POV: Raphael
“How is he?” I asked Miguel a few minutes later after he spoke to the guys he put in charge of his parents. We have been waiting for their report and for a minute there we thought that something bad has happened, we thought they were under another attack from Eloise. We were contemplating whether or not to cancel the mission tomorrow and go back to Havana to save the Myers and get them out of town before coming back to face Eloise.
But the call came in just a few minutes before we made the decision to cancel the mission. Turns out that the guys are even more efficient than we thought. Immediately after Shaun came out from surgery, they moved him and the Myers out of the hospital and took them to a safe house outside the city.
“You did good, guys; I’m proud of you. Where are they now? Where did you take them?” he asked the boys after confirming that they were safe.
“I’m sorry boss, but we can’t disclose our location to anyone yet, not even you, Mr Myers.” They told him sternly.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked them angrily, yelling so furiously that I thought it was even something so serious.
“We are sorry boss, but we have to do this. We think the lines may have been bugged; we don’t know who is listening in on our conversation, and we can’t trust anything we say on the phone for now. We are keeping a tight circle until this is over, we can’t afford to go to war with anyone right now, not even someone as insignificant as Eloise and her thugs.
We lost so many guys, Boss. Some are terribly injured and the rest are on a plane to join you in your quest to save the young miss. We can’t disclose our location to anyone boss. You have to understand boss, no one must find out where we are, it’s for our own good. That’s the only way we can stay safe and protect your family.” They told him, sounding firm and strict.
He wanted to argue with them, but I signaled him not to. As long as they are safe, it’s better if we let them stay far away from this mess until we get it sorted out. Keeping their location a secret is the best idea they could come up with, and I’m proud of their decision; I’m totally in support of it.
“Let them be, Miguel. It’s best if they keep their location a secret, it’s better that way.” I advised him after they hung up. He was prepared to call them yet again and demand their location, but I stopped him from being too dramatic. Besides, even if he had called them again, he would not have gotten through to them because they turned off their phones and probably turned off their location too.
I know this because I called them after Miguel left my side, I wanted to speak with Shaun and find out how he is feeling now. As a man who gets shot almost every week, I wanted to recommend some drugs that would help him get better within the next few days, but I couldn’t get through to them.
I simply assumed they decided to turn off their phones, and so I let it go. I didn’t even let Miguel know that he couldn’t reach his parents if he wanted to. That would distract him from the mission ahead. I knew he would still try to reach them, so I decided to hide his phone before we left.
At first light the next day, we had the cars packed and loaded with our weapons and ammunition that we would use. We had a convoy of Range Rover sports cars that would be taking us to the airport. We got in after the guys finished loading everything and we drove to the airport and moved everything into my private plane. Miguel and Dominic had private planes too, but mine is the biggest, and I have a private hangar within that has a ready-to-use helicopter that could fly over the building and drop Carl and the guys.
This time, Dominic has no voice to argue with me because he knows my plane is the best to use for this mission. It has an improved technology that allows us to fly in undetected. We loaded everything into the plane, including the drones that would drop the EMPs on the island and disable every security system in the whole island, including Eloise.
She won’t know that she is under attack because she would think that the EMP attack is just a general problem affecting everyone on the island. We got on the plane and the moment we took off from ground, I felt my stomach tightening as I thought of what lay ahead of us.
I have a million questions running through my head at this point, like, what’s going to happen after I get her? Will she forgive me and take me back? Will she stay back with me or leave with her family?
“Focus man!
Keep your head in the game. I need you at your best performance today, don’t go blacking out on me!” Dominic called out from his sitting position, calling out to me from his sitting position. I looked up and saw him staring at me from where he sat. It’s annoying to see that he can read me like a damn book. He knows when I’m in doubt, he knows when I’m not focused, and when I’m planning something stupid too.
“Fuck you man, fuck you!” I cursed, relating his glare and a deep chuckle. He knows exactly what he is doing and yeah, I like the fact that he is always watching my back, always. You know that pride that builds up in you when you know that someone somewhere is looking out for you?
Yeah, that is exactly how I’m feeling right now. His words were not meant to be a warning, it’s his way of telling me that he is still on my side and that he is looking out for me. That is enough to put my mind at ease. I soon stopped thinking and I got my head in the game, waiting to confront the bitch and bring justice to her doorstep.
“Alright people, this is it!
Get your asses out there and take your positions. Don’t get killed!” Carl called out to the guys as we approached the airport, ready to land. He was not getting off the plane with us, but he supervised and made sure that the guys packed everything we needed before we left.
We landed a few miles from the sea, and we got into the boats that were already waiting for us in the sea. We got some locals that know this sea more than we do and we paid them to drive us there. We boarded the boats and headed to the island, ready to face her and get the girls.
Just as we approached the island, the drone flew past us and went ahead of us to drop the EMPs on the island. We were affected by the EMP bombs as well, but we came prepared with a communication system that was unaffected by EMP. We got to the island in record time, and we boarded the cars that had been prepared for us and headed straight to her house, making our presence known before we even got there.
“Look what the day dragged in,” she called out to us through her speaker from within that is connected to the gate.
“EMPs huh?
Clever guys!
So cleaver!
I have been expecting you, and now that you are here, I’m so disappointed that you didn’t just send missiles to blow up everyone like I wanted. What would it take to get some fireworks on this freaking island that you exiled me to?” She let out excitedly.
“Now that you have disabled my security system, what next?
Are you going to shoot your way into my house, do you think you can get to me before I kill the girls?” she asked no one in particular, chuckling at her own questions. We ignored her as the guys set charges to the gate, blowing it up.
We had to break in and keep her distracted while the guys worked to get the girls out. We blew up the gates and invaded her house, shooting our way in.
“Give up now before you get yourself killed, Eloise. This is your last chance!” I told her fiercely as we found one of her speakers in the security post outside. I think these speakers are used to communicate with the people outside or inside the house to announce the arrival of visitors or to give orders.
Eloise laughed at my warning, laughing as if I was some kind of a clown or comedian. I played along, ignoring her attempts to infuriate me and get me to make a mistake. While we engaged the guards and tried to find our way into the building, I spotted the Helicopter flying in from the other side of the building where nobody was watching.
She had stupidly diverted everyone to defend the front entrance, forgetting that people may creep Olin from the other side. I Stayed close to the speaker and microphone so I could keep engaging her in meaningless talks that would keep her distracted.
I faked concern for her well-being, and I tried reasoning with her, telling her that it was not too late to correct her mistakes and apologize to the girls. She scoffed at my words, laughing as if I were a fool.
“You think they will forgive me after seeing my aggressive side?
You think I can change their hearts with apologies and nice words?” she asked me, laughing even harder.
“No Raphael, I don’t owe those kids or anyone an apology. I’m going down today, and I’m taking them with me, Raphael Hawkins. That is a promise!” she told me firmly, sounding so crazy.