As soon as Alejandro left the room with Hunn, Bruno and Dante moved quickly, working together to untie Yellows. He winced as the ropes loosened around his wrists and ankles.
"All cameras are down. Only our guys are in the warehouse. Alejandro's on a wild goose chase. We need to move, now!" Bruno said urgently.
With Bruno and Dante supporting him on either side, Yellows staggered out of the room. Gallows emerged from the shadows following closely behind them. As they emerged into the night air, Bruno's eyes scanned the surroundings, alert for any signs of danger.
Yellows spoke through clenched teeth, "You guys can't come back, Alejandro will know you betrayed him."
Gallows' jaw twitched. "Boss, after what he did to you, I don't plan on coming back."
Bruno and Dante nodded in agreement as they approached the black SUV. They helped Yellows into the back, with Bruno settling by his side. Dante slid into the front, taking his place next to Gallows, who gripped the wheel and started the engine.
The car ride to the bunker unfolded in silence, the only sound the soft hum of the engine and Yellows' labored breathing. His body ached, each movement reminding him of the brutal punishment he'd endured. But it was the tightness in his chest that made him feel uneasy, the crushing realization that he'd failed.
How was he going to explain this to Kitten?
To the woman he'd promised to protect, who'd already been through too much? How could he face her without having Jasmine with him?
He could already hear her voice in his head, the fear, the pain…it would break her. He had seen the hollow look in her eyes these last few days, the way she'd tried to hold onto hope, and he had given her that hope, only to rip it away.
Forty-five minutes later, Frankie and Rooster greeted them at the steel doors, their faces line with anxiety.
"Boss, Kitten isn't in," Frankie reported as they approached. Yellows felt as though an anchor was sinking in the pit of his stomach.
With a sudden surge of strength, Yellows grabbed Frankie's neck, lifting him off the ground. The pain from his injuries only fuelling his rage.
Yellows growled. "What do you mean she's gone? You idiots were supposed to watch her!"
Frankie gasped for breath as Yellows tightened his grip, stammered out an explanation, "Boss, it had something to do with Jasmine…"
Yellows released him and he crumpled to the ground coughing. "Where did she go?" Yellows demanded.
Frankie scrambled to his feet, still catching his breath. "I have no idea, Boss. She said if she told anyone, it would put Jasmine's life in danger."
Yellows stepped in front of Frankie, their faces almost touching, his blue eyes shooting daggers at him. "So you fools didn't think to follow her?"
In a swift, brutal motion, he snatched the gun from Frankie's hand. Without a second thought, he shot both Frankie and Rooster in the forehead. Their bodies slumped lifeless to the floor, the echo of the gunshots still ringing in the tunnel.
He turned to Bruno and Dante. "Get rid of these idiots."
With Kitten gone, vanished without a trace, a cold knot of anxiety coiled in his gut. But he couldn't afford to let it consume him, not now, not when everything was already hanging by a thread. Her absence was a setback they couldn't afford. Every second wasted searching for her was a second they weren't closing in on the bigger picture. They were losing ground, and the clock was ticking.
Gallows, his expression unreadable, stood at the door, holding it open as Yellows staggered into the bunker.
Each step Yellows took felt heavier than the last. The pain from his injuries were undeniable, but it was Kitten's disappearance that really dragged him down.
When he heard the door close behind them he turned to face Gallows. "Halt everything. We need everyone hunting for Kitten and Jazzy. But, Gallows, you're staying with me."
As Gallows pulled out his phone to get the ball rolling, Yellows made his way to the bedroom. There was no way in hell he was staying in the bunker, not with so much at stake.
Once in the bedroom, he stripped off his clothes and took a long, hard look at himself in the mirror.
He winced as he surveyed the damage. His face was a mess, the bruise on his left cheek angry and still raw, the shape of an "A" burned into his skin. His chest was covered in dark purple bruises, with his ribs aching with every breath. He wouldn't be surprised if at least two were cracked or broken.
After a quick shower, he cleaned the wound on his cheek, and carefully placed a bandage on it. Dressing was a slow, painful process, leaving his shirt and jacket off for the time being. Grabbing them along with a few compression bandages, he made his way to the sitting area, wincing with each step.
Gallows was standing there waiting.
"Gallows, help me with this," he said gruffly, motioning to his chest. "I can't do this alone."
Without question, Gallows nodded and began working, efficiently bandaging Yellows' torso to ease some of the pressure. Yellows was grateful for that, grateful Gallows wasn't pushing him to rest or see a doctor. He didn't have time for that.
He'd made a promise to the woman he loved, the woman he swore would be his wife, to protect her and bring Jasmine home.
Alejandro had been right about one thing…"till death do us part." And once Kitten and Jasmine were safe, he'd take care of Alejandro once and for all.
He had to locate them before Alejandro did, and if that meant ziplining over bridges he had burnt then so be it.
After Gallows finished with the bandages, Yellows slipped on his shirt and his jacket, then walked towards the entrance of the bunker, Gallows close behind.
"Where to, Boss?"
"We're going to see a friend."