Chapter 70 Saved

Chapter 70 Saved
\[MERIDIAN FACTORY\]
They got to the front of the factory. The door was already wide open, and everything was quiet and dark.
The darkness has just confirmed Natasha's involvement in it. The darkness is to keep him out.
Ziggy's men were the first to take a move—slowly, and steadily.
Cassian could feel his body leaving him, that night creeping in like an uncalculated thief. A calculated thief knows when to attack, but this—
"Do you need the flare?" Ziggy asked, getting his guns ready.
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked you to bring it," Cassian replied, and made his way into the dark factory before Ziggy could put on the flare.
His chest tightened at once. Sudden air began leaving his lungs, no new oxygen refusing to come in. He tried to put his focus on the stake at hand—going to save Lalissa, but the memory was becoming louder.
He moved so many steps at once, trying to locate the elevator.
Behind, Ziggy inhaled, smiling when the flare came on. Red glowing lights cast the place, giving Cassian the little light that couldn't even fight his demons.
Cassian stepped into the elevator, same as Ziggy. Ziggy's men were also inside as the elevator took them to the last floor.
"Stay alert," Cassian spoke immediately the elevator stopped.
"Got it, boss," the two men replied, getting their loaded revolver from their pants.
"Man, my hands gotta hurt a lot," he whined, holding a gun in one hand and the flare in the other.
Cassian ignored him dropping a sound could warning. "Not even a scratch should appear on her body." He opened the elevator, and they all stepped out at once with him leading the way.
Immediately he stepped out, his head felt heavy. The memories came rushing in, and the voices loudened in his head.
"My eyes! I can't see!"
Cassian's breath rose.
Ziggy rushed to his aid. "You gotta keep your breath in check."
A bullet rippled through the air.
One of Ziggy's men groaned, landing on the floor with a heavy thud, lifeless.
Cassian whipped around, and fired two straight bullets at the shooter.
"Move everyone!" He ordered.
The remaining three men hastened their steps.
Roman's men poured out of a room, and like that, bullets began flying in the air.
Ziggy went first, knocking out the first two on his way. He kissed the barrier, before firing crazily at the men.
He used the walls to take cover, blinded some men with the flare, and kicked some directly on his favorite part of finishing humans. Their dicks. One kick, one shot.
Ziggy's men were right behind him, shooting and slicing like professionals.
Cassian was behind them. Roman's men he was fighting seeming to be after him as they kept multiplying each time he took out one.
The flare gave him the little lights he needed to fight them off. His memories got worse. Each caught fist brought flashbacks. Dark, painful flashbacks.
A blind child, mother holding onto him. A woman walking into their space. A snake hissing.
He tossed away the gun in his right hand, and tossed the gun in his left hand high up. Catching it with his right hand, he began firing. His move against theirs. His demon against the monster. His body weakening at every passing minute.
It was three against numbers. Blood splashed in the air. Bodies flew around like papers being thrown in the air. Grunts and groans were escaping their lips like a chorus.
Few bodies remaining, the three men fighting back professionally.
Cassian stopped, his ears catching voices. Close, too close. And the voices sounded familiar. One was a command, and the other was a muffle, high and loud. He could recognize that muffle any day.
"Lalissa! She's close by."
His eyes circled back into his eyeballs at the three men that were coming for him. Every fear in him was disappearing. The voices, darkness, everything. The only thing ringing loud in his ear was Lalissa's scream. The bastards were obviously trying to escape with her.
Throwing away his gun, he took out a knife from his pocket, and aimed for their throat—their windpipe.
Some of their blood landed on Cassian's body with a small smack.
They lost their voices as they crumbled on the floor.
Ziggy and his men also ended the last men they were fighting. The flare in Ziggy's hand almost about to douse.
"Let's go," Cassian instructed, and led the way, moving towards the direction he heard the muffle.
He stopped in front of a door, and kicked it open.
The door broke open.
