Taken By Surprise

by Jessica Frances

  Chapter Twenty-Nine – The New Information

  “We don’t know something’s wrong.” Charlie looks over at the guards with concern on his face.

  “Just go along with me.” I push Charlie in the chest, forcing him to take a step back to catch himself. I start yelling at him as loudly as I can, hoping the guards take notice. “You totally dribbled before. You guys didn’t win!”

  Charlie rolls his eyes and laughs. That isn’t the type of reaction I’m hoping for.

  “Charlie! Stop laughing. We need to get their attention.” I push him again, hard, hoping it will remind him that a fight would draw more attention than someone rolling their eyes and laughing.

  “Sorry,” Charlie speaks softly and then he clears his throat. “I won fair and square,” He yells back as I see another guard moving to catch up with the two guards over by the entrance. If Rose is still by the laptop, then the only thing keeping her safe is the glare from the overcast sky reflecting off the window and the tarp covering half the view. If those guards walk in, then they’ll catch her straight away.

  Out of nowhere Will storms past me and shoves Charlie so hard that he loses his balance and falls to the ground. Blood covers Charlie’s left leg and arm as his skin grazes the ground.

  “Will!” I gasp out and rush over to see if Charlie is okay.

  Will moves me aside and leans down to Charlie, grabbing hold of his shirt roughly pulling Charlie inches off the ground. “Punch me in the face.”

  “What?” Charlie looks shocked and I grab hold of Will’s hand, trying to pry him away from Charlie.

  “We need to fight. They’ll break it up and Rose will have more time.”

  I let go of Will’s hand then and watch Charlie quickly glance at me before he swings his fist out and hits Will in the face. I doubt it hurts Will much at all, however he exaggerates it and falls backwards. He then comes at Charlie again and I stand up to yell at the guards to hurry up. Three run up to us and the other two guards by the entrance stop to see what’s happening.

  “Break it up, guys.” Two of the guards hold Will and one guard holds Charlie back while they both make plays to try and get past their captors to deliver that one last punch at each other.

  “What’s going on?” Martha rushes out and my heartbeat quickens seeing her angry appearance. Rose must have been caught; if not by the guards, then by Martha since she came out the same door that is by the laptop.

  “These two were fighting out here, ma’am.”

  “What happened?” Martha asks me and I shrug. I have no answer for her.

  “Where is Rose?” Martha asks the guards and they look behind to see Rose coming out of the building, walking towards us casually. I want to run over to her and give her a hug, but I restrain myself.

  “Right, get the girls inside now and get Agent Goodings out here.” Martha speaks to the guard that walked out with her. He grabs me roughly around my arm and drags me over to Rose.

  “I can walk on my own!” I pull against the unwanted touch, hoping to get his hand off me, yet he simply holds on tighter. I look back at Will and Charlie to see them both looking angry and Charlie is being held back by the guard, this time trying to go in my direction.

  Rose and I are both taken back up the stairs and into our lounge area where we’re dumped and the door firmly locked behind us.

  “Did you get anything?” I ask Rose immediately, wanting to cry if Charlie and Will are getting in trouble for nothing.

  Rose nods her head, but holds her fingers up to her mouth to signal for us to be quiet.

  I bite my lip to stop asking any further questions and instead pace the room. After a long time of doing this and getting no calmer, I sit on the couch and watch the door, waiting for it to open and the boys to walk in.

  “This place seriously blows. What are we expected to do now?” Rose complains.

  “I don’t know. Do you think the boys are okay?”

  “Yeah, pretty neat fight between Will and Charlie.”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.” I remember seeing Charlie’s grazed leg and arm and know that it had to be painful. At least Will’s injuries will heal quickly.

  “It didn’t get your blood pumping, seeing Charlie flex his muscles a bit?” Rose teases.

  “Rose, now is not the time,” I snap at her.

  “They’re fine, Zoe. Probably just getting a fun therapy session from Martha. Actually, if that’s the case, then they’re being tortured with words like ‘feelings’ and ‘trust’.”

  “Not funny.”

  “I know it’s not funny. Charlie and I already had to go through that crap a couple of days ago.” Rose shivers.

  “We don’t know what Stan is really capable of; he could be doing anything to them right now and you know what? He would get away with whatever it is,” I growl before standing up and storming off. I go into my room and close the door behind me. I know it’s not Rose’s fault and chances are she is probably right. I just hate feeling so helpless.

  I grab clean clothes and move into my shower. I only hope that when I get out, Charlie and Will are back.