The Last Weapon

Next Chapterrr

“Gail! Gail!” I continued to scream, although I knew it was useless.

I ran to the wooded area along the edge of the parking lot, diving in among the clusters of trees. I ran along for a few yards, calling out Gail’s name occasionally, frantically searching for any sign of him. Was he hiding for me, as if for a joke? If so, I wasn’t finding it funny at all. 

After a minute or two of aimlessly crashing through the trees, I realized that I was making an awful lot of noise. If someone had taken Gail, they could easily avoid me and go the opposite direction I was going in. If Gail was in danger, I was just making it easier for whoever wanted to hurt him.

I quieted myself and crouched down by a tree. Ok, so, time to be quiet, and search. Think sneaky, Stevie. It’s what you’re used to.

I started to creep slowly in another direction than the one I had been going in, being as silent as possible and being careful where I stepped so as to not make a single sound. The slowness was painful; I wanted to go screaming and crashing around again. I was terrified for Gail and worried out of my mind.

After what seemed like years of my heart beating fast and my brain going through every possible horrible thing that could happen to Gail, I heard a twig snap a few yards to my left.

I froze and listened.

Soft footfalls were moving carefully further to my left, and they sounded heavy. I moved even more silently than I had been before, searching for the sounds.

Just ahead, I saw a glimpse of movement. I moved more forward, peering between the trees for whoever it was. I saw two tall men carrying as large, human-shaped sack between them.

My eyes zeroed in on the sack and I sucked in my breath through my teeth. Gail, I thought, my eyes narrowing.

Found him. One step down, now I just need to get rid of these two guys and get Gail and I out of here, I thought.

I slunk forwards and to the right, faster now than before. I tried to get far enough to the right of them that they wouldn’t notice me, but I could still keep them in my line of vision. I heard in the distance a growing roaring sound, like heavy amounts of water falling on rocks. A waterfall.

I managed to get ahead of them by a couple yards, and then I stepped into the area they were heading, finally letting them out of my sight.

I heard the crunch of footsteps coming from in front of me, and low voices that I couldn’t make out the words of. They obviously weren’t worried about me anymore if they weren’t being careful about the noise they were making.

I allowed myself a smile, thinking, Good, then, they won’t be expecting me, and I’ll have the element of surprise.

I moved back a little bit into a clearing just behind me and waited for the men to find me.

It wasn’t too long before they stepped into the clearing, and they froze when they saw me, their eyes going wide.

I smiled at them and cocked my head to the side.

“Well now,” I said, “seems this didn’t really go as planned for you, did it?”

I find that if I act all blasé and nonchalant while going up against people bigger and stronger than you, if gives you a certain edge. If you seem so totally sure of yourself that you are unconcerned with them, then they automatically are just a little more scared, which makes them just a little more easy to fight. It has always helped me.

I slipped my knife out of its sheath hidden under my shirt, and held it up, making sure it caught in the light so it would gleam at Gail’s captors.