Chapter 95: Protector in the Shadows
The screams in the hallway began to drift away into a hollow echo. Agatha remained seated on the edge of the bed. She stared at the pool of blood that was slowly thickening on the concrete floor. The metallic stench rose sharply, filling every corner of the cramped room. She took a long, shallow breath. She tried to ignore the throbbing pain radiating from the needle marks on the back of her hand. Silence reclaimed the room for a moment. Only the hiss of the unused ventilator broke the quiet.
"You are quite adept at playing your role, Agatha," a heavy voice spoke from the darkest corner of the room.
Agatha flinched. She immediately snatched the dagger she had placed on the sheets. Her eyes narrowed. She stared toward the black shadow behind a tilted medical cabinet. An old man stepped out with unsettling calm. He wore a crisp black suit. He looked as if he had not just walked through a battlefield of gas and blood.
"Don Cardios," Agatha whispered. She did not lower the blade.
The old man offered a thin smile. He walked closer. He passed Marco’s severed head in the corner without giving it a single glance. He stopped a few paces away from her.
"Exploiting a man’s madness to eliminate your enemies without staining your own hands. It is a very clever move. The Rose is truly not just a name," Cardios said. His voice held a note of genuine admiration.
Agatha watched the old man with suspicion. "How are you here? That gas should have knocked everyone out."
Cardios let out a low laugh. "I have lived long enough to know how to handle small tricks like that. I had my own air filtration system in the mask I wore earlier."
"What is your goal in coming here, Cardios? Do you want to take what is left of this house?" Agatha asked. She remained alert. She watched every twitch of the man’s fingers.
Cardios shook his head. He looked at Agatha with an expression that was hard to decipher. There was a glimmer of warmth that felt foreign coming from a man known for his cruelty.
"I have no interest in this crumbling heap of a building," Cardios replied. "I am simply performing a task that is long overdue. I am here to protect my grandchild."
Agatha lifted an eyebrow. She looked genuinely confused. "Your grandchild? Who are you talking about? Xavier has no blood relation to you."
Cardios remained silent for a heartbeat. He studied Agatha’s face intensely. He looked as if he were searching for the ghost of someone from the past.
"There is much you do not yet know, Agatha," Cardios said. "But now is not the time for family history. The situation outside is still far too chaotic."
Agatha snorted. She felt the old man’s words were nothing but useless riddles. Her mind immediately shifted to something more urgent. She stood up from the bed. Her legs still felt a bit like lead.
"I do not care about whichever grandchild you mean," Agatha stated firmly. "My priority right now is my husband. Where is Xavier? Is he still alive down there?"
Cardios nodded slowly. "Xavier is still breathing. He is only unconscious from the gas. My men secured his position before that madman Julio could reach him."
Agatha felt a weight lift slightly from her chest. "Take me to him. Now."
"Patience, Agatha. You can barely stand upright yourself," Cardios tried to soothe her.
"I do not have time for patience!" Agatha snapped. "Julio is on a rampage out there. He will kill anyone he finds. I must ensure Xavier is not one of his victims."
Agatha took a step toward the door. A sudden wave of dizziness hit her. She staggered. She almost fell before Cardios caught her arm.
"Mmhh," Agatha groaned while clutching her temple.
"Look at you. Your body needs recovery," Cardios said.
Agatha shoved Cardios’s hand away. She glared at the old man with eyes that burned with a cold fire. "I will recover once my husband is safe. Don Cardios, if you truly want to protect me or this mysterious grandchild of yours, do something useful."
"What do you want?" Cardios asked.
Agatha pointed toward the hallway. "Move Xavier and everyone who is still alive to a place that is truly safe. I know you have hideouts that cannot be tracked by anyone."
"That is a significant request," Cardios murmured.
"You said you wanted to protect your mysterious grandchild, did you not?" Agatha challenged. "Prove it now. Secure the medical staff who treated me as well. Pierre and his team. They are innocent in this war. I do not want them dying at the hands of Julio or whatever is left of Marco’s guards."
Cardios went quiet. He seemed to weigh Agatha’s demand. The sound of a distant gunshot echoed from the lower floors. A hysterical scream followed, piercing the night air.
