Courageous Counter Attack

My Newest Story

My head ached, and my eyelids fluttered as I regained consciousness. As I slowly opened my eyes, I immediately felt a wave of nausea wash over me and the vomit rose into my mouth when I tasted the bile I quickly swallowed it down. I looked around the room, if you could call it that, it looked more like a cellar where someone would keep vegetables; cold, dark, and damp. Footsteps echoed from behind the door on the far side of the room. I could just make out a murmur of voices coming from the closed door. I watched the doorknob being slowly turned waiting to see if whoever walked in would give me a clue as to where I had woken up. In walked a tall dark skinned man with jet black hair and a slight beard who had a commanding air about him. Directly behind him was a heavy-set fair skinned man who was extremely bald, he looked to be the slighter one's body guard. There was nothing about the two of them that was familiar. I tried to get up from the chair I was sitting in and only then did I realize all my limbs were strapped tightly to it. No matter what, I had to escape and get away from these men. I grunted with effort as I tried freeing my hand, knowing it was useless, I sighed and gave up. The bearded man sneered and laughed cruelly at my struggling.

They came a little closer and the bearded man said with piercing eyes.

“ Do not even try to get free, we have made sure that it is impossible. So now that you are awake you will answer my questions.” He paused, and I was confused at his words. They were going to ask me questions? I had many questions for this man to answer too, but that can wait, and escape is exactly what I was planning if only I had my leg loose I could overpower him with my karate. They don't know what a 17 year-old of my training is capable of. I'm a black belt, and I would be sure that I was a force to be reckoned with.

“Now,” he continued, his body guard had retreated to the shadows, silently observing.

“Where have you hidden it?” He growled and lashed out with a sudden burst of fury. My head snapped to the left and my right cheek stung, my vision from the right eye went dark for a moment.

“I don't know... what... you are... talking about!” I ground out, my head bowed not wanting him to see how the blow had affected me. “Where am I? How did I get here? Who are you?” I questioned and lifted my head glaring at him, he leaned in closer with foul breath and laughed a breathy laugh. I recoiled from the awful stench, wishing I could get out of this nightmare and get away from this villain. I couldn't remember... It didn't make any sense, last night I was doing my homework like anyone would on a Wednesday night, I watched T.V. and went to bed. The next thing I knew I was here, wherever here was. Why were these men, who I had no idea who they were, asking me questions I had no answers to, and hitting me to get answers. I was pretty sure that they would hit me again if they had to.

All I knew was I had to get out, and go back home to find my parents, tell the police, and it would all be over. I jerked in my bonds and felt my leg scratch on a rough part of the chair's metal leg, an idea formed in my head. I moved my leg up and down just slightly enough for the man not to notice. The man yelled at me the same question over and over again, hitting my face, neck, and head hoping it would make me answer him. I stayed silent, moving my leg up and down constantly through it all, it was my only hope. The rope started to give way I stopped rubbing my leg against the chair and when the bearded man yelled his question again, not only did I not answer, but I spit at him too. The spittle landing on his face. He was stunned for a moment and then came at me enraged, this is what I was waiting for, as soon as he came close enough his hand held up, about to strike, I kicked at him hard snapping the rope and hitting him right between the legs. He went down in pain, as he bent lower I stretched my hand as far as the ropes would allow and caught his neck and grabbed it, squeezing with all my might. He was trying to draw a breath but couldn't, his face a mask of horror, his eyes bulged and he went unconscious I let him crumple to the ground. The so-called “body guard” had not realized what happened and saw his buddy on the ground, and ran from the room.

When he had gone I tore my teeth into the rope about my hand and it took only a few tries before I could get free and with that hand I undid the rope around my other hand and leg. I took off running down the hall knowing body guard guy and his reinforcements were going to be coming any second. The only problem was I had no idea where I was going. I ran past several doors that were closed and turned down another hallway that had bad lighting but I could see a faint red glow of an exit sign at the end. I sped up my pace and just as I reached the door I heard shouts and turned around to see four large men turn into the hallway. I opened the door and ran outside, the bright sun blinded my eyes for a second making my progress slow, I rubbed my eyes and stumbled into a pile of boards making me trip and roll a few feet. I jumped up and continued running toward the forest in the distance.

