Thank you so, so much for sticking with this story. Damn, you know what, I think we're only about three chapters away from the end. Feels weird!
Not too pleased with this chapter, but it was necessary to move things along towards the end. It's all about choices! I'm hoping to get the next one up soon. Thank you again, so, so much, the support with this has been amazing. We're nearly there :)
When Jason Brody stabs Vaas Montenegro and leaves him for dead, Alice Ridley is hiding in an underground room with Vaas' right hand man Carlos guarding her.
They've been in there for about three hours now, since the beginning of the pirates' celebratory party, the one that celebrates Jason Brody's death. Except Jason isn't dead, of course, and he's just won his duel with Vaas.
Carlos and Alice are both silent. He is standing near the door, and she is sitting against the wall, thinking back to the last time she saw Vaas, a few hours before. He said bye to her, told Carlos to wait four hours, and if nothing happened, to come out and send Alice back to England. Then Alice surprised herself by running to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him one last time. For the first time, she'd genuinely felt like telling him she loved him. She'd said "take care", instead, and Vaas had kissed her forehead before waking away. He'd given her the passport.
Sitting there, alone with Carlos, Alice tells herself it's the growing insanity in her which pushed her to feel like saying the dreaded three words. She needs to see her family. She's had nothing but Vaas for months now, probably nearly a year. It would drive anyone crazy.
Sitting there, holding the passport, Alice is calm, because as mad as Vaas is he is an excellent fighter, and he will win. He'll live. There's no way she'd get home this easy. It would feel wrong, too, although she is unable to figure out why.
Alice is tired of sitting there.
She stands, walks around. Why is Carlos so still? Vaas would be pacing like a madman in this concrete cage.
"How long has it been?"
"Three hours."
"Right."
She paces the room, listens to the annoying buzz of the neon lamp.
"He's going to win, isn't he?" She asks. No response. This is pissing her off.
"Where are you from, Carlos? Hey?" She presses, growing angry.
"None of your business" replies the pirate.
"How old are you?"
"Older than you."
"I doubt it."
He remains silent, doesn't look at her.
"Vaas is going to win, isn't he? He's a good fighter. That Jason Brody is just a regular guy, isn't he? Vaas is stronger."
"Why the fuck do you care?" Snaps Carlos. "Wouldn't it be better for you if he died?"
Alice has nothing to say to that. Yes, it would be better for her if Vaas died.
"Yes." She says, finally. "But it doesn't mean I actually do want him dead."
Carlos smirks, turning to her. He's leaning against the wall with his foot lazily resting against the concrete. Even his pose is getting on Alice's nerves. She's been in there too long. She needs to know.
"So you finally got that Stockholm shit going, yeah?"
"You know, it's actually possible to be a decent person and not wish others dead without having some sort of terrible phychological condition!" She snaps back.
It's Stockholm, he's got to be right. Smug arse.
"Yeah, sure." Says Carlos. "and who gives a shit where it's coming from, right? You like him now, he makes you happy. Makes you happy all night long. You're probably happier now than you've ever been. Scratched in all the right places. He's even scratched itches you didn't know you had! Fuck Stockholm, am I right? He's the most exciting thing that's ever happened to you, boring English girl. Thank god for Stockholm."
She's regretting talking to him. He doesn't say much, but when he does, boy does it hit home!
"You're very literate." She tells him, acid in her voice.
"Are you calling me stupid?"
"You had me fooled."
"Are you seriously gonna go back to your rainy island? After everything?" He laughs dismissively, shaking his head at her stupidity. "you got Stockholm for that shit country you came from, not Vaas. He fucking liberated you, hermana."
"And you're all liberated too, are you, hermano? Following him around, looking after his girlfriend?"
"You even talk like him now. You're so into him you don't even know."
"Are you jealous?" Pushes Alice, sarcastically. Carlos just snorts, shaking is head at nothing. "It's not about that." Says Alice.
"What?"
