The Addiction

The Addiction - Chapter 7 Prt 3

Marel bones tense as she hears Peliz's voice sound over the overwhelming crowd. Her heart beats in her chest like symphony drums. Bum bump. Bum bump. 

She urges herself to heave from the ground and get her mother to safety, but she doesn't even have the will to look from behind the table. She sits there, her knees pulled to the crevice of her chest, tears beginning to layer her eyes glassy. She knew that the people who escaped the grandhall would be able to call the police on the outside, but what if Hirez had his men holding up the entrance? 

'Maybe she escaped. Maybe she's safe somewhere.' Her mind keeps replaying those words over and over. She prays to the heavenly gods above for this severe nightmare to dissipate. She wants to be strong, but how? What can she do against multiple men with guns? 

After the most of the hall falls to a dismal silence, she hear's one of the men's voice clearly. His ruff words carry around the grand hall as if each letter was scratching at the painted walls. 

"Oh Peliz, Peliz, Peliz. You really did do it today didn't you? Not inviting me to this!" Marel pulls the excess fabric of her dress tighter to her chest as she places one of her hands to her lips to cease a sob. He's talking to him, which can only mean that they've got him. 

She thinks back to how the party started. She didn't even see them in the crowd, and if she did, didn't recognize they were a threat at all. 

"You've made a mistake for that mi amigo. You know we love each other Peliz. We always have, but what you did to me, what kind of love is that?" He speculates as his voice goes dangerously low. Marel's ears prick as moments goes by, in fear that she'll hear a gun shot and it wouldn't be aimed at the ceiling.

"YOU STUPID, AIR THIEVING DOG!" His voice is loud and sharp, awakening in the middle of a icy hall before it reduces to silence once more. She flinches as she hears skin hit skin, and a sudden grunt before the air descends dead. She prays, she counts, she wants, but she still doesn't have her beloved in her arms, or the knowledge of her mother being safely at home. Who ever this man is, Marel knows that Peliz has done something behind her back to cause him to be so angry. 

"Hirez," Peliz's weary voice softens the air.

"This is not the time for this. You told me you dropped it." 

"Dropped it!?" A hardy deep laugh soon follows. Marel clutches to her clothes like a lifeline. 

"No, no I could never! Not with our good history amigo. We don't have any type of ill-will between us, right Peliz? We never have, and we never will, however-"

"This is not a game Hirez. You've interrupted a very important-"

Another deafening slap is heard, and Peliz's deep voice falls into silence. 

"You're right, This isn't a game Peliz. But life comes with rules as well. Rules your men have broken."

"It isn't my fault. It isn't these people's fault. Its not like I knew that my men caused it." Peliz asserts urgently. 

"No Peliz, say it out loud. Don't shy away from it. My girl is gone because of it. A few of my brothers are gone because of it." He says slowly with venom in his voice. Marel breathes in deeply, knowing that she has to find out who's still here, and if one of them is her mother. 

As she hears the stranger's scratchy dismal voice advance across the grand hall again, she reluctantly looks behind her table, and low and behold, she sees her mother surrounded by people behind a overturn furniture semi-nearby, with one of Hirez's men standing in front of it. Its as if he's guarding it, with his gun cocked and his finger itching on the trigger. 

She can't explain the horror she feels as she watches her mother longingly. 

"So, I was thinking lately. What can I do to return the favor? What can I do to return a favor to my good man Peliz?"

"Hirez, whatever you're thinking of doing it won't change what happened. Please just let it go. We can discuss more about it without anyone getting hurt."

His menacing chuckle ice's Marel's spine.

"You're funny amigo. Brothers!" Hirez demands.

"Bring  them forward, put them in a line in front of me. Oooh, this is going to be fun."

Marel's heart freezes as she hears footsteps start to raise everywhere. As she looks from behind her table to see what was happening with her mother, she is instead greeted with the dark pants that Hirez's men wears. 

She gradually looks up into his cloaked face as he grabs her by her arm vehemently. All she can think about is struggle. Struggle for her life and her mother's. She kicks and scratch strenuously until the man let's her go, but that only brought the attention of two other brothers, who run over to her and grab her by both sides of her arm.

"Oh a spicy one we've got over there." She can hear Hirez jest as her cheeks and ears ignite with rage. This isn't happening. 

Over the drifting screams of the victims being wrenched from their positions around the hall, Marel is able to see where Peliz is. As she's brought to the front, she sees that Hirez has placed him next to him with his hands bind, almost as if he wants Peliz to also experience the unknown atrocities his about to inflict on these people. Including herself. She's pushed down on her knees like everyone else. 

Marel watches as her lover's once golden face pales to comparison as his dark eyes land on hers.  

It takes minutes for everyone to be gathered in a straight line, a few whimpering and some outright sobbing. Marel looks to the right of her and finds Danny at the end of the line, who works as a receptionist in Peliz's building. 

Then she looks to the left of her and see's second to last that her mother's on her knees. She can't stop the tears from flowing. She wants to call out to her but she knows she can't. 

"Oh what a beautiful array of people here. Ha! That's the first time I've ever used the word 'array'. I'm learning to expand my vocabulary." 

"Hirez, what are you planning on doing?!" Peliz demands, his voice now strained. 

"Oh don't worry friend, this doesn't have to do with you or me. I sometimes can't control my men and in result ... what are the words...  oh right, people lose their lives. Not like it matters, right amigo?"

"Okay! Okay, I understand! But I'll find and send over the men who did it. I'll even execute them myself. Anything you want, just please let these people go." Peliz implores. However, to both their horror, Hirez laughs deliriously, grabbing the end of the mask tied around his throat and pulling it over his mouth. 

He bends down to the eye level of Peliz, before grabbing the back of his neck forcefully.

"I can't stop this. Things aren't even amigo. THEY AREN'T EVEN!" He storms, looking back at the handful of people he's situated in a straight line and whistling for his men to cock their guns. All the anger that colored Marel's face crimson now washed away into a pasty white. Her wrists feel like a couple hundred needles where being pushed into them as they become colorless from the extremely constricting bonds. 

She pulls on them, but no sort of force will make them come undone. How has her birthday turned into a day where she might be seeing the sun for the last time? 

This is the end of Chapter 7 Prt 3! I can't apologize enough for the delay. I want all my chapters to be at least correctly grammered and also make sense with where I want the plot to go. I'll try to upload on time while also doing my best to not throw out something that doesn't make sense with later events. Thanks so much for all of you who were patient with me. 

-Romantica12