Chapter 91 I NEED TO RUN
POV: ELISABETH
I ran with Greg to the car, my heart pounding erratically and adrenaline coursing through my veins. I stopped, looking around, fear spreading in my chest like a cold shadow. Furthermore, I sighed, trying to calm my tumultuous thoughts.
“What is it?” Greg asked as he approached, his serious face reflecting the urgency of the situation. “We need to go, we can't stay exposed here.”
“But maybe I should stay...” I murmured, feeling the weight of inevitability on my shoulders. “He came after me, you even said it's inevitable that I'll be kidnapped. I think the time has come.”
Greg placed his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes with determination.
“No, the time hasn't come yet. And it doesn't have to happen this way. Let us protect you as much as possible. Don't be an easy target for him, Mrs. Elisabeth. Show that now you can fight for your life!”
“At what cost?” I crossed my arms, looking at the stairs, where danger could emerge at any moment. “The man I love is putting himself in danger to protect me from the damned monster of my past. I can't stay unscathed at Patrick's expense.”
“And you won't. Come on, you can't think that Mr. Morgan is so foolish and weak compared to Pavel. Do you think your fiancé isn't capable of protecting you?”
“That's not what I said... I just...” I tried to explain, but he interrupted me.
“Mr. Morgan isn't stupid. He knew your ex-husband was coming; he knew Pavel had entered the building and allowed it.” Greg spoke calmly, but his words were like a shocking revelation. “You want him to believe we're easy targets?” I covered my mouth in surprise as Greg continued. “Why would you do that?”
“He's a dangerous man, a master at hiding. We needed to lure him out of his hole to find his hideout and plan an ambush.” Greg smiled, visibly proud. “Trust your fiancé more, please. Follow the plan and let's get out of here.”
I nodded, starting to walk, when a deafening bang echoed through the environment, shaking the building's structure and loosening parts of the parking lot ceiling.
“Run!” the security guard shouted, covering my head with his arms.
“What was that?” I asked, nervous.
“An explosion. The bastard planted a bomb in the building.” He looked at me, alarmed.
“Patrick... My God...” I pushed Greg, running back to the stairs, only to find part of them collapsed, blocking my way. “No, no... This can't be happening!”
“Elisabeth, we need to get out of here immediately!” Greg shouted, pulling me by the arms outside. “Are you crazy? The building is collapsing, we need to get out.”
“But he's still in there...” I pointed to the blocked stairs, my eyes full of tears. “Greg, we need to save him.”
“I have trusted men up there taking care of him. Patrick is trained for these situations, a bomb is nothing compared to what we faced in Iraq. Don't be rash!” Reprimanding me, Greg dragged me to the armored Land Rover Range Rover Sentinel.
Meanwhile, gunshots echoed, and some security guards started to fall to the ground.
“Greg!” I shouted in alarm as I saw him get hit, holding his arm, which began to bleed profusely.
“Shit, those bastards hit me!” Greg shouted angrily, shoving me into the car and slamming the door shut. Crouching beside the car, he used the open door as a shield while firing back before getting into the vehicle. “Don't worry, Mrs. Elisabeth, the car is secure. I'm getting you out of here.”
“Your arm...” I began trembling, trying to get closer, but he pushed me away.
“It's just a scratch, don't worry,” Greg said firmly. “I want you to stay crouched in the back seat, cover your ears, and don't get out for any reason, even if the car stops. Understood?”
“Greg, I want to help... I can't just...” I tried to argue, but he cut me off.
“Do you understand?” He gripped the steering wheel and accelerated.
“Yes!” I nodded, crouching as low as possible and trembling. I looked at the floor of the car and saw a gun “camouflaged” under the seat. Furthermore, I ran my hand over it, intrigued.
“It's for you. Mr. Morgan asked to have it ready in case something happened. I want you to use it, understand? Just flip the safety, point, and shoot,” Greg said through the rearview mirror, swerving and ramming the car into other vehicles trying to surround us. “They're surrounding us.”
“What now?” I screamed as I felt the car spinning violently and crashing into something solid. I hit my head on the seat and felt a bit dizzy. “Greg? Greg? Are you okay?”
No response. Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the environment, like someone walking in high heels that vibrated on the ground. A strong odor of gasoline filled the air, as if it were dripping on the surrounding ground. With blurred vision, I realized we were upside down. A sharp ringing in my ears made it even harder to understand the situation. I tried to move my hands and felt a stabbing pain in my ribs, a result of the impact without a seatbelt. Breathing was becoming a difficult task. With effort, I slid my hand forward, feeling the cold metal of the gun barrel. Aware of the danger, I hid it under my blouse, preparing for what might come next.
When I saw just the tip of a red heel, I was immediately alerted to her presence. Her voice cut through the air, firm and determined:
“Get her and eliminate the guard.” It was Heloise, crouching near the door with the shattered window. Her presence was like a sentence of imminent danger. “It's time for the mistress to have a little chat with the wife,” she added, with a tone that chilled my blood.