Rise (The Phoenix Series Book 1)

by M. K. Cunningham

  Holding me tighter, while shaking his head, “You need to rest. What they did to you, they have paid for it, trust me.”

  CHAPTER seventeen

  greer

  A fter sleeping off the drugs for two more days I am finally able to get up and take a long, warm shower. Easton and Thane stayed at my place since they got me out of that hell hole and have been constantly checking up on me.

  Walking to the bathroom took me a little more time than usual but not as bad as a few days ago. My body is still very sore. Asking Thane, Easton or Summer what happened to me is like pulling a child’s tooth without Novocain, it is impossible.

  Walking into the bathroom, I turn around and put my forehead on the door, as I close it. Getting up and walking close to ten feet has taken the energy out of me. Looking down at the handle, I space out looking at the lock for a mere five seconds. Before pushing my body away from the door, I reach up and turn the lock to the right, I needed to be alone.

  Slowly turning around, I walk up to the body mirror, I look horrible. This is the first time I have seen myself since I was kidnapped in the mini market. Slipping my shirt off, over my head, I’m standing naked in front of the mirror with only my underwear on. Over half of my body is covered in bruises, which are now healing, and parts of my body have skin that has been rubbed raw or burnt. Looking down at my forearm, where they injected me with the drugs, I could count at least twenty needle marks on just one arm. My fingernails have blood stains on them and a few are missing.

  Making my way to the shower, I open the door, lean in and turn the knob from left to right until the shower reaches just the right temperature after feeling it with the tips of my fingers. Slipping my underwear off slowly and walking into the warm shower, my body feels so weak. Once the drugs started wearing off, I had been having flashbacks of the thirteen days Jerry and his men tortured me. The touch of water, the feel of skin on skin contact, the sound of people talking, anything and everything has been setting them off.

  Slamming my hand against the glass, I remember…

  Shaking the memory from my head was beginning to get harder and harder. A part of me didn’t want to remember and another part of me wanted to so that I could destroy those who harmed me.

  One of them came in with a syringe in his hand and as they tried sticking me with the needle, I put up as much of a fight as I could while tied up. Before long they injected me in my left forearm and within seconds their faces were becoming distorted, I was hallucinating.

  Both men started putting their hands all over my body, closing my eyes, I knew what they had in store for me. The man with the “tiger tattoo” grabbed my chin and forced a kiss upon my lips. While I still had a little fight left in me, I bit down hard and never let up. As he was trying to get free of my grip on his lip, I could taste the blood pouring into my mouth. Seconds later the tan guy pulled a hammer out from his back pocket and beat my left hand with it two times. I let up on the man’s lip in agony. Looking at me with a bloody lip that had two gouges in it, he viciously took the hammer from the other guy and took his anger out on my other hand three times before knocking me upside the head once.

  Dropping to the shower floor, I began crying. The memory was too much and that was just the beginning of it.

  Day ??

  My head is very heavy from the drugs, as they are injecting more, my chin bounces down to my chest. My body is completely numb. I am still in the same spot before they touched me with the hammer last time. The guy with the “cut off shirt” moves in front of me and bends down to massage my stomach with his hand. The more he does this the more his hand makes its way to my breasts.

  My eyes are so heavy, they keep closing but, I force them back open with all my might. Looking to both of my hands, they are swollen and bruised. The drugs help with the pain but not enough to not feel anything.

  Focusing back on the man now sucking on my nipple, leaving a raw feeling to them, I must do something. Looking away because I can no longer watch as he does this to me, I close my eyes to think. Within seconds the guy with the” tiger tattoo” is standing behind me, thrusting my head down to make me watch as he assaults me. I don’t know how much longer I can keep up with this, but with a little luck, I would soon blackout.

  With all my might, I forced my head out of the man’s grip and lean down as far as I can to grab hold of the man’s ear with my teeth, with just enough of it to still slightly grab on to. Before long, I get hit upside the head but, have no idea with what. My vision turns from foggy, to distorted, to black.

