Exhaling again, Tamara bent her head before shutting her eyes.
' You can do this Tamara. Come on. You gotta do this.' Tamara encouraged herself, inwardly.
'' What are you doing Tamy?'' Gwen asked Tamara who kept mute.
" Tamara, what are you doing for Pete's sake?!." Lily also asked, but got no response.
The two were oblivious to what Tamara was about to do. The only option was to sit and watch Tamara who was slowly approaching the rusty, abandoned toolbox with her face, which she had difficulty doing as her hands was tied up to her shoulder level.
With her eyes shut, Tamara opened her mouth and clenched the greasy-but-rusty metal box bolt, using her teeth.
But it was a little heavy for her to lift by just clinging the bolt, especially as she was using her teeth. With no other option, Tamara moved her head a little and opened her mouth a bit more wider before using her teeth again to hold another part of the cover. But before she could lift it up, just enough for it to fall to the other side, it fell shut again.
" Tamara, please stop. Just push it towards me." Gwen said as she watched Tamara struggle with the box. She wondered how much her cousin could endure. First, she endured through the gory scene between Collins and Carter, and now, she was taking the rusty, dirty, greasy and abandoned metal box in her mouth.
" Please Tamara." Gwen pleaded with tears in her eyes, but Tamara was still very engrossed in opening the box. By this time, Tamara could very much feel the disgusting taste of the old elements on the box, but life had to come first. Not just hers, but her sister's too, as well as her best friend.
For the second time, Tamara clenched the box again. And this time, it was a success.
But first, Tamara spat all of the rubbish she could taste and feel in her mouth, before exploring what was in the box.
" Are you okay Tamara?" Gwen and Lily asked simultaneously.
Spitting out again, Tamara answered " Yeah." before looking to see what was in it.
In the box was a wrench, screwdriver, utility knife, pliers and measuring tape.
Eventually, Tamara managed to turn the box upside-down with her leg.
But since Lily was the most flexible, Tamara kicked a utility knife to her direction. Still with a lot of effort, Lily somehow managed to hold the knife up to her wrist, with the knife in-between her toes.
Lily thanked the stars for her flexibility. It was very obvious that both Gwen and Tamara would've been unable to take the box pull the box towards themselves, using their legs.
So, all three girls were playing a major role in escaping death's hub.
Slowly, Lily managed to cut the rope, as soon as she took it from her toes which she held up to her hands. Unfortunately, she had cuts and was bleeding by the time she was done.
It was only a matter of seconds before the rest of the girls were freed. As expected, they each picked a tool from the box, not before tearing out a piece of cloth from Tamara's shirt and tying it around Lily's wrist.
Tamara then took a screwdriver and a plier, while Gwen picked another plier. Lily held on to the knife she was already holding.
" So what now?" Lily asked.
~ Hentritch ~
" What do you mean he's dead?" Jenna asked, dumbstruck.
" Sadly, Robert is dead Jen." Johnny replied, with a sad sigh.
" Oh dear. How did that happen? How is his family doing? Do you have his wife's number or something?"
" I couldn't ask about all of that, you know it's very tough for them as it is already. And to be honest, they're doing very bad Jenny, I feel for his wife especially. And, I don't have her contact, but I'll be sure to have it the next time I visit." Johnny replied.
" Ok, please don't forget to forward it to me. I wish I could help Johnny, I really do." Jenna replied with a sad sigh.
" Unfortunately we can't."
" Yeah. I gotta go, I'm with my parents." Jenna said, not in the mood to even talk anymore. She was in-between shock, disbelief and sadness.
" Oh, I see. Please say hi to them for me."
" Yeah, I will. Okay then, talk to you later." replied Jenna.
'' Jenna?" Johnny called.
" Yeah." she answered.
" Goodbye.''
" Uhh, okay..."
" Please stay safe and always remember I'm a call away."
'' Yeah, sure. Bye." Jenna said before disconnecting the call as quickly as possible. Sighing, she returned to sit with her parents.
" Is everything okay dear?" Evelyn asked.
" Not really. The security man at where I worked in Planora just died."
" Oh, honey. That's so sad. What about his family members? How are they doing?'' Evelyn asked, with concern.
" Well, they're not doing great for sure." Jenna replied with a sad sigh.
" I hope he rests in peace." Sampson said.
" Me too dad." Jenna answered.
" Are you doing okay baby?" Evelyn asked, touching Jenna's hand which was on the table.
" Ugh, mom. I don't think I can eat anymore, I've lost my appetite.'' Jenna replied.
" I understand baby. Maybe I'll just send the food to your room later." said Evelyn.
" I don't think I_"
" It won't harm you to spend the night at your parents' house, would it? Come on baby, you can leave first thing tomorrow if you want." Evelyn suggested.
" Yes dear, feel free to stay back." said Sampson.
Looking at both her parents, Jenna sighed before nodding,
" Ok, fine. I'll stay." She replied.
" Thank you baby. You can go upstairs and rest now. It's obvious the news has taken a toll on you.'' Evelyn said.
" Thanks mom." Jenna responded before standing up to leave.
Once she left, Evelyn and Sampson sighed before returning their focus to the sumptuous meals in front of them.
They weren't feeling as cheerful as they were earlier anymore.
_
" Your heads on the ground!" the masked man ordered.
" Please don't hurt me, I have a family to take care of." A passenger in the bus said, as his body shook in fright.
" Shut up!" Another masked man shouted before kicking his rib, while the man groaned in pain.
A man who seemed to be the leader of the gang stood in the middle of the bus before speaking up with a very loud voice.
" Everyone! The Sniper Doomsday is upon you! The only choice and option you have therefore, is to obey and listen. Don't talk when you're not asked to. A slight misbehavior, a gun to your head! Understood?" he asked everyone in the boss who were all trembling out of fear as some managed to respond in a shaky voice.
Glancing at everyone, his eye landed on a little girl.
" You_"
" Please don't touch her, I beg you. Take me instead." A woman next to the little girl pleaded.
" Shut your fucking mouth!" the man replied before hitting a handgun on her head, causing her to lose consciousness.
" Mommy!" the girl screamed as she knelt down and began shaking her mom to the best of ability.
" I said shut up!" the masked man shouted at the girl who was crying.
" My mommy!.." she cried, as she continued tapping her mother to wake her up.
" What? You wanna be like her? Huh?" he asked.
" Mommy, please wake up..." the girl cried.
" Ok then. Let me grant your wish baby girl." the snipers leader said, causing a few people, including Malcolm, to raise their heads.
Raising his hand, he was about to bring it down before Malcolm who couldn't help it shouted.
" Stop! Can't you see she is just a child?!" he shouted. Turning to look at Malcolm, the leader replied.
" Tell me about it." he said before dropping his hand.
" Don't hurt her.... please." Malcolm pleaded.
But not a second more went by, before the leader raised his hands dropped his hands on the girl's head, causing her to fall to the ground.
With a smirk not leaving his face he folded his arms before talking to Malcolm.
" Come get me now..."