Chapter 308 - Keeping them safe - meters
Miguel
We are an hour away from landing. We've seen everything Alfredo has done, we have Blaz's address. While the pilots are flying the jet, we are analyzing, or rather, we've already given our points of view and are waiting for Roland to think through everything that's happening.
"Is Nikolay still in Colombia?" I looked at him, wondering why he was asking.
"Yes," Rata responded.
"Have the mobsters sent any information?" His mind started working.
"No, they only told us that everything remains the same for Friday at the hangars outside Moscow."
"Sapillo, González, Medrano... Have you communicated with them?"
"No... Where are you going with this?"
He snapped the fingers of his left hand against the jet's table. We were all gathered around him.
"If I already knew I was betrayed, someone must have informed him that Yuri was shot in the ass. I'd be back putting my organization in order, but he's still in Colombia... Under his situation, what would he be doing in Colombia?" He looked at the second in command, then at me.
"Looking for allies," Rata said, making a gesture with his hand to indicate agreement.
"Looking for people who hold a grudge against us," I added, and he made the same gesture in my direction.
"Is Marcela in Blanco?" He looked at Rata again.
"She’s being watched. She went to the courthouse where they supposedly got married and found out it was all a setup. The last report is that she entered her room and hasn't left the hotel."
"No... Tell whoever is there to find her. A woman used and deceived like that, especially her, wouldn't be crying in a room; she'd be making a scene."
"Do you think Nikolay is organizing a new group using our former partners?"
"I would. Contact them. We have an hour to detect who is joining them. They must be furious; I dismantled their organization. He doesn't care anymore because he feels defeated. I suppose he already knows they don't have the device that kills them, and that's why he sent Blaz's men." Rata's phone rang.
"Yes... Who? I saw him smile. "You son of a bitch!" That’s Arnold. "I'll pass you to the boss."
"Tell me," he put the phone on speaker.
"I was informed that a large group of men is heading to the building where Lupe is. I'm half an hour away."
"We're forty minutes from landing, plus fifteen minutes for Cebolla and Cereza to arrive."
"Lobo, Rino, and I can hold them off until you get here."
"That's crap, Lobo was tortured and is still recovering. If he wakes up, he won't be much help. He needs to recover from everything they did to him. Rino not only has someone under observation, but your wife is also being monitored due to stress and nerves, and she’s had contractions. Plus, he's the only one in charge of two elderly women, a pregnant woman, a convalescent, two young people, and a child. The only support is Patricia, who knows how to handle weapons."
"Step on the gas!" he yelled to whoever was driving. "What else do I need to know?"
"We'll talk about the rest when we see each other. The truth is, right now we're playing his game. He..." Roland fell silent and turned red.
"He wanted all of us out," Arnold finished the sentence. It was like a chip in our brains. Our families...
"Get to your wife quickly to support her."
"Rata, initiate the protection protocol. Everyone should go down to the bunker, put security in place. Each of you call your homes and give instructions on how to get there." That's what we did; each of us called our wives.
"Sweetheart."
"Hi, Beast, have you landed yet?"
"Listen to me."
"Miguel, what's going on?"
"Pack what you need for the kids. You’ll need to stay hidden for two days. Although we’ll arrive before then, once you have what you need, go down alone with the kids to the basement. On the wall of the second column, press the third brick, and a door will open. Go in; once you pass through, it will close automatically.
"You can't take the elevator because it only works with my fingerprint. You’ll have to walk the entire hallway until you find a door. Go in and stay there. Sleep in the room with my nickname. I won't be able to call you again. We’re about to land and will be busy. Diana, just do as I say. Act naturally, so no one sees you go into the basement."
"Yes, love. Take care."
"I love you." As I hung up, some had already finished, and others were still talking.
"Veronica was getting vaccinated. She’s now getting the kids' things ready and will go to our parents."
"We need to include their fingerprints. They’ll have to walk a lot," Aníbal said. "Shirly is already leaving with my sister and the kids."
"My mother is going to raise hell," Rasca culo said.
"Guys, with our women and children safe, or at least they will be soon, we have work to do. We need to find out who hasn't joined Nikolay."
"They're going to know you're alive."
