by Joseph Storm
“Where are you going?” Gunner asked him.
“None of your business,” he answered, walking towards Tommy and the storage entrance.
Gunner and Joe looked at each other with fear. “This wasn’t in the plan, kid.”
All of a sudden, Lita pushed the two women down into the pit. Becky went tumbling, rolling into the ground. “Neither was this,” Joe said gravely.
Lita grabbed a sharp piece of wire, tossing it onto the dirt floor. It landed directly in-between the two.
Jane grabbed the wire before Becky could get it. She tossed it out of the crowd. Joe Striker ran and ripped it from another prisoner’s hand.
“Becky!” Joe called out. She looked up, as he revealed the wire to her. He would hold it until the time was right.
Jane snarled, recognizing the look in Joe’s eyes that he once had for her. That look will be mine again, she assured herself.
Lita yelled, “Let the battle begin!” The crowd exploded into a frenzy.
Rock watched the battle from afar, as Emma joined his side. “Why would you want to watch this?” she asked him.
“Because this one is different. In fact...it affects us all.”
******
Tommy shut the door to the storage building. The sounds of muffled cheers made their way through the creaking ceiling, which held the weight of over half the guards in camp.
He pulled a box of matches from his pocket. The rolled tape fuses snaked out of select barrels, all tying into one main fuse, linking them. Its length would give him about thirty-seconds to clear the building, before pounds of gun powder blew the roof off. It was a risk, but one worth taking.
“Here goes nothing,” Tommy said, as he struck the match and neared the fuse. However, before the flame could touchdown, the door was thrust open.
“Stop right there!” the guard yelled, shutting and locking the door behind him. He drew his gun, pointing towards Tommy.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” O’Brien tried to convince him.
“Blow it out,” the guard demanded.
Tommy blew the match out, still holding the box of matches in one hand. “Fire that gun...and you’ll set off an explosion...that will kill us both instantly. Not to mention half your friends,” he said, looking skyward.
The guard thought about it. He slowly approached Tommy, within striking range. “Don’t make a move,” he said, shifting his attention to the radio.
O’Brien knew that it was now or never. He kicked the gun from the guard’s hand, lunging toward him. The radio went flying before the guard could trigger it, as the box of matches joined it on the floor.
The two wrestled for control. Tommy realized that if he didn’t set the fuse soon, the distraction couldn’t be made. The revolt would never be set into motion.
******
Jane charged Becky, plowing her down into the ground. The crowd roared, as adrenaline overtook Jane Doe’s body. She kicked Becky in the lungs, causing her to struggle for a breath of air.
The crowd cheered again. Jane Doe turned to the guards on the roof, soaking in their praise.
Becky pulled herself up, seeing that Jane’s back was still turned away from her. She found a second wind, charging the unaware traitor. Before she could reach her, Jane turned and clothes lined her opponent. Becky was hit in the throat.
Anger filled Joe, as all his attention was on the fight. Gunner, however, was looking towards the storage room door. “If we help him...it will draw attention to the whole plan! He’s on his own now. It all depends on him.”
******
The two men wrestled for control, rolling back and forth. Just as one gained domination, the other took charge. Tommy finally gained position. He pushed downward on the guard’s face, trying to snap his neck.
The guard was able to break his leg free, using it to knee Tommy in the groin. O’Brien keeled over, as the guard threw him down, placing a boot on his throat. The angry man put his thumbs over O’Brien’s protected eye-lid sockets, putting pressure to poke out his eyes.
“No!” Tommy yelled. His hands gripped the guard’s wrists, pushing against them with full force. If he had no eyes, then he’d never be able to light the fuse.
******
Becky gripped her throat in pain. She crawled away, trying to find a moment to recover. Jane ran after her, gripping her feet, and pulling Fox across the floor. Piles of dirt were sucked into her nasal cavity and mouth.
Once again, Jane turned to the adoring crowd. This time, she left little space between her opponent and herself.
Becky forced her eyes open. She fought through the dirt, staring up at Joe, having the look of defeat. Suddenly, she started having flashbacks from a time long ago.
