The fact that they are letting me see their faces scare me to my core.
I know people usually only do that because they're planning on killing you.
The driver walks me to the boat, holding my upper arm so tightly it would definitely leave a bruise. The harsh lights on the boat are the only form of light, and the waves from the pacific ocean rocked it.
The boat was huge and painted red, and it was clear that it was meant for industrialized fishing.
The salty air burned my nose as my hair blew around from the wind.
He pulled me onto the boat, our footsteps becoming rocky from the waves. As we walked, I studied the faces of every person we passed.
And more or less, they all looked the same. Black outfits. Guns in their waistline. Tattoos on their body.
"That husband of yours has racked up quite a few enemies, hm?" The driver spoke as if he were amused.
I wonder if he'd still be amused if I kicked him in the fucking balls.
Which, I would. If he didn't have a goddamn gun pressed against my back.
"So, that's how you play? Kill the woman he loves? Pretty dirty if you ask me," the words sounded bitter coming out of my mouth.
The man forced a smile and laugh before throwing me onto the cold and hard ground. I nearly broke my hip from it, and taking the time to process if my bone was broken distracted me from the fact that he handcuffed my left hand to a metal pole on the wall.
My hair stuck to my face as the boat rocked. I looked up at him, "If you're going to kill me, just do it. No need for theatrics."
"Just keep your mouth shut," he spat.
A younger man came into view from my left. He spoke to the driver, "Good job. We're lucky they sent us her location at that exact moment."
"Let's just get the money from Ezra," the driver replied before turning his eyes to look at me. "And then, we'll kill her."
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? I know we have orders from-"
The driver cut him off, "I'm fucking positive. That boy deserves nothing."
My head tilted and my body stilled for a moment. That boy.
"You're Ezra's dad, aren't you?" I nearly whispered.
His mouth turned up in amusement as he looked at me. Staring at him, I began to notice some similarities. Same black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. He had the same jaw shape, but the look behind his eyes was completely different.
"Like I said. Keep your mouth shut," he repeated.
He and the younger man started to walk away. The lights on the boat didn't light up all of it, so once they were out of the light, I couldn't see them anymore.
Ezra will find me.
I tug on the pole, but the handcuff didn't come loose. I mutter under my breath, "Shit."
My body jerked as the boat went 'ding' and started to move forward into the waves. Panic started to rise in my throat, wondering how the hell Ezra could possibly find me in the middle of the fucking ocean.
The large boat turned, and the sound of waves crashing is the only thing I could hear. As we started moving further and further into the water, something bright caught the corner of my eye.
They set the car his dad had taken me in on fire.
It didn't take long for my wrist to start to hurt. My knees, too, since the floor was made out of metal. No matter how many times I tried to free my wrist, it didn't work.
The ocean seemed more rocky than usual tonight.
"There's the woman of the hour," Ezra's dad's voice nearly made me jump out of my skin.
I didn't respond to him; just kept my teeth clenched.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket while holding a gun in his other.
He shoved the barrel of the gun into my mouth, nearly making me gag on it as he raised his phone to his ear.
ϟ Ezra POV ϟ
My fist drips blood from punching my desk for the fourth fucking time.
"Enough! We'll find her again-"
I cut Eliza off, "And what if we don't, hm? What if this time, we don't?"
My voice echoes in the entire house. Eliza, Asher, and Martín stand in my room with me as I lose my fucking mind.
"Somebody is gonna die for this - no, multiple people are gonna die for this," I say to myself.
My phone rings against my desk, and I answer it in an instant.
"Lilac?" I say into the phone, praying to hear her perfect voice.
"Guess again," the sound of my father's voice makes my stomach drop.
He has her.
"Where is she," I demand to know,
Eliza watches me with wide eyes, her being equally as surprised to hear his voice.
"Let's make a deal, boy. 50 million dollars, and I'll return your wife back to you," the amount of confidence in his voice makes me wish I could reach through the phone and fucking kill him.
I reply without hesitation, "Deal. Now where is she."
"Why don't I show you?"
The feeling of my phone vibrating against my ear sends nausea through my body. I can already tell I'm not going to like this.
I open the image, and my jaw clenches harder than ever before. Anger fills my body, looking at a picture of her with a gun in her mouth.
It makes me so mad that I can't look away. I hear his voice say, "You're going to want to send that money soon, boy."
My grip on the phone goes tighter, making it break in my hand. Eliza steps in front of me, "Where is she?"
"I don't fucking know."
"Then think!"
I think about the picture over and over again in my head. She could be anywhere, she could be-
"They're on a boat," I realize.
My dad used to be a fisherman. I remember every boat he's ever owned, and I was positive that it was one of his.
"And how are we going to get on this boat?" Martín asked.
"We can't catch up on another boat. There's only one option," I say to all of them. "A helicopter."
-------
"Ezra, you've got to be kidding me," Asher looked at me as if I were crazy.
We all sat in the helicopter, the propellers spinning quickly. I narrowed my eyes at him, "You wanna swim instead?"
"I don't know how to fly a fucking helicopter!" he raised his voice.
I grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him toward me a little, "Well, you do now."
Having somebody fly a helicopter that didn't know how to obviously wasn't the smartest plan. But my worry for Lilac and my hatred for my dad made me not give a shit that we could crash on the way there.
"You guys all better start praying," Asher said quietly before flicking one of the switches.
The helicopter rose in the air, but was a bit shaky. The only place they could be was a little far off the dock, and we knew exactly where that was.
"Jesus Christ!" Eliza shouted and grabbed onto her seat as Asher started flying the helicopter forward.
"Asher, move more gently!" Martín yelled.
Asher turned around in his seat, "Shut the fuck up and stop making me nervous!"
Yea, I'd say it's about 50/50 if we die on the way there.
I look at the seats at the back that we put all of our weapons on. Guns, C-4, snipers. I didn't know what the fuck we were going into - there could be 100 people in on it for all I know.
Asher continued flying the helicopter forward, toward the ocean.
The sky was pitch black, but sunrise would start soon. My leg bounced up and down anxiously, as I sat there, only being able to hope that Lilac was okay.
The ocean came into view. I sat up in my seat, looking down at the dark water.
"I don't see anybody..." Asher observed.
We all looked out of the window. The waves were large and the wind was strong, making Asher tighten his grip while he steered.
"Do you think mom is there, too?" Eliza quietly asked me.
I bit my lip for a moment, "I don't fucking know. But I hope not."
As much as I hate my parents, I've always hoped that I'd never have to kill my mom. My dad, I couldn't give less of a shit about him. But even after all these years, the thought of hurting my mom causes a feeling in my stomach that I'm not used to.
"There!" Eliza yelled, pressing her finger against the window while she pointed.
Down in the water, you could see a large boat with a few lights on heading further out into the ocean.
"Uh...okay...now how the fuck are we supposed to get on it with a fucking helicopter!" Asher stressed.
Shit.
"Just get near it - and we'll jump. Then you keep flying near us so we're able to get Lilac and get the fuck back on here," I decided, my decision unnegotiable.
Asher listened to me, lowering the helicopter closer to the boat. I started to grab the guns, giving both Eliza and Martín an AK-47 and a pistol. I grabbed some grenades, putting them on a chain underneath my shirt.
As we started to get closer to the boat, Eliza worried, "I'm scared, Ezra."
"Don't be. You've got this, okay?" I spoke gently to her.
She continued looking at me as Asher opened the door, making her dark hair flying around. She forced a nod and a smile, taking a deep breath.
We were now close enough to jump. Asher yelled, "Jump before I crash into the fucking boat!"
Eliza leaned out of the helicopter, gripping her gun tightly before jumping. Martín jumped next, both of them landing on the edge of the back of the boat.
"Shit - Ezra, now!" Asher shouted as the helicopter started to move away from the boat.
I jumped, nearly missing the boat. I grabbed onto the railing, hanging off of the boat as the large and dark waves crashed beneath me. I pulled myself up and swung myself over the railing, my boots landing on the other side.
The boat was dark, and you could only see where the lights were lighting up.
We all held our guns, but the waves made it difficult to keep our footing.
"There they are!" an unfamiliar voice called.
A group of four men came into view. They all held guns, and without hesitation, I started firing my gun.
Eliza and Martín did, too. My eardrums throbbed as the bullets flew, hitting all four of the men and making them fall to the ground before being able to fire a single shot.
I started walking in the direction they had come from, keeping my gun raised. Eliza and Martín followed closely behind me, stepping over the multiple dead bodies.
I glance around, but don't see anybody. I take a single step out when somebody jumps out from beside me, but before they can even reach me, a bullet goes through their skull.
I turned around and see Eliza smiling widely at me, "You're welcome."
I scan the boat. I tell them, "Let's split up - take some of these."
I give them both two grenades each. Eliza goes to check the lower level, Martín goes to the upper one, and I stay on the main level.
Keeping my gun aimed in front of me, I take slow steps toward the front of the boat. Everybody on this boat knew that we were here; including my dad.
My steps are silent. As I head closer to the front of the boat, I hear an explosion from below me, telling me that Eliza used her grenades.
Since I can't see anybody right now, I take this time to plant some C-4, just in case.
And then, I hear a voice.
I stand up, holding my breath to hear better.
"She's not like Ezra. She doesn't have the guts to kill or hurt any of us," a voice I didn't recognize spoke. "She isn't a threat, we should just kill her now."
Those words make me run forward, my need to protect her clouding the fact that I could be walking into a 10 v 1.
I start letting bullets rain as I step into the light, now standing at the front of the boat.
Five men were there, but none of them were my dad. The bullets hit them, one after the other, making them groan and fall to the ground.
"Ezra?" Lilac's voice reaches my ears.
My head snaps to the right. She sits on her knees, wide-eyed with her hand handcuffed to a pole on the wall.
I breathe in relief seeing her okay, "Lilac."
I rush over to her, using all of my strength to rip the handcuff off of the wall. It lands on the ground, the sound of it colliding echoing on the boat. She jumps up into my arms, wrapping herself tightly around me.
