The Fray - Look After You

"Just let the children go, por favour hijo." Emmanuel Torres pleaded with his eldest child, his son moulded from the same template. Their resemblance was clear.

Gideon's eyes trained on the children, two little boys, cradled in their mothers arms who was bleeding profusely from a head injury. She was crying, clutching them to her chest. Crying because she was dying tonight.

Gideon stood over the mess. His father's SUV turned on its side, its content spilling out - bags, food and children's toys. They were near the Ecuador border where his father intended to run away.

He was running away with his new family. Running with the money he sold from them, leaving them with nothing.

"Hijo, I beg you please let them go."

Emmanuel Torres never begged only demanded. What happened to that ruthless man? The man that made him into the killer, the man that beat him to teach him a lesson. Where was he now?

"Do you love them?" Gideon asked stoically.

"Yes, yes I do." He admitted, nodding desperately.

Pathetic. He was so weak for a man who used to prey on other people's weakness for fun. He said love was a weakness and he laughed at the people who crumbled at its feet.

And, here he was, falling from grace.

"Did you love mom? Me? Gabriela and Luciana?" He spat but he already knew the answer. He didn't love them, not because he never said it - he never acted like a father. With them, his new sons, he did.

Emmanuel averted his eyes and favoured staring at her ground instead. He was avoiding the truth. He loved his children, all of them, but not like the way he loved those two little boys. They were born from love not convenience.

"Gideon let us go." Emmanuel demanded. "Let's forget about this and walk different paths so, that we will both find our happiness."

"No!" He yelled venomously. "You betrayed your family for some whore and two bastards! You stole from us, from mom and left us with nothing!"

Emmanuel swallowed, guilt raising goosebumps on his skin. He had drained his wife of all her money - it was the only way he could secure his sons future. Making sure the mafia did not come after them for his betrayal. Most of all, he ensured that they'll never have to work for the rest of their lives, stuffing their pockets with money they won't ever spend in this lifetime.

In the process, he tore out her heart too, crushing it with his palms. Not only hers but their children as well. The intention hadn't been on purpose. When you fall in love, you fall blindly - always.

He remembered the way Gideon looked when he caught them - when he found out about his younger half brothers. Betrayal, hatred and heart ache combined into one. It was haunting.

"Gideon please." He begged, and tried reasoning with him. "You'll understand when you find someone you love. You would do anything for that person, you'd give everything up for them."

Emmanuel fixated his eldest son with a fierce gaze, filled with determination and fire. He was going to do everything to ensure his family's wellbeing. Even if it meant, he'd had to cut down his own flesh and blood.

Under his jacket was a gun. He snaked his hands being, feigning pain as he gripped onto the cold metal.

"I hope you find someone you love one day." He smiled, "It's an amazing thing."

Emmanuel pulled the gun from his jacket and aimed it at Gideon's chest. He was a foolish man, foolish enough to think he'd be faster than a younger and better killer.

Gideon's fired, a bullet aimed for his father's right shoulder; causing him to drop his gun. A holler of pain and tearful cries from his family filled the quiet night. There was no one else here except for them. No matter how hard they cried, no one was coming to their aid.

"Fuck you." Gideon snarled.

He aimed his gun at Emmanuel's family - his younger brothers - and fired several rounds until they made no sound. Until, their bodies became limp and only proof of life was the warm blood dripping from their wounds.

Emmanuel howled in horror. He crawled to them and crumpled to the ground in agony when two bullets entered his kneecaps. Craning his head, he found Gideon standing over him and felt fear for the first time.

It wasn't the gun trained on his head that scared him, it was his blank expression. His face was still and eyes merely a pitch black void - it was the face he wore when he was tasked with torturing and murdering his victims. Emmanuel witnessed it many times on the sidelines, never ever directly.

"I take it back." He spat, glaring at his son. "I hope you never find happiness or love because I pity the person who will love you. You're a monster." He met Gideon's eyes. "No one can love a monster like you."

