by HJ Lawson
It's nice to meet a fan of my work. “Thank you.”
“It’s a shame it has to end this way,” he says, and I almost believe him.
Junayd begins to walk backwards and forwards, as the soldiers stand waiting for his next instructions.
Then he stops walking. “You will die here… from the bomb you dropped.”
I nod up and down. “Sounds fair.”
Chapter 48
My Nightmare Returns.
JADA
The gunfire ceases. Tension fills the room as we wait to see who is going to make the next move. I don’t want to raise my head—then my fears will be proven.
“Drop your gun,” Mansur orders. I open my hand and let it fall out onto the ground. By the number of boots behind Mansur’s, we are outnumbered.
“Stand,” he orders, but I don’t move. “I said stand!” he yells louder.
Terror washes over me… is this a horrible nightmare? I slowly rise to my feet with my head still low. Mansur moves his face closer to mine, then he pushes up my chin. Our eyes lock with one another. The blackness of his pupils dilates, as though he is possessed. This is not a dream… it is him.
Mansur takes a step back in surprise, and lets out a twisted laugh. “Jada, is that you?”
I can feel everyone's eyes on me. Gérard’s are burning into the back of my head.
“Speak!” Mansur shouts.
“Leave her alone,” Gérard yells. A clicking sound rings out from the soldiers' guns as they raise and point them toward Gérard.
“You two drop your guns,” Mansur orders. I hear more soldiers entering the room from all directions. I don’t want to look up.
I hear Ali’s gun drop to the ground behind me.
“And yours,” Mansur says to Gérard. He drops his as well… we are surrounded.
“Sorry about that. Jada, where were we?” he says, like we are just friends chatting. Except last time we met, I shot him.
“I knew we’d meet again. Didn’t realize it’d be today, of all days.”
I cannot look him in the face, not after what he did—the animal that he is.
Mansur reaches down toward me and brushes his hand across my face, removing the chalk dust from my cheeks. He reaches over and grabs hold of my chin, to take a better look at me.
“Fucking leave her alone!” Gérard yells.
“Restrain him,” Mansur orders. The soldier moves away from Mansur and heads over to Gérard.
“Leave him alone,” I yell out, as I rise up in front of him.
“You replaced Zak for an older model?” Mansur laughs.
“Mansur, why are you doing this?” I beg.
Mansur laughs loudly, like the devil himself is here enjoying the show.
“Arh, Jada it is you... Why am I doing this? You dumb girl. It’s finally time to rid the planet of waste like you,” Mansur says, looking at me with disgust.
“Just kill me already. You know you’ve wanted to since the day I shot you. Wish I had bloody killed you,” I snap.
“Jada!” Gérard yells, as I hear him fighting with the soldiers.
Mansur’s fist launches into my stomach with all his force. I clench up my ab muscles tightly as Makio taught me, stopping his fist from injuring me. But the blow makes me take a step back.
From the corner of my eye I see the soldiers moving toward Gérard. “Leave her alone,” Gérard yells out.
“Get off her!” Ali shouts.
A swooshing, then a cracking sound, follows. I know they’ve hit Gérard with the gun… Ali will be next. Gérard is silent—they knocked him out. I cannot turn around. I lock my eyes onto Mansur’s… I’m ready for a fight.
Mansur looks angry and puzzled. “Have you been in training?”
“Every day. This time I will kill you.” I spit in his face, and follow up with a right hook to the chin. Then another one to the left, then a second right hook. I move quickly with each punch, not giving him time to react. Moisture hits my face; it’s blood from his lip.
Mansur takes a step back, then spits blood and mucus to the ground.
“You really want to do this?” he asks, smiling as though his father finally gave him the gift he wanted.
I wave my hands toward him, and Mansur drops the gun.
“Jada, no! Don’t do this,” Ali pleads. He tries to move closer to me, but he’s unable to with the soldiers holding him back.
“When I am finished with Jada, I will take care of you,” Mansur says to Ali.
“Get off me!” Ali screams out, as he tries to fight with the soldiers.
Mansur swings his fist toward me; he's slower than I thought he would be. I instantly duck out of the way and he misses. I step back out of the line of fire.
The devil takes over in Mansur, and his eyes fill with rage.
“Get her, Mansur!” one of the soldiers yells, egging him on. There's a crowd watching me dance around each of his punches.
“Arh!” he screams as he runs toward me. His body slams into mine, knocking me to the ground. All he has is his body strength.
I cannot stay down… Remember the grappling moves Makio taught me, I tell myself.
Mansur comes at me, ready to pin me to the ground, I kick my leg up, and my boot lands squarely into his manhood.
His face looks like I just ripped his insides from him. I leap to my feet as Mansur doubles over in pain.
I take another swing and connect with Mansur’s jaw again.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I taunt him.
As I gloat at my prey, Mansur’s fist connects with my jaw, sending me sideways. I push my body against the office wall. He quickly follows through with another shot. I can faintly hear Ali pleading for him to stop.
