Owen’s lips pressed together in a sympathetic half-smile. “I’ll get ready here in a minute.”
He watched Julianna disappear into the house before he grabbed the burner in expectation of another picture. What he saw rent through him.
Anita shrieking. Anita in pain. Little fingers contorted and snapped by larger hands. He had seen gorey things. He’d done gorey things. But he’d never had to watch the torture and maiming of his own child. Hands shook but Owen watched until the end of the video. A surge saliva warned of the vomit rising in his stomach. He pressed a trembling hand over his mouth and lurched from the breakfast nook table. He found himself outside in the backyard, knees in the spongy grass, cool air on clammy skin as he doubled over into the bushes. The sandwich he’d eaten on the lawn in half digested pieces. Jingles ran over and cheerfully jumped at Owen’s legs greeting him with that tongue-out smile in that way dogs do. Smiling when Anita’s fingers were broken. The dog turned and sniffed curiously at the mess.
“No!” Owen yelled at the dog and blindly shoved the animal away. “Get in the house!”
Jingles with tail half between her legs at the undeserved harsh tone slunk inside with Owen trailing her wiping at his mouth. He was gasping for air in panic and grabbed at the phone again.
He sunk back down into the booth at the breakfast nook and watched the video three more times forcing himself to look for clues. She was in kind of a holding cell and terrorized by scarred hands that clearly belonged to a man. That was all he could tell. Owen dropped the phone to the table and covered his face with his hands. Tears wet his palms and he let himself sob only once. One shoulders shaking gasping breath and that was it. One moment of weakness and his training took over.
Owen pushed himself from the table, pocketing the phone as he did so. He found a sink to wash out his mouth and splash cool water on his face. Little fingers in sickening shapes floated in his mind. Moving mechanically and numbly, Owen dressed himself in light urban tactical gear. A side arm strapped around his thigh and an automatic rifle slung over his back pointing to the floor. Admittedly much heavier arms than he’d originally decided to go with. Owen exchanged his cane for a custom knee brace that allowed him the stability he would need to maneuver as best as he could with the injured leg. Such a device hadn’t been enough to return him to combat status, but it would get the job done in a pinch.
> consequences
He sent the text message without watching the video again. He had promised there would be consequences for any deviations from his demands to leave Anita oblivious and unharmed. He sped-dialed Katanya.
“The Medevac is to arrive when we do. They’ve started torturing her. No point in preserving her innocence anymore. We’ll respond accordingly.” No emotion in his voice. ‘Accordingly’ was Owen’s way of informing Katanya that he wanted them all dead. Whoever they were. It would be their last night.
Cain had flopped on the bed on his belly and laid half hung over it, fingers trailing on the floor as he moped. He ruminated on his refusal to drive Anita home. I don’t want to always drive her, he had whined, am I allowed to have a life? Never mind that Cain had no life. He just liked cruising around, smoking, and blaring his music. Things he couldn't do if accompanied by his little sister. He remembered his father’s impassive stare and a curt nod. Fine. We’ll figure something else out for her then. If Cain had just picked Anita up like his parents asked, she wouldn’t have been taken.
He didn’t answer the knock at his door knowing his parents would likely enter anyways.
He sat up and ears perked when his mother showed him his phone. Cain didn’t bother resisting his mother’s hug, he leaned against her, ears twitching against the underside of her chin. “I guess.” He murmured. “Is Anita going to be okay?”
He watched Julianna disappear into the house before he grabbed the burner in expectation of another picture. What he saw rent through him.
Anita shrieking. Anita in pain. Little fingers contorted and snapped by larger hands. He had seen gorey things. He’d done gorey things. But he’d never had to watch the torture and maiming of his own child. Hands shook but Owen watched until the end of the video. A surge saliva warned of the vomit rising in his stomach. He pressed a trembling hand over his mouth and lurched from the breakfast nook table. He found himself outside in the backyard, knees in the spongy grass, cool air on clammy skin as he doubled over into the bushes. The sandwich he’d eaten on the lawn in half digested pieces. Jingles ran over and cheerfully jumped at Owen’s legs greeting him with that tongue-out smile in that way dogs do. Smiling when Anita’s fingers were broken. The dog turned and sniffed curiously at the mess.
