housekeeper

28. They discovered us!

(Vanessa)

In the building, a ruckus is brewing. Karen and her companion grow increasingly jittery with each passing moment.

"They discovered us!" shouts Karen. She takes the cloth they use to gag my mouth and ties it around my mouth tighter than usual.

The man takes his weapon and points it at the door. I look at him until I feel something cold against my temple. I try to get away from it with my head, but Karen holds me tight.

Fear grips me, my heart pounding in my chest. The cold metal of the barrel against my temple sends shivers down my spine. I feel a wave of panic rising, but I force myself to stay still, knowing that any sudden movement could be fatal. My mind races with thoughts of escape and the desperate hope that help is on the way. Tears well up in my eyes, but I fight to keep them from falling, determined to stay strong in the face of danger. The gag in my mouth makes it difficult to breathe, and I struggle to stay calm, every muscle in my body tense with fear.

"No wrong move, or I'll shoot your brain out," she snapped as she presses the barrel against my temple so hard that I mumble through my mouth in pain. After several forceful kicks, the door bursts off its hinges and crashes to the floor.

A few gunshots are fired from both sides until Karen yells, "Stop, or I'll shoot a bullet through her brain."

The men stop, but still have their weapons pointed at Karen. The man standing by her falls to his knees before falling forward to the ground. A pool of blood appears from beneath his body. 

"You fool," she shouts, and I feel the metal pressing even more against my temple.

Then, casting a desperate look back at the men in the doorway, my eyes lock with James's. A flicker of hope ignites within me, fragile yet fierce. My rescuers are here. The crowd parts like the Red Sea, and I watch, heart pounding, as a figure steps forward with determined strides.

"Lower all weapons, men," commands the man who appears to be in charge, his voice steady and authoritative.

The men obey, their weapons clattering to the ground in unison. A single tear escapes from the corner of my eye, tracing a path down my cheek. The cold barrel of her gun still presses against my temple, a stark reminder of the peril I'm in. Yet, amidst the chaos, a sense of calm washes over me. This is the moment I've been waiting for. 

But that's not what gives me the most hope. No, it's the intense gaze of the last man in sight: Dave. His eyes burn with a fierce determination, a silent promise that he will not let anything happen to me. At that moment, I know I am not alone.

"Dave? What a surprise to see you here," says an enthusiastic Karen. 

His eyes remain locked on mine, the determination in them unwavering. But then, they shift to hers, and instantly, his expression transforms into a chilling frown, sending a shiver down my spine. "Why shouldn't I come. You have my fiancé at gunpoint there. Please let her go. Name your prize and I'll give it to you."

"Ah, Dave. You know what I want. I want you, and I don't think you want to give me that."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you're somehow mad in love for this witch here. But I wonder. When I drill a bullet through her brain. Will you come back to me, or will you kill me on the spot?"

"If I understand correctly, you want me. But you know for sure that I will never come back to you. Why are you holding Vanessa at gunpoint and not me? I think my death is the only way to get rid of your feelings for me. I'm standing here, without a weapon. Without any chance of defence. Look..." Dave pulls his shirt open, eliciting a protest from the imposing boss standing beside him. "I'll even take off my bulletproof jacket and stand here in my bare chest, ready to receive that bullet from you here." 

Dave's hand trembles as he gestures to his heart, his eyes filled with a mix of determination and sorrow. Tears blur my vision as I gaze at the man ready to lay down his life for mine. The cold metal of the gun's barrel withdraws slightly, but the threat remains, the muzzle still trained on me. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat a reminder of the fragile line between life and death.

Karen points her weapon at Dave and a shot is fired. I sit with narrowed eyes, screaming in my cloth. "Ow," Karen moans before I hear her fall down next to me. I open my eyes and see the boss standing there with a Glock in his hand. James is standing in front of Dave. When I look next to me, Karen is shaking and looking shocked at the blood in her hand. In this short time, so much is happening that my brain doesn't have time to process it all. Or is almost nothing happening and are they playing tricks on me?

The next sensation I register is the freedom of my hands. I reach up to my mouth and pull off the cloth, sliding it down from my mouth to my neck. Dave sits before me, assisting with the ropes bound around my ankles. When I feel liberated, I leap into his embrace and eagerly kiss him on the lips. The kiss is full of hunger, full of emotion and full of joy. Tears stream down my face, and a sense of disappointment washes over me as the kiss ends. 

"I've missed you so much," Dave murmurs, brushing away my tears. I mirror his actions, noticing the redness in his eyes, the weariness in his gaze. He appears gaunt, his neglected beard a testament to his lack of self-care. 

Dave presses his cheek to my hand, covering it with his own. His eyes, filled with a mix of relief and desperation, lock onto mine. "I didn't know how I'd survive another day without you," he confesses, his voice trembling with emotion.

Tears well up in my eyes as I respond, "Dave, I missed you too. I thought I'd never see you again. That I was going to die here without you." My voice cracks, the weight of our separation pressing down on me.

"Come on, we're going home," Dave says with determination, straightening me up and wrapping me in a protective hug. His warmth and strength give me a glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, a shot ring out, shattering the moment. A searing pain erupts in my side, and I gasp, clutching at the wound. Dave's eyes widen in horror as another shot follows, echoing through the air.

"Vanessa!" Dave's voice pierces through the chaos, filled with panic and urgency. The world around me starts to spin, the edges of my vision blurring into darkness. I feel myself falling backwards, the ground rushing up to meet me.

Before everything goes black, I sense the strong, reassuring grip of two arms lifting me up. The pain in my side throbs, but the warmth of the embrace offers a fleeting comfort. My consciousness fades, but I hold on to the hope that Dave won't let go.