The Rescue Mission

The Rescue Mission
Tony's POV

My head felt like someone had hit it with a hammer.

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to figure out where I was. White walls, bright lights, the smell of medicine. A hospital room.

"You're awake," a voice said. "I was starting to worry."

I turned my head and saw a woman in an FBI jacket sitting in a chair next to my bed. She had dark hair and a kind smile, but I didn't recognize her.

"Who are you?" I asked. My throat was dry and my voice sounded strange.

"Agent Sarah Chen," she said. "I've been waiting for you to wake up. You've been unconscious for two days."

"Two days?" I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my chest. "What happened to me?"

"You were shot," Sarah explained. "During a rescue operation. You're lucky to be alive."

I looked down and saw bandages wrapped around my chest. The memories were fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream.

"A rescue operation?"

"You were trying to save some hostages," Sarah said. "Very brave, but very dangerous."

I tried to remember, but everything was mixed up in my head. "Did I save them?"

Sarah's face became sad. "I'm sorry, Tony. The hostages didn't make it."

Something twisted in my stomach when she said that. "Who were they?"

"Your mother and sister," Sarah said quietly. "And a man named Vincent Russo."

Those names felt important, but I couldn't remember why. "My mother and sister are dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Sarah said. "The people who took them were very dangerous criminals."

"What criminals?"

Sarah pulled out a folder and showed me some photographs. "A crime family called the Russos. They've been at war with your family for years."

I looked at the pictures. They showed a young woman with dark hair and angry eyes. She looked familiar, but in a bad way.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Isabella Russo," Sarah said. "The daughter of the man who killed your family."

When she said the name Isabella, something happened in my brain. Like a door trying to open, but it was locked.

"Isabella," I repeated.

"She's the one who shot you, Tony," Sarah said. "She lured you into a trap and tried to kill you."

That didn't feel right. When I looked at Isabella's picture, I didn't feel angry or scared. I felt... something else. Something warm and sad at the same time.

"Are you sure she shot me?" I asked.

"I saw it happen," Sarah said firmly. "Isabella Russo is a killer, Tony. She's responsible for everything bad that's happened to your family."

I stared at the picture again. The woman in the photo looked young and scared, not like a killer.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"We're still looking for her," Sarah said. "But don't worry. We'll catch her soon."

Over the next few hours, Sarah told me more about my life. She said I was part of a crime family called the Morettis. She said we were the good guys, trying to stop bad people like the Russos. She said Isabella was dangerous and couldn't be trusted.

But something about her story felt wrong.

"Can I see more pictures?" I asked. "Of my family?"

Sarah showed me photos of a man she said was my father, Marco Moretti. He looked mean and cold. She showed me pictures of my mother, Maria, but only old ones where she looked sad.

"Why don't you have recent pictures of my mother?" I asked.

"Because she was hiding," Sarah said. "The Russos were trying to kill her."

"But you said she's dead now."

"That's right. Isabella Russo killed her."

I closed my eyes and tried to remember my mother. I could almost see her face, but it was different from the pictures Sarah showed me. In my memory, my mother looked happy and loving.

"I want to see my sister's pictures," I said.

Sarah hesitated. "Tony, maybe you should rest. You've been through a lot."

"Please. I need to remember."

Sarah showed me pictures of a woman with dark hair like mine. She said her name was Sofia.

"She looks nice," I said.

"She was," Sarah replied. "Before Isabella killed her."

But when I looked at Sofia's picture, I remembered something. A laugh. A warm hug. Someone calling me "little brother" in a teasing voice.

"Sofia wasn't just nice," I said slowly. "She was funny. She used to make jokes."

Sarah looked nervous. "You're remembering some things. That's good."

"I'm remembering that she was alive recently," I said, looking at Sarah carefully. "These pictures are old, but Sofia was alive last week."

"Tony, you're confused because of your injury," Sarah said quickly. "Head trauma can cause false memories."

But I wasn't confused. I was starting to remember.

Sofia was alive. My mother was alive. And Isabella... Isabella wasn't my enemy.

"I want to leave," I said, trying to sit up.

"You can't leave yet," Sarah said. "You're still recovering."

"I feel fine."

"The doctors need to run more tests," Sarah said. She pressed a button next to my bed. "I'm calling for a nurse."

But I didn't want a nurse. I wanted to get out of this hospital and find out what was really happening.

When Sarah left the room to talk to the doctors, I looked around for my clothes. They were in a closet near the window, along with my wallet and phone.

I got dressed quickly, even though it hurt my chest. Then I checked my phone.

