FORBIDDEN LOVE

CHAPTER 4

Anita's eyes widened in terror as Collins crumpled to the ground. Before she could process what was happening, two masked men burst into the tent, their intentions clear.

She let out a blood-curdling scream, fighting with every ounce of strength to break free from their grasp.

She fiercely hit one of them on the right side of his chest with the sharp heel of her shoe lying beside her, it pierced him deeply as he drifted to the corner of the tent.

The other one gave her a thunderous slap to shut her up, and she winced, momentarily paralyzed with pain, before slowly regaining control.

As the man reached for the rope to subdue her, she intensely kicked him on his d**k, and he grunted in pain, doubling over with both hands clutching his d**k as she kicked him again intensely on his head and he crumpled backward and fell on Collins.

She ran out of the tent screaming in a very loud voice. Suddenly another man struck the back of her head with his gun’s handle and she fell.

He barked at the two injured men in the tent to go over and sedate her; they struggled to their feet and limped towards her. The man, witnessing their agonized gait, shot them a furious glance and snarled, "Ass holes."

Suddenly, two vans screeched to a halt, and the men swiftly sedated her, loaded her into one of the vehicles, and sped away.

The mercenary leader stormed into the scene, his eyes widening in alarm as he took in Collins' prone form in the tent. "What the f**k?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with shock and concern.

His face twisted with rage, he demanded of the man standing near Collins, "James, what the hell happened? He was supposed to be left untouched."

James replied, "Don't worry, boss, he'll be fine. I just knocked him out." Their boss's gaze narrowed. "I heard a gunshot. Who got hit?"

The boss's anger boiled over. "Amateurs! I told you to sedate them, not knock them out! And where's the girl?"

"The boys took her to the warehouse," James replied. The boss rolled Collins over, checking his pulse. Relieved to find him alive, he stood up, turned to his men, and barked, "Let's go." He gestured to the vehicle, and James and the two other mercenaries to climb in.

As they were about to depart, Collins suddenly regained consciousness and swiftly grabbed James's leg, yanking him to the ground. Before anyone could react, Collins pinned him down and landed two swift punches.

The other two men charged towards Collins, but he swiftly grabbed James's gun and opened fire, hitting one of the men. The other dove for cover, momentarily avoiding the shots.

James kicked Collins to the ground and sprinted for cover, joining the other mercenary in returning fire. Collins swiftly took cover, and a fierce gunfight erupted between them, bullets flying back and forth.

Their boss, taking cover behind the van, bellowed, "Cease fire!" but his men were too caught up in the firefight to listen, with James and the other mercenary continuing to exchange bullets with Collins.

Just as Collins ran out of ammo, the mercenary noticed and ceased fire, cautiously approaching Collins' hiding spot. But Collins was far from defeated.

Spotting a log on the ground, he seized it and ambushed the mercenary, striking him with a powerful blow.

The man crashed to the ground, face-first. Collins quickly snatched the gun, but James was relentless, kicking the gun away and landing two crushing punches to Collins' face. Collins stumbled back, landing hard on his back.

James seized the gun and trained it on Collins, his voice cold as he ordered Collins to his knees. Collins complied, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he knelt.

James barked, "Hands behind your head!" Collins complied, his eyes locked on James as he asked, "What do you want? Where's Anita?"

James ignored Collins' questions and signaled to the man he'd been hit with the log. The man swiftly approached Collins, wrapped his arm around Collins' neck, and injected him with a sedative. Collins' eyes glazed over, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

James asked the man who'd sedated Collins, "How's Phil?" He walked over to Phil's still form, checked his pulse, and grimly reported, "He's gone." James's face contorted in rage and grief as he bellowed, "Goddamn it! What am I gonna tell his wife?"

As James regained composure, their boss emerged from hiding, his expression somber. He ordered the men to load Phil's body into the vehicle, his voice low and urgent. "Let's get out of here before we attract unwanted attention." With Phil's body secured, they sped away to the warehouse.

Upon arrival at the warehouse, they found Anita bound to a chair, a gag over her mouth. Just minutes after their boss, James, and the other mercenary arrived, Anita stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she struggled to regain her bearings. Confusion and fear clouded her face as she took in her surroundings.

Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded with her captors, her eyes wide with desperation. Despite the gag, she continued to make muffled protests, her voice barely audible as she tried to convince them of her innocence.

The men ignored Anita's frantic struggles as the two who'd brought her in relaxed, rolling and smoking joints. One of the men who'd tied Anita to the chair asked, "Where's Phil?" James hesitated before responding, his voice low, "He didn't make it."

The man pressed for details, "What happened?" But James ignored him, turning to their boss to ask about the next step. "What's the plan? Can I go now?" Their boss's response was curt: "Sit down and wait. Nobody's leaving until this is done."

Just as he finished responding to James, Phil's phone vibrated. James pulled it out to see Phil's wife's name on the screen.

James's heart sank, and he didn't know what to say to Phil's wife. He ignored the call and tried to discreetly stash the phone in his backpack on the table, but it was a tricky maneuver.

Just then, Gideon walked in, and everyone's attention shifted to him. In the distraction, Phil's phone slipped from James's grasp and fell to the table, unnoticed.

Gideon strode in, his eyes locking onto Anita, who was bound to the chair. He approached her directly, his gaze piercing as he checked her face.

Anita's eyes met his, and she burst into uncontrollable sobs, her tears streaming down her face as they locked gazes.

Anita's eyes widened in shock as recognition dawned – she remembered Gideon. He was the one who'd delivered a note and phone from Damian to her office, just a day before Damian asked her to lunch. The memory sent a chill down her spine as their eyes locked.

As the memories flooded back, Anita's tears turned to anguished sobs. She recalled asking him about his identity, and his casual revelation that he was Damian's driver. The realization seemed to rip her apart, and tears streamed down her face as she wept uncontrollably.

Anita's muffled pleas died down as resignation took over, her eyes red from crying. She knew further begging would be futile; the truth had finally dawned on her – she understood the source of her predicament.

In that moment, Anita's mind went blank, consumed by a single, suffocating thought: the excruciating pain of her impending death.

Gideon scrutinized Anita, then turned to the mercenaries' boss, his voice low and even. "Why is she still alive?" The boss inclined his head, deferential. "We're waiting for your orders."

In a swift motion, Gideon yanked the gun from the boss's waist and spun toward Anita. Two shots rang out, and she slumped forward, the chair crashing to the floor with her.

Gideon approached Anita's lifeless body, then turned to the boss. "Get rid of the body," he ordered. The boss hesitated, inquiring, "What about our balance?" Gideon's response was curt: "Check your account. It's been taken care of."

James instructed the other three men to dispose of Anita's body in a secluded spot near the stream, a dark corner of the bush shrouded in shadows.

The men complied, carrying out the task before returning to the warehouse. With their mission complete, the group gathered their belongings and headed to their vehicles, ready to leave the scene behind.