I was awakened by the pungent smell of ammonia. A woman of about 35 was waving a cotton ball soaked in ammonia right under my nose, trying to bring me to my senses. At first, I believed she meant well, until I smelled dampness and my vision returned to normal. My head was spinning wildly, and stars kept flashing in my eyes, preventing me from seeing what was going on around me.
This lady was a little plump, with long, really curly hair. She was clearly upset with what was happening, waving her arms around and expressing her dissatisfaction to several men I couldn't see. It took me five minutes to realize she was speaking Spanish.
I started to moan slightly from the pain in my head. I wanted to touch my forehead, but then I realized that my hands were tied behind my back. Great, I'm in a basement, tied to some kind of stool. I've obviously been kidnapped again, but I'm sure this time it won't be as hot and pleasant as last time.
- Are you awake?
I heard a familiar voice behind me. It was Alex. Our hands were touching, and the backs of our stools were tied together. Same as we are. Well, since we were both here, Rotten Crown was probably looking for us. They definitely will take care of Alex... Lucian is too protective of him to leave him in trouble.
- Alex... um... What's going on? - I squinted, the conversation making my head hurt even more, as if someone was slowly cutting open my skull.
- I don't know. I passed out before you did. - His voice was completely indifferent. Yes, he was phlegmatic, but this time it was a little different.
- Are you okay?
- No. - He exhaled sharply, as if trying to hold back tears, and a lump in his throat kept choking him. - I don't know what happened to Ray. The last thing I remember is him barely breathing on the barn floor. My shirt is covered in his blood.
- Cállense la boca, putas!
I understood what she meant, but the tone of her voice seemed to anger Alex, and he immediately started shouting.
- If Ray is dead, I'll rip your fucking guts out, you bastards!
At that moment, one of the men standing silently in the corner approached Alex, bent down, and grabbed him firmly by the neck, forcing him to look him straight in the eyes.
- Is that how you talk to a lady, faggot? - His fist flew straight into Alex's face. I heard his nose break and the sound of him spitting out a couple of teeth with blood. - I'll translate that into a language you understand. You were asked to shut up.
- Who the fuck are you? - I was sure the same man would answer, but no. A woman approached me.
She slowly spread my legs, placed her palms on my pelvic bones, and pressed down on them with all her strength with her thumbs. Damn, I'm afraid I can hear my bones crunching too. The stranger leaned close to my ear and replied in a playful tone as my moans turned into screams of agony.
- Who am I? My name is Mrs. Gorsky. Does that name ring a bell, sweetheart? - I continued to scream in pain as her fingers squeezed my pelvis even tighter. But even through the pain, I raised my head and looked into her eyes. I wasn't afraid of your husband, and I certainly not afraid of you.
- Let me go, you sick bitch.
- Or what? What are you going to do to me? Your boyfriend already threatened me, and oh... - She dramatically pretended a tear was falling from her eye, then smiled with one corner of her mouth. - It seems that the great Lucian and his famous Rotten Crown gang are now flying somewhere in the air as dust, right, Jose?
The woman looked at the scumbag who had hit Alex. He nodded silently and stood in a guard dog stance.
- You're lying, you crazy whore. - I started to break free and try to get up from the chair, gently shaking Alex, who was unconscious. I was glad he couldn't hear this. But he definitely needed to wake up. - No one could have killed Lucian. It's impossible.
- Oh, it's very possible… - I interrupted her with a sharp spit right in her wrinkled face. - How daring we are. - She took the knife from the rack and came closer to me, running the blade right across my face. - Daring and so pretty. I understand why Mike was so afraid to ruin your pretty face. Good thing I'm not afraid.
At that moment, I felt something start to drip down my face, and a sharp pain pierced my cheek. She literally stuck the knife into my skin, hitting my gums and a tooth inside my mouth. My scream was so loud that Alex came to his senses. And she just left me sitting there with a small knife sticking out of my cheek.
