by Tracy Sharp
“Look, this is a losing game. No matter what I say, you won’t believe it, and even if you do, you’re having far too much fun to end it. So why don’t you just beat the hell out of me and be done with it.” I rolled to my knees, then got to my feet. I faced the lieutenants, making little ‘bring it on’ motions with both my hands, curling the fingers toward myself back and forth. “Come on, you pathetic losers.”
“Leah,” I heard Jack say in a warning tone.
I looked Number One up and down, and then turned my disgusted gaze to Mr. Bones. “Tell me, do either of you have an original thought in your head? Or does it all come from Gabriel.”
“Leah, stop.” Jack raised his voice.
I didn’t look at him.
“What’s it like to be mindless puppets to a guy who has no use for you except as trained monkeys?” I stepped forward, my face tilted upward, challenging them both, looking from one to the other.
Number One glared down at me, fists balled. Mr. Bones wore a strange little grin. I wasn’t sure what his deal was. Clearly he’d taken the fun train out of town long ago.
“Christ, Leah. Stop.” Jack’s voice carried a plea.
“No,” I said. Being obedient wasn’t helping. Why should I stop? If I was going to get slapped around, I might as well really earn the beating.
Then a thought occurred to me. The only way to end this was to end it. I wasn’t playing Gabriel’s game anymore. I turned from the monkeys and walked over to the monitor, feeling a smile lift the corners of my mouth as Gabriel looked down at me, doubt on his face. I jumped as high as I could, aiming for the monitor, and spat at Gabriel’s face.
I heard the booming footsteps and laughed before I felt the knock to the back of my head. I saw stars bursting behind my eyes before I went down.
***
I awoke with my head pounding. My face was pressed against the cold floor. I lifted my head, wincing. A wave of nausea washed over me. A concussion. Lovely. Just in case I wasn’t having enough fun as it was. I looked up at the monitor. It was still on, but Gabriel wasn’t on it. Apparently he was busy with other fun and games at the moment. I turned toward the other monitor, the one Jack and Declan had been on. They were no longer in the bunker room. Both chairs were empty. Either they’d had escaped or they had been moved somewhere else.
I shoved thoughts of why they would’ve been moved from my head. Slowly pushing myself up, I scanned the room. Nobody was in there with me. Carefully I stood, gagging, and stopped for a moment, bent over, hands on my thighs. When the nausea subsided I moved slowly through the cabin until I was sure that there really was nobody in there with me. The cabin had one bedroom and a bathroom. That was it. I wasn’t about to get back down on the floor and look under the bed. But I was fairly certain I was alone.
So what? They’d locked me in the cabin until they decided to come back and finish me off?
I moved to the door and turned the knob, pulling the door open. A cold blast hit me. Snow was coming down heavily now and the wind whipped it directly into my face. But the door wasn’t locked. I frowned. What the hell? Was I free to go?
Sure I was. Gabriel knew I wouldn’t last long out there. And if I stayed, his two lieutenants, two at the very least, would be back for some fun.
Or maybe just Mr. Bones.
I’d take my chances outside in the elements.
I looked down at my socked feet. I hadn’t had shoes when we’d set out on this little adventure. They’d dragged me to the truck sans shoes. Perfect, I thought of the torn up feet of the women in the cult.
I wrapped my arms around myself, and started outside. I stopped for a few seconds as the world turned grey before my eyes. I swooned. Took several long, deep breaths until my vision cleared and I felt better.
If I ran down the road, they’d spot me eventually. I could run just inside the woods, paralleling the main road, and find my way back. Running would make me feel a little warmer, I hoped. I ran toward the woods, slowing every few feet as the world went fuzzy again.
Run a few feet, stop. Run a few feet, stop.
I swayed. Fell to my knees.
Nausea overtook me and I threw up in the snow even though there hadn’t been much in my belly to expel.
I took a few long breaths. Gathered some snow in my fingers and put it in my mouth, trying to get the taste out of my mouth.
