the dungeons
Reed
The Bull had been kind enough to provide us with his men for the stake out at Roman’s island. While I was still in shock at the fact that Roman was married, I was excited to have gotten valuable information that could help in getting Zinnia out of Roman’s claws. It was raining that evening when we got the shipyard. The Bull was kind enough to loan me his yacht to sail through the island. I had asked that Hermine be taken back to my estate and kept under watch. The last thing I wanted was for something to happen to Hermine while I was away.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Won’t this alert Roman and his men?” I asked out of curiosity. Clearly, a yacht approaching an island without notice will cause a lot of doubt and would draw attention, especially for a man like Roman who deals with skin trafficking.
“It’s a risk we’re willing to take. There’s only one way to the island and that is through a boat. Some of the men will follow with the yacht while we go ahead with a tug boat. The size of the yacht will serve as cover and by the time they realize it, we must have penetrated through the island,” he explains. His idea made sense, not that we had another option.
I equip myself with enough arms and cartridges. In my shoes, I stick four knives, two more knives in my gloves and more in my security jacket. I nodded at Reaper, one of the Bull’s men before skipping into the thug boat. I couldn’t believe it. After weeks of searching the earth for Zinnia, I would finally, finally, be able to free her from Roman. I couldn’t help but wonder if she hated me. Did she think I’d deserted her? Did she think I had sold her to Roman? Just the thought of my precious little flower thinking I’d abandoned her burned my soul and made me want to crucify Roman. I could only imagine the damage he’d caused to my little flower and I hated myself for having taking so long to find her. I was the Bounty Hunter. I’d dragged her into my lifestyle, putting her at the mercy of my enemies and I couldn’t protect her. Right now, I prayed to God I find him during the stake out. I want my little flower to be the one to take his life. I want her to watch him as he takes his last breath.
“We’re almost there,” Reaper speaks up, tearing me from my thoughts. I nod at his statement and took out my gun, getting ready to fire at the slightest movement that wasn’t from us. As expected, Roman’s men caught up on the fact that they were being invaded. Sadly for them, they began shooting at the yacht. The Bull’s men were quite skilled and never missed a single shot. They’d succeeded in taking down a grater part of Roman’s men by the time we reached the island.
“We are about to go in. We need cover,” Reaper speaks, pressing the small device in his ear. Then, he turns to me with a firm nod, indicating that we can go in.
I raised from the tug boat and step on dry land. Someone appears behind me but I caught into his movements before he attack. I duct my shoulder as he aimed his knuckles at me and then jabbed his side. He crumbled to the ground crying out in pain. I press my knee on his jugular, took out a knife from my shoes and stabbed his Adams apple. Crimson splatters and dots my face. My adrenaline rises and I repeatedly stabbed at his neck, over and over and over and there’s a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.
“Keep that rage for when you come face to face with the man who took your girl,” Reaper says. I heaved out a heavy sigh and stand on my feet, tucking the knife in the back of my trouser.
“I’ll give the honors to my girl,” I say before taking out my gun and slowly jogging into the dry land. Reaper follows behind me. More of Roman’s men fire at us, but Reaper and I were quick and smart enough to dodge the bullets, while maintaining a perfect shot at our targets.
“I’ll go this way, you go the other way,” I speak to Reaper just as the other men who were on the yacht make it on solid land. Some follow behind Reaper and others behind me. Reaper takes what seems to be the back door while I take the front.
I use my shoulder to jab at the metallic door, hoping to push it ajar, but my repeated attempts were futile. I stepped back and aimed my gun at the doorknob and fired the perfect shot. At once, the door open but just as I take the first step in, ceaseless bullets come my way. I am quick to dodge everyone of them, quickly taking cover behind the door.
The shots cease and I assumed their guns were now empty. I step in, firing at each target one at a time and making sure to hit a spot that will make them drop dead on the spot. I leave Reaper and his men in the foyer and mount the stairs, jabbing each door in search of Zinnia. Roman’s men hid in some rooms and so when I kicked opened the doors, they came at me with knives. I was trained and smart and had experience that they lacked, so beating them was a child’s play.
One held up a victim, a knife placed on her jugular. “Drop the gun or I slice her throat,” he orders in a shaky tone. I smirk, taking pleasure in his fear. Still longing my gun at him, I take slow steps towards him. He reeked of fear, something I love.
“I won’t say it again,” he threatens and I resist the urge to burst out in a fit of laughter. I shift my hand that held the gun a little to the right and a loud bang went off and he immediately dropped backwards. The captive screamed, using her hand to cover her head. I slowly put my gun away and approached her. When I stretched out my hand, she screamed even harder, begging me not to hurt her. Something inside of me contorted at the realisation that my little flower could have this same reaction at me touching her.
“Hey hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” I called out, slowly backing away with my hands in the air.
“Hey, look at me,” I spoke in a serene yet commanding tone. She looks at me through a tear-stained face, panic and mistrust settling on her crimson stained face.
“I’m going to approach you slowly okay? Keep your eyes on me and trust me,” I coerced, stretching out my hand to her. When I took the first step, she shifted behind, visibly traumatized from what she’s had to endure being locked in here. I take another step and this time, she doesn’t move, slowly trusting me.
“I’m not going to hurt you okay,” I say, offering words of consolation to her. She was still very distrustful, but for some reason unknown to me, she took my hands. I pulled her into me, rocking her hair as she begins to cry in my arms.
“It’s okay, I got you,” I say. “Please, get me out of here. Please, save me…. please,” she says in between sobs.
“I will, but first, I need you to help me find someone. Her name is Zinnia. Do you know where Roman has her?” I asked, taking the girl’s face in my hands. She nods slowly. “In the dungeons,” she says.
_______