The Pledge, Chapter 4

The wind gently caressed her skin like a lover familiar with her body. She knew the night air should be chilling to her flesh, but she was bereft of emotions. The nothingness had continued as Sal mirthfully recounted Marcus’ last minutes on this earth. And her feelings remained dangerously absent as she informed Sal what would happen to him if he didn’t answer her questions.

The movement beneath her feet lolled her and reminded her of their honeymoon. A two-week cruise sailing through the South Pacific. Being an anonymous twosome amongst hundreds allowed them to stay in their cabin for days at a time and get to know every little thing that made each other groan, moan, and scream out loud. And it also allowed them the freedom to interact with others as the newlyweds, Dara and Marcus, not the ADA and the lieutenant. She could easily picture his bright smile, glistening rock hard abs, and the absolute love she felt whenever she was in his arms. They had been blissfully- -

Her musings came to an abrupt halt as she felt his approach. She felt his eyes studying her. It was time. Time to end what she had set in motion.

"Dara," Sonny whispered softly in her ear.

She nodded in acknowledgement of his presence.

He came to stand beside her. "You don’t have to do this. Max can take you home and that’ll be the end of it."

Brushing his cheek with her fingers, she laughed, "Sonny Corinthos trying to be a eleventh hour hero. Watch out or next, I’ll be calling you Gizmo."

He smiled faintly at the memory of the old nickname she had once given him.

"I’m not trying to be a hero- -"

She brought her finger to his lips. "Yes, you are, but it’s too late. There’s nothing to save. My innocence ended when you found me and told me Marcus was dead. My naivete, I can’t believe I had any left, but what I did have was stolen from me when I pushed past Mac and Alex to see my husband’s bullet ridden body lying on a gurney in the freezing cold morgue." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Johnny waiting. Kissing Sonny on the cheek, she whispered, "Thank you."

Sonny watched her walk away. "You’re wrong, there’s your heart and soul to save." And he was going to do everything in his power to save her from destroying them. He walked to the aft of the boat where everyone waited for him to begin. He stood next to Dara, giving her one finally chance. His eyes pleaded with her to stop.

She leaned against him and said the magic words that stopped him from any further persuasion, "What if it was Deke?"

He nodded his head and Johnny brought out Sal.

Sal stood before them with his feet encased in blocks of newly dried cement. His blood soaked shirt and stained pants made him look like the scum he was.

"Please, miss. Don’t do this," he begged Dara.

"You hit the nail on the head. I’m a Miss now because you killed my husband. I was a Mrs., a happy one at that but you took that away from me," Dara reminded him.

"Please," Sal turned his good eye to Sonny. "I have a mom, a dad, my girl’s about to have our second kid." He was crying so hard, he could barely see and tears were even coming out of the eye that was swollen shut.

Sonny ignored Sal just like he had since this whole evening began.

"Once again, I’m not moved or impressed. Marcus has- - wait, I’m sorry wrong tense," Dara corrected herself with a face devoid of emotion. "Marcus had me, a loving mother, an adoring sister, a son who idolized him, and a host of loving family and friends. FYI, that last bit is a direct quote from his obituary."

She gave Johnny the signal and he removed a piece of the railing.

Johnny and Max, on each side of Sal, lifted him up and carried him to the edge of the boat.

"Please, please. I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything- -" he implored.

"Can you give me my husband back?" she asked curtly.

Sal shook his head. "No, but I’m so sorry, please, don’t do this. Please, I’m begging you."

"Because you left Marcus’ face intact and his clothes covered the bullet wounds, I decided not to draw and quarter you. That decision was probably your smartest move out of this whole debacle." Dara moved closer to Sal and said in a low voice, "But you did let him lie on the ground writhing in agony, with no hope of the pain ending except in death. So you’re going to feel a little of what my beloved husband felt that night."

The wind blew harshly and Dara’s hair flew in her face. She patiently waited for the wind to die down and pushed it behind her ears. She walked right up to the sobbing killer and softly spoke in his ear, "Don’t fight it, that’ll just make it worse."

She took a step back and nodded. Johnny and Max lowered Sal into the water feet first.

"Please, pleeeeaaaaasseeee, I don’t want to die," he yelled, waving his arms furiously and trying fruitlessly to get the rope from around his waist.

Sal reminded Dara of a man fighting desperately for every last minute of life. What had Dylan Thomas said, do not go gently into the fair night?

She shivered as she watched him. Sonny gently placed his jacket around Dara.

Johnny cut the rope and Sal was on his own.

Sonny would pray that this incident wouldn’t implant itself in her mind, haunting her in the middle of night, in broad daylight, but he wouldn’t waste his breath. How could it not?

Sal’s screams pierced the otherwise quiet night and his flaying and struggling disturbed the tranquil ocean.

She wondered what Marcus would have thought of all this. Would he have approved of what she was doing to avenge his death? Would he have done the same thing if the situation was reversed and he found himself a victim of a brutal crime that left him without the person he pledged to spend the rest of his life with in front of God and the whole town?

She sighed. She didn’t know, how could anyone know until they were put in this situation? No one could say what they would or wouldn’t do, she thought as she noticed Sal’s arms tire out and he began his slow descent into the blackness of the water.

He had fought valiantly much like Marcus probably had, but it was over for Sal. The weight of the cement was finally gaining the upper hand.

She observed him bobbing up and down in the dark blue ocean water. It was such a lovely night. For some reason, she had imagined her night of vengeance would be dark and stormy like the feelings that before this night had constantly been bubbling below the surface, waiting for the day when Sonny would fulfill his promise. Those emotions were what kept her alive, raring for the fight and now, as Sal’s head stopped gasping for air on the surface of the water, it was finished.

To have
Just one more night with you
I'd risk my life

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