Diary of a Sociopath

Chapter 11- Twenty Four Hours

Never in my life have I felt fear such as this-or fear in general. I only know it is from the fact Matthew keeps telling me that I look like I am afraid. I know it's accurate. I tremble at the thought of being blindsided-of knowing they came in without recourse or fear. Why did they lack it? What about it made it so damn easy? The fact I didn't hear as much as a shift in the furniture. It appeared like a war zone in the living room but everything was done in silence. I took Matthew to a friend's house-per his request, as I did some snooping of my own. I tried to locate the spot they wanted to meet and the abandoned rundown building I thought I had killed Ramone in was not occupied...and so I returned to her house. Upon my return, a letter was taped on the door with the words; OCCUPANT written in bold black letters.

Reading quick, it was a ransom demanding me in exchange for her. Or the kid would be next as he thought I didn't care enough to look for her. I adored her more than anyone else I had come into contact with, with I had to be smart about this. I couldn't very well arrive with guns blazing-as I knew more than anything, that I would be going in blind. And I was not going to make any more mistakes.

So I decided to wait it out. Taking my car across the lot of the abandoned building, I kept hidden under nightfall before seeing headlights pull up to the location sometime after midnight. I glared from the distance I was at and saw how there was three figures in the dark. Two walked with normal gaits as the third was wobbling, far more slender then the other two figures. And even from hundreds of meters away and in almost pitch black, I knew it was my girl.

Sliding from my car, I readied the semi-automatic at my side and slowly looked around to be sure I was unseen before tailing them. My steps were quiet as I peeked into the shed to see how they were gone. Moving back in confusion, I collected myself for a bit before reentering the shed. Now brightly lit inside-left from those who entered previously, I was able to see a carpet on the floor beneath my feet. As well as a radio on a table and several boxes full of ammunition; empty shells but the promise of a bad reputation. With each step, I could hear it creak under my feet-but one spot more than the others. Moving down to it's level, I threw back the carpet to see a small hole concealing a ladder in the dark.

Hesitating for a mere second, I descended down the ladder quietly before finding dim lights to show a path leading underground. Separating into two, four, then six different ways, I followed my pure intuition, and only got turned around once. I came to a room lit brighter than the corridors and found a long metal bar in the center with a chair underneath it. Blood stained the floor around the scene and a bucket sat in the far corner.

Hearing shuffled steps behind me, I hid in the dark on the far side near a set of old boxes before hearing them drag something. Able to see through a very small hole, I was able to see that it was her...My Ava. Her beautiful Ivory skin had been bruised and cut-one part even burned. Just enough to still show me it was her. Her arms were placed in handcuffs that fell over the metal bar as she was told to stand on the chair before it was suddenly kicked away. As she struggled, she was whipped with some kind of lashing device. Leaving her groaning-where she would be hit again. On several occasions, I saw how the man hitting her grinned upon doing so-and I realized what had to be done.

As much as it hurt to do so, I knew I had to wait until she was alone-or with less men than those that currently resided; about four. As one man kept coming in and out-patrolling or securing the location. The minutes went on until she was eventually left with two men. One who left a few moments later and had not returned for several minutes. I took this as my chance. Using the barrel of my gun, I knocked the one man unconscious and jammed the door shut before pulling her down and shooting the cuffs off-placing an old bottle as a silencer.

When she fell into my arms, I felt the warm blood fall onto my skin as I felt genuinely sorry for everything I had caused. Holding her bridal style, I carried her towards the door and set her behind it before I unblocked it, standing with the gun pointing towards the door. Within a matter of five minutes, Ramone returned with a smile.

"You do have feelings-I was beginning to think you were a complete savage..."

"I am the one with the weapon Ramone...you are going to let me take her from here...then you can do what you want with me..."

"What makes you think I have not already killed her?"

"I already have her. She's safe. So you and I will settle this like men...or I can place one between your eyes right this second-and end it all."

"What stops you?"

"Because I know she'd expect better from me."

"It is so very pathetic to see a man in love...how idiotic he becomes..But I will grant you that request-of fighting as men. But she stays unless you win. And by winning-it means you kill us."

"If that's what it takes..."

My gaze fell to her as her eyes tried to warn me-although filling with tears. As if she knew something I had not.