Neither he nor Pa spared any time to say anything further. As Pa hoisted me up to him, Xander reached for me and picked me up, lifting me to safety.
That left Pa though.
Xander set me down next to him and turned around to get Pa who had doubled over.
“Giovanni get here,” Xander cried.
My eyes widened as two crocs started making their way up the platform.
Pa slumped, took out his gun and shot them. They flipped over, back into the water but the platform was so low now that the water had started to drift onto it.
“Paaaa, come on please,” I cried.
“Xander Cage, remember what I said to you. Take care of my little girl. Make sure she’s safe,” Pa replied, glancing at Xander.
Xander wasn’t listening. As two more crocs started making their way up to Pa he shot them and fired several more shots at the ones coming.
“Giovanni, you fucking bastard! You think I want my girl to remember her father getting eaten by crocodiles. Get the fuck up now!” Xander wailed and lowered himself even more.
I was crying so much I couldn’t see, but something sparked inside me when Pa stood up, turned to us and reached up.
Hope filled me and Xander grabbed his hands with what looked like all his strength and pulled Pa up. He pulled him up and dragged him the rest of the way up on to the bridge.
Just as he did so the platform went straight down into the water and the remaining crocs just swam around it. Another second and that would have been it we wouldn’t have had a choice.
“Let’s get out of here,” Xander said to me. A slight brush of his fingers on my cheek soothed my soul.
A look at Pa though drained me.
He looked paler and weary. So weary and weak.
I nodded and moved forward, while Xander helped Pa.
Pa started coughing when we got to the entrance that took us back to the corridor.
Being on an actual floor allowed us to move faster.
However, when we turned the corridor Pa’s legs gave and he pulled out of Xander’s hold. I stopped my flight and moved back to them.
Pa shook his head at me, grabbed his chest and slumped down to the ground with his back against the wall. There was so much blood now.
I looked to Xander. His face was filled with the doom I felt. As were his eyes.
It was like he knew what was going to happen next. I did too, but I didn’t want it to.
I returned my focus to Pa and he shook his head again.
He reached out to cup my face and pulled me closer to plant a kiss on my forehead.
“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” Pa said in a frail voice. “I’m sorry I won’t see you become who you wanted to be. Bellezza, you’ll be a great artist. One of the finest.”
“You gave me my first paint set.” I smiled.
“Yes, and what a good idea that was. Follow your dreams Jia. Follow your heart, bellezza.” He gave me a weak smile and looked to Xander. “Please just get her out of here and make sure she’s safe. She’s the most important thing to me.”
Xander crouched down next to Pa and nodded.
“I will, she’s the most important thing to me too. She will be safe as long as I live.”
