by Brook Greene
“Oh no, now we can't do that, now can we?” I peer around Leo’s arm to see a man that is dressed in tattered fatigues, a semi automatic gun slung around his shoulder. He has a beret sitting on his head slightly hanging to the side, and a black scarf tied around his neck.
Leo turns his head to me, ‘Avery go inside and lock the doors.” His hushed tone sends prickles of goose flesh over me.
“No Leo, I want leave you.” My knuckles have gone white as I grip his shirt in my hands.
“Avery, for once, please do as I ask.” He grits out of his clenched jaw.
I don’t get the chance to move an inch before there is something cold pressed to my temple, ‘I told you Leo, she is part of the deal now.” The leader laughs.
I feel as I am jerked backwards, nearly ripping Leo’s shirt from his body. I try to balance on my heels but the vice grip that is jerking me back is attached to a hard chest that my shoulder backs up against. Once again I find my feet and then I am greeted by hot breath on my neck.
I hear a scream and turn to the door to see Beeker and Kayla being drug out of the shop. Beeker has a gun to his back and the man has a hand full of Kayla’s hair. She is putting up quit a fight but to no avail she is thrust down into the gravel on her bare knees, the crunching sound rolls my stomach.
The leader has closed the distance to Leo and is in his face, ‘we have been on to you and your men for awhile now. We have just been waiting until you were alone to make a move.” He raises his gun and crashes the butt of it into Leo’s jaw. His big body crumples to the ground with the soundtrack of me screaming.
Leo’s limp body is hauled away to a waiting blacked out SUV. I try to run to him but the man’s death grip on me prevents it, ‘where are you taking him?”
His sickly sweet breath is at my ear, ‘not for you to worry about,’ he wrenches me to the second SUV. Throwing me into the back seat he leans up to the driver, ‘follow them.” He instructs pointing in the direction of the SUV containing Leo. As we pull away I look back and watch in horror as Beeker and Kayla are hauled away behind the shop.
I feel the sting of tears rolling down my cheek, ‘what are they going to do to them?” I nervously inquire about my two friends.
He throws his arm around me tugging me in close, ‘that is none of your concern sweetie.” I throw my shoulder back trying to get out of his grasp, ‘now Avery, what is this?” His face looks shocked that I don’t want him touching me.
“Keep your fucking hands off me.” My face is screwed up with anger.
“You are not in any position to be giving orders little girl.” He has taken my checks into his fingers and is mussing up my lips to a pucker. I fear for a second he is going to try and kiss me, pulling at his wrist to let my face go he continues, ‘your boy Leo is in a whole shit storm of trouble. I thought Max was going to shit when he found out he and his boys were undercover DEA.”
My face must have been awash of distress, ‘what? Oh you didn’t know?” He sits back into the seat hauling me into him, ‘interesting, just think this whole time you have been fucking him while he has lied to your face about what he truly is.” His laughter fills the cabin, ‘this is a nice turn of events,’ I feel a slight pressure to my exposed neck, ‘but right now you go to sleep.”
I fight hard to keep my lids from falling shut, as my eyes blur but before they completely shut. I watch as the man discards a hypodermic needle out the window of the SUV.
I try to swallow but my mouth is so dry I end up chocking myself. I cough in hopes to help catch my breath. My head lulls forward, my neck unable to support its weight. I go to rub my eyes but my arms will not move, forcing my lids open I see I am sitting in an armed wooden chair. My hands and feet are ducked taped snug to the chair’s appendages.
I force air out of my throat trying to clear the cobwebs from my head, giving it a good shake only making the throbbing gain power. Glancing around, I am sitting in an empty room illuminated by one lone hanging light bulb drifting slightly back and forth casting shadows and then giving light to the dark corners.
I hear shuffling and then his voice again, ‘look boys, she is awake,’ his voice fades as if he has turned away from me, ‘I was a little afraid there for awhile I had given her too much.” The others grumble in agreement.
