Chapter 42 Inferno
Inferno
I duck down and swing my leg towards his shins when he’s close enough.
He grunts, stumbling forward as I swipe my arm to knock the blade from his hands, stepping on a sharp rock.
The knife clangs to the ground as I fall forward, pain jolting my body.
Survival kicks in, along with flight as I scramble away from him and grab debris.
As he comes for me again, I fling the stuff into his face.
He sputters with a yell as I get up, punching him, which makes him stumble over his own feet.
My hand throbs as I run out and down the hall.
My feet scream, biting with pain as I step on glass. I yelp, stumbling towards the wall and rip off pictures as I try to keep going. Gabriel bellows from behind as I push past the pain and get to the end, barely jumping over my trap.
Wild thoughts run through my head as I aim for one of the boards, feet bleeding.
Distract Gabriel. Kill him before he kills you.
There’s a yell as I scramble for a board I can pick up.
I glance over my shoulder when he howls, tripping over the boards and steps on the nails.
He still charges for me as I bring up the wood, swinging.
I hit him square on, but it doesn’t take him down as I swing again.
He grabs it, ripping it from me and makes me tumble backwards.
Gabriel is suddenly on top of me, pressing the wood against my chest to crush me.
It feels like something snaps inside, cracking, pain radiating through me.
Raging eyes meet mine. “You little cunt!”
I bring a leg up, and I’m able to hit just behind his knee, pushing him off-balance as I shove forward with all my might. He falls to the side as I jam my heel into his crotch. He roars in pain as I scramble to all fours, grabbing a piece of rubble and come around to hit him hard in the dick.
His scream vibrates the walls and my head.
I go to hit him again, but his arms swing and knocks the rock away.
I reach for anything, getting hold of another plank of wood, and swing back at him as he grabs for me.
This time I make contact with his head. Gabriel falls to the ground, moaning into the concrete floor as I clutch the wood and run.
Agony slices through my feet, making me whimper as I stumble back through my little trap. I rush down the hall as fast as I can, finding it difficult to breathe.
“Fuck, fuck…” I swear under my breath. Pain courses up through my legs feeling like I’ve run through an entire hoard of legos.
Gabriel groans down the hall when I get to the other room. Fuck I should’ve hit him twice.
“Autumn,” Leo rasps.
Pushing past the pain, I sprint to Gabriel’s knife and then to Leo. He’s too tall for me to reach his hands, not without hurting him while in a rush. Instead, I get to the ground, cutting the rope around his ankles.
“Autumn, get out—”
“Not fucking leaving you!”
His ankles are undone as I hear Gabriel tear off pictures, huffing and swearing. I grab my smaller knife, open it and practically climb Leo to shove it into his hands. Sticky blood clings to me. For a split second, our gazes meet in terrified hope.
I hear Gabriel’s approach, ripping my attention away from Leo as I jump away and grip the larger knife.
Gabriel runs at me, and I swipe down. It catches his arm, but it doesn’t stop him.
I move away from Leo as Gabriel charges again, and I swipe.
This time I just miss his arm and he grabs mine, twisting it.
I cry out, dropping the knife as I kick at him.
He pushes me suddenly, and I fall back only a few feet from the hole.
Agonizing pain screams through me as I quickly scramble back from him over the rubble.
Except, Gabriel lands on top of me, grappling me to the ground as the concrete and debris scratch against my skin. He starts to yank at my pants as pain pulses from my insides.
“Want to play rough?” He tries to unbutton my jeans as I squirm, continuing to fight him. “Fine, bitch!”
I kick at him, screaming as I shove and try to get away from underneath him. I can’t get to his shins or knees again, trying to hit at his vulnerable points. Suddenly, he flips me over, and my head bangs against the concrete.
There’s a quick shock of pain. My brain fuzzes as I see black spots and that snapping feeling in my chest I’d felt earlier happens again.
Something cracking. My breath catches as he pins me, shoving my face into the dusty concrete.
I try to catch my breath, but keep breathing in dust, struggling for air.
He tugs at my jeans, attempting to pull them down as panic surges.
“No!” I scream hoarsely.
My body trembles, starting to go numb as that survival tactic I’d used for years rears its ugly head. Go numb.
“No!” I scream again.
Don’t fight.
His hand grips my hip, pulling down my jeans.
No!
“Little fucking—"
Abruptly, Gabriel is off me. There’s a grunt, a thud and sounds of quick breath.
I scramble, pulling my jeans back up and look over my shoulder.
Leo punches Gabriel, grappling him to the ground with blood flying.
The men fight as my head swims, pain pulsing through every fiber of me.
My thoughts are jumbled, distorted. Agony cuts through my chest as I groan, forcing myself to get up as I hold my side.
Pain sears through my leg as I stumble towards some chains near the edge of the hole.
There’s a clang, and I watch Gabriel’s knife slide and tumble over the edge. It clinks when it hits the floor below. My hair stands on end when I hear another grunt. Through the foggy pain, I turn towards the other two and watch Leo slump to the ground. He’s barely moving, and horror fills me.
“Always won those fights growing up. Glass stomach,” Gabriel comments, spitting out blood. It trickles down from his nose and mouth. “Or maybe it’s from being tortured for hours.”
