Sailor.
Who’s that speaking to me? Alfonse?
Sailor.
Where am I? His muffled call is weak but it’s the only one I recognize.
Sailor, get up.
What is he talking about?
Get up, Sailor.
Why? I’m tired.
Are you really going to lay there and play dead while your friends get beaten to death? Get up!
The floor of my mind starts to quake as his urgency bleeds into me. His voice ripples inside of me, cutting through the darkness like a well sharpened blade.
FIGHT!
The darkness that surrounded me fades, and my eyes are forced open. Amidst the haze, I awaken to a set of eyes looking into my own from above.
I remember now. I remember everything.
In a fit of desperation, I draw my knife and stab into the achilles of the demon above me. As he stumbles forward, I fire a round into his chest before his friend clocks me with a swift kick to the nose. My neck snaps back as my eyes fill with water. I feel the base of my nose swell and bleed out while I lay stunned on the floor. With a clouded mind and a heavy head, I try to blind fire, but I am disarmed before I can pull the trigger. Damn it!
I hear my gun scrape across the wooden floor, only inches from arm's reach. I stretch my limbs to reach for it, but before I can grab hold of the base, a boot slams down on my hand. I grit my teeth as the pain explodes throughout my nervous system, holding back the scream I desperately desire to throw to the world. I prime the blade in my other hand and attempt to drive it into the thigh of his opposite leg, but I am stopped by a hand far stronger than my own.
Another?
He forces his weight down on my hand, pushing the blade towards me against my will. I snap my head back and launch my head at the base of the demon’s jaw, driving him back and loosening his grip. I thrust my knife into the thigh of the demon that has me pinned. He flinches and lets up on my hand, allowing me to sweep his leg and pierce his heart as soon as he hits the ground.
Sailor, behind you!
I spin my body with my blade leading the way as I stand, swiping clean across the Adam’s apple of another demon behind me. “I know.” He tries to cover the slit in his neck but it’s no use; he was dead the moment I cut into his windpipe. With both hands gripping his neck, he falls to the floor, drowning as he gargles on his own blood.
You’re becoming quite the killer.
“Save it, Al.” Exhausted, I wipe away the blood that flows from my nose and down the side of my lip. The room is still spinning and my bullet wounds burn like a searing iron against my flesh. I take a few steps forward and reach for my gun, but before I rise, I feel the familiar sensation of a cold muzzle against the side of my temple.
“You did quite the number on my friends.” He pulls back on the hammer and the click registers clear in my ear. “Yes, it’s loaded and if I wanted to, I could blow your brains to the other side of this room, so do me a favor and drop your shit.” I drop my knife onto the floor and lift my hands into the air as I slowly raise my body to its default position. “Good girl. Now we’re going to take a ride with a couple of my friends.”
“And why would I want to do that?” I feel the weight of his gun against my head as he leans into it and pushes off.
“Because I don’t think you have a choice.” Suddenly the room fills with an awkward series of footsteps. It’s more of his men. Before me, a bruised and battered Ben appears, restrained with his hands cuffed around his back and held by the forearm by two demons on both sides.
“Ben!” From the look of his face, I can tell that he learned the hard way that demons aren’t to be toyed with. At least he gave them hell before they got to him.
“Oh, but there’s more!” the head demon sarcastically spouts as another pair of demons enter the room with Morgan. “You know, it’s not often that we get someone who fucks us over like you did today. You killed my brothers and sisters, you know that, bitch? You’re lucky we can’t kill you, or else I would have strangled you with your own intestines. And while that is unfortunate, your little friend here has no such stipulations.”
I watch helplessly as the demon to the right of her grabs a knife from his coat pocket and presses it to her skin. He drags it down the top of her skull to the edge of her face. I want to turn away, but I hear her whimper and am forced to watch her blood slowly drip to the floor. “She doesn’t look too good, does she? I’m surprised she lasted this long. She should have ran while she had the chance. Hmm. Perhaps killing her would be the better option, seeing that you made her into a cripple.”
“Leave her alone!”