Fingers on the trigger, Gideon fired. The bullet landing directly between his father's eyes.

"You made me a monster." He whispered, tilting his head back and relaxing against the gentle breeze.

~*~

The views of Bogotá Rory had was from the massive window in Gideon's private suite. They were back in Colombia and not talking to each other. How could they when the last time she saw him was on the plane. He drove off in a sports car, leaving her with four guards and Sebastian, without a single acknowledgement.

That was a week ago.

He didn't stop by the suite. The only people she saw was the housekeepers who cleaned and delivered her meals. Each day they appeared with a fresh bag of clothing for her, ensuring she never wore the same outfit twice.

She turned her from the window and focused on the breaking news. It was in Spanish and she could barely make out what they were discussing. They was an accident in the south east of Colombia - a shoot out - between gangs leaving a dozen dead. The authorities feared things were going to escalate and warned locals to be on guard.

"They're fighting about drugs."

Sebastian walked into the living room in his usual leather jackets and dark jeans. Today, he wasn't smoking a cigarette and the withdrawals were evident in his eyes. He sank into the space beside her, lifting his feet on the coffee table and turned the volume up.

"And, who controls the south of Colombia." He added, then turned to face with a twisted smile. "Gideon of course but the bastards in the south won't accept it."

Rory remained quiet, eyeing Sebastian in curious scrutiny. Had he come here just to keep her company? When he noticed her inquisitive look, he frowned. Was he too obvious? That he came here wanting a favour.

Gideon was on rampage across the south and as a result, they have lost a handful of their soldiers. He was blinded by his rage and was making decisions based on it. The cause of his rage was sitting pretty and secure in her master suite.

"Want to go for a drive?" He asked her.

She shook her head, sensing it was a trap and turned her focus on the news. They were talking about a businessman - Cristian Herrera - suspecting him to be involved with the mafia. His picture appeared on the screen and she was surprised, expecting an old man with a potbelly. Just like her father.

He was handsome, the rough around the edges kind with pitch black hair and darker eyes.

Beside her, Sebastian tensed and tore his view from the TV.

"Why don't they talk about Gideon?" She quietly questioned. "He's involved with the mafia too."

"Because Gideon pays them to keep his name out the media." He explained, he jerked his chin at the tv. "Fuckers like him loves the attention he gets from it."

Sebastian stood, huffing as he got up. He didn't want to stare at the TV anymore, especially with him on it. He wrapped his fingers around Rory's forearm and pulled her with him.

"Come, let's go for a drive." He said or rather ordered.

Before she could be protest, she was out the door in only pyjama shorts and a matching strappy top. She was barefooted, treading along the cold tiles of the hotel. Where was he taking her?

Sebastian kept checking his watch anxiously. He didn't speak or say anything once they drove off in a yellow sports car. He hit the gas pedal, gaze occasionally fluttering to the clock on the screen.

It was 3.04pm. What was so interesting about it? She wondered.

"Where are we going?" She finally mustered the courage to ask.

The city flew by and they were driving along an open stretch of road lined with massive trees. 30 minutes later, Sebastian slowed the car and gates to a white colonial mansion swung open. He parked the car next to several others just sitting on the driveway.

He reached across, opening the door for her and motioning for her to get out. She didn't move, instead watched him carefully trying to figure out his motives.

"Gideon's inside." He informed, "He as a strategic meeting in half a hour." He face turned sullen for a moment before, his eyes flashed sternly. "He's just picking a fight with the enemy because he's angry. He'll win the war no doubt but we will lose many lives in the process."

"That has nothing to do with me."

"It has everything to do with you." He stated, narrowing his eyes. "He's angry at you so it's all your fault that he's sending us to our deaths."

Sebastian bite his lip, feeling guilty to have to play his last card. A girl like her didn't need to know the spoils of wars between the two mafia syndicate. Truthfully, it wasn't her fault; Gideon was just being a dick like always. Acting on impulse rather than thinking it all through.

