Rise

Fright

The ghost of her lips still resides on his own; such a shock to his system they had caused, even if it was for just a split second. But for that short about of time, he had felt safe. He had felt his strength return to him. He had felt that there would be a future for them.

All too soon, it had been interrupted. All too soon the color that had taken over and flushed his cheeks been drained, leaving him paler than his usual. And all too quickly he had found himself bound, feet and hands immobilized by knots only a sailor would know how to tie. Or perhaps a pirate in this case?

He whimpers quietly, his injured arm strained by its placement behind him. They had laughed at his silent tears while binding him. He lifts his gaze to his captors, who had just finished tying up his friend, after great difficulty. At first, he had been shaking, assuming that they'd try to do to her what they had done to that man back at the playground. He was strangely reassured as he saw the ropes. They don't want to kill her. At least, not yet.

Watching them try to get their hands on Trish is a sight worth seeing. Even upon eventually capturing her, she does not fail to put up a fight, leaving the two men exhausted. They eventually wear her down, which makes the situation difficult for Dez to watch. He knows this passive state of hers will not last, however, and that she will be struggling and kicking again, soon enough. Ropes and gags would never be enough to hold back the fire that is Trish de la Rosa.

But what of himself?

He squirms with discomfort in the back of their pickup truck. They set Trish down beside him, muttering hushed words to each other that he cannot comprehend. Dez looks to his friend, worry donned on his face. As far as he can discern, they hadn't harmed her, however judging by the struggle they've had in capturing her, she must have used up all of her strength. Her eyes trained on their captors, Dez assumes that she's plotting. She's always been a mastermind at plotting revenge against those who cross her. It's unlikely that she'd let these two off easy, the way they subdued her. He wouldn't either. But he isn't nearly as threatening as she, of course.

Still, seeing the way they had handled her infected him with something dark; something brooding. Act on it, however? He probably couldn't. He doesn't have it in him. But when it comes to her...

His thoughts are interrupted by a murmuring Trish, looking his way. She's trying to tell me something, he understands this much. He responds with curiosity in his eyes, brow raised to show his lack of comprehension. She sighs, rubbing her face against her shoulder in an attempt to remove the gag. This may take a while.

He jumps slightly at the sound and rumble of the vehicle starting up. Upon doing so, part of the metal frame of the window to the passenger area behind him latches onto the back of his gag, pulling the piece of cloth right off. Trish looks up at him and groans, clearly upset that he had it removed so effortlessly. He glances behind him through the window. The two men seemed busy with their bickering, as the smaller man, Ray, started to get the truck moving. Dez takes this opportunity and leans his face down towards the girl's. She moves her head away from him, startled by the sudden closeness.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispers. "I'm just going to get that gag off you." She continues looking skeptical, but allows him to get near her. His breathing down her neck doesn't make it all that easy for her to keep calm, however. He tries to grasp the cloth in his teeth at her cheeks. Trish winces, not fond of the traces of saliva he's leaving on her face in his attempts. Once he's finally able to snag it between his teeth, he pulls the gag down off her face. "There we go."

"Thanks. Now what do you propose we do about the rope?" she asks in hushed tones, rubbing her cheek on her shoulder to wipe off his spit.

"We could try using our teeth on those, too," he suggests, with a shrug. He whimpers again as the action causes further discomfort on his left arm. Trish responds with an unenthusiastic nod. "Hey, what do you think they're going to do to us?" he asks, hoping she had figured something out in her observations.