Elena observed the three men that were to be her escorts. Raphael Mancini seemed to have selected them specially. Unlike the big tall men she was used to seeing around the house, these men were smaller, athletic, young and boyish. They looked about her age, looked in their early twenties, yet, there was an experience and toughness to their eyes that made them seem well past their age.
One of the men leaned out his hand at her for a handshake, an easy smile dancing along his thin bloodless lips. "Enzo Marino" he said. Elena took his hand, uncomfortable with his smile, a bit surprised that he would dare ask for her hand with Raphael with them.
She made a hurried glance at Raphael, the bored look on his face could as well say he was fine with Enzo's action. Enzo let go after a tender shake. The next guy introduced himself as Nico Conti with a forced smile, not bothering to ask for a handshake.
"Luca Martin", the last man, forced the words out without the courtesy of a smile. He crossed to the driver's side of the sedan immediately, dropping into the car.
"They are to be your escorts, signora. I hope you are fine with them", Raphael asked. She was still a bit embarrassed about the seduction incident the other day, that she refused to completely turn to him.
"hmmm" she nodded absently. The question was only out of courtesy anyway. He had no intention of changing them even if she wasn't pleased.
"I believe they can follow you into college. They are and look just your age. You should have no problem with them" he said. She didn't see his face, but she felt the arrogance in his words.
It would make no difference to be seen in school with three young guys her age, as it would, to be seen with three big burly men. Either was sure to get her unneeded publicity, only that the topic for gossip would differ. She ambled down the cobbled stones to the sedan. Enzo beat her to it.
"Enter Signora" he gestured for her to enter the backseat, opening the door for her, proud of his chivalry. Elena entered, and Enzo waited till she got comfortable, and he shut the door, running to enter from the other side. Immediately, Luca sent the sedan tearing down the cobbled stone driveway and onto the asphalt. Now far away from his arrogance, Elena gave in to the temptation of turning to look at Raphael, and she regretted the decision as soon as she made it. He was staring back at her, their eyes colliding in a battle of stares. A smug grin played across his lips, taunting her. He looked proud and devilishly handsome as he stood at the edge of the cobbled stone driveway, his hands in his pockets, bathed by the warm glow of the morning sun.
He seemed to have been expecting her to make the move. She jerked her eyes back to the car, rebuking herself mentally for even attempting to turn to look at him. Her mind continued to be haunted by his arrogance.
"Signora Elena" Enzo called softly, steering her mind back to the car. She forced him a friendly smile. The ride continued in silence. Enzo looked to want to pursue a conversation with her, but Elena gave him no encouragement. She waited till they left most of the suburban-like environment, with the tree-lined streets, and quietness, and she prepared to execute her plans.
She leaned forward to speak to Luca. "Stop at the nearest convenience store. I need to use the restroom", she said. Luca turned slightly from the windscreen, just as Enzo and Nico also did too.
Luca shook his head in disagreement. "El Capitan said not to stop until we reach your college, Signora. You will have to forgive me" he said, his tone full of authority and final.
"Signora Elena, it is as Luca said, El Capitan says not to stop for any reason until we reach your college. He was very strict, and no one goes against Capitan's orders", Enzo told her in a much calmer and softer tone than Luca's. Nico supported Enzo with a gentle nod of the head.
"Seems like it is your El Capitan's orders against my bladder. I wonder who would win right now" Elena said, with a note of sarcasm. "If you are suggesting I pee on myself because your Capitan orders so, then I might as well jump out of the car."
"That would be so uncouth, Signora," Luca said. "And dangerous," he added, briefly turning from the wheel.
"Do you know what is more uncouth and dangerous, me peeing on myself because your Capitan says I can't leave the car under any circumstances, not even if I have to pee", Elena said, raising her voice. Drumming a note of urgency into her words, trying to put the boys on a spot.
Enzo looked to Luca for guidance as Luca turned briefly from the wheel to her, but Luca looked to be as confused as him. Elena didn't want to put the boys on a spot, and didn't in any way enjoy the perplexity in their faces, but she had to see Barry Moore. He was her only hope out of the diabolical contract she signed with Raphael Mancini.
"Should I jump out of the car, or will you stop by a convenience store or public toilet and let me pee" she said, her gaze traveling around their perplexed faces. Luca slapped the dashboard in a fit of frustration. "Three minutes" he said.
"Then I might as well pee in the car" she said, still on the offensive.
"Just let her go with five" Enzo offered, staring pleadingly at Luca.
