He turns pale and his eyes grow dark, then races straight to the cuffs around Lilly’s wrists.
“I’m sorry, darling.” His voice breaks just before he uses all his strength and rips the metal loops to pieces.
Lilly collapses in my arms. As gently as I can, I place her on my shoulder, turning to leave the room. I need to get her back to the boat, but a spray of bullets sends us stumbling back. My hand slips from her side to her back, her body jerks and the feel of her warm blood on my hands sends a wave of sickness in my stomach. I reposition my hold, trying desperately not to hurt her anymore as Dave takes the lead.
We advance again, firing back as we go. Dave is thrown back as a bullet hits his leg. It doesn’t take him out, only adds to Dante’s fury as he swings his assault rifle over his shoulder and holds the trigger, spraying a steady stream of bullets. Once the coast is clear, we break from the room and hear Tommy over the radio.
“We got him!” he yells. “We got him.”
“Got Lilly too,” Dante answers back. “Get back to the boat. Bring the fucker.”
We move fast through the hallways, as the calls over the radio confirm all threats have been eliminated. They are all dead.
Except one.
And I know this because when we make it to our exit point, Tommy has Sergei’s head locked in his arms, with blood gushing from his abdomen. Eyes open and still ready to be killed.
The anger is unlike anything I’ve experienced. My eyes on the man that could do so much harm to my wife, to a woman, to someone as sweet and beautiful as my Lilly.
“We’ve been called in,” another ex-soldier calls out as he holds his earpiece. “We gotta go.”
“What are we doing with this piece of shit?” Tommy squeezes tighter.
Sergei laughs, then coughs and spits blood from his mouth. “You will die for this.”
Tommy whirls him around, grabbing his shirt and slams his fist in his face and he drops to the floor face first, covered in blood.
“Big talk coming from a dead man,” Dante says in disgust.
Sergei turns his blood-soaked face towards me, his eyes land on Lilly and then on me. “It was worth it to hear her scream.”
“Take. Her,” I say my voice controlled and filled with deadly intent as I hand Lilly to Tommy.
Then turn my attention to the man who will soon know pain for himself.
“Get up you piece of shit,” I say.
He uses his hands to stand, swaying on the spot and even faced with death the sick fuck smiles.
“The first lash that ripped her skin was the loudest. You would be proud, she lasted quite some time. Shame you’re the one that gets to marvel at the scars.”
He cackles as blood sprays from his mouth, and buckles and hunches over holding the side of his stomach. My foot flies forward, striking his face. He flies back and hits the floor with a crack, then a thud.
“Get up!” I scream, the beast coming alive.
He scrambles to his feet, trying to charge me in a weak attempt to knock me to the ground. I meet him bending and tackle him to the ground with a hard hit. Then I let it rip. My fist slams down on his face, over and over. I pound, hard and relentless, and all I see is Lilly’s body strapped up, hanging, lashed and bleeding.
My fist keeps pounding. The hard bone turns to mush, but I don’t stop. Over and over, one fist after the other. I give him everything he deserves.
For Lilly.
For me.
For him taking her life, making her run, taking my sister.
The list is long, and both fists keep pounding.
Until arms grab me, forcing me off, trying to pry me away.