No Escape

Chapter 14

            Ever since I heard that Daniel could be alive, I've been trying to hear more. It's been 2 weeks, if he was alive wouldn't he have come back for me already? Daniel wouldn't leave me here. But I couldn't rely on uncertainty alone. I was stuck in a hell hole and with or without Daniel I had to get out. I've monitored each guards shift closely, the ones I can see through the window, the ones at my door and the ones in the hallway. In between each shift change there's a roughly two-minute window. In mid-thought Martel bussed through the door. I sat on the bed looking at him, he looked around the room. "What do you know?" he asked. "What are you talking about?" I asked completely clueless. "You know exactly what I'm talking about bitch!" he shouted reaching for my neck. "I'm sure he's found some way to contact you by now, don't play like I'm dumb." My heart began to race, obviously he's talking about Daniel, that means he must be alive. "I have no idea what you're talking about Martel," I said with my face clueless, "can you leave now?" "You don't know?" he said, his face looking a bit puzzled. "FUCK!" he shouted, leaving and slamming the door behind him. So I was right, Daniel is alive. I was relieved but a bit worried at the same time, is he coming for me? I'm sure he was. He wouldn't leave me here.

                                                                                             

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?!" I jumped out of my sleep. I didn't even realize I had dozed off. Martel was shouting from his office. It was loud enough for me to hear. I pressed my ear to the door to see what I could hear. "I BUILT.... FROM THE GROUND.... SPANISH FUCKER..." I couldn't hear much but I could make out a few words. Daniel must have done something. Suddenly there was an explosion outside. I ran to the window, dust danced around in the air. I heard gunshots, lots of them. A bullet flew through the window about 2 inches from my face. I backed away just in time, the door kicked open and there he was, Daniel. "We gotta go now!" I was frozen, I couldn't believe he was here, alive, in front of me. He came up to me, placed a kiss on my forehead, "Sorry, I took so long, but we've gotta go now!" he said pulling my arm. We scurried along the hallway, one of Martel's men was slumped over at the end of the hallway, blood gushing from his neck. I didn't see anymore guards. We went down the flights of stairs, there we gunshots ringing in the distance and some in proximity. Dust impeded my vision. Everything was so loud. We passed the main entrance and headed to the basement. "why are we headed that way?" "That's where our escape route is." As we entered the basement a shot rang out and Daniel threw me in the wall. "You thought you'd just ruin my life, take my wife and get away you Spanish fucker?" Martel muttered. Daniel was bleeding from his shoulder. "You don't deserve her, you never did." The lighting was poor, but I could see two shadows beside Martel. Daniel cannot make it against the three of them alone. Daniel was partially shielded behind the same wall I was. "Let us leave here Martel," I pleaded between tears. "You ... my chouchou. All I've done I did for you. I made you famous, I gave you my money, I provided for you, I cared for you, I loved you." "THAT WAS NOT LOVE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS!" I screamed at him. "Well today I'll find out, let's see if your lover is willing to die for you. He went this far, destroyed my business I built from the ground up, just for some slut" Martel's goons opened fire at the wall Daniel and I were behind. He crouched over next to me, "it's gonna be okay, do you trust me?" I nodded. Daniel took out his phone, sent a text, then went to the edge of the wall to start firing back. the gunshots stopped, "Are you ready to die for her?!" Martel shouted. "Shut up and fight, fucker," Daniel said running from behind the wall firing, there was a loud explosion from the wall behind me, and gunshots swirled pass me. I saw a men emerge from the dust and rubble, one of whom I recognized as Gunz. "Get outta hear through the hole!" he shouted at me, "but Daniel..." I shouted. "We got this," he responded. I crawled forward then got up and ran through the hole. I hid behind a car, waiting on the gunfire to cease. I began to cry, holding the pendant on my chain.

After about 15 minutes the gunfire began to die down, I heard shouts coming from the hole. I saw some men bringing Daniel out. He was bleeding all over. I rushed over, "DANIEL, Daniel my baby," I held his face, he was bleeding from his chest, "mi amor", "Daniel don't die, don't leave me please," tears strolling down my face, "I accept your proposal, I love you, don't leave me." His eye closed.



It's been 6 months after the ordeal with Martel. Hopefully soon it'll be a distant memory, one that no longer pains or haunts me. Daniel handed me my tequila mid thought. His shirtless body emphasized by the sun. Three scars from the bullets, almost healed. One in the shoulder, two in his chest. My mind flashed back to that day, there was so much blood. "Where's your mind at?"

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you. You risked your life for me, I'm eternally grateful for you, Gunz, everybody."

"Let's not go back there, let's look towards our future, our family," he said while rubbing my stomach, "we have life and a lot of things to experience together, we'll be okay."

This was how life should be, this is how love should feel, pure, genuine, light.

I can finally start living my life as me, Abbigale. No more Janet, no more looking over my back, no more worrying. I looked at the ring on my left hand, soon-to-be-Mrs. Harrington.