Marco Before I can respond, Sophia’s already packing up her equipment, saving files, closing out of secure databases. “I’ll reroute everything to a mobile setup. With that, I can operate from the road.”“Good. I'll be in the car. Meet me in five,” I say, heading toward the door. I glance back at her. “Sophia—thanks.”She gives a sharp nod, though I catch a glimpse of worry on her face. We've been here before.History is about to repeat itself. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to do this without you,” she finally chokes.We’re in the car and halfway across the city before either of us speaks again. I steal a glance at Sophia, her eyes focused, fingers tapping on a tablet as she keeps an eye on Ricco’s movements. Every minute counts. Every second. If Ricco’s man gets to Padre first, we lose the one card we have against him.Not just him, including the corrupt officials funding their activities.Padre is the only key, we can't affor to lose it.As we approach the penitentiary,
Marco My grip tightens on the steering wheel, my mind becoming as reckless as my speed.Sarah. The same old Sarah.If this Shawn really has her, then there's no going back.But...what if it's a prank?I've been here a couple times to believe such stories.The thoughts of Sarah clouds my mind.“Give me the phone,” I demand, my other arm outstretched.My heart's thumping faster all of a sudden.It can't be the stranger in my back seat. Certainly not the cars chasing close behind.It must be her.Again. Sophia hesitates at my request, but something in my expression makes her give in. I glance down at the message glaring back at me:“Turn around, or you’ll lose more than the game. I've what you need, MARCO”I clench my jaw, my knuckles turning white. “He’s bluffing,” I say, though I don’t fully believe my words. My heart pounds harder by the minute. Sarah has always been a delicate piece. Somehow she mixes up with every part of my business and makes it hard to execute ruthless decisio
SarahI can feel every one of my pores seeping out sweat as I try to reach Shawn who is backing me. We are both tied to a wooden chair, hands to the back.“What in the world are you up to?” I whisper to him, yet my gaze is fixed on the men surrounding us.This was not the plan.“It’s the only way to put an end to this madness,” Shawn responds, clearly unbothered.“Carlos is all alone with some stranger—”“He’s my son too” Shawn yells back, a drop of sweat hanging on his nose as he spins over the chair to face me.“You either do as I say or you get us all killed…including Carlos. We can afford to make mistakes now—” Shawn stops abruptly.He stares at me for more than a second as we both look to the direction of the sudden noise.“They’re here,” he whispers rather to himself, adjusting his position while clutching the weapon in his hands, enough to stay hidden.My heartbeat thumps loudly as I watch the shadow flicker behind the dusty windows ahead.All I can think of is my son laying s
Marco“They are here,” I hear Luca say beside me. “Who let the damn cat out?...who!”His voice reverberates the area while I struggle to get back on my feet.There's danger. Evidently. And the room is quiet. The blaring siren from outside foretells nothing good.It's either the cops have found us or Sophia didn't do a good job in concealing our movements from Ricco.“We don't have much time to debate. We have to leave—”“Who made you the boss?” Luca interrupts Padre as I regain balance on both legs. He successfully hijacked the attention from me.All I can think about is the woman that captured my heart years ago. And still does.Sarah. She's here.My environment fades off for a moment, playing back memories from the past.A loud cry snaps me out of my reverie, “Marco, Run!”Before I make the first move, the whole crowd scampers off fleeing away with their weapons, including the voice that yelled at me.I sight Padre’s back view fleeing with the rest.The concentrated smell of gaso
MarcoThe words escaped my lips before I can catch them.Our baby. The dream of seeing her again had been long dead.And now, she's not only right before me, she's holding on to a version of me.I don't need to ask questions. The resemblance is unmistakable.I feel my world breaking as I force my limbs away from her.My Sarah.It's too surreal to believe, yet I'm going to fight this battle to the end.I turn around abruptly, ordering Sophia without meeting her gaze,“Inform the rest about the new development. At all times, keep an eye on her.”I hear the vehicle zooming off behind me but I don't look back. It'll require more effort to pull away from her ensnaring stare.There's a man just ahead of us and a parked van by the road side.“Where's our man?”“We lost him,” I say, heading straight for the back seat of the cop’s car.“That was not the plan—”“Our lives will be in more danger if we waste precious time. The governor is behind all these,” I reply the detective.“And who is th
SHAWN“What is she doing here?” I say under my breath while groaning in pain from the second kick.The cops are here.This is certainly not ending well. Coughing sporadically, I grab my chest, crawling my way towards the scene.“Maria, get back,” I yell, but she's not looking in my direction. She doesn't see me.Her gaze is fixed on a man. A man I remember vividly. A man I hated. A man Giovannin tried to kill. Or we all thought was dead.“Sarah? How did you get into all these?” the man says, walking slowly towards Ricco and Maria, who grabs my woman tight on the throat and threatens,“Seems to me that you underestimate me.”He sends a shot in the air, and resumes the weapon on her temple.He’s hurting my little boy. I can see the grip on his waist.I try to save her, but I’m losing so much blood.And Maria, she still doesn't see me.Jealousy courses through me like a wildfire. With the last of my strength, I escape my captor’s grip and run to the centre of the battle.“Let her go!”
