Chapter 23: The beginning of chaos

Ana
Chaos woke me up in the middle of the night. Screams and gunshots echoed throughout the house, and the strong smell of smoke filled my lungs. I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding a mile a minute, and ran towards the door. Before leaving, I grabbed the gun Paolo always told me to keep handy.
"Paolo!" I shouted, desperately searching around.
One of Paolo's men, his face covered in dust and blood, ran up to me.
"Miss Ana, they've detected our base of operations!" he said, his voice filled with panic. "There's significant damage. We have to get out of here!"
Fear coursed through my body, but I knew I had to stay calm. I grabbed the man by the arm, forcing him to look me in the eyes.
"Where's Paolo?" I asked, trying to remain steady.
"I don't know, miss. The explosion was a few minutes ago. We're trying to locate him, everything is chaos, it's a massacre."
Without wasting any more time, I ran towards the main hallway. The smoke was thick and made it difficult to see, but I could hear the gunshots and the screams of Paolo's men struggling to contain the attack. Suddenly, an explosion echoed across the far end of the house, throwing me against the wall. I felt the sharp pain in my side and the scorching heat of the rapidly spreading flames.
I got up, stumbling, and tried to stay on my feet. Adrenaline was pushing me to keep searching for Paolo. He had to be close. He had to be okay.
"Paolo!" I shouted again, my voice mixing with the deafening noise of the battle.
I saw a shadow moving through the smoke and ran towards it. Upon reaching it, I realized it was one of Paolo's guards, badly wounded. He was leaning against the wall, coughing up blood.
"Where's Paolo?" I asked urgently, holding him up to keep him from falling.
"I... I saw him in the backyard," he replied with difficulty. "But the explosion... I'm not sure if... if he made it, many didn't."
I left him leaning against the wall and ran towards the backyard. Each step felt like an eternity, and my mind filled with images of Paolo injured or worse. I reached the yard and stopped short. The remnants of the explosion were everywhere: shattered furniture, debris, and smoke. But there was no sign of Paolo.
"Paolo!" I shouted in desperation, my voice breaking. I had to find him, I wouldn't leave without him.
I searched through the rubble, pushing aside the debris with trembling hands. Every second that passed without finding him increased my fear. Finally, I saw a figure among the debris, partially covered by the remains of a collapsed wall. I ran towards him, and upon reaching him, my heart stopped.
It was Paolo, unconscious and covered in dust and blood. His face was pale, but he was still breathing. I pulled him out of the rubble with all my might, feeling tears of relief and fear running down my cheeks.
"Paolo, please wake up," I was shaking him gently. "You can't leave me now. Not after everything."
He groaned, opening his eyes slowly.
"Ana..." he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "You're okay, I was afraid you were..."
"Don't talk," I interrupted his sentence. "I'm here with you, alive, we have to get out of here. I'll take you to a safe place."
Before I could lift him, another guard appeared beside us, helping me stand Paolo up. Together, we carried him out of the house, away from the chaos and flames.
"Who... who was it?" Paolo asked the guard weakly as we walked away.
"I don't know," I replied, my voice filled with anger. "But we'll find out. And they'll regret doing this."
"Some enemy, sir, we don't know how they managed to find the facilities and how they found a way to attack the house, it must be something they've been planning for a long time, someone is seeking revenge."
We managed to reach one of the vehicles that was still intact. With the guard's help, I lifted Paolo into the back seat and sat next to him, holding his hand. As the vehicle started, I looked back at the ruined house. I knew this wouldn't end here. The battle had just begun, and I was determined to protect Paolo and reclaim what had been taken from us.
I looked at Paolo, who could barely keep his eyes open, and squeezed his hand tightly.
"We'll get through this," I whispered. "Those bastards will pay for what they did."
The car ride was a torment. Every bump and turn wrung a groan of pain from me. The explosion had wreaked havoc on my body, but my concern for Paolo kept me awake. His breathing was weak, and his face, usually so imposing, was pale and covered in sweat.
"Paolo, hold on, we're almost there."
My words didn't seem to reach him. His eyes were barely staying open, and his breathing was becoming heavier and heavier. I was struggling to stay conscious, but with each passing minute, I felt my body weakening.
The car came to an abrupt stop in front of the hospital, and the guards quickly opened the doors. Two men rushed to get Paolo out of the vehicle, placing him on a stretcher that had been brought to us.
"Quick, get him inside!" one of the guards shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
As the doctors rushed with Paolo into the hospital, I tried to get up from the seat, but my legs wouldn't respond. I felt an overwhelming dizziness, and the world began to fade around me. Two nurses rushed towards me.
"Miss, we need to help you," one of them said, her voice seemed distant. "Can you move?"
I nodded weakly, but I wasn't sure if I could actually do it. With their help, I managed to get out of the vehicle, but my legs gave way, and I fell to the ground. The nurse held me up, trying to keep me conscious.
"We need a stretcher here!" the other nurse shouted, and soon more doctors and nurses appeared around me.
"Paolo..." I murmured, trying to focus my vision on the hospital entrance. "Is he okay?"
"They're taking care of him," one of the nurses replied. "Now we need to take care of you."
I tried to resist, but my body wouldn't obey me. They put me on a stretcher and quickly wheeled me towards the inside of the hospital. The sound of the automatic doors opening and closing, the hum of the fluorescent lights, and the hurried voices of the doctors were all I could perceive.
"The patient has multiple injuries," said one of the doctors, examining me quickly. "We need to get her to the operating room immediately."
"No... no, I can't," I tried to say, but my voice barely came out as a whisper.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of you," another voice assured me.
As they wheeled me down the hallway, my mind was still on Paolo. I needed to know he was okay. I couldn't lose him now, not after everything we had been through together. But my body couldn't take it anymore. I felt my vision blurring and my consciousness slipping away.
"Prepare for surgery!" one of the doctors shouted, and the sound of the stretcher wheels echoed through the corridors.
"Paolo..." was the last thing I managed to murmur before darkness engulfed me completely.
The sensation of falling into an endless abyss surrounded me, but even in the darkness, his face remained in my mind. I knew I had to resist, that I had to fight. But at that moment, my body and mind no longer responded.
I woke up in a bright place, with the constant sound of machines around me. The feeling of pain still lingered, but something inside me told me I was safe, at least for now. I tried to move, but my body wouldn't obey. Everything felt heavy, and the white light from the operating room lights blinded me.
"She's waking up," I heard a voice say.
My eyes focused slowly, and I saw a group of doctors and nurses working frantically around me. I tried to speak, but my voice didn't come out.
"Calm down, Ana," said one of the doctors, noticing my anxiety. "You're safe. We're going to take care of you."
I nodded weakly, letting relief wash over me. Despite the pain, the confusion, and the fear, I knew I had to resist. Paolo needed me, and I needed to know that he was okay.
The darkness claimed me again, but this time, I faced it with renewed determination. I would fight again, I would stand again. And together with Paolo, we would make sure that those who attacked us paid for what they did.