"It's not about what feelings I may have now, after months of captivity. It's about choice. He took choices away from me. He made me believe I had to be thankful for being allowed to live. Like it's up to him in the first place! Don't I owe to myself to be careful? Don't I owe it to myself, to remember my choice was taken away? Am I not a person? Do I not get to make my own choices?"
Carlos says nothing to that, finally beaten into silence. Alice starts getting a bit worried, because what if Carlos repeats all of this to Vaas?
"Obviously I do love him now, I just..."
"Save it, hermana, I won't say a thing."
"Do you have actual hermanas, Carlos? A mother? Cousins? Would you want them kept by a slaver, or leading a boring life on a rainy island?"
"Let's just go back to shutting the fuck up, alright? We're out soon."
"He'd be here by now. Let's just go and have a look." Suggests Alice, fruitlessly.
An hour later, Carlos suddenly stirs, gestures to her to come over. He arms his weapon, and she pulls hers out. They walk up the stairs, quietly, carefully, and when they reach the trapdoor, Carlos lifts it gently.
There isn't a sound outside, it's all eerily calm. Not what you would expect from a pirates party.
Carlos takes forever to come out, he watches, listens, shuts his eyes to hear better. Eventually, he starts climbing out, crouching, then stands slowly. When he is satisfied that Brody isn't still around, Carlos extends his hand to Alice but the young woman just climbs out by herself, ignoring him.
It's dark, the camp only lit by the colourful fairy lights and occasional fires here and there. There's no one around. Then, as her eyes get used to her new surroundings and forget the aggressive light of the underground hide, Alice starts seeing them. The pirates. The dogs. Dead, bloody, all over the ground, some stopped in uncanny positions, like they never saw death coming their way. It might be bad, but Alice's first thought goes to her dog.
"Boy?" She calls, and calls again, but he never comes.
Carlos sets off towards the main building, stopping occasionally to check pulses.
Are they the only ones left? Thinks Alice, and she almost wants to laugh. Are they the only ones left?
"I can't see Vaas" says Carlos.
"I'll look in here" replies Alice, her heart beating wildly. Is he dead? Oh god, is he dead?
She walks into the deserted warehouse. Is he dead? Is that good? It's good, isn't it?
It's almost as if she feels him lying nearby. She walks straight to him, in the dark, before she can even really see him. He's there though, it is him, she knows it. Feels it. She stops when her feet step into the pool of blood.
He's pale. Covered in red. Lying on the floor, silent, helpless. His green eyes look black, they stare at the ceiling.
Dead.
Alice feels nothing. She's not decided what to think.
Her torment is dead.
Vaas is drowning. His body does not respond and it will not quit sinking into the deep dark sea. Air blocks into his lungs, doesn't go further. Water fills his mouth and throat. It's dark and cold.
Why did he not wait for backup? Why did he climb onto that stupid boat on his own? Dumb motherfucker. Sisterfucker, rather. He wasn't going to die like this, not drowned. He was going to live forever. He hasn't loved yet, that's something left to do.
There's a loud splash. He looks up.
A mermaid is swimming to him, easily, effortlessly, her long hair flowing around her lovely face. She's swimming to him, for him, to save him. She wraps her arms around him, lifts him up. They break the water surface together.
He's still in the water.
What's going on? Where's that boat, the mermaid?
That's over, Vaas, that's happened already, you're tripping.
But she's here, he can see her, she's standing by the water, above him, she's looking down. Can she not see him? Won't she save him again? Maybe if he shouts?
He tries, tries, all his might, and all that comes out is a strangled cough.
It works.
She dives in.
"Keep pressing down"
"What do you think I'm doing?! Just keep your eyes on the road!"
The car swirls to the left, then to the right.
"For God' sake!"
"What the fuck do you want me to do?! It's the fucking road!"
"Oh god, he's so... So..."
"Just keep pressing!"
"THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!"
The big, white, colonial house comes into view. A slightly rumpled grey haired man is standing near the greenhouse.