SARAH I struggle to find my voice, as I reply,“I’m okay—”“Not you. I’m talking about Carlos. He has a fever.”He heads for the door without waiting for my response and for a moment it feels like I’m living a dream. Has he forgiven me?He drives hurriedly to the hospital, as we both sit in awkward silence as I rock Carlos.In no time the doctor attends to him. I’m worried about Marco’s sudden appearance but more about my son’s condition.I've been home with him all day and I didn't notice. He might think of me to be a careless mother.I jump out of my seat as the doctor walks out with a numb expression.“Mr. Sidorov, I’m afraid your son might be needing blood,”“What happened to him!” I squeak, unable to contain my emotions with the news.“There's no time to go over the details but this is critical.“I’m his mother,” I say with a breaking voice as Marco meets my gaze briefly. I take a nervous gulp as I walk behind the nurse.The thoughts of Carlos overshadows my thoughts, but ther
MariaAn almost flat phone battery, ripped wedding dress, and horror are all I have, as I stumble on the rusty iron gate that leads to my father's house.I pull my way into the old mansion covered in darkness, pulling down the creeping stems that covered the front door.Some group of people have been trailing me since the mysterious death of my father earlier in the day. Hanging on a tiny thread of hope for survival, the best place I could think of for an escape is an abandoned property.My phone vibrates as I glance behind, forcing my way into the building. I pick the call and slam the door shut. Dust settling over me from the harsh impact of the door against the crumbling building.“Where are you, Maria.”“I’m at Pentagon,” I reply, my whole body trembling as I slowly walk In, my eyes weary of tears.“You went back there?”“I couldn’t think of a better hideout.”“Okay. Do not leave the mansion. I'll be there soon,” his thick voice assures at the other end of the line.“No…No…you can'
SARAH I struggle to find my voice, as I reply,“I’m okay—”“Not you. I’m talking about Carlos. He has a fever.”He heads for the door without waiting for my response and for a moment it feels like I’m living a dream. Has he forgiven me?He drives hurriedly to the hospital, as we both sit in awkward silence as I rock Carlos.In no time the doctor attends to him. I’m worried about Marco’s sudden appearance but more about my son’s condition.I've been home with him all day and I didn't notice. He might think of me to be a careless mother.I jump out of my seat as the doctor walks out with a numb expression.“Mr. Sidorov, I’m afraid your son might be needing blood,”“What happened to him!” I squeak, unable to contain my emotions with the news.“There's no time to go over the details but this is critical.“I’m his mother,” I say with a breaking voice as Marco meets my gaze briefly. I take a nervous gulp as I walk behind the nurse.The thoughts of Carlos overshadows my thoughts, but ther
SHAWN“What is she doing here?” I say under my breath while groaning in pain from the second kick.The cops are here.This is certainly not ending well. Coughing sporadically, I grab my chest, crawling my way towards the scene.“Maria, get back,” I yell, but she's not looking in my direction. She doesn't see me.Her gaze is fixed on a man. A man I remember vividly. A man I hated. A man Giovannin tried to kill. Or we all thought was dead.“Sarah? How did you get into all these?” the man says, walking slowly towards Ricco and Maria, who grabs my woman tight on the throat and threatens,“Seems to me that you underestimate me.”He sends a shot in the air, and resumes the weapon on her temple.He’s hurting my little boy. I can see the grip on his waist.I try to save her, but I’m losing so much blood.And Maria, she still doesn't see me.Jealousy courses through me like a wildfire. With the last of my strength, I escape my captor’s grip and run to the centre of the battle.“Let her go!”
