Chapter 25
Amelia
I sputter, spitting out the water that’s gotten into my mouth. This was not the way I thought I would die, and yet, I suppose that’s what I get for leaving in anger.
“I hear that you took down two of our finest men all by yourself. I'm impressed,” a voice says to me as I sit zip-tied to a chair. I figure he has to be the one that those men called before they drugged me.
His footsteps approach me as I struggle to catch my breath.
“If you want to get out of this alive, you’ll tell us what we want to know. Otherwise, be ready to meet your maker,” the guy says as he pulls the hood from my head. I blink at the nasty sting of the lights flashing directly over my eyes.
“Now, are you ready to talk?”
I glare at him, but the lights are hindering my vision of him. I keep my mouth shut.
“You must think I’m stupid. There’s no way I’m getting out alive, even if I tell you what you want,” I say, coughing in between words.
He grins at me, the grills in his teeth making an appearance. “You’re right. But at least you won’t have to drown to death.”
I look away from him. I won’t tell him anything.
“Fine then, have it your way,” he says, clamping his hand tightly on my cheek until my eyes start to water from the pain. “I quite like the idea of torturing you.”
He puts the smelly hood over my head once again and forcefully tilts my head back, laughing when I try to fight back.
“Good. I love it when they put up a fight. Makes it more interesting,” he says, laughing loudly while his companion remains silent.
He pours the water directly over my face, and the fabric sticks to my skin with water seeping through it, choking me.
I try to remain calm and breathe in as slowly as possible, conserving the little air I’d managed to take in and hold in my mouth before he started pouring the water.
As more water pours on me, my mind struggles to grapple with the reality of things.
I’m not drowning. I’m being waterboarded. I won’t die, I can’t die.
Despite my mantra, my body tenses only seconds before it begins to fight for the will to live. I lose hold of the oxygen I’ve kept in hopes of sustaining me for as long as the water continues.
Please, come for me, Tanner, Josiah, and Rueben. I'm sorry I doubted you.
I plead in my mind, tired and exhausted. My eyes expel tears that are quickly washed away by the water that constantly pours over my face in large torrents.
He pauses for a moment. “Ready to give up?”
He doesn’t give me time to draw breath or respond before water falls over my face once again.
I fight against the ropes chafing at my wrists. Please help me. I can’t die here.
Water goes into my nose and up, sending pain into my brain. It hurts so bad that I would scream if my mouth wouldn’t end up filling with water.
I kick his legs in front of me, and the water stops.
“Finally ready to give us the answer, I see?”
He lets out another bark of laughter. The sound grates on my nerves, and I want to push a knife through his throat until his larynx comes out on the other side. But I’m powerless and restrained, unable to do anything but tell him what he wants to know so I can feel relief, even if for a moment.
“Will you give up the coordinates?” he asks, and I nod.
I know they most likely will want to kill me, but I can buy some time if I write the coordinates slightly off. They’ll check it first before killing me, right?
He signals someone, and I am given a pen and book.
“Write it down.”
I accept the writing materials and scribble down the location, all while shuddering from the impact of the torture. I hand it over to the man who had given it to me and then face my torturer.
He laughs again and nods. “I’m disappointed that you came around so quickly. I wish I could have a little more fun with you.”
“Well, you gave me no choice, now did you?” I ask with haphazard breaths.
“I suppose I didn't.”
He shrugs and takes out his gun from behind him. “I guess I should keep my word. After all, you are responsible for how rich we’re about to get.”
He cocks the gun and levels it between my eyes.
What?! He’s killing me so soon?! I thought…
I shut my eyes tight and prepare for the bullet.
My child! I’ll never get to meet my child!
Tears flow down my eyes, and I squeeze them painfully tight when I hear a loud bang. I flinch and my eyes open after a few moments.
I’m not dead?
The sounds of gunshots blazing and men shouting both in pain and terror fills my ears. My hopes rise.
Have they come for me?
“Shit!” the man holding me at gunpoint exclaims. The shots are getting closer. He leaves me there, after a moment of hesitation, and escapes with some of his men.
I hold back the tears as the gunshots get closer, and only let go when I see Tanner running towards me, a worried look on his face.
Soon, the others arrive after him, and they quickly loosen me up.
A man immediately spears into Rueben, sending them both crashing to the ground.
About five more men materialize with baseball bats in their hands. Tanner and Josiah tuck their guns back into their pants, and exchange glances with evil smirks before taking fighting stances.
“Come on, boys. Let's see what you got.” Josiah tightens his fists, and soon the other guys launch their attack.
