Vitale's End

Slick

We left the venue in such a rush I'm not sure anyone even saw us leave. I hope no one did. I still couldn't believe we were leaving before Mr. Vitale even gave his speech. It was a charity event, for god's sake.

"Are you going to tell me why we left a charity benefit for a children's hospital before you could even give your speech?" I asked, glancing over at Mr. Vitale. He was tense in his seat.

"You may know many things about my work, but this, you do not need to know," he muttered, rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Oliver, we need to hurry."

We were speeding down the road in our limo, raising my alarm much higher. Mr. Vitale was always calm and collected - an ass - but always calm and collected. But now, he was tense, something was bothering him. It had to be something serious.

"Has something happened?" I asked. Clearly, something had, but a small detail about what would be nice.

He let out a sharp breath, "I just need to check on something back at the office. That's what Damien went to check on."

"Well, do you want me to go in with you?" I asked, sitting with my legs crossed in the seat across from him.

"No!" My eyes grew at his aggressive response. "I mean, no, it's fine. You can stay here. It won't take but a minute."

"Are you sure?" I asked as we pulled up to Vitale Corp.

"Positive," he muttered, eagerly climbing out of the limo before speeding into the building.

I waited, and I waited, and I waited. Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes had gone by, yet Mr. Vitale was nowhere to be seen. He said it wouldn't take long. My curiosity was slowly winning the fight between finding out what was going on and staying in the car.

Jumping from the car, I began speeding towards the building. My curiosity got the best of me.

"Uh, miss," a man called behind me.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing the other security guard standing from the limo, "Yes?"

"Andrea has asked that you stay in the car," he assessed.

I pulled a fake smile onto my lips, "I forgot something in my office earlier. I need it this weekend. I'll be quick, I promise."

He sighed, "Make it quick. I'd hate for Andrea to return to find you no longer where he told you to stay."

Giving him a kind smile, I started towards the doors again. If I thought Vitale Corp. was massive during the day, it seemed larger at night when no one was there. It was eerie at night.

Thinking Mr. Vitale would be in his office, I made my way to the elevators, but I stopped just short. Two beads of blood laid on the floor just before the elevators. My eyes roamed forward, finding another at the door. My stomach twisted into a nervous knot, was someone harmed? Was Mr. Vitale harmed? I may dislike the man, but I wouldn't want any severe harm to come to him.

With that thought in mind, I pushed the button to the elevator, practically bouncing out of my shoes while waiting for the doors to open. Already in motion to press the button to the 78th floor, I stopped when a flash of red caught my eye. There, on the button to the garage, was blood.

Pressing the bloodied button, I unsheathed my throwing knife, ready for whatever may come. Confusion filled me when I tried to figure out why blood would be on the button to the garage. Certainly, Mr. Vitale wouldn't bring us here if whatever happened is over and done with. No, there was something more to this. And I was going to figure it out.

The doors opened to the seemingly empty garage, save a few black cars scattered throughout. I walked in, clutching my knife tightly. With each step I took, my heels echoed throughout the garage. Hoping no one heard me, I took my heels off, setting them at the elevator doors before making my way around the garage, trying to find any more drops of blood.

I felt my nerves begin to bubble in my stomach. The blood trail seemed to stop, but that could mean I'm looking in the wrong place. I went to turn around to go the other way until another flash of red caught my eyes. A dark door with a silver handle covered in blood stood just to my side.

"This is the exact reason people die in horror movies," I muttered, taking a deep breath before slowly pushing the door open to a staircase that went even lower underground. I could hear muffled voices coming from below.

Avoiding multiple puddles of blood, I eventually made it to a dark hallway only illuminated by a room a few ways down. Breathing with shallow breaths, I took tiny steps towards the door.

"We're not going to ask you again. Who sent you?" Damien's voice filled my ears. I peeked through the crack of the open door. A man was tied down to a chair with multiple cuts and bruises, which explains the blood. Around him stood numerous men, a woman, and Damien, all of whom shared the same distasteful look in their eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he whimpered.

"Well, I'm sure we can jog your memory." My stomach dropped when I heard Mr. Vitale's voice ring in my ears. He strolled casually towards the man, pulling a gun from his back. "If it's who I think it was, tell me, have you lost any men lately?"

"Of course, we've lost men," he wept. "It's the mafia. Loss is inevitable."

A small gasp left my lips, Mr. Vitale's head snapped in my direction. Luckily, I was able to turn away, covering my mouth as I steadied my breathing.

"Ah, but you see, that wasn't our question. But I suppose I can force it from you," Damien's voice rang.

No, no, no, this can't be happening. I can't be working for someone in the mafia, not after- not after everything I've tried to run from.

A hand came around my throat while another covered my mouth. "Shhh. Well, Ms. Kennedy, I must say, you're a long way from the limo."

It was Mr. Vitale.

It hit me then that I wouldn't be able to get out of this. Not without a fight. Ramming my elbow back into Mr. Vitale's stomach, I ran back the way I came. I could feel tears begin to sting my eyes. I could never escape a life of danger. I've spent the last year running, just to find myself in something similar. Why couldn't I get away?

"You can't run far, Ms. Kennedy!" Mr. Vitale shouted, running after me. Behind him were two of the men from the room.

I picked up my speed as fast as I could in this tight dress, seeing the concrete stairs fall in my line of vision. I was almost there. I was almost-

My foot slipped as it met a puddle of slick blood. I was able to catch myself with my arms but not before my head met the edge of a step. I saw Mr. Vitale and the men closing in on me as everything began to grow hazy and then black.