Freedom
I stare at the ceiling, waiting for lunch.
The boys are on high alert; with the plan in hand, all we can do is wait.
I still feel weak; my body aches, and I feel like I could pass out at any moment.
"Elena, how are you?" Leonardo asks me, seeing me fighting unconsciousness.
"I'll survive, fratello," I say weakly, even as my stomach churns, making me choke.
The boys whisper to each other, but I know they're worried.
The conversation is interrupted when the door opens and our jailer enters with the food.
Nicco is the quickest to react; he's been waiting behind the door and quickly grabs the man's neck before breaking it with a firm gesture.
I see Angelo pick up the gun and hand it to Leonardo, while he puts away the keys.
Nicco approaches me and picks me up. My body aches from the change in posture, but I hold on.
Leonardo takes the lead of the group, tasked with killing anyone who appears.
Nicco and I are the last, and I hate myself for being a dead weight to all of them.
We leave the room and walk down the hallway, lined with doors, some of which I know from torture.
Leonardo advances to the end of the hallway toward a huge red metal door.
We all tense as he opens the door and leaves.
I count thirty seconds before my brother returns, announcing that everything is okay.
We walk cautiously, searching for an exit. We are all exhausted, and with each passing second, I feel my eyes closing further.
We arrive at a warehouse filled with boxes and a huge metal door.
"I found it," Leonardo says as he finally finds a black-painted door with a neon sign that says "EXIT."
My heart fills with hope and relief.
"Did you think it would be that easy?" Edgar's voice behind us sends chills down my spine.
Leonardo turns, his gun pointed at the source of the voice.
Nicco pins me to the ground, positioning himself in front of me to protect me.
I see Edgar with his gun drawn, along with five other equally armed men.
My eyes fill with tears of frustration.
"I must admit, it was fun watching you try to escape," Edgar says good-naturedly. "Now hand over your weapons and go back to your cells like good boys."
Leonardo hesitates to obey, and I see the men cocking their weapons.
"Hand over your weapons," Edgar orders again, coldly.
My heart races when I hear the sound of a gunshot.
I expect to see one of my brothers fall to the ground, but to my surprise, it's one of the henchmen who falls lifeless.
I look at Leonardo, who is equally confused.
Angelo, on the other hand, has a relieved smile on his face and looks up at a window above us.
I follow his gaze and see a small figure leaning out the window with a rifle.
Everything happens so quickly after that.
Nicco pushes me to the ground, and the boys do the same as several shots begin to ring out.
Edgar and his men are disoriented for a few moments, unsure of where they're being attacked from.
I see some being shot and Edgar using the body of one of them as a shield.
"If I'm going to die, at least one of you will go with me," Edgar shouts desperately.
I see him point the gun at Angelo, and my blood runs cold.
I have no way to protect my cousin with Nicco's body practically covering mine.
I see Edgar's finger squeeze the trigger, and then a loud shot rings out.
Edgar's scream fills my ears, and I'm confused as he falls, shot in the shoulder.
I look up and see Lorenzo's serious face staring at us.
"I found them, warehouse number two," Lorenzo says into the walkie-talkie clipped to his vest.
Tears of joy stream down my face.
My older brother walks over and takes the gun from Edgar, who groans on the ground.
The shot wasn't fatal, and that makes me happy, because he'll suffer when he's taken in for questioning.
I see Lorenzo communicating with Nicco using tactical signals. I don't understand anything, but it's enough for the boys to spring into action.
Lorenzo hands a gun to Angelo and another to Nicco, leaving himself unarmed.
He approaches me cautiously and assesses me.
"Can you walk?" His voice is soft; I can tell he doesn't want to scare me.
I shake my head and am glad he's not pressing me for words right now.
"I'm going to get you out of here, but I need you to hold on tight," he instructs, picking me up.
I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist, and rest my head on his shoulder.
The boys form a circle around us, each covering one side as we walk outside.
Edgar walks ahead of us, under fire from Leonardo, who pushes him every now and then because he walks slowly.
Inside the building, I hear the sound of gunshots. The rest of my family is cleaning up.
When we finally reach the outside, the sunlight blinds me. I feel the cold wind on my skin, but I can't hide my smile.
Giorgio welcomes us. He restrains Edgar and puts him in a black van with the other men.
"Put us in the car, I'll go to the hospital and you'll meet us there," Matteo says, approaching us.
Lorenzo supports me in the backseat. I watch him examine me one last time before closing the door and turning around.
Matteo sits next to me. He's already noticed I have more serious injuries than the boys and begins to help me.
"Her leg is infected," Nicco says softly from the front seat.
He rests his head against the headrest and looks ready to pass out.
Matteo touches my thigh, and I let out a cry of pain. Instinctively, I push his hand away and see concern in his eyes.
"It's okay, honey," he says, lifting his hands.
I rest my head on his shoulder, and he caresses me.
Unconsciousness begins to overtake me, and for the first time in days, I allow myself to sleep peacefully.