Note: Kudos to Meian16 for his help in writing this chapter!
Chapter Thirteen
Meanwhile, Cam and Barry had been watching everything and after the amount of money was announced, they were flabbergasted.
"Half a million dollars!?" Cam and Barry cried together.
"One wouldn't have to work for a while with that amount of dough!" Cam said.
"You betcha!" Barry agreed then looked and smiled as he saw Samuel and Alexandra embracing then leaving the cage together with the crowd still cheering and shouting.
Yet at the same time, the two mutants saw the Mafia watching them, especially the woman with the sunglasses and she was tapping her ringed fingers on her knuckles.
Both the warthog and rhino knew that pose when they saw it.
It was the pose of someone watching, plotting, and it didn't look right, especially with how they were watching Samuel and Alexandra leave.
Barry was quick to notice it and he nudged Cam.
"Somethings not right Horn-head." He said, "I think we should keep an eye on them."
Cam looked as well, and he agreed.
"How we gonna do that though?" he asked, "This place is full of humans and we're gonna stick out like sore thumbs."
"Good point." Barry said, "Let's just stay behind the bleachers and follow them as they leave the place."
"Gotcha." Cam said, "It's not gonna be easy, but we'll do our best."
Meanwhile, Samuel and Alexandra had made it outside and were still stoked over the win.
They left the warehouse and walked up to where there was a hire car parked near the river.
Samuel had insisted on taking the hire car despite Alexandra's protests that the warehouse wasn't far and that they could walk there, but Samuel said it wasn't because he was being lazy but that it was act as a precaution as they could get away easily if there was trouble to which Alexandra saw his point and she agreed.
They soon paused for a moment to look at the check and Alexandra read the amount then looked at Samuel.
"Wow Sam!" she exclaimed "I just can't believe it! half a million bucks!"
"It's definitely a lot of spending cash, huh?" Samuel replied.
"For sure!" Alexandra agreed "I couldn't make this amount in ten years with my nurses wage!"
"Tell me about it!" Samuel said, "This is definitely the most I've won for any tournament!"
Alexandra nodded as she stroked the check looking at the numbers.
"So what should we do with it, or rather what are you going to do with it, as you won it?" she questioned.
Samuel's eyes twinkled as he looked at his girlfriend.
"Oh, believe me, this isn't a me thing. This is us!" he smiled "It's your money just as much as it is mine."
Alexandra blinked.
"But Sam." She said.
"Yes Babe?" Samuel asked cocking his head.
Alexandra let out an embarrassed chuckle.
"I know it's stupid but..." she paused "even though we've been living together for a while back in Anchorage, and we both contribute to our cost of living I...I just...I'm not sure how to word it..."
As she thought of the right words, Samuel just smiled warmly.
He knew how hard-working Alexandra was, and how she never asked anyone for a dime and always preferred to make her own money, she had always been that way ever since she first started earning her own dollar as a nurse.
He had wondered if it had been any other girl he was with, they would have dollar signs in their eyes and already wanting to spend it on frivolous items like clothes and partying, but Alexandra was never that kind of girl, and he loved that about her.
"I've made my own money since the day I started nursing." Alexandra said finally "And I've been proud of that, I've never thought about sharing money earnt by others.
"I can understand that." Samuel winked "Same goes for me, whether it be in the fights I've done or the odd jobs I've taken in-between, always good to have a work ethic. But if there was ever a person, I'd be willing share a big win with, it's you." He said leaning to her, so his forehead was against hers.
Alexandra blushed.
"Aww, you mean that Sam?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
It's the truth. If we are to live with each other, I'd have to be able to trust you with these kinds of things and I do."
So saying he gave Alexandra the check and she placed it in her bra.
"And do you know you can trust me." Alexandra confirmed patting the spot where she had placed the check.
"Bank of the heart." She winked.
"Yes of course I do, with everything I am." Samuel winked then hugged Alexandra close.
"You know babe, with all this money, we could actually buy a place of our own!" he said.
Alexandra felt her soul light up when she heard that.
"Why yes we could!" she said, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Samuel chuckled.
"It's alright!" he said hugging her more "We could find a nice place to live, whether in Anchorage or wherever!" he said.
"And have everything the way we want it!" Alexandra agreed "Without a landlord saying what we can and can't do." She thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Jason had cleaned up and dressed before leaving the warehouse to return home.
