by Darcy Town
Ravil covered her mouth and ran. Her eyes blurred with tears as her feet carried her out of the workshop. Emptiness opened up inside her as if she had been punctured. The color in her vision dulled, her skin prickled with numbness. She knew rationally that he didn’t understand what he had done, but she hurt with a pain she’d never experienced before.
She ran blindly. When could she stop? She looked back through the grass, was this far enough away? She couldn’t see the workshop anymore, she couldn’t see him anymore. Could she wait for him? Maybe try to explain once he had calmed down. She pulled at her hair. “Oh, Rake, I should have told you sooner. I’m—”
A bag went over her head. She screamed, but it was muffled. A hand covered her mouth. She kicked, but zip ties went around her ankles and wrists. She was carried to a car and dumped in the trunk. The engine started and the car took off. She screamed, but there was no one to hear her. She tried to call on the strings to jump away, but the pain of separation mixed with fear and confusion. She couldn’t think. She hyperventilated and passed out.
***
Rake crouched in the workshop, his knuckles against the ground. He was in tears, his body wracked with sobs. He had watched himself do this to her and he’d been unable to stop, and he’d enjoyed it. He scratched at his face. He wanted her still, again, more, endlessly. He was just as bad as the man that had killed Lara, preying on a child for pleasure. He gagged and pressed his forehead into the earth.
He looked over to where it had happened. What had happened to his self-control? Was he so animalistic, so filled with need after having gone without for so long? He should have listened to Katarina, blown of steam. He wiped his eyes, smearing mascara and eyeliner. Keto’s words filled his head. He was a child molester now, a pedophile. He didn’t even deserve to live. He screamed into the earth until he ran out of air.
Rake stared at the ground until rational thoughts returned. He sat up. Where had he sent her? Would she blindly run into the city? She would have run back to the house, wouldn’t she? But what if she’d met up with someone bad? She had no sense, no ability to read people and their intentions. He had to protect her. His thoughts turned to her safety. He jumped to his feet, and he took a step towards the exit.
Dead Lara grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?”
“I…I have to make sure she’s all right, not in danger.”
Dead Lara laughed. “Danger? You’re the biggest danger to her, you sicko, molesting kids to get off. You really just want to find her so you can finish what you started.”
His thoughts of saving her stopped dead in their tracks. He slumped against a half-built ship. Disgust returned along with shock. “How could I have done that to her?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t do worse, at least she’s still a virgin physically, though I think you’ve mentally scarred her for life. Good job, Rake. She thought you were her friend. She trusted you, Rake, but you’re just way too damaged to be any good for anyone.”
Rake dropped to his knees. “I know.”
Dead Lara pointed to a number of sharp metal objects. “Go kill yourself. It’s the only fit punishment for what you did.”
Rake got to his feet. He looked at where she pointed. “Rat’s going to kill me if I do this here.” He didn’t even laugh at his own words. He took a weak step in the direction she pointed.
Dead Lara grabbed his hair and pulled. “Don’t think about that, just do it, Rake. Rat will probably be glad. With you gone, Kat will stop being tormented.”
Rake stumbled and held his head. “She’s tormented? By what?”
Dead Lara sighed. “You need to commune with your unconscious a bit more, Rake. Come on, those spikes look good, nice and sharp. Let’s go.”
Rake looked at Dead Lara. “Isn’t that what you are?”
Dead Lara rolled her eyes. “You’re a stupid, ignorant fuck. Now go die, and let Ravil be free to make her own way without you bogging her down. You’ve outlived your usefulness and she’s too in over her own head to cast you off.”
Rake touched a metal spike. His depression had no bottom. He had no hope, no desire to redeem himself. “If you think that’s best.”
“I do. Come on, big jump in one, two—”
“Rake!” Oro knocked Rake to the side. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Rake blinked and Dead Lara disappeared. He looked up at Oro. “What?”
Oro grabbed him and gave him a shake. “You die, and she dies you idiot!”
“What?” Rake wiped his eyes. “Why are you here?”
“Where is Ravil?”
