Hell is a Post-Apocalyptic World

Chapter 1: Tragic Encounter

“No matter what happens I have to find her. I need to find Beatrice.” These are Daniel's thoughts while sneaking past the guards of a party cruise that is about to set sail from the shore of Florida. He showed the guards his fake ID then they checked the guest list and find the name there. Daniel successfully got inside the ship. He looked around and saw a bunch of people wearing fancy formal clothings. The interior of the cruise is filled with chandeliers that has diamond crystals dangling from its light. There is also a long red shiny carpet on the floor. Butlers are  walking around carrying  silver trays with glasses of red wine on top of them. Throughout the ship the sound of jazz music is echoing. Despite hearing the relaxing music, intense feeling of pressure and despair  still clouds Daniel's mind. 

“This place is filled with rich assholes. They clearly have no idea that a criminal is lurking around this place. Speaking of that bastard. Where can I possibly find him?” 

Daniel went out of the main hall. He walked around examining the face of every person he will come across with. Minutes later the ship started sailing. Daniel looked back as the ship moves apart from the dock. The beach is exposing itself little by little. People are having fun, walking by the shore. Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“This is it. I have to find that asshole first before everything else. Hang on Beatrice. I'll see you soon.” 

The night strikes. While other people on the ship are having fun, Daniel just stood by the deck, staring at the vast body of water.  For him it feels like the world isn't moving at all. All he thinks about is his wife and how to find her. He's trying to come up with a plan. His heart is pounding out of his chest. It feels like it is going to bust out  at any moment. He once again took a deep breath. After that he started to walk around while trying to be anonymous. He tried his best not to draw any attention towards himself. He put one of his hands on the pocket of his shiny black  pants. Everyone in the ship is drinking, feasting over fountains of expensive liquors and wines. The smell of alcohol filled the atmosphere. Daniel head to the nearest comfort room. He washed his face and he looked into the mirror. He noticed the sweat streaming down on his cheeks. He wiped it using the sleeve of his black coat that he is wearing over a white long sleeved polo. From the pocket that hides inside his coat he drew out a pistol. He pulled out its magazine to check if it is loaded. After that he composed himself and started to look for his wife's perpetrator, a Russian drug lord named Yeltsa Kihrk. 

Several days ago after Daniel accidentally killed one of Yeltsa's accomplice, his wife Beatrice went missing. The last time he saw her she was headed on a hotel to meet a client from Russia. His wife is a real estate agent and she's doing a great job in her profession. She constantly receives compliments from her boss and Daniel is very proud of her. On the other hand, Daniel withdrew from his job as an agent that works for the CIA. He did that after accidentally killing Yeltsa's accomplice. He also realized that being in the agency is just putting his wife's life in imminent and constant danger. However his resignation failed to put them in safety since Yeltsa was infuriated about the death of his colleague. He swore revenge on Daniel that's why he abducted Beatrice. 

Back at the cruise ship, Daniel went back inside the comfort room to answer an incoming call from his former colleague. 

“Hello. I'm in the middle of something right now. That should be important,” he muttered. 

“Where are you right now?” his colleague asked. 

“I'm on a ship. I'm Pursuing Yeltsa” Daniel responded. 

“What the fuck?! I told you not to do anything stupid!” the caller exclaimed. 

“Well. No one is doing shit so I decided to take matters on my own hand!” Daniel argued. 

“Okay! Just please be careful and don't put your life in danger,” the caller reminded 

“Yeah whatever,” Daniel replied. 

He ended the call after that. He started to walk around once again. While walking he bumped into a middle aged Asian woman wearing a red revealing dress that compliments her curvy figure.  

“I'm sorry,” He apologized.  

“It's no big deal hottie,” the woman responded. “Anyway are you up for a little fun tonight?” she asked while seductively touching his strong and bulky shoulder. 

“I'm not here for that kind of shit, and plus I have a wife,” Daniel replied, declining  the woman's offer. 

“If you're not here for fun, then why are you here?” the woman asked. 

“It's none of your business bitch! Now get out of the way and continue whatever the fuck you're doing! You're slowing me down! I have shits to do,” Daniel responded harshly. 

He continued on his way, navigating through the sea of people that is obviously having more fun than him. He is not having fun at all. He looked around trying to find Yeltsa but there seems no sign of him. He looked everywhere but couldn't find even the slightest trace of his shadow. 

“Yelsta dooby doo where are you. We have things to talk about now...” Daniel sang softly imitating the tune of “Scooby Doo, where are you?” Opening theme. He smiled for a second but his delighted expression quickly turned back into a determined look. 

“Maybe that son of a bitch is not on this ship. Damn it! It seems like I'm going to fail tonight.”

Daniel is loosing hope. He's about to give up that night until he heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the hall. If he's not mistaken, it must be Yeltsa. He followed the voice until he reached the bow. There he found a man with long hair and pretty strong facial features from his defined jaw, pointy nose that almost looks like a beak, to his intimidating eyes. He looks like someone you don't want to mess with.  

“This must be him. This must be Yeltsa Kirkh.”

