One of them

“What? Roberto! What are you doing! You promised to let her go!” Martina yelled as the men grabbed her and Caterina. She felt so stupid having believed that Roberto was going to let Caterina go after signing that contract.

“I told you not to do it, Martina!” Caterina cried as they carried them away from the living room.

Roberto walked down the hallway with an evil grin registered on his face. Vincenzo walked behind him and kept his head low.

“Mr. Roberto, what are you going to do about Caterina?” He asked and Roberto looked over his shoulders at Vincenzo making him gulp in fright.

“What do you mean by that?” Roberto questioned and looked up again. Vincenzo let out a sigh of relief before continuing.

“You promised you’d let her go if Martina signed the contract, but you just ordered them to lock her up with Martina,” Vincenzo uttered and he saw Roberto stop abruptly.

He staggered backward in terror knowing he had done it again, he had gotten on Roberto’s nerves.

Roberto turned and looked at him with a very straight but firm face, Vincenzo lowered his head in a bow and moved backward. He was so scared.

“Did you hear me say I would release her if she signed the papers?” Roberto asked taking one footstep closer to Vincenzo and Vincenzo shook his head hurriedly. He was beginning to fidget.

“Did you hear me make any promise to her?” Roberto further questioned as he took another footstep closer to him.

“No Mr. Roberto,” Vincenzo stated discernibly.

“Did you hear me being up to the idea of her becoming my slave?” He asked again, taking another footstep closer.

“It was all her boss,” Vincenzo muttered close to tears.

“And have you ever seen or heard me do as I am told?!” Roberto smacked as he took the last footstep and was right in front of Vincenzo.

“Never…” Vincenzo muttered in tears. Roberto grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer.

“Don’t you ever try to tell me what to do, ever again?” Roberto grumped in Vincenzo’s ear. Vincenzo nodded swiftly, he was covered with his sweat, and his clothes were damp already.

He felt so pressed as Roberto held him. He needed to pee as soon as possible, so he was going to do it right there in front of Roberto.

“Mr. Robert, please can I use the toilet? I am so pressed.” Vincenzo muttered and the men that followed behind Roberto giggled inwardly, but it was quite audible to Roberto.

He turned his head in their direction and they all frowned rapidly.

He let go of Vincenzo aggressively and this shoved him backward. He quickly stood his ground and ran off to ease himself.

Roberto threw his hands forward and adjusted his shirt, he began to walk down the hallway again.

Greco and Bruno walked in front of him, they were leading him to the room they had put Greta.

They got to the room and they both opened the door for Roberto with a bow. Roberto walked into the room poshly, and Greta turned to look at him.

As soon as she saw him, she turned her head as if she saw nobody and kept looking out of the window.

“That is a rude gesture, Greta Ferrari,” Roberto uttered but she kept mute. She heard him approach her and her feet began to wobble. But she kept this a secret, she didn’t want to break down in front of him.

Roberto looked at the bedside and saw she didn’t touch the food they had served her.

“Nice, you choose to stare. At least when your father sees you and sees how pale you have become, it wouldn’t be on me.” He uttered and she turned to look at him briskly.

“My Dad is coming?” She asked in happiness mixed with fright and anger. Many things began to go through her head at this point.

“What if he kills Dad and kills me after?”

“What if he sees Dad and they settle their differences but still won’t let me go?”

“What if my Dad tries to start a war and gets killed in the process and I become his slave?”

“His coming wouldn’t change the plans I have for you, you are being excited over nothing.” Roberto divulged.

“You punk! how dare...” Before she could finish her sentence, Roberto got closer to her and smacked her on the face. She fell to the ground holding her face in trauma.

She had never been slapped in her entire life. Tears rolled down her eyes uncontrollably as she lay on the floor. Bruno and Greco exchanged looks communicating with their eyes.

Roberto paced in front of Greta trying to stay calm. He was beginning to shiver in anger. And at that point, there was absolutely nothing he couldn't do.

“Don’t… I repeat, don’t you ever raise your voice at me!” Roberto yelled pulling her by the hair and forcing her to look at his face.

“I’m sorry.” Greta mumbled in serious tears, he was hurting her. As he pulled her hair, it was as if her scalp was on fire.

He threw her head backward and she fell to the floor again.

Bruno and Greco couldn’t behold what Roberto had done, they lowered their heads and shut their eyes.

“Listen to me, you are going to get into that bathroom, freshen up and eat this food before I come back here. We’ll be seeing your father in two hours, and I need him to know I took good care of you but you wouldn’t cease to provoke me,” he said and Greta nodded without lifting her head. Her hair was scattered and it covered her entire face.

Roberto turned to take his leave, Bruno and Greco raised their heads and looked at him as he approached the door.

They opened the door for him, and as soon as he stepped out they followed behind him. Bruno looked at Greta where she lay and felt great pity for her. He wished there was anything he could do to help her, but there was nothing he could do.

He still needed his life intact.

As Roberto walked back to his room, he sighted Vincenzo down the hallway. He was buckling his belt as he walked, he didn’t raise his head because he was looking at his belt as he buckled it.

After he was done, he looked up and halted abruptly after seeing everyone watching him, including Roberto. His heart began to race again and he ran up to Roberto with his head lowered.

“I am sorry I stayed longer, I thought I only needed to take a pee but I figured out I needed to take a shit too,” Vincenzo explained fearfully.

“Come with me.” Roberto in an authoritative manner and turned to leave. Vincenzo nodded and followed behind him.

Greco looked at him with a large grin on his face and Vincenzo shot him a deadly look making him stop.

“Fool.” He cursed under his breath.

Roberto got into his room and Vincenzo followed behind him and shut the door against the men outside.

“We have less than two hours to meet with Lorenzo, what have you planned?” Roberto asked sitting behind his desk.