Rueben and the other guy are grunting and exchanging blows in a corner. His opponent seems to be a formidable one. He is just as big as Rueben, and he fights like him as well.
Tanner and Josiah weave through dangerous swings that can take off a person's head with one impact. It is a beautiful sight to behold. All three of them fighting to save my life. Josiah has the muscles and the strength, and his punches are so heavy that whoever is unfortunate enough to receive one always staggers.
Tanner has the speed and skills; he’s shorter but faster than his enemies, which gives him the upper hand. Unlike Josiah, who fights with his fists alone, Tanner fights with both his hands and feet. His flexibility is a thing of marvel. He has a way of seamlessly weaving around advances. His flips and other tactics are unique. His ability to will himself into the air while administering kicks to his opponents’ faces is so hot.
Rueben's kick is caught mid-air, leaving him standing on one leg. A second later, he rises in the air and strikes his opponent's face with the other leg. The man lands on the floor and then arms himself with a baseball bat lying beside a knocked-out man. He swings violently as Rueben turns away from him to face me.
“Rueben, watch out!” I alert him, and he immediately ducks, allowing the bat to swing over his head.
Tactically, he circles around the man and lifts him up from the waist. In a heartbeat, he slams the man down to the ground.
My jaw drops in amazement as he suddenly catches a knife thrown at him without even turning to look at it. I am impressed by his reflexes. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a fight like this.
The knife aimed at his temple is now in his hand. He glances at the man who threw it, and then throws it back.
It streaks through the air, flipping over and over with a speed his target couldn't catch or dodge. The knife hits the man, burying deep into his heart. He falls down. Dead.
Like a beast, Rueben drags his previous opponent, who had been beneath him all this while. He groans at the man's weight as he spins him around, and then flings him carelessly.
Josiah is so engrossed in drilling his bloody fists into his fallen opponent’s face that he doesn't see the man about to strike him with a bat from behind.
The man Rueben had thrown away like a car tire now crash lands upon the sneaky one. The impact forces Josiah to turn. He looks at Rueben and says, “I had that, you know.”
Rueben says, “You're welcome.”
Tanner lifts his leg. His foot connects with his opponent's jaw in a vicious front kick. The force shatters the man’s jaw, and at the same time snaps his neck.
We all hear it snap, and my eyes flinch at the horrible death. The man Rueben had flung and the one that was crashed into suddenly rise and make a run for the door.
“Are you going to handle that, or should I?” Josiah asks Rueben, and the latter says, “Please, do the honors.”
Josiah grins and pulls out his gun. He pauses with a frown as two precise shots accurately take down his targets, putting bullet holes in the back of their heads.
He looks blankly at Tanner, who has pulled the trigger.
“What?” Tanner smirks, tucking the gun back into his pants.
“You just had to ruin this for me, didn't you?” Josiah scoffs and shakes his head.
Rueben rushes over to me, and the others all follow behind him.
I collapse in his arms as he hugs me tightly, not minding how soaking wet I am.
“I’m so sorry, Amelia. I should never have reacted the way I did. I’m so sorry,” he says over and over again, kissing the side of my head.
He pulls away, only to be replaced by Josiah and immediately after, Tanner. The guys gently help me up.
“Can you walk?” Rueben asks in concern, and I nod.
“They know,” I say. “The location of the stash.”
They nod but don’t say a word.
“Have you not heard what I said? They know where the money is, and you need to go there now if you plan to get it,” I say loudly, frustrated by their refusal to acknowledge what I’ve said.
“We heard you, but we aren’t going anywhere. We should’ve taken better care of you before, but we didn’t. And now that we’ve got you back, nothing is more important to us,” Tanner says.
I choke back a sob as his words wash through me. Still, I can’t let those bastards get it.
“I know you want to stay with me, but I would feel better if they didn’t get the money. They don’t deserve to get any part of it, not after all the disgusting things they’ve done. Not after my dad’s sacrifice.”
The guys look at each other and nod. “Fine, we’ll go together. I don’t think I ever want to let you out of my sight again,” Rueben says.
I fight back the blush. Now’s not the time for any of that.
“Good. I gave them slightly off coordinates so they won’t find it, but it’s only a matter of time before they figure it out. We need to get in, get the stash, and clean it out before Flames of Hell gets there.”
“I'm calling my guys for backup,” Tanner says.
“Good idea,” Rueben replies. “We'll go in two delivery vans. It'll be less conspicuous.”
We look at each other, knowing this is it.