FALLEN | The Devil of Caracas

Chapter 12 | Target Confirmed

Lexi stares at the three innocent bodies propped up in the opposite corner of the dark room. The father is on the left, with his head resting on his wife's shoulder. To the right, slumps their daughter, leaning against the wall. Lexi studies the young girl. She grows concerned for the child; the trauma she now faces could drastically affect her the rest of her life.

Lexi's stomach starts to feel heavy, burdened with guilt. 'Is this worth it?' she thinks to herself. These three bystanders were in the way. They were an obstacle.  And just like any obstacle, they needed to be removed from the path.

At least they're safe - for now.

Just then the father begins to stir. He tries to move, but is clearly struggling to regain consciousness. He convulses. Lexi sits up straight and watches him.

The man is wearing a pair of pajama pants and no shirt; Lexi can clearly see his stomach seizing. He jolts forward, gagging and choking.

"Shit!" Lexi jumps out of her chair, swinging the MP5's sling off her shoulder and plopping it on the ground. She runs to the man, grabs the edge of the tape on his mouth, and rips it off his face.

He coughs violently. His body seizes, as the vomit pours out of his mouth and into his lap. She leans him forward, slapping his back, in hopes to clear it all out.

Lexi's gut churns at the sight and smell. 'Oh, please not now,' she begs her body. She breathes through her mouth and averts her eyes.

Obviously, his body did not react well to the dose of Sevoflurane Jason gave him. The man leans back, gasping for air, coughing and trying to clear his throat.

He suddenly panics, moving his head in every direction trying to observe his surroundings, regardless of the blindfold. He notices Lexi's hand on his shoulder and shudders away from her, yelling in his native tongue. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" he demands.

"It's okay," Lexi replies in Spanish. "We're not going to hurt you." She tries to keep her voice calm. Her stomach continues to swirl.

"What's happening? Where are they? Where's my family?" 

"Your family is right next to you. Both of them."

Just then, his wife begins to stir; her husband's movements have pulled her from the temporary coma. Her breathing becomes heavier and her confused mind processes the sensations. She begins to panic.

"It's okay," says Lexi again. "We're not going to hurt you." This doesn't help.

The woman attempts a muffled scream, restricted by the Duct tape.

"Honey, it's okay, I'm here," says the husband. "I'm right here."

"Okay, here's the deal," starts Lexi. "We're going to sit here in silence for the next few hours, okay?"

"What do you want with us?" asks the husband again.

Lexi rolls her eyes. "Nothing, but silence," she answers. "We just need your house for a few hours. We'll be gone by sunrise and you can move on with your lives. I promise."

"Just tell us why you're here?" demands the husband.

Lexi picks up the roll of Duct tape. "Nope," she simply replies. Then she pulls off a fresh strip of tape, producing a loud tear. The husband startles when he hears the sound.

"What's that?" he asks, in a panic.

"Stop talking," says Lexi, as she quickly smashes the tape over his mouth.

She then requests Sam to come downstairs and clean up the man's vomit. Normally she wouldn't turn her nose up to the task, but her body simply can't handle it and she's attempting everything she can to avoid vomiting, herself. Sam returns upstairs, once the deed is done. Then the young girl finally wakes up from her slumber. Lexi attempts to keep her calm, reassuring her and her family they will not be harmed.