A gunshot exploded. Whooping. Then another gunshot.
They’d been hiding, waiting outside the whole time. It was a hunting game.
I pushed myself up and I ran. Twigs, rocks and the freezing ground ripping into the socks I wore. Socks, which were too big and sliding off my feet anyway.
Barking. My heart froze. I turned to see an enormous mixed breed barreling across the road toward me.
If that dog got to me, it would be the end of either him or me, because it wouldn’t stop until it was killed, or I was.
I scanned the trees around me. There was one about twenty feet away with lower branches I could climb, if I could get to it in time.
Not turning around a second time, I ran toward the tree, hearing the dog’s breath come fast and ragged between barks. Somehow I made it to the tree and jumped at the branches, using my cut toes in the grooves of the bark to push myself up. The dog grabbed my ankle and bit down, razor sharp teeth tearing into me. Sharp, clear agony sang up my leg. I screamed and used the other foot to stomp down hard on its nose. It didn’t let go, but it loosened its grip on me long enough that I could tear my ankle out of its mouth. The pain felt raw and I thought I might throw up again, but I kept moving up into the tree.
I didn’t think, I just moved. I’d puke on the go if I had to. I pulled and pushed until I was high enough up into the tree that the dog couldn’t reach me. I was lucky. The branches were strong and thick, and I’d come up on one which had limbs that forked out. I moved over to it and hung my torso over it, hanging on tightly.
The dog was barking at the bottom of the tree, jumping at it in a frenzy. His bark was a high pitched whine. His bloodlust for me wouldn’t stop until he’d torn my throat out. His goal was clear.
His ears were shorn back. A sign that he’d been used as a fighting dog. Killing was all he’d ever known, and I was certain that Gabriel hadn’t rescued him from that fate. He’d thrown him into it. My heart sank as I thought of the other dogs on the ranch. There could be big money made in dog fighting. Just like in baby selling.
I gritted my teeth and looked down at the two main lieutenants catching up to the dog. They were laughing.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. I’d tear their throat out just as the dog jumping at the tree I was in would tear out mine, if it got to me.
I heard an engine in the distance and hope glimmered in my chest. But then, the car could mean more members, in which case I was royally fucked.
As the beam of the headlights grew larger, my heart leapt. A cop car. What were the odds?
I screamed bloody murder, my voice high and hysterical, rising over the tree tops and filling the wintery night air. I screamed like a crazy woman. I didn’t know if the cop would hear me, but I was sure as hell going to try.
***
The beam of the headlights shone over us, lighting us clearly. I hadn’t gotten far into the woods. I hadn’t had time. So if the cop was paying attention, he’d see the little situation occurring off the side of the road. I hoped he hadn’t been playing with his radio at the time the beam of the headlights shone over us.
The cruiser pulled off to the side of the road and stopped. I almost cried. He left his headlights on and the cop car running. I prayed that he was calling for back-up.
“Aw shit,” Number One said. “This isn’t good.”
“Yeah, this isn’t exactly a boys will be boys situation here is it, fellas,” I shouted down at them. What were they going to do now, shoot up at me with a cop approaching? I felt like laughing out loud, but I didn’t want to push my luck.
I saw his figure emerge from the car. �
��You two, come over here.”
Mr. Bones had the dog by the collar, but the dog was lunging into the air, straining against the collar to get to the cop.
Neither lieutenant moved.
Okay, this was bad.
“Over here! Both of you! Now!” The cop shouted.
“How about you walk your ass over here?” Number One said, and though I couldn’t see his face in the dark, I could hear the smirk in his tone.
Oh, shit.
“Get in your car and call for back-up!” I screamed.
The cop began a slow walk over to us.
“Get back in your car!” I screamed at him again. “They will kill you!”
His eyes flicked to me, but he must’ve thought he could handle it, because he wasn’t making a move to get back to his car.
He had his gun drawn, arms straight forward. “I’m not fooling around with you two.”
I could see that he was a young man. Probably hadn’t been on the force for long. He was cocky, and wanted to prove a point.
