Oops, daily updates again.
Thank you so, so much for the support :) I'm not happy with this chapter but it is necessary, and it means I get to publish the next one soon. I'm excited about the next one. Hehehehehe.
Hope this reads alright! Enjoy :)
Mani is from Italy, sort of.
His dad was Colombian, but his mum took him to Italy when he was little and left him there, so he lived in various foster homes. He hated it, and moved to the north of England (no one told him it was jobless). He became a sailor, used to work on those massive container ships. Once, they came near the Rook Islands in South East Asia and Mani had never seen a place which looked any more like his idea of paradise. He'd just spent years around Newcastle in grey, rainy England, and the islands were just a thing of wonder.
There, the women were gorgeous, the food was better and time seemed to just stop. He met a guy in some bar, a local man, and, after a few glasses of rice wine, he explained to that random man how empty his life felt and how, no matter how hard he prayed, God never sent him a sign.
And the guy showed him sympathy. He didn't pity him. He told him of his own struggles, how pirates were tearing his culture and people apart. He told him of the Rakyat. He told him of Citra.
When Mani first led eyes on Citra Talugmai, the girl couldn't have been more than fifteen years old. She had a brother, although they only shared a mother. There was something about the girl, something which drew every man in, including her own brother. It wasn't just her beauty, although the girl was stunning, it was the sheer, pure, undiluted charisma, it drove men of all ages wild. Mani had always been a nobody, but Citra had heart, passion, and she saw something in him. The Rakyat decided to give him another chance at life. He who had been wandering for years, trying to find something worth living for, now pined for their cause and their extraordinary leader.
He quickly climbed up the ranks, became one of Citra's most trusted men.
That morning when they lost the girl, Mani had been the driver.
He didn't really see what was happening at the back, but suddenly there were shouts and when he stopped the van the girl was running away followed by one of those big muscly warriors. Good for show, but otherwise useless guys. Mani waited with the van, but only one warrior returned, empty handed.
They argued for about thirty minutes. The other guy, Eloy, wanted to forget about the girl. She was probably far by now, and it wasn't like she'd be able to reach the pirates any time soon. The meeting with Vaas was only another thirty minutes away, they didn't have time to waste.
Mani, on the other hand, knew better than to deceive Citra. Disappointing her was no better option, however.
Eventually, Eloy came up with a plan which Mani had to agree to: go ahead with the exchange, ask for four warriors to be sent over first. They would have four extra pairs of hands. Then, kill all pirates present. The last two rakyat warriors would hopefully be smart enough to hide, and if not, then they would have to be sacrificed.
Citra would understand they had done the right thing. There was no time to get back to the temple, and she did not keep a phone. There was a chance to kill some pirates and possibly Vaas, whilst getting at least four men back. They could track the girl down later, with a bit of luck she might have been killed by the jungle itself.
So the two of them drove on.
The meeting point was at a crossroad, on the seaside, and there was a shack on the side of the dust road. Several Rakyat warriors were already there. Mani and Eloy exited the van, told nobody that the girl was no longer actually in the back. Everyone took position, wait. One look at their watches told them that the pirates would be there soon.
Mani was confident. This was going to work.
Vaas drives a bit too fast along the road.
The bag containing his mermaid' hair is on his lap, the weight soft and warm against his legs. He keeps his eyes on the road, tries to stay collected. Carlos is watching him carefully out of the corner of his eye. Back at the camp, Vaas smashed a boy's face in, because the kid had asked aloud if it was really worth giving up six hostages for one little piece of pussy. Vaas stomped on his face until it was all a mushy mess. Then he beat up all six hostages. They weren't talking anyway, brainwashed pieces of fuck.
All six of them are in the van behind them now, and he's not even certain they are all conscious.
Truth is, Vaas knows that concretely, Alice isn't worth the hostages.
But that's not the point. Vaas doesn't give a shit about the point.
He needs his mermaid back. He needs Citra's head on the antenna of his car. He needs to chop off all rakyats' balls and make them eat them.
He wants his mermaid. She chose to stay! That simple fact is shaking Vaas' entire being. He gave the girl a chance to leave and she did not take it. It's the second time now, and still she chooses to stay, she chooses him. Even if she doesn't realise it yet, Vaas knows what it means, it means redemption, it means she does love him, he is worthy of her love. He's got to be patient. He's got to get her back.
Finally, after another sway in the road, a white van appears, surrounded by at least a dozen warriors, all inked up. No Brody, though.
The pirates stop their cars.
Vaas knocks on the back of the van, gestures to the pirates inside. Slowly, all six hostages are walked out. It's a miracle they are still standing.
A rakyat walks to the front.
"Vaas." He calls.
"Hermano." Replies Vaas.
"One funny move from you and our guy in there shoots the girl, understood?"
"You shoot my girl and I will rip your throat out with my fucking teeth, amigo."
Silence.
"Send our warriors over."
Vaas chuckles, rolls his eyes.
"It don't work like that, hermano. You show me the girl first."
"Send us four warriors first, then we'll show her."
"It don't fucking work like that hermano," repeats Vaas, but all humour has left his face. "Now show me the girl, let's go."
"Four of our guys first."
"Four, huh?" Vaas smiles, starts getting agitated. He paces along the line of hostages. "Which fucking four, hermano? You want this one?" Without further warning, Vaas shoots one of the hostages right between the eyes. "This one?" Another hits the floor. "You show me the girl right fucking now, hermano, or there is no fucking deal."
"Shit" whispers Mani. "I fucking told you!"
"Shut up" angrily replies Eloy. "Let me think!"
"Oy! YOU FUCK!" Vaas is truly mad, now. "YOU-!"
He stops suddenly, reaches into the vibrating phone in his pocket. He looks at the screen, freezes. Shows it to a pirate to his right, who scowls in confusion.
"Sorry, I've got to take this, one minute hermano, ok?" Vaas walks away, leaving everyone looking puzzled.
Vaas looks at his phone. The screen IDs the caller as Buck, which isn't possible. Buck is dead. Have I lost my fucking mind?
"Hello?"
"Oh! Um, hello, um, Vaas?"
No. No. Impossible.
"Vaas? Is that you?"
What is even...? Vaas turns to the scene behind him. Nothing's moved. He slaps his own head.
"Vaas? Can you hear me, hello?"
"Yeah."
"Hi!" Breathes his nena, relieved. It's the first time he hears her voice over the phone, and she sounds so, so sweet, speaking directly into his ear like that. But what the fuck is going on? Vaas is so stunned he cannot even say a word. That's a first, snickers his mind. Wouldn't be the first time he hears voice, though.
"Listen, Vaas, I'm not at the meeting point, ok? I'm not in the van!" She sounds ok. Tired, but ok. "I jumped out of the van, I don't know where you are or where the rakyats are, but there won't be an exchange ok? I escaped and ran to Badtown, I found Buck's place and I got his phone. Your number was saved in the contacts. Did you know that they haven't even moved his body? He's still here! He's right here, at my feet! In his.. Shorts! This is insane! Vaas? Vaas?"
"Yeah."
"Did you... Did you hear me?"
"Yes. Yes, mi amor, I heard you."
"Listen, don't go to the meeting point, ok? Keep your hostages. I mean, I know you probably weren't going to go there anyway, but I just wanted to double check, and to let you know that I haven't run away, ok? I'm at Buck's place. Should I wait here, or do you want me to make my way back to the camp?"
"Wait there. Fuck, nena, you're... You're a fucking treasure, you know that? You're my fucking treasure. I'm coming to get you, nena, you're so fucking... So fucking... I'm going to get you and then we're gonna do whatever the fuck you want, ok nena? I'm gonna take real good care of you. You stay there."
"O-ok. Cool. Um... Thank you."
"Thank you, baby."
"S-see you."
She hangs up.
Back at the exchange point, everyone is having a hard time pretending to be staying focused on the enemy while Vaas is away.
Eloy and Mani are whispering feverishly to each other, trying to find a way to fix their massive f-up. Their best option is to shoot and run.
"Change of plan, motherfucker!" Shouts Vaas as he strolls back to them. He's carrying a machine gun, and he looks way too pleased with himself.
"Change of fucking plan, hermano."
With a wide sweep of his gun, Vaas kills all four remaining hostages, and opens fire onto the Rakyats. He's laughing like a mad man. All pirates start shooting at them, and the last thing Mani sees in his life is Vaas Montenegro throwing a grenade at him, his smile devilish, his laughter insane, as his pirates are murdering his friends in a deadly rain of bullets.
At first, Alice hides in the basement, but soon the stench emanating from Buck's body becomes simply unbearable and she almost runs back upstairs.
Her mouth is feeling dry, and her head is pounding. The effects of whatever drug Citra has given her are wearing off, and Alice feels more pain than she has ever felt before. Her face and arms must be badly scratched from the fall out of the van, her whole body is sore, but it is the headache that is the most unforgiving.
She's glad Vaas knows she hasn't tried deserting him again, because she has no doubt that he would have killed her for that. The money had been an obvious test, one she could not afford to fail. The warriors would quickly have realised that there was no way the exchange would go ahead, and she would have been killed.
After her escape, sooner or later Alice would have been caught by either camp, and killed. That was, assuming she survived long enough for that. Her best option was to go back to Vaas, and she'd found Badtown by pure chance. Buck's place she found by asking a prostitute, and, by another amazing strike of luck, the hitman's body, and phone, were still where he'd been killed a couple of days before. She'd had to charge the phone for ten minutes before she could ring Vaas.
She feels so, so relieved.
He did not sound angry on the phone. Maybe she should initiate another kiss to get him to forgive her for being so flipping easy to catch. Surely he'll be impressed with her escape, though. And she's passed his test.
