I rush through my shower and get myself presentable just in time for my ten o’clock appointment to walk through the door. She’s a brand new client starting today, so I welcome her in, show her around the gym, and take her back to my office where we get started on goal planning.
Chapter 3
Lexi
Holy crap, what a massive day. I always forget just how hard demolition is. I get over excited about starting a new project that I always look over the whole sore arms and blisters thing.
I think when you see something you’re passionate about coming together, it’s easy to forget about the bad as the good outweighs it all. But looking around the three empty bedrooms that have been completely stripped of plaster boards and old carpets, it’s so easy to forget my hands are hurting.
It’s been such an exhausting day, but it was well worth it. If I can strip the living room and hallway tomorrow, then I’ll be able to get my carpenter to start a bit early and really get into this renovation.
I can’t believe its only day one and I’m already ahead of my schedule. I’m so excited. I’m not even daunted by the size of the project or the amount of money it’s going to cost to get it from here to completion. Considering the state it’s in, I got it really cheap. Like, dirt cheap. It was incredible.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I came across this hidden beauty. Most people don’t want to bother with the whole renovation thing and they don’t like houses that don’t have a great street appeal, but me, that’s my specialty. I turn it from something unwanted to the talk of the town. And as much as I love the demolition and seeing it come together, my favorite part is furnishing and choosing paint colors.
It’s always so hard to finally decide on a color when you have so many ideas running through your mind. But, for this project, I already have my ideas in mind. It’s going to look incredible.
I quickly run around the house closing up the windows and getting ready for bed. Though, my only downfall is that there is no bed... yet. I duck out to my truck and grab my bag of clothes, my sleeping bag, and my portable heater.
The natural need to set up in the bedroom flutters through me, but with the bedrooms completely stripped of walls and carpets, I have no other choice than to sleep in another room. So, I dump all my things in the living room and start rifling through my bag for my phone charger.
As soon as I find it at the very bottom of my bag, I plug it in and put my phone up to charge before calling for pizza.
While I wait for my well-earned dinner, I grab my things for a shower and head into the bathroom with a cringe.
I look around in disgust before running back and grabbing my flip flops. After all, I have no idea who the last person was to use this bathroom, but from the looks of it, it was someone who doesn’t know much about personal hygiene.
Making another dash out of the bathroom, I grab a roll of paper towel and lay a few down across the vanity before putting my clean towel down on top of it.
I strip out of my dirty clothes and dump them on the floor before leaning into the shower and turning the tap. Stepping back, I watch the stream like a hawk to make sure it's actually clean water coming from the old pipes. When I'm satisfied it's safe, I step under the hot water and try to enjoy the shower. Only, I can’t stop thinking about who the last person to use it may have been.
After about thirty seconds and the quickest shower known to man, I step out and wrap the towel around myself while making a mental note that the bathroom will be next on the agenda to be renovated.
I step out of the bathroom and instantly look up the hallway, cringing as I realize this place doesn’t have any curtains. Every one of my neighbors would be able to see straight through the house to see me in my birthday suit. I add as another item on my to do list.
I hurry to get myself decent before anyone decides to take a peep and get myself set up for the night. A moment later, there's a knock on the door and I jump up to answer it. The heavenly aroma of my pizza hits me and I quickly pay the driver before digging in.
I play a few games on my phone once the pizza is annihilated and try my best to pass the time while I wait for a decent hour to go to bed. I should probably go ahead and get a TV or at least a radio, but for tonight, my only entertainment is Facebook.
Once the stars are shining and the yawns are getting the best of me, I find my portable heater and plug it in. The second I do that, the house falls into complete darkness.
"Shit," I groan as I pull the cord back out of the outlet, hoping that would magically fix the problem. I feel around in the dark for my phone and turn on the flashlight app. Just my fucking luck. I should have known something like this was going to happen.
I get up with my phone and head outside to the electrical box to attempt to fix this. But, let's be real, I have no idea what I'm looking at. I flick a few switches, but I don’t know if I'm actually fixing anything or making it a shitload worse. I look across at my asshole neighbors place and wonder if I should ask for his help, but his truck is not in the drive. So, even if he was kind enough to help, which I doubt, he's no use to me right now.
Damn it. This is going to suck.
I get back inside and lay down in my sleeping bag. It's dark and cold and there's nothing I can do about it. I leave the torch app on my phone for a little when it occurs to me that I'll need my phone tomorrow and without any electricity, I can’t charge it overnight. So, off it goes.
No entertainment. No light. No warmth. This sucks.
All I can do is stare up at the roof.
Ten minutes pass.
Twenty minutes pass.
Thirty.
Okaaaaaaay..... this blows.
I literally twiddle my fingers.
A car drives past and its headlights shine through the window. Watching as the shadow moves across the roof, it’s the first bit of entertainment I've had in over half an hour.
I hear a truck pull up and realize Mr. Asshole must be home. I listen as the engine is cut, the truck door opens and closes, footsteps sound as he walks around, and the little ‘beep, beep’ of his truck locking. I even hear his front door open and close.
