Chapter 55 - Everything Changes in a Second - Mduno
Verónica was crying, Rata was pulling her to get her into the tunnel of leaves, but those eyes were pleading.
"Rata..."
"There's nothing we can do." She wasn't listening to the conversation.
"El Negro."
I called him, he was one of the men inside the house.
"Boss, this shit is on fire!"
"I know, get out of there, they're killing everyone. If you see Lorena on the way, get her out, please."
El Negro's voice sounded agitated and the gunshots kept going. We were in a hunting lodge.
"I'll do it."
"But get out, damn it!" I ordered him. "Rata, the path is half a kilometer, and while we're here, I don't think they'll see us. The danger will be when we get out. We have to do it, we have to disappear."
Verónica had come out barefoot, her feet were bleeding just like her left arm. That's when I noticed the vines with thorns. They also had broken branches that could turn into weapons for her. When we reached the end, Rata stopped.
"Boss, we need to run." I took off my mask for a moment.
"Beautiful."
She looked at me with her red eyes, she hadn't stopped crying, it must have been a nightmare for her. I had lived through so many things, I had faced death so many times and I had never been as scared as I was now. And it wasn't for me, my fear was for her.
"We have to run once we get out of here. You'll see us kill people, be prepared, we can't rest until we reach the helicopter."
"I understand. It's them or us."
She wasn't okay. She was terrified. At the end of the tunnel, Rata was storing the weapons. Her gaze pierced my consciousness, her hands were shaking, I covered my face again without taking my eyes off her fearful ones.
"Rata, Verónica doesn't have a suit."
"We have to be her shields, Boss, but this shit is burning."
He handed me three weapons, one I put on my back, I fastened the kangaroo pouch and the belt with the ammunition and took a weapon in each hand, Rata did the same but equipped himself three times. Just like in the group training.
We went out, bullets were whizzing everywhere, Rata in front protecting Verónica and me covering her back. Half a dozen fake cops noticed us, they fired as we ran towards the mountain. We switched, Simón moved to the back, I took my girlfriend's hand, pulling her. Rata was shooting and surely killing.
Verónica fell once, I pulled her up forcefully. I looked back as we ran up the mountain. More were coming, I fired repeatedly, hitting the enemy's head. I reloaded once more and kept shooting, hitting them all with certainty, but they seemed to multiply. From the training, we learned not to waste bullets, and even less Rata, who had trained for such situations, from his tactics we knew they were mercenaries.
"They know about us, Boss, more are coming, and we're running out of time." He looked at his tablet. "In two minutes, an army will arrive to take us down, we have to run."
I didn't respond, I wanted to get Verónica out of this hell. The gunfire stopped for a few seconds, and when we least expected it, an explosive wave sounded behind us. It staggered us, we fell, she hit a rock and cut her right shoulder. Our ears were ringing, for a moment no one moved, we were disoriented, aware of the ear pain. I approached her, lifted her as best as I could, my balance gradually returned along with the bullets. I looked back and two were approaching us. I fired, hitting one in the head. Rata continued the fight while I pulled Verónica. I needed to get her to safety.
"More are coming, Roland, we're almost to the bike."
"There are three of us."
"I know."
We ran without feeling tired, the adrenaline helped us, we finally arrived, two meters from where the bike was stored, there were four mercenaries inspecting the area. It was a matter of seconds, the guys unloaded their machine guns at me and all I could do was pull Verónica to put her behind me and be her shield.
I took the full barrage of bullets, and it hurt like hell. While Rata took down the guys in front. After killing them, he ran to get the bike, I turned to check on her, but I saw her pale and her hand was covered in blood.
"Roland..."
How life changes in a second and takes an irrevocable 180-degree turn. In a millisecond, you're headed in another direction, which was unknown and became a vital crossroads to move forward.
My whole life flashed before my eyes. I looked at the source of Verónica's blood, a bullet had hit her, there was a lot of blood. Rata arrived on the bike, noticing her wound. I couldn't say anything, I was petrified for the first time in a situation like this. With a growing fear.