“They will kill you,” I called down to him. I wanted to plead with him to call for back-up, but by then I knew that it was too late. He was too close, and if he turned his back now they would shoot him through it.
The cop saw the look in the dog’s eye, and must’ve seen the same look in the eyes of Gabriel’s lieutenants, because he stopped a few feet away from them, assessing the situation. There was a long moment of silence, and uncertainty moved across the young cop’s face. At that moment it was clear on his face that he realized that he was in over his head. But there was nothing he could do now except move forward and hope for the best. Showing weakness would be bad for him. He opened his mouth to speak just as Mr. Bones let his dog go. The dog let out a hungry snarl as he lunged at the cop. The cop pointed the gun at the dog and shot him.
This gave both lieutenants enough time to spray the young cop with bullets while he was distracted with the dog.
They laughed as the cop’s body jerked around as he fell to the snow.
I squeezed my eyes shut, moaning deep in my throat.
If I gave up now, I was done. They would climb up and pull me down, and Christ knew what they’d do to me if they got me. I had a feeling I’d be wishing they’d have killed me first.
I looked down at them. I had one chance. They were both facing the dying cop. Not me.
I moved and aimed myself as well as I could and dropped down.
I landed on top of Number One and took him down. He fell, a startled shout escaping his lips. His gun fell from his hand and I scrambled off him and grabbed it. He came at me and I shot him in the face. He fell backward, making a shush sound as his body fell in the snow.
I pointed the gun at Mr. Bones. He looked down at Number One, then me, and smiled widely.
He pursed his lips, his eyes going dead, and made a long, wet sucking sound.
Wild fear skittered over me as I stood, frozen, unable to move. I’d never seen anything so utterly creepy.
I watched his face as a he came back to himself and a murderous light filled his eyes. He wouldn’t kill me right away. He’d disable me and then hurt me badly, for a long, long time before finally killing me.
He raised his gun, aiming for my leg, and I shot him in the chest, then in the throat.
I didn’t wait to see him fall. I ran on torn feet toward the cop car, which was still running, headlights on.
When I got to the car, I sat in it, pressed the door lock button and grabbed the radio. I called for the help that should’ve been here for the young cop that was now lying dead in the cold, snow falling all around him.
Chapter Seven
It didn’t take long for the police to get there. I don’t think I waited longer than ten minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. I sat in that car with the doors locked, jumpy as hell and looking all around me, trying to look everywhere at once. There were a lot of disciples in Gabriel’s ‘family’, and if any one of them had shown up and wanted to get me out of that cop car, they could’ve. And truth be told, I didn’t have much fight left in me. I was sure my feet were torn to the point of serious scarring, and most likely frost bitten as well. I was in no shape to dance that particular dance any more this night.
I told them the truth. They got me an ambulance, but I wanted to make sure that Jack and Declan were okay before I went anywhere. They sent several cars to the compound. When Jack finally got on the police radio to let me know they were fine, I finally agreed to let them take me to the hospital.
“I’ll meet you there, Kicks, as soon as we’re done talking to the police. I promise.” Jack always kept his promises.
“Okay.” My voice sounded like that of a little girl. Suddenly I just wanted to cry. I wanted to hide my face in Callahan’s neck and just sob.
“There’s somebody else here, too, who wants to see you in the worst way.”
“Who?” I was so not in the mood for visiting.
“Hey baby,” Callahan said over the radio. “I’ll be there too, just as soon as we’re done.”
“Cal? What are you doing there?” I was alarmed, but so happy to hear his voice.
“Lucas told me where you were. He was getting worried. He’s here too.”
“Wow. Everyone showed up, should’ve baked a cake.” I was feeling, understandably, a little punchy.
