Haunted by the Past (Original)

Chapter 13

Quickly I placed the pills into my mouth then took a swig of water. Before Eli realized my plan, I pressed my mouth against his and pushed the water and pills into his mouth. Water ran down our chins as he tried to resist, but I pinched his nose, forcing him to instinctively swallow. Once he had, I released his nose and started to pull away, but he wasn't having it. In a show of dominance, his tongue breached my mouth forcefully and he pushed me back. Before I even knew what was happening, I found myself on my back on that concrete floor of that filthy warehouse with Eli pinning my hands down on either side of my head. I yelped into his mouth as the pain from my head hitting the floor finally caught up to me, but he didn't care. He sucked the very life of me, leaving me breathless while his mouth moved to my exposed neck.

"What gives you the right to force me to take your pills?" he growled into my ear.

"Eli, please, you were, are, having a panic attack," I defended. "The pills will help you."

"I need my wits! He framed me and declared war on the FBI!" Eli gritted his teeth as each word uttered into my ear sent chills down my spine. "They're going make it rain fire just to bring me down, Dani! I am fucked! Royally fucked!"

Eli shifted both my hands to above my head so he could hold both wrists with one hand. "Eli, trust me, they'll help you! Please-" I was cut off by his other hand covering my mouth.

"I don't have to anything!" he snapped. "I'm so sick of playing by other people's rules in games designed for me to lose!"

I trembled in fear under him, not knowing what the extent of this would be. Different people could have very different responses to high stress situations. I have to delay him until the medication takes effect, I thought to myself. I tried to wiggle my mouth free, but he wouldn't have it.

"Why shouldn't I do what I want!? They'll kill me like a monster anyway! Why should I hold back?" he leant over to kiss the dried tears from my cheeks. Wincing, I shut my eyes tight briefly until I felt a splash on my cheek. "Why should I care if you are killed in the crossfire?" Eli's voice trembled as he sat upright, releasing my mouth from his grip. Tears ran down his face, arms dropping lifelessly on either side of him in defeat.

"Eli...," I pushed myself up while struggling to find the right words to say to him.

"This is your last chance. If you stay with me any longer, you will not be spared. There is a war coming. Leave, I won't hold it against you. I would not want to fight anyone else's war, a losing war, either," he paused for a moment. "This is your last chance. You need to go. Now, while I can still stand to see you leave."

Speechless, I stared at him, his distraught appearance tugging at my emotions. War? This would be an execution, not a war, and he knew that. He already resigned that there would be no surviving the next encounter with the FBI. Every round fired at him would be a killing shot, but he was only in this position because of me. How could I abandon Eli now with this mess when I brought it to his doorstep? I could never live with myself. I could never be able to look myself in the mirror again.

"Help me kill that son of a bitch," I struggled to keep my voice even and my emotions under control. "Give me that and I will be by your side until the end. No matter what."

A impish smirk appeared on Eli's lips. "When I'm finished with him, I will leave him at your feet for you to end him," he confirmed. "I will even hold the gun for you - all you will need to do is pull the trigger." His expression soured once more though. "But this isn't just about Triple-6 anymore."

"I know." I shook my head insistantly, "I won't abandon you. Not now. Not after all this. Not when you gave me safe haven."

Eli stared at me in silence, then glanced to the side where his hannya mask was lying on the floor. He reached over, picked it up and placed it over his face before turning back to me. "Dani, if you stay you will see sides of me that you won't like - sides that will make you uncomfortable. My morality will be out the window."