Sixty-Seven

Far away sounds infiltrated in Melina’s unconscious mind. The right side of her face burnt and pain shot through her brain, making it even more difficult to find her way out of the hazy dream, trapping her in her mind. A moan escaped her lips, and caring hands brushed the hair out of her face. When drops of water dripped on her cheeks, it was what she needed to break free of her nightmare. She opened her eyes to meet a pair of bluish guilty, sorrowful ones.

“I thought you’d never wake up. I’m sorry Mel! So sorry. I didn’t know my brother was behind all this shit, much less know what kind of life he led. They built my entire life on lies...” She was blabbering, stuttering. She wasn’t making any sense, but she needed Melina to understand she was also a victim in this mess. It was only when Melina’s arms circled her neck, bringing her to a friendly embrace, that she realised there wasn’t a stitch of blame in Melina’s eyes.

“I know, silly. I don’t blame you. Your brother is a creep, I’ve always thought so, but I didn’t tell you anything, because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but every time his picture flashed on your phone, something awful twisted in my stomach.” Melina gently patted her friends back. “Stop crying. We need to figure out what to do before he comes back.” Only when Gabs put some distance between them, she noticed the bluish mark on her face as her fingertips moved onto her cheek.

“Yeah, he did a number on us. You have one as well. Son of a bitch.” Gabriella muttered, making Melina fall into a laughing fit besides the circumstances. “Why are you laughing?” She stared at Melina, all puzzled.

“You never swear! It was funny as hell listen to it.” Then she stopped, narrowing her gaze at her face. “Nervousness and anxiety are also taking their toll on me, sorry.” She said while sitting up and hissing to the pounding in her head. She looked around. The suite was a sterile one, a small window with bars preventing them from escaping.

“Sorry to burst to you, there’s no escaping.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m sure Henry is onto this already.” She sighed, and her heart gave a funny flip. She touched the bracelet on her wrist, taking to her lips and placing a kiss on it as if it could reach him wherever he was. They heard more voices outside, louder and exasperated by the second.

“You love him, don’t you?” Gabs whispered, hands on her lap, playing with her fingers.

“Yes, I do. I love him more than anything else, Gabs. Our entire lives have been a huge misunderstanding. And believe me, under all that thick carapace there’s an insecure and lonely man beaten by life beyond one could hold it together.” A smirk appeared on their faces once their eyes met, but the ring of a shot made their eyes go wide, and instinct kicked on them as they threw themselves on the floor.

Things escalated to an unbearable madness the next following minutes. Melina didn’t know what the heck was going on. She looked at Gabs, and the woman was about to faint. Her face ashen and stricken by sheer terror, staring at the door as if any minute death would waltz in. Melina pushed a deep breath to her lungs to calm herself down, but the angry yells and agonizing screams coming from the other side of that door didn’t help.

She prayed it was Henry coming to her rescue, but also a death claw gripped her chest to the thought of him getting hurt. She barely held together when he got shot a few weeks back. All the emotions that assailed her, showing how much she cared about him, that Henry was an essential part of her life, and she wouldn’t be able to function without him. He suffered a lot already and just to think about him getting hurt again, chills went up her spine. A muffled sound brought her back from the crazy thoughts running wild in her mind.

The sounds of the shooting outside were dwindling down, but the chaos could still be heard. Lots of running around, heavy footfalls, rough and cold men’s voices yelling, followed by painful cries. Melina was trying hard to keep her ears sharp and filter the voice she was desperately trying to find in the middle of that mayhem, but none of the voices belonged to Henry.

“Search the place!” A powerful but cold, rough voice gave the command in the middle of a frigid silence. “They must be here somewhere.” Then, the bedroom door opened, smashing it at the wall, and they saw themselves at gunpoint with two men staring at them.

“Found them, boss!” They announced.

Gabriela was already numb in shock. Everything was passing by her in a blur. The only thought in her head was to get home and make sure Jason was fine. She lost her ability to think straight and looked at everything as if she was high on drugs. Melina had to keep herself together. She couldn’t afford to lose her mind now. Who were all those people? Where did they come from? She needed to make sure Henry was okay.

“Who are you?” The words drawled from her mouth when a not so tall, chubby man in his sixties, but so familiar to her, came to the door.

“You’re safe now. I’m Linus Karagianis, your uncle, and I’m taking you home.”

****

Darryl’s phone buzzed on the table. He unlocked the screen and stared at it. A satisfied smirk appeared on his face as the bright summer sun in the horizon. He put his phone back into his pocket and faced Velasquez, who stared at him as if he was Jack, the Ripper.

“What are you laughing at, asshole?”

“You.” Hank delivered. “Okay. Let’s put the cards on the table. Please, correct me if I’m wrong. You, for what?” -Hank faked as if he was thinking- “over ten years, operated all this circus to get back at me, because I was the pebble in your shoe? You thought Franco put me as his second, because of Matt, a son he despised.” Hank narrowed his eyes on his face. Suspicion was crawling into the man, and he needed to be careful.

“I was supposed to run the left district. The one to keep in charge of the drugs operation and shipment of that area, and you track and deal with the gems. Then you sent me up to Rikers!”

“It never occurred to you that you didn’t get to climb the ladders because you are a stupid asshole, and Franco only kept you around because of Ramon? And thanks to your father you ended up in Rikers, because Franco wanted to clip you. You killed Melina’s parents to frame me. You put Franco’s gems dealer out of contract. Stupid move! I didn’t ask for any of that, and it’s not my fault I used my brain to deal with the businesses while you crapped all over it!”

“The fuck with it! You give me what you owe me, or your precious girl is as good as dead.”

“How d’you know about the Karagianises Estate?”

“Do you think you’re the only one with brains and connections? There was all over Rikers the news about Franco going down. I just needed to do some digging, and get everything all set once I got out.”

“Yeah, that’s where you got wrong, Velasquez…” Darryl grumbled. “Once a moron, always a moron.” He opened a sly grin, only one brow flying up to his hairline.

“Did you think raising a little mob of your own, putting your sister on Melina’s tale, and coming to the island to kidnap her and make me sign over to you her parent’s state would be that easy?”

Darryl analysed Velasquez’s face while Hank delivered some not so good news to the turd. He was playing cool, but he knew something wasn’t adding up anymore. The thug got jittery, and all of a sudden he was always looking around as if trying to spot someone. He wouldn’t. The asshole didn’t know anyone besides Hank, Eli, and him, and the rest of the crew were undercover. The café buzzed with life, and despite a few outbursts once in a while, no one cared what was going on in their table, but time was running thin, and they couldn’t keep playing with him for longer.

“Velasquez, it’s over. So, I advise you, tell your men to stand by and follow us outside.” Darryl made eye contact with him, so he understood it was being serious.

“What do you mean, it’s over?” He yelled, hitting the table and getting on his feet, staring around. The table shook and his chair fell to the floor as he pulled his gun from his waistband, aiming at Hank. The entire place fell silent, all heads turning to them.

“Man, you’re stupider than I thought. They are already safe at home.”

“You’re bluffing.” Sweat broke out on his forehead and temples, and he kept them at the point of his gun. How could they know where he stashed them?

“Did you do your homework before you plan to come over? She’s Linus Karagianis’ niece, man. And if you’re wondering how we busted your place in Oia, she has my bracelet, it’s a tracking device.” Hank told him, his face cold and collected. “It’s over.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Velasquez.” Darryl warned when he racked the gun. “You’re surrounded. There’s innocent people here.”