TEMPTING THE DEVIL - EPISODE 15

” You’ve been quiet since we came here, hope every thing is alright?” Ruthie asked me while we ate our lunch.

” Sure, of course. Why? ”

She rose an eyebrow at me. ” Seriously? ”

” Look, Ruth, I’m fine, okay. ”

” I wanna believe that but uhm… your expression says no. Nothing is definitely alright. So you’re gonna tell me what’s actually eating you up? ”

I let out a sigh.” I don’t know. ”

” Really? You don’t know? ” She scoffed. ” If you keep saying that all the time, you won’t find help. We’re friends aren’t we? And friends are supposed to be there for each other. ”

Not this time. I’d only be a bad friend if I have to tell her about the Luciano’s.

I just wish I can be normal living in that now-hell-shit of a mansion. Even this hangout would have been better if we spent it at home.

But with the look of things, I don’t think I made the wrong choice at all.

” Why don’t we change topic?”

” Okay, I’m listening.” She sipped on her drink.

” So, about what Mr Thompson said yesterday. ” I started.

” What about it? ” She asked.

” I can’t even remember. ”

She scoffed. ” You’re funny, you know that. ”

” Just joking. Honestly, my head is too busy to think of a topic now. ”

” So, how about your article on the Drug Gangs, are you still writing it? ”

” I uhm.. I was but uhm.. I changed my mind. ”

” Why? ” She asked, surprised.

” I realized I shouldn’t be spending almost all my time writing about those shits. It would be a lot better if I have to write something more… reasonable. ”

” Some thing like..? ”

” I don’t know. Anything different. ”

After the lunch, we went for another hangout at rhe beach. We didn’t swim, we only watched as people walked up and down, played sand game and the rest of them.

I can’t imagine myself home alone if not for Ruthie, I would have be laying on my bed till day breaks.

” So, does your mother know you work in the Mass Comp?” I asked, breaking the long term silence.

” I don’t think so. But if she does, that means dad must have told her. I don’t care.”

” Ever thought of paying your dad a visit? ”

” Yeah, but it didn’t work out, tho. He said he was working on an issue. ”

” What issue? ”

” Didn’t say so. ” She shrugged. ” We’re both planning on meeting next month, without step mom’s consent. ”

” Sorry to say this, but you have a hell bitch as a step mother. ”

” You can keep saying that over and over again, I won’t mind. ”

We saw people running helter skelter with loud screams from every sides of the beach. And then the sound of a gun which followed after.

Ruthie and I quickly stood up from where we sat, finding our way out of the beach.

But the sound of the gun seem to be coming from every where. ” What’s going on?” Ruthie asked terrified.

” I don’t know. But we should be working on getting the hell outta here. ”

” But they’re everywhere. How are we going to get out of here with the… Fuck! ” She screamed by the loud sound of a released bullet. ” Nat, get us out of here!”

It’s okay for her to be scared, I am too. But that’s not the problem, the problem is leaving here alive.

But what’s actually the reason for the intruders and the gun shot? What’s wrong with the beach this time?

We kept running, trying to make it to the corner of a rock, Ruthie fell to the ground as soon as another bullet was released to our direction.

I almost thought I had lost Ruthie, but when I turned to check on her, she dragged me down, crawling ahead of me.

” Those bastards will have one of our heads blown out.” She said, leaning against the rock. ” We’re doomed for good. ”

” It’s all my fault. ” I hated myself for ever bringing up the idea of visiting the beach.

” For what? Bringing us here?” She scoffed. ” Oh please, spare me that now, Nat. The most important thing is staying alive. As soon as we get out of here, we’ll talk about this. ”

” Everyone heads down!! ” We heard one of the voices say. ” I said heads down! ”

I poke my head out to see what was going on. Another was pointing a gun of a victim’s head, ” Heads up again, and I will blow your skull.” He threatened.

” So, I’m gonna ask, where is De Conto? ” He yelled the name.

” Who the heck is De Conto?” Ruthie whispered.

” Never heard of the name before.”

There was no reply from any of the people laying on the ground. He released fire in the air, threatening them the more.

” I said, where the heck is De Conto?” After a short while, he chuckled. ” No one’s gonna answer me, huh? Fine.”

” What’s he gonna do, blow their heads off?” She asked, now I can feel the shivering vibration of her body on mine.

” I think so.” I sneaked my head out again, he was talking to one of the victims. He pushed him by the head, causing him to fall on someone else.

He had a brief call, which after he gave a nod to the others who accompanied him. ” They’re gonna kill them all.” I said, leaning my head back on the rock.

” What?! ” She was quick to cover her mouth from causing any sound.

Then we started hearing gunshots, countless of them. I shot my ears from hearing them. I couldn’t stop from imagining the innocent bloods gone for no reason.

I shut my eyes close as if leaving it open would cause me a nightmare at night. They were gonna kill them… all those innocent souls for one single person no one knows.

We waited for minutes after they had all gone. Ruthie was already weeping like a child. It has always been a talk at the office, but today, she was seeing it reality.

It is all my fault, I shouldn’t have brought neither of us to this mess.

” I think they’re gone.” I said, checking for the fifth time.

” I… I can’t. Nat, I can’t. I’m scared.”

” You can only be scared if you remain here. The cops are gonna hear of this and if they find us here, they’re gonna keep us in custody. ”

” Are they… ” She swallowed hard. ” Are those people the drug gangs? ”

I knew that was what she’d ask, so I nodded my head at her. ” They work for the Drug Lords.” I answered. ” Now, let’s get out of here. ” I held her hand as we got to our feet.

We luckily got out of the beach with our eyes focused straight. There weren’t any survivals.

” I’ll never visit a beach.. ever again in my life.” Ruthie vowed with a shaky voice. ” I hate today! It sucks!”

” I’m sorry,” I apologized.

” You don’t have to, it’s not your fault they were looking for De Conto. And no one knew this would happen. ” She exhaled shakily. ” I just wanna go home. ”

I threw my bag on the chair, heading to the fridge for a glass of water. I understand how terrified and hurt Ruthie is.

Everyone would feel the same in a case like this. Though I felt the same way Ruthie feels, but if I have to be so terrified like she is, we wouldn’t have gotten out of there alive.

Daddy always say; “ One ought to be brave sometimes.” I’ll never forget those words.

I picked my bag from the chair I had thrown it, heading to my room. Today sucks… A lot!!