I bend down quickly, grabbing a chain, honestly unsure what to do with it. I can’t seem to think as my vision darkens on the edges and it’s getting harder and harder to concentrate. Gabriel blurs a little as I blink, clutching the metal as it bites into my hand. Everything hurts.
Gabriel comes closer as I stumble back, my heel finding the edge of the hole and I glimpse behind me. Panic rushes as I see it’s a two-story fall to rubble and metal. A flash of fear hits me. I face Gabriel stepping away, giving myself more slack of the chain.
“Gonna go Ghostrider on me?” He jeers, spitting out blood again.
Suddenly an idea flashes. Through the pain comes a moment of clarity. I focus not willing to give up. Leo starts to get up, rope still wrapped around his hands.
I look at Gabriel as he stalks me. He won’t win. I won’t fucking let him.
“Go to hell,” I snarl.
I tense as he charges for me again, then at the last second move to the side and swing the chains.
He tries to grab for them, but I entangle him as I bring them up, grunting with all my strength.
My feet slip in doing so, both of us going down as my body lands hard against the concrete.
More pain pierces me, making tears spring to my eyes.
Air punches from my lungs as I fight through the agony, wrestling with Gabriel to wrap him in the chains.
He’s too focused on trying to get to me, grappling me as we get closer to the hole’s edge.
Soon, I feel the pinch of the concrete edge at my shoulder blades.
A gasp leaves me, head throbbing and swirling.
My head hangs over the side, and I see the long fall.
Gabriel pulls the chains off of himself, but is quickly dragged away.
I hear Leo grunt, pulling his brother away from me.
While Gabriel’s distracted by him, I fumble to get up and grab the chains again.
Gabriel hits Leo hard, knocking him down as he starts to get up and kicks him in the stomach.
I toss the chains over Gabriel’s head as he turns for me.
I move aside, yanking down on the chains that are left, and he stumbles.
He yanks at the chains as I kick behind his knee again, luring him back to the hole.
He yells, swearing and reaching for me as I yank the chain down and toss it over the edge.
His hands grab me as the heavy metal links slide over the concrete, jolting Gabriel’s body at the sudden weighted pull.
I shove him with all I have, and he tilts backwards.
His face reddens, falling over the edge.
He flails for the metal rods, but misses as he disappears and there’s a nasty ripping sound.
The chain goes taut from the ceiling, a crack resounding through the space as my body starts to give up, falling next.
I’m grabbed and yanked back before I join him.
My body thuds against another, landing as my vision blurs.
Arms wrap around me, clinging to me through blood, sweat, and grime.
Everything’s fuzzy as dark and white spots flicker over my vision.
Still, I glance over the edge where the chain dangles.
Gabriel’s limp body swings, head almost ripped off. Dead.
“Oh, fuck,” I mutter, stomach revolting.
Leo clutches me as I look away. My hands move over his bloodied skin, finding cut after cut as he hisses in pain. I flinch at my own radiating from my chest, head, limbs, and feet.
“Leo.” I don’t know if I’m shouting or whispering.
My head rolls back. He starts to move us, grunting as I whimper at the flashes of pain. It’s the only thing keeping me awake. I’m lain down, while my chest aches sharply. My eyes try to stay open as hands move over me, touching gently. My feet throb likely shredded up.
“I think…cracked…ribs,” I whisper, trying to concentrate as Leo’s face appears above me.
His face is covered in blood, streaked down his neck. He finally gets the rope on his wrists off, and I see his skin has been ripped off around his wrists and forearms. Oh, fuck.
“Autumn, stay awake,” he murmurs.
“Hard…to.” I swallow against my dry throat, more of me feels cold and numb. “Need…a nap.”
“Not now. Keep your eyes open, sweetheart,” Leo tries to order me with a shaky voice. Something’s wrong. There’s fear in his voice.
I feel him stumble up. My body feels heavier and heavier. Head pounding down through my spine. Slowly, I remember this feeling. The cold numbness. Body shutting down. The exhaustion pulling at you. I’ve been here before.
Leo returns, and I’m able to just make out a phone. Something rings and there’s talking, but I can’t make it out.
“Phone?”
“He wanted them to find our bodies,” Leo responds, putting the phone down. “Autumn, focus on me.”
Everything is going dark as the pain beating through me seems to vanish. I try to focus on him, but it’s harder every second. Hands gently grip my face. “Don’t leave me. Don’t let him take you from me, too.”
“Not leaving,” I whisper. “I promised.”
Something wet hits my cheek. Another drop.
Leo’s tears fall upon my face as he clutches me, hands shaking against my skin. “Sweetheart, stay awake.”
So, damned tired. Was it like this last time? Knowing I was dying, but I was terrified back then. I’m not now. I can’t be this calm if I’m dying, can I? No, I just need to sleep.
Beeping. A clicking sound. Muffled voices.
Lips press gently against my forehead. “Don’t leave me. Don’t you dare fucking leave me. I need you.”
It hurts to breathe. Each breath harder.
“Autumn.” His voice is distant. My eyes close completely. “Open your eyes.”
I can’t.
“Open them, Autumn.”
I’m so sorry, my dear Leo.
His voice shakes. “Dear Watson…please…”
A limpness reaches over me as I succumb to the darkness and exhaustion, finally escaping the pain. The last thing I hear is Leo’s heartbreaking scream.