Chapter 16 : If You Die In There—I Won't Forgive You.

Mafia's Nemesis****

In just seconds, every corner was up in fire—signaling his boys, they got into their Van and zoomed off.

‿⁠︵︵

MEANWHILE AT THE HIGHWAY, Blade steered the car skeptically through the traffic on a high speed.

They were on their way to one of his Hotels, “Royale Chandelier” where a foreign investor was waiting.

Grinch just laid back ,enjoying the smooth ride. It has always been the case, since Antonio enjoys driving.

Antonio glared at him at intervals, his eyes saying more than his mouth.

Eventually he halted at the red traffic light, giving Grinch a mixture of smoky & lulling glare.

Grinch straightened, observing him.

“¿Pasó algo?{Did something happen?}”

“Aren't you forgetting something?” Blade snarled.

“Come on Blade, I know you’re the Boss, but that shouldn't stop you from acting as the driver” Grinch whined, in a baritone voice.

“Cabrón {Motherfucker!}”, Blade cussed him.

“Really?”

“Oh yes”, Blade retorted, feigning anger.

“Not even a ‘thank you’, after I saved you from behind the eight ball {in a difficult situation}”

“When did that happen?” Grinch thundered, playing lost.

“Güey{Idiot}”, Antonio{Blade} said with a smirk, the words tauntingly playful,

“A while ago, I stopped Father from bumping{killing} you”

“Mamón{annoying jerk}—why are you so myopic?”. Grinch gritted through clenched teeth.

“I can't help it,” Antonio purred. “Just say ‘thank you’ ”.

“Pinche idiota{F***ing idiot}, Drive already, the lights are green”. Grinch drawled, his words oozing with false command.

“No.” Blade shook his head, turning off the engine.

“No, no voy a hacerlo {No, I’m not going to do it}.” There was a hint of finality in his words.

“Come on Baboso{Drooler}—this is highway, Los de tránsito van a llamar a la grúa {The traffic guys are gonna call the tow truck}”

“Pues ni modo {Oh well}” Antonio replied in a colloquial tone, leaning into his seat. “It is what it is.”

Grinch, feeling too lazy to drive, finally succumbed to Antonio's demand.

“Fine then—Gracias{Thank you}”.

“Come again” Antonio taunted, his voice low and mocking.

“Muchas gracias{Thank you very much}.” Grinch growled, frustration evident in his tone. “Can you please drive”.

“Yeah sure”, Antonio giggled. He slid in the key, starting the engine again.

As the engine purred, he turned to Grinch, who was already in cloud nine, and cussed to his hearing

“Huevón{Lazyass}!”.

“As long as you drive—who cares”.

Their journey continued smoothly with banter and cuss words, until Antonio turned the road that passed in front of the HQ.

“Curse my world, Carlos is one big time Chingaquedito{Trouble stirrer}”.

“The Don was right— after all” Grinch replied, trying to fill the silence.

Blazing fire was raging through the 30 floor skyscraper with a crackling intensity.

With the inferno consuming the structure, the police had its proximity cordoned off with barricades, while scores of firemen were actively engaged in putting out the fire

Under a last minute consideration, Blade parked at a safe distance, and Grinch alighted from the car.

He blended in with the growing crowd and met their inside man.

The insider recounted the entire incident and the casualties.

“Did the sketch disappear?” Blade asked in a deep voice the moment Grinch opened the car door.

“Judging by the intensity of the fire, nothing made it out.”

“Breanna's Assistant was adamant about saving the sketch—so Carlos burned the room with her locked in”. There was a subtle sadness in his tone.

“Poor girl, she's probably still in her prime”, he mourned, pulling out a phone from his pocket.

“Palooka {Man}, If you really want to survive, learn to focus, attachment and emotions are unnecessary”. Blade cautioned.

“You are right”, Grinch asserted, though he was tempted to look at the building again, through the rear mirror.

Antonio started the engine, he skidded the vehicle onto the road, only for Grinch to make a revelation.

“Though it's not our area of concern—but there's no news about the Bulgarian woman”.

Blade wrinkled his brow, perturbed by Grinch's revelation.

“I thought I left her with you, that night?” He croaked.

“Breanna arrested her, and the funny thing is that she wasn't listed among the survivors—her foreign cry will go up along with the flame.”

A faint ache stirred in Antonio's chest—but turning back would bruise his ego.

“She's fucking clumsy, it won't be bad if she takes a bow”. Antonio replied in a detached tone.

“You are absolutely correct. Que el Creador reciba su alma{May the Creator receive her soul this time}”

Blade’s icy stare snapped toward Grinch, he was obviously disturbed by his recent charade of mourning.

Without a word, He swerved the car onto the next lane, relying on his ears more than his eyes.

He hit the gas pedal, driving back towards the HQ.

Grinch fastened his seatbelt, knowing what was coming.

Blade was such a guy that never looks back once he's activated.

‿‿‿‿‿

MEANWHILE, BREANNA WAS GREETED by a terrible sight as she pulled over—the skyscraper was ablaze, flames devouring her corner of the building with terrifying intensity.

The fire raged in shades of deep red, amber, and even livid purple.

Blazing tongues licked the sky, fanned by the wind that threatened to carry the inferno further.

“What’s the situation ?” Breanna asked, her eyes locked on the burning tower.

“Ma’am, nothing is likely to survive that fire. We’ve evacuated the whole structure,” a firefighter replied grimly.