It was the end of the torturous year of sex slavery. She had been raped by more grimy, sweaty, and smelly men than she had ever seen before, not to mention slept with.
It was at the point where she abandoned her will to live, becoming numb to the sting of sex, and losing all thoughts of morality and self-worthiness. She had kept track of the days in her head, knowing that the slave-cell kept their girls for a year. After that, the Johns wanted fresh meat to partake in. The end of the year arrived, and it was the only thought which kept her from committing suicide.
However, to Becky Fox’s horror, her service was being extended. “You stay for one more year...men like blonde Americans,” the cell leader, Ashghol, told the dispirited, naked Becky in front of her.
The sparse life that Becky still had, seeped from her. It was the same look that currently covered her face in the pit. “Next,” Ashghol called out, as a fat, sweaty man entered the room.
I’ll kill myself, she thought, as the man landed on top of her. Ashghol smoked her cigarette in the same room, making sure that Becky performed her duty properly. However, the captive was so “cooperative” during her stay, that she didn’t expect any trouble.
Pity was suddenly replaced by anger. The past year’s memories started blending in her brain. She suddenly remembered her purpose in all of this, her true identity. You’re a reporter, not a sex slave, she reminded herself. Taking their lives...will save others.
As Ashghol’s mind was on her cigarette, Becky’s hand traveled down to the sweaty Arab’s balls. She grasped them, squeezing to a pulp. The man let forth a high-pitched grunt, which was a normal reaction in such a place.
Becky twisted, nearly tearing the testicles from his body. It caused the man to pass out cold.
Sounds of the crowd jolted Becky back to the present. She gazed up at Joe, realizing that there was more to live for than ever. It also occurred to her that her true nature was not that of a prisoner, but of a survivor.
Jane continued to soak in her praise. Becky gathered a surge of strength, lunging at Jane’s knees. She was knocked backwards, causing the mole’s head to crash into the hard, dirt ground.
The guards gasped in shock and disappointment. All the money was on one woman, and it wasn’t Fox.
Jane wiped the back of her head. She was shocked that Becky managed to draw a drop of blood. From that moment on, Becky gave herself permission to go to that place. The dark place where one thing mattered: survival.
******
Realizing that he had to make a move fast, Tommy let one hand free. He removed his grip on the guard’s wrist, allowing the descent into his eyelid. He moaned in pain, though managed to keep all focus on his free hand.
He quietly ran his fingers across the ground, feeling around for the matches. First, he touched the tape fuse, realizing that the crucial piece was within reach.
Next, he came across the radio, which was of no help to him. He stopped searching for a moment, as the guard started to tear through one eye-lid with his thumbnail, digging into the eyeball.
Pain is better than death, he told himself. His hand stretched out in a frantic search, finally reaching the open box of matches. He knocked the box over, gripping one from the floor. Right before Tommy’s eye was penetrated, the guard
looked back, noticing the match in O’Brien’s hand.
The entire plan had come down to this moment. If he lit the match before the guard could stop him, the fuse could be set off. First, he had to find a way to ignite it.
******
Jane raged with anger. Now, she was the aggressor, putting Becky in the role of defender. Fox knew that she couldn’t match Jane’s fighting ability, but she possessed something greater: skill of the mind.
As her opponent charged like a raging bull, Becky held her ground. She stayed steady until the perfect moment presented itself. Then, Fox picked up a fist full of dirt, tossing it into Jane’s eyes. Ms. Doe lost temporary sight, continuing to blindly charge.
Becky moved from the path. She stuck her leg out, tripping Jane to the floor. Fox piled down on her, gripping the bald head, using all her anger and strength to pound Jane’s face into the ground. Blood spilled from Doe’s nose and mouth.
Suddenly, Jane managed to use her neck muscles to stop another blow. She used a battle technique to flip Becky over, pinning her to the ground. Doe’s fist tightened like a lump of coal, as she pummeled Becky’s face with one blow after another.
