-I Had A Dream-

Chapter 16: All is gone

Ruby woke up with a growling skull. She rocked her head slightly from side to side and blinked a little. Her hands were tied together on her lap, her legs were chained to a pipe. Everything hurt her, she tasted dry blood on her lips and her lungs burned. The ground below her was cool and she froze terribly. Ruby didn't know where or how long she was here, only the image of Oskar in front of her eyes was burned into her memory. Tears ran down her cheeks when she thought back to the time on Kalokairi, of Sophie and Fernando. She was terrified, less of herself.
It seemed hours before a door opened. It was Oscar. He had that evil, dirty grin on his face when he looked at her. He knelt next to her while she tried to slide away a little.
Hello, my beautiful. I hope you are comfortable.
Oscar laughed. Ruby was shaking with fear, everything she said could not be understood as she bit the cloth in her mouth. His hand rests on her wrist and slowly brushed up to her shoulder, further to her face, and rested on her cheek. The next moment she felt a sharp pain and her eyes watered. Oscar shook his hand, then pulled her close by the collar.
Let's play a game. Ohh, you love games, don't you ? Think about it...ahhh! How about choosing ?
He laughed out loud. Ruby shook her head, fear in her eyes. Oscar loosened the chains on her legs and pulled her up tightly by the arm. She stumbled and Oscar pulled her behind him.

Another door opened and he pushed Ruby into a room until she was on her knees. When she raised her head, she looked into the frightened face of another woman. Tears flowed down her face with the freckles, the blonde hair was frizzy around her face. It was Kaya. Ruby's scream was muffled in the cloth in her mouth as Oscar pressed her to the floor next to Kaya. Oscar laughed maliciously and sat down in an armchair.
Ruby, oh Ruby. You're such a stupid little girl. Do you really think you and your little wannabe pastor would be safe from me ? Me, your husband ? You don't really think I didn't know this little bitch Donna was your lousy little daughter. That stupid woman was so stupid as to think she could trust me.
Ruby listened, her heart grew heavy and she cried. It hurt to hear all of this. She would never have thought of what had happened.  Oscar kept talking.
Well, and at some point it was too late. Nobody messes with me. She was so naive.
Ruby's torso jerked her up and she screamed, but a pair of another man's hands pressed her shoulders down.
It would be really hard to decide between you and this...little pretty lady. But I already have.
Oscar got up and lifted Kaya's face with his fingers
Do you remember ? You will help me get rid of this miserable little family. And maybe then you will be one of the lucky ones who will be allowed to live.
He laughed cynically. One of his henchmen pulled Kaya up, and Ruby didn't know if it was her or Kaya who was screaming. Oscar and his men drag Ruby and Kaya outside to a car and put them in the cargo area.

When the door closed it was quiet for a moment until both women could hear the roar of the engine. Ruby slumped against the wall and hoped to wake up from this wretched nightmare in the next moment. She was still crying and making herself small. When she looked up again, Kaya was leaning against her. Her eyes were full of pain, and Ruby could see the guilty look in the dull eyes.
Neither made a peep, and Ruby felt even worse for having dragged Kaya into the whole thing.
Neither of them knew where they were going and whether they would see the next day at all.
Oscar was mad, terribly mad, and she was terrified for her family.
They could hear Oscar talking up front, but couldn't understand a word. It was terribly warm and both women were barely able to hold themselves upright. Just as Ruby just wanted to close her eyes again and escape this nightmare for a few seconds, the car stopped so abruptly that the two of them were pressed hard against the wall.  All they heard then were loud screams from other men outside.
There was a loud bang or two, and both Ruby and Kaya had never feared for their lives so much. There was a lot of noises outside and suddenly the door of the car opened slowly. Kaya and Ruby pushed themselves into the last farthest corner, trembling. A man cautiously stuck his head in, and suddenly the two women looked into the frightened face of a man with a police badge shining on his blue shirt.