Five #2
“Fine,” he whimpers. “Fine. There’s an old chapel on the way out of the city towards the east. They’ll have her there. In one of the buildings.” My first instinct is to leave immediately, but I’m no fool. I’ve not lived this long to trust the enemy on word alone.
“Daia!” I snap her name with a hint of rage in my tone.
“Get out.” I hear her scramble to her feet and rush down the hall to the bathroom where she quietly closes the door.
“I’m not a trusting man by nature, Cassio.
” Capturing the handle of the blow torch from where it lays on the table, I bring the intimidating device to life.
With a pop and hiss, the flame fires up.
“I don’t believe everything you’re saying. ”
“But I told you.” His eyes follow the flame as I move in front of him. Crouching down where his foot is still propped up on the chair, I bring it close enough to burn a hole through his pant leg. “I’m telling the truth!”
“I need to be certain, though.” My eyes flick a look up to him. “You understand.” Struggling to get away from the hot flame as I bring it closer to his leg, Cassio screams as the burning penetrates the fabric and touches his skin.
Five seconds he lasts.
“Wait, wait, please, I’ll tell you…” Out of breath, he swallows before looking up at me. “It’s true, that’s where she is, but there’s security cameras starting five kilometers before the property. They’ll see you coming.”
“Wasn’t so hard, was it?” Patting his leg above the burn, he winces. “Once I find her, I’ll be back. You’ll be…free.”
Isabel
They watch me. Staring as though they’re caressing me.
My skin crawls every time either of them make a moaning sound and grab the front of their pants.
I don’t know what they’re waiting for, but something is holding them back, and I’m sure I’m better off in the dark right now.
I don’t know if it’s Father Cassio or the prince I’ve been sold to, and I’m not sure which is more terrifying.
“He knows she’s not a virgin anymore, right?” Ephrem whispers to Judas who retrieves a small knife from his pocket, flicking it open and standing to his full height.
“I left a message.” I know why there’s been no callback. Pace went for Father Cassio. “Go check the cameras at the house by the church. See if those fools fucked up.” I’ve gathered there are six of them involved in my abduction.
Ephrem, Judas, the two morons who took me, and another two in what they keep calling a distraction house. Why they haven’t just handed me over is a mystery. I stopped asking questions when Judas touched me with each one. I always got sick on him too, then he’d hit me.
I’m tired.
So very tired.
I thought Pace would be my answer to freedom and life. It seems I was only meant to have a scant taste of it, though.
“You know what I really want?” Judas asks as he walks around me.
I don’t think he’s expecting an answer, and I don’t really care what it is he wants because I know it’s going to involve me, and I’m going to hate it.
Gripping my chin roughly, he lifts my head so that I’m forced to look up at him. “Your lips wrapped around my cock.”
I can’t help but laugh at him. “You want me to puke all over that, too?” In truth, the very idea of him forcing that act on me cuts me to the bone.
I don’t want him in my body let alone my mouth.
However, if he tries, I’ve at least got my teeth as a weapon because there’s no way I won’t bite it off.
“I’ll just choke you with it.” Gasping as I feel the knife I’d forgotten about slicing along my thigh, I stare down in horror as blood glides down my thigh, dripping onto the floor, splashing in slow motion and spreading across the cement.
I feel the blade down by my knee, and before I can think, my head moves, and I head butt Judas, crunching the bone in his nose.
Pounding explodes, and I have a slight moment of regret until I see the way blood gushes out of him to mingle with mine on the floor. He’s not so high and mighty now. That smug look is masked by his own pain.
“You little whore!” As he raises his hand to hit me again, Ephrem can be heard shouting for him. “I’ll be back, and you’ll be fucking sorry.” His warning doesn’t hold the same impact as it would have before I watched him bleed and tears crowded his eyes.
Leaving the room, the door slams shut, and I’m left alone.
Only Judas made a mistake. He dropped the knife and didn’t pick it back up.
It’s laying in the puddle of blood, and I have no idea how I’m going to reach it without further hurting myself.
Shaking the chair around, I test its sturdiness.
It’s rickety, so it might not be difficult to break if I can slam it backwards hard enough.
Planting my feet as firmly as possible given the way they’re tied to the legs of the chair, I lean forward as far as I dare without falling on my face and throw all my weight back until I hit the floor again.
The crunching and piercing pain in my flesh tells me I’ve given myself some splinters as the wood broke.
Rolling to my side, I groan as I pull my hands away from the arms of the chair.
Still bound to the now broken pieces, I work a little more slowly to untie myself when I hear bold cursing from the direction of where Judas and Ephrem went.
Something heavy is thrown against a wall before a masculine scream pierces the near-silent air. I have no idea what’s happened, but I know I’m going to be the target for their rage once they decide someone must pay for it.
Forcing myself to move, I grab the knife and slice through the rope against my ankles.
I wish I had clothes. Being naked puts me at a distinct disadvantage.
But even with my small size and naivety of the world, I’m prepared to fight for my freedom, and if that means dying, I’m okay with that.
No matter how many regrets I might have.
Standing up slowly, I can feel every ache in my body as if it were magnified, and even trying to discount it, I’m unsuccessful.
Leaning against the wall, I make my way to the door and stand beside it, so when it’s opened, I’m hidden from view, which will give me the benefit of surprise for when someone returns for me.
There’s more noise, more crashing, a gunshot rings out, and I finally reach for the doorknob to test it just as the door flies open.
Reacting out of fear, I swing forward with the knife, unsure of who’s there, only for a powerful, tattoo-covered hand to grasp my wrist, stopping me from inflicting any kind of harm.
“Pace.” I nearly sink to the ground in relief, but he doesn’t miss a beat and pulls me around the door, using my arm as leverage and holds me against his body.
“How’d you know it was me?” His dark eyes are fueled with fire and promises of death as he examines me.
“It’s just…you. I’d know you anywhere.” His gaze heats up until he sees the bruising on my body and the cuts on my leg. “How did you find me?” I don’t even know where we are.
“Father Cassio,” is all he says. “Ephrem and Judas had their lackeys call to let me know they had you, and I worked out the rest.”
“The church?” Concern for Daia is ever present. I need my friend to be okay.
“Burnt to the ground.” His tone is neutral.
Staring up at Pace, I worry my lip, afraid to ask. He seems to read my mind, nevertheless. “She’s fine. I have her stashed in the penthouse suite of the hotel.” Brushing the hair back from my face, he searches my eyes before saying, “Where I should have had you to begin with."
Regret and pain filter through the steely threads of rage, and I finally understand his attitude. “You couldn’t have known they’d find me so quickly.”
“I should have.” I don’t comment to that. Pace isn’t going to listen to me. All I can do is show him that even though I’m a little worse for wear, I’ll live. Despite how disgusting I feel from Judas’ touch.