I get in the car, punch in the coordinates Rage sent into the GPS and start driving to the place.
I still can’t get the idea of Dante being alive out of my head. What if this is just false hope?
Come on, Bruno. Think…
AK-47s use a 7.62 by 39-millimeter full metal jacket round that would pierce through a regular car like it was made of paper. Nobody could’ve survived being shot six times at that distance, let alone endure an entire magazine…
But we never got proof of death. I mean, besides that fucking video.
In the extended video, I found in Asad’s laptop, they pick up the chair, and Dante’s still bound to it. But he’s not showing any bullet holes or wounds, I should say. Instead, they put a bag on his head. That’s kidnapping 101. Right?
I’m already an hour in and I still need to drive for one more.
But if he’s alive... Why didn’t he try to contact me? I mean, after all this time, I’m sure he had more than one chance to make contact.
That’s something Asad will have to explain tonight. I spot Rage’s Jeep and stop next to it.
I turn off the engine, step out of my car and get into Rage’s.
“Professor…” He chooses the right nickname to greet me. The Professor is here and ready to crack some bones tonight. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the information he needs, get my brother back, make the family whole again and make sure I get back to Sarah’s arms.
“I ain’t gonna lie. I’m surprised you compromised this much to the whole situation,” I confess.
“I have unfinished business with Bad Blood,” he replies without a hint of worry.
You son of a bitch. Now it makes perfect sense…
“That’s why he got away. I gotta be honest, I thought he made it out alive on his own, and that you were growing soft or old. Maybe a little bit of both.” Rage never missed a mark, and the ones who got away were just another target for him. This motherfucker loves the hunt.
He scoffs. “I brought a set of tools. They’re in the back seat. I doubt that you carry any in that fancy little car of yours.”
There are three open briefcases on the back seat. One of them has guns, the second has bladed weapons and the third one has a ‘lumberjack kit,’ or something like it. This could be interesting.
“Is that a hacksaw? You came prepared,” I say in surprise. But he’s not paying attention to me anymore; he’s already focused on the new mission.
“Get ready, we’re moving,” he says.
I turn around to grab a weapon and I hear the driver’s door click open. This lunatic is ready to roll.
He quickly grabs some rope and what seems to be a tranquilizer rifle.
We approach a small house on foot, without any lights on the perimeter and no visible traps or any kind of security measures. Not even an alarm that will warn about trespassers. I guess there’s no need for that since we’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. But then again, this is supposed to be a safehouse. Now that I think about it, a safe house would have been a bad choice, given that we found them before. It’s only logical that they picked an off-the-grid place.
The house is surrounded by pine trees. Sadly, the place smells great, if you consider it will be a bloodbath soon. A red Harley is parked near the porch.
“There’s the bike they used to escape. We need to disable it. Puncturing the tires should work,” I point out.
“That’s a negative. That beauty used to be mine, and she will be again. Stay away from her.” I’m not gonna lie, I did not see that coming. He referred to the bike as a ‘she.’ Clearly, there’s a story there— heavy, dark and full of blood.
The night is dark, the sky is cloudy, and the air is packed with humidity, allowing us to be even stealthier. The thick old curtains are drawn, making it impossible to look inside. Luckily for us, they are not being too quiet. And that allows us to know where they are inside.
“I need to gather more men, Leon! I lost seven of them in one take! This is not looking good for me. Soon, I’ll start to be questioned or second-guessed. People will start to doubt my presidency. I can’t take any more chances.” We can hear Bad Blood yell angrily at Asad.
“Then do it. That should be easy. I’ve paid you a small fortune for protection and so far, I haven’t got my money’s worth. Instead, I get to hear you whine about how big of a failure you are,” Asad replies with that annoying voice of his.
I turn right to check on Rage, only to realize he’s gone. I look back in front of me and I hear a door being burst open.
“What the fu—” Bad Blood says.
