If I hadn't been lost in the allure of those captivating Hazelnut eyes, I would have noticed the car speeding recklessly down the street. I would have heard Diego's warning shout. Unfortunately, I didn't.
Suddenly, a car zoomed past at twice the speed limit. Gunshots pierced the air, prompting Liliana to scream and cover her ears to shield herself from the loud noise. As a result, my car window shattered upon impact from a bullet, since it wasn't bulletproof. The car alarm blared, alerting everyone in the vicinity.
At that moment, my only concern was for my dear Liliana. I held her tightly, sheltering her as best as I could. We instinctively dropped to the ground and sought cover behind the car. Liliana sobbed against me, her cries echoing through the chaos as the car sped away.
We both lay on the ground, with her beneath me. My breath came in ragged gasps after the ordeal we had just experienced.
"Sebastian!" Liliana cried out.
She clung to me with all her might, while I pressed my face against her neck, holding her tightly, fearing that she might slip away. Diego came rushing towards us.
"You're safe, my love. Everything will be alright," I whispered, peppering her with kisses. Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of losing her and our unborn twins. I vowed to be more cautious in the future.
I carefully checked her for any injuries or bullet wounds, relieved to find only a gaze from when we hit the ground. "Are the twins alright?" I inquired.
Liliana nodded, gently placing her hand on her baby bump. "Yes, they're kicking a lot," she replied. Her gaze shifted towards me, and she gasped. "You're bleeding, Sebastian." A sob escaped her lips.
She helped me remove my white shirt, and her words prompted me to look down, revealing the red stain seeping into my white button-up. The pain finally registered as the adrenaline subsided, causing me to cough in agony.
Lifting my shirt, we both breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering that it was only a graze from one of the bullets they fired.
"Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed, embracing me tightly once more. I held her close, while my eyes met Diego's.
With just one glance, he understood. He knew that we had to find Alexander and eliminate him. It had to be him. It had to be.
****
Liliana winced as I pushed the items off my desk in a fit of anger. Due to their reckless actions, Liliana's life was nearly endangered today, since Tamara managed to escape.
I was without a shirt, with a bandage affixed to my side from the slight injury I sustained while contemplating our next steps. I desired to hold them accountable and utterly obliterate their bodies.
"It's alright, Sebastian," Liliana spoke softly.
Aware that Liliana was still deeply affected by the incident, her cries pained my heart, as I feared for her well-being.
"No, Lily! It is not alright. None of this is acceptable," I exclaimed. "When did my subordinates become so feeble as to let someone like Tamara slip away from their grasp?"
A forceful knock interrupted our conversation, prompting me to raise my gaze and permit whoever was on the other side to enter. Diego stepped into the room and stated, "I managed to track the car. We can depart now if you wish."
Nodding in agreement, I couldn't risk Liliana's safety again. "Yes, we should leave. Liliana, you shall remain here. Brunhilda is present and will watch over you while we address the situation."
Without giving Liliana a chance to respond, I felt her hand gently grasp mine. I looked at her and asked, "What is it?"
"Take care," Liliana whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too." I smiled down at her and swiftly kissed her lips.
Upon exiting the office and mansion, a profound silence enveloped the car during the entirety of the ride. My thoughts were consumed with Liliana and our twins, heightened by the awareness that the incompetence of my team has placed Liliana's life in grave danger, not once, but three times.
Upon our arrival at the warehouse, our acquaintance known as Jack was found sitting on a rustic wooden chair, his hands tightly bound behind his back and his mouth concealed by duct tape. Jack possessed a robust physique, exemplified by his shaven head and goatee. He remained unconscious with his head bowed.
Growing impatient, I yearned for Jack's awakening, as I sought answers that I intended to extract through any means necessary. Advancing forward, I seized hold of the end portion of the duct tape, forcefully removing it from Jack's mouth, thereby arousing him from his slumber.
Jack uttered a single phrase, “Ah. Shit,” as his gaze locked with mine.
“Have you enjoyed your rest?” I inquired, a sly smirk adorning my countenance as I crossed my arms over my chest, subsequently seating myself in a chair adjacent to Diego, directly facing Jack.
Delving into my pocket, I retrieved a cigar, igniting it and inhaling the perilous fumes before exhaling them into the atmosphere, even directing some towards Jack's face, instigating a coughing fit.
“What brings me here?” Jack inquired.
Raising an eyebrow, I maintained my unwavering stare for several moments before redirecting my gaze towards Diego, who, too, displayed a smirk that belied any pretence of ignorance.
Releasing another puff of smoke from the cigar, I candidly asserted, “I believe you are acutely aware of the reason behind your presence here, Jack.”
Despite my discernible insinuations, Jack continued feigning ignorance, an action that provoked an exasperated groan, igniting within me an urge to administer a forceful blow.
“Listen, Jack, I must admit that I am not particularly averse to causing you harm, in fact, quite the opposite,' I confessed, pressing Diego into action, and I shall not impede his endeavours.”
Witnessing Jack visibly gulp as his gaze met mine, he queried, “What? I fail to comprehend.”
Another chuckle involuntarily escaped my lips as I responded, “Well, Jack, allow me to jog your memory. You made an egregious mistake by attempting to harm my wife.”
"Rising from the seat, I proceeded toward the black duffel bag located beside Diego. I picked it up and brought it over to him, as the night ahead seemed lengthy and necessitated sustenance for him to remain alert.