He crosses over until the toes of his black military boots invade my down turned vision. Taking up a hand full of my matted hair, he hauls my head back to give my face a once over. The pain of the pulled hair only exacerbates the steady thumps assaulting my head.
It is then my mouth is flooded with saliva, I immediately hurl at him hitting him square in the eye. I am reprimanded by a swift back hand to the right side of my face, making my eye socket explode with a new whole other kind of pain.
“Damnit.” He backs away clearing his eye of the mucus.
“Where’s Leo?” My voice is unrecognizable, coarse and dark.
He tangles his hand in my hair again, ‘don’t worry about him,’ he smirks as his free hand finds purchase on my breast, ‘you should not worry about him at all.” Struggling against my restraints I try to free myself.
“Get your fucking hands off of me.” I bite out trying to kick at him with my bound foot.
A door slamming takes my attention momentarily from my tormenter to the leader, ‘not yet Malachi, you will have you chance soon.” He saunters over to me taking my now free face in his hands, rocking my head back and forth, ‘do not hit her again,’ he turns to a now sheepish Malachi, ‘understand?”
Malachi nods his head in agreement, the man slumps down and rest his weight on his toes and calves, ‘you need water, yes?” He asks as he offers me a dirty ladle full germ infested water.
I shake my head refusing his offering, I clench my lips together as he pours the rancid liquid down my face, ‘that’s fine little lady, ‘ he stands tossing the ladle to Malachi, ‘you will be begging for it later.” He turns to leave but pulls up short in front of Malachi, ‘does she know anything?”
“I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask her yet, I was getting to it when you came in.” Malachi is nervous in this other man’s presence, he shifts from one foot to the other with his hands run deep into his jeans pockets.
Volunteering the information, ‘I don’t know anything.” The ache from my head has started to travel down into my bound wrists and ankles. My hands have started to turn purple from the lack of circulation.
The older man turns to me, ‘they all say that at first but Malachi here,‘ he places a hand on the younger man’s shoulder, ‘has a way of making them sing.” He drops his hand and walks back out the door. Malachi turns his evil gaze on me.
“So Avery, you say you don’t know anything? For some reason I find it hard to believe,‘ he kneels down in front of me, ‘you lived in the same house with a top agent and hung around with the rest of them on a daily basis.” He tilts my head back by my shin, ‘I am going to tell you how this works, I ask a question and you give me an honest answer, okay?”
“I have already told you I don’t know anything about any agents.” My voice is laced with panic.
Malachi stands clasping his hands behind his back, he paces the small space in front of me back and forth, ‘how much do they know”?
“They who?”
“The DEA?”
“I told you already, I don’t know what the hell you are talking about,’ a small sob leaks from my lips, ‘I don’t know.” My chin rests on my heaving chest. And then it clicks, the conversation Leo and I had had weeks ago, the less I know the better off I will be.
“Humm!” he growls as he runs his hands over my head and with a quick jerk he is back in my face, ‘you know something and I will find out eventually.”
He turns to a table then addresses the other two men in the room, ‘Time for some fun boys.” He closes the distance between us, I notice in his hand he is holding another syringe. He sees me eyeing it, ‘oh don’t worry Avery, this isn’t as much as I gave you before, just enough to make you
pliable for me.” The sharp prick of the needle in my neck is accompanied with a small tear rolling down my cheek, then it is all black again.
****
Leo
I tug on my restraints, wiggle my fingers, damn I am taped. I could find a way out if these fuckers would leave me alone long enough. The coppery taste of blood fills my mouth from where the chicken shits tied me up then beat me. I try to stand and realize my feet are taped to the legs of the chair I am sitting in.
The door clicking open takes my attention momentarily away from getting loose. The man with the thick accent and beret comes sauntering in, ‘Well, well look who is awake.”
“Where the hell is she?” I squint through the swollen eye and blood running down my face. The last thing I remember is being cold cocked in the face by a butt of a gun and Avery screaming for someone to let her go. Since I woke up, I have been in a room alone, except for the occasional visitor who likes to show me his fists.