Joe realized that the time had come. Becky was bloody, and looked like she was about to be defeated. “Becky!” Joe called out. She managed to turn her swollen eyes towards him. He tossed the sharp wire within her hands reach. “Now!”
Jane was so obsessed with punishing Becky’s face, that all attention remained on the beating. Becky drifted in and out of consciousness. She managed to reach out, gripping the wire.
Then her eyes closed, and she went limp.
The crowd exploded in applause. Jane stood up, holding her fists into the air. She appeared to be victorious, eagerly awaiting her freedom. More importantly, she could win Joe back. “Kill...kill...kill!” they all screamed, as she soaked in the praise, ready to finish Becky off. She turned to face the unconscious woman, lifted her foot, and prepared to crush Becky’s beautiful face.
******
With only seconds to form a plan, Tommy gripped the match tightly. He struck the red tip on the guard’s boot. The soft sound of fire was like music to his ears, as the match approached the fuse.
Seeing this, the guard gripped O’Brien’s wrist. He used every bit of strength to redirect the lit match away from the fuse. The two men battled back and forth. Just as one would make progress, the other would gain opposite ground.
The match neared the guard’s lips, as he tried to blow it out. The flame flickered and danced around, though it just wouldn’t extinguish.
It was the last hope that the plan had of succeeding.
******
Inches from crushing Becky’s restful face, the fake unconscious act ended. Fox pretended to be knocked out, though was anything but. She caught Jane’s foot, flinging her opponent down to the ground.
Becky re-grabbed the wire, leaping on Jane. She went for the unsuspecting woman’s neck, wrapping it around tightly, and squeezing the life from her.
Jane coughed and choked. She fought to snap the sharp wire in two, causing blood to seep from her palms. The scene shifted back and forth, strobing Becky’s mind with the final memories of her escape from sexual slavery. She reentered the flashback.
“Good work,” Ashghol said, taking another puff from her cigarette. She believed that another satisfied customer was served. “Get ready for the next one,” she said, as Becky lay still. A lifeless look lived in her eyes. “I said get moving!” Becky continued to stay still.
Ashghol grabbed the John’s belt, which was still attached to his pants on the floor. She freed it, preparing to whip Becky.
Fox caught the belt in her hand with precision. The weak Ashghol gasped, as Becky yanked it into her possession.
The Arab backed up, “Don’t make mistake,” she said. “I was good to you...gave you job...you want money?” she asked, pulling a handful of American dollars from her pocket. Becky knocked the money to the floor, using the belt to beat Ashghol.
The woman dropped to her knees, as Becky wrapped the belt around Ashghol’s neck. “Why do you do this?” the Arab had the nerve to ask.
“So no other girl ever has to again,” she said, tightening the belt around the neck.
Jane’s face morphed with Ashghol’s appearance, as Becky’s mind returned to the pit. The two brutal women’s faces merged, becoming one. The crowd, which had once supported Jane, turned their blood lust against her. “Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Becky Fox gripped the wire with everything inside her, until a loud SNAP filled the air. The tension in the wire went limp, crushing Jane’s esophagus. The life was choked from the impostor, who would never again fool the man Becky loved.
******
The match was finally starting to lose its luster, as it was nearly burned out. Both men’s strength was used up, causing the guard to attempt a deal. “It’s over...the flame is about out. It will only kill us both! I’ll make sure you get a nice cell. Is this really worth dying for?” the guard asked.
Tommy paused for a moment, appearing to soften his resolve. He started to allow some slack to the guard’s hand, causing the man to relax his own arm. Suddenly, Tommy shouted, “It is!” He used a massive surge of energy to break from the guard’s grasp, dropping the last flicker of the flame. It hit the floor, shooting one last ray of heat towards the main fuse.
At that moment, everything seemed to slow down. Tommy let go, as the guard continued to pin him down.
“You killed us both!” the guard yelled, as a smile crept across Tommy’s face. He watched the bright flame dance along its track in rhythmic beauty. It reached the splitting point, using the powder-lined fuse to march towards its final goal.
