CHAPTER 93 - Rescue
"But why did he turn his back on his own brother?" I continued my investigation, wanting to understand the details of this family betrayal.
"It's simple, my dear sister. On that day, I told Filipe that I longed for freedom, that I was trapped and desperately needed rescuing. I made sure to have a trump card up my sleeve, you know how it goes. The guilt he carried for the girl who had been killed made him vulnerable; he was determined to become my hero. However, it became clear he was too weak to confront Ethan."
"Did he try seeking help from Adam?"
"No, of course I carefully planted doubts in his mind, making him believe that Adam would never help him. I subtly manipulated him, planting ideas that led him to believe his own brother would never forgive him and would never extend a helping hand. The truth is, Adam was becoming more and more like our father and was sinking into the same shadows."
"But did you plan all of this?"
"Yes, of course I did. I skillfully convinced him that the only solution was to eliminate Ethan. He had a large number of loyal followers, so we knew we couldn't act alone. That's when we turned to our dear father, knowing he would use the situation to seek revenge."
My expression must have shown the surprise and shock I was feeling as this entire scheme unfolded before me.
"You were the mastermind behind all of this!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening in disbelief at the extent of the Machiavellian plans that were now being revealed.
"Aa Souer, men are easily manipulable, it was no effort at all!" - Angel says with a triumphant tone. "The rest you already know, Adam killed our father. Filipe was horrified by his performance and is convinced that Adam is as much of a scum as his own father... He feared Adam might do something to me, so he agreed to take him down, take over the English mafia, so we could be together!"
"And what about dad?" - I ask, surprised by her lack of consideration.
"Aaaa, the best part, of course... After killing Dom, Filipe will assume the mafia. We'll take down Bruce, and seize the French mafia for ourselves!"
"So, why am I here?"
"My little sister, you're here because I want you to join me in taking down Filipe next. The two of us can take over the mafias! Imagine this, you'll be the first female Dom in history. We'll rule in our own way." - Her posture is one of triumph.
"You can't possibly believe..."
"What? So, this was your plan? After everything I've done for us!"
Filipe enters the room abruptly. Angel stares at him and smiles, and then we hear the sounds of gunshots and a shout:
"THE DOM IS HERE!"
POV: ADAM
I track Davina's chip which leads directly to an old construction site, with some containers around. I brought a few men to infiltrate. The plan isn't to retaliate now, but to execute a clean extraction with her safe. A few years ago, I would have barged in recklessly, blowing everything up, not caring who would die in the process.
"Sir, there's a lot of movement down there with crates. Could it be an arms shipment?" - one of my followers questions.
"Likely, we need to find out."
"We're outnumbered, there are many of Ethan's followers."
"Remember: It's an extraction. If things get messy, prioritize Mrs. Mavromatis. Her safety is paramount!" - I instruct the group.
"Yes, Dom!"
We descend towards the building, using silenced weapons to take out the guards at the entrance.
We move through corners, aiming to stay invisible to the enemy. My men manage to take down some of Ethan's followers in the corridor.
We divide into three teams, each consisting of three men to search the area. I proceed with two more men until we reach the center of a living room, where we're surrounded by masked individuals.
I hear the shout:
"THE DOM IS HERE!"
My men create a barrier around me, all pointing their guns at each other. Until Filipe opens a large door.
"Little brother, little brother... Glad you survived the sewer. You've always been quick!" - Filipe smiles coldly.
Someone speaks angrily and loudly:
"Surrender now, if you want to see your precious intact!"
Damn it!
"Please, don't force us to hurt..." - Filipe requests, with irony.
I ponder for a moment, then decide to step out with my hands up.
"Alright, alright... Don't touch her!" - I declare finally.
I look at my men, who understand the importance of this action. We entered here to save Davina and immediately we were surrounded by Filipe's henchmen, who tied us up.
"Filipe gazes at me, gesturing for me to enter. He locks the door as directed by a feminine voice."
Looking more closely, I notice a girl holding a knife pointed at Davina's throat. What surprises me even more is that Davina isn't reacting. She seems in shock, which is entirely unexpected given how resilient she usually is.
"Curious, I approach and ask, 'Hey? Are you okay?'"
She seems to snap out of her trance and looks at me with furrowed brows.
"'I am... I'm fine...'"
She sighs and looks away towards the woman holding her hostage.
"'Angel, you don't need to do this...'"
Angel, Davina's sister who supposedly was killed by Ethan? How can she be alive? And how did she manage to escape from that monster?
"'I understand you, I truly understand why you acted the way you did... You're not well, you need medical help. Forgive me for never realizing this and for not truly being there by your side.'"
"'Medical help? What are you talking about??? I don't need any of that. I just need you to be by my side, like we always were when we were kids!'" - Angel yells, clearly distraught.
I take a step forward.
"'Hold on, hold on.. No way! Drop the weapons, all of them.'" - Filipe commands.
I do as he asks.
"'Why are you doing this, Filipe?'" - I question, curious.
"'For the same reason you're here, love.'" - He looks back at Angel, the kidnapper. - "'It's not perfect, but it's all I have!'"
"'That's not true. We're siblings, I've always been by your side!'"
"'Have you really?'"
He sighs.
"'Look, I know I've let you down... I could have been better and more understanding. But, damn, why all of this? Why? If I knew you were alive, I would have helped you!'" - I declare, trying to appeal to him.
"'NO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE!'"