Rake gaped. “I don’t know, I ordered her to leave.”
“You what!” Oro got on his phone and called Tasanee. “Is Ravil back at the house?” He listened. “Rake ordered her away. I know and he was trying to kill himself. I know!” Oro glared at Rake. “She’s not back, Rake. What did you say exactly?”
Rake struggled to remember. “I told her to leave and not come within my sight ever again. It’s for her protection.” He closed his eyes. “Oro, I did something terrible.”
Oro sat on Rake’s chest. “Yes you did, sending her away, you stupid fuck! Didn’t she tell you anything?”
“She kept trying to say something. Was it important?”
Oro looked as though he was going to crush the phone. He spoke into it, “Are you hearing this, Rat? Good.” Oro pointed his finger in Rake’s face. “You need to know two things right now, one you kill yourself and she dies, got it?”
“No. What?”
“Two, she can’t be away from you, she has, uhm…this bond to you and it’s hard for her to be away from you. She’ll get sick if she’s away from you.”
“She can’t be near me, Oro. I tried to…” Rake slammed his head into the ground. “Keto and Danny were right, I’m damaged, Oro.”
Oro slapped Rake across the face. He jumped off Rake and hauled him to his feet. He barked into the phone, “Rat, keep an eye out for her. I’m bringing him in.” He hung up the phone. “What did you do?”
Rake stared at his feet. “I don’t want to say.”
“Did you two have sex? Because that is fine.”
“No.”
“Did you touch her?”
“We kissed, but nothing under the clothes.”
“Did she say no? Did she run? Did she hit you? Was she coerced? Did you threaten her? Did you hurt her? Did you verbally abuse her?”
“No.”
“Then shut the fuck up, you stupid fucker! She’s not a kid, she’s a young woman, and she can make her own decisions.” Oro led him towards the exit
Rake followed him. “She is too a kid.”
Oro set his jaw, not willing to get into this argument right at that moment. He left the hard packed earth of Rat’s workshop and stalked into the grass. “Look, do not say a fucking word to Danny and Keto all right?”
“Hmm?” Rake looked into the grass and saw movement.
Oro talked on, unaware, “Your misconceptions and theirs are going to blow this thing into something way bigger than it is, so just keep your mouth shut.”
“Blow what thing bigger?” Danny blocked the path. He looked at Rake. “What did you do to Ravil?”
Rake’s eyes were haunted. “I...”
Danny’s breath was a hiss. “Did you try and hurt her, Rake? Will I have to deal with another strangled girl?”
Rake came out of his miasma. “No! I wouldn’t do that to her!”
Danny looked at Rake’s face. “What did you do?”
Oro glared at him. “You followed me?”
Danny nodded. “Of course, I figured you were in on something.” He set his jaw. “So whatever happened to her is on you too, Oro.”
Oro glared at them. “Nothing happened.”
Danny looked past Oro to Rake. “Is that true Rake, nothing happened?”
Rake stared at his feet and said nothing.
“That’s what I thought.” Danny ground his teeth. He stepped past Oro and grabbed
Rake’s wrist. The three hurried back to the house. Danny ran up the porch, opened the door, and pushed Rake and Oro inside the house. Rake fell to his knees in the foyer.
Katarina, Tasanee, and Evgeniy waited on the stairs. Tasanee looked apologetic. “I didn’t know they were coming, Oro. Sorry.”
Oro looked around. “They?”
Danny grabbed a pair of handcuffs and chained Rake to the banister. “Keto nabbed Ravil earlier. It’s a good thing or you would have run into her first. He’s taking her to the airport with Theo. Rake, you’re not going to follow.”
Rake nodded, not putting up a fight.
Oro snarled. “Call him and get him back here!”
Danny folded his arms. “No.”
Oro opened his phone. Danny grabbed it and threw it into the wall, breaking it in two. “No more games. No more fucking around! She’s leaving and not coming back!”
Tasanee jumped to her feet. “You can’t do that to her!”
Danny stalked into the kitchen. “Yes I can, and I have.”
Rake blinked and looked around. “Where is she?”