Naturally, my mind begins to wander. What if it wasn't actually Mr. Asshole? What if it's just some random guy snooping around? What if there's someone here? What if... shit. I can’t let my mind take me there.
I'm tired. There's no light. No warmth. No entertainment, and now I’m creeped out. Just perfect.
Tomorrow night, I'm coming a little more prepared. For now, I'm pulling out the big guns.
One sheep.
Two sheep.
Three sheep.
Four….
----------
I wake with a start as music blares through my house. My heart leaps out of my chest and I sit up at a speed I didn’t know was humanly possible.
What the hell is going on?
I frantically look around while trying to remember where I am. There's nothing worse than waking up in a new place and not quite knowing.
I notice my speaker on the kitchen counter, right where I left it with the power cord connected to the back of it. That asshole. He came in here unannounced again, and while I was sleeping. Who does he think he is? He’s such a jerk.
Instant fury takes complete control of me.
I fly up from my spot on the floor and have to rub my back. I'm not made for sleeping on the floor, but I don't particularly have a choice at the moment.
I rush over to the music and hit stop when it occurs to me that it shouldn’t be working, even with the power cord. The electricity went out last night and assuming it didn’t magically fix itself, I shouldn't be able to hear a damn thing.
The only logical explanation for this is that my nosey neighbor came in here, clearly to get his revenge, plugged the cord in to see it wasn’t working, then went and fixed the electricity himself. Seeing as though I didn’t see him bolting out of the house when I first woke, he must have been out by the electrical box. The music would have turned on the se
cond he flicked the right switch.
So, he either took pity on me and fixed it, or he just went to extra lengths to get his revenge. I’m going to go with the revenge option.
Either way, if he did fix the electricity, then I owe him.
Shit.
With the music turned off, I take a moment to calm down. I guess I deserved it. After all, I woke that bastard up yesterday so it’s only fair that he did it to me, but it’s not like I invaded his privacy to do it.
I head back over to my makeshift bed and find my phone. As I bend down, I realize the night spent on the hard floor really did a number on my back. I switch my phone back on and get a look at the time.
That bastard. It’s only a quarter to six in the morning. Screw him. How’d I get the house next to a douchebag neighbor?
I look down at my sleeping bag and cringe. The thought of getting back in that sucks too much, so I may as well get started on my day. With my back hurting every time I move, I bring up the beginner’s yoga app I downloaded a few weeks ago and start my morning with a bit of downward facing dog.
Half an hour later, I’m feeling pretty damn good and start putting together a plan for today. I can’t possibly go another night without a bed, so I’ll have to head out to the store and order something that’s easy to constantly move around. I should probably get an electrician to come and check the wiring and while I’m at it, I’ll call my trusty carpenter to get started in the bedrooms.
I get a little more demolition done while waiting for a reasonable hour to head out to the store, and I hope I’m annoying my neighbor while I’m at it.
A few hours later, I walk from shop to shop and get carried away looking at all my different options for home décor. I find a bed that would go perfectly in the guest bedroom and even pick out a fridge so I can at least eat and store food before I get the kitchen done. The lady behind the counter takes all my details and promises that she can get it all delivered this afternoon. I thank her and make my next stop at the homewares store to get some bedding and a few other necessities that I can’t possibly go without.
While I’m out, the dark clouds start coming over so I’m not surprised when there’s a massive crack of thunder, immediately followed by the worst downpour I’ve ever seen.
Crap.
I grab an old newspaper and make a mad dash back out to my truck to start making my way to the grocery store. I probably should have done all this yesterday, but I was too damn excited to get started knocking shit down.
An hour later, I return back home. The front yard is practically a pond and covered in slushy mud. I have to squish through it all to get to the front door and manage to get absolutely soaked in the process. So, while I’m already wet, I go back for the groceries too.
As I get all the groceries on the kitchen counter, I notice a few puddles of water inside and cringe. I look up and find exactly where the leaks are coming from and find some old buckets to place beneath them.
The excitement I felt yesterday morning when I first arrived is slowly dwindling into a regret. It’s been problem after problem so far and Mr. Asshole next door is the cherry on top. I don’t know how much more bad luck I can handle before I break.
I let out a breath, get myself into dry clothes, and give myself a pep talk.
You can do this, Lex. You’ve done it three times before. You chose a house that was challenging on purpose because you wanted to test yourself. You wanted to push yourself to your limit and that’s exactly what you’re doing. Just handle it, Lex. You’ve got this. Don’t worry about your neighbor. You’ve dealt with much worse and always came out on top. If he wants to play hardball, then play it right back. You’re a Rockstar, Lex.
I’m right. I can do this. From now on, I own this mother.
With a fresh motivation coursing through my veins, I forget about my neighbor, I forget about the giant project ahead of me, and I get shit done.
Chapter 4
Luke
I flinch with the pain and growl through my teeth as I attempt to stop myself from crying out. My body spams, but with my hands tied above my head and my feet dangling just inches from the ground, there’s nothing I can do. My wrists are bound with heavy chains that are draped over a metal pole in the roof. I’m sure my wrists are broken from the pressure, but I can’t think about it. Not yet.
