by Leesa Birch
“Now wash for me,” he said in a low growl.
Hate was slowly overtaking my fear. He was going to pay for this as soon as I had my strength back. I used the soap, washing away remnants of the house fire, trying not to look at Mac’s face. As humiliating as this was, I wasn’t going to turn my back on this guy; he was enjoying this a little too much.
As I finished, I turned the water off and threw the soap by his feet. Standing there, dripping wet, with him looking me up and down, I looked fervently around the dark room for anything I could use to help me. Mac put his gun in its holster and stepped towards me. I felt my eyes shift; it was a start, although it didn’t deter him. Grabbing me by my arms, I squirmed as he pushed me against the tiles. I guessed I was going to have to do this the old fashioned way and brought my knee up hard. His eyes widened as I felt his pain. As he doubled over, swearing, I pushed him across the wet shower floor and ran.
“Bitch!” he yelled, pulling his gun as I ran towards the door. The door swung open and I ran straight into a very large man, rebounded and hit the floor. He looked down at me, then towards Mac, still on the shower floor.
“Boss needs her now, Mac.” He sniggered at the obvious scuffle. “You can play with her after the fight. She’ll be more…. cooperative.”
The large man sniggered under his breath as he left us alone.
Slowly recovering, Mac made it to his feet and threw a towel at me. “Time for you to get dressed. And I will make you pay for that later, girl.”
I dried myself and was handed some clothes to wear. Barely. Grey leggings and a black bra top. No trainers or anything else. This was the sort of gear fighters wore. My stomach turned, he wasn’t going to put me in the cage, was he?
Malone entered the locker room. He looked me up and down. “I hope you’re going to at least put up a fight, Ivy. Senator Wells really wasn’t happy that Ty lost that fight. If you’re still alive after this, he wants what’s left of you taken to him. You really pissed off the wrong guy.”
I didn’t hear much after the word ‘fight’. I hoped the cavalry would get here soon. There was no way I could win a straight fight- I just wasn’t built that way. Maybe I could put in some training with Gary or Kane when I wasn’t training with Grogan. Thoughts turned to Kane. Even if someone had told him I was taken, it would take too long for him to get here.
The door to the locker room was held open as the light spilled in. I was pushed forward, towards a cheering crowd. Nervously, I held my bare midriff as I was shoved in the direction of the cage.
The announcer spoke over the loudspeaker; I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying which was perhaps for the best. The hungry crowd was baying for blood, most probably mine. It was deafening. Malone forced me up the steps of the cage, positioned in the centre of the room. He held up my arm briefly and shoved me inside, closing the door behind me. Picking myself up off the floor, I backed against the steel bars, trying desperately to see a way out.
The cage was roughly fifteen feet across and octagonal. The steel ran about the same height. I could climb it, given the chance. I turned to try and the crowd roared as other fighters were led to the ring. Breathing heavily, I turned to count three guys being helped through the opening before the cage was locked.
A bell rang and the first guy grabbed me, shoving me towards the others - one of which punched my face and I spun into the other. My legs wobbled and I fell to the floor, rolling away from a kick. Backing myself up on the ground, the first guy came at me. As he reached me, I kicked out and made contact with his knee. I barely heard the crack over the cheering crowds, but I felt his pain as he fell screaming to the mat. I had broken his knee cap.
As he dragged himself to the side, out of the way, I tried to get to my feet. I got to my hands and knees before one of the other two kicked me in the ribs, sending me flying into the cage bars and landing back on the floor. Trying to breathe and tasting blood in my mouth, I moved back against the bars. I felt so helpless and wished someone would help me.
I was grabbed by my neck and thrown face first into the bars, cutting my head open. With no time to react, I was punched several times in the back of my ribs. I couldn’t take in a deep enough breath to scream out my pain. I just sobbed as I slid to the ground. The crowds were merciless in their screams for more blood. I turned on my side, only to feel the hot breath of one of the fighters.
“They said you’d be tougher,” he said, breathlessly, as he spat in my face. I struggled to sit as the two remaining men ‘high fived’ each other across the cage. “Let’s finish this!” they said.
I shuffled back against the bars as they ran towards me. Holding up my arms in a futile effort to protect my face, I waited for the pain. Nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see the fighters had stopped a few feet away from me. I could only hear the choking as the crowd fell silent.
“What’s happening?” one of the men managed to splutter out as the other one gargled on his body’s water. He reddened as he choked and I let him fall to the floor. Screams echoed from the some of the crowd and feet shuffled in panic.
“Your eyes…” coughed the remaining fighter. I felt nothing but my own pain. I looked around to see the guy whose knee I had shattered shaking at the cage door for them to let him out. The crowd had panicked and were rioting to exit. People were trampling over one another in terror to escape. I couldn’t breathe properly or control myself. Visualising the water in the remaining fighter’s body, I moved it erratically. He let out a gargled screamed momentarily before his heart stopped beating. Still holding him in mid-air, fighting for my own breath, horror started to creep in at what I’d done. Dropping my arms, the lifeless hunk of muscle fell crashing onto the mat.
