A Future Next to You

by Stefania Gil

  Before Francisco, a hexagonal room appeared with six doors on each side.

  Francisco wanted to get to Natalia as soon as possible and could not fall prey to despair. He had to have a clear mind and make his cold blooded attack as soon as possible. He didn’t know how many more men there were underground with him.

  One of the doors opened and his companions forced him across the threshold. The new room was dark. The humidity sent Francisco back to the first time he was locked in a cell. He would never forget the epidemic of that cell.

  The light flickered on suddenly. White and bright. Francisco's pupils reacted immediately adapting to the surrounding brightness. His instinct also kicked in immediately upon recognizing a torture machine in the distant corner. The rack brought back the pain of them dislocating each of his extremities. The door opened again, and five men appeared in long black robes.

  Francisco groaned getting into position because he was ready to die before allowing them to subject him to that again.

  All his momentum went to hell when he saw a sixth man entering dragging a wooden wheelbarrow with Natalia tied to it. She looked at him with panic in her eyes. She had a thin red line across her forehead and a drop of blood stained her cheek.

  She tried to say something, but couldn’t due to the gag in her mouth. Francisco wanted to go to her but two men stopped him. They drug him to the wall in front of the torture machine. They sat him down on a wooden chair and bound his hands and feet to it.

  As soon as Natalia was taken away, he grew pale and began to tremble with a mixture of agony and rage.

  “NOOOO!” He began to scream with the greatest misery of his life. “USE ME, DAMN BASTARD. I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”

  Francisco started screaming like a savage. That's what he wanted exactly, to let out everything he had accumulated against those people without scruples making his life a living hell and now, they dared to threaten the woman he loved.

  “At last we meet, Mr. Requena.”

  A bald, plump man entered through the door while the others lowered their heads to pay him respect.

  Francisco hyperventilated, a fire lit inside him motivating him not to give up. All he needed to do was behead them.

  Natalia was struggling with the men who were trying to place her to the rack. When they finally got her on it, Francisco couldn’t stop thinking about the pain she would be in as soon as they turned the lever. He had to find a way to release her.

  How did he let something like this happen to another human being? The guilt began to eat at him. He had been so selfish getting involved with her knowing what was transpiring would happen sooner or later. So many years fleeing those assholes so that everything ended there and in this cruel way. Especially for Natalia who was crying disconsolately.

  “What do you want?” Francisco stabbed the bald man with a look laden with guilt, hate and pain. “Let her go. Let's make a deal, kill me but leave her alone.”

  “That would be very easy, Francisco. My name is Marcos, by the way.”

  The man gave a signal and the rest of the men left the room.

  Marcos went to Natalia, removed the gag and caressed her lips.

  “She’s beautiful.” The man's sadistic gaze swept over the blonde's body as Francisco pulled at the straps that bound him. The beast in him wanted to come out and kill. The first one would be that filthy swine in front of him glaring at Natalia as if she were a piece of meat. She was terrified, Francisco could see how her body trembled, yet she was strong and he was proud of her when she spat right in the asshole’s face.

  He snorted ironically and turned the lever slightly. Natalia could feel her limbs struggling to stay in place.

  “I'm going to start soft,” Marcos told them both. “I want the formula and, of course, you to pay for what you did to my ancestors.”

  “I am a descendant of the inquisitor whom you killed. I am obliged to avenge his death even though the superiors have not yet authorized it.”

  He turned the lever a little more increasing the tension to Natalia’s limbs.

  “I’ll give you the formula but leave her.”

  “No,” the man said sarcastically, “she will please my desires for torture and then I will make her my mistress. When you cannot move, of course.”

  A scorching fire burned throughout Francisco’s body.

  He growled like a wild wolf ready for the attack.

  Marcos only smiled and turned the lever again.

  Natalia could not stand the tension any longer and begged him to stop. The pain in her limbs was becoming unbearable.

  Helplessness overpowered Francisco and it was that jolt he gave the chair he was tied to with such a force he extricated himself from his bonds. Unfortunately, everything happened with the accursed man watching who, in the surprise of seeing Francisco unleash himself and brazenly charge him turned the lever quicker causing Natalia to scream with excruciating pain.

  She felt her shoulders began to crack and thought she would pass out due to the pain rippling through her now but she couldn’t. She knew Francisco would need her to be able to leave of her on accord so he could take care of the rest of the men.

  You know very well with one more turn, she won’t be able to move her arms and legs.

  Marcos threatened. Francisco immediately stopped short after watching Natalia's body tremble uncontrollably from the pain.

  Natalia turned and focusing directly on Francisco’s eyes making him promise once more to get her out of there immediately. His beloved Natalia had tears in her eyes. Her eyes were also filled with the terror of what could happen, and at the same time she let him see the great strength inside her, telling him to do what was necessary to get them both out.

  It was then Francisco, in a rapid movement, came to the new inquisitor and issued a series of punches to his face knocking him to the ground.

