“I’m going to go out front for a little air.” I told Gabrielle who was pacing back and forth in the little waiting room that was filled with Mac’s family and friends. The hospital only allowed a few people in the room at a time to say their goodbyes to the deceased. Kenny, Stacy and Mac’s parents were in there with him now.
“Okay, but stay right by the door, please! I can’t take any more stress tonight!” I hugged her close. She and I shared a pain. We both were heartbroken about what happened to Mac, but Gabe was still out there somewhere. His men had all gone to look for him, but we haven’t heard anything back from them.
I walked through the sliding doors and dialed Gabe’s number for the hundredth time. As it rang an ambulance pulled up and my heart stalled in my chest. I moved to the side as they carried their patient in, embarrassed for the breath of relief I took after seeing that it wasn’t my husband.
When he didn’t pick up the phone, I began to text him. However, no sooner had I started texting was I grabbed roughly from behind. I opened my lips to yell but a strong hand covered my mouth and nose. The last thing I remembered before the darkness took me was being assailed by a strong scent of sweetness.
* * * * *
Smiling, I watched a miniature version of Gabriel toddle to hide behind the raspberry bushes. It was a nice day, not too hot and not too cold. Everything was nice and peaceful on the farm.
“I’m going to find you!” I called out to my son pretending to be a bear.
“Roar! Here I come.” But then I heard him cry out and I took off running for him.
“Luke, what is it?” I cried as I rounded the bush. My son was lying on the grass where he fell, pointing toward the tree with his little baby finger. I scooped him up in my arms before I turned to look at what he pointed at, crying out.
Mac stood there looking at me with a big bloody hole in his chest. He had a sad look on his face.
“We tried to save him, Yas!” His words were low. He shook his head before he reached up and placed his hand on his chest. When he brought it down, his beating heart was there in the center of his palm.
“This was not your fault—” He began, but Luke started screaming, crying in my arms. “This was not your fault…”
Blood dripped in my eye. Luke reached up to wipe it out, but another drop landed and then another. I frowned, this dream felt so real. The blood was warm. I even smelled mildew.
“Yasmin!” Mac yelled suddenly, appearing right in front of my face. I screamed coming awake. But I couldn’t open my eyes because there was something warm dripping in my face. Bringing up my hands, I wiped the liquid out of my eyes and frowned when I saw that it was in fact blood. I looked up and cried out.
Gabe was hanging head first over my head. His face was beat up so bad that he was barely recognizable.
“Gabe!” I jumped to my feet. With hands that shook, I gently touched his face, his chest, anything I could. His arms hung limp over his head as if they were broken.
“Somebody, help!” Frantically, I looked around. We were in what looked to be an abandoned factory judging by the old machinery; a factory that had been abandoned for a long time. Gabe was hanging by a chain that was tethered in the ceiling that had to be at least a hundred feet high.
“Gabe!” My voiced quivered so bad my words were unrecognizable. He tried to open his eyes but they were so swollen that he could only get them as wide as slits. I began to weep!
“Gabe!”
He moved his lips trying to say something. I leaned my head closer.
“I’m sorry… b—baby!” He whispered. “I lo—love you!” His breath was coming out of his lungs funny! Like maybe there was blood in his lungs.
I leaned my head gently against his chest. A chest that just this morning had been healthy and whole. “I love you too!”
“Aww! Isn’t that sweet!” A wicked voice came from behind us. I whipped around to see the big man that had killed Mac walk into the area holding out his arms.
“What do you think of this body?” He stopped and did a complete turn. “I had the darndest time acquiring this model. Evidently, it’s one that is preserved for the higher ups. But because I know people, I was able to pull a few strings.”
“I know you have a thing for slayers, so… what baby wants, baby gets; only the best for you sweet meat!”
“What did you do to Gabe! He needs help!” He waved my words away.
“Don’t worry about that busta. He’s all banged up. We got a new model for you baby!” He chuckled as he sat in a chair that had no business in an abandoned warehouse. It was more a throne than it was a chair. I saw the Queen of England sitting in one just like it.
“I brought you here so you can watch your husband die. That way you can embrace your new husband without wondering what happened to the last one.”
“He’s not going to die! I won’t let him!” I wrapped my arms around Gabe so that his head rested gently against my breast and I did the only thing I knew how to do, I started praying. I prayed with everything I had in me. A warm feeling settled over me, and it was like the words to say came into my mouth.
Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I’m not living the way I should. I know that there is more to you than what meets the eye.
