BREATHE ✔

Chapter 39

Dedicated to anyone passing through one problem or the other. You are not alone. God be with you. Amen.

Isi's POV

Each hour that passed seemed like a year of torture. My leg felt numb as a result of the knife still pierced into it. I was so hungry and weak.

I thought about Adrian. Is he worried about me, is he searching for me? Will he ever find me?

Still famished, I didn't even know when I slept off. It wasn't a refreshing sleep because of the heat, and some insects flying around my ears.

I woke up instantly when I heard a conversation between Louisa and two people but I couldn't decipher their voices. I got scared.

Has Louisa called more people to torture me the more? Beads of sweat cascaded from my forehead down to my nose.

I heard footsteps treading towards the spot directly above me and suddenly, a voice resonated around the house.

"You're lying. Tell me where she is right now or I'll hand you over to the cops when they arrive."

It was Adrian's voice. I could detect it even in an enormous crowd.

How did he find me?

Deciding to do what I believed Was the most important thing for them to find me, I screamed.

I felt a little bit weaker after I screamed but I didn't give up. I kept screaming, so he would hear and trace my voice to this godforsaken basement without delay.

The footsteps became closer to me and the door of the basement flew open and Adrian rushed down the stairs to me.

When he got to me, he knelt down in front of me and fondled my face. I closed my eyes, revelling in the touch.

"Isi... Are you alright? Talk to me." His voice was so soft and smooth, I thought it was a dream.

"Yes." I coughed in order to clear my throat. "I'm fine. How did you find me?" I asked.

"Through Roberto's help and your phone's GPS. I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you earlier. I feel so ashamed of myself, making you turn on your GPS and not remembering to find you."

"It's alright. Everything works for a reason. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're here and that's what matters." I easily brushed off his apology.

He stood and gasped. I looked at him, he was staring at my leg where the knife was still half buried.

"Has this been there the whole time?" I nodded. "I want you to take a deep breath because I want to take it out and it's gonna be painful." I nodded again.

He removed the knife swiftly and a sharp pain erupted which made me scream. He made use of the blood stained knife to cut off the duct tapes on my ankles and hands. He helped me stand but my legs were wobbly and I couldn't move. He lifted and carried me bridal style up the stairs and out of the basement.

"Where is Louisa?" I asked when we got to the hallway leading to the living room.

"She is in the living room. Roberto held her when we heard your voice." He replied.

We moved to the living room but saw only Roberto on the floor, holding his groin and gritting his teeth in pain. Adrian placed me gently on the nearest chair and with great haste, moved to Roberto. He helped him up.

"What happened? Why are you on the floor and where is Louisa?" He asked him.

"I'm sorry man. She was too fast. I don't know how she managed to free herself from my grasp and kick me in the balls. She's really crazy." Roberto said then he rushed towards me and hugged me.

"Are you okay Isi?" He asked and I nodded.

"Let's go." Adrian suggested and picked me up again. We were about to get to the door when Louisa stepped into view, holding a gun.

"Put her down right now." She shouted and pointed the gun to Adrian and I.

"Never, I would never do that." he shouted right back, defiantly.

"Adrian, please obey her. I don't want you to get hurt." I said. He shook his head and I cradled his face and urged him to put me down. He finally conceded and dropped me tenderly.

"What do you want Louisa? Don't I pay you enough? Why would you decide to hurt me this way?" Adrian asked after I was safely on the floor, standing on my own two feet.

"All I ever wanted is you, Adrian. You never noticed me. I tried all I could while working for you but it was like I never existed." She had tears in her eyes as she spoke and for a moment I pitied her. I never knew how it felt to love someone and not get the reciprocated feeling.

"Louisa just because I don't love you doesn't mean you won't find someone else who will love and cherish you. Please let us go." Adrian responded carefully so as not to hurt her feelings.

"I can't. She has to die so that we can be together forever." She gestured to me and pointed the gun.

Adrian immediately stood in front of me shielding me from the gun.

"You have to go through me first." He said.

Roberto also stood in front of Adrian, shielding the both of us.

"If you want to kill my brother and Isi, you'll have to kill me first." Roberto said.

I was grateful for these two men in my life.

"Well then, you've all made your choices. I'm going to kill Isi first then Roberto and finally you Adrian. Since I can't have you, no one else can. I'll kill you and then kill myself so that we can both be together in the afterlife." She said.

She was about to shoot when the door front door swung open and Leo, Antonio and a few cops stepped in. They were all armed with guns.

"Drop the gun Louisa or we shoot." Leo's voice echoed round the living room.

"It's too late everyone. I have to be with the love of my life." She whispered and pulled the trigger.

I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands as the sound of the gun boomed. Slowly, I opened my eyes and uncovered my ears. I searched my body to see if I was shot.

I wasn't.

I looked at Adrian and Roberto. They were not shot. Who then was shot?

That was when I saw her. Louisa laid lifeless on the floor with her gun close by. There was a bullet hole in her head and blood oozed out of it, making a pool beneath her head. I looked at Leo's gun and saw little smoke coming out of it.

Then it hit me.

When Louisa was about to shoot us, Leo shot her instead. I couldn't believe she was dead.
Adrian and Roberto hugged me for a long while. Adrian kept chanting "It's over baby" in my ears. Leo called the nearest ambulance and soon, they came and pulled her corpse into the van. One of the nurses took a first aid kit and helped clean my injury.

I thanked her, the detectives and the rest of the cops, I thanked Roberto and he smiled at me. I hugged Adrian.

"At last, the troubles are over." He whispered.

"Oh Adrian, I feel so sad that she died." I whispered back.

"I know she doesn't deserve it but she left the police no choice. I wonder how her brother will feel when he finds out."

"I'm happy we are alive. God is great!" I replied.

"Yes, He is." he looked into my eyes. "I love you." He said.

"I love you too."

He kissed me. It felt like a million years ago I had his lips pressed to mine. I kissed him with the same fervency. Our lips and tongue sealed and it was a moment I would cherish for eternity.

We got into Roberto's car later and he drove us.

He drove us home.