I was frightened from my sleep by a painful thug. My eyes shot open and I looked to see what was trying to impale my abdomen. I squealed as the heat from the medium sized, dryly fried, fish, steeped through my pants and scorched my skin. Instinctively, I picked it up and fumbled with it in an attempt to cool it for my rumbling tummy.
A short, breath taking chuckle rang throughout the small clustered cave and I froze in realization. I was still captive. I fell asleep! Darn!
"You know, usually when a kidnapper leaves the kidnapee attempts to escape… not sleep"
I thought about it before shrugging and hungrily tearing a piece of the fish's flesh with my teeth, beginning my chewing process. "Usually when you have a kidnapee who can fight as well as I can, you don't untie them" I countered and he nodded in amusement.
"Smart mouthed too." He was sitting across from me with a half-eaten fish in his hand and about four more on a piece of dried leaf beside him.
"Why haven't you killed me yet?" I probed confusedly. It was evident that this man had killed many before me, he wasn't someone who waited or hesitated. Yet, whenever he looked at me I could see some level of softness splattered across his eyes. He was wavering. Maybe that was my escape.
"He tore a piece of flesh from the fish with his fingers and nibbled it.
"You look, exactly like my daughter. I didn't expect that" he mumbled honestly and I sighed a breath of relief.
"Does that mean you're not going to kill me?" I questioned hopefully and he shook his head
"That's up to you. Even so, it doesn't matter because if I don't, they will" He looked towards the opening "This place becomes rubbles in an hour"
"What do you mean?" I questioned nervously
"It means that you have approximately 1 hour to get to the plane on the other side of this forest or your father wins. Everyone that has ever done or planned to do something bad to you, wins"
"Why are you helping me? Why are you telling me this?"
He chuckled deeply "I am not helping, I'm just tired" he yawned, putting his fish down unto the others and taking out an ankle knife. I flinched, gawking at him skeptically.
"Close your eyes" He ordered and I scanned him like he was a mad man, because he was. He was hired to kill me and I was supposed to close my eyes whilst he held a knife at me. No thanks.
"If I wanted to kill you. You, would have died a long time ago" he assured and I nodded.
"What is your name?"
"I'm not going to tell you that" he scoffed, a bit surprised. I had struck a nerve.
"I'm not closing my eyes until you do"
He snickered, eyeing me disbelievingly "What makes you think you have a choice?"
"Kill me then" I dared "Cut my womb out too. I'd have nothing more to lose. My father wants me dead, the love of my life died, if I have this baby and the company finds out, they'll take it. I killed my mother and I've never met my other real mother, Ray friend hates…"
"Shut up" he warned in irritation and I clammed my mouth shut. "Yo…"
He held his hand up in rebuke and I nodded in silence.
"That's why you haven't tried escaping, isn't it?"
"What?"
"You're not sure you want to live"
I retracted myself, turning my head away from his piercing eyes. How could I be? I wanted to because I was supposedly carrying a baby but on the other hand, I had no idea whether it would survive this. What if I was doing more harm carrying it into this world?
"My name's Carlos, Carlos Henry" He answered softly, returning the knife to its strap and taking my palm into his free hand.
"I've never told anyone that" He mumbled "My daughter's name was Amelia"
Was?
"My wife and daughter died in a home invasion about 1 year ago" He whispered and I inhaled sharply, turning to face him once more. I could hardly handle the death of Ray. I don't think I could get through losing this child as well.
"We need to get out of here" he summed up after a moment of silence and almost immediately there was a series of approaching hushed mutters meters away.
"Shhhh" Carlos placed a finger on his lips before ducking the lit touch into the dirt and putting it out. The cave became pitch black but the moon still managed to steep through the twigs and lighten the small space.
He took out the watch he claimed to have destroyed, switching it on and showing me the screen. It was counting down. It was almost 3:30 and I wasn't at the beach waiting. They were going to leave me here! I had less than fifteen minutes to reach the other end of the forest and 45 minutes to get off this island completely.
"All the residents of the island were shipped to the dock in Canada." He assured, answering a portion of my concerns and I let a nervous breath go. It was good that they were safe but what would happen to me at the end of this day? Where would my fate lie?
"We are going to have to run for it. I don't have my guns, I need to go for them" He whispered and I looked over to his direction. I couldn't see his features entirely but I could still see him and he was serious.
"This place blows up in 44 and you want to look for guns?"
His bright grey eyes scanned the room shamefully and I rolled my eyes, getting up. The mutters disappeared and he signaled that I follow him. He stopped me at the entrance, slightly shifting the twigs, letting in a little moonlight. He stepped back. Someone was coming. I remembered Aleecia's words 'Do not fight them' I shrugged. I had a partner, this was different.
I held my breath. Carlos signaled that I take his lower half and I nodded as a gun pushed through the vines. It was dark inside so we knew he wouldn't be able to see us.
My heart protruded my rib cage as his entire hand became visible and he popped his head through. Before I could react, Carlos shoved his hand against the stone at the other end of the cave, beating it against the wall until the gun fell out, he signaled that I picked it up as he elbowed the guy in the face and carried him to the ground. They took turns punching the life from each other and I tried not to intrude on their session as I dodged their performance to get to the shiny silver gun. I stood making sure it wasn't on safety before pointing it at the head of the man who was currently strangling Carlos.
The man raised his hand as Carlos struggled to recover and speak but I couldn't understand his words.
"Don't do…" he managed and immediately the gun was snatched from my hands as the man rolled off Carlos and stood channeling the gun between us.
"Mia. Is it?" He asked smugly and I grunted, wondering what it was this time. I had failed Ray in so many ways this weekend, it was unbelievable. Ray was fast, slick and sneaky. He could get himself out of any position and he tried showing me that countless times. He tried to infuse that a Shadow knew how to untangle any situation and make it work in their favour. Even in our stupid little fights he tried to prepare me for things like this, he was trying to instill alertness and awareness and I failed him.
A rush of gloomy emotions crawled painfully across my mind and I let a breath go, trying not to cry. My eyes had adjusted completely to the dark and I could see the man. He was buff and his features were hard and rough. I had no idea whether to drop to my knees and say 'I'm pregnant' or to let the situation play out.
"You are coming with me" He ordered shooting Carlos before he could get up and attack him again. I squealed as horror clutched my shaking limbs. Carlos grunted in agony and before the man could pull the trigger again, I kicked him in the nuts, shoving him unto the wall. He groaned sending wild fires into the ceiling of the cave. Small pebbles came showering down and I stepped back, my heartbeat exceeding its limit as he pointed the gun at my head. My hands shot up in defeat. I had lost this fight the moment he walked in. Hot tears crawled down my cheeks as Carlos's groans ceased and the cave rang with a deafening silence.
He signaled me out of the cave and I walked infront of him and into the open forest. He shoved the gun into my back after indicating the direction. I treaded as quickly as he wanted as he guided me back to the village, away from the other end of the forest. Away from my ticket out of here.
I was never going to make it to the beach in time. I was going to die here, unless I risked everything and tried escaping.