She's here. She's with me. She's okay. I told her tighter than ever before, thanking the heavens I get to breathe in her coconut smell.
"Are you okay, baby?" I release her to check her for any injuries.
She opens her mouth, "Y-"
Seeing my dad and 3 other men approach from behind her makes me grab her and put her behind me, blocking her with my body.
"I don't see the money," my dad stands across from me with a smile.
The wind blows his hair and shirt. I aim my gun at him, but the second I do, the three men aim their guns at me. I adjust my footing to make sure I'm covering Lilac completely.
"Eliza has it. Let her come with it," I lie, just trying to buy time.
My dad laughs, "Eliza chose you over us. She's as dead to me as you are. Grab the girl."
"Don't fucking come near her!" I yell, the wind aggressively whipping my hair around.
The men start walking forward, keeping their guns aimed at me.
"It's okay, Ezra," Lilac says gently, stepping beside me.
I used my hand to stop her, "You're not-"
"Trust me," she whispers, staring up at me with a serious expression.
I stand there. Conflicted.
"Please," she adds.
I clench my teeth and look to the side for a moment. And then take a step back.
Watching one of the men grab her arm makes me want to blow his brains out so fucking badly.
"The money, boy," my dad smiles at me.
I stare at him with nothing other than hate on my face. I'd give him all the money in the world to keep Lilac alive, but I'd rather see him dead.
A loud bang goes off, nearly making me jump. It takes me a second to process what happened, and when I do, my eyes widen in shock.
Lilac took the pistol from my waistline without me even knowing it, shooting one of the men in the back of the head.
Once the other men realized, they pointed their guns at her again.
I shoot them both in the heart, bullets ripping through their chests. They make noises of pain before falling to the ground, bleeding out onto the floor.
"Ezra?!" Eliza calls out in concern, her and Martín now coming into view. But once they see Lilac and I alive, they relax.
I turn around to fire the last bullet at my dad. But he's gone.
"Find him!" I yell.
"Ezra, Asher's coming back with the helicopter," Eliza points to the reapproaching black helicopter.
I pull Lilac into my chest, kissing her forehead quickly. I tell Eliza, "All of you get on. I'm not leaving until he's dead."
They all start trying to convince me not to. They all start yelling my name as I start to run in the direction my dad went.
I'm not leaving until he's dead.
All I can hear is the sound of helicopter propellors and waves as I start searching the floor for my dad. With my gun in front of me, I search the entire floor.
I make my way upstairs to the top floor. The winds were more intense up here, nearly knocking me off my feet.
Walking around, I look around every corner for him.
Then, I hear a noise behind me.
I whip around, aiming my gun. And then my heart falls in my chest.
"Lilac, what the fuck are you doing still on here?" I worry.
She steps toward me, "I'm not letting you risk your life like this alone."
I'm going to kill Eliza and Martín.
"Get that look off your face. Eliza and Martín went on before me, and then I ran," she crossed her arms like she could read my thoughts.
"You-"
I get cut off by something metal hitting the back of my head.
Ringing fills my ears as I stumble forward. My vision goes blurry as I use a hand to keep myself from falling to the floor. I take long blinks, trying to understand what just happens. My blurry eyes see drops of blood fall onto the floor from the back of my head.
Through the sound of ringing, I hear fighting behind me. Grunts, punches. After one more long blink, I push myself up and turn around.
My dad stands against the railing, holding Lilac. Her eyes are wide, knowing she's one move away from being thrown into the water.
"Let her go, please, I'll let you kill me" I offer in an instant.
His forehead has a large gash in it that leaves blood trickling down the side of his face, courtesy of Lilac.
He laughs, revealing blood-stained teeth.
"You can't fool me, boy," he laughs.
He keeps Lilac nearly hanging off of the boat, holding her by her neck.
I keep my gun pointed at him.
"You're the one that put the bounty on her?" I question over the wind.
He stares at me with a smile for a moment.
"No," he shakes his head. "In fact, this wasn't even my idea. But I gladly went along with the plan."
My eyebrows lower, "Who's idea was it?"
A chuckle comes out of his throat, some bloodied spit flying from his mouth. He doesn't answer me, making me repeat my question louder.
"You're going to kill me no matter what. And I'd rather die, not helping you at all," he smiled, the blood from his face hitting the floor.
My heart felt like it stopped beating as he released Lilac.
I screamed, "No!"
She fell backward, off of the large boat. The waves were so large that I wasn't sure if it was even possible to survive, if you survive the fall.
I don't waste a second. I fire my gun, sending a single bullet into my dads head. The bullet hole drips as his eyes go to the back of his head, before lifelessly falling to his knees.
I run over to the side of the boat. My eyes frantically search the pitch black waves for Lilac, but I can't see a fucking thing.
I climb over the railing, swinging my legs over it. I press the button in my pocket, making the C-4 I planted explode, just in case there were any more people on the boat. The hot flames roared, the boat smoking as it warmed my back.
I turned my head to look back at the water.
And then I jumped in.
Word count: 3214