Chapitre 35: (The Lost)
Calum's eyes were fixed on the road as he spoke into the phone, "Make sure you're doing what I said. I expected to see him in the exact location I told you." His voice was clipped, laced with a simmering frustration that had been building for days.
Mariana sat beside him, listening casually. She had no intention of asking where they were going or who he was talking to. She trusted him. She knew that no matter where she was, she would be safe as long as she was with him. A strange sense of calm washed over her, a feeling of being protected. It was a feeling she clung to, a fragile hope in the midst of the chaos that surrounded them.
They stopped in front of an old building, similar in size and appearance to the one where the men had taken her before. However, this one looked like it was under construction, lacking a roof and resembling more of a ruin. It was the only building she had noticed on the way there. A flicker of unease danced in her stomach, a faint echo of the fear she had felt in the previous building. It was a feeling she tried to suppress, a fear she refused to let control her.
Calum retrieved his gun and helped Mariana out of the car. He paused for a moment, realizing she was barefoot. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. She seemed bothered by the fact that she looked like a beggar in his eyes. Calum's gaze hardened as he noticed her discomfort. He knew he shouldn't let her vulnerability get to him, but the sight of her, so fragile and exposed, stirred a protectiveness within him that he couldn't ignore. He scooped her up in his arms, surprising her, but she didn't resist. She let him carry her inside, finding comfort in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, determined not to let go. The feeling of his strong arms around her was a comforting anchor, a reminder that she wasn't alone.
That she doesn't have any reason to be scared at all.
As they reached the interior, Calum gently set her down. Mariana noticed a mix of worry and anger on his face. His jaw was clenched, and he was holding her hand. She could feel his palm growing cold, and she knew something terrifying was about to happen. A strong man like him wouldn't be this tense for no reason. A chill ran down her spine, a premonition of danger that she couldn't shake. Calum's eyes darted around the surrounding, scanning for any sign of threat. His grip on her hand tightened, a silent plea for her to stay close, to stay safe. She squeezed his hand tighter and hugged his shoulder, seeking to provide him with the same comfort he was giving her.
The silence was shattered by the sound of a car engine nearby. A minute later, an old man emerged, visible to their eyes. He stood at least three meters away. It was Eagle.
He was wearing his usual boss attire, and the gray strands in his hair were prominent. He looked thinner than before, his illness slowly consuming him. A wave of confusion washed over Mariana. She didn't understand why this man, who seemed so frail and ill, would be involved in all of this. Calum's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Mariana's heart began to race. She was already worried. The man she had just seen was unfamiliar to her, and it scared her. She never let go of Calum's shoulder, and she could feel his anger rising. It made him feel hotter, and his hands were trembling slightly. She could almost hear his teeth grinding, and the charm in his brown eyes had vanished, replaced by a deadly stare. Calum's anger was a palpable force, a storm brewing within him.
Eagle raised his hand in the air, signaling that he had no intention of fighting. His tired blue eyes weren't focused on Calum but on her.
"You're Mariana Rodriguez?" he asked with a smile, making him seem like a kind, innocent person, despite his true nature. Calum's gaze never wavered from Eagle, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. He knew Eagle was playing a game, trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage.
He clearly knew he wasn't alone, he's not that dumb to listen to him quickly.
So, Calum needs to kill him as soon as possible.
Mariana seemed shocked as she slowly nodded. A mix of fear and confusion swirled within her. She didn't understand why this man was looking at her with such strange intensity.
"I am. Who are you?" she asked hesitantly, almost hiding her face in Calum's shoulder.
"You look like your mother, my daughter," he said.
Mariana's mouth gaped open, her jaw nearly hitting the ground in surprise. The words coming from his mouth seemed unbelievable, yet something inside her wanted to believe them.
Earlier, the man with a blonde hair had called her his future wife, and now someone was claiming her to be his daughter? Mariana's head felt like it was about to explode with all the information she was trying to process. A sense of overwhelming confusion and disbelief washed over her. She couldn't make sense of any of it.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, needing to hear it again to make sure she had heard correctly. It was too much to take in.
