Chapter 94: Merciless Slaughter
Julio did not answer Agatha. He turned with stiff, mechanical movements. His footsteps fell heavy as he stepped out of the room. Agatha remained standing by the bed. She regulated her breathing, which still felt a bit shallow. Her eyes remained fixed on the dim hallway outside the door.
Sreet. Sreet. Sreet.
The sound of something heavy dragging across the concrete floor drew closer. Julio reappeared in the doorway. He leaned down low. His right hand gripped Marco D’Angelo’s collar with a white knuckled strength. Marco was still unconscious. His head hung limp to the side. Julio dragged the man into the room without any apparent effort. He stopped in the center of the space, directly in front of the upright Agatha.
Julio released his grip. Marco collapsed face down on the cold floor. His body lay helpless. Julio reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the long dagger he had used earlier. The metal blade glinted under the red glow of the emergency lights. Julio knelt beside Marco’s body.
"You wanted proof, Agatha?" Julio asked.
Agatha did not answer. She stared flatly at the back of Marco’s head.
"Watch this closely," Julio said.
Julio flipped Marco over until the man was on his back. He pressed his knee firmly into Marco’s chest to ensure he wouldn't move if he suddenly woke up. He pressed the tip of the blade under Marco’s chin. Julio forced the weapon into the skin.
Ugh.
A muffled groan escaped Marco’s throat even though his eyes remained closed. Blood began to seep from the initial wound. Julio did not stop. He moved the knife in a brutal, sawing motion. The sound of metal grinding against neck bone was loud in the silent room.
Crshhh.
A thick stream of crimson liquid sprayed out with intense pressure. The blood splattered across the front of Julio’s jacket. A few drops landed right on Julio’s nose and lips. He did not blink. He kept pressing the dagger until it pierced the other side of Marco’s neck. Julio’s hands moved with a calculated precision as if he had done this thousands of times.
Julio took a deep breath. He gave the blade one final, powerful yank. Marco’s head detached completely from his torso. Julio grabbed Marco by the hair and lifted the head high, right in front of Agatha’s face. Marco’s features were pale, his eyes half open. Blood continued to pour from the severed neck, soaking the concrete floor into a wide pool.
"Look at this," Julio said. He smiled broadly. "I have proven it to you. This man you hated is now nothing more than a piece of meat in my hand."
Agatha looked at the head without a single trace of horror. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Only this?" Agatha asked coldly.
Julio’s wide smile faded slightly. "What do you mean? I killed their leader. I finished Marco D’Angelo for you."
"Do you think killing Marco makes everything end, Julio?" Agatha stepped forward. The tip of her shoe touched the edge of Marco’s warm blood. "Marco has dozens of men surrounding this residence. They are all sworn to him. Once your gas wears off and they find this corpse, they will hunt me. They will torture me because they will think I conspired with you."
"I won't let them touch you," Julio countered.
"How can you guarantee that?" Agatha asked sharply. "You are only one man. They are everywhere."
"I have weapons. I have the skill to wipe them out," Julio answered quickly.
Agatha let out a short laugh. Her voice was full of mockery. "You are very confident. But you are forgetting one vital thing. Silvio is still alive."
Julio narrowed his eyes. "Silvio?"
"Marco’s right hand. He is the most dangerous man among all the guards here. You won't defeat him easily once he wakes up. He might even be moving now, trying to find out what happened to his leader," Agatha said.
"I can handle him," Julio replied.
"You say that, but you are still standing here holding a useless head," Agatha pointed at Marco’s remains. "As long as Silvio and Marco’s other soldiers are still breathing within this estate, I will never feel safe. I will feel threatened every time I close my eyes."
Julio fell silent. He looked at his bloodstained hands.
"You said you loved me. You said you killed all of Luigi’s elite soldiers to get to me," Agatha said. She leaned in close to Julio’s ear. "But now you’re letting my most real enemies live? That isn't love, Julio. That is carelessness."
"I am not careless," Julio muttered.
"Prove it then," Agatha whispered. "Clear this entire building. Do not leave a single person wearing Marco’s uniform. I want you to make sure none of them leave this place alive. Especially Silvio. I want you to bring me his heart."
Julio’s eyes glinted with an unnatural light. He took a deep breath. The metallic scent of blood in the room seemed to trigger something dark within his mind.