  Day ??

  I woke to the room all to myself. The smell of mildew was becoming strong and the ache in my head was intense. Yesterday was a big blur to me, I don’t remember anything except the injections. Looking around while I still could, the door was slightly cracked. I couldn’t hear anything with the constant ringing since being struck in the head.

  As I try to stand, my legs become weak really fast and I fall to the ground. Knowing I can’t stay here I proceed to crawl across the floor with my upper body. I set myself up against the wet wall and wait to see what is in store for me.

  “Tiger tattoo” comes walking in and he kneels to examine me. Placing his hand on my knee he proceeds to slide my grey sweatpants off me slowly.

  “What did you do to me? Why can’t I move my legs?” With fear and panic, my chest begins to rise and fall, I almost pass out.

  Smirking and struggling to get the proper words out, while still pulling my pants off, “While you were sleeping I slipped you a little something to paralyze your extremities. Boss says can’t mess with you unless have a reason. I say trying to escape is reason.”

  Sliding my hands up his shoulders I try to fight him off. Leaving nail marks on his face wasn’t something he was thrilled about. Instead, he gets up off his legs and proceeds to walk out the door. Moments later he comes back with something small in his hand, I can’t make out what it is.

  Bending down, leaning back on his legs, he gets the tool he brought in and places it on my pointer fingernail. Looking down, I notice he has pliers. My body begins to shake uncontrollably.

  Smirking, “Look like I have to take care of that, this way you don’t use those nails on me again. Maybe you learn for once.” Pushing down on the handle of the pliers he takes hold of my fingernail and begins to pull and pinch until the nail finally gives way completely.

  “AAWWW!” was all that could escape my mouth. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and onto my shirt. He wasn’t done yet, he proceeded to take my middle and ring fingernails.

  Just then I snapped out of the horrifying memory to find myself wedged in the corner of the shower rocking back and forth holding my fingers tightly. The steam from the shower made my skin hurt even though the water was nowhere close to being hot. Turning my head and sobbing into the corner of the shower, my mind wanders back to the memory.

  Placing the bloody pliers in his back pocket, he begins to touch my shoulders. This time I don’t move a muscle because of the amount of pain. A part of me is hoping they will shoot me up with whatever drug they have been giving me or just put a bullet in my brain.

  I’m now laying on my back on the cold dirt floor. The other man shows up in the doorway just as I begin to close my eyes.

  Before I know it, I can hear the tearing of my sweatpants. Opening my eyes, I realize the “tiger tattoo” guy has his own plans now. Just as he begins to pull his dick out of his boxers I take my hands and place them around his neck. Slowly, I begin to pull him down to kiss his lips. A slight sob escapes my throat, but I know that I need to try anything to stop what is about to happen. He hesitates for a moment before continuing to my lips. Placing my hands in his hair and giving him a slight tug, a grin appears on his face. Parting my lips, I welcome his tongue as his hands roam and find my raw nipple. I wince at the feel of the pain but continue to get him where I want him.

  Moving his head to my neck, his roaming hands are becoming more aggressive with my breasts. As his mo
uth moves down my body some more, his lips make their way to my other nipple. Looking over at the tan man standing in the door frame, I can see the bulge in his pants as he stands there staring at us.

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and place my right arm on top of his neck and bring it around into a choke hold. Squeezing as hard as I can, he begins to take his fist and lay into both of my ribs. Wincing, I still don’t let up, I just squeeze harder.

  Looking to the one standing in the doorway, I can no longer see him. Focusing back to the one on top of me, his fighting is beginning to become weaker. Before I know it, he is limp. Throwing him off me, I begin to sit up and back myself up to the doorway to escape.

  Just as I slide into the hallway, someone approaches me from behind and places a wire around my neck, cutting into my skin and my airway. Panicking, I start to throw my hands in the air to grab onto anyone or anything that I can. All I can feel is giant arms that are controlling the wire. As my body begins to lack air, I become weak.

