REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
CHAPTER 75 & 76.
ALONE IN DARKNESS
Kracus lay in bed, tossing and turning. Despite the exhaustion that weighed heavy on his bones from a long, grueling day at the hospital, yet he was having a hard time sleeping.
His thoughts drifted to Tesiera. He couldn’t shake off the worry that filled him. How was her mission progressing? Was she alright?
A smile formed on his lips when he remembered their phone call from the night before. It’d made him smile all day long and Nurse Patty had even asked why he was smiling.
The shrill ring of Kracus’ phone jolted him out of a deep slumber. He groggily answered the call, his eyes still half-closed. “Hello?” he mumbled into the phone.
“Dr. Kracus, we have an emergency case,” the hospital’s receptionist said. “A patient with a severe head injury has just been brought in. We need you to come in right away.”
Kracus rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head. “I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” he said, before hanging up.
He scrambled to get dressed and raced to the hospital, with Bose and Clinton on his tail. When he arrived, he was met by the emergency team, who quickly briefed him on the patient’s condition.
“The patient is a young man in his 20s. He had been involved in a serious car accident, suffered a severe head injury and was unconscious when he arrived at the hospital.” They briefed him.
Kracus quickly assessed the patient’s condition and announced that he should be prepped for immediate surgery. Then, he scrubbed in, entered the theater and got to work.
“Scalpel,” he called out to one of the nurses.
She handed it to him promptly. He made a precise incision on the patient’s scalp, then used a surgical saw to create an opening in the skull.
“Retractor,” he said to another nurse, who handed him the tool, holding the incision open so that he could see the brain.
Kracus worked with great care, his hands moving in small, deliberate motions. The nurses were always one step ahead, anticipating his every need and providing support whenever necessary.
As he worked, he monitored the patient’s vital signs, keeping an eye on the heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. The nurses kept him updated on any changes, so he could adjust his approach as needed.
REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
After several tense hours, the surgery was complete. Kracus had successfully repaired the damage to the patient’s brain. He closed up the incision and bandaged the wound.
Then, he stood aside and watched the nurses wheel the patient into recovery. He followed them out of the operating room, exhausted but relieved.
“Great job, everyone,” he addressed, wiping his forehead with a towel. “Let’s keep a close eye on the patient during recovery.” To Nurse Maria, he added, “Make sure to let me know if there are any changes in their condition.”
“Definitely,” she replied with a smile before walking away with the others.
Kracus began walking back to his office and Nurse Patty fell into steps with him, “You did a really good job, doc. I admire the way you work.”
He gave her a polite smile, “Thank you, Patty. You’ve done a really good job too. Go home and get some rest.”
“I’ll do that.” she paused, “Actually, I was meaning to ask…” her cheeks flushed, “Would you attend the work dinner tomorrow night?”
Their department had work dinners occasionally, where they all gathered to engage in a meal together. Kracus shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t. Maybe another time.”
“A-alright, I understand.”
He watched her leave. The truth was he had nothing to do by that time but he still wanted to keep it free in case Tesiera came back by then. He knew the mission was tonight, so she might have everything wrapped up in the morning and come back before sundown.
Anticipation sizzled through him, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Who would have thought that he would prefer to spend his free time with The Torturer instead of his friendly co-workers?
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REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
Tesiera’s heart raced as the alarm blared throughout the house, but she didn’t panic. She grabbed the young woman’s hand and led her through the door, pulling it shut behind them.
She took a quick glance around, trying to decide which way would be the best to follow. Because if she followed the three routes she had in mind, whichever one she would still be screwed.
“I know a way. Follow me,” the young woman said, grabbing Tesiera’s hand and began running. Tesiera was surprised but she allowed the girl to leave the way.
She led them to a large bookshelf on the far wall. It looked out of place, but Tesiera couldn’t see any route around there, “What are we doing here?” She asked.
“He has a lot of secret tunnels here. He and his men talk about it all the time. There’s supposed to be one around here…” The girl trailed off, her eyes darting around frantically.
The bookshelf does look out of place in this hallway, Tesiera thought. She got in front of the girl and scanned the book’s carefully, ignoring the heavy sounds of footsteps she could hear from a distance.
Then, she saw a hidden button and pressed it. The bookshelf slid away, revealing a narrow passageway.
“Hurry!” she urged the young woman, and they both squeezed into the tunnel. The space was tight, and the air was musty and damp.
They followed the tunnel, which twisted and turned, and finally led them to a hidden door. Tesiera pushed it open, and they emerged into a small room filled with dusty crates and old furnitures.
“I’ve not been here before,” the girl said, her voice shaking with fear.
“What is your name?” Tesiera asked, her eyes darting around, “We need to find a way out of here.”
“Maddie,” the girl responded. “Can I see your face, please?”
“No, Maddie. Trust me, it’s safer for you that way.” Tesiera scanned the room quickly, and her eyes settled on a small window near the ceiling. It was too high to reach.
But then, she spotted an old crate nearby they could use as a makeshift ladder.
“Stand on this,” Tesiera ordered, pulling the crate over to the wall under the window. She boosted the young woman up onto the crate, then climbed up behind her.
Together, they pushed open the window and crawled out. They found themselves in a dark and abandoned section of the mansion’s backyard. And, there were three guards stationed nearby, their eyes scanning the area for any signs of trouble.
