"You crazy son of a bitch! You will never get away with this!!"
Patricia stood inside the hospital room, pale, lips pressed into a tight line. In her hand, her phone screen glowed—paused on the final frame of a video that had shaken her soul. Onscreen, Nicole thrashed and kicked in the rising waters of a flood tank, her screams garbled and distorted by the roar of rushing water.
A man's voice played, cold and lifeless:
"It's okay, Ms. Swerver. Scream all you want. It's not like you need to save your breath—you'll be dead soon anyway."
Then the screen went black.
The room was silent, gripped in a horror that stole even the sound from the air. Only Nicole's heart monitor beeped steadily, a heartbeat proving the nightmare had not claimed her after all.
Patricia looked at Nicole—peaceful now, unconscious and wrapped in a delicate patchwork of gauze, her skin pale beneath white linen sheets.
She then turned to Davis, standing stitched and bruised from the rescue, and Isaac, silent but storm-eyed in the corner.
Davis's fists clenched so hard his knuckles paled.
Patricia finally lowered the phone, voice trembling.
"This… this was sent to me. He wanted me to watch her die."
Isaac stepped closer, his calm hiding fire.
"And he wanted you to know it was personal." He sat beside her, tone grim.
"This wasn't just an attack. This was a message."
Patricia's voice quivered into something raw.
"So… killing my best friend is their idea of a warning? A tactic? For me to back off from their so called 'track of fame and glory. " She swallowed hard, her voice cracking.
"Are these people even human?!" Her anger flared. "Looking at their monstrous leader… no. They're just savage beasts!"
She shook her head, tears brimming.
"But this… this has gone too far."
Davis stepped closer, his voice dark and certain.
"I saw his face. That bastard who did this. I swear he'll pay. I'll make sure of it." His eyes never left Nicole as he spoke, fists trembling with suppressed fury.
Patricia turned to him, her tears streaming freely.
"Thank you, Davis. For saving her. Truly. I am grateful that Nicole has the bravest, kindest, most protective boyfriend a girl could ask for. You don't know what this means to me." She bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks. " If you hadn't…. I can't imagine...."
"But that didn't happen, so stop crying like a baby, jeez. Your sobs will make everyone think that I'm already dead? Seriously."
Everyone froze.
A small, raspy voice broke through the quiet.
Nicole.
Her eyelids fluttered open as she gave Patricia a weak, teasing smile.
"You're such a cry baby..."
Patricia's gasp cracked into a laugh as she rushed to the bed.
"Nicole!" She flung herself onto her—then quickly jumped back as Nicole winced.
"Oww!! Now you are the one who is going to kill me. Owww! I am an injured person here!"
Patricia winced. "Sorry! Sorry!" Then her expression softened. "But you deserved that for scaring me half to death! You crazy old-mom!"
Nicole raised an eyebrow.
"I guess we are cut from the same cloth. You hug like a bear and whine like a child. You haven't changed."
Patricia laughed—then hugged her again, gently this time.
"I almost lost you… and I wasn't ready for that. Don't you ever do this to me again."
Nicole leaned against her, voice low.
"I really thought I was done for… And that I would never see you again. Miss Red Tomato face...I would have missed seeing your red face terribly."
"Knowing you...you would still have teased me even inside your grave..." joked Patricia
Nicole lightly chuckled. "You know me too well...but seeing you go red every time I tease you is worth it than a dusty and rusty old tank or maybe a pit because I don't think those guys would have buried me in a nice coffin. But thanks to my Sweet Roach I get to see your red tomato face again. And also tease you to my heart's content."
Patricia smiled through fresh tears.
"You're impossible."
"And you love me for it."
They hugged tighter—a reunion not born from calm, but from survival. A bond pressed deeper by death and sharpened by fear.
Isaac stepped forward, expression gentler.
"We're all glad you're okay, Nicole. And I'll say it—if Davis hadn't done what he did…That bastard Montenegra would have won and I can't imagine the horror we would have been living in from now..." He trailed off.
"But thanks to my Sweet Roach, I am alive and well. And ready to show those bastards hell like never before.."
Nicole looked at Davis now. Her heartbeat steadied as her gaze locked with his.
He was bruised. Bandaged. Worn out. But alive. And so achingly real and handsome.
They stared at each other—caught in a moment just for them. So much unsaid. So much felt.
They both had a lot to say but the place and time didn't feel right.. but Nicole promises to pay her debt to her sweet Roach for saving her life, but she still wondered where the road would take them, now that something big has happened between them. But she just hoped it would be better and maybe be the trail to a 'happily ever after'.
The moment was shattered by Isaac clearing his throat.