  Just before I pass out, Jerry kneels in front of me to show his face. “Cookie, Cookie, Cookie. When will you learn?” He begins to make this annoying clicking noise with his tongue and he takes his fingers and rubs his chin back and forth.

  Looking past me, he nods his head and the wire becomes loose around my neck. Lying flat on my back, grabbing at my throat and coughing uncontrollably, I begin to focus on my surrounding as I’m stuck in the hallway with Jerry and his lackey. A maze of brick walls is surrounding me with the same dirt floor that is in the room they have kept me in. Every ten feet or so is a dim light hanging from the ceiling that doesn’t really put off much light. From the looks of it, I’m in some kind of mass production building, most likely the basement.

  Just then, the sound of Jerry scrapping a match across the bricks gets my attention. Looking back in his direction, he has placed the match to the cigar that is now jammed between his lips. Puffing on the cigar, to keep it lit, his eyes meet mine.

  Inhaling, “You ready to finish what was started?” Placing his hand around the base of the cigar and holding it between his thumb and pointer finger, that was laying on his knee, he exhales as a smile creeps across his face. Leaning in, inches from my face, I can feel the warmth of his breath on my ear. Just then, the lackey that I forgot was standing behind me, grabs ahold of both of my upper arms and Jerry grabs his cigar and places it on my upper right thigh. This time, he didn’t just graze the top layer of skin, he jammed it further in. Tears began pouring down my face and I tried to hold back my scream. Knowing his game, if he still played it the same way, I needed to be as quiet and still if he was going to stop. That is his way of controlling you and making you feel like you are below him.

  Whoever was behind me, hands him a syringe and Jerry injects my right forearm. I start to become extremely light headed and the last thing I see is Jerry standing up and I’m being dragged back into the room by the other man who is being told not to mess with me just yet.

  Day ??

  The last couple of days have been a blur. I was woken up a few times while they stuck me with a syringe but other than that they left me alone. My body is becoming weaker as the days go by. No food, no water…just drugs and torture. I am running out of time. Selfishly, I want to die.

  Snapping out of my memory, I realize the water is now cold. My lips are trembling, and my body is shaking uncontrollably. Instead of getting up and walking out of the shower, I decide to stay where I am. I can’t take this feeling anymore, knowing I’m safe for now, I still want to die.

  Slowly, my body starts to become numb and I can no longer feel anything, it’s shutting down. As my limbs became weak, my legs slide out from underneath me and my arms flop to the shower floor. Staring straight ahead, my vision becomes blurry and tunnel-like. I can hear something happening at the bathroom door, so I focus what energy I had left away from the door.

  I slip back into my memory.

  Day Thirteen

  As I open my eyes one more time, I find myself leaning against the cold, wet wall. The back of my shirt is soaked along with my bloody hair. Looking at the door, that is now opened, I see shadows moving around fast in the hallway. I have no idea if they are real or not, but I see them. Stopping in the doorway, a tall, dark figure comes walking into the room and kneels in front of me. Being this close to me, I still can’t make out who it is. My eyes won’t focus and they’re becoming heavy again. Before they shut, I feel hands on me. I’ve been tortured and tormented so many times now that fighting back is no longer an option. Physically, my body has grown used to it but mentally my brain has learned to shut down. Finally, I fade into the darkness again.

  Waking to cold air, I open my eyes to see shadowy trees around me and someone carrying me in their arms. Whoever it is looked down at me and says something. I can’t make out anything they are saying, they sound muffled. Tilting my head slightly, I see whoever is carrying me has put their coat over me to keep me somewhat warm. Closing my eyes again, I sleep.

  Opening my eyes slightly, I can’t see what’s going on around me with the amount of perspiration forming. I know someone is in front of me talking but the words are not forming correctly for me to hear. As I try to focus on my surroundings, I feel my body being picked up and carried out of the shower.