Tesiera palmed a dagger attached to her hip, her grip tightened on her knife as she silently assessed the situation. It’s probably best to get them one after the other from behind.
“Stay behind me,” she whispered to Maddie, before she slowly approached the guards.
In a swift motion, Tesiera lunged forward, her knife slicing through the air and striking one of the guards in the neck. The guard fell to the ground, blood pooling around him.
The other two guards turned towards Tesiera, their weapons drawn. Tesiera dodged their attacks, her movements fluid. She landed a punch to one of the guards’ jaw, sending him reeling backwards. Maddie grabbed a nearby rock and threw it at the remaining guard, striking him in the temple. The distraction helped Tesiera kill the guard.
They quickly made their way towards the small gate, but it was locked.
However, Tesiera pulled out a bobby pin from her ponytail and quickly picked the lock. The sound of the lock coming off filled the air. They swung the gate open and dashed out onto the bush.
They kept running, not stopping until they were far enough away from the mansion. The young woman clung to Tesiera, tears streaming down her face as they ran.
They were out. They made it out.
+++
REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
Two hours later, Tesiera sat on the cold floor at one corner, the darkness of her bedroom swallowing her whole. Her body was still damp from her shower, but it did little to ease the tension that coiled within her.
She’d left Maddie on the side of the road with enough money to find her way home safely. Now, she was alone in her darkness, her shoulders uncomfortable like something weight was pressed against them.
Finally she had killed one of the men who had taken her father’s life. Revenge felt great, the victory tasted so damn good, but yet she felt hollow inside.
I don’t remember. A death like that is too insignificant for me to even remember.
Tesiera’s eyes were closed, the sound of the ticking clock loud against the silence. In the end, Jake Blake had confessed that he remembered killing her father.
“You know, I remember him. The pathetic man that wanted to hold on to the locket of his dead wife.” he’d laughed, spitting out blood. “You are that little girl he was protecting that day, right? I should have put a bullet through your head that day if I’d known a day like this would come.”
Every nerve in Tesiera’s body felt raw and exposed, as though she had been stripped bare of all her defenses. It was a painful, agonizing feeling that she hated, but couldn’t escape from, no matter how hard she tried.
She’d wanted to sleep but her heart felt too heavy. The house was too quiet.
Memories flooded her mind, unbidden and unwanted.
“Keep quiet, baby, I will make it all go away. Daddy will make it all go away.”
“But it hurts,” Young Tesiera cried, pushing at his hips to let up, “It hurts, Daddy, stop.”
“It won’t hurt for long, baby. It’s okay, I’ll make it all go away. Shhh, you don’t want Mummy to hear now, do you? Mummy won’t like that I’m consoling you and she will spank you like a bad child.”
The memory of that familiar voice in her ear made bile rise to her throat. She’d kept quiet after that and swallowed every scream that rose on her throat. Because young Tesiera didn’t want to be a bad child. she didn’t want to be thrown back into the streets.
Tesiera took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady herself. “You’ve killed the man that created that memory and you’ve killed the one that resurrected that memory. Now, get a hold of yourself,” she muttered out loud.
But instead, a shudder went down her spine. She couldn’t shake off the raw, pained feeling that consumed her, like an open wound that refused to heal.
She felt exposed and vulnerable. Two feelings she despised as much as the word ‘Love’. So, why the hell couldn’t she make it stop?
I can’t remember. A death like that is too insignificant for me to even remember.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. She cussed and stubbornly blinked it back. What the hell was wrong with her? She doesn’t cry, damn it.
The house was just too quiet.
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REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
Kracus’ eyes abruptly sprang open in the pitch-black room. He sensed it immediately. He was not alone.
Instinctively, he reached for the bedside lamp and illuminated the room with a soft glow. His gaze wandered to a figure that was huddled against the wall.
Tesiera.
He blinked a few times to ensure that he was not dreaming. But he wasn’t. It was indeed her familiar figure.
“Tesiera?” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
She remained motionless, staring off into the distance. But he knew it was her. She was dressed in her usual attire; overall leather. But something seemed…off.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his concern growing with every passing moment. Judging from the open window beside her, he didn’t need to ask how she managed to enter his room.
Instead, he quickly wrapped his robe around his body, got out of bed and approached her.
“Don’t. I shouldn’t have come here.” she whispered in a hushed tone. “Don’t come any closer. Please.”
He halted in his tracks. Her tone was calm as usual, but there was a crack in her voice that broke something in him. And, the fact that she used the word “Please” was also highly unusual.
“Are you alright, Siera?” he asked in a soothing voice, “Baby, please talk to me.”
Silence hung in the air, and the tension in the room was palpable. Finally, she spoke.
“The house was too quiet,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Then, she stepped out of the shadows, and Kracus could finally see her face. Her expression was composed, but her eyes…
Tesiera Rinderson was fighting to hold back tears. And from the looks of it, she was in a losing battle.
As she approached him, Kracus instinctively opened his arms for her. He knew that she probably wouldn’t accept his embrace, but was unable to stop himself.
A tear escaped from her eyes. “The house was way too quiet, doc.” she repeated and her voice trembled slightly.
Then, she walked straight into his open arms, taking him by surprise.
“Work your magic, doc. Make this pain go away so I don’t have to do it my own way,” she whispered, against him.
REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 71 – 80
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