~ WOODS ~
“What are you waiting for? Shoot him dead” Matteo said to Cesare who was starring down at an unconscious Mariano.
“Shoot him and get me out of here” Matteo yelled once again jolting him out of his reverie.
Cesare was about to shoot Mariano again when he heard a gun shot from behind.
“Are you okay, Cesare?” Alexis asked as he arrived with four men in toll.
“I am but Mariano has been shot” Cesare said faking an anxious look.
“You three, help me get the boss to the hospital while you take this rotten bastard to the torture room” Alexis said to the four men that accompany him.
“Don’t I get to be treated? Am injured too” Matteo said as he was taken away by the guards.
“I will call for an ambulance” Cesare said, pulling out his phone to make a call.
*****
~ SAND CASTLE VILLA ~
“Where’s Lucas?” Camila asked as Selena walk into her room.
“He’s with his great grandfather. You don’t have to worry about him” Selena said.
“That’s good since am going to sand castle” Camila said as she made to leave but Selena stop her.
“It’s dangerous over there”
“Which is why I have to go. Mariano is in the danger you said, I can’t let anything happen to him” Camila said fiercely.
“You shouldn’t leave. Mariano will be more at ease knowing you are here safe and sound”
“Don’t try to stop me, Selena” Camila said trying to walk past her and at that moment the door open revealing Enzo and Luna.
“Something has happen right?” Camila asked, starring at the two of them.
“Mariano has been shot. He’s at the hospital as we speak” Luna told the terrible news.
A while later, a pale looking Camila ran into the waiting room along with a worried Enzo.
“What happen to Mariano? Where’s my husband?” Camila demanded on seeing Stephan, Alexis and Cesare.
“He’s being operated on, we only have to wait” Stephan inform and she broke down in tears.
“Everything is going to be fine, Mariano is a strong man” Cesare said and when she kept crying, he pulled her into his arms and he couldn’t hide the satisfaction of having her in his arms.
It wasn’t until an hour later that the doctor came out of the operating room.
“The operation is a success but am afraid to tell you that he’s fallen into a coma” the doctor inform.
“A coma? When will he wake up?” Camila asked.
“Perhaps tomorrow or next week or months or even years. We can’t predict patients who are in a coma” the doctor said and after telling them a thing or two more, he left.
“If I ever get my hands on Lilo and his men, am going to kill them” Stephan let out in anger.
“Same here” Alexis added.
“Lilo and his men aren’t the important thing here. What is important is that we get Mariano out of the hospital, it’s risky if he keeps on staying here” Cesare said.
“We can’t take him back to sand castle but we can take him to the villa” Alexis suggest.
“That will be good. Is it okay with you, Camila?” Cesare asked.
“As long as he is safe, I don’t mind” Camila replied.
“It’s decided then, in the next two days we will take him to the villa” Cesare said.
*****
~ LATER THAT DAY~ EVENING ~ THY DEVIL ABODE ~
“What? Someone gave Mariano a heads-up? Who?” Cesare yelled at the guard who told him this info.
“That’s what am trying to find out, boss”
“Then do your best to find out who it is. If there’s a spy within us then he or she has to die!” Cesare said, fuming.
“Pardon my saying boss but no one among us will ever betray you. Except for Lilo’s sister”
“What do you mean by my sister? Are you crazy!” Lilo who has been silently watching spoke up.
“Your sister have stayed long with Mariano clan. You never know, she might be the spy” The guard said again.
“Say that one more time and I will…”
“Enough! Go continue with your finding” Cesare said and the guard left.
“How dare he say that!” Lilo said still fuming with anger.
“He might actually be saying the truth. Your sister must have gotten cold feet and must have reveal the truth to Mariano” Cesare said.
“She wouldn’t. She knows how much you’ve done for us, she won’t ever betray you” Lilo said.
“I hope so. Setting that aside, we have another mission to carry out” Cesare said.
“Are we busting Matteo out ?”
“Of course not! If we get him out, we are likely to be caught. Let him stay there for some few days, that will give him more sense and am sure, he wouldn’t dare rat me out” Cesare stated fiercely.
“Then what mission are you talking about?”
“In two days time. Mariano will be taken back to the villa and we are going to use that opportunity to kill him completely”
“Must we? He’s practically dead after all” Lilo said.
