I only have the knife now.
I take it out and clutch it tightly as I follow the trail of blood into the darkness.
And then, without the moonlight to guide me, I lose his trail.
I stand at the edge of the forest for a moment and I slowly walk in.
I have no idea if he’s still armed. I know I took one gun from his grip, but I don’t know if he had anything else on him.
The echoing of crickets and the noise of the waterfall in the distance are the only sounds.
I step slowly through the dense foliage.
I don’t have shoes on, and it’s difficult to walk on the uneven and sharp ground.
My eyes scan the dense landscape. Tall trees block the moonlight. Out here, it’s nearly pitch-black.
Where are you?
He would have seen me walk in with the moonlight behind me. I duck down into the foliage and crawl out of sight.
I sit still for ten minutes and slowly allow my eyes to adjust. I can soon see a lot more than I could before. I pick up a small rock and hurl it as far away as I can. It hits a tree a fair distance away with a bang.
I slowly climb to my feet and scan the forest as I grip the knife in my hand.
I see a shadow on the hill, and I creep toward it.
It’s him. I can see his chest sucking in air as he gasps for breath. He’s losing a lot of blood.
Does he have a weapon?
I hunch down and make my way toward him.
“Ferrara!” he cries.
I stay silent.
“Ferrara! Let’s make a deal!” he calls, his voice echoing over the valley.
He’s bleeding out and he knows it.
I throw a rock and it lands next to him. He jumps back in fear.
He’s unarmed.
I stand up and show myself, knife in hand as I slowly walk toward him.
His eyes hold mine. “We can be great together. We can join forces-be the strongest syndicate the world has ever seen.” He’s wet with perspiration, and he’s desperate.
I hunch down beside him. “You’re dying, Lombardi.”
He pants.
“I guess you’re not so lucky after all.”
“Enrico,” he whispers. “I’ve always admired you.”
My skin prickles. I know he would say anything to try and gain my sympathy. I glare at the lying bastard sitting propped up against the tree.
Die.
“We could run the biggest crime syndicate in the world. With your connections…and my…” He coughs, and blood splutters from his mouth.
His face falls as he realizes what’s happening, and he reaches out for me. “Help me.”
I kneel down and watch the life slowly drain out of him.
Eye to eye.
I want to see the moment he passes. I want to taste the victory of retribution.
“Enri…” He coughs, and a large amount of blood comes from his mouth.
His face falls and he grabs for me again. He lets out a pained gargling sound.
I watch on in fascination.
I’ve never watched someone die before.
I’ve seen people pass, but I’ve always fought to save them.
I’ve been frantic with words of encouragement and prayer.
I envision myself dragging his head back by the hair and slicing his throat.
I would have loved to have taken his life myself, but that would have been too kind.
He deserves to suffer.
His eyes still… and I smile.
His head drops, and I know he’s gone.
I stare at him and take a moment to reflect on Sophia.
I get a vision of her with her curves and her long dark hair. Perhaps in another life she could have made me happy.
“Enrico!” Jennifer calls.
I stand, and with a heavy heart, I turn to her. She has her gun drawn.
“He’s dead.”
I walk past her and back to the house where two local police cars have arrived. Their siren lights are flashing, lighting up the sky.
I find Olivia crying and wrapped up in a blanket. Her face lights up when she sees me, and she stands.
“Oh, thank God!” she cries.
“It’s okay,” I whisper as I take her into my arms. “He’s gone now.”
She puts her head onto my shoulder and cries as Jennifer walks back into the room.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“I believe thank you is the word you’re looking for,” she says sarcastically.
I roll my eyes. I hate this woman with a passion.
“I was following Lombardi. I had no idea he was coming for you.” She shakes her head as she looks at the smashed-up room. “We have enough evidence to clear your name, Enrico. I’ll organize a transfer back to Italy for you both first thing in the morning.”
I look down at the beautiful woman in my arms. “No.”
“No?” She frowns.
“I think I might like to stay dead for a little while longer.” I smile down at Olivia. “I promised my girl a holiday.”