Infected

27: ☣ Action at the Mansion☣

AKILA Shakir had kept her eye on the man that had been dragged in by the intruders before being forced down into a sitting position, his hands tied behind his back with a rope, his mouth gagged; just like her and her two children.

Akila had not a single clue who this man was, save for a slight familiarity as she had observed his face for the last hour or so. She could only assume that this man had either worked with or met with her husband.

"How long do you plan to keep us like this?" she asked when one of the intruders passed by her. "You can at least loosen the knots on my children."

Holding an AK-47 rifle, the intruder regarded the little boy and girl, snorting at their uncanny twin resemblance. "Naah. They're good."

Just as the intruder turned to head back to his post at the front door, the unconscious gagged man finally came to, awaking with a start.

Alex Brenton's eyes drew open and he was a little confused to find himself looking at two little kids and a woman--all of them gagged. He tried to speak but discovered his tongue to be restrained by a cloth around his mouth. This directed him to his hands after he tried to get up.

At first, the CIA agent thought he was in a dream until he spotted the two armed men at the front door. It all then came rushing or rather "pounding" back as he could detect a painful throbbing coming from the back of his head where he had been struck by the butt of a gun, shortly after his altercation with the WHO assistant director.

At that recollection, Brenton's mind snapped to focus. He had just discovered Marconi to be the one behind the WHO assassination. How he got where he was, he had no idea but he knew he had to get out and stop Marconi and whatever it is that he was planning.

Then there were the other people tied up in a similar manner. Brenton also did not know who they were. They all looked terrified and a little tired, leading him to believe that they had been there longer than him.

"Look who's awake," muttered one of the gunned men and the other one laughed.

Brenton felt his hands against the rope--feeling the texture. He deduced it would be in vain to try and cut his way out, guessing the rope to be made of fiber. He had to find something. Anything. He did. All it took was a little flashback to a time he had been captured on his second tour in Afghanistan where he had been tied up by wires and after a number of painful attempts, had managed to break free.

Brenton mumbled in his gag, engaging the gunned men as he worked on his binds.

"You better shut up if you know what's good for you!"

Akila moved her eyes from the gunned man to the one gagged, noticing him subtly twisting his wrists.

Brenton continued to mumble, working faster on his binds.

"I told you to shut the fuck up!" one of the gunned men began advancing towards Brenton, just as Brenton had expected him to.

Still mumbling, Brenton finally got his left hand to move over his right, ignoring the pain from the friction. His right fingers grabbed hold of his left thumb and with one sharp yank, he managed to twist his finger, dislocating it and he could feel the binds rapidly loosen.

"Would you shut-" the gunned man was almost upon Brenton when Akila began mumbling too, getting his attention.

This unexpected move actually worked to Brenton's favor after he had suddenly raised his hands, using them to support himself so that he could perform a swiping kick, knocking the man straight off his feet.

The man cried out as he hit the carpeted floor hard, the gun flying out of his grip.

What happened next was all but a blur to Akila and her children as they watched the stranger make a dive for the gun but the other intruder was already charging at him.