KILLING ME SOFTLY

Chapter 4: Found

No. No. This can't be real. This can't be happening. It feels like Veda's heart stops beating and the air stops entering her lungs. She starts seeing small, black spots due to her panic. All possible scenarios go through Veda's head at top speed, but none of them come to pass that will turn out well for her. Veda opens her mouth, but she seems unable to produce a sound. What should she say? What on earth can she say that will make this situation go away? 'M-my name is D-Dorine,' she stammers to the imposing man who is looking down at her. She had tried to sound convincing, but the ounce of courage she feels disappears like snow before the sun. The brown eyes Veda looks into are intimidating. Frightening. And yet, a playful twinkle seems to appear in them as soon as Veda says the name. The man raises his eyebrows and a small, almost invisible grin seems to form. Her whole body seems to sink a little, as if it were already making itself a little smaller. To match her appearance with how she feels inside.

The man doesn't look familiar to her. Veda would have recognized most of the people who work for Osvaldo Lucchese, Dena's father and Veda's step-grandfather, by face. Now, she hadn't spoken to or seen anyone for about five years, so maybe he was a new guy? Veda doesn't quite believe that idea. The Osvaldo she knows is suspicious and doesn't just let people into his circles. Especially not after what happened. On the other hand, Veda hadn't told anyone her real name. So it had to be someone from the life she tried so hard to escape.

'Nice try, but,' the man takes a photo out of his pocket and turns it around, towards Veda. 'I'm pretty sure you're Veda Atlas. It would have taken more than a different hair color to fool me.' He taps the photo with his finger. Veda swallows audibly and bites her lower lip hard. She shifts back a little, hoping that this way she can create a little more space between her and the Italian man. Veda stands up and lets her eyes scan the surroundings. Could she try to run past him? And then what? Veda's legs feel wobbly and her head starts to feel light. Her breathing is ragged, irregular and barely audible. 'There's no point in running,' the man says coolly as if he has been able to read Veda's thoughts. 'And believe me,' he continues in a sinister tone, '-you can deal with me better than with the others.' The last bit of adrenaline that Veda had managed to keep up disappears. Her body feels heavy, it goes black before her eyes and without any chance to stop it, Veda collapses.

* * *

A cold splash of water is thrown over Veda. This causes her to come to and become aware of the pain she feels in her wrists. She's sitting on a chair, her hands tied behind her back with a rough piece of rope. The angle at which her shoulders are twisted feels very uncomfortable and the cold of the wet clothing against her body makes Veda shiver. It all feels so unreal. Her mind seems unable to understand it, unable to grasp reality. Veda does not hope that it is a bad dream. Tears well up in her eyes and she frantically tries to blink them away. It is so unfair. But Veda knows better. The Lucchese family cares very little about righteousness and whether something will be justified.

'Ah,' a deep voice sounds. Startled, Veda looks to the left corner of the dark room. There stands the same man as on the beach, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The black blouse seems to pinch his biceps slightly. The hair that was previously combed back tightly now seems to be somewhat disheveled.

'You're awake.' His voice was heavy, rough and sent shivers down Veda's spine. Veda doesn't respond to the man's words but continues to follow him with her eyes. The man pushes himself off the wall and walks toward Veda. He stands in front of her and lets his eyes roam over her. Veda looks away so that she doesn't have to look him straight in the eye. Her heart is beating so loudly in her throat that she is convinced that he can hear it. In her mind, Veda is already at the moment when Osvaldo will walk in at any moment with a gun in his hand. Osvaldo would get his revenge and avenge his grandson, at her expense. As if she hadn't been punished enough that dark night. After all, the Lucchese's had shouted that Veda is to blame for what happened to little Nicolai.

'Tell me,' the man begins. Behind his back, from his pants, the man pulls out a gun. He places its cool flow against Veda's chin. With a simple movement he makes Veda turn her head again, so that her eyes have to look into his. 'Why is that such a high price on that beautiful head of yours?' Veda is silent. Even if she could have found the words, she wouldn't have been able to find the strength to say them. Her head is spinning from how the once quiet life she had built in Cáva has now done a 180-degree turn. 'Lost your tongue?' The man continues to look at her defiantly. He lowers the barrel of the gun and puts it back in the belt of his trousers at the back. 'Maybe a few minutes alone will help you think.' Without deserving of another glance, he turns and walks away.

The room Veda finds herself in is dark and square. There seems to be only a chair in it, the one she is currently tied to. There are a few lamps hanging from it, but not much more than a faint dim light shining from it.

Where Veda had hoped to be alone, someone enters the room again. This time not the tattooed man from before. Before Veda can comprehend what is happening, he has also grabbed a gun and is swinging the flask of the gun at the side of her face. Tears well up in her eyes and Veda's cheek burns with pain. A painful, whimpering and at the same time shocked cry escapes her mouth. Her head hurts from the blow she has received and Veda feels dizzy.

'Dom may be patient with you, but I want answers,' the man snaps at her. Where the other man's voice had also sounded heavy and rough, Veda thought she could hear a kind of murderous tone in this man's voice. 'Maybe this will help you find your words.' Again his arm goes up a little, this time to deliver a blow to the other side of Veda's face. Veda automatically squeezes her eyes shut and waits for the blow to come. Another burning sensation on her face. Pain shoots through her head and tears stream down her cheeks. Veda feels sick from the pain, but she does not throw up.

'I'm only asking you this once,' the man whispers softly. The question doesn't come, however. The door to the room swings open and loud footsteps sound. 'Enzo!' the voice booms. Veda can't see clearly because of the many tears. She thinks she recognizes the tattooed man. He has grabbed the other, probably Enzo, by the wrist. 'Get out,' he roars at him. 'Get out or I'll kill you.'