“Not for you to worry, I will assure you she is fine. She is however in much better shape than you are my friend.” He drags a chair so he is sitting in front of me, ‘I hear you are looking for me.”
Feeling like I have downed a bottle of Jack and finding it hard to raise my head I finally get my neck to cooperate, ‘you Heratio?”
“I am.” He has a bad porn stash.
“Okay good, you are under arrest.” He laughs throwing his head back in best bad guy dramatic fashion.
“Wait, I’m not done,’ I pause and drag in a breath, ‘you have the right to remain silent.” His laughter continues, I have to keep him busy with me and away from Avery. I run my tongue around my mouth and rejoice that in the malay and fighting I hadn’t lost the tracker I had capped on one of my back teeth. Clenching my teeth together I hear it snap setting off the ping so my team can find us.
“You are very funny man, Mr. Tucker.” He claps his hands together like a giddy child.
I smile up at him, ‘I am trying. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.” I swallow another mouth full of blood.
“You are still trying to arrest me even though you are tied to a chair?” He has leaned up tilting my head back so he can see my eyes.
“We have your little errand boy in custody, what makes you think you are any different?”
“Yes, Yes Zach, it is very unfortunate he was collared.” He steps away from me and begins to pace, ‘I assure you he is a problem which will be fixed within the hour. A hit was put on him the minute he was introduced into general population.”
I laugh, ‘I had him yanked and put in solitaire, so sorry for your plan though, I am sure it was a good one. And after this my men have taken him into protective custody. Come on man, you know how it all works.” Keep him talking.
I think my last comment has pissed him off, he storms across the room and bangs on wall. After a few minutes they drag a very limp unconscious Avery into my room. Tugging hard on my fetters again, ‘you fucker, I will kill you.”
He points to the old iron bed directly in my line of sight, ‘put her there and tie her back up.” The large man flops Avery backwards stretching her out on the soiled bed and ties her hands and ankles to the frame.
Coming back over to me he leans down so I can see his face, ‘not so smug now, uh?”
Turning back to the man, ‘Thank you Malachi, that is all for now.” He waves the man out of the room, ‘you think about what it is you really need to say to me.” He walks to the door, ‘I give you an hour Mr. Tucker and then I will be forced to give you motivation.”
Watching him walk out of the room, I count the seconds until my boys show up. Until then I have got to get to Avery.
“Avery, baby wake up now.” I wait for a response and regrettably get nothing.
“Avery you need to wake up!” I try to hop my chair over to her, ‘Avery!”
****
Avery
I snuggle deep down in to the covers and roll so his breath is caressing my neck. I reach for his hair and run my fingers through the lavish black strands. My other hand caresses his taut stomach, my fingers tickle the slight dusting of hair leading to the waist band of his boxers. I have memorized his body and familiarized myself with every inch, enjoying every minute of study.
A callused finger strokes my cheek, but there is something not right, the vibe of electricity that sparks on my skin when Leo touches me isn’t there. I jerk my face away forcing myself out of the drug induced haze once more. My throat is sandpaper as are the back of my eye lids. The pain in my head has tripled and every vein feels on the verge of exploding with every beat of my heart.
This time it is different, I am no longer sitting but lying down. The stench of unlaundered linens fills my nose to the point of gagging. My arms and legs are immobile but my head is still free. Rolling it from one side to the other, hoping to clear it and to get my bearings. I am once again in a dark room the only light is a single lamp across the room. The silhouette of a man sitting comes into focus.
His head is hung and his torso is free of his shirt displaying the deep cuts on his chest that have blood trickling down his stomach, ‘Leo!” My voice is barely a whisper.
His head falls back to reveal a face that has been beaten almost unrecognizable, ‘oh god what have they done to you?”
His slight chuckle turns up the corner of his mouth without any kind of damage, ‘not much.” He winces as his laugh incites pain somewhere on him.
I fling my head back forgetting about the splitting headache thumping it down on the pillow wincing at the pain.