MarcoThe words escaped my lips before I can catch them.Our baby. The dream of seeing her again had been long dead.And now, she's not only right before me, she's holding on to a version of me.I don't need to ask questions. The resemblance is unmistakable.I feel my world breaking as I force my limbs away from her.My Sarah.It's too surreal to believe, yet I'm going to fight this battle to the end.I turn around abruptly, ordering Sophia without meeting her gaze,“Inform the rest about the new development. At all times, keep an eye on her.”I hear the vehicle zooming off behind me but I don't look back. It'll require more effort to pull away from her ensnaring stare.There's a man just ahead of us and a parked van by the road side.“Where's our man?”“We lost him,” I say, heading straight for the back seat of the cop’s car.“That was not the plan—”“Our lives will be in more danger if we waste precious time. The governor is behind all these,” I reply the detective.“And who is th
Marco“They are here,” I hear Luca say beside me. “Who let the damn cat out?...who!”His voice reverberates the area while I struggle to get back on my feet.There's danger. Evidently. And the room is quiet. The blaring siren from outside foretells nothing good.It's either the cops have found us or Sophia didn't do a good job in concealing our movements from Ricco.“We don't have much time to debate. We have to leave—”“Who made you the boss?” Luca interrupts Padre as I regain balance on both legs. He successfully hijacked the attention from me.All I can think about is the woman that captured my heart years ago. And still does.Sarah. She's here.My environment fades off for a moment, playing back memories from the past.A loud cry snaps me out of my reverie, “Marco, Run!”Before I make the first move, the whole crowd scampers off fleeing away with their weapons, including the voice that yelled at me.I sight Padre’s back view fleeing with the rest.The concentrated smell of gaso
SarahI can feel every one of my pores seeping out sweat as I try to reach Shawn who is backing me. We are both tied to a wooden chair, hands to the back.“What in the world are you up to?” I whisper to him, yet my gaze is fixed on the men surrounding us.This was not the plan.“It’s the only way to put an end to this madness,” Shawn responds, clearly unbothered.“Carlos is all alone with some stranger—”“He’s my son too” Shawn yells back, a drop of sweat hanging on his nose as he spins over the chair to face me.“You either do as I say or you get us all killed…including Carlos. We can afford to make mistakes now—” Shawn stops abruptly.He stares at me for more than a second as we both look to the direction of the sudden noise.“They’re here,” he whispers rather to himself, adjusting his position while clutching the weapon in his hands, enough to stay hidden.My heartbeat thumps loudly as I watch the shadow flicker behind the dusty windows ahead.All I can think of is my son laying s
Marco My grip tightens on the steering wheel, my mind becoming as reckless as my speed.Sarah. The same old Sarah.If this Shawn really has her, then there's no going back.But...what if it's a prank?I've been here a couple times to believe such stories.The thoughts of Sarah clouds my mind.“Give me the phone,” I demand, my other arm outstretched.My heart's thumping faster all of a sudden.It can't be the stranger in my back seat. Certainly not the cars chasing close behind.It must be her.Again. Sophia hesitates at my request, but something in my expression makes her give in. I glance down at the message glaring back at me:“Turn around, or you’ll lose more than the game. I've what you need, MARCO”I clench my jaw, my knuckles turning white. “He’s bluffing,” I say, though I don’t fully believe my words. My heart pounds harder by the minute. Sarah has always been a delicate piece. Somehow she mixes up with every part of my business and makes it hard to execute ruthless decisio
Marco Before I can respond, Sophia’s already packing up her equipment, saving files, closing out of secure databases. “I’ll reroute everything to a mobile setup. With that, I can operate from the road.”“Good. I'll be in the car. Meet me in five,” I say, heading toward the door. I glance back at her. “Sophia—thanks.”She gives a sharp nod, though I catch a glimpse of worry on her face. We've been here before.History is about to repeat itself. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to do this without you,” she finally chokes.We’re in the car and halfway across the city before either of us speaks again. I steal a glance at Sophia, her eyes focused, fingers tapping on a tablet as she keeps an eye on Ricco’s movements. Every minute counts. Every second. If Ricco’s man gets to Padre first, we lose the one card we have against him.Not just him, including the corrupt officials funding their activities.Padre is the only key, we can't affor to lose it.As we approach the penitentiary,
MarcoAs I turn to leave the lab, Sophia grabs my arm, her grip surprisingly firm for someone half my size.“Marco, please listen to me. This isn’t about Padre alone. Ricco’s reach is deeper than we think, and getting tangled up with Padre could ruin everything. They’re tied to powerful groups, and they don’t tolerate outside interference.”Her words sink in, but there’s no going back now. I give her a straight look, pulling my arm free from her grip. For one, she knows she can't stop me.“If this information leads us to unraveling Ricco’s entire operation, then it’s worth the risk.”She sighs, adjusting her glasses and muttering something under her breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”I slip out of the lab, heading into the cool evening air. A quick drive brings me to the outskirts of the city, near the penitentiary. It’s set behind high towering steel fences and walls.At the entrance, I flash a badge I’d 'gotten through a past job, posing as an attorney. The guard bare
Marco"How many times do i have to repeat this? I'm not Betty," she responded in a frenzied whisper as Ricco's voice overshadowed every other sound in the room. There's another task. Never an end to his missions, but thankfully, amongst all the people he called out, I don't fall in the list.Celebrating the temporary freedom, I watch as Betty gets up from me to join the selected crew.I don't pay much attention on the instructions. It's none of my business.Big Tom is addressing them but Betty and i exchange eye contact. I need to find the truth from her and the only way to do that is to exploit her witnesses.It's not my fault that she provided me one on a platter of gold.After a brief discussion with Ricco about the delivery of new sets of ammunition, i head out of the mansion, in search of Betty.I find her standing by her car, about to get in."Elizabeth Maguire," i announce, few metres away from her. I watch her reaction as she stiffen. Definitely Betty. One doubt crossed. N