A sudden yank freed him from the gag so that he could fill his lungs with a long, deep breath, despite the pain, as if he had emerged from the sea after being in apnea for several minutes.
He could not speak right away and had to wait a few minutes before he could do it, albeit with a faint voice.
«Whoever you are, don’t kill me... please... please... let me go ... don’t ... don’t kill me.»
He began to sob.
The steps turned away; he warned them to pass behind him and tried to follow them with his ear. He heard a tinkling of glass, presumably a bottle, then some liquid running down the floor.
Suddenly, the man forcefully pressed a piece of cloth impregnated with water on his face.
Marco was overcome by terror and began to struggle violently but every effort was in vain.
He could not
