Before I Go: A dark and tense psychological crime thriller. Marie Reyes (best reads .TXT) đ
- Author: Marie Reyes
Book online «Before I Go: A dark and tense psychological crime thriller. Marie Reyes (best reads .TXT) đ». Author Marie Reyes
Once he rolled onto the flat earth of the forest Michael laughed. Compared to the harsh rock, the ferns beneath him felt like a soft mattress. Every muscle shook, partly from cold, partly from exhaustion. He smiled as he saw stars through gaps in the trees.
âYou look like shit.â
âIâve been better.â It was only now, when letting go, that Michael realized just how weak he felt. Just a moment ago he had been climbing, but now, he couldnât even imagine standing up.
âYou need to see someone.â Miguel looked him over. The concern in Miguelâs face didnât inspire confidence.
âWho?â
âSomeone needs to stitch you up.â
âItâs fine. I just need a little rest.â He closed his eyes. This was a fine place to sleep, enveloped by ferns, watching the stars above.
âThey took my car. Need to call someone, but I canât. Most of my guys were Samuelâs guys too.â
âThere is this one guy,â said Michael.
Chapter Thirty Four
They waited by the roadside for ten minutes before one of them spoke. âSo this friend of yours, you trust him?â Miguel asked
âImplicitly?â Michael had perked up a little now, but staying upright was a struggle, so he sat on the gravel. He had used Miguelâs phone to call Alex to pick them up. Hearing his voice and knowing he was okay was something at least.
Miguel unbuttoned his shirt, took it off and slipped his t-shirt over his head, before putting his other shirt back on. âHere, take this. Use it to stop bleeding. Put pressure on it.â
âThanks.â Michael bunched up the T-shirt and pressed it against his side, although it looked like most of the blood had congealed now.
âNo tighter. You have to put real pressure on it.â
The headlights of an oncoming car temporarily blinded the pair of them. Michael wouldnât have been surprised if it had been Samuel, coming to finish the job, but he recognized the car as Alexâs as it got closer. The car pulled in front of them, coming to a sudden stop.
As his muscles had grown stiff, Michael lowered himself slowly onto the front passengerâs seat, and Aleksanderâs eyes widened when he saw the state he was in.
âIâm so sorry, man. I didnât know what to do. I should have come back. Where is Josie?â
âThank you for coming. I donât know where she is. I think Samuel still has her. This is Miguel by the way.â
Miguel let himself in the back and thanked Alex for picking them up.
âSo, what now? Do we take you to a hospital?â he asked Michael.
Miguel spoke before Michael could even open his mouth. âNo! No hospital. We get a sewing kit. I do it.â
âWhere are we going to find a sewing kit?â Michael broke into a cold sweat, thinking of an amateur sewing him up with some cotton and thread. His mind tried to conjure up any way around it. âThere is this one guy.â It seemed like a distant memory now, before things had gotten out of hand. That man he had met briefly in the bar in Arelanes was a surgeon. He didnât know if he could trust the guy but he wanted a professional working on him. âThere was this guy I met. He was a doctor, a surgeon. I met him in Arelanesâ
âĂlvaro?â Michael asked, wondering why Miguel hadnât suggested it if he knew the guy.
âYou know him?â
âHeâd always be in La Cocina De Maya. Liked the ladies.â
âYes. That restaurant. Is he a good guy? He gave me the creeps a bit but I feel like heâs harmless enough.â
âI know him only a little. Heâs not in the game. Why would he help you?â
âMaybe if I pay him?â Michael wasnât sure what surgeons earned in this area, and if he had anything of value to offer the almost perfect stranger.
âHow would we even get in touch with this man?â
âHe gave me his number. All my contacts are available in the cloud. Itâs worth a try?â
âNot to be a downer, but whatâs the plan beyond that?â Alex chimed in.
âWe get Josie.â Michael didnât even know where to begin, but he could worry about that later.
Aleksanderâs satellite navigation struggled to find Ălvaroâs house, but eventually they found it nestled in a town close to Arelanes. The place was less built up and more rustic. The simple houses nestled in amongst trees. Many looked hand-built by the owners with mismatched bricks and scrap iron roofs. The house they were looking for was the only blue house on that street, and they pulled up outside onto the dusty driveway.
Ălvaro had been awake when they called, on his way back from work after a long shift, the annoyance and exhaustion clearly apparent over loud-speaker. He let Miguel do most of the talking, and here they were. They walked up to the boxy house with a satellite dish poking out of the top, and Miguel knocked on the door. They heard the noise of someone moving stuff around in the house, and Ălvaro
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