That One Ride

Chapter 52: Dead?

Third Person POV

“This is not true. No.” Eliana said, shaking her head like a deer trembling in the forest at the hunting tiger. Why would she not? Least of all, this was not in her head, seeing Henrick in flesh looking at her. He had those same eyes, but the body was tanned. She found herself frozen in the spot, breathing hard and fast. As much as she tried to keep the thoughts of what happened that day away from her mind, the reality was striking like a storm.

“I told you to stay away from her and I will stay hidden.” said Henrick., “But… I also warned you that if you even think of harming her again… I will destroy you once and for all.”

Henrick’s eyes never lost Eliana’s sight. And then there was his daughter, his reason to live… the one he sacrificed everything for. A tug in his heart made him clench the jaw at how she was lying on the ground. Something was wrong. Utterly wrong. His eyes drifted to the boy standing alongside his daughter, the fatherly instincts screaming within to come out at surface. Alex McOwen, that’s what the boy said when he first saw him with Teresa in Bali.

********

The burning sun sizzled his skin as Henrick tied the bedsheet over his window. Peeking out of the small room, the same mountains and same faces looked back at him. That’s what his life was for 7 years. Alone. Secluded. Boring. The only thing that kept him alive were the memories of his daughter smiling at him whenever he came home with anything edible with chocolate in it.

Does she still like chocolate as much now?

Done with the heat protection, he sat on the balcony of his village house. Which was rather big as compared to others nearby. Money never struck him as much, because he fled from his home country with enough for a lifetime. So, to kill time, he became the common helper of Bali. Tourists today were very notorious and annoying… what was it about such eagerness in youth was out of his understanding standards. Taking a mouth full of his sandwich, Henrick’s eyes drifted at the opposite corner of the street.

The plate in his hands fell down into pieces at the sight of Teresa clinging in the arms of a man. He swiped the sudden urge of anger as tears of joy rushed down the cheeks. He quickly wiped the tears and leaned backwards, under the shades of bedsheet he hanged on the window. With binocular in his hands, his vision zoomed to her. She was still so beautiful. Still the replica of his facial features and that smile… god damn him for missing it so much.

Henrick’s head pounded as if it would burst into flames. He could not come into her sight! What the hell was she doing here, and with a BOY? Under normal circumstances, he would have snapped that boy’s head, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

He narrowed his eyes, adjusting the binocular closer to his nose. The boy whispered something in her ears and her ears turned red. Oh, boy! They halted at the shop, Teresa looking at following gift pieces when the boy parted his ways from her, leaving Teresa alone.

What a looser. Henrick whispered to himself, but engaged in looking at his daughter from distance. Whatever the time he was given by god, he will endure it. He captured the sight of Teresa like a life insurance. It would be enough for him for a long… long time.

“Henrick.” A voice came from behind his back.

“Go away.” Henrick said, without putting the binoculars down.

The man cleared his throat. “I know you are looking at Teresa.”

That was when Henrick’s body snapped back. There stood the same man who was with her. “Who are you?”

“Alex McOwen. I need you, Henrick.” Alex said.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“It’s Eliana and Adam. It took me so long to find where you are hiding all these years. So please, let’s keep the talk short. She is expecting me.”

Henrick narrowed his eyes at him, and they started talking.

********

Police sirens echoed the barren lands, snapping every head inside the small room to come to their senses. Shock was clear of all the three culprits as Robert pulled out his gun. Mark, who was standing right beside him, pulled his revolver faster and paralysed Robert in his position as he pressed the gun on Robert’s throat. Eliana took several steps back towards Adam, her second hand in all the atrocious things.

“You are going to pay for this. Your daughter is going to pay for this.” Eliana barked at Henrick, then looked at Alex with poison dripping down her eyes.

She still hadn’t accepted the fact that her end was mere minutes away from her, that this was all karma striking back with power. Reality did not strike until an office, followed by a man in a formal suit, came inside with handcuffs clicking on her wrist.

She wiggled her hands. The hit on her knees made her sit down. She looked up at the officer, her eyes wide and flames of anger sending daggers.

“You, Eliana Lewis, are arrested for an attempt to murder, kidnapping, and money laundry case. Anything you say will be taken against you in the court.” Officer said.

Eliana moved her head to left, where Adam was looking… defeated? She clenched her jaw.

Adam had accepted that they have lost. He had accepted it long before… to be precise, the moment Henrick walked inside he knew he was over and so did his arrogant wife. He loved her, and the comfort that came along with Eliana, hence he never so much as questioned. His love for Eliana bring out the best of his jealousy too. Brought out the best of his dark side.

When another officer came to Robert, he became excessively violent, flying his legs in the air, trying to punch the officer and screaming that he had not done it on his own… or he did not deserve any of it… or that he would kill everyone present in the room. Those shouting eased out into a silent series of mumbles as the officer fired with his electric shock weapon. After everything that Robert had done… be it the years and years of torment, problems for Alex in his business and then interfering in his love life- the only thing Alex was feeling was pain. Because he did not miss the look Robert gave him a few minutes ago.

Before anything could have progressed further, an earth shattering scream shook the walls from Alex’s behind. Teresa clutched her stomach and sobbed with painful screams, tears flowing down her cheeks. Alex sat next to her in an instant, his heart beating so fast that amidst the high pitch sound of Teresa’s scream he could listen to the vibrations in his chest.

“Wh-what’s happening?” he asked, berserkly moving his hands over Teresa’s spine, tugging her hair behind and wiping the tears. SHe was still weak, her entire body was feeling numb from all the blows Adam delivered to her ribs and face… but this pain in her stomach, it was unbearable.

She was wheezing, as if there was no room for air to enter.

Alex’s head snapped at Jacob, and in the motion of his moment, his eyes met with Eliana’s smirk. The officer was dragging Eliana out of the room when she opened her mouth. “At least I will take away the bastard in her stomach.”

A deadly silent…. quite than the graveyard, fell into the room.

The only sound that let Alex realise he was not in coma or heart attack was continuous screaming of Teresa. HE wasted no breath in picking her into his arms and running towards the car. Mark was quicker, as he opened the back gate of car and let Alex settle Teresa’s body inside. He could not bear with the screams, and if there was any way… any chance where he could transfer her pain in his body, he would do it without blinking.

The car roared to life as Mark sped up on the road ahead, towards the nearest hospital.

Alex ran his hand over Teresa’s sweaty forehead when her chest shook up and down so heavily and so fast, as if she was on the brink of losing the thread of hope.

“Stay awake! God damn it, stay the fuck awake Teresa!” Alex said, his own voice breaking with every word, tears coming down for the first time.

A scream roared into the car and this time it came out of Alex’s throat.

One moment her hand was on stomach, tugging the material of her top in palm. Another moment that same hand fell down, like a lifeless corpse, and her face turned stony. Void of emotions. Void of life.