Breanna turned around—looking for Sophia, among the casualties—but there was no sign of her.

“Have you seen my assistant, Sophia Kendrick?” She asked one of their agents.

“I don't think she made it out alive”.

“What are you saying?” Breanna gasped, darting her gaze back at the skyscraper.

“Yes ma'am. I saw her heading to your office, and that was the last time, moreover—the fire seems concentrated in your corner”.

Breanna was utterly speechless, thinking about the possibility.

“Sophia—sophie!” She gasped, regaining her voice, goosebumps already prickling her skin.

The blasting water from the hoses seems to have no effect on the fire. It only grew louder, angrier.

“Why don’t you use the ladder?” Breanna suggested after a long pause. “It will help aim at the proximity of the fire source”.

Before anyone could respond, a window shattered above with a sharp crack, raining shards from the upper floor.

The firemen ducked instinctively—taking covers, but Breanna didn’t move.

A shard of glass caught her arm, slicing it open.

“Ma’am are you alright?” The paramedics rushed to her, but Breanna was lost elsewhere.

“My assistant—my girl, she's still in there” she whined, whisking off from the paramedics' grip.

“Please do something—get a little closer, there's still a chance that she's still alive.” She pleaded with the firemen.

“Ma'am I doubt it, nothing is likely to survive that fire,moreover—I can't risk my boys. Come on! it's raining glasses”, the Firemen's Chief repudiate Breanna's request.

Without waiting to be refuted again—she strapped on a mask and bolted into the burning building.

Police officers and firemen shouted after her, but she ignored them, completely overwhelmed by her emotion.

“Hey! Ma’am!, No entres ahí{Don't go in there}” officers and firemen shouted, but she didn’t turn back.

Seeing her determination, the fire crew instantly reformed their strategy.

Seconds later, red ladders of the fire engines clattered upward, and firemen climbed with hoses ready—dousing her path into the inferno.

Somewhere beyond the collapsing walls and roaring fire, Antonio and Grinch roamed.

All the cells were open, but there was no sign of Nevena.

“¿Seguro que aún sigue aquí dentro? {Are you sure she's still in here?}”

Antonio asked Grinch amidst their futile search.

“Sí — según nuestro informante, nunca fue liberada antes del incendio y no está entre las víctimas. {Yes— according to our insider, she was never released before the fire, and she's not among the casualties}”.

“Where the fuck are you, Tourist?”. Antonio cussed with a faint cough.

“Take that hallway and I will search from here”, Grinch suggested and Antonio nodded.

~~~~

Meanwhile, getting to her office floor , Breanna noticed that the emergency sprinklers weren’t working.

Without being told, she knew it was all part of Blade Knuckles' scheme.

She bolted to the control room. Just as she entered, she could swear she saw someone’s back—but she chose to ignore it.

Switching the sprinklers on, she ran back to her floor to find Sophia.

Back at the scorched hallway, Breanna reached for her doorknob with bare hands, but it was searing hot.

“Ouch!”

She winced, staggering back from the burn.

Suddenly, Antonio emerged from the other end of the corridor.

He halted on his tracks, seeing that it was Breanna and not the Tourist.

She was at the far end, mask askew while wrestling with a door.

Breanna didn’t notice him at first—because all her attention was fixated on the door.

“Damn it—Open already!” she cried, slamming her shoulder against the door, but it didn’t budge.

“Breanna Stewart!” Antonio shouted from where he was.

Startled Breanna turned to the direction of the voice, her eyes searching for the face through the thick clouds of smoke.

“Where is she?” Antonio barked, not breaking strides towards her.

“Antonio?” Breanna breathed as his face came into full view. “How the hell did you get in here?” Her voice cracked, disbelieving.

“I could ask you the same,” Antonio snapped impatiently. “But I’m looking for someone. The Tourist. Where did you lock her up?”

“I don’t know!” Breanna fired back at him. "My assistant’s trapped in this hellhole—I don’t have time for your questions.”

“Don’t act clueless, Breanna. We both know that you detained her here" Antonio said, grabbing her arm instinctively.

“This place is coming down, just tell me where she is”

A pipe burst nearby, hissing steam that blew sparks everywhere.

Breanna hesitated, torn between her fury and humanity.

“Sublevel B. End of the east wing—reinforced holding room.” she finally said.

“But I must warn you, if she’s still down there, she’s already dead.”

“Passcode ?” Antonio demanded.

Breanna yanked away his hand. “Let go of me, A*shole.”

She dipped her hand into her blazer and pulled out a bunch of keys, handing it to him.

Without lingering around, she turned back to the door, raising her elbow to try again, but Antonio surged behind her.

“Move!” he growled,

Breanna barely processed his command, only for him to plant a blazing kick, square on the knob.

A cracking sound resonated, and with another kick of fury from Antonio's boots, the door jolted, crashing inward.

Hot air blasted out, venting on the two. Antonio didn’t wait. He turned to run.

“Antonio!” Breanna called out and he stopped, turning to face her.

Her fireproof mask was partially melted at the edge, her arm streaked with blood.

“If you die in there…” her voice broke, “I won’t forgive you.”

“You never did.” Antonio mumbled, “Be careful by the way”.

Time stilled between them, enough for them to lock their rivalry.

Blinking her eyes, she bolted into her office—shouting,

“Sophia!”

Antonio stared after her for a while, then turned on his heel, bolting toward the east wing. Her words re-echoing in his head, as he vanished into the smoke,

‘Sublevel B. End of the east wing’.