, breaking away from the group and beelining for the pavilion. Our footsteps echoed in the small stoned structure. When I glanced back, I could see our armies gaining in on the mansion.
The giant double doors at the end of the pavilion were made of steel with a biometric lock blinking on one side. Ozzy bend down and snapped on the breaching device in the middle.
“Step back,” he warned, and we all moved away a few steps, waiting for the five-second timer to end. I turned my face away when the sharp blast occurred, blowing the door locks to pieces. The walls echoed the sound over and over again.
“Let’s go!”
Upon entering the door, we were greeted by a long flight of stairs and the strong musty smell of decaying blood and despair. The tunnels were dimly lit with dangling bulbs and stray rats ran along the sides at the sight of humans.
Ozzy was quick to get rid of the two guards that met us at the end of the stairs, putting his expert skills on display. He then proceeded to pilfer through their pockets and hand me two sets of keys, “For the locks.”
Once we were sure there were no more guards, we began checking each of the cells one by one. They were dingy and dirty. I could smell the moisture, the leakage, and the mold. We shone our flashlights all around the small spaces.
And finally, we found the people we were looking for.
When we came to that particular cell, we noticed that a small bed had been pushed up against the wall. However, it was the greeting in an innocent curse we were not expecting.
“Fuck!”
Relief flooded through me when I came across Ever, an annoyed frown etched across her face. Xavier snatched the keys from my hand and began looking for the right one. His hands shook with excitement upon seeing his daughter. Once he found the right key, he threw open the door and barged in, letting out a hysterical laugh.
Ever’s annoyance turned into a delighted squeal when her father threw aside the covers and pulled her into his arms. He peppered her face with multiple kisses, wiping away at his tears. Clung to her father like her life depended on it, Ever made her way out of the prison.
She let out another happy squeal when she noticed me through the gear, reaching out to press a kiss to my cheek. I grabbed her fingers and returned the small act of affection.
“You taught your daughter to curse?” I mused, looking at Xavier.
“Unfortunately, this knowledge wasn’t imparted on our child by me, but rather her mother. And somewhere or the other, I know you had a hand in it.” he replied, unable to keep the smile off his face, “I’m gonna get her back to the car.”
My grin was wide and reflected pure joy when Ever rested her head on her father's shoulder and blew me a kiss on her way out.
Engrossed in the toddler, Ozzy and I had failed to notice the second figure lying in the bed. By the time Ever was being taken away, the woman had sat up and was staring at us in utter confusion. Her hair was in a side braid and she was dressed in a pair of dirty jeans and hoodie.
“What is going on? Who are you people?”
“Alina, my name is Alexandra. I’m here to get you out.” I sat down beside her.
She was hesitant, I could tell. Unsure if she could trust us.
“Where are you going to take me?”
I smiled, reaching out to hold her hand. She gasped when a grenade went off somewhere above us but I held her firmly, urging her to look me in the eyes.
“I am going to take you somewhere you can make a fresh start. You can finally meet your brother.”
She softened at the mention of his name, “You know my brother? You know Alistair?”
Behind us, Ozzy scoffed in amusement, “Know him? They are more like star-crossed lovers.”
Utterly confused, Alina looked at me again for answers, “What’s he talking about?”
“Ignore him.” I answered her, thankful that the darkness won’t allow them to see how my face reddened slightly, “Just go with him. He’s going to get you to safety. Stay with him until I come to find you once all of this is over.”
She was scared out of her wits but I could tell she understood me and eagerly too. I watched as Ozzy held her hand and began leading her out.
“Are you going to be okay alone?” he asked, turning around one last time. I nodded in response.
Once they were gone, I continued my investigation into the prison, checking one cell after the other. It was almost cliché when I opened the last door and I knew I’d found the right room.
My heart broke at the sight.
Alistair was tied to a dingy, metal chair. His hands and feet had been bound with rusty old chains. But that wasn’t what brought me to my knees. It was him.
Blood dripped down the side of his head and it looked like someone had used his body as a punching bag. Bruises peeked out from every inch of visible skin, his shirt was soaked in patches of crimson. He was heaving, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath.
I couldn’t stop my tears when I reached out to touch his cheek, intent on waking him up.
“Alistair?” I whispered, “Hey, wake up.”
He moaned a little and turned his head away.
“Come on, do you want me to drown you in cold water or something?” I sniffed loudly, shaking him even harder.
When he finally did open his eyes and looked at me, his lips turned up in a lazy, crooked smile. It was comedically baffling that he chose to grin flirtatiously at me when I was struggling to get him out of this hellhole.
“Why the fuck are you smiling, Alistair? Are you high? Did they give you something?” I fired, grabbing his cheeks in my hand and making him look at me in the eyes.
“Either I am hallucinating or the queen herself has come to save me.” he chuckled.
“Oh my God.” I grabbed my head with both my hands, trying to decide whether I want to kill him or just sit down and laugh. In the end, I got up from the floor and reached for the keys that Ozzy had given me, unlocking the chains that had been wound around him.
Once every piece of rusty metal was off, I stepped out of the room and picked up the tiny pail of water I’d noticed on my in.
“Okay, babe, I don’t want to do this,” I sighed, standing back in front of him, “but you leave me no choice.”
With that, I emptied the cold water all over him. He woke up with a start, gasping against the liquid.
“Well, hello my sleeping beauty!” I exclaimed, my heart flooding with relief.
He looked at me for a whole five seconds before opening his mouth, “It’s you. You’re here!”
I took myself a moment to enjoy his expression.
“Alex, what the hell?” he rambled on, “It is you. Thank God. I wasn’t hallucinating. Or am I?”
“No, you are not.” I chuckled, tracing my thumb over his cheek, “But we need to get out of here. Can you walk?”
“I hope so. That bastard, Gabriel, beat the crap out of me.” he rasped, looking up at me. He refused my help initially and I stood a foot away, watching him grab onto the arms of the chair and struggle to stand up. When he finally did and took one step forward, he almost kissed the floor. I was quick to grab him by the shoulders and help him sit back down.