“He is like you’ve said since he’s in a coma but I don’t want to take any chance. The earlier we kill him completely, the better for us” Cesare said.
“Do you have a plan in mind?”
“Alexis and Stephan plans on using the helicopter to transport him but I will tamper with it and so they will have no choice but to transport him using an ambulance and that’s where we attack” Cesare said.
“Not bad. Let me get our boys” Lilo said, making way to the door.
“I only need a few of them. This will be short and precise and also I will be joining you in this mission”
“But it might be risky for you” Lilo said quickly.
“Don’t worry, I have it all in control” Cesare said in return.
*****
~ TWO DAYS LATER ~ THE DAY MARIANO WILL BE TAKEN TO THE VILLA~ HOSPITAL ~
“We are just coming back from the castle. The helicopter has a problem” Alexis announce.
“But it was fine just yesterday” Stephan said.
“Things like this happen. We need to look for an alternate cause the longer he stays here, the danger it is for him” Cesare said.
“Do you know what we can do?” Camila said to Cesare.
“We take him by road. We get the ambulance to take him there while we get enough men to follow the ambulance till it gets to the villa, what do you say?” Cesare suggest.
“Seems okay with me” Camila replied.
“I will go get our men ” Alexis said.
“And I will go tell the doctor of the new arrangement” Stephan said.
“And I will stay here, keeping Camila company till you return” Cesare said.
“Thanks for all your help Cesare. I don’t know what would have happen if you aren’t around” Camila said some time later as they both sat at the waiting room, drinking a cup of coffee.
“You ought to realise that am willing to do anything for you” Cesare replied, stroking back a loose strand of her hair.
“If someone hear you saying that, they might think you are into me or something” Camila said jokingly and when he said nothing, she became serious.
“It isn’t really that right?” Camila asked.
“If you hadn’t gotten pregnant with Mariano’s son. Where do you think you will be by now?” Cesare asked suddenly.
“I might be touring the whole world. It has always been a dream of mine to tour the world but then…things change and I had to put an end to my plan” Camila replied.
“Don’t give up hope yet. If Mariano and Lucas someday leave your life, you can be free to do wh@tëver you want, right?”
“Er….I can but I don’t want them leaving my life. They are very important to me” Mariano said.
“Is Mariano also important to you?” Cesare asked.
“Very much. Turns out that I love him” Camila said making him clench his fist in anger.
An hour later they set off for the villa. With the ambulance in front along with four cars which had Stephan and Alexis in it, they all set off.
Cesare who had told them to go while he fill the necessary form for Mariano discharge stood at the entrance of the hospital, watching them leave.
He pulled out his phone and dialled Lilo’s number.
“They are on their way now. Make sure you stop the four car behind them and also Camila is in the ambulance with Mariano. Do not hurt her till I get there” Cesare said and went into the hospital.
Half an hour later, Cesare got to where Lilo and his men were waiting for the ambulance to show up.
“Aren’t they here yet?” Cesare asked as he sat in the car.
“I just got a call from one of our men. He said that they’ve manage to distract Mariano’s men and that the ambulance is the only car heading our way. It will be here soon” Lilo said.
“The ambulance is here, boss” one of their men inform.
Cesare stayed in his car until the ambulance got to where they were.
He got out of his car and went towards the ambulance.
“Where is the driver?” Cesare asked.
“Over there sir” Lilo replied pointing to a lady who was kneeling on the floor.
“But it was a man driving earlier” Cesare said as he walk towards the lady to tilt her face up.
“What the hell are you doing here, Luna!” Cesare yelled.
“Let’s just say that we the savages have a surprise for you” Luna replied.
“What sur….” Cesare didn’t get to complete his words because the ambulance suddenly explode.
Some of Cesare men were injured badly while some ran off including Lilo.
Seeing that Cesare was distracted, Luna used the back of her gun to hit Cesare on the head.
It took some minutes for the pain to subside and when he was about to shoot Luna, someone kicked his hand, sending his gun flying off.
From the floor he was seated, he look up to see Mariano along with Alexis, Stephan, Luna and Enzo starring down at him.
“What are you guys doing?” Cesare asked, blood tickling down from his head.
“Uprooting an enemy” Mariano replied and gave him a kick on the face which made him lose conciousness…..
TBC💚