"Let my daughter go, and you can do anything to me. Don't hurt her," Eagle pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. The plea was visible on his face as he looked into Calum's raging eyes.
Mariana felt Calum's hand grip hers tightly, and he pointed his gun at the old man's head. She gasped as she saw the uncontrollable anger in his eyes. She let go of his hand and stepped in front of him, shielding the old man. The gun was now pointed directly at her. A wave of panic surged through her, a primal fear that threatened to consume her.
"Stop, Calum! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, her rapid breathing never ceasing. She looked into his eyes, which never wavered. His gaze was piercing, fixated on the man behind her, filled with wrath and hatred. A desperate plea for reason, for understanding, filled her voice. She couldn't bear to see him consumed by this rage she didn't understand. Calum's anger was a fire that burned within him, a fire that threatened to consume him.
"Calum!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes, but he didn't listen. He kept his eyes on the man and uttered, "Get out of there."
His cold, deep voice was precise. The words were meant for Mariana, but he never looked at her. A sense of despair washed over her. She felt like she was losing him, that he was slipping away from her, consumed by his anger.
"Please, Calum..." she pleaded.
"I said get out of the way!" he roared.
Mariana felt scared by the way he shouted. She had never known she could feel such fear with him. He was completely different. Different. She didn't listen to him. She just stood there, begging him to look at her, to see her fear. A desperate hope that he would see her, that he would understand, that he would choose her over what he's feeling right now.
As she cried, Calum pushed her to shoot Eagle but Mariana moved behind his back before he can do that, she seems to notice someone behind him, and he pulled the trigger. Eagle crumpled to the ground, shot in the chest. He struggled to breathe while clutching his chest.
It was strange because they heard two gunshots at that moment.
Calum felt Mariana's body against his back and heard the click of a gun behind him. He quickly caught Mariana's body as she collapsed against him.
He saw Donovan pointing a gun at his head.
Calum felt a surge of shock as he looked at his hand bleeding. The worst part was that it wasn't his blood. It was Mariana's. She had been shot.
His body froze as he held her close. He slowly knelt down, feeling her body growing limp in his arms.Calum's heart shattered into a million pieces.
"Mariana..." he whispered, for the first time calling her by her name. He looked at her face, her eyes closed, and she didn't respond. Her chest continued to bleed, staining the white t-shirt she was wearing red. Calum didn't know what to do. He felt tears rolling down his face. He was crying for the first time in a very long time. The rage in his eyes was replaced by grief and disappointment.Calum's heart ached with a pain he had never known before. He had lost her. He had lost the only person he had ever loved.
Donovan never moved his hand, his gun still pointed at Calum's head.
His main purpose was to get him killed but Mariana covered him.
It was supposed to be him, who's already blooded and lifeless.
Calum raised his hand and pointed his gun at Donovan, who stood a meter away.
Donovan and Eagle's men surrounded him, all pointing their guns at Calum's head.
"This is the end for you. That's what you get for messing with me," Donovan sneered. Calum's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. He knew he was outmatched, but he wouldn't give up without a fight.
Calum never lowered his hand. He wasn't scared. The pain that was circulating through his entire being made him forget he was in danger, that he had no chance of winning. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet found its mark in Donovan's head.
It happened so quickly that his men didn't react. Before they could pull their triggers, they were distracted by the sound of police sirens.
"FBI! Drop your weapons!" the agent shouted.
The other men attempted to run but were shot dead. The rest raised their hands and surrendered.
The night sky began to rumble, and rain poured down, leaving Calum feeling a heavy weight in his heart as he hugged Mariana's lifeless body. Calum's heart felt like it was breaking.
He closed his eyes and sobbed, drenched by the rain, his tears never stopping.
His surroundings seemed to be in slow motion. He couldn't hear anything but murmurs. The loss he was feeling right now was causing unbearable pain.Calum's heart ached severely.
She lost her life to protect him.
That's the saddest part of it that he can never accept.
***
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone