Seventy Three

***Ruby***

While some men tended to Mark Lumber’s injury which didn’t have a good look, old man Matt circled the three hostages that were in the room. I was back on the chair, tied down as well. Adonis and Jake had been forced to kneel and some men were placed behind them. Those men watched the duo keenly as did their guns which were pointed at their heads.

I sighed hard as my health situation got even worse. At intervals, my body shook, due to fear and the terrible state of my headache. At that point, my system had gotten used to the loud banging but that didn’t mean I wasn’t in pain.

I was trying so hard to hide it but my entire body felt like it had been hit with a huge rock.

“Where on earth are the fools that went to get the ropes?” Matt hollered as his annoying footsteps came to a halt and his eyes fell furiously on the entrance which was now destroyed thanks to the earlier exchange of bullets. “I need to make sure that these bastards don’t escape. Especially Adonis."

”I’m sure they are on their way,” one of the goons replied.

“Don Matt,” one of the men tending to Mark Lumber whose groans kept filling the space, called.

“What is it?”

“I don’t think he will make it. He is losing too much blood.”

“Save him! I don’t care what you have to do!” Matt shouted at the men whose hands were covered in blood. “He can’t die. How am I going to get what I want if he dies? How would you expect me to pay you if he dies?”

A chuckle came from one of the men on their knees. With a frown on my face, I queried Adonis’s choice of reaction. We were not in a situation that permits laughter or an open display of cockiness.

“Why are you chuckling, fool?” Matt angrily rushed towards Adonis who was now wearing a smile on his face.

With audacity in his eyes and, in his voice, Adonis asked, “Did you kidnap Ruby because you need more money?”

”Well…” The old man cleared his throat. It seems Adonis has some kind of hold on him. A brief eye contact and the man shifted his gaze instantly. “You know we do anything to keep the gang running.”

”We don’t lose our integrity because of money. We don’t kill our members because we want more money!” Adonis said sternly, his eyes filled with anger.
Something must have happened, I could tell that much because the man was almost shaking with fury.
“How could you Matt Xylem? How could you have killed Maximus? Do you really think the gang would function better if you got rid of your nephew? Do you think getting money by using Ruby would do you any good?”

”You can’t judge my choice, Adonis. You-”

”I never knew you were this dumb. Now that Maximus is dead, do you think everything will be fine? Do you think things will go as easily as you want? Money can’t fix the damage you’ve brought upon the gang. Money can’t assure you the place you desperately want.”

I finally got an answer as to why something seemed off with Adonis. Maximus had been killed.

“How dare you talk to me like that? You are just a kid that was abandoned by his parents. You won’t be anything if not for the gang.” Matt scoffed. “You have no right to act like you own the gang.”

”At least I am or I was not stupid enough to take wrong steps.”

”Oh, so I am stupid now?” Matt asked as their exchange of words became heated.

“Yes,” Adonis replied monotonously. “Kidnapping Ruby is the evidence that you are dumb.”

”Lecture me. How is kidnapping your little girlfriend a wrong move? As far as I know, Mark Lumber is her father and he is the one I am helping.”

”Mark Lumber is not her father on paper. In fact, he has never been her father. Dominic Powers who is recognized as her father won’t sit back. I am certain he already has cops coming this way and when they come, it is over. The gang which we have kept hidden for years will be discovered. A little more digging and it will be really over. Can you see now how stupid you are?”

Matt tilted his head as Adonis’s words sank into the atmosphere. Everyone in the room had their eyes on him as we all waited to speak. I was curious about what he had to say in response.

“So, you really think I am ruining the very gang I am trying to rule?”

”You ruined it the moment you had Maximus killed. The gang was never yours and it will never be. No matter the number of shortcuts you take, no matter how much money you have, you will never be the one that sits on the throne of Xylem gang.”

”Well, if I don’t get the gang,” Matt shrugged, “I can always make sure I get my money and how am I going to do that?” Matt turned and faced me with a creepy smile. Once behind me, his hands on my shoulders, he continued, “I am going to leave this place with Ruby before those cops come and I am going to get her to the man who would hand over half of his wealth in exchange for the peace of mind he would get when his legitimate granddaughter is right with him.”

Adonis scoffed. “Doesn’t any of this seem dubious to you?”

“Are you trying to call me stupid again?” Matt sounded like he was fed up.

“No. I just think you are about to be scammed. But,” Adonis quickly withheld the rest of his words, “it’s your business and none of mine. Please, go on with what you were doing.”

I frowned. What does he mean by the man should go on?

I glared at Adonis instantly, my eyes making sure to question his choice of words and all the man did was smile at me, give a slight nod and somehow, I could hear him telling me to trust him, nothing would go wrong.

My eyes darted towards Jake who managed to stay very silent. I looked at his kneeling figure apologetically. I have no idea how he found out I was in danger but I felt so sorry that he had to be at that very place. A place that could really result into him being hurt.

Another deep sigh escaped me as we all waited for the men that went to get ropes. Groans coming from Mark Lumber filled the air as well and it finally occurred to me that the man was very hurt. I managed a glance in his direction and the bloody sight that I saw did not assure the life of the man being sustained.

He actually looked like he was about to die. His face was gradually losing colour. As the men beside him tended to his wound, his neck kept folding and his head showed signs of blueness. He looked almost dead.

Jake must have hit him badly earlier.

My concern for my biological father barely lasted a second. My attention was back to the main situation as the men that went to get ropes walked into the room, drenched in some kind of liquid which turned out to be kerosene based on the smell they gave off.

“Why on earth do you fools reek of kerosene?” Matt finally left my back and he walked towards the men who looked like they were fed up of the life they were living.

"He made us drink it..." One of them spoke soberly.

"Then he poured it all over us..." Another spoke, his voice carrying the same tone of tiredness as the first man.

"Then, he made us pour the fuel all over the building."

"What?" Matt's steps fell back gradually as their statements sent shock waves into everyone in the building. Even Mark Lumber looked surprised. "Who is this person?"

Before the men could answer, Adonis hurriedly got up and rushed to my side.

"I'll start loosening the rope very soon, just stay calm," he said as I questioned his motion with my eyes.

"It is that psycho kid, Bryan." The question from earlier got a response and that answer gave me the feeling that things were about to get worse.

"What on earth is he doing? Doesn't he know who is on his side?" Matt seemed disoriented all of a sudden, I could see why Adonis would use that chance to get me out of the tightness of the rope.
"You," the man pointed at one of the men that was supposed to be keeping their guns pointed at Adonis and Jake, "get that bastard in here and-"

"Arghhh!" Both men with the drenched bodies suddenly got engulfed in flames. The fire was fiery, it spared no part of their bodies, it didn't mind their pleading screams. The men introduced chaos into the space and everyone ran for safety as they danced without control while begging for the fire to be put out.

The sight in front of me scared me but I needed to get loose first. Adonis who was already working on cutting ropes made use of a small knife from his pocket.

While keeping an eye out for the men who were burning gradually, I watched with desperation as Adonis got rid of the ropes.
My hands were already feeling the grip of freedom when the battered entrance suddenly blew off onto the floor.

The fire in the room was joined by another and soon, the entire building had flames swallowing its walls in all directions.

Jake who had been lying down for some seconds rushed towards Adonis and I and helped get rid of the rope around my legs.

When I was finally free, when I tried to get up, the structure rumbled, a few rubbles of sand fell onto the ground from the rooftop.
I have no idea what Bryan was doing but I could see death at the end of his actions.

That was more reason to leave that place as soon as possible.

I steadied my feet and reached for the hand of both men. As I tugged, the sound of shattering glass filled the air, and the small bits of the windows that made the building have some light fell.

Adonis quickly caged me in his arms, he used his back as a shield but I still got hit by the glass. Small cuts on my hands were the evidence. But those small cuts were little compared to the big one that suddenly fell on Adonis's back.

I felt him flinch as he held me tighter and I got more scared. Between the building being set on fire and the building being torn apart, there were more and more reasons to be afraid.

Holding on to each other wouldn't help issues at all.

"Adonis..." I called him as I tried to leave his hold. He refused to let me go. He held me so tight, my heart clenched at the thought that if things go wrong, I might never see him again.
"Please, Adonis... We need to leave this place."

It was starting to feel crazily hot. No one was bothered about money or gang issues. Everyone was trying to find a way to escape, but huge chunks of the structure kept falling onto the ground, dimming our chances of survival.

"Adonis..." I held his shirt firmly as his back started to suffer more hurt.

"I see an exit. We should leave before it is blocked," Jake's voice quickly offered a way to survive, and the three of us, after briefly seeing how much of a disaster the entire room was, made our way to the small opening at the far end of the room.

Luckily, we were able to jump over the obstacles in our way. Even the vibrating floor couldn't stop our hurrying feet.
It seemed escape was certain after all.

I wore a small smile as the exit moved closer and closer. I was happy that all wouldn't end
there. I was happy that Adonis would still get to be part of my life. My parents will still be my parents and my friends will no longer be in danger because of me.

With gladness, I reached out for the weak door that was the gateway to our survival.

All that happy feeling disappeared soon and got replaced with confusion.

Someone pushed me from behind and before I could look back to see who it was, a loud bang had a huge concrete structure blocking my sight of the burning room ahead.

While I thanked the heavens for saving us from death, I looked to my left to see if Adonis was okay.

He wasn't there.

I looked to my right, Jake was walking towards the fallen structure, calling Adonis's name.

"Adonis?" I called for him as well.
"Adonis, where are you?"

"Ruby..." My eyes clouded with tears, I looked in Jake's direction. "He is on the other side."

"We need to get him out!" I screamed into his face.

"We will. But let's get out of here so that we can get help."

"But that place is burning! Everything in there is falling apart!" At that point, I couldn't control my emotions. "Did you see the machines in there? If they fall on anyone, the person will die! Adonis must not die."

"He won't, Ruby." Jake reached for my hand but I jacked it off. I was almost rushing towards the fallen concrete when he carried me bridal style and rushed towards the exit.

I beat him, I screamed into his ears, I pulled his hair, I expressed my fears, I cried about not wanting Adonis to die but he got us out of the place anyway.

As soon as we stepped out, a huge explosion occurred and we both fell onto the ground. With devastation all over my system, I crawled towards the falling building.

I felt Jake pulling me back, asking me to stay calm, telling me that Adonis would be fine.

But with what I was seeing, Adonis was not going to be fine. He could die. My heart can't take it if I don't ever see him. I just want him to stay alive.

"Adonis!" I cried out as another bang hit the floor. But, in addition to the chaos in my system, the bang made my heart jump so much, I had that feeling again.

I felt suffocated instantly, my head seemed clouded with nothing but thoughts of death.
And the next second, while Adonis's name was still on my lips, I slipped into darkness and another long sleep.