FORTY-SEVEN

Back on American soil, Rose and Ruby had found nothing useful but the river spotted with football sized gold ore in West Virginia, the hidden underground garden in Slovakia, the twelve military bunkers owned by their family in Russia, capable of protection against a nuke, the extraterrestrial communication point and landing pad in Greenland owned by some of their ancestors and other boring shenanigans.

They decided to stay in their family home for a few days before telling everyone else of their return, at least to give it one more try.

Ruby walked through the stables then met Rose sitting atop a black ...

The horse lifted its legs and let out a mighty screech, before it trotted towards Ruby by its rider's command.

Rose offered a hand to Ruby, who looked at her, frowning.

Rose sighed and said,"It's been three years Ruby, can't you leave the past behind?"

"If I did leave it and you ended up succeeding in taking my life this time, what would that make me?"

"An innocent and trusting person, who saw the good in a person like me until death."

Ruby looked at her, then at her hand, sighed and took it, then mounted the horse, then Rose whipped the reins and it began to gallop.

After taking three laps around the large field, they came to a stop and both got off.

Rose looked at Ruby and said,"I'll never hurt you again, not like I used to and I'm sorry that I ever did, please could we be..."

"... sisters again? It would take a while, but maybe eventually, if you don't ruin things again."Ruby said.

Rose respected her sister's decision as she went inside for tea.

Sitting in the gazebo, Ruby took a mild sip of the drink then placed it down as everything got blurry, her vision tunneling and her limbs numb, then she collapsed on the table.

Rose immediately got off the horse and ran to Ruby's aid when two men stood in front of her, blocking her way as she saw some people taking her sister away.

Immediately, a choking handkerchief was squeezed over her mouth and she struggled to break free, then went immobile.

The person lifted her into the air when life immediately returned to her body and she elbowed him in the chin then rolled off of his arms.

Another tried to grab her from behind but she dodged and kicked him in the knee, then jumped to his shoulders and repeatedly rammed her elbow into his face.

He tried to slam her into the ground but she planted her hands into the grass and threw him off balance with the momentum and twisted her knees when he was down.

They began to keep their distance and began bringing guns.

She took cover behind the gazebo and tried to call for help on her phone as the people surrounded her, then she sent a message, a single word...trapped.

***

The security guard, shortly after Danielle had left, heard Luis struggling and cursing from within the hospital room, then suddenly fell dead silent.

He barged in to see what happened then Luis elbowed him from right behind the door, took his gun and shot down the CCTV cameras.

He locked the door as the other guard tried to come in, took some supplies then went to the window, climbed on to the fire escape, and jumped, several stories down, onto a nearby building and landed with a safety roll but yelled and gripped his injured arm in pain after that.

He ran and climbed down the building with his better arm then went through the streets to an abandoned warehouse.

He tied his shirt into a tight rope and stuck it in his own mouth, then poured the rubbing alcohol allover his wound and his nullified yells bellowed across the room as he stomped his foot in pain.

He tore a part of the shirt off with his teeth and wrapped it around the wound then walked out with his head down low.

A woman was driving her car when there were two gunshots at the empty front passenger seat and she screamed as the car came to a stop and the man before her forced she and her two children out of the car then drove away.

A group of police vehicles stormed the streets in search of him as he sat on a roof, drinking a soda.

He looked at Danielle as she entered into a private vehicle from her mansion in that vicinity, then threw the empty can backwards as it ricocheted into a trash can.

He stood up then went towards the airport...

Lucy looked at the ring between her fingers, then sighed, she couldn't hate him anymore and didn't want to hate him anymore.

Just then, she saw it in the news that he had escaped and gasped.

She ran and took her keys and was heading to the door when she met Lucille.

"Mommy, where are you going in such a hurry?"She asked.

"...to find Luis."

Lucille's eyes brightened up as she asked,"Can I come too?"

Lucy smiled then said,"Of course you can."

***

Shortly after, Lucy was caught in traffic because of the police parade.

She was agitated and her nerves weren't running any smoother.

She had to find Luis before they did, but she had no idea where he was, then remembered... Danielle was going for a photoshoot in Fiji.

She then turned off the road and did Lucille's favourite driving style...

Danielle was heading to the airplane when there were four shots that sounded like one extended one and her guards immediately fell to the floor some rolling or falling off the staircase.

She gasped and turned back to see Luis with a maniacal grin across his face, then he said,"Ready or not, here I come..."

He was about to pull the trigger when Lucy ran between them and yelled,"Luis, don't do this!"

He widened his eyes and sanity returned to his expression as he asked,"Lucy? What are you doing here?! Get out of here, it's dangerous!"

"I'm not leaving here without you, I love you."

"You said you hated me."

"I never said I hated you, I couldn't hate you, no matter how much I tried, you just drive my senses crazy Luis."

He was silent as she continued,"We could find a better way but please, don't become a monster."

"I'm already a monster..."

He pulled the trigger and within a breath, the bullet whizzed past Lucy's shoulder and towards Danielle, whom it avoided and went right into the walkie-talkie her last standing guard was holding, leaving him unharmed.

Lucy turned back to him, as he spun the gun and said,"But I could never do anything to hurt you, not again."

Danielle tapped Lucy's shoulder and said,"Thank..."

Lucy punched her across the face an heard a snap and Danielle began to cry and fuss over her broken nose, then Lucy ran into Luis' arms as he hugged her tightly and kissed her hair.

He looked into her eyes, then Lucille ran and hugged him too and called him daddy again.

He looked at her for a second then said,"Yes Lucille, I am daddy."

Police cars started flooding into the scene as Luis stood up and said,"Well, this is where we part."

Lucille asked,"Daddy, are you going to jail?"

He smiled and tapped her head and said,"I'm sorry Lucille, but yes, I did some bad things...I know you'll miss me, and so will your mother, but I'll be out sooner than you know it."

He was held at gunpoint and he raised his hands above his head.

They kicked him in the knees and Lucy almost attacked, but he told her to stay back, she had a life waiting for her.

They handcuffed his arms behind his back and he winced in pain, but looked at Lucy and Lucille, then gave them a wink.

Lucille burst into tears as she ran towards him, dodging all the police officers, till she was in his arms again as he jumped over the cuffs, just to hug her again.

He then said,"Never forget me and always know, that I love you all."

Those four words brought back painful memories and she cried even more as Lucy came and picked her up, then looked at Luis, the wind blowing in her hair, and her heart out to him, she'd wait for him, even if it took a thousand years...