rescue

Vincenzo Moreno

When I'd gotten a text from Alessio, I hadn't done the expected. Rather than steam with rage, I shut my eyes in relief, for it was all over. I would get Rina at long last and eliminate that son of a bitch.

I'd gone straight to Padre and stood my ground. I'd venture into the jungle of Valle del Teschio. It'd been clear Padre was too interested in the whereabouts of the moon statue to see the emergency at hand. He'd been too distracted to think clearly. And not only that. This was my fight. My mess. And only I could clean it up.

Nearly twenty-four hours down the line, I was marching into the unwelcoming forest, accompanied by an army of soldiers. The only thing I saw good about my pack was the level of organization it showed. The soldiers who were armed to the teeth were proof. They made up the emergency tactical unit. Always on their feet at the snap of the finger.

The undergrowth impeded our movement; our determination was the driving force that kept us going. The guards weren't away; they were about to rescue the future Luna. I pulsed with eagerness.

We strode on, with faces set on stone. My detestation for Alessio spiked as the clock ticked. Shortly afterwards, I halted, bringing the guards to do the same.

Rogues.

Their fetid smell overshadowed everywhere. I wondered if this was a trap, and what rogues were doing here.

"Twenty feet away. Do we look for a detour?" the head guard asked.

I was pissed by how dumb the question was. One, we didn't have the luxury of time to look for a detour. Two, doing that presented us as cowards.

Clutching tight at my rifle, I continued forward. The guards matched my pace behind. That action mildly pacified me. The anger that glowed still was as a result of Rina being held hostage, and the idea that rogues were here to pose an obstacle.

Their odor grew as we advanced. It together with the smell of plants made a revolting mix. Yet, the fiery emotions resident in me beefed me up against it.

There was some shuffling on either side of our path. Two guys—rogues—leapt from the bush. Two more followed from behind, and that way till a line of ten scruffily-dressed men barred our way.

One of them, with an unkempt beard, marched close, stopping some feet away. His owl-like eyes regarded me.

"You must be Vincenzo Moreno," he said.

Someone amongst the other rogues snickered. I swung my eyes to him and watched as he made a fool out of himself because nobody else laughed.

"Stai zitto [Shut up]," the guy before me ordered, silencing the fool. He then turned to me, jutting his chin. "He has been waiting for you."

"Your master?" I asked.

He frowned. "Signore Leonardo."

"You mean…." I stopped, taking a step back and lifting my brow. No longer cheeky but confused. Leonardo?

"We came in search of Alessio Salvatore. We have no business with your Signore Leonardo," my head spat.

The rogue—who I'd now guessed to be the leader—smirked. His followers murmured.

"You heard him. I don't have to tell you to get out of the way," I found my voice having broken free from the brief moment of daze.

"You can give orders in Florence or anywhere else; here, I'm in charge. You know your way out, if you are too mighty to meet my mas—Leonardo."

I couldn't help but scoffed. The buffalo had slipped. "Fine. Take me to Master Leonardo."

The guy frowned but I couldn't delight in his fury. My head guard came to me and whispered. He tried to dissuade me from going after the Leonardo guy.

"Take me to your master," I said again when he was done whispering. The rogue glared the more. "I'm sure I gave you an ultimatum. You don't want to keep him waiting, now do you?" I wanted to ruffle his feathers more by throwing subtle shades; however, that'd bring chaos. And chaos was a distraction. I needed to stay focused and achieve my goal. Bring Rina home.

"What's your name?" I asked the rogue. As he wouldn't talk, I faced his subjects. "You too were charged with the task of bringing me to your Leonardo. Can you take me to him then?"

All was still before the rogue in front of me huffed, heading straight into the woods. It was time to meet this Leonardo, I guessed.

The rogues blocking my way retracted, allowing me to pass.

"You should slow down," I said to the rogue leader who stomped ahead as though the ground were his enemy . "Don't get pissed if I quit this and go looking for what I came for."

Ignoring me at first, he reduced pace. After his pettiness left; his legs had grown weary. We'd been walking for nothing less than fifteen minutes and were yet to get to the destination. We'd simply made turns, leaving a forested area to get to the next.

The nagging feeling that my guard had been right in his warning gripped me.

"Don't try to play smart. My men and I are fully armed and won't hesitate to blow your brain off if—"

A shrill cry slapped my words away. It cut through the jungle as an echo. It came again, drawn out, then ended in pained sobs. I knew who it belonged to and I was damned.

I dove forward and brushed past the rogue leader, heading straight to the direction of the sound. Right at that point, an altercation broke behind me. My men were having a scuffle with the rogues.

Adrenaline ignited me, firing my blood and emptying my airway.

Someone grabbed my hand. I spun around, and sparked when I saw who it was. The fucking rogue leader.

I drove a punch to his face and gasped his sweaty mop of hair. Dragging him with me to a tree stump lying close by. He put up a fight, his hands meeting my jaw. I was pumped with a hell of a dose of urgency, using every ounce of strength I had to send his head to the stump. Over and over till he fell limp.

