CHAPTER THREE

Elena

My eyes followed the small drops of rain on the window as it rolled down in patterns. I thought of the raindrops as if they were in a race, like I would when I was a child. It was all I could do to keep my mind from wandering to that day, the day when more than my world came crashing down.

The eerie gates of the cemetery were pulled into my view from the windows and I looked far beyond the bar gates and into the vast land littered with headstones. One of which would soon belong to my parents.

My heart was hollow yet broken and my hands trembled but the tears in my eyes refused to fall. I shuddered slightly and gripped my chest for a brief moment, before straightening up.

The Don was approaching, I couldn't manage to look weak, especially after last night.

I blinked and shook my head slightly as the memory flooded my head again. Before I could do anything, he was already by my side, holding my hands and I could feel the roughness of his calloused palm.

“Let's go,” he said, not looking at me.

"Yes" I nodded obediently and we started walking towards the open gate. From the side of my eyes, I could see the two coffins being pulled out from one of the cars and taken through the back of the cemetery.

I could hear the slow and calculated footsteps of someone behind me. Rafael. I only knew him at the wedding but the events of that day imprinted every feature of him in my mind. He was my only chance at being alive that day.

We entered into the grassy cemetery and walked straight over to the spot where my parents would be buried, guards trailing us.

Few people from the office were gathered at the grave where the coffins already lay.

I could recognize them, the top of the food chain at the company, the ones who knew who we really were, not the ignorant low level workers.

As we reached the open grave, the priest started "We have come here to part with the souls of the deceased..."

I could see him now, Rafael, standing about 10 paces to the side, but the other guards stood a bit farther.

******************

As the service came to an end, I could feel the eyes of everyone burning into the back of my head as they started leaving one by one, even the Don. As the previous did, one would stare at me from behind before turning to leave. Like they expected me to say goodbye to them.

I could hear silent footsteps approaching me from behind as one of the guards stood by my side. I didn't know him well but he apparently wanted me to leave with him.

"The Boss is leaving", the younger man said. He should only have been a few years older than me.

"No, he's not" I glared at him, tears pricking my eyes.

Rafael turned and faced us, eyeing him. Understanding the message, he left me alone.

In a few minutes, all I could hear and feel was the singing of the birds in a distant tree and the burning of the sun on my neck and arms.

"I hate you," I said, blinded by the tears that stung my eyes.

"Why? Why?." My knees buckled in defeat as I fell to the ground above the open grave.

"Everything you tried to protect me from, is now here. They're all here to eat me up. And now you leave?

Now you leave me all alone?"

"What do I do? It hasn't been a week yet and I can already see the things they do. Did you also do these things dad?. I paused, thinking for a moment "I know you weren't like that. So why did you give me to them? I can't survive dad, I can't."

My voice was now in a whisper as I closed in on the grave.

"He'll kill me dad. He's gonna kill me." I thought for a bit before continuing to my father, hoping he was hearing me wherever he was and would help me. What I was thinking was dangerous and I knew it.

"I have to find a way to get away from here. I have to get away from him dad" I picked myself up from the ground wiping the tears that bathed my face.

"I have to go", I now said to myself, looking around.

No one was in sight. The others probably left. It would only be the Don and his men waiting outside the cemetery.

I felt the adrenaline light up and burn the inside of my very bones as the thought of running away alone seemed very deadly.

No I can't get scared, I have to go now, I can't stop to think. This would be my only chance

I frantically looked around in every direction, checking to see whether any one was coming my way.

Go Go Go Go Go

My mind screamed at me and I took the chance and bolted to the other side of the cemetery.

************

Rafael

"Ugh, where is she?" Alexandro grunted as he paced around the car.

"Maybe she needs more time with her parents..." One of the junior guards murmured, thinking Alexandro didn't hear him.

"It's been 2 hours," Alexandro growled, walking slowly to the junior. "I should have your tongue for even daring to talk back to me!." He said as he slammed his hand on the car behind the young boy, startling others.