Danny came back out with a wet washcloth. He mopped Rake’s face. “She’s going to be safe, Rake. Away from you, far away from you.”
Rake nodded and dropped his head. “Good, she never should see me again. I should never see her.”
Oro and Tasanee went red in the face. Oro punched a wall. “Not fucking good! Not fucking good at all! You’re going to kill her!”
Katarina sat by Rake’s side and put an arm around him. She looked at Danny. “Can’t we keep him in his room? Does he have to stay right here like a prisoner?”
“He is a prisoner until we get her away and figure out what happened.” Danny glared at Rake. “If you...” He couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Rake leaned his head on Katarina’s shoulder and spoke softly, “You were right, Kat. I did have needs. I should have been with you when you offered.”
Tasanee set her jaw. “What?”
Katarina didn’t look at Tasanee. She brushed Rake’s hair back. “Did you hurt her?”
“I don’t know.” Rake let her hold him. “I don’t know if what I did hurt her.” He gagged. “I couldn’t look at her after.”
Danny and Katarina looked ill. Tasanee stared at Katarina. Oro paced. Evgeniy looked between them. “I am confused. Little girl comes as girl, but she wakes up woman. Why is what Rake does problem? She is short, but she is not child. No one at party thought she was child. If she happy is with Rake and she was, what is issue?”
Katarina glared at him. “This isn’t Russia, Czar! We have something called an age of consent. I don’t care if she were to look twenty-five, she isn’t twenty-five!”
“But she is not child either. I look up definition in book.”
Katarina hissed at him. “Regardless, she’s a minor.”
Evgeniy frowned. “To whom? This city has no such law.”
“Later, Czar.” Danny looked between the Oro and Tasanee. “I want explanations from both of you about what the fuck you were thinking!”
Tasanee tore her gaze from Katarina. “No.”
Oro nodded. “Double no.”
Danny pointed at Oro. “That’s an order, Oro.”
Tasanee stood up. “If you hadn’t gotten all fascist in the first place none of this would have happened, so I’m changing my answer to a fuck no and fuck you. Rake is not at fault for anything and Ravil shouldn’t be punished either.” She jumped down the stairs. “I am going to the airport.”
Katarina stood up. “Don’t! Don’t you care about Rake?”
“You’re doing enough of that for all of us, Kat.” Tasanee spat. “Someone has to start caring about Ravil.” She stomped out of the house.
Oro rubbed his temples. “Why couldn’t Keto do it alone? Why’d you get Theo involved in this?”
Danny glowered. “Czar refused to go.”
Evgeniy looked apologetic. “Sorry Oro, I could not participate in kidnap. Theo does not know details. Keto lied and had her in car before he got him.”
Katarina stared at the door Tasanee had walked through. “I would have gone.”
Oro sneered. “Yeah Kat, we know you would have.”
“Can you all just shut up?” Rake rubbed his eyes. “Can I have some water? My mouth is tingling like crazy.”
***
Ravil kicked and squirmed, but she couldn’t move. Half of her body had gone numb including her hands. She tried to chew through the bag, the car bounced and she bit her lip. She screamed for Rake, but the rumble of the car engine overwhelmed the sound.
She couldn’t feel the strings. She couldn’t jump away. It was as if her talent had been severed in her nerves. Her insides clenched in agony. The distance wasn’t causing it, but the realization she wouldn’t see Rake again was, and she couldn’t do anything about that. Her pilot had ordered her away. Everything was wrong now, nothing was right.
The car slammed on its brakes. Ravil smacked her head into the side of the trunk, she saw stars. There were indistinct shouts, breaking glass. She plastered herself to the bottom of the trunk. Gunfire popped, bullets tore through the car. Someone screamed.
There was silence.
Ravil panted, breathing hard in fear.
Footsteps neared, feet crunched across glass and metal. The trunk popped open. Gloved hands pulled her out. Ravil screamed. A Thai man punched her in the face and she went unconscious.
