Grey smoke was still surrounding me, obliging me to use my hands as eyes. My mind couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"Damian" my shaky voice came out louder than I thought.
"Damian pleeaase, please say something. I can't see you."
"Isabelle, I'm here. Careful."
"You're alive, thank goodness." I still was shaking with distress.
"The firemen should be here in a short while. Get back where ever you are." I nodded frantically as if he could see me. I 'followed the light' you could say and got safely to where the pilot and stewardess were standing, who were all of a sudden nowhere to be seen as well. Apparently they fled the place already.
As his form started to vaguely reappear out of the smoke I heard sirens getting nearer. "Omg" I gasped in shock, he was covered in blood, from his head to his arms, the dripping blood looked like a horror scene in a movie, impossible to feel real to me at that exact moment.
He was carrying the unconscious body on his back, visibly struggling to keep him there. After he laid him on the ground he started performing CPR. It wasn't giving me the impression that this was his first time performing it either.
The medics arrived quickly and took Damian over, who was now running his rough hand through his disheveled hair. The protruding veins on his arms and visibly distressed look on his face showed me another side of him. Him losing control over his plans really does mess him up.
"Damian, what-what now?" I whispered with my tired raspy voice. He looked at me, making direct eye contact. I didn't expect it to reassure me one bit, but it did.
"Now? ..." He paused and looked around. "Now we go home."
"How?"
"Come on, there's a plane we need to catch." he stood up tall and raised me by the elbow. "Why does this continue happening?" I leaned into his hold and let him carry me to wherever.
"Let's just go." he simply said. The paramedics were preoccupied with the unconscious pilot, who to my big relief was alive and well, while the firefighters were extinguishing the ongoing fire.
"I'm sorry, but you'll need to stay here to report this case." a police officer approached us with a wide blanket.
"No problem, officer. Can we just sit down and come back to our senses; it's been a hectic day."
"That I understand, of course." he offered us a genuine smile with compassion and gave us way to exit the field. As we kept getting closer to the actual exit I curiously looked at Damian. "Are we allowed out?"
"I'll let my local acquaintances know how to resolve the situation, silently."
"Do you really trust them to fix this without you?" I questioned him further on.
"No, but I do trust my money more." he spoke. "Oh." was all I could utter.
"We gotta mix ourselves with the people. I'm booking the first flight home." I sighed with relief when his men in uniform came to us and guided us to his car again. "Get in." His hand pushed me inside lightly, we took off the second he closed the door behind him.
"We won't be going back to the hotel, there's a shop we'll stop by to fix our clothes. At 10 we have a plane to catch, let's hope that one won't explode."
"I hope you're joking, and if you are, it's a stupid joke."
"I'm not. I won't let it happen though, not when 200 innocent people are involved." I gasped. "Fuck." he cursed outta nowhere. I nervously shuffled in my seat.
"It's okay, we're all safe, of course it's pity you lost the jet, Damian, but that's not as important as the lives you saved today." I reached for his hand and tried to caress it with care, however I'm afraid my nervousness got the better of me and grasped it with too much force, treating it like a stress ball.
"Trust me. The jet is the least of my worries." He shook his head. "What I'm worried about are the great lengths he's ready to take to finish me off." my eyes widened at his comment.
"You mean, ..., so this was all planned?" he sighed again, I was seeing another new side of his. I just wished it wasn't such a horrific scene that would cause him to be so vulnerable.
"Who?" I asked him the inevitable question, when he continued ignoring it I pressed on. "Damian, now I need to know who. I've seen enough to deserve at least a small explanation."
"You don't know him."
"Well, maybe I do. Try me." I realized I was still holding his hand and let go.
"David Knight. You'll most possibly meet him in the near future though."
"What do you mean? I'll meet him?" Who was this David? I desperately tried to remember someone by that name, but no one came to mind.
"Indirectly yes. He's not someone who continues hiding. He may appear during his next attack. He's known as the resurrected one to the higher ups. He was 'killed' numerous times before, but continues reappearing again and again, acting like he was the chosen one to defy death."
"The fact that people try to murder him says a lot about his likability I guess, but I still don't know a David Knight." I shook my head.
