𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟑𝟗 | 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

"Brother," I replied unanimously, hoping it will force them to end this conversation. I stepped back a little, wanting to do it inconspicuously and look casual at the same time, so I wouldn't give them the impression that they had disturbed me, but I hit the car window with my back, to which my body responded with a muffled thud. Now they knew one hundred percent that I was nervous.

I waited for what they will do. Maybe they really just planned to talk. Or they came to rob me. I was already going to give in to fear, but then I realized one very important thing. It didn't matter if there were two and I was just one. There could be five of them – I would certainly not have given up without the fight. I carry the name after the dreaded killer. I'm O'Donnell. My father taught me most of what he knows. I can fight, shoot, and win. And I won't lose at any cost unless my mom is safe with me again.

"He doesn't look like your brother," the other pointed out. He stretched the skin near his eyes with his finger, reducing them to thin lines. I frowned. Their muscles tensed with laughter. As they gained oxygen in their lungs, their weight increased by a quarter. I was surprised that their thin T-shirts were kept together.

"Funny," I muttered annoyed, more to myself than to them. At that moment, Otto ran out of the store, all red, and shouted:

"RIA, RUN! THEY WORK FOR LEO! HE IS-" He didn't even have time to finish the sentence, and I already felt something cold on my wrist. Handcuffs. They locked my hand in one circle and secured me to the car door with the other. I immediately found out what Otto was trying to tell me. He is-

HERE.

Leo Tokarewski found us somehow, and now we were in his hands.

I would recognize that walk everywhere. The way he smirked when he got to Otto and stopped him from doing anything.

My guts twisted wildly, and then they solidified in the most atypical formations as if someone had flooded them with lead. I didn't know how to react. I was glad I had handcuffs that kept me nailed to the ground because otherwise, I would have to run. And I certainly wouldn't be able to do that in this state.

How did he find us?

Was he watching us?

What will happen to us now?

Is this the last action of my rescue mission?

Can I say goodbye to my mom forever?

Every Leo's move was just another torturous suffering for me. He approached me confidently, holding poor Otto's shirt tightly, almost dragging him. Otto was trying to free himself from Leo's grip but failed. When they were almost at the car, Leo nodded to the strangers, giving them a sign, they should take care of Otto while the two of us will talk. TALK. With him. As if I was interested.

The outwardly poisoned expression disappeared from my face as soon as Leo appeared near me. In fact, I had so much on my mind...

"Did you come to take a look at the handcuffed Ria O'Donnell?" Leo was standing next to me at a safe distance from which I couldn't hit or kick him. He grinned when he saw the anger bubbling inside me uncontrollably. "Just look, because when I'll get out of here, it will be the last thing you do!" I shouted at him so loud and furiously that I waited for a fire to come out of my mouth and scrape his pretty face.

Leo ignored everything that came out of me and walked out of his safe zone. I took advantage of that and perhaps attacked too recklessly. I tried to punch him with my left fist, but he managed to catch it. He was ready. He was also waiting for my kick, which he managed to block. I was helpless and could feel his warmth flowing through my arm and leg, which he was still holding.

"Even that wig couldn't cover your beautiful face," he flattered me. A fever rose in my head. I was handcuffed because of him, and he thought he could seduce me?

I shook off his hands violently.

"It's not over yet," I reminded him coldly. My legs were like rubber, I could barely keep on them.

Leo finally stopped grinning and replaced his smile with a serious expression. He was about to say something. He inhaled, ready to protest, but was interrupted by a loud hiss and screams. We both turned our heads in surprise to Leo's helpers and Otto, who somehow managed to escape. He ran away. Leo went after him, but before that, he gave me one more look. The tall and taller one, meanwhile, got into a fight, arguing about who had let Otto go and whose fault it was.

I was alone and chained.

That meant the time and my chance to escape started counting down right now.

I pulled the string from my right shoe as quickly as possible and removed its end. In my hand, I held the perfect tool for unlocking handcuffs. All I had to do was turn it in the keyhole and the rings have immediately loosened. Just like my father taught me.

I quietly opened the car door and pulled the weapon I had closest from my bag. It was M249 again. Looking at the half-empty charger, my face sunken. I didn't plan to shoot, just to intimidate, anyways.

I took empty handcuffs from the ground, shoved them in my pocket, and moved toward the prisoners. They stared at me with a shock, freezing completely, finally being quiet. Without unnecessary talk, I ran to a smaller opponent. He was so taken aback by me that knocking him to the ground with a single blow to the chin was too easy. The other boy seemed not to give up without a fight. With the certainty that I would kick him in the ass one way or another, I didn't care if one hit was enough, or I would need more strength.

First, I deflected the incoming blow with my fist. The opponent seized the opportunity when I was not too focused on protecting the middle part of my body. He tried to hit my foot in the place under my arm, which I managed to avert in the last hundredth. My gun fell to the ground. The boy grabbed my left hand, held my shoulder with his right. I knew what was coming. My reflexes were slowed, so I didn't react fully when he threw me over. My back landed on the hard concrete, taking my breath away. I kicked into his calf and welcomed him to the spot next to me, grabbing his right leg with my upper and lower limbs, looking like a koala clutching a tree branch. Then I leveled his leg and pulled him up, and the opponent hissed in pain. I didn't expect him to fight further and to hit me directly in the back with his free foot. I fell to the ground again and started to crawl away on my knees, gasping for breath as did my opponent. It also took him a moment to get up and stand up.

I was sick of it.

"Are you done?" the boy gasped, his blue eyes shining with excitement.

"And you?" I answered with a question. My heart was pounding so wildly that I felt like it would jump out of my chest. I waited for him to attack, then I hit with full force, grabbing his shoulders with my left hand, and slamming my fist into his stomach with my right. This got him slightly to his knees, which I used to my advantage and knocked him down. Our fight ended with a kick to the side and another blow to the abdomen.

Satisfied and exhausted from the victory, I pulled out the handcuffs and put one hand in each one. Both boys lay motionless on the ground. I looked towards the forest where Otto and Leo had run. How far did Otto manage to run?

I was almost certain Leo had caught him already. I knew what I had to do. There was no time to come up with a new plan. Thoughtlessly, I ran into the woods.

In the opposite direction that my only friend did.