Page 36 of Satan's Naughty List
The sludge has mainly turned to ice, but that’s never deterred the guys. I know I give shit to Nomad all the time for it, but he’s smart. If anything, he’s not willing to risk his precious bike getting hurt.
“Let’s get a head start.”
“Everyone in position?” Nomad calls over the radios. There’s several static replies as we wait for the final signal. “On my count,” he mutters over the speaker, rustling and static echoing down the line.
Myself, Robo and Appa are all stationed outside in the Tech van, waiting for the final call. My adrenaline spikes through my veins as they make calls to one another. The guys and I are keeping track of their body cameras and mics to ensure maximum safety.
Right before they showed up, we flew over an infrared camera to ensure everything was accurate. From Hudson’s description of the place, it appeared to be the same. Minus the additional explosives they keep hidden away as fucking boobie-traps, there was the body we were looking for. At least, I hope it is. It wasn’t moving, but it was still warm all around, so that’s a good sign.
Guys call through the mics that they’re in position, and five dots dance on the side of the building to confirm. My stomach is heavy, chest tight. If anything goes wrong…
My brain takes me back to when I had to run the tech van with Widower all those years ago. Getting a member of the team back seems to be turning into a recurring trend. One that we’re more than keen on breaking.
“Three.” My heart races in my ears with anticipation, legs bouncing harshly under the table of the Tech van. Robo and Appa are stationed around me, hacking into the systems of the three men who decided to uproot my life and take an important piece of it with them.
A shout of victory from Appa who confirms the underground explosives are re-geared to our command panel. Two of the traps are on the outskirts by the trees. From the calculations, they’re only grass grabbers, a small tuft of ground will move underneath, and is where the damage is. They’re equipped to shake harshly, notifying them that they’ve got company. Which is the move we’re trying to make.
“Two.” Glancing behind me, the two guys all jerk their heads in acknowledgement. I wonder if any of the guys on this mission are experiencing flash-backs from when they had to rescue Crusher.
Hopefully Crusher is able to lead this with a clear head.
Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to make him point on this. I mean, yeah he has a ton of experience and it’s his job as Sergeant at Arms to ensure that all members are safe, up to and including conducting literal extractions like we are today.
Green flashes across the screen as Appa sets one of the bombs off. Grass flies out from its roots, the ground rumbling underneath us.
“One.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Waterpoursovermyface as I gasp for air. After a moment, they remove the cloth, cackling to each other. Struggling to breath, it’s almost as if they know who Techy was to me. That I thought of him as more than a friend. Then he flipped the script and left me here to die.
Alone.
Not that I’m complaining, but I would rather have a quick death than this waterboarding shit.
Perched on the metal table, they have my arms and legs tied down while my head hangs over the edge. Using gravity to their advantage, they put the burlap cloth back over my mouth and nose, and pour. I take a giant lung full of air right before it hits me. Water leaks into my nose, the burning sensation causing tears to sting in my eyes.
It’s like I swallowed chlorine.
“Are you ready to tell us?” Ravi chides as the cloth is ripped off. I sputter and shriek for mercy, but it doesn’t last. “You could easily be sitting back in your little prison with food, but instead you’re holding their information like they’re trade secrets.”
“I don’t know anything,” I lie again, shaking the water out of my hair. The weight on the strands puts more strain on my neck, and it’s damn near too heavy to move at this point. Time has lapsed around me, I know that much. What I’m completely unaware of is how much time. Everytime I see my three walking nightmares, they’re dressed in different clothing. They never come down in sweatpants or anything resembling pajamas, so I can’t tell if it’s night or day.
“Bitch!” Stephan shouts, thin wood meeting the soft skin of my throat. “You just want to suffer, don’t you?” I try again to disagree. The strain on my airway seems to be catching up to me as dots dance in my vision.
It definitely wouldn’t be the first time that I passed out.
“Sit her up,” Charles grumbles, yanking Ravi away. A fist tangles in my knotty hair. Blood travels away from my face, the heat slowly vanishing. Keeping my eyes shut, I don’t want to face them. They were once a part of my not-so-distant past. They’ve come back to haunt me.
Metal clanks, my legs loosening from their tight hold. I lost feeling in my toes a while ago, but I know they’d get off on that information.
“Get her out of my site,” Charles' deep voice rumbles. Goon one and two grab my arms and practically drag me off the table, relishing in the painful groan that pours from my mouth.
The metal fixator on my leg is dirty and the skin around the wounds are bright red, most likely from infection.
Energy is non-existent in my body. If anything, I know attempting to gather my wits will only make them pull harder.
“Maybe we’ll enjoy her before we kill her,” Ravi snickers. His hip bumps against mine painfully, the bone bruised from being dragged, beaten, and thrown around. They’ve left me in my clothes from when they nabbed me, though I’m not entirely sure why. It could be some type of sick fascination with how bloody they’ve become or they just like to know that I’m obviously below them.
