I don't know what I was expecting when I burst into the room. Giacomo on the ground maybe, being beaten to death by several brawny gangsters? What I definitely wasn't expecting to see was two men on the ground and Giacomo kicking the crap out of the remaining three. I watched agape, the emergency doorhandle still in my hand as he dodged a knife thrust at him and sent his attacker to the ground with a swift strike The remaining two came at him from both sides. There was a smirk on his face. His fist struck, and struck again. Now, only one man was left standing. He looked around in a panic. His terrified eyes focused on me, and so did Giacomo's. But he saw me a second too late.

The gangster had already jumped towards me with a triumphant yell. I was thrust against the wall, and something sharp was pressed against my throat. O God, this couldn't be happening! I would have closed my eyes, but then I wouldn't have been able to see Giacomo's face anymore. How could I do that? Only, his face didn't offer me much reassurance just at the moment. His eyes were still burning, lit with that fire that I now recognized: rage. The joy of battle.

He started towards me.

“Not one step closer! Not one step!” I recognized the rough voice. It was Neil. A hairy hand pulled me back, and I felt the knife prick my skin. A gasp of pain escaped my throat. It was that little sound that extinguished the light in Giacomo's eyes. He came to a stop. For a moment, I thought I saw a dazed, terrified expression cross over his face. But it was gone so quickly that I couldn't be sure. In its place there came a terrible calm that was almost worse than the burning fire before.

“What kind of psycho are you, kid?” Neil's voice was a mix of fear and anger, as his eyes swept over his fallen men on the floor.

“The killing kind,” Giacomo whispered. He raised a single finger and pointed to me. “I would suggest you let her go. Now.”

“No dice! What do you think I am, kid, stupid?”

“Yes. You haven't let her go yet.”

Neil sneered. “Oh, so you care about this little hooker?”

No answer.

“I figured,” Neil sad, now sounding confident again. “Why else would you've locked her up? Possessive of your women, are you?” He squinted down at me. “Whoops. Did I say women? Sorry, darling. My mistake. How old are you exactly?”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

“Tell me how old you are!”

The point of the knife raked over my skin. I couldn't help it. I whimpered. “F-fourteen.”

“Fourteen?”

Neil laughed. How could he be enjoying himself? Four of his friends were unconscious on the ground! He was hurting someone! How could he be enjoying himself? And yet he was, I could hear it in his voice.

“Man, I already got that you're a psycho, kid. Didn't know you were a pedophile.”

A noise came out of Giacomo's throat, somewhere between a growl and a moan.

“Hit a nerve, did I? Well, suck it up. Me and your pretty little friend are going for a walk now. And if you follow us, I'll cut her, do you understand? I'll cut her good and proper.”

“Let her go,” Giacomo said. There was no feeling in his voice. “You do not realize what you are about. Your cronies over there,” he pointed over his shoulder. “I just knocked them out. They were just trying to kill me. They didn't deserve to die. But if you touch her...” Now one could hear the emotions in his voice, smoldering under the surface, like a volcano about to erupt. “If you even touch one hair on her precious golden head, I will hunt you down. I will find you. And then I will do things to you that your mind cannot even conceive of.”

“You're in a bad mood, aren't you?” Neil chuckled. “As if I would be bothered by tough talk, buddy. I'm an OG. Into the corner! Now!”

Giacomo obeyed.

“Where's the elevator?” Neil asked.

Giacomo pointed down a narrow corridor.

“Right. You stay where you are. And you, girly, come with me.” He tugged me backwards.

“Giacomo,” I cried hoarsely, and tried to stretch my hand out to him. I was being toed into the dark, into a dark narrow tunnel I might never come out of again. And he was staying here. The pain was almost unbearable He made a motion as if to step forward. Immediately, I could feel the knife press tighter into my throat.

“None of that, kid! Move another muscle, and your pretty friend here gets to feel my knife!

His jaw clenched tightly, Giacomo stepped back.

“That's right, kid.” Neil cackled. “You stay where you are. And you, girl, get your arse moving!”

Helpless, I had to watch as I was dragged into the tunnel, and Giacomo's figure grew smaller and darker with every step I was forced to take. The last thing I saw before we turned around the corner was his face: burning with a silent resolution that was terrible to behold.

Neil dragged me backwards through the darkness, never turning forwards in order to make quicker progress. The narrow walls of the metal tunnel pressed in on me just as much as the arms of the monster that was holding me in his grasp. I felt like screaming, but was too afraid to make a sound. Finally, I could hear the noises of cars from above. Cars? Of course, there were always cars on the Golden Gate Bridge. Why hadn't any of the drivers stopped to look, when suddenly guns were being fired only a few dozen yards away? Maybe because they were too busy phoning. Or maybe they were drunk. Or maybe they thought it was fireworks. Or, I thought to myself wryly, maybe they recognized it for what it was and drove all the faster.

Suddenly, Neil stopped.

“Before we go,” he said in a threateningly low tone that caused me to shiver, “I'd like you to tell me everything you know about that pervert down there.”

“He's not a pervert,” I snapped.

