Chapter 92: FINAL
*"I am not available at the moment, leave your message and I will return soon." *
That electronic message that sounded every time Alec called Evangeline’s phone was making him extremely angry. He had tried to contact her several times throughout the day, but she had not returned her messages or phone calls.
At the end of the day, Alec decided to personally go look for her. He began by visiting the places he knew she frequented, but no one seemed to have seen her or Allegra. Not even in the taco food truck she loved to go to.
Alec became increasingly concerned and decided to go to Evangeline’s house. He knocked on the door several times, but got no answer. He started playing the intercom several times, but still, no one answered.
"Shit!" He grunts, banging his foot on the balcony floor.
"Alec? ls everything okay?”
"Felippa!" Alec hurries to her and holds her by the shoulders, which leaves her alarmed, by the state of agony. “Do you know where Evangeline is? I’ve been calling all day and nothing. She won’t open the door either.”
"She left with Allegra almost at lunchtime. I saw them get into a taxi... I have a copy of the key. Wait...”
Alec waits impatiently, as Felippa runs to his home and looks for the key to Evangeline. When she finally finds it, Alec pulls the key and opens the door.
He walked around the house and saw that it looked like Evangeline and Allegra had left in a hurry. The house was a mess, with clothes and belongings scattered across the floor.
"How strange..." Felippa murmurs, looking at the whole area. "I didn’t notice any suitcase with Evie...”
Alec felt his heart race. He knew something was wrong. He started looking for clues, looking in every drawer and closet. Finally, he found a note written by Evangeline.
*"I don’t want to live in the middle of the mafia again. My daughter doesn’t deserve to run dangerous next to you. I love you, bot I can’t. Don’t look for mi." *
"What do you mean?" He mutters, dropping the note.
As soon as Alec read the note left by Evangeline, he felt a mixture of relief and sadness. On the one hand, he was happy to know that she was well and had left of her own free will. On the other hand, sadness took hold of him when he realized that she had left without saying goodbye and that she had lost her love once again.
Felippa noticed Alec’s sad countenance and took the note he had dropped. Upon reading the note, Felippa also became suspicious. She knew Evangeline’s handwriting well and realized that it was not her handwriting. Also, the tone of the note seemed a bit strange, as if someone had written something to disguise the real reason for Evangeline’s departure.
"Evangeline would never write such nonsense.”
"You think she wouldn’t leave me?”
"Not so... look." Felippa stands next to Alec and turns the ticket to him. "Besides this letter doesn’t look like Evie’s, she hates writing mistakes. And only in this last sentence there are two.”
"So you think that...”
"Evie didn’t write that. Something happened.”
Felippa’s phrase made Alec smart. He fetched his cell phone and called Howard.
On the phone, Alec tried to explain the situation clearly and concisely, but his voice denoted the concern and anxiety he felt. He told Howard that Evangeline had disappeared along with Allegra and that upon finding a note left by her, he realized that something was strange.
Already going to meet Alec, Howard asked more details about the ticket and what Alec thought might have happened. Alec explained that the letter of the note did not appear to be from Evangeline and that Cedric’s way earlier left him wary.
"Can’t you track her cell phone?" Howard asks.
"No. As it is off, it is not possible.”
"What about the watch?”
"Do you think Evangeline never used it? It seems like she knew about the tracker." Alec remembers a conversation he had with Evangeline. "But Allegra uses... we can track her watch.”
"Sure. The tracker’s on my phone. I’m getting there.”
Across town, Evangeline and Allegra were feeling a mixture of fear, anxiety and despair in the captivity in which they were being held.
Evie tried to keep Allegra calm by telling stories and singing her favorite songs. She knew they were in a dangerous situation, but refused to let her daughter see how scared she really was.
Her mind shot as she tried to think of a way to escape. She knew that time was running out and that they needed help before it was too late. She whispered to Allegra that they would be fine, but she wasn’t sure if she herself believed it.
Anxiety was also a constant sensation, since she did not know how long they would stay in that place or if they would be found by Alec. Evie wondered if he’d ever missed her and was looking for them.
Evie squeezed Allegra’s watch and the bright viewfinder showed it was almost two in the morning. No one had come to bring food or water to them, as Jonah had said. She was sitting on the small thin mattress and Allegra fell asleep on her leg.
She hears a noise and thinks it might be some mouse walking around. But followed by that came others and a shot that was able to wake Allegra.
"What was that all about?”
"I do not know." Evangeline responds, pulling her daughter to her lap and hugging her strongly. "I do not know...”
[...]
Upon arriving at the location where Allegra’s watch indicated she was, Alec and Howard approached carefully, seeking a safe position to observe the situation and wait a moment to act.
They knew it was too risky to get too close without a plan, as they could put their lives at risk as well as those of the two. So they chose to observe from afar, trying to understand what was happening there. Alec and Howard hid behind some wooden boxes and kept looking closely at the environment, seeking to identify some trace of Evangeline and Allegra.
Alec noticed that of the three men who were there, one he had just met.
"I knew!" he mutters, calling Howard’s attention. "That guy over there... the one in the middle. It’s that ex"husband of Evangeline.”
"Look who’s coming.”
Paul Baker steps out of the car that had just parked in front of the other men. Alec tries to connect the dots, but the anger he felt made it impossible.
"Father!" Jonah says, approaching the old man. "What are you doing here?”