For several seconds, I stared down at me, puffing out breath. The sound of my men battling out with the rogues could be heard from a distance. I'd got to get going; time wasn't on my side.

As I ran, I hoped the cry would come again. I could then pin it to a precise point.

It didn't. It never did. I had no other choice but to yell, "Rina!"

Nothing.

"Rina!"

I moved on, despite getting no sound, until my persistence paid off.

She cried again. Loud, but it was abrupt. That was enough. She wanted me there.

I ran faster than I could go and soon enough, her fragrance laid in the air. My eyes itched to spill tears of joy. It'd been so long, so damn long, since my nose picked that.

I'm coming, Rina. I'm coming for you.

Her scent directed me. It brought me to a clearing. A truck stood several feet away. I went for it, ignoring the beefed up men forming a barrier. It was just the three of them. Why couldn't I maneuver?

They held me in place. I struggled to break free. Impossible, that was, owing to their size. They were twice as large and tall.

"Rina! I'm here, Rina. Fuck!"

I hollered while trying to detach from the steel grip.

Released eventually, I went for my gun. Hardly had I brought it out than a solid clutch seized my hand. The pressure pushed me to grunt and I lost possession of the gun.

I wouldn't be intimidated. I reached for my holster. One of the men, infuriated, throttled me and slapped the piston out of my reach. He pressed tight on my throat. All I could do was cluck, while hitting hard on his chest.

"Let him be."

Right away, I was freed. I doubled over and coughed out my insides, swallowing up air as though I'd been poisoned with silver dust.

Despite myself, I caught the giants pulling back. Footsteps came in my direction and I was forced to quit coughing.

I stood erect, my profile facing the nonentity that boiled my blood. The fool I had sworn to cast into hades.

He got close and stood directly before more. His hands moved to his eyes and rubbed them.

He blinked.

"I must be dreaming." He made a step forward. "Moreno? Is this you?"

He sauntered away.

"Defeated, I see. Wow. I have to say, this is like a dream. A good big one. And I'm struggling to come to terms that this is reality." He paused. "All this time, the months of painstaking planning has finally paid off. It did." He said the last part in a whisper, and gradually, his voice built up to an angry howl. "Why aren't you talking? Why stand like a statue? Answer me, Moreno! Where is the beast? The lion. Where is the tiger?"

He stormed to me and drummed on my chest. "Where's the untouchable guy?" He stopped, so close I felt the steam of hatred leaving him. "That's right. He is no more. In no distant time, he will be gone for good."

He turned to leave.

"Where is she?"

He paused, only to pick up walking.

"Where. Is. She?"

"Oh, you've found your voice. Issh, stupid me thought you'd become a statue. I let all my secrets—"

Roaring, I lurched at him. The giants, however, got in my way.

Alessio tutted. "Foolish move, Moreno. A very foolish move." At the snap of his fingers, the giants dispersed. "I'd have let them crush the life out of you, but no, I want to do it myself. Give you just what is suitable for you. An excruciating exit."

His expression changed from serious to playful. The dick.

"Don't be deceived by what you see. I might be tiny, but my death claws are more painful than those of Aldo and Edoardo."

He made to leave; instead, he stopped to say, "Wait here for yours truly."

Yours truly. Rina!

I could hardly keep my anxiety down. I tried getting to the truck; the giants stood, threatening to finish me off.

As I anticipated Rina's arrival, I thought about the unfit condition she lived in. A mobile house I could swear was hardly ever cleaned.

Some persons left the truck. One of them stoked my heartbeat.

"Rina!" I called, reaching up to her.

She brought her gaze. But then, in a twinkle of an eye, the big guys cleared her from my view.

"Will you take your filthy hands off me! Rina!"

Alessio snapped his hands again, bringing the giants to stop. Once they were out of the way, I rushed to be by Rina's side.

Forcing me to a stop was someone who'd dropped from the other side of the truck. She hassled Rina up; the crook of her elbow forming a hook around Rina's neck.

"Mia?"

"Ciao, Vincenzo."

"Surprise," Alessio chirped "Today's packed with those."

"You…work for him."

"What other option did you give her, Moreno? She's told me that working for you is a waste of time. A waste of talent and energy," Alessio said. "It's over, Moreno."

Rina took a deep breath. Right before she forced out a cry through the gag around her mouth.

I moved on reflex. Alessio zapped across, sending me a punch. I staggered, my eyes and cheeks hurting bad.

"I've been waiting for this day all my life. Now, I'll finish what I started five months ago at your stupid birthday party."

Making reference to that, I was forced to remember I preferred to be forgotten. How he'd challenged me, and inspired jealousy. He'd pushed me to hurt Rina. He'd stirred it all. It was clear now.

"Look at me, Moreno. Look into my eyes and fight me!"

It was clear Alessio was a wolf in sheep's clothing and he had been at my party just to get me to hurt Rina. He'd always sown a seed of discord between Rina and me.

Alessio pushed me, sending me going backwards and urging me to face him like he'd said. My eyes were on him. I was on the verge of getting surprised at the kind of evil he was. Fortunately, I stayed in place.