I stare into the eyes of the bearded man and watch as a sick, twisted grin comes over his face as he raises his legs and kicks me hard in the ribs. Over and over again. My ribs broke early last week and every day it gets worse. The pain is excruciating, but I don’t make a sound. I’ll never give him the satisfaction.
Every other day, this is the part where he would rip my head up by my hair and demand any and all sorts of information about the USA. He’s asked about the troops stationed here. He wants their names, their locations, and every detail about our missions. When he realized that I wasn’t going to break, I turned into his toy.
The sound of Ben’s sobs beside me breaks my heart as he begs the man to stop. I want to look across at him and tell him I’ll be alright, but I simply don’t have the energy. My mind is solely focused on what this bastard is going to do next. If I allow myself to think of something else, he catches me off guard and that is always the worst.
So, I focus. I focus on him. I focus on his eyes that are as dark as the night sky. I focus on the sick grin that comes over his face. I focus on the way he holds the knife in his fingers, spinning it around in his attempt to appear intimidating. But he’s a coward. He’d never face me if I wasn’t hanging helplessly before him.
The only thing keeping me going is knowing that the second I’m free from these chains, I’ll be snapping the bastard’s neck. I’m not a vicious man. I’ve never had a harmful thought towards a fellow human being in my life until these last two weeks.
I guess you never truly know yourself until you’re tested. You never know how far you’ll go until your pushed, knowing with certainty that you’ll die at his hands. I doubt I will ever see the light of day again and that scares the shit out of me. I have no doubt that once these bastards realize that they’re wasting their time with us, we’ll both be suffering a long and agonizing death. All for being proud Americans.
The man laughs as he steps towards me with the spinning knife in his hand. “You want something to cry about?” he says in his thick accent before spitting at Ben, who lays motionless on the ground after having his turn earlier this morning.
He steps towards him and kicks him in the stomach. “Shut up,” he yells at Ben.
Ben attempts to swallow his sobs, which is when my eyes finally turn his way.
My heart breaks. I’ve never seen a grown man so defeated. His body is broken and bruised. He’s covered in the dirt from the ground and he must have lost at least twenty pounds over the past two weeks. What’s worse is that when he looks up at me, I know he sees the same thing.
I beg him with my eyes to stop. I can’t handle watching them torture him. He’s only a kid and he’s already seen way too much. This was his first tour and I had only just gotten to know him over the past few months. He has a sweet girlfriend at home who he keeps a photo of in his pocket. He’s his mom and dad’s only child, and his grandmother is waiting for him to come home so she can cook him his favorite meal. He’s too innocent for this shit.
Ben meets my eyes and I see the ache within him. He presses his lips together and forces the sobs down, but that doesn’t stop the tear that falls from his eye and splashes onto the dirt.
Every time I look at him, I promise myself that I’ll get him home to those people who love him. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that. I don’t even know where the fuck we are or if this bastard is going to take it too far and kill me before I get the chance.
“Where were we?” the man says as he steps back in front of me. “Oh, yes.”
He lifts the knife and studies it before pressing the tip against my skin. I know what’s coming. He’s done this a few times al
ready. He likes his games. He’ll press the tip against my skin and draw a single drop of blood before pulling away and allowing me to think it’s over, only to bring it back down and carve a shallow slice into my skin. Deep enough to draw enough blood to make me pass out, but not deep enough that I bleed out.
So, I’m not surprised when the sharp sting follows. I suck in a deep breath and clench my teeth together. It would be best if he did it quickly, but I’m not that lucky. He slowly tears the dirty metal through my skin and it’s the worst pain known to man. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.
On my previous tour, Jace and I had been in a roadside bomb. We each suffered burns that were excruciating. At the time, I thought that was the worst pain I’d ever endure. I can’t believe how wrong I was.
The man chuckles to himself before stepping to the side of the room and releasing the chain that holds me off the floor.
I crash down to the dirty ground in a crumpled heap. My body aches and my bare chest lays across the dirt. If I don’t die at their hands, then I’m certain it would be from the infection I’m bound to pick up.
I keep my eyes trained on Ben as I refuse to look at the other side of the room. The memory of what’s over there will forever haunt me. The reason we got into this whole mess. The reason I’m here. Jonesy. One of my closest friends. This was my third tour with him and we were trapped. He was shot down instantly and I guess I’m happy it was quick. He didn’t suffer. We had to get out of there, but Ben refused to leave him behind.
I knew we didn’t have the time. We had to leave him, but I couldn’t leave Ben to take the burden by himself. That split decision cost us both dearly. We should have left his body. I would never have been able to look at his family again, but at least Ben and I would have been safe.
Instead, his lifeless body lay beside me, decomposing. I’ll never forget the smell or the sound of the flies buzzing around him, but what’s worse is the way the rats and maggots feast on him as though he wasn’t alive just two weeks ago.
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