"You may not know him, but someone else in your family does. And very well at that." his eyes darkened.
"What? My family doesn't come in contact with people like tha..." my mind suddenly blocked. This was it. "My brother" I whispered as I almost felt my soul leave my body.
"Yes." Damian, he sounded angry. "You really don't know anything about your brother, do you?"
"I... I" why wasn't I able to form a proper sentence? Was it shame? Or defeat that prohibited me from saying anything? Every piece of me tried to hold back any emotional outbursts, but when I brought my shaky hands to my face to hide the tears, they couldn't stop flowing down my cheeks.
"I'm a horrible sister." I sobbed as I looked away from him. Damian was actually a complete stranger to me, but he always turned out to be the one in front of whom I let my emotions out.
"No, you're not. He's just not that good of a brother."
"Yes! Damian I'm a bad sister. I should have stayed in the country to support him with whatever he was going through! Instead I left the country with my boss who apparently couldn't give a damn about me." the last part was closer to a whisper.
"You're not to blame. He was a grown man, capable of making his own life decisions. He made a choice, a horrible choice that is. He joined Knight's company and buried himself in his dirt, endangering not only you, but his own wife and kids as well. I know everything Isabelle, more than he'll probably ever tell you." he spoke with confidence, disgust and pity, but as I glanced at him through my blurry view I noticed a fourth well known emotion in his eyes. Anger, it was directed at me.
"H-how do you know?" I hoped he'd answer.
"Because Manuel betrayed me Isabelle, like no other human being on the face of this earth." that wasn't the answer I was hoping for, everything but that. My brother betrayed him? "He did something horrible. Something I wouldn't wish upon my greatest enemy."
"I-is that why you hate me?" it was mouse still afterwards, if a pin was falling, it'd be definitely heard. "I'm sorry. For whatever he did. I know it won't change anything but-"
"Let's stop it here, Isabelle." I looked up. "I'm tired, you're tired and we've got a long trip ahead of us. It's better to leave it at that." he interrupted my pathetic apology. My gaze slowly went down to the seat and stared into nothingness. I was unable to even nod, and no matter how much of my energy hit rock bottom, I wasn't able to close an eye. The whole ride to the store kept me awake in my torturing, depressed and sleepy state.
"We're here." we arrived at a small boutique, all the other shops were closed, but this one still had its lights on, welcoming us to shop there.
"Oh Damian, long time no see, my friend, how are you doing!" An aristocratic woman dressed in black approached him and taking off her gloves offered him her hand, which he gently shook. Damian looked fed up with the pleasantries and got to the point by explaining he needed to get us new outfits. Especially him, I still looked fine, but his disheveled hair and clothes clearly depicted the dangers he escaped.
"Gelda, I'm really sorry for barging in this late in the evening , but I need your help."
"Yes most definitely, I can see that. What happened? You look like you went through hell and you smell like it too." she said pinching her nose.
"You could say that. Asides from that I'm in a big hurry." Damian quickly added.
"Noted, one outfit for Mr Romano in a second."
"Make it two. That is, for my employee here. Something practical please. We have a flight to catch." Gelda turned around and looked at me with curiosity. The least I wanted to complain about were outfit changes, but at that moment I was so tired I couldn't even be bothered.
"Follow me." she guided us to the back and handed Damian his clothes first. To me, she gave a casual outfit with a loose blazer on top. "Thank you. How do you even know my shoe size?"
"It's not my first day working, my chérie." I blinked and hoped I didn't offend her with my question. She suddenly laughed at me. "I'm just kidding of course. I don't have the talent to foresee shoe sizes. Damian showed me your pictures before and gave me your shoe size. It was I who composed those outfits for you."
"I genuinely thought he did it himself" I laughed.
"He doesn't have bad taste, but I'm glad he left that job for a professional." she said proudly flipping her hair.
"The second you came in I immediately noticed you wearing my brand."
"Thank you for the help." I said as I saw Damian pack his bag.
"My pleasure, now off you go, before he loses his temper."
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Damian came out wearing regular casual clothes as well. For once he'll be able to fit into public standards.