  Wincing, at the pain shooting through my limbs, from being in the same position for who knows how long, I cry out in a pained voice, “Stop, please. It’s too much!”

  Before long I’m placed on what I can assume is my bed. Within a few seconds, I feel a lot of warmth pressed against my body. I start to scream loudly, knowing what I feel. This can’t be right, I couldn’t have been dreaming that last few days. Had I not been rescued? Had the drugs taken a bigger effect on me and made me hallucinate all this? My hyperventilating caused my weak body to pass out.

  CHAPTER eighteen

  thane

  W alking into Greer’s room, after going downstairs to get her some soup, I come back to an empty bed. Hearing the shower running, I know where she is. Placing the soup on her nightstand, I walk to the bathroom door and hesitate. I know I’ve been crowding her along with Easton and Summer, but I worry about her, especially after what she just went through. This is the second time in three years that Jerry destroyed her life through torture. Finding her the way I did, my heart broke. She was so drugged up that she had no idea who I was and the state they left her in…I don’t know how to help her. She won’t talk to any of us and shuts us out if we won’t tell her what happened every time she asks.

  Leaning my forehead against the door, I reach for the handle and it’s locked. Slightly knocking, “Greer, it’s me. Can I come in?”

  After a good minute, I become panicked. Knocking again, but louder, “Greer, can you unlock the door please?”

  Nothing.

  Minutes pass as I’m frantically beating on the door and violently jiggling the door handle to get her attention. I know I shouldn’t be like this, after what happened but my gut is telling me something’s wrong. A few seconds later Easton and Summer come running after hearing all the commotion coming from her room.

  With big eyes and short breath, “Thane, what the hell is going on?” Summer sprinted to her room from the kitchen downstairs.

  Looking at her, “The door is locked, and she hasn’t answered me for the last five minutes.” Turning back to the door while banging my fist against it, “Baby, please open up.”

  With a steady breath, “Thane, maybe she just wants her privacy, you know, after what she has been through.” Walking up behind me, placing her hand on my shoulder, “The first time, she remembered everything, and she wasn’t the same. This time, she can’t remember anything which is probably messing with her head. I can’t imagine what is going through her head. Confusion, rage, sadness?” With that statement, she squeezes my shoulder and leaves the room.

  Looking over my shoulder, Easton is still in the room with me. When it comes to Greer, we happen to always be on the same page. He has the s
ame worried expression in his eyes that I can only assume are in mine. “Easton, we have to figure something out. My gut is telling me that whatever is going on, on the other side of this door, isn’t good. I need to get this door opened.”

  Looking back to the door, I lean down and lay on my stomach to see if I can spot anything through the crack. From where I’m at, I can’t spot the shower, but I see Greer’s clothes laying on the floor right in front of the sink. There should be a warm steamy breeze coming from under the bathroom door but, it’s cool. A. Very. Cool. One. Screaming into the crack between the door and the floor, “Greer, honey, please…open the door.”

  Placing my hands flat on the floor, I push myself up off the floor and shoot a concerning look at Easton, “Something is very wrong.”

  Turning back to the door, I lift my right foot off the floor, into a bent position, and place all my weight on my left foot which is still grounded to the floor. With all my strength, I slam my foot into the door to try to break it down. After a few times, the door still won’t budge, and Easton has now joined my side. Looking at each other than to the door, we both go running toward it, slamming our shoulders into it. Pain shoots straight to the bone but, we don’t care, we needed to get to her. After a few attempts. The door frame starts to crack in the top right corner. That was our cue. With one last attempt, we finally brake the frame which causes the door to break open and Easton and I to fall to the floor.

  Looking around, I don’t see Greer in sight, but the shower is running and its extremely fucking cold in here. Jumping to my feet, I rush to the shower and see her laying against the wall, opposite me, and she is blue. Like, ocean blue. There is not one hint of color to her bruised-up body. Just then, her eyes flutter open just enough for me to notice she is still alive. Opening the glass door all the way, it slams against the shower wall.