Chapter 31: What Happened To Theresa?
Alfred heard the loud gunshot and felt someone’s hands wrapped around his body.
He turned around and his eyes widened in shock. Theresa was hugging him with a weak smile on her face, then she spurted out blood.
Realization suddenly hit Alfred. Theresa shielded him with her own body and she took the bullet for him. She got shot instead of him.
Theresa’s hands loosened from Alfred’s body and she was about to fall, but Alfred quickly carried in a bridal style ans he rushed to his car.
“Stay with me, Theresa. Don’t die.” Alfred said with fear evident in his voice.
He placed her in the passenger’s seat and he hurriedly got behind the wheels and blared the engines to life. Slamming hard on the accelerator, he swerved the car around and zoomed off.
Jeff’s men were all dead. Rodrigo held his bleeding arm whioe groaning on the floor in pain. He was shot twice on his arm by Douglas.
Douglas sighted Jeff behind the car he was hiding. He angrily threw the roll of weed he was smoking away. He walked towards the car Jeff was hiding and he dragged Jeff out.
“How dare you try to kill Alfred!” Douglas yelled as he landed a punch on Jeff’s face. Jeff’s lips bursted immediately the punch came in contact with his face.
“You’re a fucking traitor who deserves to die!” Douglas yelled as he continued to rain punches on Jeff’s face. Then he slammed Jeff’s head on the car and Jeff passed out.
A truck drove into the place. Rose and Caesar got down from the truck.
“Where is the boss?” Caesar asked, glancing around in search of Alfred.
“He’s gone back to the empire,” Douglas answered.
“Was he shot?” Caesar asked.
“No, someone else was.” Viper replied, with an unconcerned look on her face.
“Caesar, drive the truck to the empire.” Douglas instructed. Caesar entered inside the truck and he drove off.
“Rose, bring me a thick rope to tie up these two bastards.” Douglas instructed, glaring angruly at Jeff and Rodrigo who were laying on the ground.
Rose brought a thick rope and Douglas tied up Jeff and Rodrigo with the rope, then he dragged them to his car. He opened the booth an he put the both of them inside.
Viper and Rose entered inside the car and Douglas got behind the wheels. He kick-started the engine and drove out of the port.
(The Gilbertos Empire)
Alfred drove roughly into the compound and he parked the car. He hurriedly climbed down the vehicle and he carried Theresa from the backseat.
“Call the fucking doctor!” Alfred yelled at his men as he carried Theresa to his mansion
He got to his mansion within a minute and he rushed inside. He hurriedly walked up the staircase that led to his bedroom.
He banged his bedroom door open and he laid Theresa on the king-sized bed.
He held Theresa’s hands which was becoming cold. Her face was also turning pale.
“Don’t die on me Theresa. Hold on a little longer.” Alfred said with a worried expression on his face.
He has never been scared of losing someone in Hus entire life as a mafia. But today, he was scared of losing Theresa.
The bedroom’s door opened and a man dressed in white T-shirt and black trousers, walked in with a stethoscope around his neck and a briefcase in his hand.
He hurriedly walked towards bed and he saw the bullet hole in Theresa’s stomach.
“Make sure you revive her before I get back, Antonio.” Alfred said, “She must not die. And If she dies, you’ll also die.” He added with a low threatening voice.
“Alright, I’ll try my best.” Antonio said with a loud sigh. Alfred patted his shoulder, then he walked out of the room.
********
Jeff woke up to find himself strapped to a pulley. “What is this? Where I’m I?”
Suddenly, he heard a someone struggling beside him. He turned to find Rodrigo also strapped to a pulley beside him.
He was crying and sweating, his eyes wide as he gazed down below him. Jeff slowly followed his eyes.
He caught his breath sharply and his heart skipped a beat. They were both dangling in space over a large pond. It was the largest pond he’d ever seen.
But it wasn’t the pond that cause a chill running up hid spine. It was what were Inside the pond.
The pond was filled with crocodiles. Tons of them.
Jeff screamed in fright like a baby as the crocodiles snapped their fangs hungrily, gazing up longingly at him.
“Finally awake?” Someone said from across the hall.
Jeff darted his eyes to see Alfred and his men staring up at him gleefully.
Alfred was smoking a cigarette and grinning at him.