"Let's handle everything as if it wasn't happening. All because of a snitch. Get to work, guys. This mess is going to change the scenario, and we need to get ahead of it."
......
Alfredo
I brought down the monitor from the cameras in my apartment. I needed to know if we were getting another visit. I felt tired. Lobo was reacting, and Lupe had calmed down. Being able to hear her children's hearts had soothed her.
"Alfredo, Kevin woke up again," said Inés.
"I'm coming."
I looked at the furniture, and Patricia was playing with the child. If she was ignoring me before, now she had truly banished me without being rude. I entered the room and removed the oxygen mask.
"Hey, brother, how are you feeling?"
"My whole body hurts. Thanks for saving me, but don't think this exempts you from having made me look like a wimp in front of the Russians." I let out a laugh. "Arnold?"
"Missing. The team is about twenty minutes away from landing, they diverted the course, they were coming to find you."
"Franka betrayed us."
"I figured." He tried to get up. "I'm your doctor, and I haven't discharged you. You have a punctured lung." He looked at me. "I had to do it, or you would have drowned in your own blood. If anything happens in the next thirty or forty minutes, you just kill whatever comes through that door that isn't us."
"If that's all I can do, position me better."
We did that, moved some furniture for the women to sit, placed Lupe beside the furniture, and left Lobo in the front line of attack, gave him two weapons and several reloads.
At that moment, the monitor beeped, and I ran to check. There were over thirty men in bulletproof vests at the reception. I couldn't take them all on. I turned everything off; it was better if they thought the apartment was empty.
"Carlina, help Lobo put on his suit."
I exchanged a glance with him. I went to the bathroom to put on mine. When I came out, Lupe's monitor was going off. I went to her and turned down the volume. Gunshots were heard. Those bastards already knew we weren't in the apartments. They must have killed the guards. I kept the bulletproof vest I had taken from under Lupe's bed in my hand. I approached Patricia. When I took her hand, she looked at me with her eyebrows furrowed. I didn't let go.
"There are about fifty men in the building's reception. Don't scream, and Lupe, try your best not to go into labor. It's not a good time to have the babies. The bosses are about half an hour away. We just need to hold on."
"And where is Patricia going?" asked Inés.
"She knows how to shoot, fight, and I need support until the Boss arrives. Lobo..."
"I know."
"What did you tell him?" Carlina asked.
"To protect you all with my life."
I heard him say. I hadn't let go of Patricia. We reached the monitors. While she watched what was happening in the reception, I watched her.
"Your brother will be here soon." I got her attention, put the vest on her, and adjusted it to her size.
"You don't have glasses."
"I'll put them on now." What the hell am I feeling?
"You're getting weird again."
A gunshot stopped me. Maybe it was a big mistake because I almost kissed her. Looking at the screen, a car had crashed into the reception, and I saw it was Arnold, alone against ten without his suit. No, no, no. I put on the hood and ran to support him.
"Don't let anyone other than us in, Patricia. We don't have much time before the battalion in the apartments comes down."
I went out. Everyone was attacking the car that crashed into the reception. That gave me the freedom to take down more than one of them, clean shots directly to the neck between the helmet and the vest. When Arnold saw I was supporting him, he started shooting and killing. With the hood on, Rata could see what was happening.
"I'll cover you!" He got out of the car and ran in my direction, his face bruised. "Door to the right!"
He ran in that direction. I killed the two guys coming down the stairs. Another burst of gunfire filled the air. They couldn't see me. While shooting, I ran to hide in the apartment. Now they'll come after us. We need to hold on. I hope the door and window glass hold up. Patricia opened and closed the door as soon as I entered. We locked it. Without making noise, we withdrew. Arnold was bleeding from his leg.
"They're on their way, and we need to have everything ready to leave as soon as possible. This was a crossroads. They wanted us out of Blanco."
"Let me check you." We entered the room.
"Arnold!"
Lupe started crying, reaching out to her husband. A damn noise was heard, and I heard Patricia scream.
"Put it on!" She had thrown the bulletproof suit to Arnold.
"Tadpole, I'll hug you soon."
In front of everyone, Arnold began to undress. There's no time to waste. I stood in front of Patricia and waited for them to reach this room.