"You're right," I said and made him go still. "I'm surprised; not at who you chose as a sidekick or your imposter ways though. I'm surprised because it took me this long to get rid of you."

Rina wailed again. Mia hushed her. Eyeing her belly, I knew right then what the issue was. Rina's eyes were screwed shut. Slowly, they came open and landed on me. My determination tripled. I hoped she could see the promise in my eyes.

I took off my bulletproof vest.

"Great. Aldo, Edoardo, kindly excuse us," Alessio spoke to the giants. " The time has come."

They left.

I locked gazes with Alessio. Our eyes glared at each other till I was overcome by rage and pounced on him. My clutch went to his neck. I managed to press hard before he stuck my belly. It hurt a great deal; but I wouldn't let him win this time.

The party incident was a motivator, bringing me to pay him in kind. A blow to the belly. He grunted and retaliated.

That was how it was for a while: matching each other with punches and undying hatred. Rina's cry, as well, kept me going. It got me eager to finish up with Alessio and take Rina to the hospital.

Although Alessio refused to back down, I wasn't discouraged. It then got to the point I had no choice than to conjure up Russo. He emerged wild and ferocious, battling against Alessio's black beast.

I fought for Rina and the kids.

Fought with the last bit of blood in me.

I fought because I hated Alessio. He spelt doom.

In no distant time, my men and the rogues joined in the mix, having their own little face-off at a corner.

Then something unexpected happened. Alessio morphed back to his normal form and without saying a word headed for the truck. Gaping at him originally, I set out to follow him—just for my attention to switch to Rina.

"Stay back."

I stopped, not because Mia had told me to; rather because of the snarl of my name behind.

"Over here. Looking for this?"

My eyes popped on sighting the moon statue with Alessio. The men ceased fightung. Alessio toyed with the statue, shaking it like a rattle.

Confounded, I turned to Mia.

"Oh, you've connected the dots already. Impressive. Now, let's get down to business."

Alessio set the statue on a rock.

"Is this what I think it is?"

He wore a cloying smile. "And what is that?"

I moved towards the statue. Alessio stopped me. "This isn't the time to act foolish, Moreno."

I flashed out my fangs and made a cut under my thumb. Looking up, I found Alessio bemused. "Here. You want me to activate it, yes?"

I tried to get to the statue. Once more, Alessio created a wedge.

"I'm warning you."

"And you're wasting your time," I stated. "Let me fulfill your wish."

His face remained frozen in shock until he came around. "Don't try anything stupid. I swear. You'll regret it."

"Empty threats, Salvatore. Is this the kind of villain you are? Dishing out threats alone?"

Something sparked in his eyes. I didn't care to know. Raising my hand above the statue, I widened the cut and sent some drops of blood landing on it. Precisely on the moon goddess' crown.

I waited. A second, two, thirty, and nothing happened.

"Do you feel what you should be feeling now?" I turned to Alessio, lifting a brow. "What's happening? You still look the same."

His nose flared and he reddened.

"Who is the stupid one now? Me? Or the guy with a mental age of 2, believing there's power in a statue."

That did it for him. He bolted close and the fight continued from where it'd stopped. Using the mind link, I taunted him, ringing it into his head how stupid he was to have believed the statue was anything more than that.

For a long time, we were each other's equals. That all changed when I swiped my claws across his cheek. I awoke an anger I'd never seen before in him. He roared before coming after me with full force and malicious intent.

He hardly gave me a space to breathe. Nonetheless —though thrown off by the character change —I put up a fight. A brave fight at that. And he knew this because he fumed hotter. Striking me, when—from nowhere—my chest swelled with pressure, weighing ten times it's normal.

Lowering my gaze, five hunched fingers hung from my chest. The owner, the bastard of a guy, twisted them, driving them further into me.

I groaned. Hanging just on my last breath. He yanked his hand away and hurled me away. I stuck my back against a tree and collapsed.

My strength faded with the increasing sting in my chest. Alessio had sunk his poisonous claws into me. The venom raced towards my heart. Not long from now, I'd be done for.

Within the short time left for me, Alessio loomed close. Evil spread across his face.

"The moon statue might not have given me power directly. It however has. A different kind though. The power of persistence. Say your last prayers, Moreno. And have one last glimpse of this awe-inspiring face. You're looking at Leonardo Alessandro Salvatore. The next supreme ruler of Florence."

He grew his claws and came sprinting. Vanilla danced across my nostrils. Before I could react, a figure stood before me. And a bang broke out. Its vibration felt in my injured chest.

Left with ringing ears, I opened my eyes and gasped—worsening the aches. My near state of invalidity didn't stomp me from crawling up to the body some distance away.

My heart pulsated, regardless of my injuries.

"Rina," I managed to voice.

I pulled her in, using all my power; then almost had a heart attack when I sighted the ugly gash at the side of her neck. "No."

Almost slipping out of consciousness, I looked ahead to find another body. More lifeless like a corpse. Alessio.

I turned to Rina again. "It's over now. He's gone."

I kept calling on to her; equally fighting to stay awake. Unfortunately, fate won the battle. I gave in. For one reason. At least, I died with her, she in my arms.

"My babies. My babies."