"Can you stay with me tonight, Adriano? I promise it will just be for tonight" she whispered, her voice tired.
"I'd stay with you forever if you wanted," I say to her as I crawl up next to her on her bed. She cuddles herself into me and mutters a th...
ANTONIO My wife and I quiver and she leans into me as we hear the progressive sounds of bombs going off around us.
We hear bantering outside the metallic door to our room, preceded by careless bullets, but the sounds of bullets around here are nothing foreign. I’m filled with worry for my child outside these doors especially when such havoc was going on out there.
The handle of our door is wound and I wrap a protective hand around my wife even though I knew I was unable to alter the situation. Being locked up here has been humbling and eye-opening; there are certain mistakes I am sure not to make again. But I fear it's too late now, they are mistakes I should never have made to begin with.
My lips form into a rueful smile. So many years in this business and I made the most greenhorn mistake. I had impracticable expectations which were met in a completely irreconcilable way and most of all, I put my family in danger. I put them here. I put my daughter in the monster’s room she’s in right now.
She always refrains from telling us what fully happens in there and insures us she was okay because Adriano helped but even I saw the doubt in her that his help would make an impact this time.
Finally, the door pushes open and I never could have been ready even if my whole lifetime was used to prepare me for this moment. Miguel stood in front of us looking sharp, organized and angry. Anger was an emotion I’d never seen him possess. He was always so happy-go-lucky but yet so inhuman and for the first time, he seemed serious. Determined and vengeful. Anyone could tell he was out for blood, a population would significantly reduce today.
My wife stiffens in my arms before freeing herself from my grip and running into Miguel’s arms. She managed to force a smile out of his seemingly sculpted cold face. Without another thought, I immediately joined them in the embrace, which shortly ended as we knew it wasn’t the time for cuddles and laughter just yet.
“Juan!” Miguel orders, and promptly, a guy I recognise as one of my men walks in with a bag and drops it carefully on the floor.
“The bag contains some pills to cease and terminate the work Javier’s is doing in your body. Take it and there are also weapons in there. Yes, they are the types you like to handle. When you feel better and ready for the height of action out there, you can join us. For now, I’m going to have fun,” Elena and I were quiet and attentive as he debriefed us in Spanish before leaving.
We shared a common emotion; pride.
MIGUEL
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It is of no surprise the astronomical lengths my uncle would go to for self-pleasure. His house went on halls and halls of rooms where my uncle held women, hostage in revolting conditions.
I had tasked myself with the ultimate goal of searching every nook and cranny of this house, setting everyone he was holding captive free, unaliving the men that helped him hurt and abuse those women and anyone that attempted to inhibit that goal.
