Chapter 136 Get him back
Nico's POV
We stood there as darkness spread across the woods around us, staring up at that window high above us, hoping for a miracle.
My heart raced with every slight thought of what could be happening up there. I could only imagine what Dante had started.
There was no figure jumping out after us. Just a heavy silence and a faint smell of a gas seeping through from the building.
Marcus shifted his weight beside me, his arm was still brushing mine from when he’d helped me down from the tree.
He didn’t move away, neither did I. The night felt colder now, but his warm presence nearly took that away.
“He should’ve jumped by now,” I said in a low voice.
Marcus kept his eyes on the window. “He will. Dante always finds a way,” he muttered
I shook my head. “We’ve waited too long already. He’s still up there fighting them off so we could get out. That’s what he does,” I defended.
Marcus turned to me with a sharp look in his eyes.
“Exactly. That’s Dante, he stays behind, takes on everything that comes his way, thinking he’s saving everybody. You know him better than that. He’s the Don, he doesn’t run,” Marcus said all of a sudden.
“Yeah, and that’s why we need a plan,” I said. “We can’t just charge back in. There’s too many of them. We circle around, look for an opening, then strike,” I offered.
Marcus laughed shortly, the kind that wasn’t really humoured.
“Smart? It's always about being smart with you, isn't it?” He asked and I wasn't sure he needed an answer.
“No harm in being smart,” I replied still.
“Of course, let's be smart while Dante’s up there bleeding for us. Let's sit here and draw maps,” he spat out and started making his way towards the building.
I reached for him but he was quick, he turned sharply and his hands landed on either side of my shoulder, stopping me.
For a split second, he didn't move. Then one of his hands dropped slowly while his other hand stayed on my chest longer than it should have.
“We move now,” he said carefully. “Straight in. I’ll take the front, you cover the side. We get him out,” he said firmly.
“No,” I shot back. “We do it right or we all die. You always run in first and bleed later. I’m not carrying your body out tonight too,” I argued back.
He stepped closer, close enough I could see the dried up blood across his lips.
“And I’m not leaving him up there cause you’re too scared to move. You think too much, Nico. That’s always been your problem,” he muttered.
I felt my jaw tighten. “And your problem is you never think at all. Remember the last time you charged in like this? Who pulled you out?” I pressed on immediately.
Marcus’s eyes flicked down to my hand, then back up.
Something passed between us, the same thing that always did when we argued like this.
He didn’t answer right away. He just exhaled slowly
“Fine,” he muttered. “Talk. What’s your genius plan?” He asked and stepped back slowly.
I glanced at the road where the vans were still parked.
“Finally. We slip around the back, take one of their cars quietly. Then move ahead of them to lay in wait to attack as they arrive,” I explained.
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck, impatiently. “It’s always about being quiet. Let's do that while Dante gets dragged out and probably beaten up like a thief,” he shot angrily.
Before I could answer, engines not too far from us suddenly roared to life and headlights cut through the space ahead of them.
The doors slammed heavily and voices barked orders around.
Marcus’s head snapped towards the sound. “They’re loading him!” He exclaimed and charged towards the bend.
I joined him and we both started rushing towards the bend where we could peep at the front.
We reached the bend and popped our heads beyond the trees just as two guys hauled Dante out of the warehouse door.
His hands were cuffed behind his back and black bag had been put over his head as his body looked limp between them.
I felt the anger in Marcus as his body shook wildly just in front of me.
They threw Dante into the middle van like a sack of grains, then slammed the doors shut.
Marcus cursed loudly. “Look at that, they got him, you happy? This is on you for waiting so long,” he exclaimed, pointing a finger at me.
“No time for that,” I snapped. “Let’s move now, the car’s just a few spaces ahead,” I urged and he didn't meet my eyes as he moved.
We peeled to the back fast and found two guards standing by the fence.
Marcus took the first one from behind with a hand over his mouth and slicing his throat clean before I could argue.
I took the safer option and put the second one down with one shot to the head before he could turn.
We grabbed their keys and slid into the black sedan with Marcus jumping behind the wheel before I could argue.
“I drive,” he said, already snatching the key from me.
I started to protest. “You drive like a maniac. Let me—”
“Get in or get left behind,” he cut me off with his eyes already focused on the road.
I slid into the passenger seat after murmuring some words and the sedan roared forward.
Marcus floored it with no lights and we caught up with the convoy’s taillights half a mile ahead in barely ten minutes.
They were three vans in a tight line and Dante was in the middle.
Marcus gripped the wheel hard. “Watch this,” he muttered, then he swerved onto the main road, pushing the engine further.
I gulped hard and held onto the seatbelt for dear life as the sedan jumped forward and he leaned over and out through the window, firing at the rear van’s tires.
“This wasn't part of the plan!” I yelled as I almost puked.
“What plan?!” He asked and I nearly rolled my eyes.
Then the van swerved, slamming the guardrail, and spun out of the road.
Marcus didn’t even smile. “One down.”
The next van, the one ahead, slowed down as they noticed what had happened and tried to block us off.
Marcus yanked the wheel left, scraping paint off their side as we pulled side by side with them.
He then emptied half his gun into the driver’s door, like literally more bullets than I could count.
The glass finally shattered and the van moved wildly before crashing into a ditch.
Marcus glanced at me quickly. “See? Who needs your stupid plans anyway,” he exclaimed with a laugh as he sped ahead.
I didn’t answer, my knuckles had gone white from gripping the seatbelt too tight.
The way he drove so crazily, but still pretty impressive, it made something in my chest tighten again.
The middle van was alone now, the one Dante’s in.
Marcus smirked at the sight and sped towards it as much as the sedan could go.
As we neared it, multiple lights swarmed us from behind and as I turned to see what was happening, my jaws fell open.
“Marcus? I hope you have a solution for this.”