One thing I didn't think of was the fence, until I got to it. I stopped glanced to the left and to the right to see if there was anyone but the coast was clear. I started to climb the fence and heard the door from which I came swing open I quickened my climbing speed into a frenzy and jumped down just as the men spotted me and I took off once again, gunfire suddenly filled my ears and I zigzagged hoping that the fence might stop a few bullets and if not, my movement would prevent one from hitting me. Suddenly as I was about to plunge into the forest another round of bullets were fired. The next thing I knew was a searing pain in my left leg, it felt like a a flame to my flesh. It made my vision blur and darken around the edges, to keep myself from blacking out I slapped myself a few times. Every movement brought a new degree of pain. I dragged my leg stumbling into the forest, knowing they would track me I had to go somewhere, but everywhere I would go they could easily follow my obvious trail that I would leave. I stumbled on trying to think, should I climb a tree, or try and get as much distance from my hunters as I can. I pressed on my breathing more laboured, the pain clouding all thoughts of rationality.

I then saw a cave and knew what I should do. I continued on past the cave breaking branches and grass, then I grabbed a pine branch and backtracked to the cave and took extra caution in not making a trail when I got to the mouth, I brushed my footprints from the earthy sand and backed into the cave sweeping my prints until the ground was rock and I continued on carefully looking for the next tunnel. I wandered for what seem hours through these many tunnels and chambers of this giant cave and finally I saw a light ahead. I followed the light and sat just on the inside of the mouth out of sight to rest.

My stomach heaved and I vomited onto the ground, I shuffled back from the vomit and found a flat area to lie down. I took off my sweater and balled it up for a pillow, then ripped a piece of my t-shirt and wrapped it tightly around the bullet wound in my thigh. I then lowered my head down onto my sweater and immediately fell fast asleep. A fevered sleep. A whisper sounded from beside my ear waking me from my fevered dreams.

“Boy, where have you hidden it!” the voice hissed,

“I don't know, I don't know...” I mumbled trying to look but the person applied pressure to my face pushing my head into the sweater, My limbs were once again tied up. I was facing the cave wall unable to see anything behind me.

“You better find out real fast, boy!” the voice growled.

“If I knew I would tell you,” I reassured.

“That's not good enough!” He paused, “search him,” the voice said.

Suddenly I was rolled over and they stripped me down searching my clothes thoroughly for what seemed like ages I was too feverish to care that I was wearing little. One man that I had never seen before was searching the inside of my jeans when he yelled out that he found something. He took a pocket knife and slit open a seam and pulled out a very thin piece of paper. He was really excited showing another man, who I also did not recognized.

“Boss! Come in here, we found it! It was in the boy's pants, the sneaky little thing!”

In walked the bearded man, the bruising around his neck showed from his last experience with me, he looked my way with contempt, took the paper and said two dreaded words.

“Kill him.”

I desperately tried to roll away from the two big cronies of the bearded man but they grabbed me and dragged me out to an oak tree where they tied me to it. I stared at them in horror as they pulled out their pistols calmly took aim with sardonic smiles on their faces.

“One... Two... THREE!” Were the last words I heard.

~~~

The two men fired at the boy strung up against a tree. They made a contest out of it, seeing who had the best accuracy, “hit the eyes,” one would say. The boy was as limp as a rag doll hanging there used for target practice. It was a regular practice among the Capitaliks, firing squads and then target practice. To make sure there was no body left to bury they built a large fire and untied the boy's dead body and threw it on the dead branches. The two doused the body in gasoline and lit the fire. They watched the body burn away, as the sun was setting, the evening air filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh.

copyright of Dewshine