Another low chuckle leaves his throat, ‘is this a bad time to tell you how fuckin’ hot you look tied up to the bed like that?” I raise my head to only be met with Leo’s hungry gaze drifting over my body.
I huff as I throw my head back a little more gingerly this time, ‘okay so it is a bad time but we need to try that shit when we get home.” His voice is little more than a raspy whisper.
“Leo this is so not the time to be talking sex!” I chastise him for his inappropriate comment but somehow I am not surprised, it is Leo after all.
The door creeks open and Malachi enters the room like a conquering hero, ‘is that not a scene to behold there Leo.” His eyes taking the same journey over my extended body Leo’s had just traveled.
Leo tilts his head in Malachi’s direction, ‘she and I were just discussing our future plans.” This comment garners Leo a punch to the side of the face splitting his lip open even more. I watched in horror as blood drips to the floor and splatters on his boot.
“Malachi please just stop.” I pleaded through my tears and watch as his eyes darken at the sound of his name.
He crossed the distance between us and lowers himself down to where he can talk to me face to face. I turn mine away only to have it hauled back so that he can look at me in the eye.
He nods his head in Leo’s direction, ‘you know that your boy over there made quit a name for himself in the corps,’ he turns his head to look at Leo, ‘were you dishonorably discharged or court marshaled I can’t remember.”
Leo tilted his head up, ‘come untie me you fucker and we can discuss it like real men.”
Directing his attention back to me, ‘see Avery, he was ruthless and killed without prejudice or remorse. I believe is what the court papers said.”
The flood of uncertain emotions washed over me as the realization I had no clue who Leo is. Trying to put on a brave face in defiance, ‘I don’t care.” I glare up at his beady eyes.
“Oh now come on I know the little worm of betrayal is borrowing its way through that little dejected mind of yours.” He stands to tower over me taking something from his pocket. I hear it click open and watch as the light glints off a silver blade.
“Malachi please you don’t have to do this.” Tears streak down my cheeks as I try and slink away from him but the binds around my wrists and ankles keep me firmly in place.
“I know I don’t have too Avery, I want to.”
He lifts the hem of my ragged tee shirt. Slicing the ragged cotton up the middle exposing my bra, a satisfied smile on his face as he looks down at me, ‘now that’s better.” He leans back and takes all of me in, ‘Zachy boy said you were a feast, but damn girl.”
The commotion from the other side of the room detracts his attention only for a moment as Leo yells, ‘get your fucking hands off her!” He struggles against his restraints.
Malachi’s sinister laugh sends chills over my body but I am thankful for the reprieve, his attention is momentarily on a very pissed off Leo.
“I will fucking kill you asshole,’ Leo is seething and his arms and legs are straining against the restraints that are holding him to the chair. His face is red as fire and the muscles in his arms are stretched to the point of snapping.
I twist and writhe, not in pleasure as he thinks but in a repulsive reflex. I can hear Leo going ape shit crazy across the room trying to get to the bed. Malachi is completely clueless at the threats being hurled his way by Leo.
The bed dips as Malachi’s knees rest on either sides of my hips, ‘now hold still Avery I want tell you again.” I force myself to swallow the bile rising up my throat.
Malachi turns a menacing eye back to a raging Leo as if to say ‘look at what I am doing and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it’. Refocusing his attention to me his eyes are glassed over as he raises his hand a smacks me dead across the face.
“I am going to deliver the message now, the one Zach never got to.” I start to sob loudly hoping to detract from Malachi’s pleasure.
“Shut up,’ I feel the full pressure of his body as he rest his hands on my out stretched arms. As much as he tries my body will not respond to him, I lay still as a cold fish. He tried to kiss me as I fight by thrashing my head from side to side. He takes my jaw in his hand to hold me still that is when the loud pops come from the adjoining room.
Malachi’s head jerks up as he lifts himself quickly off of me and bounds off the bed. The screams from his comrades flood the space as the air is electrically charged with fear. Loud pops accentuate the screaming and thuds on the floor occur after each pop.