"Allow me to clarify that your perception of my identity is mistaken," I stated.
He currently desires to feign innocence in my presence. I found this amusing.
"You must comprehend that this is my profession, therefore, please refrain from asserting that I am mistaken. Additionally, you have indiscreetly meddled with an individual you should not have and his family," I conveyed.
"I assure you, I am an ordinary individual leading a mundane existence. I engage in poker games with my acquaintances and occasionally visit a bar for a drink or two."
Ignoring the falsehoods, I began to unzip the black bag. "What are you doing?" Jack inquired.
Exhausted by his denials, I rolled my eyes. Diego even took a seat beside me and awaited Jack's reflection upon his transgressions. There was no longer any point in attempting to disavow them.
"Hey, I am addressing you!" Jack shouted.
Diego chuckled, "Can you perceive this bag?" he queried, causing Jack to nod. "It contains our assortment of resources."
"What on earth do you intend to do?" Jack asked.
Diego retrieved a timer from the bag and set it for ten minutes. We both possessed our methods, but my anger was too profound at that moment. I knew I would seize the opportunity to eliminate him, which is why Diego had taken charge.
"Well Jack, I am activating a timer for ten minutes," Diego proclaimed, placing the timer at the end of the table. We observed as it commenced to count down. "If we do not acquire all the necessary information, particularly concerning my superior, before this timer reaches zero, someone will meet their demise."
Jack's eyes widened, slowly comprehending the dire predicament he found himself in, realizing that he had provoked the wrong individual.
"I wonder what is going through your mind right now. Do you contemplate your family? Your friends? Or perhaps your thoughts are consumed by a desire to harm me?" Diego spoke with a faint chuckle.
Jack ran his hand over his stubble, uttering, "Jesus Christ."
Devoid of words, Diego regarded Jack with disdain. He reached into the bag and extracted a scalpel. Swiftly, he lunged at Dave and made a shallow incision just above his left eye. Dave cried out in agony.
"Jack! You shall not utter the Lord's name in vain. If I hear you do so again, the cuts will become deeper and deeper. Allow me not to be the antagonist in this situation," Diego replied.
I chuckled, fully aware that we were unquestionably the antagonists in this situation. Jack's screams gradually subsided, but blood continued to drip into his eye.
"I am completely unaware of your intentions!" Jack shouted. Alexander had successfully taught him the art of staying silent, no matter what they threw at us. However, could he withstand the impending actions we were about to take?
"Jack, we engage in the torture of individuals, especially those who have wronged us. It is an integral part of our operations and how we maintain control," I calmly responded, observing as Jack glanced at the timer, indicating 8 minutes and 45 seconds remaining.
His face turned pale. Diego took one of the knives and hurled it at Dave's foot, causing Dave to let out a cry of pain.
He gasped, attempting to curl up in agony. "Oh no... dear God."
Diego procured another knife and aimed it at Jack's foot, causing him to scream once more upon impact.
"Damn it!"
"We explicitly instructed you not to speak sacrilegiously," I uttered sternly.
Jack grunted as he attempted to suppress his screams and conceal his pain, although his eyes betrayed his agony. The timer displayed 4 minutes and 45 seconds remaining.
"Will you reveal the information now, Jack?" I inquired.
Jack remained silent, staring at his feet. It appeared that we would need to intensify the torment even further. Diego rose from his seated position and seized another scalpel, positioning himself behind Jack. Jack trembled, aware of the unknown horrors awaiting him. The timer read 4 minutes remaining.
Diego traced the scalpel around each of Jack's fingers before severing the webbing between them. His hands promptly became drenched in blood, eliciting another scream from Jack.
"The situation will only worsen if you refuse to comply," Diego warned.
Jack began to struggle against the ropes binding his hands together. Once again, he attempted to endure the pain in silence. Unexpectedly, Jack began to chuckle to himself, earning quizzical glances from both Diego and myself.
"Does Liliana possess knowledge of your actions?" he dared to ask.
Instantly, I straightened up, unamused by his words. How dare he mention her name. I've never comprehended why they persistently inquire about her knowledge, for it is evident that she is aware of my actions. "Cease mentioning Liliana, Jack. Otherwise, I will personally sew your mouth shut."
"Why did you attempt to harm Liliana?" Diego questioned.
Jack remained silent, prompting Diego to chuckle once more.
"Please be advised that the situation is expected to deteriorate further." He responded, expressing regret. "Regrettably, I possess no information whatsoever pertaining to the identities of individuals involved in any attempted murder." Diego and I turned our gazes to Jack, and then directed our attention to the timer, noting there were 3 minutes and 35 seconds remaining. "You have a mere 23 seconds to disclose the requisite details; otherwise, I shall resort to subjecting you to further torment." With 3 minutes left on the clock.
He proceeded to employ the scalpel to peel the skin from Jack's forearm. Subsequently, Sam returned to the table and retrieved the salt. "This is anticipated to inflict considerable pain." Diego poured the salt onto the wound.
Jack once again strived against his restraints, emitting a cry of agony. "He vowed to finance our mother's surgical procedure should we make an attempt on Liliana's life. As we departed, he disposed of everyone but me. I implore you. I beseech you to spare my life." Jack pleaded.
As I took a stand from my position and retrieved my firearm from its holster, I remained silent, ultimately aiming and firing a fatal shot precisely between Jack's eyes. His blood and cerebral matter bespattered the solid concrete floor.