  Francisco ran to Natalia and untied her as quickly and delicately as possible. He took her in his arms and set her down.

  “I'm going to get you out of here, I promise,” he whispered in her ear. “Can you walk?”

  “I'll do whatever it takes to get us out of this hell hole soon,” she said determinedly.

  He planted a kiss on her lips that gave him the necessary energy to lift Marcos off the ground.

  The wounded man tried to say something but the blood was pooling in his mouth making it impossible to be understood. Francisco, then broke his nose and knocked out several teeth as well. The man's face was an amorphous, bleeding mess.

  “Stand behind me, Natalia.”

  Suddenly the group of men who had been there before rushed in. Francisco understood no more men would come to the attack due to those being the only ones present.

  He wondered what kind of idiot made such an important move as to capture Natalia, with only six men to defend themselves with when he himself had wiped out larger groups of the society in some of their encounters around the world.

  They pointed at him and Natalia with their weapons.

  Getting out of this was going to be complicated due to having to watch out for Natalia in a very small space.

  “I'm going to kill him if you don’t let us out of here.”

  He took a piece of wood from the destroyed chair and jabbed it at Marcos’ throat. The men had no intention of listening to him. He would have to act. He cursed under his breath as he stabbed Marcos in the throat killing him instantly.

  He took advantage of the men's surprise to attack them. Luckily, not all of them were armed. First he dealt with the two pointing their pistols at him. He managed to evade the bullets of the first that hit the second man following Francisco’s movements with the weapon. Another of the men got hit in the crossfire and Francisco took that chance to pounce on the man still shooting. They fell to the ground struggling for the weapon. The other men walked toward Natalia who waited for them in a corner of the room ready to attack with the wooden stake used moments ago to take Marcos' life.

  The first to approach
her received a huge laceration across his face making him step back and putting him in Francisco’s sight. He was still struggling with the man on the floor. He didn’t think twice about pulling the trigger. The projectile hit the man directly in the head making him collapse in the act. It was another surprise that gave Francisco an advantage. Immediately, he snatched the weapon from his attacker placing it to his forehead and shot without remorse.

  The scene was not pleasant but it couldn’t be worse than what would happen with Natalia if he did not hurry. Natalia screamed. She was being held by the two remaining men. Each one holding an arm while they glared at Francisco with a mixture of hatred and fear. One of them took out a knife and put it to Natalia's throat.

  Natalia looked into his eyes as she did minutes before it all began. Immediately, she made use of those self-defense classes she once took as a teenager. Although she would have liked to use her strength on her attacker, she was just as proud when the man staggered due to her letting go a little allowing Francisco to shoot him precisely in the head. The last man in the room, who still held Natalia by the arm, released her immediately kneeling on the floor with his hands held high.

  “How many more?”

  “There's no more. Not in this city. Marcos knew he shouldn’t rush, but his thirst for revenge and his crave for immortality blinded him and led him to commit this fatal mistake.”

  “Who directs this? The church?”

  The man said nothing.

  “Speak, damn it!” Francisco pressed the muzzle of his gun to the center of his skull.

  “They're several. An additional meeting was scheduled to discuss your death.”

  Francisco breathed heavily.

  “Natalia, get out of here and check if there's any where we can get information.”

  She didn’t make him beg. She left the hexagonal room immediately to search the rest of the rooms. She entered one with only a table and a mirror. It looked like an interrogation room. She turned around.

  She entered the next and it was a surveillance room. The front wall was full of monitors from ceiling to floor in which various images were displayed: the interior of this sinister place, the outskirts of the cabin serving as a cover for the site; aerial and real time images of Caserío Peña, Alcalá Orange Grove and areas bordering both estates. Natalia did not stay there any longer. She continued on her quest.

  The next room was empty. However, the next one to that one, made her hair stand on end. There, before her, were the torture machines she had read so much about in history books. She could not understand how they had survived so many centuries. The wood appeared so old that probably none of them were useful. Although the one she was on seemed to look the same and worked perfectly. It reminded her of the pain in her shoulders as she made a sudden movement.

  After a series of shudders, she left to enter the last room in which a modern studio was found. This bright, cool place did not seem to have anything to do with the rest of the gloomy area.

  She settled behind the computer and gave thanks it was not password protected. She rummaged through the apparatus without any success. Then she spied a folder by her side. She opened it and discovered a list of names. She recognized several of them.

  Were they the people who ruled the secret society against Francisco?

  She shivered with the thought considering they were moguls with money. Some had power yet still some had both, money and power. A bad combination to go against them whereas they lacked both.

  She hurried out of the apartment, returning to meet with Francisco, who was still pointing the gun at the boy.

  He did not look older than 25 years old. How could he be seduced by a sect like this?

  Did they promise him immortality?

  Francisco studied the list and showed it to the boy.

  “Are these the bosses?”