Apparently seething with fury, he turned to face me

"You and Enzo, go bring her" I simply nodded and sprinted into the cemetery and Enzo followed suit.

Enzo ran ahead of me and I noticed his strides slowed to a stop when we were almost in the middle of the field.

"She's not here" he almost yelled at me.

"The hell?" I said looking around the vast cemetery in the dim light of the setting sun.

"What do we do? He asked slightly panting

"We've gotta tell Alex"

"Okay", he immediately pulled out his phone and called Alexandro.

Let's go find her. I said as I started running in the opposite direction of the gate.

Enzo followed me. On our way out of the cemetery, I could hear Don fuming over the phone and he ordered that we find her no matter what.

Just before leaving the cemetery grounds, a glint of silver struck my eyes.

I stopped and looked closely, but all I could see was gravestones and to the far back, mausoleums.

"Come on let's go", Enzo beckoned to me with his hands as he ran out of the cemetery.

We had almost toured a quarter of the area looking for her. Enzo was tired and confused and I could see it.

"It's getting late. We're not gonna find her in the night. And the Boss will not be happy " Enzo huffed and puffed with each sentence.

"No, we won't". I said remembering the glint of silver I saw at the cemetery earlier. "Let's go back to the cemetery."

"What?, she ran away or maybe worse, was taken. She won't be at the cemetery."

"Let's just go damnit"

Enzo sighed in exasperation as he followed me.

The sky had become full of stars and a perfectly half moon by the time we had arrived at the cemetery.

Just when we entered the grounds, a call came from Alex.

It was for me.

"Have you got her?" I heard his gruff voice over the phone

"Almost. I know where she is" I replied to him, earning a sharp glance from Enzo.

"Make sure you bring her in, and if she resists, a little maiming will go a long way" Alex said before abruptly hanging up.

"You know where she is?" Enzo glared at me

"Just come on, you'll see"

We arrived at the spot I had seen the glint of silver earlier in the evening. It was a mausoleum complex.

I tiptoed around the area not wanting to startle her if she was here.

Search that way, I said to Enzo. He obeyed, going in the opposite direction.

She wasn't here, at least I haven't seen her yet.

Suddenly, a shadow on the ground passed by me and settled behind a corner on one of the mausoleums.

I walked slowly towards the corner, and I could hear her slow ragged breaths.

I was right. She was here.

As I approached slowly, trying to capture her, she must have known that I knew she was there and suddenly popped out of hiding and ran. Straight for the gates.

"Shit, she's here Enzo" I yelled, hoping he would follow the sound of my voice.

"Coming" Enzo yelled back amidst the stifling silence of the cemetery.

I chased her out of the cemetery and into the road. Soon enough I heard fast footsteps, definitely Enzo's, trailing behind me.

I could still see her ahead of me on the slightly less crowded street as she ran in between people, pushing and shoving them to get through.

I and Enzo continued the chase not slowing down, our once immaculate suits now drenched in sweat.

"Fuck, don't lose her" Enzo grunted in the chase.

"Out of the way" I almost yelled to the oncoming people before us, making them give us way.

She stumbled on a slab on the street and fell, giving us time to bridge the gap between us.

However, she picked herself up almost immediately and started running again.

But we were closing in on her and she could feel it.

In a swift movement, I stretched my hand almost reaching her to grab her shoulder but she ducked and tried to run faster.

Shit

I tried again, this time I touched her. First it was a brush of my hands on her shoulder, then a grab and then a rough pull.

She yelled and tried to break free of my grip but Enzo caught up to us almost immediately, covered her mouth and we dragged the thrashing woman into the alley.

As we dragged her, a man passing on the street wandered close, trying to figure out what was happening. I glared at him and brandished the pocket knife at the waistband of my pants, chasing him away in fear.

She thrashed and even tried biting me but she was now firmly in our grip and the words of Alex echoed in my memory.

Maybe a little maiming would go a long way.