Chapter 309 - Don't mess with what is sacred - mdtres
Roland
We arrived just as we heard a loud explosion, there was no time for anything. I only heard Rata's orders, Any had promised to send agents and it seems she kept her word. From afar, we could hear the sirens while we took the hits and kept killing like a wall of steel. I was injuring them.
We broke ranks, about thirty men were resisting us. Cereza was fighting one, she kicked him in the leg, and as he fell to his knees, she shot him in one of his eyes. A giant guy stood in front of me and dragged me to a wall.
I used his momentum to get free and ended up behind him with my knife. I made two cuts to the tendons at the back of his knees. As soon as the guy fell, Rasca culo arrived at my side and shot him. They finished off the ones I left wounded.
We bumped fists. I needed to fight, to let out some of the anger. I know Nikolay is plotting something. And I can't wait to call Verónica again to see if she's already at the headquarters.
Rata was in a close-range fight, he fired two precise shots, taking down his opponents. Aníbal was like a war tank, distributing shots with Cebolla by his side. Then we saw Rino and Mojón coming out of the apartment.
They were also taking down anyone who tried to enter. The police arrived and joined in the shooting. The wounded, though few, were captured. Cooper had entered, knowing Any wouldn't leave me without surveillance. It doesn't offend me, on the contrary.
"You need to get out of here now. The news is already on TV and social media."
Everything was chaos. The agents, following Cooper's orders, helped us carry Lobo's stretcher and Lupe's, who was undoubtedly in labor. Arnold was limping but didn't leave his wife.
Cereza took the wheel of a truck with Rasca culo as the copilot. In the back were Carmela, Arinka with her son, and Patricia. Churrusco took the wheel of the ambulance, with Lobo, Lupe, and Rino inside attending to the pregnant woman. Arnold got in next to Churrusco.
In the other truck, Cebolla was driving, Rata beside him, and in the back were Carlina, Inés, and me. The police helped us get out of the chaos, staying behind to clean up the mess and handle the bodies.
"Nice to meet you," Carlina said. We had taken off our hoods, but our clothes still covered the rest of our gear.
"The pleasure is ours," I said. I looked at Inés.
"How are you, old lady?"
"Fine. I have no idea... Is this what you face every time you go on an operation?" I nodded. "Thanks for coming, son. You didn't have to."
"This wasn't the operation I was supposed to go on. They just captured two of my brothers."
"Brothers?" Carlina asked.
"We're all brothers."
We had arrived at the airport, loading the wounded first. Lupe looked truly in pain. While everyone was boarding, Cebolla and Rata came up to me.
"I know you, Roland. What's wrong?"
"It was unnecessary for Nikolay to send those men to die. He wanted to keep us occupied. The question is why."
"Of all the calls, the only one who seemed suspicious was Medrano. The rest were happy to hear from us."
"Keep them under surveillance." Arnold came down the stairs.
"Rino... Lupe... my children are coming," Inés pulled me out of the jet's room.
"Everything will be fine, but your children will be born in the air. We need to go back," she said.
"Thanks to everyone for coming for us."
"We're brothers," I said.
We started boarding the plane. Churrusco went up the stairs, followed by Rasca culo, Cereza, and finally the four of us. At that moment, three watches beeped, something we hadn't heard in years and...
......
Verónica
I walk down this hallway because I need to keep Dante and Enrique safe. My dad talks to me, my mother-in-law says, "Calm down, daughter. Roland will handle it." But I hear them from afar, trying to control my nerves, because they are facing the one responsible for this...
I need to calm down, I must. For that, I can't think about... I couldn't. I fell to the floor, letting out a cry of helplessness. They took two of my babies. God, wake me up, get me out of this nightmare. My dad kneels beside me.
"Daughter."
I was just howling, if I hadn't been out vaccinating, if I had stayed home taking care of my babies, they wouldn't have taken them, and if they had, they would have killed me, not Lucrecia.
One of the nannies who watched over Victoria and Liam's sleep, Dante and Enrique were in the kitchen eating their fruits, they don't like to sleep anymore, only at night, that's why they weren't taken. I grabbed my hair, still choked with sobs.
"My babies, Dad," I finally managed to say.
"Look, let's get to the place Roland mentioned and we'll call him."
"I neglected my children, Dad." My body was trembling.
"No, daughter, don't think like that, don't blame yourself." My phone rang. It was my father who answered.
"Roland." I snatched the phone from him.
"ROLAND! My babies, love, my babies."
"Verónica! Darling..." That tone was an order to calm me down.
"How can you ask me to calm down?! They took Victoria and Liam. They killed Lucrecia. When I got back from the vaccinations I left unfinished, my children were gone, Lucrecia's body on the floor, dead."
"They're still alive, that's enough for now."
"Do you swear they're still alive?"
"Yes. Where are you?" How does he do it? He must be transformed, but he's in control.
"If they beat them, or if they don't feed them..."
"Don't think about that... Verónica, I need you with me now, put Dante and Enrique somewhere safe. Get up from that floor." How does he know? I remembered Dante and Enrique's escapade, looked at the ceiling of the hallway and saw a camera. "That's it, beautiful. Listen to me, I will bring our children back, even if I have to drag half the world with me, my princess and my little one will come back to your side."
"Aren't you coming to Blanco?"
"Liam's glasses have a tracker and so do Victoria's earrings. We found out they're heading straight to Colombia. I've already spoken to Any, she gave me more time, I can't waste it getting to the United States."
"You can't go back to Colombia."
"Do you think that crap matters to me now?" I kept looking at the camera, as if we were seeing each other.
"Lucrecia's body is in the room."
"I'll take care of that, now stay strong, you're with two of the children, they need you, I'll bring back the other two."
"I know what you're trying to do and don't worry, I'll never do it again, rest assured."
"It calms me to hear you say that. Don't call me, you all stay at the base with the children. There's food for a week, don't leave until we get there. I'll talk to Jacinto to keep the farm running and Any has already put up protection. Forgive me for not considering the wrath of a scorned woman."
"You mean Marcela? That bitch took my kids?!"
"Yes, she's heading to Colombia, the information we have is that she'll arrive in Medellín."
"Roland..."
"I know, darling. I have to hang up, you know I'll be watching you. Do you trust me?"
"Always."
We kept walking, this journey felt endless, my dad carried three backpacks, my mother-in-law pushed the stroller with the kids, I walked on, forcing myself so Roland could see me, if I faltered, it would weaken him and he wouldn't focus on rescuing my babies.
"Jesus, I trust in you."
He knows what I'm feeling right now, we walked and walked until we reached the door, as we entered, the girls were already there, all with worried faces. Luisa approached with Sergio in her arms.
"Verónica, where are Liam and Victoria?" Silence fell in the room, I looked up.
"They were kidnapped."
My sister-in-law's arms wrapped around me, and then each of my friends followed, no one said anything, they sat me down on one of the couches. I know I shouldn't think about it, but I don't think a mother can separate that from her life.
They grew inside you, they fed from you, you felt their little kicks, their movements inside you. A mother can't help but wonder, did they give them their bottles? Are they cold or hot? Were they mistreated?
They brought me water, but I was still lost in my thoughts, submerged in tears, in Liam's laughter, in Victoria's mischief. In their little faces, their little hands. I didn't realize I was hyperventilating until two more little motors of my life climbed onto the couch and hugged me.