Chapter 3 Gemma in trouble

GEMMA

I got back to the room. I slowly opened the door and peeped inside. When I was sure no one was inside I went in. My bag still laid the same way I left it on the couch.

"Thank goodness" I muttered and heaved a sigh of relief. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I had lost this money. I picked up my bag and clutched it to my body tightly.

I was about to leave the room when I stumbled upon a body lying on the floor. I could swear my heart literally flew out of my mouth in fear. I covered my mouth with my palm to stop myself from screaming out loud.

What's the body doing here? Why didn't I see it when I came in? I kicked the body lying on the floor. It rolled to the other side and I saw it was a man bleeding profusely from the chest. He was shot. He was dead!

I staggered back in shock, my whole body trembling at this horrible sight. My hands became sweaty and I paced around, confused on what to do.

What happened here?

"Leave this room. Now!" My inner voice said and I nodded subconsciously.

I need to leave this room immediately. I clutched my bag once more to my chest and ran to the door. Just when I was about to open the door, I saw the door knob turning.

Someone's about to enter the room. I started panicking. I sighted a dark corner, covered with a slightly transparent curtain in the room. I quickly ran to the dark corner and hid myself.

The door opened, I peeped from where I was hiding and saw that it was a man. I haven't seen this face before. He saw the dead body on the floor and quickly ran to it.

He crouched beside the body and tapped him lightly.

"Emiliano" he called out, but there was no response from the body on the floor. He called again and there was still no response. I watched him bend his head to check the heartbeat of the body. He punched the ground hard and cursed out angrily in Italian language when he confirmed that the man laying on the floor was really dead.

He stood up straight, brought out his phone from his breast socket and dialed a number.

"Boss, Emiliano is dead in your room at the strip club" I heard him say.

The next thing he said was "Okay boss" and he ended the call.

Oh God! I really need to leave here before more people should come in. I prayed fervently in my mind that the man should leave the room and give me a chance to escape. But instead, he started pacing around the room and checking out the room.

I started panicking again and my eyes widened in horror when he brought out a gun from his pocket. I watched him stealthily move around the room with his gun in his hands, ready to shoot at the culprit.

"God please, help me out of this mess" I prayed inwardly. I was breathing hard and heavy, my face and body were drenched with sweat. I forced myself to stop breathing hard before he notice it and come for me. I watched him check the couches, the strip pole, the back of the couches.

He entered the bathroom and I thought of using that opportunity to escape but I couldn't take the risk. He'd shoot me down before I got to the door. He came out of the bathroom and started approaching where I was hiding.

My heart flew up into my mouth and for a while I couldn't breath as I stood there motionless. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I prepared myself for the worst.

Is this how I'm going to die?

"God please" I muttered helplessly. He kept on coming closer and closer and more tears kept dropping. Suddenly my best friend's face came to mind somehow, it gave me little courage. We still had so many things to do together. I can't afford to die now. I prepared to defend myself.

I allowed him to come closer before rushing out of my hiding spot. He was caught off guard, I hit the gun away from his hands with my bag and kicked him hard on his manhood. He fell to the ground groaning in pain. I quickly picked his gun and ran to the door.

At the door, I bumped into a huge man coming into the room. On a closer look, I saw it was the same man that led me to this room earlier. I pushed him forcefully with the strength I didn't know I had in me and ran out of the door. He wanted to chase after me but the other guy in the room called out for help. He went back into the room to help out his friend and I took the opportunity to escape. I ran as fast as I could. Just as I left the long hallway, from the corner of my eyes, I could see the boss and some other guys entering the room I just ran out from.

The club was still filled up with people dancing wildly to the loud music, oblivious of what's happening upstairs. I forced myself out of the club through the dancing crowd and found myself at the roadside.

***

"What happened here?" Antonio asked, when he entered the room and saw that one of his men, Emiliano, was dead and the other one, Marco, was lying on the floor in pain. Luca stood beside Marco.

There's no response. Nobody said anything.

"What happened here?" Antonio barked loudly.

"I don't know my boss. I came in here and found Emiliano dead. He was shot" Marco replied, still groaning in pain.

"There was no sound of gunshot in the room. The culprit must have used a silencer" Luca said.

"Our opponent, Dante was here," Antonio said, remembering the threatening call he received earlier while he was trying to enjoy himself with the stripper.

"There was a girl in the room. I saw her hiding over there and she kicked me hard in my manhood and ran out of the room" Marco said, forcing himself to stand up. Luca helped him up.

"I bumped into her. It's the stripper" Luca confirmed.

"She must be working for Dante," Mateo said.

"That stupid bitch!" Antonio swore loudly. "And you just let her go?"

"I'm sorry boss. I have no excuses" Luca apologized.

"How can you both lose a little bitch? Useless, the lots of you are useless! Go find her!" Antonio barked out.

"Boss, one more thing. She's the daughter of the dead man who owes you so much money" Luca said.

"Leonardo Russo?" Antonio asked.

"Yes boss. She's Gemma Russo, daughter of Leonardo Russo" Luca replied.

Antonio started laughing wildly while his subordinates just stared at him. Then suddenly, he stopped laughing, his eyes red with anger and rage.

"Find her! And I want her alive!" He commanded.