2013: Carmen meets Pete Wentz on a rainy evening. His kindness and mystery draw her in, and she begins to fall for him. He comes with a dark past and secrets but she's willing to stay by his side and fight them. Even if it could cost her life.
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"Woke up on the wrong side of reality And there's a madness that's just coursing right through me,"
A week passed with Carmen remaining in hospital and Pete visiting as often as he could, he said the house felt too empty without her presence and would rather sleep on the uncomfortable seat beside her than in the bed without her. There wasn't much that the hospital could do besides keeping her comfortable and free of pain and so after a while, she was allowed to go home, on the basis that Pete could give her the medication that she required. Leaving the hospital was easy for them both, and put them at ease, knowing that Carmen could be more comfortable and happier in their own home.
Pete wheeled her across the large car park in the evening, eyes anxiously darting across the black surroundings. He carried the gun with him everywhere, hidden in the waistband of his jeans, concealed by the large jumper he wore. He didn't tell Carmen this, but it helped him feel safer, knowing he could protect her. Although he felt safer, he felt like he was going mad; he saw shadows in every corner of his vision, he heard whispering as if he were being followed. Except for tonight, he focused on wheeling Carmen's wheelchair as smoothly and as quickly as possible to his car, trying to ignore the anxiety creeping up his neck and the shadows that loomed in the dark.
Carmen sat smiling to herself, hands wrapped protectively over her stomach, wondering how her little one was coping. She had been dreaming the past few days of a little girl toddling towards Pete in the sun, that thought kept her smiling. She gazed up into night sky, appreciating the lack of clouds that allowed her to see the white, bright stars that dotted the inky sky above her. She didn't hear the noise in the distance that Pete had heard, and he stopped abruptly, hands flickering to his back where the gun hid. Carmen twisted in her seat nervously.
"What's up? Can we just get home," she murmured, shivering slightly in the cold breeze.
Pete took a step away from the wheelchair, spinning slowly to try and locate the sound in the distance. His mind was racing with possibilities.
"It's probably an animal," she continued, chewing on her lower lip.
A man stepped out of the shadows and inched himself closer to them and Pete's hands fumbled more, attempting to free the gun from his jeans. It slipped and thudded to the floor but there was no time, the man had already come close enough into view. Carmen's eyes darted to the gun and realising it was out of sight from man, she sighed with content. She would be able to grab it if she needed so.
"We meet again," the man spoke, and Pete's shoulders slumped, it was Leonardo.
"I am tired of waiting. It hit me finally, you're never going to pay me back. I didn't like that thought, but I knew it was true. So, I'm dealing with it myself," he laughed, his dark black hair shining slightly in the moonlight.
Leonardo took a step forward and Carmen's eyes scanned his posture, he looked unwell. His face had become a sickly grey and he shook ever so slightly. A manic smile stretched across his face. But Carmen had also noticed something else, she squinted and spotted a small vial in the front pocket of his suit. It was blue in colour, it had to be some sort of medicine. Carmen gasped almost silently, a cure. Without thinking her hand slowly reached down to pick up the gun from the damp ground, she was slightly out of his vision and so she knew she hadn't been seen. She tucked it beneath the blanket, hand shaking slightly as her finger slipped over the trigger. She didn't know if she could mentally kill someone, let alone physically.
"What's in your pocket?" she asked, and Leonardo's smug smile wiped from his face.
"Still alive?" he chuckled, hand reaching for the vial.
"You have a cure?" Pete stammered, realisation flashing across his face.
Leonardo gazed at the vial in his hand, smiling at it fondly.
"You think I wouldn't have a cure for an illness I made?" he asked, enjoying the emotions plastered across Pete's face.
Leonardo tucked the vial safely back into his pocket and stretched his neck towards his shoulder, sighing deeply.
"I really thought you would be different Peter, it's not always in my interest to have to kill my clients. It's why I produced this drug, I wanted something that would allow me to take a step back from me personally killing," he spoke sadly and then sighed deeply. "But you, well I want to kill you myself."
He pulled out a pistol casually, taking aim at Pete's head. Pete froze, sweat beading on his forehead. Carmen acted almost instantaneously, darting up from the wheelchair and feeling stronger than ever. All pain and exhaustion subsided as she took aim at Leonardo. Leonardo smiled darkly, he wasn't expecting her to be alive, let alone be pointing a gun at her. Then he laughed, noticing the slight bump that projected from her stomach. Carmen didn't react, she held both hands on the gun, aiming steadily at him.
"You're pregnant?" he gasped, a flicker of guilt washed across his face.
Carmen didn't speak, she just nodded in his direction. Carmen watched as he lowered the gun ever so slightly, looking at her baby bump. His free hand fumbled into his pocket and pulled out the cure. He held it up to Carmen and nodded ever so slightly, before tossing it towards Pete. Pete caught it and held it tightly between his fist. Then he raised his pistol again, aiming at Pete once more.
A gunshot fired, echoing through the sky and deafening the ears of those nearby, and a body dropped.