"Julio will not stop until he finds Silvio’s heart," Agatha added. "This building will be a mass grave in a matter of minutes. You have to move now."
Cardios finally nodded. He pulled a small communication device from his jacket pocket.
"Take them all. Ensure all Valois members are moved first. Secure the medical team and the remaining subordinates. Bring them to Location Delta. Leave no tracks," Cardios commanded into the device.
He looked back at Agatha. "Everything is arranged. My men will evacuate them through the secret underground tunnels."
Agatha let out a breath of relief. She walked toward the window. She looked out at the dark forest surrounding the estate. She knew the battle was far from over. Julio was still on the loose. Silvio might be planning something in the shadows.
"And what about you?" Cardios asked. "You do not want to go with them?"
Agatha shook her head without turning around. "I have business to finish here. I cannot just leave while that rabid dog is still tearing this place apart."
"You want to face Julio alone?" Cardios asked with concern.
Agatha turned around. She looked at the dagger in her hand. It was still stained with Marco’s blood. A thin, cold smile appeared on her face.
"I am the one who let him off the leash. I must be the one to ensure he goes back to his cage," Agatha answered. "Or ensure he never wakes up again."
Cardios stared at Agatha for a long time. He saw the incredible resolve in her eyes. He realized that Agatha truly inherited the stubbornness and courage of her lineage.
"Very well," Cardios said. "I will leave a few men to watch over you from a distance. But remember, Agatha, my grandchild must not be harmed."
Agatha only frowned. She still did not understand the old man’s obsession with his grandchild. "Just do your job, Cardios. Keep Xavier safe. That is all I ask."
Cardios turned and walked toward the door. Before he exited, he paused. He looked back at Agatha one last time.
"We will speak again when the air is clear. There is a great secret you need to know," Cardios said.
The old man vanished into the darkness of the corridor before Agatha could ask anything else. Agatha stood alone in the center of the room. She processed Cardios’s final words. A secret? What did it have to do with all this chaos?
Brak.
A violent crash from the direction of the emergency stairs broke her train of thought. Agatha immediately crouched behind a cabinet. She watched the doorway with bated breath. She heard heavy, dragging footsteps approaching.
"Agatha?" a raspy voice called her name.
Agatha recognized the voice. It was not Julio. It was Silvio. She could hear Silvio’s labored breathing. He sounded like a man holding back immense pain. Agatha tightened her grip on the dagger. She prepared for the next attack.
"I know you are in there, Agatha," Silvio muttered.
The sound of metal scraping against the concrete wall was unmistakable. Agatha could feel her heart thumping against her ribs. She knew a new chapter in this bloody night had just begun. She would not let anyone touch her. Not after she knew Xavier was being moved to safety.
Agatha peeked slightly from behind the cabinet. She saw a large shadow loom in the doorway. The shadow looked unstable. Silvio appeared with torn clothes. Blood covered half of his face. He held a submachine gun in his right hand. His left hand pressed against his wounded stomach.
"Where is my master?" Silvio asked. His voice trembled with rage.
Agatha stood up slowly. She revealed herself to Silvio. She gestured toward the corner of the room with her chin. Silvio turned. He saw his master’s head separated from his body.
"Ugh," Silvio groaned. His eyes widened with pure hatred.
He immediately leveled the barrel of his weapon at Agatha. Agatha did not flinch. She met Silvio’s gaze with a defiant stare.
"Pull the trigger, Silvio. If you wish to join your master right this second," Agatha challenged.
Silvio’s finger trembled over the trigger. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. In the distance, Julio’s laughter grew louder. The sound was drawing closer to them. Agatha knew their time was short. She had to make a decision before Julio arrived to ruin everything again.
"You think you won?" Silvio whispered with a voice full of vengeance.
Agatha only looked at him coldly. She waited for the right moment to move. She knew that behind these walls, Cardios’s men might be watching. However, she wanted to settle this with her own hands. The silence between them was suffocating. It was only interrupted by the rhythmic drip of blood falling from Silvio’s wound to the floor.