Luca bit his lips ponderously. "Okay five, Signora."
"That is great. It should be enough for me to pee just by the door" she pushed. At the same time, Luca steered the car towards a parking space before a convenience store. The sedan came to a furious halt, with an instantaneous scratchy noise.
"How the hell is five minutes not enough for you to pee, Signora," Luca challenged, now explicitly furious.
"Just make it a ten and let her go", Enzo interceded.
"Have you lost your mind, Enzo? Do you want to risk El Capitan's wrath?" Nico yelled at him. Luca turned to glare at him murderously, forcing Enzo to back away in surrender. He swallowed forcibly, before he spoke.
"The best I can offer is eight minutes, signora. You go in and then out in eight minutes. A second later, and I am breaking down the bathroom's door", he reiterated.
"Okay. I'll manage that" Elena said. It wasn't enough, but she should be able to give them a good start and make a lucky escape with that. She pushed the door and dropped out of the car, walking fast towards the double glass doors of the convenience store.
She drew closer to a ferrety-faced man behind the counter, as he busied himself with a ledger. "Is there a backdoor out of here" she asked. He seemed fatherly, she thought she could use his help in stalling the boys. "I don't know who those men are, and what they want with me, but they have been following me for a while now, they even forced me into their car. I was only able to leave the car because I lied that I wanted to pee. Is there a backdoor out of here that I can take to give them a slip" she said, gesturing to the sedan with her eyes, slightly.
She watched the man's face break in a sincere expression of concern for her. "Take the aisle on your right, and walk down to the extreme end of the store. There you will find a path to lead you straight to the back door" he said with urgency. She nodded in appreciation, walking towards the direction he gave. The moment she realized she was completely out of Luca's and the others' view from the car, she bolted down the tiled floor of the store. She pushed the backdoor, falling back under the gaze of the bright afternoon sun and a traipsing breeze. She continued her mad sprint down the asphalt, running as fast as her legs could carry her.
She was about fifteen yards away when the store's backdoor burst open, with Luca, Enzo and Nico, reeling down the store owner, sprinting fast for her. With renewed strength she continued to sprint down the road, running fast past the pedestrians using the sidewalks, not bothering to catch the look of confusion on their faces. Spotting an alley, she raced into it, taking hurried turns into street after street. Her lungs heated, her chest racing as fast as her legs, yet, she didn't stop. She didn't even pause to catch her breath or rest. Being men, she could see Luca, Enzo and Nico gaining on her. She had to meet with Barry Moore today. She wouldn't let them stop her. He provided her with a way out of this nightmare, and she was going to give anything to rendezvous with him. She continued to race into and out of different streets, past different people and vehicles, until she ran into a dead end. Her lungs were on fire already, and her legs were beyond aching from running. She was already gasping as she ran. She paused, leaning on a wall to catch her breath for a minute or two. When she raised her gaze to the beginning of the blind alley, Enzo and Nico were standing proudly on top of the street, gasping for breath as she was. Enzo didn't look a bit chivalrous as before. On his face now was a cynical smirk, he was unlike the gentle, chivalrous boy she had been in the car with earlier. He looked crazy with his smirk, he looked inhuman. Nico got a grip on his lungs and he began to run fast to get her, while Enzo ambled forward carefully. Elena folded her fist, settling into a fighting stance. She knew little about fighting, but if it would take her clawing and biting to get out of this situation, she would gladly do it. She had to meet with Barry Moore. He must have a way to help her out of this nightmare.
A gunshot rang out suddenly from somewhere, and Nico braked abruptly in his run for her, clutching his now bloody stomach. He made a yelp of pain, raising his pain-filled eyes to Elena. Elena covered her mouth gasping, witnessing the sheer terror and pain in his eyes, while her heart did a marathon beneath her chest. He was already pale with death when he dropped to the floor with a violent thud, blood pouring from him. She raised her eyes slowly to the direction the gunshot had come, the entrance to the blind alley. Luca stood over the unconscious body of Enzo, his fingers folded around a pistol.
She was overwhelmed with intense apprehension as he steered his cruel killer eyes towards her. "Run away. Run. Escape before I change my mind" he yelled at her, throwing his arms forward in a gesture for her to run. It took a while before she could bring motion to her feet, and when she was finally able, she sprinted fast down the street, running past him to take a curve into another alley. Then another gunshot rang loudly behind her. Her heart stopped for a moment at the gunshot, and she froze on her feet.