“Or else what? You’re not doing shit, because if you try anything, boy wonder here and the waitress are just going to add to the body count.”
I grit my teeth as he pushes my head forward with the barrel of his gun. He’s smart. He’s directly behind me now so I have no visual on him and I’m unarmed. Bringing hostages into the mix definitely tips the scale in his favor, as well. If it weren’t for them, I’d gladly take my chances and turn on him, but fighting back in this situation is a too dangerous of a game.
“What do you want?” I snarl. I try to turn my head to him but he redirects my energy so that my face points to the ground.
“Does it matter?” He laughs. “At this point, you’ll do anything that I say.” From behind me, I feel his breath graze across my neck as he sniffs the back my head. “I can smell your fear, you know? I like it. Oh, those other humans? They’re afraid, but you,” he pauses as sniffs again, “you’re terrified. I guess that’s the price you pay for working against our kind, huh? Sleeping with one eye open and always looking over your shoulder must be troublesome. Especially with your unique disposition.”
“Fuck off. You and your goons couldn’t take me without getting people involved. If anyone’s pissing their pants, it’s you.”
“Hmm…no one said people were off limits. Perhaps it was your mistake for caring too much. They’re the ones that are holding you back, right?” Without even looking at him, I can feel his eyes stray away from me to Ben and Morgan in front of me. “All the merrier if hurting them hurts you, at least for me.” I don’t say a word in fear of what’s to come next. They have the potential to do anything they want, and I’m in no position to stop them. “Oh, so now you play silent?” The lead demon snickers. “Did I say something to upset you? Was it the last bit about your friends?” The two demons that hoisted Morgan to her feet release their grip on her forearms, causing her to crash to the floor. She wails in pain as she recovers from her awkward landing, all the while trying her best to escape with her limited mobility. “Are you watching?” The lead demon’s whisper brushes my ear. I avert my eyes downward and set my sights on the floor while one of his men handcuffs me. From behind me, I hear the lead's footsteps as he steps forward. "I want you to see this." He grabs my cheeks with his hand and squeezes as he lifts my head and points it in Morgan's direction. "Don't squirm or I'll break your jaw in half." As she crawls away, she looks back at me and then to the barrel that is lined up to her forehead.
“No, please don’t!” she whispers as she struggles to move out of harm's reach. The demon’s eyes light up with laughter as he looks to me and then back at Morgan. He allows her to travel at a snail’s pace, letting her clutch onto hope before finally taking it away. After the flash of the muzzle, Morgan’s head instantly hits the floor and her blood pools amongst her remains. As her life leaves her, the demon turns to face me and greets me with a wicked smile that morphs into the face of a stone cold killer.
“Let that be a lesson to you.” He stares deep into my eyes as he waits for a reaction, but I give him nothing. I hide my emotion under a cold façade as I numb myself to the surrounding situation. I want them all dead. If I could, I would rip them limb from limb with my own two hands, but if I want to live, I have to play their game. He releases my cheeks, and I lower my head, still keeping Ben in my peripherals. He’s terrified of what’s t
o come next, but I can’t provide him with any reassurance. Though I’m only a few feet away from him, by the look in his eyes, I can tell that he feels like he’s flying solo. “Tag the boy and get him out of here.”
“Wait, what?” Ben says in a panic as he swishes his head from left to right. Without hesitating, one of the demons closest to Ben knocks him out and handcuffs him.
“As planned boys...as planned,” the lead says unenthusiastically as he twirls his finger in a circular motion beside his head. From the other room, a set of stretchers come in, accommodated by possessed paramedics. “Make sure he’s out cold before you wheel him out. Chop, chop.” He claps as his goons pick up Ben’s limp body, place him on the stretcher, cover him with a white sheet from the neck down, and push him out the room. “Interesting the way things turn out, isn’t it?” I tense my arms as I try to manipulate the cuffs that bind me. “Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart. I don’t think those are coming off for quite some time.” I stop my subtle movement but I refuse to hold eye contact with him as he comes closer. “Now, you’ve done some horrible, horrible things to my friends, and I personally cannot wait to return the favor.” He reaches for a strand of my hair and plays with it before running his hand gently down the side of my face. “Lucky for you, this setting is a bit unfitting for the torture that awaits you. There’s far too much blood here as it is already.” I almost want the demons to stay so my backup can murder them all here, but torture isn’t something that I’m too fond of.