“So,” Alfred took off the cigarette off his lips and blew a cloud in the air. “You’re the one who tried to kill me.”
The crocodiles snapped their fangs hungrily, gazing up longingly at Jeff.
Jeff was as pale as the belly, of a fish. He was so frightened.
If Jeff was given an option, he would gladly choose to be shot in the back rather than being eaten alive.
Jeff and Rodrigo were both frightened to their bone marrow.
Jeff yelled at Alfred. “Let me out of this thing. Let me out!”
Alfred didn’t say anything. Even his voice sounded like a dying frog.
Caesar had ordered someone to bring a chair for Alfred. Alfred wandered over to the fancy cushioned chair and settled down on it.
“Jeff and Rodrigo,” Alfred crossed his legs, eyeing the both of them dangerously. “The both of you were one of my finest men, but you betrayed me. Yet, I forgave you. But thr both of you still had the guts to hijack my shipment and trade it to your clients.”
“We are sorry Alfred,” Jeff begged, “Forgive us.”
Alfred let out a dark grin, “I’ve got a few questions for the both of you.”
“Firstly, who sent the both of you to hijack my shipment?”
“No one did.” Rodrigo replied almost quickly.
Alfred grin widened, “I know the both of you too well and I know what you can do and what you can’t. So, I’ll ask you one more time, who sent you to hijack my shipment?”
Jeff and Rodrigo remained silent with as beads of sweats formed on their forehead.
“I see the both of you have made your choice,” Alfred saidsaid with a wicked smirk, “You want to be the meal for my crocodiles. Then so be it.”
“Wait!” Jeff said, “I’ll tell you who sent us.”
“Alright, I’m all ears.” Alfred replied.
“We were sent by a member of the Marcel family.” Jeff said.
“The Marcel family?”
“Yes, the Marcels.” Jeff nodded.
“Alfred’s smirk grew wider, “Now listen to me, Jeff and Rodrigo. I want you to address the situation you’re in right now. Below you is a pond filled with crocodiles. Crocodiles are very interesting animals. I made a study of them sometime ago. Do you know crocodiles are believed by scientist to have been in existence since the days of the Dino’s?”.
Jeff glanced below, swallowing hard. “I never knew that.”
Alfred smiled, knocking ashes off his cigarette. “Well, now you know. They can do without oxygen for a period of time. Also they can survive without food for sometime. I can’t recall how long but I know it’s a long time.”
Alfred knew he was beating around the bush but he just enjoyed piling up the tension on Jeff and Rodrigo. He needed them to be dead scared.
Alfred went on. “You wanna know how we feed them?” He paused for effect. “It’s pretty simple. Humans are their favorite meals. That’s because we only feed them humans.”
The looks on Jeff’s face was a thing to see. Alfred was enjoying himself.
“Let me out,” Jeff snorted. “Let me out of here. I’m sorry for trying to kill you.”
Alfred smirked. “We haven’t fed these babies for weeks now. Imagine how savage they could get once your body drops into the pond.”
“Please I beg you!” Jeff begged.
Rodrigo yelled at Alfred. “What do you want?!”
Alfred took his time to lit another cigarette after dropping the used one on the floor.
“I want Dante Marcel. Where can I find him?”
Rodrigo exchanged looks with Jeff. Their eyes said it all.
“I’ve got no idea,” Rodrigo replied Alfred.
Alfred knew it would come to that.
“You don’t know?”
Rodrigo yelled at Alfred and the rage in his voice even surprised Alfred. “I don’t know and even if I did, I’d be damn if I say a single word to you about him.”
Alfred was quiet. His face had grown darker and blank.
Jeff was afraid and thoroughly confused. Alfred could tell he was in two minds; if to rat on his Dante or keep mute.
Rodrigo was the opposite. He suddenly looked hard and stubborn.
Alfred need not a prophet to tell me he’d rather die than betray his boss.
Looking at him now, Alfred knew it would be a waste of time trying to dig anything out of him.
Placing his hands together to form a triangle, Alfred brought it to his face and gazed fixedly at Rodrigo. “So, you’ve chosen to become crocodile food.”
Alfred instantly saw fear jumping into Rodrigo’s eyes. His resolve faded away.
“You want to know the truth? I don’t know anything. I can’t help you.” Rodrigo said.
Alfred waved his hands at Caesar. “Drop him.”