He wasn't feeling bitter over losing out on the top prize as he had gotten a fair amount of money as a prize making it as far as he did in the tournament, and he was looking forward to spending it.
"Hmmm, I'll be able to cover the rest of the down payments on that motorcycle at last." He thought to himself.
He walked into an alley to return to the city, passing a shiny black limousine car as he did.
Just as he was about to walk past it, a door opened and blocked his path.
He was alarmed but though nothing off it as he believed it had been an accident, but his blood ran cold as he heard a voice behind him.
"Jason."
He turned around and he saw the smartly dressed woman from earlier walking over with four men and two women standing behind her.
Jason blinked a few times then looked behind him to see another woman get out of the car behind the door that had blocked his path.
"Good evening." The woman said removing her sunglasses, her accent a mix of Italian and American.
"Who?" Jason asked, still rather alarmed yet he tried to remain cool even though he knew that was the mafia before him and despite the fact he could fight, he knew very well what these criminal gangs could do.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The woman chuckled.
"Oh how rude of me." She said, "I am Antonella Maria Luciano of the Chicago Outfit Mafia."
"Chicago Outfit? Shit..." Jason thought, fear pooling in his stomach.
"You were a good fighter in the tournament," Antonella said "Pity you didn't get as far as that Samuel."
"Um...thanks." Jason said looking around for a way to escape but given how the door was still blocking his path and Antonella and her group were blocking the other way, he was trapped!
"Where is he?" Antonella asked politely "Samuel? I wish to extend my congratulations to him."
"What do you mean congratulations?" Jason asked suspiciously.
"Just my congratulations on winning the prize and getting as far as he did," Antonella replied, yet as she spoke, there was a glint in her eye.
Jason caught on, and he knew when it came to the Mafia, they were always after something, no matter how friendly they seemed or how innocent the request.
"And you expect me to believe that?" he replied cocking an eyebrow causing the other mafia members to glare at him, yet Antonella's smile never faded.
"Any kind of business the mafias involved in is never the good kind!" Jason stated which caused Antonella's smile to waver, yet she tapped her sunglasses on her arm as she analysed him.
"Hmmm clever boy." She drawled.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the reason you want to find him has something to do with the money he won!" Jason stated boldly to which he saw Antonella's smirk flicker and he guessed he had hit the nail on the head there.
It was obvious they had bet on Clyde to win the money, and Clyde was one of the fighters that was working for them, or rather was since he had failed in winning the fight, and he dreaded to think what fate awaited him for failing in his job.
"If that's the case." He said his eyes still scanning for a way out and he decided that he would take the chance and push past the group.
"I got nothing to say to you!" he took a chance to walk towards the right where he saw a gap between the female Mafia Rosa and the wall leading back to the warehouse, yet Rosa put her arm out.
"You're going nowhere!" she snarled.
Jason glowered and narrowed his eyes ready to push past again yet he was shoved back by Butch.
Jason almost stumbled but he grabbed the wall to steady himself and he felt sweat forming on his forehead.
It was obvious these Mafia members weren't ready to give up.
"I asked you politely Jason." Antonella said, her eyes glittering "But now I'm getting impatient."
Jason glared.
"I aint telling you shit!" he snapped "I don't know where Samuel's gone, and even if I did, I wouldn't say anything!"
Antonella smirked as she walked over, her sunglasses in her left hand and the other behind her back.
"You're lying!" she said looking at his sweaty forehead and how white he looked.
She stepped closer to him, Jason tried to move away but the wall was behind him.
"And I don't like liars..." she hissed then punched him hard in the chest!
Jason gasped in shock as he felt the punch, but then he felt a sharp pain and he looked at Antonella who was smirking harder.
He also noticed that in her hair bun, there was a hairpin at an angle, yet from what he remembered, there had been two of them!
He sucked in a breath and looked down to see her fist against his chest and it was soaked in blood! She hadn't punched him! She had stabbed him!
Jason gasped then cried out as she removed the blade, and he grasped his wound as blood started to pour out rapidly.
"No..." he gasped then started to move away.
The other gangsters moved aside as he started to run yet they looked at their boss, their facial expressed question in what they should do next.
"Let him go..." Antonella hissed.
"M'am?" Enzo asked then he along with the others saw as the fighter was fleeing, he was leaving a trail of blood.