“Too much blood?” I say as I raise my head and meet him eye to eye. “You didn’t seem to mind when you killed my friend.” On the flipside, stalling for help to arrive so I can watch them all die makes it seem almost worth it… Almost.
“Oh, so she does have a pulse! It would be a shame if you were broken this early.”
“Far from it,” I snarl. “Just know that the second you un-cuff me, I coming straight for your head.” The lead demon chuckles and turns his head to the side as if consulting an imaginary friend before whipping back in my face.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it’s what I do. There’s a small militia sprawled out on the floor of this place, courtesy of yours truly. All you did was shoot a cripple. If I had my hands free, I’d be giving you a heart-felt slow clap right about now. Honestly, I would.” A right-hook crashes against the bottom of my jaw, forcefully moving my head to the side as my brain slams against my temple. I move my head back to its original position, ignoring the swirling sensation that threatens to compromise my vertigo. I can see the fire in the demon’s eyes, and I refuse to break away.
“Aw, don’t get cold feet on me now, darling, that was just a taste of what’s in store.”
“I can’t wait.” I hock a blood-filled loogie and spit it directly between his eyes. As it slowly falls, I watch as his calm demeanor begins to change. After he wipes it away, I smile at his disgust.
“So,” he says as he flicks his hand towards the ground, “I see you still have some fight left in you. Good. I wouldn’t expect less from someone such as yourself. The boss will be most pleased once he gets his hands on you. I’m almost jealous that I won’t get the privilege to join in on the fun. Take her away.”
“W—” My words freeze as an electrical charge pulses through the ridge of my neck. My body instantly collapses and my feet go numb, but his men keep me from hitting the floor. I try to hold on for as long as I can, but eventually the current overtakes me, leaving me drained and disoriented.
“Stun gun,” he says as he raises his hand, signaling for his henchman to stop. “Packed with enough volts to floor a rhino. Stings, doesn’t it? I forgot to mention this last time, but be careful not to bite your tongue.” From behind, I hear the electric crackling of the taser grow as it hovers beside my neck. He grunts when he presses it into me, and I involuntarily yell as my muscles lock up from the current that courses through my body. The last thing I remember is the room going dark and him smiling over me with a grin only a devil could make.
Chapter 12: Hostage
With a thump, I wake from my electrically induced coma on a snow white stretcher, surrounded by medical equipment and other gizmos I’d rather not have near me. I was in the back of an ambulance, no doubt. It was a dead giveaway, which means somehow, I was caught. From the corner of my eye, I see a paramedic. His familiar face serves as a kickstart to my slowly returning memory as I piece together the fragments of what once was.
That’s right. I was caught. I was caught and we’re traveling somewhere…me and Ben. I silently tug at the chain that cuffs my arms together and feel an unfamiliar pull restraining my movements. The demon that’s guarding me looks my way at the sound of the metal cling from my cuffs scraping against the metal railing of the bed. They were smart. They even cuffed my cuffs.
It would be in your best interest to recover your strength. Wasted energy will do you no good in this situation. Wait and strike when the time is right.
I heed Al’s advice and lay still as the grunt’s eyes pass over me. Eventually he plays it off as a factor of the turbulence from the bumpy ride. If he knew I was no longer unconscious, chances are high that I’d have to tango with the taser again, and I’m not exactly excited at that possibility. Even now, I still feel like crap from the shake down at the coffee house. A couple of bruised ribs and bullet grazes, if I had to guess. Al did a good job in keeping me up and running, but I’m pretty sure I’m at my limit. Yeah, rest would be a good option at this point. At least enough so that I’m capable again. I lost a lot of blood back there, and I wouldn’t be doing anybody any favors if I were to get caught up in another long-term scuffle. They got all of my weapons when they knocked me out, but I can still feel my cell in my socks. Good. The others should be on their way by now to rescue us. I just need to stay alive until then.
