THE LADY IN THE LAKE

Mateo’s pov~

“Ariana!” I yelled after her, shocked to hear her voice when we traced Dmitiri here. 

I yelled her name again as the chopper took off flying further away, she was almost in my grasp, Silvio that bastard, I will kill him for daring to take what belongs to me!

“What was she doing here!” I turned to Julius, “we will find out” he answered turning to Alfredo, he pulled him close and whispered something to him before Alfredo turned and left.

“We were chasing down Dimitri, we got solid information that he caught wind of Silvio in Malta” Julius responded.

 “I think he found out Silvio sent Igor to you, and now he is dead” he added.

“I know this! I need to know how Ariana got involved! I want Silvio dead Julius! I want you to Drag his dead rotting flesh and drop it at my knees!”

I was furious. I started pacing around the rooftop, I looked over the horizon and I saw the chopper up in the air flying further and further away.

“She didn't look well! What did Silvio do to her? Did you see her Julius? He has no right to take her from me, I paid him fair and square! He has crossed the line” I kept muttering, I stomped on the hard-tilled ground and felt the pain vibrate through my body. 

“She's mine!” I added.

Julius watched me pace around again laid his hand on my shoulder and tapped it. 

 “we will find them, he was lucky this time, next time lady luck will be far from him,” he said, tapping my shoulder again.

“How soon can we get a bird in the air?” I inquired putting my gun away, I watched Julius whisper again into another guard’s ears.

“We are working on one as we speak, don't worry Don Mateo we will find them” he replied, icestched as the other guard opened the door and hurried inside the building, his footsteps echoing as he receded down the stairs.

Julius got a phone call almost immediately, he looked shocked and passed the phone to me.

“Micola?” I answered, looking at Julius and looking away in guilt,

 “This is not a good time! I don't want ……” I paused, my heart sank as the next words penetrated my ears.

“What?”  I was immediately shocked and astonished  at the news I just got.

“She is?” 

I asked again, my tone lower as I sunk to the floor, I held my hand over my head.

“Don, what's the matter, something happened?”

Julius asked bending to where I sat on the hot tiled floor.

“it's Becky” I replied, “she’s awake”

Julius got up and said nothing, I didn't expect him to, this was not his territory.

“Should we go back to Italy sir?” he asked, I didn't reply I sat there quietly, my heart full of gratitude, and at the same time, heartache surrounded it.

 Becky is awake, something I never thought possible, the woman I planned to spend my life with is finally awake.

But Ariana… 

I got up from the hot tiles and straightened myself, “no, we stick to the original plan, we are getting my wife back” I replied, 

“Becky will be there when I get back” I added turning to the sky, wishing I would see the chopper still in sight.

Alfredo soon returned, and this time he came back with a frightened man, he was of average height he wore the regular hospital white uniform, im hoping he had information on why my wife was there.

“Well?” I inquired moving close to the frightened man.

 “tell him what you told me,” Alfredo said nudging him with a little push forward, the scared man shook uncontrollably as he saw my tall muscular frame overshadow his blocking him from the ethereal glow of the sun.

“I can't divulge that information, it's privileged information” he started, looking back at Alfredo “I'm sorry I can't,” he said, I started to feel the veins on my head strain with anger, this man must think I am here for games.

I whipped out my gun from its holster and shot in the air close to his ear, he screamed and started to whimper, 

“The next bullet” I started pointing the gun to his groins “goes in your nutsack, and im sure the missus doesn't give a flying fuck about client privileges” I finished, the scared man quickly put his hands over his groins.

“you think that is going to stop the bullet? I assure you, you are not superhuman” I stated, the man started to panic, he put a hand over his chest.

 “Speak!” I thundered, “Why was my wife here?” I asked, just like flowing water he started to reveal, “She came in with the blond gentleman, she was bleeding heavily, she..” 

“What? Bleeding? Bleeding where!” I thundered, cocking my gun and walking towards him, I placed it on his temple, and he started to cry uncontrollably.

“Mateo” Julius called, i looked up at him and he shot me a stiff look, i withdrew the gun, “im sorry Doc, go on,” I said stepping one pace back.

The doctor wiped his nose and continued, “She was bleeding, she thought she had lost her child, but everything was fine and the baby was unharmed.

 we were going to conduct a test to know why she bled” he paused, I stepped forward again, “and? Why? What’s wrong with Ariana?” I inquired, 

“The blood work showed traces of misoprostol in her system, it's a drug that induces…”

“Miscarriage” I finished, I turned to the sky again, did Ariana try to get rid of my child? Is that how bad she hates me?

“But she was glad to know the baby is fine, I think someone must have administered it to her without her knowing” the doctor added.

I turned back to him in astonishment.

 “She was poisoned? Are you saying my wife was poisoned?” I inquired.

“I can't say for sure but she was glad the baby was fine, she was placed on strict bedrest, but I went to her room after the shoot-out ended, but she was gone” he finished.

I stood there quiet, someone was trying to take my child out of the equation, who else would benefit from that, except for Silvio?

He kidnapped my wife and now he is trying to kill my child.

Julius put a hand on my shoulder as though he could read my mind.

“ill find that bastard and I will personally put a bullet in his fucking brain, that’s a promise” I nodded in appreciation, forced a smile and held his hand on my shoulder for a brief minute.

“Thank you for the information doc” I smiled, “Sorry for all this, we are not usually this way, we are just stressed, im dealing with a kidnapped spouse” I joked.

The doctor took no time to run back into the building, we heard his feet flee like bolts of lightning down the stairs.

“The bird is here” Julius announced, I nodded and waited, a few seconds later I saw the blades of a chopper whirl as it pulled closer and closer to us.

Soon we were all inside and headed in the same direction as that bastard Silvio.

“How do we find him, Julius? how do we know where he is heading? I want to snuff the air out of his fucking lungs!” I declared rubbing my temples vigorously with the gun attached to my left hand.

“Put the fucking gun down before you blow someone’s fucking brains out!” he yelled taking the gun out of my hand, I surrendered it willingly, Julius had always been protective of me, that's why I feel guilty about the things his wife lets me do to her.

We flew for a little while before I heard a loud cry, I turned to look inside the chopper.

 “Wait, did you hear that?” I asked looking around again, 

“Hear what? Mateo, I think you need to..”

I heard it again, “if you would just shut the fuck up!” I interjected, silencing Julius, I moved towards the chopper door as I heard the cry again, 

“Julius here! Can't you hear that?” I asked gesturing for him and Alfredo to move closer, we were quiet for a while and then we heard it again.

“Boss!” Alfredo called pointing down towards the ocean.

“there’s someone in the water look!” he exclaimed.

“Hey! Go down let's have a closer look” I instructed, I felt the chopper descend towards the figure struggling in the water.

I looked closer, it was a woman, she kept waving at us as she cried for help.

“Wait isn't that?....” Julius started.

“Serena Rinaldi? What the fuck is she doing in the middle of the ocean!”