I watched in horror as the gun in James’ hand went off.
My blood roared in my ear as I watched Mark crumble to the floor. Darkness threatened to engulf me, but I fought it back. Mark needed me. I rushed to his side and laid my hand on his face, willing him with my mind to respond.
I sobbed as I felt hands dragging me away from the only person who made me whole.
I felt the room begin to spin as my insides caved in. I didn’t even see the waves of emotions come on as they no longer held any meaning. The spinning of the room took over and I welcomed the blackness with open arms. My life had lost all meaning.
I was pulled out of my blissful darkness by a loud crash.
I turned my head toward the noise and was surprised to see a vehicle barreling toward me. I tried to move out of the way, but realized I was tied down.
My eyes began to focus as several things happened at once. The vehicle screeched to a stop inches from me as the individuals that surrounded my bed began to scatter. I was surprised that they were wearing surgical garb.
My mind tried to wrap around everything that was going on, it was like I was watching a movie from a distance. I looked around in horror as I discovered that the masked goons were interrupted just as they were going to start hacking into me.
The crack of gun shots echoed in the room as James shot at the van, shattering the windshield into a thousand pieces.
The driver of the van stepped out of the vehicle holding a gun in his hand. He used the open door as a shield for his body. I was surprised to see that it was Bruno.
“I called the police and they’re on their way…” His words were cut off by a new wave of gun fire.
He returned the gun fire, shooting James dead in the chest. He kept firing until his gun was emptied.
Police sirens blared in the distance sending everyone scattering and within seconds the room cleared out.
Russo spotted me in his rush to leave the building; the madness in his eyes was evident. He raised a gun and aimed it at me.
I did nothing to protect myself. I welcomed whatever he wanted to do. I was disappointed when he lowered the gun and fled from the room. I turned and saw that Bruno had a gun pointed where he had stood.
Bruno rushed to my side and didn’t bother undoing the restraints he simply pulled a deadly looking knife out of his boot and cut the straps. He threw me in the van and I landed on the floor of the van in a heap. I had no idea what he was going to do with me nor did I care. I closed my eyes and tried to block out all thoughts of Mark. I could no longer feel my heart. It had broken into a million pieces and was gone.
Suddenly I was startled as something heavy landed on my right leg. I opened my eyes as Bruno threw the van in reverse and tore out of the warehouse. I could hear the sirens in the background getting louder, but as Bruno drove away they became a distant sound.
My eyes finally focused on the heavy weight on my legs. I gasped when I saw that it was Mark. Bruno had grabbed him before we fled from the building.
I cried at the sight of Mark’s body. Why would Bruno do this to me? I could not bear to look at Mark’s lifeless body.
“He’s still alive,” Bruno told me. “I felt a faint pulse before I grabbed him.”
I pulled my legs out from under Mark and kneeled at his side. I put my shaky fingertips to his neck and wept with joy when I felt the faint pulse under my fingers.
My hands became frantic as I searched for Mark’s wound. I pulled up his shirt that was soaked in his blood and found the wound. Darkness threatened to pull me under when I saw the blood flowing out of the wound but, I fought it back.
He needed me and I was not going to let anything get in the way of that.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked around franticly for something to staunch the bleeding. The van held the same equipment that had been in the lab. My scan of the interior told me there was nothing in the van that would help Mark.
I did the only thing I could think of, placing my hand over the wound to try and stop the steady flow. His warm blood ran between my fingers. I cried silent tears as I felt his pulse growing weaker.
“Please hurry,” I pleaded to Bruno in a broken voice. “He’s slipping away,” I said with a broken sob.
“The hospital’s right up the road,” he said.
I felt relief at his words as he began to slow the van down. I looked up thinking we were at the hospital, but to my dismay we were parked on the side of the road.
Bruno jumped out and jogged around the vehicle and opened the door.
“Why are we stopping? We have to hurry he’s dying!” I yelled at him in a hoarse voice.