The car jumps again and begins to rumble violently, causing my body to lift into the air. Off-road? The vibrations agitate the splitting headache that I almost forgot I had, making any form of movement a chore. I brace myself on the bed as I endure the rocky road, focusing on getting a grasp of the situation. After some time, the ambulance stops and I hear the front door open, followed by footsteps leading to the back door where I am imprisoned. From outside, I can hear them chatting amongst themselves. Two of them, at least. I strain to hear what they are saying, but their voices are too low to make out anything.
The sun hits my eyelids as the door creeks open. “All right, load her up.” It’s a different voice this time. I was expecting the man from before to be calling the shots, but it seems like he’s somewhere else. Possibly the driver or overseeing the whole thing silently nearby.
“I heard she put up a fight.” I feel the ambulance bob down as one of them enter the truck. “You don’t feel that? She’s like half-demon or something. We’re not quite sure yet, and so far, she hasn’t said anything about it. It’s like she just came out of nowhere and started wrecking shit.” Beside me, I hear the metal clinking of a key turn, freeing me from the stretcher that I’m bound to. If they are stupid enough to free my wrist, my escape will be infinitely easier.
“Yeah…I heard the story,” a different voice continues. “She’s one cold bitch. We got her though.”
“But not until she worked over our guys. She doesn’t look it, but she’s dangerous.”
“Oh yeah, a little angel,” the demon grunts as I feel my body lift into the air. Instantly, I find myself hanging over his shoulder. With every step, his shoulder blade grinds into my rib cage, aggravating my already damaged midsection. I bite the inside of my cheek as he continues to carry me, ignoring the urge to yell out in pain.
“You know…she’s kind of cute for a human chick, hybrid thing, or whatever.”
“Focus.” His body stops, and I hear the sound of another set of doors swing open. My body rises again as the demon that carries me steps in what I assume to be another truck. “Don’t think like that. She’s dangerous, I’m telling you. You let up and you’re a goner. She got
about ten of our guys at the coffee shop.” My head lightly touches the cold floor of the van as I play dead, still focusing on gathering any intel that I can scrounge up.
“If she’s that bad, then why don’t we just kill her now?” My pulse stiffens at his prospect. I’m unarmed, injured, and handcuffed. Fighting now wouldn’t do me any good, but if I were to get the jump on them, just maybe I could escape. If they agree to kill me, I have no intention to just lay down and take what comes my way. I’ll gladly fight them to the death. The silence builds between them as I lay with my eyes closed, thinking intently on my next course of action.
Don’t do it, Sailor.
It’s unsettling that Al knows what I plan to do. I clench my jaw as I wait on the verdict between the two, all the while gathering my strength for what may be my final fight.
“No.” I subtly release my breath and my tension seeps into the floorboard. “We got orders to keep her alive. If she’s going to die, it’ll be the boss that does her in. Until then, we just got to keep her in check. Once she wakes up, I’m pretty sure she’ll be kept on a leash. She has a soft spot for humans. She won’t be doing anything reckless as long as we have that boy from the bar.” A set of footsteps moves towards my ear, and I feel a tug on the chain that links my cuffs together. Involuntarily, my arms rise behind my head and I hear a clink before he leaves the backside of the van. Damn it. Cuffed again.
“Hey, we’re already behind schedule. You just do your part and make sure things don’t escalate more than they already have. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Another demon sits in the back, guarding me, while the others go to their perspective cars. The door to the rear of the van slams shut, and I can no longer feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Shortly after, the van begins to move.
Chapter 13: Sailor Ray and the Darkest Night
After what seems like hours of driving, the van finally stops at its intended destination. The cries of city living are long gone. My mind draws a blank whenever I try to think of the last time I heard the peculiar dialogue of city streets. We have to be far from home. Far from anything even remotely associated to where we were before.
Sailor Ray and the Darkest Night (The Pact Book 1) Page 9