𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟓𝟕 | 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬

AFTER

I pushed those agonizing memories of childhood to the back. The only thing that remained was rage. It was the rage that pushed me forward. Thanks to that I have managed to disarm my enemies.

„Catch!" Tom threw something at Otto. I managed to capture a small, shiny object. „There are sliding bars at the end of a hallway. You can simply open them with this card. You must do it before they switch off the system backup. GO!" he urged him. I peripherally looked at my friend, who, at the same time, reached the sliding bars. The rest of us approached him, while we simultaneously sent more and more of Mercado's men to the ground.

I could hear a click behind my back.

„Awesome, aghh!" Tom yelled, crying out in pain. He dropped the weapon and pressed a spot under the ribs on the right side with his fingers.

„Run!" I pushed him and pointed to an exit. Leo and I tried to get rid of the remaining enemies. However, the squeaky sound heard from the back, where Otto and Thomas were, caught my attention.

„The bars are sliding in!" Tom warned us and I immediately panicked. For a little moment, the confusion hit me, but then I snapped out of it and managed to get to the boys. „They know we are trying to escape. As soon as the bars slide in, there is no chance to open them."

„What about Leo?" Otto asked. I froze. I realized that Leo is still there, alone against everyone. „Even though he is not one of my favorite people on the planet, we can't leave him here." And we won't. Otherwise, I'll never forgive myself.

„Leo, come on!" Tom exclaimed. The hopelessness in his voice burnt me like boiling water. Only a few seconds separated us from the last chance to escape.

The protective instinct overcame a fear for my own life and I felt the necessity to push myself through the sliding bars, which were dangerously low. I had to squat in order to get myself on the other side.

„Damn it, Ria, come back!" Otto shouted with voice three octaves higher. I ignored my frightened friend. I shot a huge man in the head just in time Leo was fighting with him. He lay on the ground, the enemy was on him and they were choking themselves.

Bars touched the ground.

I exhaled when I knew, there was no danger anymore. At the same time, Leo got himself on his feet and shook off the much taller and heavier man. The body fell to the ground with thunder.

„Ria? Leo?" we could hear Tom's voice from the other side. „Are you alright?"

„Yeah," I replied and look up at Leo. I had to make sure he was not hurt.

„I'm fine," Leo mumbled and came up to me vigorously. He poked me into my chest that hard, it jerked me backward. I hit the nape of my head into a wall behind me.

„You...," Leo struggled to find the right words, „are incredible." His irony couldn't be misheard. „You've just killed us...both of us. If this was your plan, congratulations, you made it."

My face turned red. The rage inside of me reached a maximum and I couldn't control myself anymore. I returned the aggressive push to Leo. He took back two steps. Not because I nudged him too hard. It was because he didn't expect I'd have defended myself. In the same way, how my father didn't expect I'd have resisted when he commanded me something. Mostly I obeyed. I did what Lucifer wished for. I was daddy's good girl. But that is gone. I won't let anyone dictate to me what to do. I will say, what I want to say. I will act the way I want to act and not the way others want.

„I saved your life, you could be at least a little thankful," I said disgustedly. Leo scowled. He opened his mouth to say something but Otto cut him off.