Bite Shift

70

He waited a beat. He just stood there, staring at me. I think he wanted me to react. I didn't know what he wanted; a gasp, for me to scream, for me to be in awe. I didn't know what he expected but he clearly expected something. And, I didn't give it to him.

He turned sharply, facing the second crate. In a blur of movement, he had Rhys in the air by his throat. Those green eyes that I loved so much were dull and heavily-lidded. I saw him try to put on a brave face, staring down Will but his energy was clearly gone. Rhys's hands reached up to grab the hand that was choking him. That is when I saw the blue-ish hue in each fingertip. He was oxygen deprived. Without blood supply, his body was starving for oxygen. He was dying in front of me.

I found Alex on the floor. He was still unconscious and covered by the blanket. I was sure he had not moved at all in the long hours of daylight. It wasn't a good sign. I focused my hearing, straining for any proof of life. Faintly, too faintly, I caught the sound of his heartbeat. It was slower and more feebly than I would have liked to hear but I said a silent thank you that it was still beating.

Monica started up with a fresh round of gagged screaming and sobbing. I couldn't imagine what she was thinking. I wanted to run to her but was too scared to move. Will had all of the cards in his hand and he knew it.

Work is bound to notice us all missing. I ran through my memories, dredging up the image of the schedule on the break room wall. Fuck! Monica and I were both due off. Rhys and Alex are here. Tom thinks I'm taking time to recover. No one was looking for us.

A familiar ding rang through the barn. Will dropped Rhys to the ground like he was dropping bags of groceries. Rhys laid in a heap, groaning. Out of his pocket came a phone; my phone. He glanced the screen and sighed. The look in his eyes when he met mine was not friendly.

"Sorin is very insistent that you tell him where you are. What is it about you? The man has not given any other bitch a second thought after he has had them but you....."

Sorin. He will look for me if I don't answer!

Will continued. "A mighty warrior, lord of the city, and he's been seduced by you." The last word was said with such disdain, like he was uttering the name of a vile thing that no one wants to think of. "Too many great men have fallen because some whore came into their lives. But this won't be one of them."

He bowed his head and I watched his thumbs work over the screen. He was texting something. I had seconds to plan. I scanned the barn. There were no windows, probably why he had chosen this place. I didn't see anything I could use, any escape. The door he came in was the only door. He was too fast. I could not make it past him and into the woods. And, even if I did, I would be leaving Monica, Alex and Rhys. Not to mention, he would find my girls and I could not risk that.

I looked back to him and he was watching me. "Whatever you are thinking, I advise you to stop."

"I wasn't thinking anything. I didn't want to look at you typing whatever you just typed."

He took a step towards me, holding my phone out to me. "Would you like to read the words? I am certain they will crush him. I have to admit, I was especially cruel."

He took another step towards me, moving like a dancing, with his back leg sliding up to meet the first. His hand offered the phone to me. I was afraid to reach out but the thought that I may have it in my hand was too enticing. It was so close.

"Go ahead. You cannot hurt me with it. Take it."

I raised my arm, fingers out. I felt like I was reaching to pet an animal that someone swore was safe but I still believed it may bite. I felt the cool glass of the screen on the tips of my fingers and it fell away. Before I could register that he had let it slide off his hand, his boot heel hit the screen with a series of cracks. It sounded oddly like ice breaking when some step onto a frozen pond and the weight can't be held. My hand froze where it was. I stared at the broken iPhone from my vision.