Chapter 107 Babysitter Disaster

Chapter 107 Babysitter Disaster
Inside the van, they all settled into an uneasy silence. The weight of their situation hung heavily in the air, and they knew they needed a plan. Carol was the first to break the silence.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," Carol began. "We need to get Mia, Rick, and the baby to the safe house. The rest of us will hunt El-Patrio." 

"They'll be vulnerable there, so we need someone to stay with them." Claus, protective of Mia, immediately spoke up. "They can't be left alone. It's too risky."

Sergio and Daniel, both determined, exchanged glances. They seem to have their own plan. 

"Sergio can stay with them," Carol said, and Sergio protested almost immediately. "Why do I have to be the one to stay behind? I am El Patrio's right hand, and I can tell you every possible place he could have fled to. You need me out there, not inside to babysit." He retorted. 

"Daniel can stay with them," he added. 

"Because I am the babysitter? Hell no. There is no way I am staying back there," Daniel remarked, his red eye reflecting his intensity. 

"You don't have to stay. I don't want my hand tied to the chair in the name of protecting me. I would rather not have anyone than let the roulette man stay with me." Mia exclaimed, eyeing Daniel. 

"I will stay then." Claus interjected. His answer received simultaneous reactions. 

"There is no way you are staying behind. Who is the smartest killer here?" Sergio lamented. Daniel also shook his head in disagreement. 

"Guys, I understand your reasons, but we can't leave Rick, Mia, and the baby alone. They'll be sitting ducks."

Carol, with her voice of authority, weighed their arguments carefully. "Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll stay with them."

The van fell into a contemplative silence as the team absorbed Carol's decision. It was an unexpected twist, but they recognized her capability and determination.

Claus, still concerned for Mia and the baby, nodded reluctantly. "Okay, that sounds like a wrong decision, but it is okay inasmuch as Mia is safe." 

Everybody stares at Claus and then at Rick, who also eyes him in confusion. 

Carol met his gaze with unwavering resolve. "I will stay." Carol repeated. With the matter settled, Carol turned her attention to the mission ahead. 

"The rest of you, you are going after El Patrio. I need him alive. No killing unless it's absolutely necessary."

The van pulled up in front of the safe house, hidden away in a quiet, nondescript neighborhood. Rick, Mia, and the baby, now calmer but still distressed from the night's events, stepped out of the vehicle along with Carol.

Claus cast a worried glance at Mia, his face filled with concern. "You will be okay here," he assured her, his voice soft and reassuring.

Mia nodded, holding the baby protectively. "We'll wait for you to come back. Just be careful."

Carol, with a reassuring smile, nodded to them both. "We will. Stay safe, all of you."

As Rick, Mia, and Carol entered the safe house, the door closed behind them, and the rest of the team continued on their mission to track down El Patrio.

With their objective clear, Sergio, Claus, and Daniel began to strategize. They knew that El Patrio was their primary target, but finding him wouldn't be easy. The criminal mastermind was known for his ability to disappear into the shadows.

Claus suggested, "We should start by retracing his steps, places he has been before. El Patrio knows this city well, but so do we. Let's think about where he might go to ground."

Sergio added, "I should also check with my contacts. He can possibly move without protection from his men. Technically, his men are my men. Someone might have seen or heard something, probably be with him."

Daniel, his red eye a stark contrast to the seriousness of their situation, nodded in agreement. 

"And I have also got a man. He has a way of getting information that no one else can. We have been tracking El Patrio for a while now; I know some of his hideouts." 

With a plan in place, the three of them set out into the night, determined to find El Patrio and bring him to the safe house for judgement. 

Sergio's contact proved to be a valuable source of information. They received a lead on a possible location where El Patrio might be hiding. With newfound determination, Sergio, Claus, and Daniel wasted no time in following up on this lead.

The night was already disappearing into a young morning, but their pursuit had taken them through various parts of the city. As they approached the location mentioned by their contact, tension hung in the air. 

The building they arrived at was an abandoned warehouse, its windows broken and walls covered in graffiti. It was the kind of place where secrets could be hidden, and illicit activities could thrive.

Sergio led the way, his senses on high alert. The three of them moved with practiced stealth, their footsteps silent as they entered the warehouse. The only sound was the occasional drip of water echoing in the cavernous space.

As they ventured deeper into the building, they spotted movement in the shadows. It was clear that they were not alone.

Claus signaled for them to split up, each taking a different path to surround the potential threat. With a shared nod, they moved swiftly, closing in on the source of the movement. The tension in the air was palpable as they readied themselves for whatever lay ahead.

As Sergio, Claus, and Daniel closed in on the source of movement in the warehouse, they were startled to find a severely wounded man lying on the ground. It was Roderick, one of El Patrio's men and a former partner of Claus. His body was covered in blood, and his labored breathing filled the air.

Claus recognized Roderick immediately and approached him cautiously. "Roderick, what happened? Why are you here?"

Roderick winced in pain as he tried to speak. "Claus... Sergio... I had to... warn you."

Sergio knelt beside Roderick, concern etched on his face. "Warn us about what, Roderick?"

Roderick's voice was weak, but he managed to convey the urgency of the situation. "El-Patrio... he found out I gave information... about his plans. He... he shot me... tried to escape..."

Claus clenched his fists, anger rising within him. "Where is El Patrio now? What are his plans?"

Roderick coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "He's... leaving Connecticut. Going... underground. He knows you're after him..."

Daniel, realizing the gravity of the situation, pulled out his phone. "We need to call for help, an ambulance, something..."

But Roderick raised a trembling hand to stop him. "No time... El Patrio will find me... even if you save me... I'm done for."

Sergio, despite the grim circumstances, felt a pang of sympathy for Roderick. "Is there anything you can tell us, Roderick? Anything that might help us catch El Patrio?"

Roderick nodded weakly. "He... he's got a safe house... on the outskirts... of the city. He's planning... to lay low... before he... disappears."

Claus squeezed Roderick's shoulder. "Hang in there, Roderick. We'll make sure El Patrio doesn't get away with this."

But it was clear that Roderick's condition was deteriorating rapidly. He gasped for breath, his voice barely a whisper. "Tell Carol... I'm sorry... for everything..."

With those final words, Roderick's eyes grew distant, and his labored breathing ceased. He had given them critical information, but it had come at a heavy price.

Sergio closed Roderick's eyes, a gesture of respect for a man who had once been his colleague but had ultimately chosen to do the right thing.

Claus, his jaw clenched with determination, looked at Sergio and Daniel. 

"We know where El Patrio is headed. We can't let him escape. Let's move now."