Rico nodded and headed for the stairs, then paused. “I won’t see you again…” He met Felix’s gaze. “For what it’s worth, Iamsorry for what happened to you.”
Felix nodded in return. He had a feeling the man wouldn’t be going to Windsor Castle to get help, but it didn’t surprise him. Rico probably thought they’d string him up for his part in the situation, and if Felix wasn’t there to back him up, they just might.
“Take care, Rico.”
Rico left, and Felix exhaled slowly. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would do when the next guard opened his cell, but he had to be ready to fight for his life.
****
The hours passed more slowly than Felix wanted them to, but it gave him time to ensure his plan was as foolproof as it could get without being able to account for whoever the guard to come down those stairs next was.
When he heard the door unlock, his heart sped up, and he clenched his fists before releasing them again. He stood, not too close to the door to worry the guard, but close enough that he could enact the first part of his plan. The guard was one who had brought him food before, but he looked terrified. Felix had a second’s hesitation, thinking he might need to postpone, but ignored it. His instincts told him things were fine, so he listened.
The guard hesitated when he saw Felix standing, waiting for him, but then licked his lips and pulled the key from his pocket. “Stay there,” he said with a tremble in his voice.
Felix nodded, but once the lock clicked open, he raced forward, slamming the cell door into the guard’s face, just like last time, and making him drop the food and scream in pain. He fell backwards, and his head hit the cement floor with a meaty, wet smack, and he didn’t get up again. Felix didn’t wait to check his pulse and instead grabbed the stashed gun and raced up the stairs. He had lost the element of surprise for the guards that were upstairs, and therefore, he just kicked through the door into a living room area.
Two guards already had their guns beginning to aim towards him, but he raised his gun quicker and shot them both. Another guard came from his left, barrelling into his outstretched arm and causing him to fall to the floor with the man to his side. Felix brought his knee up into the man’s groin, and when he let go of him with a grunt of pain, Felix lifted the gun and shot him in the head. He jumped to his feet as he heard several guns cocking and looked around. Four guards surrounded him—Rico included.
Feeling like he’d been duped, he glared at the man, but Rico gave a slight shake of his head, which had Felix pausing in his assessment.
“Drop the gun,” one man said.
“Now, why would I do that?” Felix said, sneering at the guy.
“Because it’s four against one?” the man said, raising his eyebrows as if he thought Felix was an idiot—which he was.
“Good odds to me,” Felix continued, glancing at the other two guys before returning to Rico.
Rico’s chest rose and fell, his eyes closing briefly before meeting Felix’s gaze once more, determination in his gaze.
“No!” Felix said just as Rico turned on the first man, shooting him.
Felix aimed at the second man and got off a shot before another gunshot sounded. He turned and aimed for the third guard before realising he was already dead. He stared at Rico, both breathing heavily, as he lowered his gun.
“Thanks,” he said. “That was risky. One of them could’ve turned on you rather than—”
A single gunshot sounded, and for the first time in a long time, Felix flinched. Rico stared at him for a second before crumpling to his knees. Felix’s gaze moved behind him to a man standing behind Rico. Instinctively, Felix brought up his gun and fired, the man collapsing backwards when Felix didn’t miss. He raced forward to Rico, who had managed to keep himself on his knees. Not wanting to lose the man who’d helped him in more ways than one, he lay Rico down on the floor and pressed a hand over the chest wound.
“You’re going to be okay, Rico,” Felix said, not believing a word he said.
Rico coughed, blood coating his lips. “Am…” He coughed again. “Ame…lia…con…stan…tine…” He coughed, blood now dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
“What?” Felix leaned closer.
“My…wife…” Rico met his gaze, glassy as they were. “Love…her…tell…her…please…”
“You’ll be able to tell her yourself, Rico. Stay with me.”
“No…find her…be…fore…they…do…”
Felix clenched his jaw and leaned down until his face was right in front of Rico’s. “I will look after her. I promise.”
A tear leaked from the corner of Rico’s eye. “Than…” He went slack, and Felix cursed up a storm. Rico might’ve been on the wrong side of the law, but he had assisted Felix more than anyone else could’ve, and because of that, Felix was free. Unable to do anything for Rico, he closed the man’s eyes and took two seconds to say thanks before lifting his gaze around him. He needed to find something that he could use to help when he disappeared from the area before anyone else turned up. None of the dead guards had phones on them, which was strange, and there didn’t seem to be any sort of radio. However, they did have cars, which was handy.
Felix grabbed the first set of keys he found and pressed the button to unlock the car, telling him which one it was. Climbing behind the wheel, he started the car and reversed it to the front door. He got out and ran into the house to Rico. Grabbing him under his arms, he dragged him to the car, sliding him into the back seat before climbing back in again. He headed down a well-worn track towards what he hoped was full freedom. As he drove, another car came towards him, but other than the driver waving his way, he didn’t stop him, and neither did his three passengers, but Felix knew that would only last so long. The moment they got to the house and found the present Felix—and Rico—had left them, they would chase him.
Pressing his foot down on the pedal, the car shot forward, kicking up dust behind him until he got to a gate. Luckily for him, it was not guarded, so he sped the car through and continued on the road. Not caring whether he was going in the right direction, he increased his speed, checking the rearview mirror regularly to see if he was being chased. It didn’t take long for another car to appear. Should he take them directly to Windsor Castle? What if he brought a war to their door?