“The ship is ready sir, and the men are also very ready. They have been positioned at the right places.” Vincenzo informed. He picked up a stick of tobacco from its pack and passed it to Roberto.

Roberto collected it with his mouth and waited for him to light it up. Vincenzo lifted the stick and dropped the lighter in his pocket.

“The aircraft?” Roberto asked puffing out the smoke.

“All set sir,” Vincenzo responded with his head bowed.

“How many snipers?” Roberto questioned again.

“Five in total, one for the four angles and one in the aircraft.” Vincenzo detailed and Roberto nodded. Vincenzo wasn’t sure if that was a nod to tell him Roberto was impressed.

“And I have also placed the order for your outfit, it should be here in the next ten minutes.” He added checking his wristwatch.

“Good. You can leave now, I’ll call you when needed.” Roberto asserted resting his head on his chair. Vincenzo gave a bow and walked out of his room. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it to catch his breath.

“When will these end?” He asked himself inwardly and he looked up to see the guards staring at him.

He stood upright immediately and cleared his throat. He acted like he was perfectly fine, and he turned to leave.

***

Alberto began to search through the papers on his desk, he wasn’t himself at all. He kept checking the documents over and over again.

“Alberto, can you please calm down?” Lucia uttered. Alberto was sweaty and trembling, she was so scared to see him that way.

“I can’t stay calm Lucia. Martina is in danger, I put her in this mess. If that bastard kills her, it is all on me.” He responded. He didn't bother to look at her as he spoke because he was trying to gather information about Roberto’s whereabouts.

“I understand you, baby, I do. But look at you, you haven’t had any rest since yesterday night. You didn’t even come home. You haven’t eaten, and nor have you freshened up. I can perceive your sweat from here. Can’t you give yourself some minutes?” Lucia asked in despair.

“I’ll do that soon, I need twenty minutes more, and I’ll figure these out.” He said scanning through the papers again.

“You said the same thing an hour ago,” Lucia stated angrily. She stood up and walked to his desk, she held his hand and he looked at her.

“30 minutes is all I am asking from my husband. 30 minutes for him to get himself together so he can think straight. Alberto if you truly love me, you would listen to me.” Lucia said emotionally.

Alberto exhaled loudly and bounced his head.

“30 minutes.” He retorted and she smiled faintly.

“You should go home and freshen up, I would go with you.” She told and he shook his head.

“No, I don’t want to go home. I can use the bathroom here in the station.” He told.

“And what would you change into after your bath? These? They are stinking.” Lucia Informed and Alberto sighed.

“Then you would go home and get a new outfit for me.” He said and Lucia widened her eyes.

“Please Lucia.” Alberto pleaded as he held unto her hand.

“Fine. But you need to stand right now and moved your ass to the bathroom.” She said and he sprang up.

“I’m up, please go get it now.” He begged and she nodded. She grabbed her bag and walked to the door.

She took a last look at him before heading out. Alberto huffed and held his head in his hands. His head was on fire, he needed a break truly.

He looked at his table and started at Martina’s broken phone. He felt heartbroken as he gazed at it, he regretted calling her to come back home in the very first place.

He took off the monkey jacket he wore and unbuttoned the hand of his shirt. He pulled off his shoes and wore his slippers.

He was about to step out of his office when his phone rang. He rushed back to the table and picked up his phone. It was the call he had been expecting.

“Tell me.” He uttered placing the phone against his right ear.

“He is in Berlin?! What the f**k!” Alberto yelled throwing a punch at his wall in rage.

“Can I book a flight there immediately?” He asked and he clenched his fist as he got his answer to be a negative one.

He threw his phone across the office in anger and yelled in frustration.

Some cops rushed into his office fearfully and they were shocked to see him in the state. His wrists were bleeding and he was panting like he had just finished running a marathon race.

“I need to talk to the FBI agents in Berlin, Germany right now!” He yelled and two of the cops rushed out of the office to get that done.

A female cop came in with a first aid box and he shook his head.

“I am fine. You’ll leave right now.” He ordered and they were reluctant. They weren’t sure that was a good idea.

“Leave!” He yelled and they all rushed out of his office.

He sat on his chair and tried to catch his breath. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

***

“You didn’t have to do that.” Caterina stated after minutes of them sobbing. They locked them in the same room, and they sat next to each other.

Caterina placed her head on Martina’s shoulders.

“I had to do that, that was the only thing I could think of. I was scared, I don’t want you to live the rest of your life miserably that is why I did it.” Martina explained.

“But he didn’t do it did he? I am still here and he has your signature already.” Caterina muttered and she nodded.

“I know, he would let you go. I believe he would let you go.” Martina said, she tried not to lose hope.

“God, this is so crazy.” Catering scoffed as tears heat her eyes again.

“Can you tell me what happened? Where were you and Pablo? What happened to Pablo?” Martina asked and Caterina began to weep again.

“He took me to the beach, he knows I love the beach so much. I was so happy when I got there, I ran to the sea and pulled off my shoes. I played with the water at the banks with my legs and called Pablo to join me. I saw he was reluctant but I didn’t see it as a big deal, I thought he didn’t want to play with the water.”

“Suddenly, I saw these men approach us. I began to shout and wave at Pablo to alert him but it was like he didn’t hear what I was saying. I began to tremble as they drew closer, I looked at Pablo hoping he would do something, but he didn’t.”

“He stood right there until they got to me and abducted me. I kept crying and calling Pablo but he didn’t look at me. He turned his back against me and left me in the hands of these men.” Caterina narrated shuddering.

Martina shut her eyes and tears rolled down again. She felt so hurt hearing Caterina’s story.

“He is one of them,” Martina told and Caterina nodded as she sobbed.