The only person, he believed, that could stop him was Rory. She, without knowing, had him wrapped around her little finger. He just needed her to feel guilty, manipulate her into doing what he wanted. It was wrong but it'll save so many unnecessary deaths.

"It's not just the soldiers that die." He spoke quietly. "Civilians, Rory. Innocent children and pregnant women, they get caught up in it all."

He glanced at her through slanted eyes, checking for her reaction. She was a good girl, not the church type of good girl, more like the "for the greater good" type.

"Ask him to reconsider."

"He won't listen to me." She told him softly. "He never listens to me."

"He will." Sebastian argued. "Make him listen to you. Your his wife, aren't you?"

She shrugged in response. On paper she was his wife, outside of it she was nowhere near his equally. To her, they were still mere strangers. She didn't know anything about him despite being married for nearly five months.

Luci and Cielo was the only family member of his she knew of. She never meet Gabriela before despite her being there at their wedding. Did he even have parents? And where were they?

Sebastian released an exasperated sigh, eyeing the clock once again. It was too late anyways, she couldn't drop it casually in a conversation. He'd just be mad at her if she brought it up as if she opinions meant anything.

When she suddenly got out the car, he was startled. At first, he thought she'd ran to the open gates instead she bent down and meet his gaze.

"I'll talk to him." Rory promised.

"Why did you change your mind?"

"What do you mean? I never said I won't talk to him."

He smirked. Laughing silently at his stupid plan that he didn't expect would work. She closed the car door and he rolled down his window.

"Good luck!" He called, turning the car around and driving away.

Rory stared up at white stone mansion, square in shape, with brown terracotta roof and arched windows decorated with green vines and vibrant flowers. She stepped onto the porch, wincing as the hot ground burned her feet.

She cursed at Sebastian for not letting her grab some shoes. Rory had no idea why she agreed to his suggestion. Perhaps, he did a great job at guilting her with his speech about innocent civilians. Though, deep down it was because, as Sebastian say, her fault.

Gideon never lashed out at her as she thought. As an alternatively, he chose to toy with the lives of people who weren't involved in their problems. She couldn't let these people paid for her stupid mistakes. Then again, wasn't it stupid of her to come here when he was still angry at her.

She was practically live meat walking into a hungry lion's den.

She pushed open the dark, wooden double doors and stepped inside a courtyard. It was beautiful, square with edges lined with more vibrant flowers. A little water fountain sat in the middle, giving the yard hard a finished look.

Arched windows with brass framing wrapped around the yard and the only indication of an opening was a door opposite her. Rory crossed the courtyard, marvelling at the beautiful home. Her fingers traced the fountain, the walls and the window panels.

She pushed the door opened, hadn't expected to even be unlocked.

Unlike the Medellín estate, this mansion was older with creaking floorboards, dusty paintings and pictures - some covered by a white dust proof sheet. Most of the furniture was indicating that nobody had been living for years.

She climbed the staircase and jumped each time the wood squeaked. She walked along the corridor, passed the arch windows over looking the courtyard and gasped as she ran into a group of Gideon's men. They were just as surprised to see her and quickly averted their eyes like she was a forbidden image.

"Where is my husband?" She asked after a moment since no one moved.

They looked at each other and one of them nodded to the doors furtherest down the hallway. She quietly thanked them and lightly treaded the floor. She stood outside his door, contemplating why she was here in the first place.

Her heart leaped in her chest, adrenaline pumping in her veins. She suddenly regretted coming here especially when Gideon was still angry at her. Maybe he'll give her a quick end, hopefully he'll give her a quick end.

But deep down, she only agreed because he won't hurt her. He pressed a gun to her head but never pulled the trigger. If he wanted her dead, she'd be dead.

Taking a deep breathe, she walked into the lions den.

🙏🏾