Page 48 of Marcellus: House of Drakos
For several blocks they weaved in and out of traffic and drove through highways and side streets all the same: as fast as they could manage. Until they turned onto one side street and the backdoor of the cargo van they were chasing suddenly was kicked open.
That was when they saw Niko, with his hands and feet chained and his mouth covered. But he had somehow managed to kick open that door.
When Marcellus saw his son, and that he was still alive, his heart leaped for joy. But he was still in a tough spot.
“Cover me!” Marcellus yelled as he pressed down his window and leaned all the way out.
The guards all did the same, with their guns drawn and ready to fire if any shots rang out from that van.
But Marcellus was only thinking about his son. If he stayed in that van, those kidnappers could kill him with one shot and he’d be powerless to defend himself. There was no other option. “Jump!” he yelled to his son.
“Pop!” said a frantic Scottie. “Don’t tell him that!”
“Jump and roll!” Marcellus yelled.
“That’ll kill him, Pop!”
“Do it now!” Marcellus ordered his son.
And Niko, with terror in his eyes but total faith in his father, scooted his body to the edge of the van and without hesitation heaved himself enough to jump off and roll.
Scottie swerved out, to avoid rolling over his brother, and came to a stop as Marcellus motioned wildly with his arms for the detail cars to continue the pursuit. They sped around the SUV and continued to follow the van.
Marcellus and the guards hopped out and ran to Niko’s rescue. He had rolled violently across the pavement and didn’t stop rolling until he was on the side of the road. They ran to him. He was in bad shape.
Marcellus picked up his son singlehandedly and ran with him to the SUV. They all hopped in and Scottie floored it again.
Marcellus held Niko like he was a baby in his arms. His handsome face was battered and bruised and so was his body. And he was in tremendous pain. But he was alive. Thank God, Marcellus was inwardly shouting, his baby was alive!
But Boris Escabatti and whoever else was in that van didn’t fare so well. By the time Scottie was speeding past them to get Niko home and under a doctor’s care, that van had wrapped around a pole, splitting in half. The guys in the two securitydetail cars were out of their cars and running to the scene to make certain there were no survivors.
But even Marcellus knew surviving that would have been an impossibility. But it didn’t matter to them. They got what they deserved. And he had his son back.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Niko was at his father’s house under the care of a private physician as his mother Peggy and Freddy and Kalayna’s mother Natalia sat at his bedside. Although both women got on each other’s last nerves, they were thick as thieves when it came down to it, and genuinely cared for each other.
Marcellus and Savannah were in the bedroom too. They sat in chairs against the wall. Marcellus could feel Savannah’s anxiety. Every time he looked at her, she still looked worried sick to him.
But other than painful cuts and bruises, Niko was okay. He was even able to sit up in bed.
“Why they beat you up like this, son?” his still overly-concerned mother asked him. “What was the purpose of brutalizing you like this?”
“Actually they never touched me,” said Niko. “Dad did this.”
Marcellus crossed his legs and Savannah smiled. “Always your fault,” she said.
“See what I mean,” he said playfully.
But Peggy didn’t see what was so funny. Natalia didn’t either. “Why would you beat him like this, Marci?” Natalia asked him. “This isn’t funny.”
“Thank you!” Peggy agreed.
“He didn’t beat me,” said Niko. “He made me jump out of the van my kidnappers were fleeing in. And it was a good thing too,” he added. “That van ended up wrapped around a telegram pole.”
“Oh,” said Peggy.
“I see,” said Natalia.
