Part of my stomach twisted at the shit I did to him. Then I would shrug it off and picture Dani and what I knew was happening to her. I don’t know how I knew she hadn’t got away, I just did. Sometimes her face in my thoughts would be overshadowed by that of another—a woman from my past I couldn’t help. So, I know I’m not acting rationally. I can’t stop it, and most of me just doesn’t give a fuck by this point.
I did take the time to bury the body, even though a huge part of me didn’t want to. Then I hightailed it out to the old barn to see if there were any signs of life. Now, I’m standing outside of the barn peeking through a large crack. Dani, and to be honest I can only tell it is Dani by the mass of thick brunette hair, is curled in a half ball. She is so beaten, swollen and bruised it doesn’t even look like it could be her. Her thick half-curly, brunette hair says it is though, even if it’s caked in dirt and blood. Off from her are three men in suits standing and talking back and forth like they don’t have a care in the world. I start to go in immediately and take them all out at once. It doesn’t matter that there are three of them and only one of me. I have surprise on my side. I even start to do it, when I hear one of the men talking…
“I planted the bomb in Dragon’s vehicle. It’ll go off when he takes it out of park.”
One man hits the guy who just spoke up on the back of the head.
“It didn’t go off earlier today.”
“Ow,” he says grabbing his head. “It wasn’t supposed to. I set the system up, it’ll go off now, when the gearshift is moved from park. You said you wanted them both to pay, Boss.”
Fuck. I need to get a call out to Dragon and warn him. I can’t take the time to do it now though. Doing so, would risk being found and not being able to help Dani. I pray I get through before it’s too late. It twists in my gut that I’m choosing Dani over my brothers, but it doesn’t stop me.
“It better go off. You fuck this up and it will be the last thing you do. I’m leaving you here to watch over our prisoner, while Donald and I go see if we can catch the aftermath of it all. There better be aftermath, too.”
“There will be, boss.”
I push up against the barn as they go out the front entrance. I peek around the corner to see them get in a sleek black car that screams money. When they drive off, I take a breath of relief. While I’m waiting for them to be gone long enough so I know they won’t try and circle back and catch me, I try and call Dragon.
It rings twice.
“Yeah motherfucker, want to tell me where you’ve been?”
“Drag, listen quick man.” I say, knowing I don’t have much time and honestly I don’t want to hear it. He and I are going to have it out soon.
“Where in fuck are you? Do you know what went down today?”
Dragon’s voice comes over my phone, but it’s faint at best. The line is full of distortion and noise and I have to strain to hear it.
“Do not use the cages today…”
“What are you saying asshole, I can barely hear you?”
“Man, listen the cars are rigged to blow. I got Dani now, but you really…”
“You got Dani? Fuck, man your signal sucks. Where’d you find her? We’ll…”
“Listen, Dragon! I can’t talk. You got to hear me. The cars? Especially yours! Do not use it today. Don’t use any of them, get Freak to…”
The call drops.
Fuck! If it wasn’t for fear of discovery, I’d have thrown the damn thing across the field. I try to call Dragon back and it won’t connect. I try again and get the fake busy signal and look at the screen of my phone to see, ‘Call failed.’
That’s it I guess. I hope he got enough of the conversation. I can’t think about it right now. I have to get Dani safe. It’s been long enough now that if the other two were coming back they would have, right? Shit. I don’t even know how long it’s been. Fuck it.
I quietly make my way to the front entrance, draw my gun and take a breath. Then I kick the door open, shooting in the area I last saw the fucker. As my eyes light on him, my gun trains on him and only him. I shoot him three times, which is all I have left before the hammer clicks and nothing happens. Doesn’t take long to empty the chamber. I should have brought a machine gun, those fuckers are more fun. It doesn’t matter though because the bastard is dead. I watch as his body falls to the ground. I feel nothing but the wish that I could have got the other two.
I’m not completely over the fucking edge just yet. I take the time to reload my gun. Now is not the time to get caught with my pants down.
That done, I walk over to Dani. I get down on my knees and try to check her out. The sight of her hurts. It was bad from a distance, but it’s even more monstrous up close. She has to be dead. No one could survive this kind of beating, especially a woman as small as Dani. I should have gotten here sooner. My hand trembles as I move it to her neck which is colored with…rope burns? Did they strangle her? I try to move her hair, but it’s so caked with mud and… shit, it’s soaked in her blood. I slide my fingers to her throat trying to find a pulse.
I find nothing.