The agony of pain in Veronica's eyes was something I wanted to feel myself, to spare my angel from that suffering. It was my friend who took off his shirt, pressed it against the wound, and used thick tape to try to stop the bleeding.
I don't know where he got the tools for every situation; I've never known how he did it. That was surely his gift. Or maybe it was fate because he always had what was needed in his MacGyver bag to solve any situation.
"Onion!" The shout snapped me out of my trance. "Code violet." That was the code for a critically injured person. "Get everything ready, I hope you're with the doctor. Ten minutes for helicopter extraction."
"Who, Rat?" I noticed the fear in Onion's voice. "I saw the explosion."
"The lady."
I didn't hear Onion's response, just the motorcycle starting up. He checked his tablet, and I helped Veronica onto the bike as protocol dictated. She looked very pale. The most admirable thing was that she didn't complain. Everything in me was shaking. I climbed on behind them, and Rat took off at full speed down the dirt road.
"We left them behind, Boss." Those words didn't matter to me. I was only checking that my girlfriend was breathing, but she was doing so with difficulty. "Cherry, code violet, I don't know how many can make it, wait until your instincts allow it."
"I heard everything, Rat. So far, we have Mojón, Rasca culo, Churrusco, Mole, Zombie, Cuajao, Wolf, and Mueco. We're still waiting for Negro, Snake, and the other seven men."
"They were inside the house. Cherry, get them out of there."
"Yes, sir."
I had never imagined finding myself in a situation like this. My life was a mess, a disgusting wreck, with a corrosive and miserable soul. Despite all the money in my pockets, I was never worth a dime. It was a damn facade of luxury hiding the misery of my life and how rotten I was inside.
I was the one to blame for Veronica's situation. Something was eating me up inside, a fire burning in my gut. My eyes stung, and something was stretching my chest, threatening to erupt at any moment.
I heard voices, giving instructions frantically. Veronica's life depended on it, and so did mine. Seeing her hurt, knowing it was my fault, was a pain I couldn't bear. Not with her, anything else, but not with her. I couldn't explain it; I just knew that no one could touch Veronica.
Rat arrived in less time than practiced. The helicopter was waiting for us, and a couple of paramedics ran towards us. The head of security kept looking back.
"Let's go now! That way, they'll lose the trail."
It was so fast. They laid her on the stretcher and ran towards the helicopter. Meanwhile, Rat set the motorcycle on fire and pushed it off the cliff, then dragged me and shoved me in. Veronica looked green, her eyes glassy. Inside me, a sensation I had never felt before was forming. The paramedics stabilized her, inserted an IV, and injected her with who knows what medicines.
A part of me was conscious, analyzing everyone's behavior and my own. I couldn't take my eyes off Veronica's until her lips whispered the words that became a dagger, the words that pushed the metamorphosis that had started since she entered my life.
"I love you, Roland."
She whispered. Rat heard it too. She couldn't love me; no one did. That feeling wasn't born for Roland Sandoval, who took pleasure in doing evil. Evil hurt less; I had learned that well from the two people who were called parents.
"Doctor Mendoza..."
I heard them talking, but I didn't pay attention. The doctor better be ready when we arrived. Veronica started convulsing, and I heard the paramedic say the words I had forbidden with a gun to his head.
"If she dies, I kill you!" I don't know when I had removed my mask. "Veronica, Veronica!" I shouted. "Listen to me, girl, I forbid you to die."
I felt my chest about to explode again, a damn feeling of desperation taking over my senses. I grabbed her face.
"Veronica, look at me." She didn't have the strength to open her eyes. "Beautiful, listen to me. If you die, I won't be able to go find you. You're an angel, you believe in heaven. I'm a damn demon, and we can't be together in the afterlife. Maybe I'm a stupid selfish man, but I forbid you to die!"