Darkness covered the entire place, but he felt Lalissa's presence, strong and addictive as usual.
Muffles.
The lights came back on. Maybe one of Roman's men.
Lalissa sat on a chair, duct tape binding her from speaking. Hands and legs were tied, and she was looking at him, a ray of hope flickering in her eyes.
A gun was pressed to her forehead.
"Take one step and I promise to end her life," Natasha threatened, pressing the gun further to her skull.
"Great, just when I thought getting her would be easy," Ziggy said sarcastically, his blood boiling to end the people that had made him skip his early morning shot.
He tossed the flare to the side of the room.
"Ask your dogs to behave, or I won't think twice before pulling the trigger!"
"Release Lissa. The shit is between you and me," Cassian said, eyes flickering to Lalissa.
In just a matter of hours in their hands, he could already see the suffering she's been through.
Lalissa muffled, shaking her legs. Natasha added pressure to the gun, the cold barrier sending shivers through her.
"You have no idea how dangerous I can be," she directed to Lalissa, eyes spiked with hate as she faced Cassian. "The shit stopped being between you and me the day you chose to walk into that family with a marriage proposal. You brought them in-between us. So don't tell me she doesn't belong to this shit when she's the root cause of it!"
"Don't you dare pull the trigger, Natasha," Cassian warned, still trying to sound peaceful and careful.
Natasha's feet moved. "Don't bring that your smartness into this room, I'm warning you!"
"Just give up you bitch!" Ziggy snarled. "Your allies ain't here again."
Natasha pointed the gun to Ziggy. "One more word from you again, and I end your life." She took the gun back to Lalissa's forehead. "For years I've been. I've watched you break down, and I'm the only one to console you. I drove through the night just to be by your side, and you think I did all that for JUST friend zone?" She chuckled, eyes turning red with anger.
"I'm not someone that can easily be discarded. I've been craving your touch, heart, soul. Your love," she sniffled. "You want me to drop all that moment because of the friendship. No. I won't feel used. You can't discard me after everything I've done for you."
Cassian stayed quiet, her words going past him. The only thing that mattered was getting the gun away from Lalissa. Then, he'll listen to her.
She continued again, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Have you forgotten? We have a moment together. On the day of my graduation, you had your breakdown. Dante wasn't there for you. I was. And you think I was able to calm you down using the ordinary method. No. I kissed you! I gave my first kiss to you!"
"Put the gun down," Cassian said slowly, his hand going behind his back.
Natasha shook her head. "I've come too far to stop." She slid her hands into her skirt pocket and brought out a mini ring case. "Take this ring, and get us engaged, or you watch your Lalissa go down. I'm not afraid to die. My soul will rest happily knowing—ah!" She staggered.
Lalissa did a brave head bump on her stomach.
Cassian snatched a gun from Ziggy's man's pants, and fired a bullet at her.
The bullet planted a hole on her shoulder.
The gun fell from her hand.
"Get her," Cassian instructed, his hold firm on the gun and pointed at Natasha.
They rushed to the chair, and began loosening the ropes.
Blood rushed out, staining the white top she was wearing.
She kept groaning in pain.
Lalissa ran into Cassian's arms.
"I got you."
Cassian wrapped his hand around her, his other hand still pointing the gun at Natasha.
She somehow found her stance, and picked up the gun before Ziggy and his men could get to her.
Two shots on the floor was enough to put them to a stop.
She looked at Cassian with blazing red eyes.
His thumb curled around the trigger.
"This isn't over! I promise, it isn't!"
She drew a robe on her waist. Smoke circled around her.
Cassian pulled the trigger.
Thick smoke covered the whole room.
Cough. Cough.
Cassian pulled Lalissa closely to his chest, dropping his other hand.
The smoke slowly cleared, and as everyone except Lalissa expected, she was gone.
"Ziggy," Cassian called. "Make sure she doesn't leave this city. I want her brought before me. Alive."