"See if you weren’t doing shit like that asshole Cedric.”
"What is it?”
"Alec Castello had it in the company earlier and that big mouth spoke too much. Alec broke it all and sent a message. You said killing me is gonna be your last mob hit.”
"And do you think he will comply with that?”
"I who will not be here to pay to see." Paul takes the phone out of his pocket for a few seconds and soon guards. That movement was enough for Alec to notice that he was not armed. "I booked a trip for an hour. I’ll evaporate as soon as we annihilate that redhead.”
Alec and Howard exchange a look, wondering if that was the right time to attack. Howard had already pointed at the mobster, a tightly locked door with chains and padlocks, so they were pretty sure that that was where Evangeline and Allegra were.
"Gasoline is there and...”
"Gasoline?" Paul strange, staring at other men. "For what?”
"I decided to burn this place down. Think about how Alec Castello will suffer when he finds out that his little love and the daughter I raised are more toasted than coal.”
"I can’t wait anymore." Alec says and looks at Howard. "I have a plan. You stay here. I know you’ll know the right time to act.”
"Are you sure, Alec?”
Alec doesn’t answer. He cautiously walks away and turns around, so they don’t see where Howard is. As soon as their image is present, the two unknown men, draw their weapons and point, drawing attention to Jonah and Paul.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Alec opens his arms. "What are these weapons for? We’re among friends, right?”
Paul and Jonah exchange a quick and confused look.
"How did you end up here, Castello?”
"I was passing by and saw your car." Alec shrugs and looks towards Jonah. "I did not know that you knew each other...”
"We...”
"Shut up, Jonah!" Paul makes a move with his hand and approaches Alec, with the superb countenance. "He wasn’t walking down a side road at 2 a.m. Alec knows what made him come here. And look... I have to congratulate you. You’re very brave to have come here alone.”
Alec smiles.
"And who said I came alone?”
That was Howard’s cue. As the phrase came out of Alec’s mouth, Howard shot one of the gunmen in the head, while Alec pushed Paul into hiding, initiating an intense exchange of gunfire.
From behind a partially broken wall, Alec searched for Jonah or Paul. He manages to catch a glimpse of the older man, crawling behind a clump of boxes. When the second unknown man is distracted, Alec hits him right in the chest. As soon as that man falls to the ground, the mobster notices the keychain with a single key that falls out of his jacket pocket.
"HOWARD!" he screams, already leaving where he was. "COVERS ME.”
Not even expecting a concordance from his partner, Alec goes to the body of the second man and quickly grabs the key on the floor. With his hands fluttering, Alec unlocks the padlock and Howard stands by, looking for any evidence of Paul or Jonah.
"EVANGELINE?" Alec enters the moldy space, looking for her and her daughter with his eyes. "For the love of God...”
When she heard the gunshot noises, Evangeline picked Allegra up and hid behind a broken sink. Hearing Alec’s voice, Evie could hardly believe what she was seeing. Their eyes filled with tears as they looked at Alec, not believing they had been found and were finally safe.
Alec smiled relieved and ran to meet them. He and Evangeline exchanged a long, emotional hug.
"I knew you would come to save us." she murmurs, crying in complete relief. "I did not doubt in a minute.”
The mobster moved away a little and held her injured and wet face, facing her deeply.
"I will always save you. No matter what." he runs his finger over the wound on her face. "Are you okay?" Evie nods and Alec turns to her daughter. "And you? Did he hurt you?”
Allegra was so frightened and agonized about everything, that she just nodded in denial and ran into Alec’s arms. He held her and hugged her tightly.
"Alec, we better get out of here." Howard says, without taking his eyes off the door. "Those two have not yet given a sign of life and I have a bad feeling.”
"Come on. Come on, Evie.”
Alec holds Evangeline’s hand and pulls her out of captivity. He knew they were traumatized by the experience, so he acted carefully so as not to frighten them further. As soon as she stepped outside, Evangeline took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air filling her lungs.
They were leaving the scene when Jonah appeared, furious and determined to finish them off. He was holding a gun and pointed directly at Alec, Howard and the girls, making it clear that he had no intention of letting them leave alive.
"Where do you think you’re going?”
Alec put Allegra down and pushed her behind him, along with Evangeline. He and Howard tried to stay calm, but knew they were in a dangerous situation. They positioned themselves in front of the girls, protecting them from the shots that could come.
"Jonah finished." Evangeline murmurs, looking behind the back of Alec’s neck. "Get out of here. Leave us alone.”
"Is it over? What’s over? Just because you and Allegra took that little place?" Jonah giggles and moistens his lips, pointing the gun at Alec. "I may be killed here, but I’ll take your blue-eyed prince along with me.”
"You know you’re outnumbered here." Alec says, also with the gun pointed at him. "I’m giving you a chance to get out of here alive, for Allegra’s sake. She doesn’t deserve to see the man who created her get killed.”
Jonah shouted some offensive words, expressing his anger and resentment towards Alec. He had his finger on the trigger and seemed willing to shoot. But Alec, quick and experienced, managed to disarm Jonah, leaving him without any chance of reaction. Howard approached and managed to immobilize him, ensuring that he did not cause any more trouble.
They just didn’t expect Paul to still be hiding around with a gun in his hand. Evangeline only had time to hug her daughter and scream when she saw a body fall to the ground.
"NOOOO!”