One punch after another lands on my face, knocking me left to right. I let my childish ego get in the way. Makio always said it was my downfall, and he was right.
But my strength is never giving up. I taste sweet blood as it fills my mouth.
Now it’s Mansur’s turn to taste some blood. Anger fills my veins… it's as though there are only two of us in the room, each fighting for our lives. I drop down to the ground as if I’m surrendering, and reach for a part of the fallen concrete wall.
“Not so brave, are you now, little girl? It's a shame I have to take to you alive to Abulafia, and in one piece.” He laughs.
Abulafia?
As his head is tilted backwards with his mouth wide open, I struggle to stand and, with all my strength, I take a brick from the ground and smash it across his face, knocking out his teeth.
He tries to push me off him, but I keep swinging away. Now he is pinned up against the wall with nowhere to run.
He wraps his hands around my neck and begins to squeeze tightly. I drop the brick and try to peel his fingers away from my neck. Mansur spits fragments of tooth and blood into my face.
I knocked half his teeth out, and ripped his cheeks apart, and he is dripping with blood. Good.
Focus on the next move… always be two steps ahead, Makio’s voice plays through my mind.
Focus… Focus. I tell myself. I know I will pass out soon.
My legs buckle beneath me, making us both drop to the ground. Mansur is getting weaker, but his grip is still strong. I start to choke as I struggle to breathe.
I reach down for my ankle gun, but I’m not quick enough. A tin sound fills my ears… the cubicle walls begin to move sideways.
I plunge into a pit of darkness.
Chapter 49
Run Away Rodents.
ANNABEL
I recoil in shock. The smoking gun falls to the ground, almost as if in slow motion.
That just happened. I just shot Troy.
His head slumps sideways, and his eyes roll back in his head as his legs buckle… crashing him to the ground. Jamie’s cries ring out, and she is covered in his blood.
I killed him.
My mind feels like it’s drunk, blurring in and out of focus. I feel a hand on my arm, pushing me toward th
e door. It’s Brandon.
With my body following his lead we go through the lobby. People are staring at us… I’m going to jail, and then hell. I should have stayed in the sewer.
Brandon leads me down the stairs, away from the prying eyes. I can feel their eyes burning into the back of my head, eating away at my soul.
“Annabel, wait here,” he says as he lets go of my arm and exits the building. He returns a few moments later. “Come this way… we’ll be safe.”
Safe. Ha! Will we ever be safe again?
We walk in silence, and I answer my own question. No, I will never be safe again. Then I hear the sounds of motor bike engines. It’s Big Red and his men.
The engines roar louder as they speed up to us.
Snapping out of my daze, I run for dear life away from the sound, in and out of the parked cars… but I know I cannot outrun them.
Bang… bang.
I duck to the ground, placing my hand over my head to protect myself from the bullets.
The gunfire goes off once again. This time it's even closer. I look up toward the sound and see it's Brandon.
He must’ve picked up the gun. And he’s firing it at Big Red.
I spring to my feet to see that only Big Red is on his bike; Brandon shot the two other prisoners. Their bikes are lying on the ground next to their bodies, and we need a bike. It's our only way out of here.
“Cover me,” I say to Brandon, as I run toward the cycles.
Big Red rides toward me. He’s going to try to run me down, and we are so close I can see the sweat dripping down his face and veins popping in his neck.
I dart sideways into a tiny space between the cars. Brandon fires another shot at Big Red, as I quickly pick up the bike. It's heavier than my old one, but that doesn’t matter—I can ride anything.
I squeeze the clutch and press the starter button with my thumb. I ride quickly up the sidewalk and away from the parked cars. I can move faster this way. Big Red sees what I’m doing and tries to follow.
The wind blows through my hair, as I fly along the sidewalk toward Brandon. He jumps onto a car hood, next to the sidewalk, and leaps onto the seat behind me.
I rev the engine, and we speed along with Big Red hot on our heels.
“Go through Central Park,” Brandon shouts.
I jump off the sidewalk, weaving in and out of the cars. The park is empty… no horses and carts, no people laughing, no kids playing. Just the summer flies dancing in the park lights. Even the homeless have found a way to be inside, away from the radiation, which must be in my lungs now. It will not be long until we are sick.
I speed through the park, Big Red hot on our tail, with no car obstacles in the way. He is gaining ground on us quickly… his bike is faster than ours.
We fly into a tunnel, with the headlights leading the way. It's just like the ones we left.
By the sound of his engine he’s right behind us… I quickly glance over my shoulder and can see his angry red face. He will not stop until he gets me.
“Shoot him!” I scream to Brandon.
He turns around and fires the gun toward Big Red.
Big Red quickly swerves his bike out of the way… this is not the first time he’s been shot at.
“Again,” I yell. I want him out of my life, forever.
I can feel Brandon moving his arm out to fire, but nothing happens.
“Shoot him!” I shout.
“There aren’t any bullets left!”
Big Red just laughs as he speeds up closer to us. My bike will not move any faster; there is no point in trying to lose him in here. We have to get back on the roads.