"Heh!" Butch snickered "He ain't gonna get far before he bleeds out!"
"No, he won't." Antonella agreed.
"So, what next Lady Antonella?" Boris asked.
"We follow him." Antonella replied, "I have a very good idea where he's going."
The others agreed and started to follow the blood trail as well as see Jason stumble around the corner.
"I'm going to look forward to taking back what was stolen from me!" Antonella smirked as she looked at the bloody knife in her hand and walked behind her gang.
Meanwhile, oblivious to what had just taken place, Samuel and Alexandra still held each other close lovingly as they looked at the river and the moon shining over them as well as Chicago's pretty city lights.
"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Samuel asked, "Brings back memories of our first date."
"It does yeah." Alexandra said, "Although it was daytime back at that park in Anchorage."
"True!" Samuel agreed "It's just something about a park at night-time, huh?"
Alexandra nodded.
"You know, if the weathers nice tomorrow night we can maybe take a trip to Lincoln Park?" she suggested "I was sort of hoping we could go there before we're due to return to Alaska."
"Sounds good to me!" Samuel said.
"In fact, if we went there during the day, we could check out the zoo?" Alexandra asked.
"We can do that babe!" Samuel winked "Anything for you!"
As he hugged Alexandra, he thought about the park, then he remembered he had a box in his hoodie pocket.
"Maybe I can surprise Alexandra there?" he thought then looked at the moon over the river.
"Or should I do it here?" he chewed his lip.
"Aww man, where is the best place for a guy to propose?" he thought to himself.
But as he was lost in his conflicted thoughts, he heard footsteps to the side along with a panted shout.
Alexandra also heard they both looked over to where the sound was only to see to their horror, Jason running over with his hand covering his bloody chest.
"Please!" he begged "Help me! Help me please! I've been stabbed!"
"What the hell?!" Samuel cried "Jason?"
Alexandra gasped as she saw Jason's blooded up chest as well as see him struggle to walk.
"Oh my god!" she cried running over "What's happened?"
Samuel followed suit and the couple grabbed Jason and lay him down so Alexandra could inspect his wound.
"Jason? What happened?" Samuel demanded "Who did this to you?"
Jason coughed as blood erupted from his mouth.
"Ma...Ma...mafia!" he choked "They're coming!"
"Sam!" Alexandra screamed "He's been stabbed! He's losing blood fast!"
Samuel went pale and he felt Jason's blood hand grab his hoodie.
"Antonella…" he struggled to speak "Chicago…Outfit! She's…She's after you…"
What? Chicago Outfit? The mafia? Are they the ones who did this to you!?
Jason nodded and Alexandra could see him going paler as well as struggling to breathe.
"Some vital areas have been punctured, Sam!" she cried "He needs urgent treatment, or he'll bleed to death!"
Samuel nodded and with Alexandra's help they picked up Jason and took him to the hire car before placing him on the back seat.
"Hang in there Jason!" Samuel shouted "You're gonna be okay!"
"We'll drive him to the hospital!" he stated as Alexandra looked for the keys yet as she looked up, she saw Antonella walking over with her gang.
"Sam!" she cried.
"Oh shit!" Samuel cried then grabbed the keys from Alexandra's hand and jumped into the driver's seat.
"Get in!" he shouted at Alexandra who at once jumped in and looked over at Jason who was still breathing, yet it was getting slower.
"Hold tight!" Samuel said as he started the engine, but before he could drive off, a bang was heard followed by a pop and he found the car wouldn't move!
"Oh fuck!" Samuel cried then Alexandra screamed and ducked as another shot went off and smashed the back window and the windscreen as it travelled through the car!
Samuel gritted his teeth, and he looked in the rear-view mirror to see the Mafia getting closer.
"Damn it!" he cursed then he opened the car door.
"Alex! Stay in the car with Jason!"
"What!?" Alexandra exclaimed "Sam! No!"
"Please!" Samuel looked back at her and took her hands "Stay with Jason and look after him! Promise me! STAY HERE!" he barked the last two words and Alexandra knew better than to argue with him given how serious he was.
"Okay..." she said, tears welling in her eyes.
Samuel kissed her hands then turned to exit the car to confront the Mafia, all the while Alexandra watched him with fear.
"Please be careful..." she whispered.
To Be Continued...