The Teacher

The Teacher: Part I Unchained, Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

LEAVING THE OFFICE WE HAD TO walk a few blocks back to where the car was parked and took a shortcut through an alley. Some guys were drinking in a garage and taunted us as we strolled by.

"Hey foxy thing, step on in here so we can check you out a little closer," the Bud-Lite boozer sporting a massive beer belly, arms full of tattoos, and scraggly facial hair, started in.

"I don't think so...not today fellas," Holden answered protectively for me.

Not about to take no for an answer, two of his friends got up and blocked our path down the alley.

"Guys, you really don't want to do this," Holden warned, knowing full well what he was capable of doing to them.

"Oh yeah, and just why is that...I only see you and the little lady, and there are four of us," the leader of the pack of blitzed back-alley two-legged rats railed.

"Look, we're just minding our own business here, so why don't you be smart do the same," I said, to follow up Holden's attempt to defuse the escalating crisis.

"Step in here right now...I mean it," the guy wearing a faded KISS concert pullover standing next to him ordered while lifting up his shirt just enough to show the pistol he was packing.

"Ah...Holden...we better do as he says," I recommended, fearing what might happen if they got upset.

All the while Holden was planning our escape, but thought it would be better if we were all in the garage and out of public view when he made his move.

"Just relax, no one has to get hurt," Holden said as he led me into the garage.

As soon as we were all inside, two of the men grabbed Holden and wrestled him to a chair where he was quickly bound and gagged. The other two pulled down the garage door before pushing me over to a couch they kept on the west wall.

"Now, you play nice sexy lady and you and your boyfriend just might walk out of here."

Strangely, Holden wasn't struggling to free himself and didn't even try to make some noise to attract help. His eyes were fixed on me and I could see he was filling with an intense rage that was about to explode.

The dangerously drunk bullies surrounded me.

"So, who wants her first," the leader of the thugs offered.

"We better soften her up or it might be hard to get in, don't you think?" the guy behind me said.

"Right...right. What did you have in mind?"

One of them began unbuttoning my blouse while another unzipped my jeans skirt. While they were undressing me, the others had their hands all over my still bra-covered breasts and rubbing the inside of my thighs.

"That should do it," one of the jerks suggested, as if what they were doing could in any way amount to useful foreplay under the best of romantic circumstances.

Holden was watching and realized that he couldn't wait much longer before doing something to prevent what was about to happen. It didn't seem like there was anything to be done. I tried to prepare myself emotionally for the devastating assault that was about to take place. My skirt was off, and my bra strap unsnapped when I looked up and noticed something strange going on with Holden.

His eyes began glowing red, the same glare I last saw in the old chapel when we were all infused with the Guardian's power. Just before the man who was going to take me could unzip his pants, a crimson stream of energy left Holden's eyes targeting the man from behind.

When the beam reached his head, he froze in place and began shaking as if he'd just been hit with a million-volt TASER. He was soon paralyzed, couldn't breath, and his heart stopped. As the intensity of the stream built up in his body, he began smoking, then, started levitating slowly toward the ceiling while pitching horizontally, his arms locked out away from his sides. The others couldn't believe what they were seeing, panicked, and tried to escape toward the door, but one by one Holden lit them up the same way.

When they were all dead, he cut off the energy beam and they dropped to the cement garage floor with a collective thud and the sound of stiff brittle bones breaking.

I turned to Holden. He was still bound. He closed his eyes to concentrate. The ropes began to steam and crackle before disintegrating off of his hands and chest. He slowly got up and walked over to me.

"Holden, what just happened...how did you...no, not now, let's get out of here!"

"Right...sure...but I just couldn't let anyone hurt you."