Chapter 100 BURN IN HELL
“It's okay, Lis; don't cry; everything will be fine.” I smiled gently at my apprentice, extending my hands for her to fasten the wristband. “Remember, I always come up with something in the end.”
“What?” Elisabeth frowned before closing the wristband. Quickly, I pulled her behind me, and we all crouched as John, dragging himself, sat up injured with a gun in his hand, shooting five times at Pavel. He hit Pavel's leg, shoulder, arm, and neck.
I pushed the wristbands off my hands, threw a knife to James to free himself and Robert, and went towards Pavel, who tried to raise the gun at me. I kicked his hands, pulled his body, and began landing several punches on his face.
“You bastard, this is for torturing her for so long.” I punched harder, hearing the bones in his face crack and blood mixing on his face.
“Is that all you got?” Andreev smiled with blood-stained teeth, diabolically. “You're too weak to protect her.”
“This is just the beginning!” I smiled darkly when Lis came up behind me, holding my arm.
“Don't be like him!” she whispered in my ear, hugging me from behind. “Please...”
I sighed, looking at her.
“James?” I spoke loudly without turning to her. “How's John?”
“I've been worse, Major.” John coughed, groaning, with partially burned skin.
“I want you to get Elisabeth out of here immediately!” I continued with bloodshot eyes, staring coldly at Pavel. “Keep her safe.”
“No, I'm not going anywhere without you,” Lis hurried to say as James pulled her away, even as she resisted. “Please, Patrick, you're not like him.”
“It's okay, my apprentice.” I stood up, smiling at her. “Give me a few minutes, I promised to avenge you, and I need to do this to be at peace.”
“But...” Lis cried even more.
“Let's go, Mrs. Elisabeth, we need to get you and John to the hospital.” James dragged her away.
“What a gentleman, not letting her see your dark side.” Pavel choked slightly on the blood, laughing. “My Light always had a thing for psychopaths like me. We are the same.”
“Oh, Pavel, we are nothing alike... Do you know the difference between us?” I turned to him, grabbing him by the clothes and dragging him back into the warehouse. “I torture damned psychopaths like you, not innocents!”
I took him inside and began the torture in the worst possible and most inhumane way. When Pavel no longer had the strength to be sarcastic, I took a rope from the backpack I brought and hung him up. Cutting deep gashes on the sides of his abdomen with the knife, letting him bleed out like a slaughter. I looked around, saw some cans, grabbed one, and went to one of his followers' cars, getting fuel and coming back. I poured it over his wounds, making him moan.
“I'm impressed...” Pavel moaned, speaking with difficulty, almost whispering, missing some teeth, and having much of his tongue burned. “A man in your condition still has the strength to torture. You would make an excellent killer.”
I approached slowly, lighting the lighter and holding it close to his eyes, playing with the flames.
“I am not a killer, Pavel. As you said yourself, I am the hero who saves the damsel in distress.” I smiled smugly before punching him once more. “If it weren't for Elisabeth waiting for me, we would stay here for days until there was no more skin left to peel. But I have a fiancée to take care of, a funeral to prepare thanks to you, and a beautiful wedding to organize!”
“Bastard,” he tried to say, but I shoved a fuel-soaked cloth into his mouth and ignited it.
“May your soul burn in hell!” I stepped back, listening to his muffled screams as the fire spread over his body, burning his flesh. The stench of burning meat was unbearable. My phone vibrated with messages from James, saying that Elisabeth would undergo facial surgery because her cheekbone was fractured. She had a few broken ribs and bruises but was otherwise fine and already knew about her grandmother. “My Lis...”
I sat on the ground, sighing and trembling, and looked at my hands, covered in blood and wounds from the punches I had thrown. I would set fire to everything to leave no trace. Furthermore, I needed to clean up before going to see my sweet Elisabeth!
I left the place with everything in flames, heading to the nearest hotel to take a shower and request clean clothes. I coughed, seeing blood on my hands.
“Just a little more time...” I sighed sadly, wiping my mouth and adjusting the white V-neck shirt with a few buttons open, showing a bit of my chest. I wore dark jeans, casual enough to go to the hospital.
Likewise, I took the elevator and went straight to the presidential suite I had arranged for Elisabeth, on the same floor where Greg was being treated. I stopped at the door of the room, opening it slightly, and saw her lying down, curled up with her back to the door, sniffing softly.
I walked to her slowly, sitting beside her on the bed in silence. She seemed to realize it was me because Lis moved closer, leaning against my body and crying painfully.
“Him?” she sobbed without looking at me.
“He will never hunt you or hurt anyone again.” I pulled her closer into my arms, turning her body so she could rest against my chest and stroking her hair.
“Patrick... My grandma...” Elisabeth cried uncontrollably, all her pain and sadness evident. “I don't know how to live without her.”
“Lis, all Mrs. Eva wanted was to see you safe and happy. We will give her a proper burial. But don't give up on fulfilling her last wishes.” I lifted her chin, gently caressing her swollen face and lightly kissing her lips. “I'm sorry for not protecting you both as I should have.”
“Patrick, because of me, Grandma Eva died. It was my choices that brought that bastard into our lives.” Lis sobbed, trembling. “Because of me, you got your hands dirty with blood.”
Caressing my hands, Elisabeth squeezed them gently, with sadness.
“There was already blood on my hands before Pavel. It's not your fault for falling in love. It's his fault for being a shitty psychopath, using your genuine feelings to hurt you the way he did!” I caressed the back of her bruised hands. “Let's not think about that. Get better. We need to give Mrs. Eva a proper burial. Now she can rest in peace because you are safe with me.”
“Oh, Patrick.” Lis moaned, crying even more. “I'm not ready to say goodbye.”
“I know, my little one.” I whispered, kissing the top of her head and comforting her as her pain overflowed in tears.