Run Gemma, Run!

GEMMA

I stood outside the club waiting for a taxi to pass by but none was approaching. I moved about restlessly trying to see any car passing by but luck wasn't on my side as no car was seen on the road. 

Strange wasn't it??

I live in a small, poor town, a little bit far away from the club.

Suddenly, I saw one of the men coming out of the club. I quickly hid myself from him and started running. He saw me running and gave chase. I ran as fast as my tiny legs could carry me. Two other guys joined in the chase.

I kept on running and running. There was still no car passing by. I was breathing heavily and was getting tired, but I couldn't afford to stop running.

"Run Gemma, run!" My inner voice whispered to me and I forced myself to keep running. I was running on the road leading to my house. I was going to make sure they lose me on the road, then I'd get home, pack my things and leave the country first thing tomorrow morning with the money I made tonight.

At some point, I looked back and saw that they're no longer chasing after me. They must have given up.

"Thank goodness!" I muttered and breathed a sigh of relief. I stopped running to catch my breath for a while before I started running again.

****

I was finally home. I couldn't believe I ran all the way from the club to my house. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes focused on a large black limousine that was parked in front of my house. This was my first time seeing a limousine in this small town. It was obvious that in this small town where few people owned cars, no one owned a flashy black limousine.

Once my body recovered from its initial shock, I dropped the shoes I was holding in my hands and ran to my door. The sight of smashed windows, broken signs and doors stunned me as I gasped in shock. My best friend was kneeling on her hands and knees, crying.

"What happened here?" I asked. Then suddenly, it dawned on me that they're here.

How did they find it here? How did they know where I lived? No one in the club knows where I live. I told no one. And what was my best friend doing in my house by this time??

Then I suddenly remembered. Before I left home this morning, she told me she's going to cook dinner for me at my house and wait for me to come back home so I could tell her about everything that happened.

I wanted to run off but I just couldn't leave my best friend behind.

"Gabriella" I called softly and crouched beside her, dropping my bag on the floor.

"You're finally here" A man's low and emotionless voice said, making me realize for the first time that my best friend and I weren't the only ones in the room.

Slowly, I looked up in the direction of the voice, three tall and big men were dressed in black. I couldn't trace out their faces because they wore dark sunglasses.

"Your father made a loan contract with our boss. We're here to take it back" one of them said.

Tears of relief dropped down my cheeks. I thanked God they were here for the money, I thought the men were from the club.

"I have some money here" I said and picked up my bag and stretched it out to them. One of them took it from me and opened the bag.

He smirked and brought out the gun from my bag. I looked up in astonishment, I had totally forgotten about the gun. He removed his sunglasses and I saw that it was Luca. I moved back in fear.

What a coincidence! I was in deep trouble with the same man my father took a loan from.

"Remember me right?" He said, smirking at me.

"You're coming with us," he said harshly.

Before I could even react, he gripped me tightly on my wrist and started pulling me towards the black limousine.

"Gemma" my best friend called loudly and stood up to stop them from taking me away.

"Gabriella" I called back as Luca kept whisking me away forcefully.

The other guys tried to stop Gabriella from coming close but she kept resisting them. One of them kicked her hard on the stomach. She groaned in pain and fell to the ground.

"Gabriella" I screamed loudly and bit Luca on his arm. He let go of me immediately and I ran to Gabriella and bent beside her.

They kicked her again and again.

"Stop it! I'll go with you. Don't hurt my best friend, I'll go with you!" I screamed loudly.

"Where are you going? What's…what's happening?? Gabriella asked, her voice filled with pain. She's struggling with her words and struggling to breathe.

"Don't worry baby. I'll be fine, okay? Just be good, I'll definitely come back" I promised as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Gemma" she called weakly.

I held her face lovingly and looked into her eyes.

"I'll be back. I just need to fix this and I'll be fine" I said softly.

"Be safe Gemma" she said.

"I'll. Be safe too and I'm sorry" I whispered.

Luca's hand reached forward and gripped my wrist. He pulled me forcefully to my feet and whisked me to the car. I could hear Gabriella sobbing loudly.

The other men entered the black limousine and the driver zoomed off. I was blindfolded with my wrists tied, my mouth was muffled with a cloth.

The car drove for hours and I kept sobbing throughout. Then I heard the sound of the electric gates opening, the car drove into the compound and suddenly it came to a halt.

I was pulled out of the car forcefully and was led to where I didn't know. I followed them sheepishly, still blindfolded. We kept on walking for a while, till I heard the sound of a door opening. I was pushed inside the room forcefully and I fell to the ground.

"Look who we have here. Gemma Russo" a man's cold and emotionless voice said. I knew that voice and it sent chills down my spine.

"Open her eyes" he commanded. The clothes used to blindfold me fell off and my eyes locked with his cold blue eyes, eyes colder than glaciers. His eyes shone like light in this dark room. The eyes of the cold, ruthless boss.