It marched towards freedom.
******
Jane took one last gasp of breath. Her red, swollen face puffed out like Ashghol’s. As her eyes opened wide, and pupils fully dilated, she was dead.
Becky broke down in tears. She freed herself from the darkness, as her humanity was returned. It was just like she did in the Turkish brothel. Images of Ashghol had faded away, as Jane lay fully in front of her. Becky stood on her feet, embracing the same hollowness that she once had. However, there was a major difference on how the two scenes ended.
In the brothel, Becky ran throughout, alerting the captives that it was time to escape. Realizing that they had the numbers, each girl turned on the few captors left. The men were taken down. The girls made a run for it.
The present scene ended with a loud explosion. Pieces of the storage unit, food barrels, and guards’ body parts spewed throughout the air.
“Tommy!” Gunner yelled out in anguish.
“He sacrificed himself for us...a hero,” Father Tyme said.
“The kid was an old fashioned cop after all,” Gunner said, having his faith renewed that the pride and principle of law enforcement still existed.
Chaos filled the air. The signal was sounded, causing everyone in the crowd to make a break for the wired fences.
Striker ran to Becky, holding his hand out. He pulled the dirty, bloodied woman from the pit, into his arms. Joe took one last look at Jane, giving Jenny’s face a final remembrance. “It’s not her,” Becky assured him.
“I know,” Joe replied, as the two teamed up with Gunner and Father Tyme. They made a run for it.
“Chaos has broken out...Leader Judas, sir!” Rock called into the radio, speaking directly to his superior.
The leader’s voice sounded back from the phone. “Stop this at any and all cost!”
“Yes, sir.”
Rock gathered a few of the remaining guards. “Release the dogs! Inform the towers...shoot every last one of them!”
The guards nodded, as Emma grabbed Rock’s arm. “My father! My mother!”
All of a sudden, a rush of sound came from the other side of the camp. A flood of women had broken free, greatly out numbering the guards. “You want them? You’ll have to claim their dead bodies!” he proclaimed, pulling out
Joe’s Smith & Wesson revolver.
Rock ran toward the exit gates, shooting people dead as he moved along. Emma followed him, keeping a close eye out for her parents.
Stacey ran for the men’s side of the camp, as Lita jumped in her way. “Where do you think you’re going? What? You wanna try me? Take your best shot,” she said, closing her eyes, and sticking her chin out.
Stacey looked down at the few finger nails she had left, electing to keep them as a reminder of her femininity. Suddenly, she leapt on Lita, scratching the woman’s face. Pulling the short hair in a girly fashion, she tore a handful from the pores. She grabbed a nearby rock, knocking the guard out.
The feminine woman got up, dusting off her prison uniform so she would look presentable for her husband. Searching the grounds frantically, she made her way around, finding the group before they fled. “Where’s Robert?”
“He’s dead,” Gunner said. “But don’t worry, this caveman will take care of you...like I used to.”
Stacey frowned for a moment, though seemed to get over it rather fast. “You’ll do,” she said, as they made their way towards the fences.
German Shepherds came tearing out into the camp, chasing their meals down for the day. Jerry Simmons ran as the dog chased him down. The animal gripped the man’s leg tightly between his teeth. Next it went for his neck, severing an artery.
The guards in the towers turned their guns on the hundreds of prisoners, who were quickly approaching. They opened fire, mowing down rows of people, though not making a dent in the numbers or willpower.
The first row of prisoners reached the electric fence. They thrust their bodies onto it, fighting the currents, and absorbing the shock. They cut their fingers open by bending the barbed wire with their combined strengths. The transformers started to blow from the massive surge of electricity, rendering the fences harmless.
Swarms of prisoners swayed the wooden tower bases. They eventually knocked the structures down, stopping the deadly gunfire from taking more of their brethren. The whole structure, which formed the borders of the camp, came collapsing down with it.
Joe, Becky, Gunner, Stacey, and Father Tyme reached the end of the camp, about to cross through the threshold of gates. Rock and Emma appeared in front of their exit.