A love like ours ✔️

♛29.The fires of Hell

Soraya

The wind makes a strand of hair from my braid break free as I try to close the distance between Teo and I. The air is warm and heavy with humidity, not exactly the most pleasant combination, but the luxuriant vegetation which borders the carefully mentained path offers a reprieve from the sun's heat.

I spot the first blue mark that shows the trail I'm on is the correct one, not that I need it, given the fact that I can already see Teo ahead of me. I nudge my white stallion, Snow, to go faster. Not even a minute later, my horse gets scared of something and it rears on its back legs. That takes me by surprise so I grab tightly onto his neck trying to hold on. Once it gets back on all fours and seeing that I managed to stay in the saddle, I let out sigh of relief. That's until I see what provoked the reaction in my mount. A fucking tranqulizer dart is embeded in the side of his neck. I have no doubt that it was meant for me, but luckily the person who fired it has poor aim when it comes to targets that are in motion. Yet I'm not moving anymore.

I scream Teo's name then I pull my gun from my thigh holster, quickly sliding off the horses's back. I don't know how strong that thing was, but Snow seems wobbly, and I don't need his weight crushing me and making me helpless. A few seconds later he topples over to the ground and I know I've made the right choice. For goodness' sake, the stuff was enough to knock out a horse.

If I'm correct, they don't want to kill me. Why bother with trying to sedate me first if they just wanted me dead? No, the fucker is working for those who want me captured. I look around trying to see who shot the dart, but I decide it's smarter to hide behind a tree rather than being a sitting duck. My phone rings. Fuck! I dismiss the call and press the button to switch it on silent just as I hear a gun being fired, followed by a bullet that grazes the bark of the tree close to my shoulder. However, that gives the assailant's position away too, so I aim and answer with a bullet of my own. Somebody grunts so that mean I've hit my target. Good.

Above my head there's a branch that seems solid enough to support my weight. I jump up and grabbing it to pull myself up in the tree. I crounch on the branch, and look around. My vantage point allows me to see that the person was not alone, there are more hiding in the bushes. This is an ambush, but luckily I can spot my people too. Enzo is with them. I whistle a low tune, hoping they'll understand the message. I can only be sure about my guard, since the others haven't personally trained with me. But this is standard code for the Morellis, so when they begin to spread around I know that they're now aware that we're surrounded.

I look back to the trail. Snow is on the ground but the steady raise an fall of his belly show me that he's just sleeping. He'll find his way back to his owners when he wakes up since he knows his way around. A hundred feet or so ahead of him, I spot a passed out Teo being dragged away by someone who's no doubt a member of the Triad. Not on my watch. I don't think twice before aiming my Desert Eagle at his head and pull the trigger. He drops dead.

Unfortunately that costs me dearly, for bullets start flying my way and I have to hastily jump off the branch to avoid them. I land on my left shoulder and the jolt of searing pain paired with a crunching sound that follows, lets me know that I've dsilocated it. I get up and hide behind another tree. I pull the safety on and tuck my gun back in the holster to quickly pop my shoulder back into place. It's not the first time I have to do this, but mother fucking ouch!

Just when I want to get back to fighting, there's a sting in my leg. No. This can't be fucking happening.

My head hits something hard before everything goes black.

***

When I wake up, there's this pounding in my temples that threatend to split my skull open. I expect to be tied up somewhere, but instead I'm laying on a cot, in  what seems to be a small hut, with Enzo sitting by my side. This must be one of my safe houses.