The Cowboy and The Girl

Old Wounds

It was all a mistake. I wasn't meant to be here. I wasn't meant to get caught. I should have just got in, got out, and got long gone. But there was a crack in my plan that I didn't see. People.

I was almost done with searching the nearby factory. Joel was waiting for me outside. It was my idea he thought it was dangerous. That the building was too big and someone was most likely hiding inside or it was full of infected. I guess I should have listened.

I was ambushed. Three men subduing me and dragging me into what I guessed to used to be the main workfloor.

I came too when they poured cold water on me.

"Oh good you're awake." The man in front of me says. He's dark eyes glaring at me. A long scar going threw the left one making his eye white.

I clench my jaw looking up at him.

"Oh, your not gonna talk? Fine I'll talk for you. You think you can come here and rob us huh?" He asks walking up to me.

I was hanging by my hands from the ceiling. My toes barely brushed the ground so I didn't have much leverage to do much of anything.

'Joel please come and help me.' I think as the man goes on about me disrespecting him that I was messing with the wrong person.

"Are you done?" I ask trying to buy some time so I could figure a way out.

"Am I done?"

"Yeah, your starting to bore me. You let me go I leave the stuff I took and were square."

"Oh it doesn't work like that." He says grabbing my face and pulling it close to his.

"You see I'm not the forgiving type. In this world when you do something wrong you get punished."

"Sorry buddy I'm not into that chains and whips stuff."

I hiss in pain when he smacks me busting my lip.

"I would watch that mouth before I find something else to do with it."

I clenched my jaw fear and anger going threw me. I knew I had to get out of here and fast. Sucking on my bottom lip when I feel my mouth fill with blood I spit it at the man.

"Do you wanna die?" He asks grabbing my throat.

"Never done it before, sounds fun." I say trying to get under his skin, trying to keep him talking.

"That's it. Get the iron." He says to the other men standing around.

One of them smirks and turns around letting me see a metal barrel with a fire in it. A long rod sticking out of it. Using a glove he pulls it out revealing a red hot X on the other end.

I feel my heart pick up at the site.

"Are you scared now? Feel like apologizing, begging for forgiveness. Maybe even cry? I might hold back if you cry." The guy says pulling my face towards his and bending down to smell me.

"I'd rather die thanks." I say jerking my head back and slamming it into his.

It making him stubble back holding his nose. I smirk seeing blood come from it.

"Hold her still!" He yells two of the other men rushing forward to grab at me.

I try to wiggle away from them, realizing that there were no women or children around. The men holding me letting their hands drift to my chest.