The car comes to an abrupt stop, projecting a load of dirt around.
"DOC!" Yells Carlos.
Dr Earnhardt starts, recognises the right hand man to Vaas Montenegro, then runs over to the car.
On the backseat, Alice is pressing her hands, gleaming with blood, over Vaas' stomach.
"He's been stabbed!" She cries, clearly out of her mind with panic.
"Help me take him inside" commands the doctor, master of himself. The two men each carry an end of the pirate lord, and Alice keeps her hands firmly on his wound. They take him upstairs, the stairs nearly being the death of Vaas.
Once in the room, with the pirate on the bed, his instruments and syringes and bandages at hand, Alec pushes the other two out, and gets to work.
Hours later, the doctor finds them both downstairs. Carlos is standing near the door, looking grim, and Alice is curled up on the armchair, knees to her chest and nails to her teeth. She jumps to her feet when he arrives.
Alec wipes his hands, chooses his words carefully. Very carefully. This pirate is not as dumb as the average one.
"He is in a critical condition. Very critical. He is alive, but barely. I cannot make any promises, other than, of course, doing my job. I believe he needs some blood, to replace at least some of what he's lost. That may help. What's your blood type, lad?" He asks Carlos, because he knows Carlos won't know. And he knows Alice will jump to the rescue, British as ever.
"I..."
"I'm 0 positive," provides the girl. "That means I'm a universal donor, doesn't it?"
"Well yes, but, it will be quite a bit of blood my dear..."
"I'll be fine."
Carlos doesn't see anything suspicious.
"Alright then. Are you sure?" She nods. "Well, come with me then. Carlos, is it? Help yourself to anything."
The doctor leads Alice upstairs.
The girl rushes to the bed, but stops about two feet away, as if struck by sudden shyness.
"I'm 0 positive" she repeats. "I've given blood before, how much do you need? Have you got biscuits? We can just continue until I pass out."
"I'll keep my biscuits, thank you very much." Says Alec, drily.
She stares at him in confusion.
"He doesn't need blood." Continues the doctor, quietly, in a rushed whisper, to make sure Carlos downstairs cannot hear. "He's out, but he's going to be alright. He just needs a lot of sleep, a lot of syringes, stitches which I've given him already. The stab hasn't hit anything vital."
"But...?"
"I needed you here, alone. It doesn't matter what blood type you are. You think I know what his blood type is?"
"I'm a universal..."
"We do not need blood" repeats Alec. How does he word this?
"So he's... Going to live?" She sounds neither relieved nor disappointed.
"Perhaps not." He says, barely able to contain his glee. She's still confused.
"Alice" he walks to her, grabs her arms. "Vaas Montenegro could die tonight. Do you understand? The blood transplant may fail. His wound may fester despite my best efforts. A vital organ may have been hit. He could die tonight. Do you understand?"
His eyes are wild, searching hers. He's strangely lucid although his idea is mad.
She throws a quick glance at Vaas.
"Don't worry my dear, he's out. He cannot hear a thing. This could be painless. I could just... Slip something in the wound. Stop looking after him." He lets out a breathless chuckle. "He may die tonight. Vaas may die tonight. You and I could be free!"
She says nothing, looks back at him. Looks down at the pirate, back to him, then her eyes see through him, she's thinking.
He could die. He could. It's easy, you just stop tending to him. Say the blood failed, the wound was infected, the fever killed him. Alice looks at Alec. His tired, hallucinated face, his wrinkles, the many sorrows that scarred his intelligent face. What's the island done to them? Two decent people, plotting to kill an unconscious man. This is it. She's saved him twice, now she can fix her wrongs. She can free herself. Why is he asking her? Why not just do it himself? What's making him ask her? She doesn't get it. It doesn't matter, Alice, Vaas could die! Everything could be over, you can leave! Find Jessica, ring your mother, go home!
At the thought of her mother, Alice's eyes fill with burning tears.
She looks at Alec. She looks at Vaas.
She steels her mind.