You left that guy to die.
I wasn't myself.
Gosh, there's a few unwashed dishes in the sink. Maybe she'll just wash those as she waits.
I promise, I will come back, I'm not a murderer.
She's scrubbing as hard as she can, these have been left a while,they smell. This place feels awful. The bed downstairs has bloodstains on it, and chains. It smells of piss and death.
I won't leave you here to die.
Has it been about twenty minutes already? She's cleaned everything. Is that a car she hears pulling at the front?
I didn't kill Tim.
Alice dries her hands, runs out. It is them.
I'm not a murderer.
Vaas jumps out, runs to her. He's covered in blood and sweat, he looks so incredibly crazy right this moment.
I promise.
Alice is so happy to see him. She passed!
He looks angry, he's shouting, she cannot hear him properly. He's pointing at her face, her hair. He stops just in front of her, like he's afraid to touch her. There's no time for that. Alice crashes into him, buries her sore face into his chest, wraps her arms around him as hard as she can.
I'm not a murderer, I promise.
She starts crying.
I promise. I won't leave you here to die, her words exactly. How could she say that? Was it justified?
At first, Vaas is stiff and silent against her, then he slowly raises his arms and holds her back, very gently, careful not to hurt her.
He's so kind.
Alice cries even more, because he's kind, he's loving, he's her only hope. He's so gentle. Maybe he does love her. She hurt him so much when she tried to leave! He loves her.
And that's good, she likes that idea.
Maybe he does love her.
That's good, it's good, it's good because the truth is...Alice isn't entirely sure she can really love herself anymore.
Eventually, Vaas manages to pry her arms open, releasing himself from her python-like hold.
He keeps an arm around her shoulder, leads her to the car. Her tears feel like acid on the cuts on her face. His package is in the back seat, and Alice is glad to see that it did get to him in the end.
They go back to the camp and Vaas retrieves new clothes for her, gives out a few orders, generously distributes the contents of his package, then takes her to the doctor's house. Alice hopes that whatever they find the doctor doing, it's got nothing to do with whatever he is hiding under he cliff.
When they get there, Alec is in his greenhouse, and his eyes widen comically when he takes a look at Alice' state. Soon, she is sitting on the bed upstairs, the fan is on and feels lovely on her burning face, and the doctor is tending to her wounds while Vaas watches from behind him.
"Looks like there's an English girl under all this dirt!" Says the doctor, very gently. "Your arms took most of the damage I think, and your knees."
Alice is in her underwear, and it isn't a bikini, which is embarrassing because even though Alec is a doctor, Vaas certainly isn't, and he keeps staring at them. She comforts herself with the thought that it is like being in a bikini. Also, it's all black. So it's practically a bikini, isn't it? Is she fat? She hasn't shaved her legs in what... Three years ?
"That's a nasty bruise there, though," continues Alec, oblivious to Alice's torment. "Is that from the fall?"
"Perhaps. I'm not sure."
"It looks more like a punch, dear."
Vaas straightens, leans forward, scowling at the purplish bruise on Alice's temple. Murmurs profanities.
"I'm going to put some of this ointment on your cuts and bruises, and I'll give you something for the pain. But first, I'm afraid we're going to have to put some disinfectant on all of this. How's your head?"
"Pounding." Scoffs Alice.
"That'll be the drugs wearing out. I've got nothing to prescribe to you, apart from some sleep." He sighs, turns to Vaas. "She wasn't mistreated. She is thirsty, though. Most of her injuries are minor and come from that little stunt she pulled. It's a miracle she hasn't broken a single bone. It looks like there's been a couple of punches or slaps, but nothing too serious. It shouldn't scar." He tells Alice, reassuring. "Not if you be a good girl and use your ointment four to six times a day. Well, you may get some scars on your arms and knees, but that will make you look cool, won't it?" He smiles again, and she can see the doctor in him.
She smiles back, risks a look at Vaas. He's still scowling, but his eyes soften when he sees her looking at him.
The examination finished, Alice is getting more and more aware of how nude she is, on a bed, with Vaas a bit too near for comfort. Alec must have caught the look on her face, because he addresses the pirate:
"Did you say you had brought some clothes for the girl?"
"In the car, yeah."
"Would you mind...?"
"What?"
"Would you mind getting them?"
Vaas throws the doctor a suspicious look, but complies, albeit reluctantly. When they hear his footsteps crossing the living room downstairs, Alec suddenly turns to Alice and starts whispering hurriedly:
"Why did you give it to me? I cannot keep it! What were you thinking?"
"What?"
"I cannot keep it for you," repeats the doctor, panicked. "If they find it here they will kill me! I don't know how you got it and what you intend to do with it, and I don't want to know! Take it back, put it back wherever your found it, I won't tell him about this." He's reaching into his shirt pocket, stops to listen for any footsteps. "I cannot keep it, I'm sorry."
He's shoving something into her hands. A passport.
Her passport.