Seven

Chapter 17- The Price of Vengeance

When Mario opened his eyes, he saw sunlight pouring into the cove's entrance. He looked down at Carmen to make sure she was still breathing. When he saw the slight rise and fall of her chest, he breathed a sigh of relief.

They had made it through the night.

Mario gently pushed Carmen away and stood up, stretching his arms out over his head. He walked toward the entrance, using his hand to shield his eyes from the sun's bright rays. Once his eyes adjusted, he crouched down and looked around for any sign of Dr. Vincent or Richard. When he didn't see anything, he stepped out, keeping low and using the rocks to conceal himself.

He moved along cautiously, occasionally looking back over his shoulder to make sure no one was sneaking into the cove while his back was turned. He made it to the beach within a few minutes and slowly walked up and down the shore, keeping his eyes peeled. When he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, he started back to the cove to get Carmen. He knew they had limited time to get help, so they would have to move fast.

When he reached the cove, there was no sign of Carmen. He went inside, looking around in a panic, but she was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't in any shape to go off on her own, and besides, he would've noticed her. He would've noticed anyone coming this way. How on earth did she just disappear, Mario thought to himself.

When he exited the cove again, he saw Richard and one of the other butlers carrying Carmen up the shore he had just came from.

"Hey!" he called after them, hopping over rocks as quickly as he could. "Stop!"

Richard paused and looked up, smiling like a mad man.

"Where are you taking her?!" Mario called out, out of breath.

"You'll have to come closer! I can't here you!" Richard called back.

Mario stopped. This felt like a trap. They knew Mario would go after Carmen, which means there must have been something lying in wait for him, ready to take him down once and for all.

So how could he get to Carmen without willfully falling into their trap?

He looked down at the choppy, dark water. He could conceal himself just enough to give them the idea he wasn't following them. And then when they started on their way, he could catch up to them and beat them at their own game.

Or...

He looked back up at them, his eyes focused on Carmen's arm hanging limply. Was she already dead? That would make a lot of sense. They would only need Mario to think she was alive in order to get him to follow. If he knew she was dead, they knew they would lose him.

He could've gotten away, alone. He could've let them focus on Carmen while he made his escape.

But Mario just wasn't that type of person. He couldn't leave Carmen behind, knowing what they might do to her, so he ran across the rocks to the shore and followed Richard up the hill, concealing himself behind the thick woods.

He was certain Richard knew he was being followed, so he went along with it as long as he could, watching their every move as they struggled with Carmen's small body.

And that gave Mario an idea. Carmen couldn't weight more than one hundred pounds, but the men carrying her were in no shape to continue on like this for much longer. Eventually their frail, old bodies would tire out and Mario would seize the opportunity.

Just as he suspected, the men were becoming tired and winded after making it to the top of a steep hill. It was Mario's chance to do something.

He kept himself concealed and watched them closely until they finally had to stop to rest. They sat Carmen down, leaning her up against a tree. Mario waited patiently, planning everything out in his head before he made a move.

Finally, he pounced Richard first, since he was the smaller of the two men, easily taking him down. With one punch to the face, he was out cold. Mario looked up at the other man, who was backing away, his hands raised in surrender.

"Please, Player 6...I'm just doing what I was told," he said through a shaky voice.

Mario stood up and started for the man, but he was surprised when the man collapsed to his knees, clasping his hands together. "Please don't kill me!" he begged.

Mario raised his fist, but he paused when he saw a tall, dark figure in the distance. The wide brimmed hat gave away Dr. Vincent's identity immediately.

Mario stepped back and furrowed his brows.

"What a noble thing of you to do," Dr Vincent smirked, approaching Mario slowly. "Risking your own life for one that's not worth much."

"You leave her out of this!" Mario seethed.

"Tell me, why do you care so much about Ms. Santiago? Do you know anything about her? Anything at all?" Dr. Vincent asked.

"I don't have to know anything about her to know she doesn't deserve to die in one of your stupid games."

"Oh really? She doesn't deserve it? Would you say that the person who killed Mrs. Edith Santiago would deserve to die in one of my stupid games?" he asked.

"The person who killed her is already dead," Mario replied.

"Not yet," Dr. Vincent smirked, his eyes moving to Carmen.