People were still scrambling to get away. The first fighter managed to get the cage door open and was dragged away by Malone and two other men. I crawled from the cage, rolling down the steps, landing in a heap on the floor. I fought against unconsciousness, knowing that the confusion of the crowd was my only way out before Malone returned. Wiping the blood from my eyes - feeling that they were still black - I put my head down and stumbled into the mass of panicking people.
Outside, the sound of sirens grew closer. I made it to the edge of the car park and into the night.
Holding my ribs, I stumbled along, grateful once my feet were numb from the cold. There was no way a cab driver would pick me up looking like this. Being bruised and bloody would only end up with me in hospital so I kept to the side roads and headed back to the lake.
The dirt road was familiar underfoot. I was nearly there, though freezing cold and in so much pain, I stumbled in the pitch black of night. Every pothole I stepped into made me fall to my knees until I could get up no longer. Kneeling on the ground, sobbing with sheer exhaustion, I tried to get up, knowing that if I didn’t, I would freeze to death before dawn. If only it had been raining, I would have called for help. Even though I wanted to show the council that I didn’t need their help, I really did.
My arms shook as I tried to push myself from the ground. I was trying so hard I didn’t hear the vehicle coming until it was right on top of me. The tyres screeched as I held up my arms to shield my eyes from the headlights.
Letting out a small sigh because the vehicle just managed to stop in time, and coughing as I did so, I heard the doors open and slam shut.
“Christ, Ivy, where have you been? We got to the gym, but you were gone.” Gary flipped me over. Sliding his arm beneath me, he lifted me carefully as Barrett opened the side door and helped me inside.
Gary was rambling as he covered me in a blanket. Barrett interrupted him by placing his hand on Gary’s shoulder, motioning for him to sit up front and drive.
“We saw the mess you left behind at the gym. Figured it was you anyway. Got a few statements from some of the people who the police had caught fleeing the scene.” Barratt said. I looked away, knowing what I had done to two of the fighters. I began to cough again. My mouth tasted of blood.
�
��Could you hurry, Gary? I need to see Grogan straightaway,” I barely managed. Gary did so. The van screeched to a halt a few minutes later.
I didn’t get out of the van this time; people were waiting outside the lodge. Grogan stepped into the van and sat next to me. Barrett bowed his head and exited the van, closing the door for privacy.
Shaking his head, Grogan began to heal my ribs. “I don’t know where to start, Ivy. Running into a burning building? Nice work putting out the fire, but don’t tell anyone I said that. Hold on, this might pinch a little.” He wasn’t lying; I gasped as he pushed bone back into place. I began breathing a little easier as he started to heal the cuts and bruises.
“I need to tell you something, Grogan, as we’re alone,” I said quietly, looking away. “Something bad happened tonight and it wasn’t the first time. I moved the water inside someone, not like when I nearly drowned…” my voice trailed off. I still couldn’t bear to think about it. “This was different, Grogan. I’m talking about the water through his entire body. I held him there, a few feet off the ground, just like a handful of water in training. Then I…” Biting my bottom lip, I knew I had to say it out loud. “I killed him, Grogan. What am I going to do? I don’t want this anymore.”
Sitting upright, I hugged my knees. Grogan placed his arm on my shoulder. “The council will understand, Ivy. It was self-defence. I can vouch for your injuries and Gary has the statements from the crowd. They meant to kill you, Ivy. As for the control part, we’ll work on it together. Look at me, Ivy.” Grogan lifted my chin up to face him.
“You’re not a bad person, bad things happen to you. There is a big difference. If you were a killer, Ivy, you wouldn’t have rushed into a burning building, now would you?”
I wiped a tear away and nodded. Grogan opened the door to the van and told me to get some rest. He said he would fill the council in as to what had happened, emphasising what I had done in the house fire.
Gary offered to walk me back to the cabin but I said no. I just needed a hot bath and some strong coffee.
The cabin had been heated ahead for me. A note was on the table next to the bag of goodies from Soot’s, the coffee shop. That should do it, I figured.
A hot bath and a coffee later, I wondered if anyone had told Kane. I’d rather tell him face to face so he wouldn’t get upset. Well, less upset, anyway.
Morning came soon enough as Sylvia burst into the cabin along with the cold morning air. “Sylvia! Close the door, it’s freezing.” She did as I yelled and started pacing the room. “What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting up in bed, hugging the warm covers. I was still very sleepy. She continued pacing before finally blurting it out. “He has Kane! Ivy, Griffin has Kane!”
9
“What? Sylvia, slow down. What do you mean Griffin has Kane?” Throwing off my bed covers, I grabbed her by the arms to try and calm her.
“Blake called me. He said Kane had been injured on the ranch. They sent for the paramedics,” she rambled.
Injured? All manner of bad feelings turned my stomach. “Injured? How? Is he alright? Of course not, or they wouldn’t have called the paramedics.” Now I was rambling and pacing the room.
Sylvia looked ready to crumble, so I sat her down and let her continue. “Well, while they waited for the paramedics to turn up, a large van came and took him. Ivy they had guns!”
Fetching her a glass of water, more questions appeared. Why would Griffin go after Kane? Did he know Kane could heal animals? This didn’t make sense. “Sylvia, why do you think it was Griffin?” Chewing my bottom lip, I waited for her to finish her water.