“Yeah, Callahan kind of busted up the party. You would’ve sworn he was Dirty Harry, guns blazing and all. We’ll tell you all about it at the hospital, Kicks,” Jack said. “Go get looked at.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t hide the relief in my voice. I didn’t want to. Then I remembered Pango. “Jack?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s a dog there, big rottie girl. Her name’s Pango. I want her. She’s in a structure not far from the compound, off the trail. There’s a big, fenced in area. Call her name, she’ll come. Would you bring her to my house, please? Or have Callahan do it?”
There was a long pause. “A female Rottweiler?”
“Her name is Pango. Don’t leave there without her, okay? Please?”
“Okay, Kicks. We’ll find her and bring her home.”
I passed out in the ambulance. Woke up briefly in the hospital but kept drifting in and out again. They said I was in shock and suffered from exhaustion. Yeah; being drugged, beat up, and then chased up a tree by a vicious dog and two cult members would do that to you.
I went between feeling numb and swallowing back tears, and I wondered if part of it was having been drugged. I didn’t know what they gave me, but whatever it was, it did a job on me. I’d have the hospital do blood tests to determine what the drugs were, but I was pretty sure it was some kind of date rape drug.
I fell asleep again while they were cleaning and wrapping my feet. Somebody said I was lucky. There was no frost bite. But the cuts were bad enough that I got a tetanus shot, and they put me in bed.
The next time I awoke, I knew it was the middle of the night. Callahan slept in one chair, Jack slept in the other. Looking at them both, my heart swelled, and a lump rose in my throat. I didn’t know how I’d gotten to be so lucky.
I lay awake for at least five minutes this time before I was out again.
Somebody was grabbing my arm. I sat up swinging, gritting my teeth.
“Leah! Leah!”
I opened my eyes. Jack and Callahan both stood over my left side. A nurse was to my right, blood pressure cuff in one hand, the other hand covering her cheek.
“Oh, no.” My mouth was sandpaper dry. “Did I hit you? I’m so sorry.”
She nodded her head. “It’s okay. Not the first time. Is it safe to put this on your arm now?” She lifted the cuff.
“Sure.” I lifted my arm to her.
Within moments she was gone.
“Are you going to be awake for more than five minutes this time? Or are you going out on us again?” Jack grinned.
“I can’t help it. It’s the company I keep.” I smiled crookedly. It took effort, everything took effor
t.
Callahan looked at Jack, mock shock on his face. “Is she calling us boring?”
Jack nodded. “I do believe she is.”
“Yeah. I haven’t had enough excitement. Bring it on. I’m raring to go.”
“Uh uh.” Callahan leaned down and kissed my forehead. “You scared me, baby.”
“I know. I keep doing that.” I sighed. “Sorry.”
“I know.” Callahan grinned. “But you’re done scaring me for a little while at least, right?”
“At least a few hours. Yes.”
“Well,” he said. “Thank God for small favors.”
It was comedy hour. Everyone was so damned happy to be alive. “So what happened?”
“Lucas told me where you were,” Callahan said. “He said that things weren’t looking good. He thought Jack could use a hand.”
“Agh,” Jack waved a hand. “I had it completely under control.”
“Yeah. Completely,” I said. “I saw that.”
The humor helped us diffuse a little of the horror we were feeling in the aftermath of the terror we’d experienced. We did the same thing every time.
“Where is Declan?” I said, noticing that he was missing from the room.
“Still with the cops,” Jack said. “Answering questions.” He leaned back in the chair, stretching his long legs before him, one ankle crossed over the other. “You know, Cal really did come in guns blazing. Just shot his way through the door.”
Callahan smiled. “It was kind of fun, really.”
“Beats watching game shows, doesn’t it?” Jack said.
I frowned. “Wait. Gabriel didn’t say anything? Didn’t have his minions shoot you on the spot?”
Jack and Callahan looked at each other, then at the floor.
“Guys. What?” Shit. I knew it wasn’t good.
“Gabriel wasn’t there, Leah.” Jack said.
“What?” Cold fingers clutched at my heart.
Callahan shook his head. “He was nowhere to be found. There were cult members there, but they just stepped aside. The two that were beating up on Jack and Declan backed off after I shot one of them in the leg.”