"We've got the tickets, come on." He motioned toward me. "Gelda, it was nice seeing you again. Thank you for your work." Damian and I got into the car, yet again on our way to catch a plane.
I noticed the appreciation he had toward his workers, even though in the beginning I found he was lacking at it. I've seen him thanking people for their help and saving others from death.
"Damian, can I call my mother, please." I asked him. "I know you don't like that question, but I just need some reassurance."
"You don't trust me when I say they're all safe and fine, do you?"
"Maybe I do, ..., I just need the comfort of her voice, please." I said, praying for a yes.
"I guess you can give her a call." he said, I first looked at him, quite shocked, because I didn't expect him to say yes. Yet I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you"
I quickly dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. "Hello? Isabelle?!" I heard her loud and shocked voice on the other end.
"Hi, mom. Long time no heard haha" I chuckled nervously, swallowing a big sob. "Where are you? We are waiting for you here, Manuel said you'd come and I couldn't contact you."
"I know, I'm sorry I took so long to call. Is Manuel there as well?"
"Yes, we're all here, except for you. You know how worried I've been? I feel like such a bad mother, I should never have left you alone in that godforsaken city." Now she was the one crying.
"Mom, quit blaming yourself. It was my choice solely to move out. Also, it's a good thing you're all safe and together, you can't even imagine how happy I am to hear that."
"Isabelle Alverez, where are you now? If what you need is money, no worries; I put more than enough money on your bank account."
"No, no mom, everything is fine, I'm fine, I have to finish some business here and then I'll join you all there. "
"Isabelle, answer me honestly, are you really safe? Has nothing strange happened?" My mother sounded desperate.
"...Of course I'm safe, what could possibly happen? I don't even know what's going on, except for Manuel's sudden paranoid behavior." I chuckled lightly to make it sound more truthful.
"You're lying. I hear your voice and I just know you are." her crying increased in frequency. "Just please, get here as fast as you can, nothing is more important than family. I realize that now when it's late, I'm sorry, Isabelle."
"Mom, I'm your daughter, of course I'll be there, with my family. I have to go, I'll call you soon again and I love you mom." I said softly.
"I love you too my beautiful. To the moon and back." I hung up the phone and looked at Damian with a sobbing face.
"What?" he asked me, he heard everything, but didn't interfere for a second, even though he could.
"I need a paper tissue." I continued sobbing like a baby, after all this time away from my mom, I'm still a mama's daughter. Damian gave me his handkerchief, I blow my nose.
"So, why didn't you tell her anything?" he hesitantly asked and nervously scratched the back of his head.
"I cannot let her worry any more, she's a heart patient." I stated. "Are we almost there?" I asked to change the topic. The more I'll talk about this, the more I'll cry.
"Yes, we're almost there." Damian understood me and didn't continue on questioning me any further.
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We arrived at the public airport, subtly following two of Damian's guys, while holding a good distance. They were wearing casual clothes as well, to fit into the normal public. I noticed people staring at Damian, mostly women, ogling him up and down,but I couldn't help but chuckle when they saw me walking next to. To them we may have looked like a couple, because I think a few ladies even cursed me out, by the looks of it. We sat down waiting at the gate.
"Well this is embarrassing." I said and ruffled my bangs to try and hide behind them.
"What?" Damian couldn't help but ask.
"Nothing, you just catch a lot of attention, but I don't really look the part." trust me I wasn't trying to bring myself down. It's just that I've been through a lot of stress, enough to make me look tired and wearied out. I suddenly heard him laugh softly, bringing out a pearly smile.
"You really like that don't you?" I said and wiggled my eyebrows.
"I don't care" he shrugged.
"Yeah right, I thought your public image was important to you?" I now leaned in to him. Damian looked at my sudden movement. "I only care when it benefits me." he stated bluntly.
"As should you, Isabelle" Damian said and opened up his phone.
"I guess you're right about that. I should, but it's not easy." I uttered, slightly ashamed by my weakness.
"I didn't say it's easy, but it would be beneficial for your mental health, that's for sure." I looked at him again, smirking. Him talking about mental health is sadly the funniest thing ever.