“The note! He left Blake a note. It said, ‘Griffin requires the presence of Ivy. Come alone. He’ll send a car to pick her up at…” I cut her off. A car? It didn’t sound like Griffin but I couldn’t take the chance.
“Write it down for me, Sylvia. Did you tell anyone else? Because… Just don’t. I’ll get dressed and go. Don’t worry, I’ll sort this out.”
After dressing in my most sensible running shoes, I knocked back some cold, leftover coffee and kissed Sylvia on the head, goodbye.
Once the bus had dropped me off in the city, I headed towards the pick-up point. The weather was lousy - cold and windy with a very good chance of rain. Huddling in the doorway of a closed store, a large car with tinted windows slowed to a stop in front of me. An oversized goon stepped out and opened the rear door for me. “Miss,” he gestured, tipping his head slightly.
Sliding into the back seat as the door closed, I noticed a severe lack of guards. This was just too weird. Warm and unrestrained, I leant back and my thoughts turned to Kane.
We had been driving for a while now and nobody upfront had spoken a word since I was picked up. The silence was deafening. Wringing my hands and biting my bottom lip came next.
Finally the car reached its destination. The door was opened for me and I stepped out into the daylight.
“Ah, Ivy, glad you could make it,” Griffin said, smiling, whilst leaning against his van. He had his usual thugs around him, although I didn’t see Clive. I didn’t see Kane either. My stomach turned.
“Where’s Kane?” I demanded. “What have you done with him?”
Griffin cocked his head slightly to the side and squinted as if he didn’t know who I was talking about. Then his eyebrows raised a little. Stepping away from the van he motioned to two of his men. It wasn’t until then I realised someone nearby was in bad shape. The van doors were opened and the thugs dragged a badly beaten and bloody Kane out onto the floor.
“Is this yours?” Griffin asked nonchalantly.
I took a step towards Kane and one of the men holding him down pulled a gun, pointing it at his head. I stopped dead in my tracks as Griffin tutted at me.
“Ah, so you are acquainted with this man then?” he asked, knowing full well I was.
Tightening my lips and clenching my jaw, I could feel the anger rising inside of me.
“What have you done to him?” I yelled, barely able to keep control of myself, knowing that if I didn’t, Kane would be the first one killed.
“I need you to do a job for me, Ivy,” Griffin said, watching my every move carefully. “A…friend, you might call him, has something of mine. I want it back and you’re going to help me get it.”
I looked at Kane and then back to Griffin. Kane’s injuries were severe; he was barely conscious and fading fast. “I’m not a thief, Griffin. Surely your men could do it easily without my help?”
Touching his chin, he pretended to think for a moment. “It’s a delicate job which requires your talents. I hear you can do interesting things with water now. Do we have a deal?” he asked, looking at Kane on his knees.
As defiant as I was feeling, I wasn’t above begging to save someone I loved. “I’ll do anything you ask of me, Griffin, but please let me heal him, he’s dying!”
Griffin nodded to the men to stand clear, and I ran towards him. Griffin grabbed my arm before I got there. “Only the wound on his side, Ivy, leave the bruises. It seems as badly injured as he was, he still put up a bit of a fight with my men.”
With tears in my eyes, I fell to my knees by Kane’s side. He tried to speak as I lifted his shirt. “Don’t talk, I’m here. Whatever happens, don’t fight these guys. I’ll be alright.” I couldn’t see the wound as there was so much blood so I placed my hands on him and closed my eyes. He had been skewered with something big, leaving massive internal injuries. I began closing the wound and mending the surrounding organs; he was a mess.
Once I had healed him, Kane grabbed my wrists, speaking to me in a low voice. “If you get the chance, Ivy, run.” I looked down at him in shock. I wasn’t going to leave him here with them. They would kill him if I didn’t do what they asked.
As I let go of him, I was pulled back out of reach. The two men resumed their hold on Kane.
“How did you find him? How do you know about me moving water?” I had so many questions now that I was thinking more clearly.
“I
vy,” Griffin sighed. “Do you not think that with all the money and connections I have, I couldn’t get my hands on a seer? Although he couldn’t locate you personally, he did lead us to your lover there. Enough chit-chat though; on to the job at hand. The item in question is kept in a vault in my friend’s house. It’s more like a fortress - a bit flashy for my tastes,” he explained as he paced. “Unfortunately, you can only break into it from below ground. Tunnels and such. The tunnels are a tad flooded and too small for the usual scuba gear. See what I’m getting at, Ivy? I want you to move the water out of the way; I need you and my men to be able to get inside the tunnel so they can cut through and retrieve said item.”
I nodded. It didn’t seem too dangerous so far. I was waiting for the catch.
“Now, Ivy, if you lift your blouse for me,” he said, taking a step towards me.
Kane struggled under the two men’s hold as Griffin approached.
Griffin turned to face him. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Jerry here is just going to make sure I know where she is at all times.”
Jerry lifted the back of my blouse and I felt a strong pinch. “Ow!” I said, turning to punch Jerry whilst rubbing my lower back.