"Yes indeed. And don't worry, he is going to get a good promotion for that. But right now we need to capture these goons who tried to harm you. I know you have just woken up and the events that took place yesterday might have taken a huge toll on you. But I need to catch these criminals and anything, any clue you might have picked up is essential because we need to deploy agents to capture them before they try to flee the city. So tell me, Nicole. Do you still remember who your capture was. Or anything that might have happened within the past few days or weeks that could give us a glimpse of who it is."
Nicole stiffened.
She remembered it all.
She slightly trembled at the memory, of her stuck in that tank, fighting for her life. She could still remember the dark chuckle from the maniac that obviously enjoyed watching her suffer and drowning to her death. She could still feel it ringing endlessly inside her ears as if he was close and laughing directly in them.
Nicole felt her whole body shuddering and she started feeling cold, all she could remember was darkness and how the water rocked her from side to side whilst the tank's torn rough metal scrapped against her skin. And how she would rise above the water against her binds to catch her breath and how she held onto the bottom of the ladder to the threshold of the door as the water swallowed her up. She held her breath as long as she could but she felt all her strength giving in and her chest burning for air. She knew that if she tried to breath she would drown and that would be the end for her.
Just as she couldn't take it anymore and was ready to welcome her death since no one was coming to her rescue, she heard a loud bang and the water started decreasing. Then she heard it, the voice of her saviour.
"Nicole! Nicole!"
As soon as she heard his voice, all the strength which had been fading came back and she felt life lighting up inside her again. So she gave all her strength to swim up to the top of the ladder and call out to him, to let him know that she was alive. It was like Davis gave her back the life which she almost lost. And she felt very grateful to him for giving her the second chance to live again and be in the presence of her friends and family again.
He had given her life.
And for that, she owed him everything.
But relieving the memory of that tank only brought her nightmares and nightmares she just couldn't relieve at the moment.
Patricia noticed the terror in her friend's eyes and she felt her shuddering and breathing raggedy, a sign that the memory she was asked to relieve was terrifying and traumatic for her and the information she was supposed to give, they would not get it out of her anytime soon. She quickly turned to Isaac and said,
"Isaac, my love, why don't we give Nicole some time to rest and recuperate and then she can provide the information you need to arrest those bastards. Right now is...not the best time. "
Isaac paused, then nodded soberly. He had seen trauma before.
"When you're ready, Nicole. Only then."
Nicole gave a faint nod and tried to smile, but her jaw was quivering.
Davis lingered a moment before Isaac motioned for him. Nicole watched him go, and their eyes held one more time—a promise in silence.
As soon as they left, Patricia leaned in.
"Are you okay?"
Nicole shook her head. Then pointed at the water jug nearby.
Patricia poured and handed it to her. Nicole took the glass and sipped. Then froze.
Her hands trembled again.
"I can't believe it," she whispered. "Even water terrifies me now. Just a glass… and I feel like it's going to choke me."
She put it down, voice breaking.
"They're going to pay. I swear it, Patricia. They're going to pay."
She sniffled back some tears.
Patricia's eyes misted again. She took her friend's hand.
"I'm sorry, Nicole. I dragged you into this… and you almost died because of me. I swear when I saw that video...I almost lost it. It was like I was losing a part of myself. Nicole you have become part of my family and life. And losing you would have destroyed me. And I don't how... I could have lived with my self...I am so sorry."
Nicole's voice was soft but firm.
"Hey....hey look at me." Patricia looked at her with a teary face. Nicole gently held her cheeks and wiped the tears off with her thumbs. "I don't regret it. I chose this. We both knew that this war was inevitable and we were going to get caught up in it sooner or later. But you're not alone in this war. I'll fight with you. And I will always be by your side no matter what...remember, 'It started with a race and it will end with a race' in other words we started this together and we will end this together. So no matter what I am sticking beside you through this until justice is served."
A quiet moment passed between them, broken only by the soft rhythm of survival.
"Oh, Nicole!!" Cried Patricia and she hugged Nicole again.
"Ooh what did I ever do to deserve such an incredible friend like you. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Nicole did not reply but hugged Patricia tighter. Feeling the warmth of their friendship and their bond.
Then Patricia's phone buzzed.
She disengaged from the hug and looked at the caller ID.
She glanced at Nicole for a while, who gave her a subtle nod before she wiped her tears and stepped into the hallway.
"Yes?"
"I will be there."
Then she cut the call and she looked at the stretch of the dimly lit corridor. A vision of the the upcoming task ahead. She looked at Nicole's hospital room once more before she walked way with her fiery resolve burning hot like fire.