Chapter fifty-eight

Mike...Mike...can you read me?

Oh god...oh god. Damian. Yes...yes. I've been trying so hard. Oh god...oh god.

Mike...where are you. Are you ok?

I'm on a boat. With Antonio and his soldiers...I--

Antonio? Damian got a sinking feeling in the pit of his gut.

What happened to Lee... Janet...Mike, is Janet alright?

Damian read deep anguish from Mike.

Janet's alive. But Damian, we're being held as slaves. Lee and all his people are dead.

He knew it. He felt like he was going to vomit. An old memory flashed across his mind.

"You're chickenshit, Lee. That's why in the end you always lose."

Mike we're in the west Indies. How far are you from us?

About four days.

You need to resupply?

Yes.

Just tell me when you set anchor. We'll come to get you.

Damian, I have to tell you. Antonio and his people--they are bigger and stronger than before--much stronger. They beat Lee and all his soldiers to death. They beat Sha--

The emissions hit Damian like a wall of grief.

Damian's heart felt like broken glass. They beat Shakira to death. He read from Mike's emissions that the only reason Mike was still living is for Janet's sake. He had no true inkling of what Mike was going through but he could easily imagine the pain. What if he was being held enslaved by the people who beat Chandra to death?

I understand. Just stay safe. Tell Janet to hold on. Mike...don't give up. Will you promise me you won't do anything to get yourself killed when we come?

I promise.

We'll help you through this Mike. We're a team and always will be.

Ok...Damian...?

Yeah, Mike...?

I--we'll hold on.

"Thank you."