Chapter 352 - The confrontation began - mdfour
Aníbal
I've spent the whole day monitoring the satellite, even though I wasn't with them because I would have been more of a burden than a help. I can't wait to feel better! They include my wife, but it's clear that Shirly distances herself because of her sadness. I've seen her cry twice since my friends arrived. How I wish I could hug you, Darling.
You don't know how hard I'm trying to get back to you. I want so much to hold you in my arms again, to make love to you until we're exhausted, to hear your laughter. And now that I've held Gregorio, I need to do it again. You two are my motivation. "Just wait for me, Darling."
"You should sleep, Mr. Aníbal," Ana handed me a cup of hot chocolate. It was two in the morning.
"I can't. I need to ensure their safety. They could be attacked at any moment, and I have to warn them."
"Are they always like this?"
"Like what?"
Ana was a sturdy woman, older now, but since I can do more things, we've let the other two nurses go. I stayed with her. She was a solitary woman, dedicated for many years to serving. She was let go from the hospital where she worked. Unmarried, childless, her life was nursing, and the long shifts kept her from having a social life. I've already talked to Roland; once I'm healthy, Ana will work at our clinic in Blanco.
"So close, like siblings. Since I was hired, I've witnessed how your friends took care of you. They never had to clean you because we were here, but if they had to, they would have. That brotherhood, or rather that deep affection you all have for each other, is rooted in commitment, in your word, and above all, in brotherly love, true brotherly love."
"Ana." She has seen everything we've done; she must understand what we are. "Everything you've said is true. Life made us brothers. When you face death so often and only have each other's care, you know that if you die, it was your time."
"Look at me. Don't ask me to go to sleep when there's an imminent threat. They're sleeping because they know I'm watching over their dreams, and they will protect my wife. The help is reciprocal."
"Inés was a good mom."
"The best in the world."
I felt a lump in my throat, knowing she now has bone cancer. Now is not the time to think about her.
"I'm going to sleep a little."
"Rest."
"Mr. Aníbal, every time you have a strong encounter, you come out better." I looked at her. "Since they brought my little prince." I smiled. That's what she called my son that day. "He speaks perfectly. Since he found out about his mother yesterday, I've seen him more agile." I hadn't thought about it, but I do feel faster.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Once alone again, with the coffee maker by my side in case I need to ward off sleep and a box of chocolates, which are more energizing for me, I enlarged the perimeter of the beach house on the screen. On the two monitors beside me, I have the surrounding perimeters, and the yacht sends me movement signals. If they approach by water, I'll see it too.
Looking at the big screen, I saw Shirly walking around the pool. She sat in one of the chairs and started crying. "Darling," I whispered. I saw her take a towel and cover herself with it to stay in that spot.
Half an hour after watching her sleep, I noticed movement, and all my alarms went off. Enlarging the satellite image, I saw about eighty men surrounding the house perimeter, but there was no movement near the cliff. They were walking, and I estimated we had fifteen to twenty minutes before they were in attack position. That was more than enough time. They could get our women to safety. I had no time to lose...
......
Roland
I held my wife in my arms. Given the tension of the situation, I had asked her to sleep with her clothes on. She had packed the essentials in a backpack, including her personal documents. She slept peacefully. It made me so happy to know I provided her that peace. Those honey-colored eyes gave me a sense of security, as if nothing bad could happen to her while I was around, and indeed, as long as I was alive, I would be her shield.
I kissed her hair, which still held its fragrance. Every time Raul or my cousin visited, they brought her favorite shampoo. Those two crazy guys wouldn't take long to arrive.
"Boss, you have a maximum of twenty minutes to be on guard!"
"Churrusco?"
"Around eighty men are on their way to the house."
"Understood." Verónica woke up.
"Boss. My wife is asleep by the pool."
"I'll get her."
"Thanks."
As soon as I got up, the door to our room opened, and Rata entered with my sister.
"I'll get Shirly," my second-in-command said.
"What's going on?" I looked at my wife, then at my sister.
"This room is the safest. The balcony faces the cliff, so I don't think they'll come in that way," Luisa informed.
"Verónica, Pecosa, let's wake our mothers and have them stay here," I said.
Everything was synchronized. The women were locked in what was our bedroom, each wearing a bulletproof vest. Patricia, Luisa, and Zombi would be upstairs, armed in the hallway, to prevent the bad guys from coming up the stairs.
The other rooms were locked, and the windows too. If they broke in through those areas, we'd hear the sound of shattering glass; plus, Rata had cloned the house's cameras, and now Churrusco would keep us updated.
While the women stayed on the second floor, we positioned ourselves strategically. Rino, with his medical backpack on his back, took an intermediate position, dropped his backpack to the side, and lay down.
"I'm in position. If anyone needs my help, just shout. For now, I'll be the second line of defense before they reach our women."
"Perfect," Rata responded. "Everyone, take your positions."
We were armed to the teeth. The idea was to blend into the surroundings and prevent anyone from entering the house. It was eighty against eleven. Luisa and Patricia knew how to use weapons. They would think we were asleep, so we had to take them down with knives.
I had sworn not to kill anyone else. So I had to strike in places that wouldn't kill them but would take them out of combat. "I won't break my word, Lord, but you must understand it's either them or us."
"In position, Rata," Cebolla said. As we arrived at this place, we studied the terrain, escape routes, and surroundings. We knew the house. In the two hours it took to get here by yacht, we learned the terrain. Each one of us reported that we were in position.
"In less than a minute, those bastards will be in your field of vision," Churrusco said. "Fucking sons of bitches, goddamn bastards!" he shouted as we saw a projectile hit the yacht.