Defender's Heartbeat 2

Chapter 15

Enzo

Pedro made sure to bring three of his vehicles, and we all climbed into one of them. I had to sit in the middle, squeezed between Pedro and Papa.

"Hello, idiot," Louis said, settling into the front passenger seat.

I shot Pedro an annoyed glance. Why did he have to bring Louis?

As soon as the doors closed, Pedro began addressing me with the names of all the animals in the animal kingdom. I just stared ahead, refusing to engage, and still didn't glance at Papa's face. He was on leave, and I wondered how he knew I was here and why he had come with them.

After a few minutes of Pedro blaming me, he finally shut his damn mouth, but then Louis picked up where he left off, hurling his own accusations. I felt sleepy and closed my eyes, trying to block out Louis's horrible voice in the background.

Someone kept talking and talking, and suddenly, it was dark. I had no idea how it got dark so quickly until I realized my head was covered with a black fabric bag. Breathing became difficult, and I tried to scream, but my mouth was tied shut.
"He's just a kid. I don't think he'll run away," a man said.

Then I found myself in a dark, filthy room, feeling terrified. The place was dirty, with grime covering the floor and walls. The man sitting across from me looked unkempt, as if he hadn't cleaned himself in a while. I noticed bloodstains and dead bodies scattered around, and the whole place reeked. Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and I was on a road, holding a gun. A group of men was attacking Papa nearby. I tried to defend him by shooting, but it seemed to have no effect. They kept coming toward me like zombies, bleeding but undeterred.

I felt terrified and screamed for Papa, struggling to move, but my legs refused to budge.
"Enzo, Enzo... Wake up," I heard someone say.

"Son," Papa's voice reached me, accompanied by a gentle touch on my face. I opened my eyes, breathing heavily, soaked in sweat despite the A/C in the vehicle. Papa and Pedro stared at me, their expressions filled with concern.

I was gripped by a severe headache and an overwhelming urge to vomit.

"Are you okay, son?" Papa asked, his presence bringing a sense of relief, though the nausea persisted.

"I want to puke," I gasped, and the guard swiftly stopped the vehicle. Papa opened the door, and I stumbled out, emptying my stomach. My head throbbed mercilessly, and I clutched my hair, doubling over in pain.

"Is it the headache?" Papa asked, his hand resting on my back.

I nodded, and he handed me one of my painkillers, which I swallowed eagerly.
"Let's go," Pedro said calmly, and I noticed Louis watching me with concern.

"Not in that one. It stinks," I muttered, gesturing to the vehicle I had just vacated.

"It doesn't stink," Pedro said, looking surprised at Papa and Louis.

"I can't go in that one. I want another one," I insisted.

They switched SUVs. I tried my best not to fall asleep, afraid of experiencing those dreams again.

"What did you see to scream like that?" Louis asked after a few minutes.

"Nothing," I muttered.

"How's the headache, baby?" Papa asked.

"Don't call him baby, Manuel. He's not a freaking baby. This is all your fault. You treat him with all this nonsense, petting him like a toddler," Louis blamed Papa, and Papa fell silent.