We are nearly there. I can see the exit ahead of me… and people, lots of people in uniform. They came… it’s the army. They didn’t leave us.
I speed toward them. “Faster, Annabel,” Brandon yells as he moves sideways, nearly taking the bike and me with him.
Then I see why—it’s Big Red, and he’s trying to pull Brandon from the bike.
“Fuck off!” I scream.
Big Red just roars with laughter. “Never, little girl!” His arm reaches out to grab me. I weave once again, but this time back toward the exit.
“Help me!” I scream at the solider and police officers, as they stand there with their gas masks on. They look like they are waiting for their orders.
“Help us!” Brandon yells louder. This gets their attention.
Big Red looks over at them and reaches out for my arm.
I don’t move in time. With all his force, he rips me off the bike and my body flies over the handle bars.
My skin burns as I roll across the ground, bouncing and slamming down. I try to put my arms out to stop myself, but all it does is take more layers of skin off my hands.
My body crashes onto the pavement with a thump, and each bone feels like it's broken into thousands of pieces. My bike crashes to the ground, taking Brandon with it.
Big Red jumps off his bike and charges toward me… “You better be worth the trouble,” he says as he gets closer.
Oh God, no... He’s going to take me back with him.
“The boys are going to have fun with you,” he laughs, sneering.
“Step away from the girl!” a voice says from behind me.
“She’s mine!” Big Red snarls.
“Help me!” I cry.
“She’s mine!” Big Red repeats, spit flying from his mouth. He already knows he’s lost.
One of the soldiers holds his gun up toward Big Red.
“She is coming with us!”
Big Red has no choice and he knows it.
“This isn’t over, Annabel! I will get you, you little bitch!”
Then he mounts his bike and rides away. Run back to the sewers, you filthy rodent!
I turn to Brandon and my rescuers and let out a big breath.
Chapter 50
Salvations in Darkness.
JADA
“Mansur, what the hell?” a voice mumbles in the darkness. A voice I know.
Sniff… “I have a present for Abulafia.”
My head feels like it's floating in a dream.
“They know Abulafia?”
I can barely make out Gérard’s voice. “Leave her alone.”
I can hear fighting. I want to scream out, but my mouth will not open.
“No. It cannot be…” The voice sounds confused, as my head begins to nod—but I’m not doing it. Someone else is.
“It's our present, Jada. Abulafia’s daughter.” A hand wipes across my face.
“Mansur. He wanted her alive. It's his bloody daughter!” the voice shouts.
I can feel the presence of someone moving closer to me. “If these soldiers weren’t here, we would kill you,” a voice whispers into my ear. It's Junayd.
Then, like my body, my mind shuts down and their voices turn into a blur. I feel as though I am floating again, as my body is being lifted off the ground. I let out a groan as something pushes into my stomach.
“There… there, Jada…” Hot breath flows into my ear, as Mansur’s voice enters my cloudy mind.
“What about them?” Junayd asks. Their voices sound as if they are in a tunnel.
“Take them downstairs and let them be with the other hostages. They can die together. Hurry up, though, the radiation will soon be here. We have to leave,” Mansur orders. His voice is deeper than the others… he is carrying me over his shoulder.
Wake up! Wake up! I tell myself. “No,” I groan out.
“Let me do the honors.” Junayd gets louder as he comes closer. “This is for my father.”
I plunge back into darkness… I hope I’m dead.
Chapter 51
Beautiful Daughter.
JADA
“What did you do to her?!” an older, gravelly voice asks.
“Abulafia, she was with the intruders. They attacked us,” Mansur replies, with a nervous tone. He is scared of the man he’s talking to. I want to open my eyes, to see the face that has th
is power over him. But I’m safer pretending to still be unconscious…
“Did you do this to her?” the low voice asks.
Silence follows.
“Answer me!” His voice makes my body jump, but I force myself to stay still or he will know I’m awake.
“Yes,” Mansur says.
“Leave now! I will deal with you later,” the man yells. The sounds of boots stomping on the ground, then of a door slamming, immediately follow his request.
Now silence… I want to hide in the darkness that my eyelids are creating.
I can hear the man moving closer to me, and a shadow appears as a hand reaches toward me.
His fingers softly brush my hair from my face. I can feel his hot breath on me, and the smells of coffee and cigarettes dance up my nose.
He stops moving his hand. I can feel him staring at me… willing me to open my eyes.
“Mia,” he murmurs.
My eyes flutter as he says my mother’s name. “We did create a beautiful daughter,” he continues.
My world caves in around me; he thinks I’m his daughter.
“I know you can hear me, Jada. Don’t be scared of me. I will not hurt you… I have spent the last sixteen years searching for you.” He pauses and strokes my hair.
“My men found you once in Syria; they took you to the hospital... It was too late for Mia.” His voices begins to shake, as though he cared for her.
“You disappeared before they could bring you home. But now you are home, Jada. I will not let anyone take you away from me again...”
Author's Note
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