- Bitch, let her go, don't touch her! - Alex tried to struggle, but he clearly couldn't do anything. He was too weak.
- You weren't allowed to speak either, boy. Otherwise, you'd end up like your burnt boyfriend.
- What...? - My new friend fell silent and lowered his head. I could feel the tape on my chest tightening.
- We burned down the barn. With everyone inside... - That crazy woman just smiled, drawing out every word. She enjoyed seeing the pain grow in our eyes.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I thought that... That I hadn't had time to fall in love with him. I thought I hadn't had time. I thought I didn't care.
But I was wrong. I could clearly see his smile, I even thought I could smell him now. His hands, his touch. I can't believe she got rid of the state's biggest badass, the one even Eugene was afraid of, so easily. No, it's impossible...
I realized that tears were streaming down my cheeks when the wound started to burn wildly. The salt from my tears burned through the open wound, and that at least distracted me a little from the pain inside me. I felt as if I had gone deaf; I couldn't hear anything. I could vaguely hear Alex sobbing and see her poking me with photos of burned corpses. I couldn't tell who was who. They were just remains, ashes, dust... It was a mass grave of two dozen men who were willing to burn the whole world down for each other.
My last hope that this was all fiction vanished the moment I saw the charred remains of human beings, and where the skull should have been, there was a titanium plate. I knew, I knew who it was. Sean. Buddy… It was him. I'm completely devastated... It's them...
- Gloria! Gloria! Can you hear me? Wake up, Gloria! We'll get out of here!
- You won't get out of here, my dears. You'll beg for the fate of your friends. - Gorskaya put on her jacket and headed for the exit. She opened the door and threw this at us before leaving. - You're only alive because you can be sold and thoroughly fucked. Speaking of which, "Gloria." - She twisted my name. - Your beloved husband will be here soon... He got such a beating while we were looking for you that I think he'll want to relax a little. Tell your friend how to please him properly.
She winked, and the door slammed behind her. Only one man remained with us, standing with his arms crossed over his chest, staring ahead and paying no attention to any sounds.
I couldn't see anything anymore. I didn't understand anything. It seemed to me... It seemed for the first time in my life that I was home. That the man I loved was next to me... Is that okay? I couldn't stop crying, I could only see tears and blood mixing together and falling on the pants Lucian had given me. We had spent so little time together, but it was him I would remember as freedom. As love. Fuck, I couldn't fall in love. I couldn't fall in love for the first time in my life and realize it after his death.
- Bitch, how I hate her! Fuck... Alex... I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. - My voice was shaking, I couldn't speak clearly.
- Its not. Do you hear me? - He turned his head towards me, but I could only feel it.
- It's my fault. If it weren't for me... Ray, Sean... Lucian, everyone would still be alive. They went there for me...
He just stood there silently, sobbing softly between my words.
- I'm sorry... Damn it, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... - He stayed in silent as I cried harder and harder. - I can't believe it, I don't want to believe it.
- You know, Ray and I have been together for a long time. He was... the most naive and kind person I've ever known. - I heard Alex smile through his tears. - But at the same time, he was damn smart and wise. And one day, when we ran away from the barn to some random party, he told me he loved me and would love me in this life and the next. That he would always love me and had loved me before. That we were really meant to be together. And I believe that.
I started to choke even more.
- And Sean. He liked you. He rarely paid attention to anyone, but you caught his eye. His one eye, ahah. - He laughed sadly a bit. - Did you know his daughter had been killed? - I shook my head, remembering how we had fought like two rams for several days. - I think he saw her in you. But Lucian. I don't believe that son of a bitch was that easy to kill, Gloria.
- I'm sorry...
- Stop apologizing. - He interrupted me. - We need to get out of here, you hear me? You've done it before. So pull yourself together. You're the strongest woman I know. Wipe your tears off your face and let's figure out how to get out of here.
I looked at the guard's face and realized that it wasn't going to be as easy as last time. But I nodded, knowing that if we didn't figure out what to do, we'd never get out of there.