Yeltsa is talking to the woman in red dress  he bumped into earlier. Yeltsa and the woman are both staring at the sky while talking random stuffs about the stars. Daniel slowly walked towards them. His right arm was holding the gun he is still keeping inside the pocket of his coat. When he finally reached them he quickly drew his gun and pointed it at the back of Yeltsa's head. The woman screamed in panic while Yeltsa raised his hands. Everyone in the front deck shrieked in surprise as well. They all drew their attention towards  Daniel and Yeltsa. 

“There's nothing to see here! Get back to your business rich assholes!” Daniel announced. 

“Who the hell are you?” Yeltsa asked in his trembling Russian accent. 

“Don't fucking move or I'll blow your skull!” Daniel warned. 

“Okay, okay, What do you want? You want money?” Yeltsa asked. 

“You know what I want mother fucker. Tell me where my wife is.” Daniel demanded. 

“Why don't we talked about this in a civilized manner?” Yeltsa suggested. 

“Don't Bullshit me Kirhk! Just answer my goddamn question and you'll get out of this fucking ship alive,” Daniel responded. 

“Don't worry kiddo. Your wife is probably in good hands now.” Yeltsa smirked. 

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked. 

Yeltsa did not respond. Infuriated, Daniel grabbed the perpetrator's hair and drew him closer. 

“Just fucking answer!” Daniel demanded. 

Yeltsa lean closer to Daniel's ear and whispered something. Daniel's eyes widened and his entire body trembled. Infuriated, he immediately punched Yeltsa in the face. 

“You son of a bitch! You're fucking lying!” Daniel yelled. 

“Give it up Daniel. Besides we're already fair and square.” Yelsa rebutted.   

“I fucking told you to leave my wife out of this!” Daniel protested. 

“You expect me to listen to you? You can't even listen to the authorities when they told you to leave us alone.” Yeltsa talked back.  

Meanwhile at the main hall of the ship, words about Yeltsa's encounter traveled fast. Almost everyone is talking about it. A bald man that wears a sunglasses heard about it prompting him to run into the area where the incident is taking place. He is carrying his pistol. It took him almost three minutes to reach the bow.

“Boss!” he called out. 

“Don't fucking move or your boss' head will explode.“ Daniel warned. 

“Who the hell are you?” the man asked, yelling. 

“None of your fucking business,” Daniel replied. 

“I already told you Kiddo. Give it up,” Yeltsa whispered. 

“It looks like I can't extract any information from you. I might as well throw you out of this ship,” Daniel responded. 

“Then do it. You're a murderer anyway.” Yeltsa rebutted. 

Daniel tightens his grip on Yeltsa's hair.

“I did not intend to do it dumb ass!” Daniel clarified. 

“Don't bullshit me.” Yeltsa rebutted. 

“I'm telling the truth.” Daniel argued. 

More of Yeltsa's accomplices arrived at the scene. They all point their gun at Daniel. He fearlessly faced them making Yelsta his shield. 

“If you kill me. You'll kill this asshole!” Daniel warned. 

“Open fire! Take revenge and open fire. Don't worry about me!” Yeltsa yelled. Despite his instructions his accomplices remained motionless. 

“Are you dumb? You want the both of us to die in the middle of the fucking sea?” Daniel questioned. 

“All I want is for you to die. I don't care if it costs me my life,” Yeltsa answered. 

The scene remained silent for several minutes. The silence is unbearable and somewhat terrifying. It feels like something unpleasant is going to happen. Everything remained quiet until a gunshot broke the deafening silence. One of Yeltsa's men shot Daniel's gun bearing hand. Because of the pain inflicted by the bullet he inevitably dropped his gun and Yeltsa instinctively  picked it up. . Trembling, he kneeled on the ground. The rest of Yeltsa's men opened fire, lodging bullets on Daniel's shoulder, arms and chest. His body collapsed to the floor but he's still breathing. The men eventually stopped firing. Yeltsa approached Daniel. He grabbed his collar and lifted his body from the floor. Daniel is almost drowning on his own blood. 

“You're a tough man Kiddo. Your brute strength is amazing.” Yeltsa complimented. 

“I will haunt you 'til death, mother fucker.” Daniel muttered with his last few breaths, 

“I'll be looking forward to that.” Yeltsa whispered before throwing Daniel off from the ship. They heard the sound of splashing water. Everyone's eyes widened in the sheer horror of what they've just  witnessed. 

“There's nothing to see here folks! Its just another dead man. It's no big deal,” Yeltsa declared. 

Things continued as if nothing happened. They all seems to forgot the horrifying incident that unfolds earlier. 

Meanwhile, Daniel's body slowly sank. Enormous amount of water kept on entering into his lungs. It feels like his chest is being stabbed by multiple knives. He tried opening his mouth to call for help but his voice won't come out. There he is, slowly sinking into the seabed, slowly loosing his life. He took one final breath before his heart stopped beating. Just like that he's dead. He was left under water with no air to breathe, no light to see,  and most importantly no hopes of seeing the love of his life again. 

“I'm sorry Beatrice. I've failed you.” His moments with Beatrice flashes before his eyes, from the moment he first saw her, their very first date, their first dance, first kiss, their wedding up to the last time he saw her.

“If there's a life after this I hope we'll meet again, sweetie.”

After that everything went black.