  The boy did not respond. With his patience exhausted Francisco pulled the trigger, shooting the boy directly in the head.

  17

  Scout whinnied uneasily at the sight of them.

  Natalia's stomach was churning after watching Francisco cutting the index finger from each of their attackers. He also cut a piece of cloth from one of the men's robes, to store their fingers in.

  Natalia wanted to talk, maybe it was her nerves making her want to talk to Francisco about him saving the cut of fingers however at the moment his gaze had turned sinister and she decided to keep quiet. He didn’t look like the same sweet, romantic Francisco who made her feel loved. He didn’t look like the man who worshiped her in bed every night they spent together. He didn’t even look like the man who stabbed Marcos with a glare of hatred and despair when Marcos touched her and stared at her with morbid fascination.

  Francisco would have his reasons for doing what he was doing and she was sure he would explain everything later. She trusted him. She knew everything would work out as it had so far.

  He helped her up onto Pinto, careful not to pull her arms.

  He climbed on settling behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her, making her feel safe and protected. It was then she let herself be overcome by all the emotions she had bottled up inside. She allowed all her fear to show accompanied with an uncontrollable cry.

  Francisco hugged her harder and buried his face in her neck.

  “I'm sorry you had to go through this...” He was also sobbing. “I should never have gotten involved with you, Natalia. I shouldn’t have.”

  She turned around as far as she could.

  “Don’t ever say that, ever.” Her sobbing was sweet. “I love you, Francisco, and you're the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “I can’t let them hurt you again. We can’t be together because they...” Natalia interrupted him with a kiss melting all of Francisco’s insecurities away. Although he feared what might happen to her by being by his side, he understood it would never compare with how miserable they both would be if he decided to put an end to the pure love they shared.

  “I'm not going to let you throw me away. I would prefer they kill me, do you understand?”

  He nodded, crying.

  “Take me home, please. I want to rest by your side.”

  Francisco decided to take her to Alcalá Orange Grove. There everyone knew of his condition and nobody would be alarmed to see them return injured with bloody clothes.

  He gave Natalia his cell phone so she could send a message to his brother to have him waiting at the estate’s gate.

  Three hours later, Natalia woke up in Francisco's arms. They were in a nice warm room decorated simple but tasteful. She remembered everything. She snuggled closer to Francisco who jumped and grimaced with pain.

  “Are you injured?” Natalia came out of her reverie when she saw the lower part of Francisco's abdomen covered with gauze and a tiny blood stain on it.

  “It’s nothing”. He had stopped bleeding and would need a few days to heal. Francisco kissed her head with remorse for the way he had received the wound. He couldn’t hide it from her.

  He began to tell her how he got the puncture wound with that leading into how he found out she had been kidnapped.

  Natalia, for her part, also explained how they intercepted her on the way to the dilapidated house giving her a sedative so she could be kidnapped easier.

  Francisco’s blood began to boil again.

  “Wasn’t it enough with the cold you caught in New York to prove to you that you're as mortal as I am?” She asked after a silence between them. “Why do you want to make sure you are no longer immortal?”

  “Natalia.” He took her hand. “Immortality is not as wonderful as it is portrayed in science fiction. I was born in the 16th century and had a good life until my mother and father died in the first decade of 1600. Since then, my life has been hell not just because of the years of torture and jail I survived. No. They have been hell because of the loneliness accompanying me all these centuries as if it were my lover.”

  “Being immortal was something th
at I did not ask my mother, but I always accepted the reasons she had to save us. If he were in her place, he would have done the same thing.” He hugged Natalia tighter as she continuously caressed his bare chest, “perhaps before I knew what it was to have an eternal, miserable life. Now, I would not choose it. If a plague struck the country, I would not give my children eternal life. There is too much cruelty in the world to witness in its eternity.” He sighed kissing her again. “I wanted to make sure of my mortality because I long to grow old with you. Nothing would give me more satisfaction than to be able to take you by the hand when we no longer walk as easily as now or caress your skin even if you have wrinkles. I have never felt anything like this for anyone and if you asked me a couple of months ago if I would ever have this, I would have told you it was impossible because I didn’t socialize with anyone. But one day, a very brave and daring woman, came into my life becoming the best thing that has happened to me in more than four hundred years.” He lifted her face gently and stared directly in her eyes. “That woman, is you, and although I cannot promise we will be safe and can live a normal life like any other couple, I would love to be with you for however long I have left.”

  She kissed him gently.

  “Do not ever think of leaving me again.” She said it with such seriousness that he recorded those words to his memory as if they were a tattoo. “Just as I chose to be by your side knowing you were immortal and I assumed eventually it would bring us some type of complication with the world, including a persecution and abduction, now I am sure that after what we have just shared, we are more united than before and we can overcome anything that happens to us.”

  This time it was he who kissed her.

  Natalia was so comfortable in his arms she wished she could stay there for as long as possible. She sighed and without realizing it, she plunged into a deep sleep again.

  18