There were dozens of missed calls and text messages. Most were from numbers I didn't recognize, but one name stood out.

Isabella.

I opened her messages and started reading.

"Tony, please wake up. I need you."

"The doctors say you're going to be okay. I'm so sorry this happened."

"I love you. Please come back to me."

"Vincent Senior has our families. We need to save them."

As I read Isabella's messages, memories started flooding back. Her smile. Her laugh. The way she felt in my arms.

I remembered falling in love with her. I remembered trying to protect her. I remembered her protecting me.

Isabella wasn't my enemy. She was the woman I loved.

And Sarah Chen was lying to me.

I put my phone in my pocket and headed for the door. I had to find Isabella and warn her that Sarah was setting traps.

But when I opened the door, two FBI agents were standing in the hallway.

"Going somewhere, Mr. Moretti?" one of them asked.

"I'm leaving," I said.

"I'm afraid you can't do that," the agent replied. "Agent Chen's orders."

I pushed past them and started walking toward the exit. Behind me, I could hear them talking on their radios.

"Subject is trying to leave. Should we stop him?"

I walked faster, heading for the stairs. I didn't want to wait for the elevator.

That's when I heard Sarah's voice over the hospital loudspeaker.

"Security alert. Patient in room 314 is dangerous and confused. Do not let him leave the building."

Now the whole hospital was going to try to stop me.

I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, ignoring the pain in my chest. When I reached the first floor, I could see security guards blocking the main exit.

There had to be another way out.

I found a back door that led to the parking garage. It was dark and quiet, with just a few cars parked in the shadows.

I thought I had made it.

But as I walked toward the street, car headlights turned on all around me. At least ten vehicles had been waiting in the garage.

Sarah Chen stepped out of one of the cars, no longer wearing her kind smile.

"Hello, Tony," she said. "Going somewhere?"

"I remember now," I said. "You've been lying to me."

"I've been protecting you," Sarah replied. "From making a terrible mistake."

"What mistake?"

"Trusting Isabella Russo," Sarah said. "The woman who shot you."

"Isabella didn't shoot me," I said. "You did."

Sarah laughed. "Your memory is still confused. But that's okay. We have ways to fix that."

Two men in white coats came out from behind the cars. They looked like doctors, but they were carrying something that looked like medical equipment.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Something to help you remember correctly," Sarah said. "Vincent Senior has been working on new ways to help people with memory problems."

I realized what they wanted to do. They wanted to mess with my brain. To make me forget Isabella and believe their lies.

"I'm not going with you," I said.

"You don't have a choice," Sarah replied.

The men in white coats started walking toward me. I backed away, but there was nowhere to run. Cars blocked every exit.

"Tony," Sarah said in a voice that was trying to sound caring. "You're sick. You're confused. Let us help you."

"I know exactly what's happening," I said. "You work for Vincent Senior. You've been lying to me about everything."

"Vincent Senior is your ally," Sarah said. "Isabella is your enemy."

"Then why am I in love with her?" I asked.

Sarah's fake smile disappeared. "Because she brainwashed you. But we can fix that."

The doctors were getting closer. I could see needles in their hands.

I had to make a choice. Fight them and probably lose, or pretend to surrender and look for a chance to escape.

"Okay," I said, putting my hands up. "You win."

Sarah smiled. "Smart choice."

But as the doctors reached for me, I grabbed one of their needles and stuck it in the tire of the nearest car. The tire started hissing as the air came out.

"Run!" I yelled, even though no one else was there to help me.

I sprinted toward the garage exit, but Sarah's agents were faster. They tackled me before I could reach the street.

As they held me down, one of the doctors came over with another needle.

"This will help you feel better," he said.

I felt the needle go into my arm, and immediately everything started to feel strange. My thoughts became fuzzy and my vision got blurry.

"Don't worry, Tony," Sarah said as the drug took effect. "When you wake up, you won't remember any of this confusion. You'll only remember the truth."

"What truth?" I asked, though my words were getting slurred.

"That Isabella Russo is your enemy," Sarah said. "And that your job is to bring her to Vincent Senior."

As the world went dark around me, I heard Sarah talking on her phone.

"It's done," she said. "Tony will do whatever we tell him now. Send him to find Isabella."

"And when he finds her?" another voice asked.

"Then he'll bring her to us," Sarah said. "And she'll never suspect a thing. After all, who would suspect the man they love?"

I tried to fight the drug, tried to stay conscious, but it was too strong.

My last thought before everything went black was a prayer.

Please, Isabella. Don't trust me when you see me. Because I won't be me anymore.

But I knew she would trust me. Because she loved me.

And that love was going to destroy us both.