Inevitable(7)

I hesitated knowing it could be a trick, and now that I had what I wanted, what was I supposed to do… I had no weapons, and my self-defense moves looked like a toddler walking with an open cup.

Walking towards the ladder rope, I tugged on it roughly, making sure it was secured and in place.

“You coming up to show me your kick-ass moves, or are you staying in the hole?” He was giving me a choice? These fucking kidnappers or keepers were fucking dumb.

Instead of saying anything, I gently tugged on the rope again. This time to make sure it was safe. I mean, you could never be too cautious.

Small step by small step, I came to the top. The brightness of the sun consumed my eyes for a moment, black spots clouding my vision as a ball of anxiety rolled around in the pit of my stomach.

As soon as my hands touched the topsoil, I allowed a sigh to escape my lips as if I might finally be free. Free. I wanted to snort. As if I had really known what that ever felt like. It was such a dumb thought though because who knew what lie ahead. This could very well be some sick fucking trick. A game of sorts.

“She arrives…” asshole in a black mask says. His feet were mere millimeters from my hands. Fear gripped me by the throat as my mind worked through every scenario possible. What if he pushed me? I clamped my jaw closed forcing the thought away. If this fucker pushed me, I would end him. Whenever the fuck I got up. If I got up.

Gripping the topsoil and feeling the grass blades against my fingers sent a shiver down my spine. I felt as if I could finally breathe. The man stepped back allowing me to move upward on the ladder until I was almost out. Leaning forward, I pulled myself out of the hole and through the dirt and grass. As relieved as I should have felt, my muscles ached as I found myself in a compromising position on all fours. I pulled myself from my knees, getting my footing ever so slowly.

“Oh, no you don’t….” Asshole smirked as his hand landed on my shoulder like a heavy weight. My knees wobbled as his hand came down hard on my shoulder to keep me in place.

“Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth. I was so over being treated like dirt. Kneeling down on his heels so we were eye level, I took in his face. Most, if not all of his olive skin was covered in clothing, except his hands and the skin surrounding his eyelids. His eyes were a deep green, and within in them were the answers to the questions I longed to know.

His lips were thin and tilted down in a frown as if something about the predicament didn’t sit well with him. His other hand reached out and his thumb grazed the bottom of my chin. As if on reflex, I flinched away, turning my head away from him.

“I know why he wanted you… Your defiance can be smelled from miles away.” His breath is cool against my face, and I wanted to turn and spit right into it. My emotions were all over the place, but one thing was still true—I was mad as all fucking hell.

“I’m not defiant, asshole. I’m just not one for being held in a hole in the ground, having buckets of water thrown on me, and being talked down to like a fucking dog. Defiance isn’t even the word... to describe how you make me feel.” I was seething.

I watched as the side of his lips lifted into a half smile, as if what I was saying made him happy. It would. It would make him happy to see someone like me in this situation.

Within a blink of my eye, he was standing again, his voice raised as he laughed at me. Confusion settled into my bones. What the hell was he doing?

“I make you feel something? That’s hilarious.” I listened to him talk while coming to a stand as slow as possible. Could I make a run for it? No. They would shoot me.

“Do you even know why you’re here?” Asshole asked again as if I was actually listening to him. Since Zerro, I stared danger right in the eyes and laughed—something I could always thank him for, I guess.

“I think we went over this already, but let me tell you why I think I’m here.” I pause a moment surveying the land. There was a clearing with trees on all sides and we were deep in the woods. My breaths came in as pants as my eyes caught on an old rotting stump off in the distance.

“You were saying…” He mocked his eyes glittered with amusement, and though I could see he found something funny, there was a darker secret being kept in his eyes.

“You know something…” I growled, not even caring if my accusation got me thrown back in the hole. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked down at me.

“And you know nothing…”

“Tell me.” I refused to allow him to taunt me. I need answers if he knows what happened to Zerro, and he knows what happened to my father then he’s more useful than I ever thought.