***
Mica came awake at the sound of gunfire, he stared into a blindfold. His body hurt, his hands were tied behind his back, a gag rested between his lips. He knew by the smell of oil and rubber that he was in a car, prisoner. He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten there. He jerked as the trunk opened from the outside. Mica rubbed his face against the carpeted interior, moving the blindfold enough to see a crack of light.
One of Virote’s men smiled down at him. “Getting a little company, Micale.”
Mica chewed on the gag, wanting at least to get a word off. He saw movement and frowned. Ravil landed on top of him in a limp unconscious heap. The trunk slammed shut and the pair were left in darkness. The engine rumbled into life and the car sped off.
Mica twisted his wrists, working at the ties that bound his hands together. He really hoped that whoever they’d killed to get Ravil, it wasn’t Rake. If anyone was going to save his ass in this situation, it would be Rake. He groaned. Admitting that meant he was in a bad spot.
***
Kennedy, Lincoln, and Marx stood on the street across from Danny’s apartment building. Marx and Lincoln eyed Kennedy. The shorter Hunter glared at the house, willing it to tell him something. He let out an aggravated sigh. “We should break in and interrogate.”
Lincoln nodded, but was not pleased. “You cannot tell what floor?”
Kennedy closed his eyes. “No, just fuzzy feeling that surrounds the house.”
“So we cannot kill anyone inside.”
Marx shrugged. “I know what the subject looks like.”
Lincoln frowned. “What if his appearance has changed? If the blood has changed, who knows what else has.”
Squealing tires caught their attention. They backed into the shadows of the houses they stood in front of.
Three cars raced down the street, black and unmarked, windows tinted. They stopped in front of Danny’s house. Men piled out with weapons in hand.
Lincoln made a face. “This is not the best timing.”
Kennedy hopped from foot to foot. “We attack?”
Lincoln cracked his knuckles. “They are encroaching on our prey.”
Marx smiled. “A territory dispute.”
Lincoln nodded. “Perhaps we wait to see which one they are after. If not ours they can have their prey, if ours, we battle.”
They turned to the cars and waited.
Men fanned out with guns drawn. A well-dressed and rotund man got out of the last car and polished his nails on his shirt. He pulled out a megaphone and flipped it on.
“I’m just here for Rake, Danny, so send him on out and the rest of your children stay alive.”
There was silence from the house.
Virote sighed. “I’ve had people watching this place. I know he’s in there, you marched him through the door twenty minutes ago.”
Lincoln frowned and looked to Kennedy. Kennedy disappeared into the weeds to kill whoever had been watching the place.
***
Danny slid open an upper story window and kept himself covered. He shouted down at the men below, “Rake’s ill, Virote. What do you want him for?”
Virote smiled. “He took something that was mine.”
“The girl isn’t here.”
“Oh, I know.” Virote smiled.
Danny’s blood ran cold, but he didn’t let it show in his voice. “Then why are you here?”
Virote shook his head. “This isn’t just about the little virgin anymore. He killed my men and my nephew.”
Danny swore under his breath.
Virote nodded. “Yes, personal. Now send him out before I lose my temper.”
Danny leaned back inside. Evgeniy, Oro, and Katarina sat in upper story windows with guns drawn. Rake remained downstairs chained to the banister. Danny looked back out. “Are you going to kill him?”
Virote shrugged. “After a time.”
“And the girl?”
“After a time.”
“Christ.” Danny swallowed hard. He looked at the weapons below. The firepower on the street was enough to bring down the entire building.
The front door opened. Danny, Katarina, Evgeniy, and Oro looked out their windows in horror. Rake had his hands up. Danny yelled, “Rake! Get back inside!”
Rake still had one handcuff hanging from his wrist. His eyes were filled with a vague hopelessness. He knew karma was going to come for him. All in all this was pretty fast justice in his opinion. He eyed Virote. “Here I am.”
Virote smiled. “Rake, always so reasonable at first appearance.”
Rake smiled without mirth. “Yes, that’s me.”
Virote frowned. “But always deceptive in the end. A good trait, Rake.”
Rake shrugged. “It runs in my family.”
One of the men neared. “Keep your hands up.”