Her Ravaged Life

Ch. -21-

NIKO 

 “Uncle, good to see you!” I greet Andy and we shake hands before he pulls me in for a hug. 

 “Jeremiah,” he nods to him and turns back toward me, “What is going on boy, I ain’t twenty anymore and old man like me needs his rest,” he says with a smile.

 “You are listed as donor in Cheruton, I need your help to save someone,” I tell him.

 “Son, tell me, what is going on? Who is this ‘Someone’?” he has known me my whole life and knows I rarely ask for help, but when I do, the situation is real bad or someone important to me is in danger. Today we can check both boxes. 

 “My wife. She was attacked and needs transfusion, but we don’t have much time.”

 His surprised look is expected. His hug and congratulations are not. “My boy! You are full of surprises.” He releases me from his embrace. “But enough about that, lets go save the vixen who made a man out of you,” he said jokingly, and I just play along, there is no need for him to know that my so-called vixen hates even the shadow of mine.

 “Thank you, uncle,” and with that I direct him to the receptionist who immediately contacts the doctor and gets the ball rolling. In just few hours I can take her to Cheruton and know for sure she gets the best medical help there is.

 Minutes and hours pass slower than they ever have. Andy already left and now we just wait if the transfusion is enough to help her, to save her. 

 I hate this waiting. Hospital is empty except doctors and nurses roaming the halls like ghost, here one moment, gone the next. I try to keep myself busy with work, but I can’t concentrate. I don’t want to worry about her, I shouldn’t worry, she is just business deal for me, and business never bothers me, if a deal goes bad I step out and onto the next one, no worry, no heartache.

 “You can see her now, room 309 on the third floor,” new receptionist who arrived an hour ago informed me. 

 Both, Jeremiah and I, are on our feet walking down the hall to the elevators. I really need a shower and change of clothes, but I couldn’t leave her here alone even if I wasn’t by her side. I needed to be in the same building. This doesn’t sound like a business deal I convince myself it is but as for now I will say it is just an arrangement.

 Elevator doors open and Dr. Woodard is waiting for us right next to them. He looks more tired than before but the moment he sees us the poker face comes on and he is as professional as before. 

 “She is doing better. I wouldn’t advise you to move her yet, but at least it will not be life threatening now,” he says and points to the window looking in one of the rooms. “She hasn’t woken up yet, but this might not happen for several days. You can go in if you wish.” He places her patient file under his arm and shakes my hand before leaving.

 After he disappears into another room I finally turn to look at Gianna lying in hospital bed. The sight angers me more than I was ready for. Even from the distance I can see her beaten and swollen face connected to tubes that help keeping life attached to her body. 

 I want to go in and tell her she’ll be fine, instead, I turn and walk toward the elevators, “Lets go, this fucker will pay for it.” The box will not be enough for him any longer. I want the bastard cry in my hands while he bleeds like the pig he is. 

 Transfer was approved so she’ll be in Cheruton by the time I am back. I don’t like breaking the promises I give to myself, but seeing her in this miserable state I just can’t wait here while turd Dan is still breathing.

 Jeremiah and I leave the hospital and head back to the warehouse. We drive in silence as usual but this time I don’t enjoy it, I want someone to keep me from thinking about Gianna, to stop the images from the video and her current state switching on and off in my head. The blood, the tubes, the unconsciousness, the hospital, the f*****g Dan standing at her doorstep. Every time I blink the image changes and not for the better. f**k.

 If I can’t get my peace of mind back, there is a chance I have to end this deal with Gianna. I can’t have her in my life stirring up s**t I don’t have time or interest to deal with. The fact that I can’t push her out of my mind is not like me, I don’t mull over women, I use them as much I need, then cut them loose and forget they ever existed. I don’t need all the complications that come with commitment, not again.

 As we get closer to the warehouse, I see most of my men outside and this locker-room hangout is not what they get paid for. They really picked the wrong day to piss me off.

 “Who the f**k is going to tell me what the f**k are you doing?” I ask with a tone that ends all conversations and they instantly turn my way. Few are looking at me, most of them lover their gaze and try to make themselves disappear.

 “Boss, Logan f****d up. Real bad this time. Couple of guys are on his tail to bring him back,” says Bryce, who is generally in charge when we need to use this warehouse for some type of business. 

 “f****d up? How the hell was Logan even called out for this job?” Logan is young and stupid. We have had more than few occasions when his interactions with hostages ended up becoming life threatening for him or someone else in my crew. So, I specifically ordered him to be left out on all jobs that included ‘livestock’.

 “He’s computer wiz. We needed him to locate the guy. I don’t know why he didn’t leave when his input was done.” Bryce is getting nervous cause he knows it is his wrongdoing that Logan was not kicked off the site when he was supposed to.

 “Whatever. What did he do? How much damage control do we need?” I f*****g hate dealing with screwups when I have more important stuff on my plate. Especially at the moment. 

 “Well, you should see something,” Bryce said and other guys started to give each other anxious looks as I was following Bryce into the warehouse. “Sorry Boss,” he said and stepped to the side so I could see what he was talking about.  

 I just stand and look at the f*****g mess they created; I can feel blood vessels rupture in my brain while I process what the hell I’m looking at. My anger upgrades itself to fury and then to rage. I need to hit something; I need to f*****g tear someone open.

 I roar at the top of my lungs to release some of the rage building in me. 

 “HOW?” I scream at Bryce cause someone better tell me how the f**k is Dan lying face down on the ground with brains oozing out. 

 Most of the guys didn’t follow us inside and the few that did are trying to slowly slip out as I demand answers. f*****g cowards. 

 “I don’t know Boss,” Bryce says looking straight at me, he has balls, I give him that. “Your guy was locked up and the site was cleared, then like an hour ago shot was fired and we found Logan here with a gun. He bolted out, we’re looking for him.”  

 “Who was guarding him at the time?” 

 Bryce whistles and motions one of the guys to step out of the shadow he was hiding in, “You’re up,” he tells to the man who looks like he is going to throw up on me if he comes any closer.

 “B-boss,” he talks with pure terror in his voice.

 “Explain. NOW,” I ask, and he jumps at the words coming out of my mouth.

 “B-boss, he said Bryce sent him to give me a break, I had no reason to doubt him.” I feel like I am dealing with kindergarten brawl instead of men who are on my payroll. ‘He said’, ‘I thought’ and so on, bullshit, they get f*****g paid to do their job like professionals not some new recruits just testing the waters.

 “You should have doubted him!” I shake my head and with a blink of an eye I have my gun in my hand, then shoot his knee into pieces. I watch him scramble in front of me while screaming out in pain he has never known. “Let that be a reminder for the rest of your life, to always doubt everyone.”

 Jeremiah motions two other guys to drag that sad shithead out of here. I didn’t need to shoot him, I didn’t need to let him live either so I guess he should consider himself lucky.

 Losing a leg is better than losing life.