6 - On the Brink of Death

“Individuals driven by greed may go to extreme lengths, even making deals with malevolent forces, to attain their peak desires in life. This can be seen as a dangerous alliance with the devil himself.” 

___

XANDER.

As soon as I heard John’s car engine, I hurried down and equipped myself with a gun and ammo in case there would be a confrontation.

I couldn’t explain why but my heart was crazily beating as if it was about to burst thinking about what may happen to Selene. Because of her picture, and the information I gathered from Chief Vaughn a while ago, my heart went to her. Something urged me to get to know her, and most of all, to save her from the hands of the Morgans.

“Selene Burton, why weren’t you satisfied with a normal life? Why did you…involve yourselves with those animals?” I asked myself as I sat on the passenger seat.

Without any delay, I pestered John to quickly drive, “Go! Hit the road, now! ” tension was heard from my voice. I was still panting from running, “So, what’s the update? Where the hell are they? 

“Here we go, Mr. Forger,” he calmly responded and stepped on the gas pedal. He filled me in with the update, “Mikael said they are currently crossing the road to the biggest landfill. He is sure of it. They are going to get rid of her, probably, Drake already got tired of her,” he continued while shaking his head in disappointment.  

“The Morgan style!” I clenched my fists.  “Godammit!” I almost broke the dashboard when I kicked it out of frustration. 

“Speed up, John, I don’t want Mikael to have an encounter with them alone. In any case, my father wants me to hand off the Morgans to him,” I said, clicking my tongue.

“I got this, sir, I will go around so the red van won't notice us,” announced John confidently. 

While we were following their trail, John’s phone rang. Mikael called to bring us to the scenario at that moment. “So, did you guess it right?” John answered him.

“Of course, I told you, they’ll go here. I am looking at them right now. Is the boss with you?” asked Mikael. He was on speaker phone so I heard everything. 

I snatched the phone impatiently, “I’m listening.”

“Boss, I am sure of it, only Dario and the driver are here. Should I kill them and save her?” uttered Mikael with his careless and thoughtless mind.

I must admit, I almost gave in if not only for my father and our family’s reputation. So, as much as I wanted to give him the go signal, Selene’s welfare and safety came first. 

I declared my decision accompanied by a deep breath, “No, just stand down. We are at the entrance, and will be there in a minute. Wait for us. But if it is necessary, just save h–” yet even before I could finish, Mikael yelled and cursed burst our ears.

“–Son of a goddamn bitch, boss, Dario already pulled the trigger,” and the line was suddenly cut. Blood rushed to my head. 

“Those animals!” I bit my lips.

“I’ll kill you all!” There was nothing else I could do but clench my fists while looking at the mountains of garbage outside the car window, hoping she could still be saved. 

John maneuvered with two more curves until the red van was finally within our reach. We avoided it and rendezvoused with Mikael.

The headlight of the red van served as the spotlight, in fact, the only light on this dumpsite. John and Mikael already turned off their light before entering the dump site.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, five more suppressed gunshots were heard. Thanks to their car’s headlight, we became witnesses of a crime, a hideous crime. 

John instantly took out his phone and recorded the scene. Mikael tried to stop him because someone might see his phone’s light, but I intervened. 

“Let him!”

We watched closely. We saw how Dario aimed at her head and pulled the trigger on the already bloodied body of Selene.

Clueless of the next biggest revelation my knees weakened. Thinking she was already dead, I bowed my head and prayed for her lost soul.

“How inhumane!” John and Mikael finally came to an agreement. And there was no doubt, that the Morgans are indeed ruthless. 

To think it would end there, I turned my back. But John called my attention, “Look, sir.” 

A female figure appeared and smiled lavishly at Selene’s poor condition. She threw and scattered petals of red roses. With my clear vision, I knew for sure that it was indeed a woman.

A thought played in my mind that made my blood boil even more, “Woman? Is he Drake’s mistress?” 

“Forgive me, Selene, I couldn’t save you at all,” repulsed I in this horrendous event I happened to witness. 

We hid and waited behind our cars as the red van hurriedly took off its course out of the landfill. Without even looking back, they went on their way as if nothing happened.

“Sir, we need to leave,” suggested John. 

“We need to get out of here, boss. Who knows, they might come back,” seconded Mikael. 

“Let’s at least get her corpse so we can at least give her a proper resting place,” is all I could ever answer. My voice was filled with dismay, and my heart was filled with void.

The two of them looked at each other and then went to her. 

Up close, they finally saw how horrendous she looked with those bullets, bruises, and wounds all over her face and body, brutal enough they stepped back. 

I walked a few steps behind them and saw her torn gown.

“Son of the devil!” I covered my mouth and couldn’t believe what I saw. 

“They raped her and then got rid of her. Those people must not live, boss,” Mikael cried in distress and punched in the air expressing his utter anger.

“Dario, I will kill you myself, you lunatic,” and he swore while touching her blood on the ground. 

Torn. Damaged. Unrecognizable. The flawless translucent skin is now covered with bruises and blood. Blood keeps on squirting out of her gunshots. 

“Six wounds got her. The last one, the headshot I think didn’t get her,” I contemplated. Making a self-made hope.  

Gnashing my teeth, I felt the wave of burning anger inside me after I saw the inhumane outcome of the Morgans’ doing. Why? Because it was something that I’d seen before. I paused and looked up at the sky and sighed. 

“Something that…I felt before,” I murmured.

I knelt to properly pick the finest red rose floating in her blood, so I could at least pay tribute to her. I put it on her lap and whispered,  

“Rest in peace, Selene. You may not know me but know that someone wished you peace in your death. Just like the other victims of the Morgans, you are now free from them.” 

When all hope was lost, a miracle happened… a second chance that bewildered me and my men. 

As I pulled out my hand from her lap, Selene coughed up blood. “A sign of life,” I said at the back of my mind.

Confused, and baffled, I immediately checked her pulse. “She’s alive!” I shared the good news. While my men’s faces turned pale. 

Though weak, and on the brink of death, we saw her gasp for air. She was far from giving up. She was fighting to survive. 

Yet it didn’t change the fact that she was still dying. All the bullets that hit her were robbing her of life.

I stood up to properly carry her back to the car, but she caught my arm and grabbed it with her bloodied hands. With every bit of air and strength inside her body, she mumbled something.

Bathing in her own blood, she still managed to get hold of me.

My eyes widened. “She’s alive,” I told myself. Yet, should I be happy or not?

We were running against time, but she was trying to pull me closer to her. I did her a favor and listened carefully as her mouth opened, 

“H-help m-me. I m…must not d-die,” said her breathy and hoarse voice. 

To be honest, I already decided to help her and take her from them when I saw her picture. Even then, and now, I wanted to help her, but a stubborn part of me wanted to impose a cold and strong impression to the extent of babbling nonsense at a dying woman, 

“I’ll help you on one condi–” I just got started when she interrupted me,

“Y-yes. Any...thing you w-want, I w–” 

Seeing her determination, I carefully picked her up with a sense of urgency.

“Mikael, hurry, to the nearest hospital, just drive us at the backdoor, now,” and I commanded in a domineering tone.

To me, holding her unconscious bloodied body was probably the longest ride I’ve ever had in my entire life,  

“You must live, Selene. Live and get your revenge. Surely, you already bargained with the devil to extend your life. Now let’s see if God will grant you the second life you truly seek. Show me you want to live, Selene Burton.”