Caesar was standing before a row of buttons and levers. He pressed a red button and pulled a lever.
The pulley moved, dropping Rodrigo instantly. He dropped into the pond in a splash.
What happened next was heart chilling. The crocodiles dived on Rodrigo, their jaws opening wide for a bite.
The commotion in the pond was like that of two alley cats fighting in the middle of the night. The pond rumbled with noise followed by Rodrigo’s bloodcurdling screams.
It was all over in a matter of minutes. The Crocs drowned him inside the water and he never came back up again.
Blood coloured the surface of the pond.
Jeff was gazing down at the scene, his eyes bulging. He couldn’t believe that his younger brother was just eaten alive by crocodiles.
Jeff didn’t know if he should scream or faint. He’s never seen anything so gruesome– to be eaten alive.
When Jeff’s eyes met Alfred’s, he shivered. Alfred’s eyes were as cold as ice and as hard as nails.
Jeff didn’t kid himself Alfred wouldn’t hesitate to drop him into the pond if he proved stubborn.
“Don’t drop me, Alfred,” he pleaded and tears filled his eyes. ” I’ll tell you everything I know about Dante.”
Alfred flickered ashes off his cigarette and raised an eyebrow at him. “Alright, where’s Dante?”
Jeff’s lips were shaking. “I don’t know.”
Alfred glanced at Caesar. Caesar’s hand moved over to the buttons but Jeff spoke sharply.
“No, listen to me. No one knows where Dante is. Rodrigo and I don’t work directly for Dante. We work for our superior. She hired us trade shipments and drugs.”
Alfred became interested. “Your superior is a she?”
Jeff nodded sharply, “Yes, our superior is a lady.”
“Alright, tell me more.”
Jeff paused for a while. “Well, this is how the system works. Dante is the boss and he has three front men. Two are women and one is a man. These front men are our superiors. They go around, hiring us to do odd jobs for them and we get paid for it.”
Alfred drew in smoke desperately. His heart was racing with excitement. “So your superior? Who is she?”
“Her name’s Shikita,” Jeff said. ” She’s Japanese.”
This surprised Alfred. ” A jap you say.”Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
Jeff nodded sharply. “She’s awfully dangerous. She scares me.”
Alfred didn’t move. He was thinking. “Where can I find her?”
“Tokyo, Japan,” he answered. ” She usually flies for the weekend there.”
Alfred gave a knowing smile. ” Tokyo, huh?”
Jeff looked at Alfred blankly. “You’re going after her? That’s suicide. Didn’t you hear what I said? This woman’s a killer.”
Alfred studied him thoughtfully. “Are you suddenly concerned about me?”
Jeff passed a tongue across his dry lips. ” Yeah, you were my boss so I’m kinda worried about you, even though I betrayed you. Warning you is the best way to show that I still care for you. Natasha is as poisonous as a snake. She’s Dante special person. You’ll have to get to Dante through her.”
Alfred found himself flickering his cigarette away. He suddenly felt thirsty. “Well that’s enough of that. Anything else?”
He shook his head. “No that’s all.”
Alfred smiled up at him. “I’ll let you go on one condition.”
Jeff let out a deep breath but Alfred could tell the anxiety written over his face. He was just a breath away from death.
Alfred laid it out to him.. “There are two options here. You can either choose to join the Gilberto family again and become my ally or you could choose to be crocodile food.”
Jeff didn’t need to think about that. He answered immediately. “I’ll join you.”
Alfred walked up to Caesar and whispered to his ears. “Lock him up. I won’t need him until I’m ready. He’s one of us now.”
Caesar didn’t like this as Alfred knew he wouldn’t like it. ” But boss, he once betrayed us, what if he–”
“I know,” Alfred cut him off. “I’ve got plans for him. It’s not that I trust him. I don’t trust him again but I believe he’s willing to work for us. He seemed scared of the crocodiles. Let him live with that threat in mind. As long as he is haunted by the crocodiles, we can control him. Do as you’re told. No questions.”
Caesar replied. “Alright, boss.”
The door barged open and Doctor Antonio rushed in.
Alfred averted huabgaze to him immediately.
“The lady who was shot,” Antonio paused to catch his breath.
“What happened to Theresa?!” Alfred half-yelled, gripping Antonio’s collar.
Antonio let out a aigh before answering, “She di…