Mario turned and looked at her. There's no way that could be true. A man killed Edith. It was her ex-husband, who confessed to the crime on his death bed. That could only mean Dr. Vincent was using mind games to turn Mario and Carmen against each other. He wanted his final game to proceed and what better way than to have the last two players battle each other to the death.

"The man who confessed to the murder was Carmen's father, Julio Santiago, Jr. He took the blame so the only daughter of his first wife wouldn't have to spend her life in prison," Dr. Vincent went on.

Mario shook his head in disbelief. "I don't trust a damn thing you say."

"You don't, huh? Tell me...have you ever bothered to research the family of the woman you supposedly killed?" he asked.

"No. I didn't want anything to do with her or her family. I didn't kill her, I didn't even know her," Mario answered.

"You're ignoring the facts, Mr. Banks. Carmen murdered her step mother and someone pointed the finger at you, so she got away with it."

"No..." Mario said, backing up.

"It's true. The very person you are trying to save right now is the very reason you spent six years of your life in prison. But your vengeance is the reason you ended up here. I think we both know what I'm talking about," Dr. Vincent said.

Mario swallowed hard. He knew Dr. Vincent was talking about Soren, but he wasn't about to verify it for him. None of that mattered anyway. Mario still didn't believe what he was hearing. Carmen would've known Mario. His face was all over the news for months. She was probably just a teenager back then, but it was a high profile case. She would've recognized him.

"She doesn't deserve to be saved, Mr. Banks. Of all the players that came, you were the only one who ever had any chance of walking out alive," Dr. Vincent went on to explain. "You wanted revenge on the person who wrongfully accused you, and who could blame you? You did nothing wrong and still, you couldn't prove your innocence. Your mother died of a broken heart. She would still be here today if it weren't for Carmen."

Mario took a second to give it some thought. If what Dr. Vincent was saying turned out to be true, was it Carmen's fault he ended up in jail? No. It was Soren who identified him in a lineup. Not Carmen. If Carmen killed someone, that had nothing to do with Mario.

"You have a chance to take your vengeance against the one who pulled the trigger. Right here, right now. End this. Take your money and return home. Live your life in peace," Dr. Vincent said, moving closer.

Mario took another step back, still not sure what to make of this new information. He looked back at Carmen, who looked as if she was close to death already. He knew he wouldn't be able to kill her. Even if she was the one who committed the crime, she's still not the one who accused him of it.

Besides, Mario smelled Dr. Vincent's trickery from a mile away. He knew he was only saying what he had to say to get them back into that mansion to play out the final game.

"He's right," Carmen's strained voice said from behind him. "Just kill me and take the money. You deserve it anyway."

"You must think I'm stupid," Mario said, giving Dr. Vincent and evil glare. "Is it because I'm a black man who just got out of prison? You just assume I'd do anything for money?"

Dr. Vincent said nothing in return, only gave Mario an annoyed look.

"You're right about some things. I wanted vengeance. I realize now though, nothing is going to give me back what I lost. My mother will never know her son was an innocent man. The least I can do to honor her memory is do the right thing now. I won't take another person's life, no matter what. I'm done seeking vengeance. I just want to go home and live in peace. I want to go to work and earn my money the right way," Mario said.

"I'm afraid I can't just let you leave," Dr. Vincent said, taking another step closer.

"Well you're gonna have to kill me then," Mario shrugged. "There's no way I'll...."

He looked around when he realized he was getting that same strange sensation he'd felt before- the one that made him powerless. He dropped to his knees, his body a slave to the influence.

"What are you doing?!" Carmen croaked. "Get out of here! Run!"

"I don't want to kill you, Mr. Banks. I simply want you to do what you came here to do. Play the games. Win the money," Dr. Vincent said, kneeling in front of Mario. "I'm not saying you will do anything for money. I'm rewarding you for winning. You play a game, you win a prize."

Mario tried to speak, but it was as if his brain was cut off from the rest of his body. He had no control. So he only looked at Dr. Vincent, unable to do anything else.

"Jeffery, Richard, please take players four and six back to the mansion and have them prepped for the final game," he said, standing again.

Mario tried his best to fight out from under this spell his body seemed to be under, but it was no use. He helplessly watched as Jefferey picked Carmen up and carried her away. Once they were out of sight, Richard stood in front of Mario.

Mario looked up at him, furrowing his brows.

"The girl wouldn't hesitate to turn on you. Remember that when the game starts," he said, reaching for Mario's hand.