The Blood Oath 2
594 Words
The beeping echoed through the warehouse.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Amelia's heart lurched.
"A bomb..."
The White Mask's laughter echoed through the darkness.
"You always arrive just in time, Romano."
"And you're always too late."
His footsteps faded.
By the time Dante's men reached the spot where he'd been standing...
The White Mask had vanished.
"Coward," one of the captains muttered.
"Forget him!" Dante ordered.
"Get everyone out!"
His men immediately began escorting the wounded toward the exits.
Dante grabbed Amelia's hand.
"This way."
They ran through the maze of crates and rusted machinery.
The countdown grew faster.
Dust rained from the ceiling as another explosion shook the building.
Concrete cracked beneath their feet.
"We're not going to make it!" Amelia shouted.
"We are."
He didn't sound hopeful.
He sounded certain.
"Boss!"
Dante looked up.
"What is it?"
"We searched the west side of the warehouse."
"And?"
The captain pointed toward a heavy steel door.
"We found another room."
Amelia's heart skipped.
"What room?"
The captain hesitated before answering.
"There's a woman inside."
Her breath caught.
"...Alive."
Amelia didn't wait for another word.
"Aunt Claire!"
She ran.
Ignoring the pain in her bruised wrists, she pushed through the smoke-filled corridor until she reached the steel door.
It was locked.
One of Dante's men kicked it open.
The rusty hinges screamed as the door flew inward.
The room was small.
Cold.
A single light bulb swung from the ceiling.
In the middle of the room...
A woman sat tied to a chair.
Her clothes were torn.
A bruise marked the side of her face.
But she was breathing.
"Aunt Claire..."
Amelia's voice broke.
She rushed forward, dropping to her knees.
With trembling hands, she untied the ropes.
Claire's eyelids slowly fluttered open.
For a moment, she looked confused.
Then she saw Amelia.
"...You're alive."
Tears spilled down Amelia's cheeks.
"I came for you."
Claire weakly reached up and cupped Amelia's face.
"No..."
"You shouldn't have."
"I couldn't leave you."
They embraced tightly.
For the first time since this nightmare began, Amelia allowed herself to cry.
Behind them, Dante watched quietly from the doorway.
Relief crossed his face.
Everyone was alive.
Then movement caught Dante's eye.
A wounded kidnapper lay behind a stack of wooden crates.
Everyone had assumed he was unconscious.
He wasn't.
Slowly...
He lifted his gun.
It pointed directly at Amelia.
Time seemed to stop.
"Dante?"
His eyes locked onto the gun.
Without thinking
He shoved Amelia hard.
She stumbled to the ground.
BANG!
The shot echoed through the warehouse.
Dante staggered.
A dark stain spread across the shoulder of his white shirt.
Amelia's eyes widened.
"No..."
He'd been shot.
"Dante!"
"I'm fine."
"You've been shot!"
"I said..."
He gritted his teeth as blood trickled down his arm.
"...keep moving."
Another explosion ripped through the warehouse.
Flames raced along the walls.
Dante ignored the pain, pulled Amelia to her feet, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Run."
Together, they burst through the warehouse doors.
A deafening explosion erupted behind them.
The shockwave threw everyone forward.
Heat rolled across the ground.
Pieces of burning wood and twisted metal rained from the sky.
For a long moment...
No one spoke.
Amelia turned to Dante.
His face had gone pale.
"You idiot..." she whispered.
He looked at her.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"I told you..."
"...you're under my protection."
Before she could answer, his knees gave way.
"Dante!"
She caught him before he hit the ground.
For the first time since meeting him...
Fear overwhelmed her.
Not fear for herself.
Fear of losing him.
- Writer