“Oh, he isn't, is he?” Neil chuckled darkly. “Well, he is something. Something big. And you are gonna tell me exactly what that is.”

The knife slid along my throat again, and all bravado left me.

“I... I don't know what you're talking about. He's just a friend of mine. He hasn't got any money, if that's what you want. Please, can't you just let me go? I swear, I'm nothing special and he isn't either. He hasn't got a cent in his pocket.”

Neil snorted.

“Do you take me for a fool, chick? Anyone with a price like that on his head has to be at least...”

“Neil?” A voice called from above. Neil muttered a curse. “Yes, Mitch, I'm here,” he called back.

“What's up? Why didn't you guys come out the front again?”

“Long story. But I've got someone with me.”

“The guy we were looking for?”

“No. Some hooker.”

“What? How...”

“I'll explain later, Mitch! Now get your butt down here.”

“Why?”

“Because there's a maniac at the other end of that corridor with enough ammo and machinery to blow up Manhattan, that's why!”

“Shit! No dice man, I'm staying up here!”

“Don't be an ass! He won't shoot at us while we've got the girl. Why do you think I brought her?”

“Oh. Sure about that?”

“Yes, dammit, I'm sure. Now get moving!”

“All right then, I'm coming.”

There was a whirring sound. The metal cage before us went up, while another came down. In it stood a dark haired, boney man. He had a gun in his hand.

“Good. Now stand guard here. I'll go up, and then you'll send up the girl. You stand guard down here and come up last.”

“Why can't you stand guard?”

“Because I lost my gun, you idiot! Now shut up and do as you're told!”

Neil let go of me and climbed into the elevator. I waited with baited breath until he'd disappeared. Then my gaze flickered to the other man. He shook his head.

“Don't even think about it, chick.”

He was right. I was alone, and he was twice my size and had a gun. What was I thinking?

When the other elevator came down, he pushed me into it. I let myself fall onto the mesh-wire floor and started to sob. But I wasn't even alowed to grieve in peace. Above me, light appeared. Unlike for most people, it didn't bring me hope. It brought me Neil, who tugged me out of the elevator.

“All right,” he shouted down the shaft. “You can come up now.”

Half a minute later, Mitch emerged from the elevator, wiping the sweat from his face.

“Shit, am I glad to be out of there. That place give me the creeps.”

Neil gave a derisive snort.

“I'm taking her to the car. Wait here.”

“What about the guy in there? Is he the one we were looking for?”

“Oh yeah. Yeah, he's the one.”

“Why? Who is he?”

“Who he is? He's a freaking psycho, that's what he is.”

“Where are Dan and the others?”

Neil swallowed, hard.

“Down there. Out cold. Maybe dead.”

A gasp escaped the other gangster’s throat. “You're shitting me.”

“No!” Neil hissed. “You wait here. Make sure he doesn't get out through the elevator.”

My heart plummeted. They were still set on capturing Giacomo!

Mitch's brow furrowed. “What about the door down there?”

I sighed. Of course! Stupid of me not to think of that. He was safe!

“Don't worry. I made sure his boat has a nice big hole in the tank. He's not going anywhere.”

Even more stupid of me not to think of that. Shit, what was I going to do? He was going to get caught! And all because of me. He was sacrificing himself for me. The tears came again.

“And if he comes up?”

“Just shoot him.”

“Neil, you said that guy's nuts! Even if I shoot him, he might get me first.”

“Yeah. And?”

The bony man shook his head. “No, man. I won't stay here. We were just supposed to go looking for some random guy. I didn't sign up for this kind of stuff.”

“Fine!” Mitch snapped. “Give me your gun. I'll stand guard, you take her to the car.”

Obviously relieved, Mitch handed Neil his gun and grabbed my arm, tugging me away from the hole in the ground as fast as his legs could move.

It seemed to take ages for us to reach the place where they'd parked their car. It was a longish black thing. At the best of times, I wasn't able to identify many different car models, and these were not the best of times. I did notice, though, that the windows were tinted black and looked thick enough to be pretty much soundproof, too. Once in there, I wouldn't get out again.

My eyes flitted to the lights of the cars that were rolling onto the Golden Gate Bridge. They weren't that far away, only a few dozen feet or so...

The knife Neil had given to Mitch reminded me of what a dangerous path my thoughts were taking.

“Now you just get into that car quietly, understand?” Mitch growled. “No trouble, or I'll make you sorry.”

I nodded. Mitch shifted the knife, holding it so that it would be concealed by the collar of my jacket. But I could still feel the deadly metal pressing against my throat through the fabric.

“Not a sound, chick. Not a sound.”

As if there even would be a point. Cars were rushing by, people's eyes were fixed on the road. Even if someone had noticed, they would have driven on.

And then, suddenly, there was a noise. Not from me, no, there was a noise from the railing of the bridge right next to us. A strange kind of growling and groaning. Mitch had just been about to open the car door. He heard it too, and turned around.

“What's this?”

Thinking he didn't expect an answer from me, I kept quiet. Mitch stepped to the railing of the bridge. Suddenly, a hand shot out from below and grabbed him by the collar.