"All of them?" Julio asked one last time.
"All of them. Leave nothing behind. Make them pay for making me like this," Agatha answered.
Julio didn't say another word. He tossed Marco’s head into the corner of the room. It hit the wall with a dull thud before rolling under the bed. Julio picked up his dagger. He didn't wipe the blood from his face. Instead, he used his palm to smear the red liquid across his cheeks and forehead.
"I will return with Silvio’s heart," Julio said.
He turned and ran out of the room. His footsteps were no longer light or casual. He ran with the heavy, rhythmic stomp of combat boots.
Agatha walked to the doorway. She heard the sound of doors along the hallway being kicked open with violent force.
Brak.
"Who are you? Stop right there!" a man’s voice shouted from a distance. It was one of the guards who seemed to be recovering from the gas.
Akh.
A short scream followed. Then came the sound of something blunt slamming against the concrete wall with immense power.
Brak. Crak.
Agatha walked a bit further into the hall. She could see Julio at the end of the corridor. Julio was lunging at a large man. Julio didn't use elegant martial arts. He attacked like a starving predator. He plunged his dagger repeatedly into the man’s chest without stopping.
Ugh.
The man tried to grab Julio’s arms, but Julio bit the man’s ear until it tore away. Julio laughed in the middle of the struggle. His laughter sounded completely insane. He grabbed the man’s body and slammed his head into the corner of the wall until the sound of cracking bone echoed.
"Silvio! Come out, you coward!" Julio screamed. His voice boomed through the bunker halls.
Julio kept moving to the next room. Agatha heard the occasional crack of a pistol, but the shots were immediately followed by agonizing moans. Julio moved with terrifying speed. He moved from one guard to the next with pure savagery.
Splat.
The sound of liquid spraying against the wall reached Agatha’s ears. Julio didn't seem interested in using the pistols he took from the guards. He preferred his bare hands and his blade. Agatha watched Julio’s shadow on the corridor wall. The shadow moved strangely, pouncing and tearing at anyone in sight.
"Help! Ahh!" another guard screamed from the direction of the kitchen.
Julio ignored the plea. He caught the man, spun him around, and snapped his neck with one swift motion.
Krek.
The guard’s body fell to the floor like a sack of grain.
Agatha remained where she stood. She watched the unfolding madness with a cold, detached gaze.
"Kill them all, Julio," Agatha whispered to herself.
The sounds of chaos and screaming moved further away toward the lower floors. Julio was acting like a rabid dog finally slipped from its chain. He destroyed everything in his path without distinction. The calm, smiling photographer was gone. Only a bloodthirsty killing machine remained.
"Where are you, Silvio? I have a gift for you!" Julio shouted again.
Julio’s laughter rose again, clashing with the ring of clashing metal. Agatha knew this purge would take time, but she was certain Julio wouldn't stop until everyone in the building was dead. She went back into her room and sat on the edge of the blood spattered bed.
Cklek.
A door at the far end of the hallway leading toward the emergency stairs creaked open. Someone tried to crawl out of the darkness, gasping for air. The person held their blood soaked stomach. They looked toward Agatha’s room with a desperate plea for help.
The person opened their mouth, trying to call Agatha’s name. However, before a sound could escape their throat, a pair of strong hands grabbed their legs and yanked them back into the blackness of the hallway with a violent jerk.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Julio’s voice came from the shadows, low and menacing.
Crshhh.
The sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh returned, followed by the sound of liquid hitting the floor. Silence reclaimed the hallway for a few moments. Only the sound of Julio’s blood slicked footsteps remained as he approached the next room.
Julio stopped in front of a heavy iron door that was locked tight. He kicked the door with all his might.
Brak.
The door flew off its hinges. Inside, several guards stood with their weapons leveled at the entrance.
"Shoot him!" one of them yelled.
Dor. Dor. Dor.
Julio dove behind a large wooden table in the room. He laughed again, a sound capable of making anyone’s skin crawl.
"It's your turn now," Julio whispered from behind the table.
Agatha, still in her room, could hear the rapid gunfire intensify, followed by the sound of breaking objects and increasingly hysterical screams. She simply waited in silence, letting Julio finish the bloody task she had assigned him.