“No!” Owen yelled at the dog and blindly shoved the animal away. “Get in the house!”
Jingles with tail half between her legs at the undeserved harsh tone slunk inside with Owen trailing her wiping at his mouth. He was gasping for air in panic and grabbed at the phone again.
He sunk back down into the booth at the breakfast nook and watched the video three more times forcing himself to look for clues. She was in kind of a holding cell and terrorized by scarred hands that clearly belonged to a man. That was all he could tell. Owen dropped the phone to the table and covered his face with his hands. Tears wet his palms and he let himself sob only once. One shoulders shaking gasping breath and that was it. One moment of weakness and his training took over.
Owen pushed himself from the table, pocketing the phone as he did so. He found a sink to wash out his mouth and splash cool water on his face. Little fingers in sickening shapes floated in his mind. Moving mechanically and numbly, Owen dressed himself in light urban tactical gear. A side arm strapped around his thigh and an automatic rifle slung over his back pointing to the floor. Admittedly much heavier arms than he’d originally decided to go with. Owen exchanged his cane for a custom knee brace that allowed him the stability he would need to maneuver as best as he could with the injured leg. Such a device hadn’t been enough to return him to combat status, but it would get the job done in a pinch.
> consequences
He sent the text message without watching the video again. He had promised there would be consequences for any deviations from his demands to leave Anita oblivious and unharmed. He sped-dialed Katanya.
“The Medevac is to arrive when we do. They’ve started torturing her. No point in preserving her innocence anymore. We’ll respond accordingly.” No emotion in his voice. ‘Accordingly’ was Owen’s way of informing Katanya that he wanted them all dead. Whoever they were. It would be their last night.
____
Cain had flopped on the bed on his belly and laid half hung over it, fingers trailing on the floor as he moped. He ruminated on his refusal to drive Anita home. I don’t want to always drive her, he had whined, am I allowed to have a life? Never mind that Cain had no life. He just liked cruising around, smoking, and blaring his music. Things he couldn't do if accompanied by his little sister. He remembered his father’s impassive stare and a curt nod. Fine. We’ll figure something else out for her then. If Cain had just picked Anita up like his parents asked, she wouldn’t have been taken.
He didn’t answer the knock at his door knowing his parents would likely enter anyways.
He sat up and ears perked when his mother showed him his phone. Cain didn’t bother resisting his mother’s hug, he leaned against her, ears twitching against the underside of her chin. “I guess.” He murmured. “Is Anita going to be okay?”
Bitch, I'm limited edition.
The following 1 user Likes saronym's post: megs
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-13-2016, 10:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-14-2016, 11:02 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 10:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-15-2016, 11:36 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 07:34 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-17-2016, 06:15 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-18-2016, 01:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-18-2016, 03:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-20-2016, 05:45 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-22-2016, 10:27 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-25-2016, 10:21 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2016, 10:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-27-2016, 09:00 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-28-2016, 02:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-30-2016, 02:05 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-30-2016, 02:49 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-02-2016, 04:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-02-2016, 05:17 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-03-2016, 10:39 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-03-2016, 11:23 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-05-2016, 10:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-08-2016, 05:56 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-09-2016, 11:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-10-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-13-2016, 03:07 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-15-2016, 05:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-23-2016, 01:33 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-26-2016, 01:27 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-27-2016, 11:00 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-27-2016, 12:12 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-28-2016, 10:41 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-29-2016, 03:35 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 04:48 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-30-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-17-2016, 11:48 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-18-2016, 02:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-18-2016, 03:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-19-2016, 12:47 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-19-2016, 02:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-22-2016, 06:08 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-26-2016, 08:06 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 12-04-2016, 10:06 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 08:36 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-16-2017, 10:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 01:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-25-2017, 11:44 PM