Breaking the Chains

Chapter Twenty One

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***WARNING: SOME PARTS MAY INCLUDE DESCRIPTIVE VIOLENCE. CONTINUE WITH CARE!***
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At first, it was like some weird, cheesy super hero movie where all the heroes came together to defeat the enemy. Eli had walked in the back with his hands still in chains and his lips still stuck in a strip of duck tape. Riley had been freed, though she was being surrounded by the muscular men. She didn't seem that intimidated which shocked Eli considering what she had been though. Then again, maybe that was why she was so okay with the entire thing.

They were walking down a long hallway that was empty of life. There were no little rascals scurrying on the floors and there were no paintings decorating the walls. In fact, everything seemed plain. Eli hadn't cared much but it seemed to bother him how the only room with any sort of life was the man with the black suit's office area. To Eli, it made some sense, but for some reason, seeing the bare walls made him feel like he was in an insane asylum.

The group in front of him stopped and the woman that had held onto his chains tightly pulled him back so there was some distance from him and Riley. He didn't understand why there was any distance but maybe it was because of the group's whole plan. 

It was then Eli realized who they had been dealing with. All the men were wearing oversized muscle tees, but Eli noticed that most of the men weren't even that thick. Some seemed to be underweight. The one who beat him had scars running up and down his entire arms. They weren't self made, Eli had assumed. They were slashed in a way that made Eli sure about that.

Then there were other guys with cuts and burns around their necks. Others had half an ear and one of them had a split tongue. Eli wasn't used to being around so many tough people in this setting so he tried his best to keep quiet and let the rest of them do their plan.

And then Eli found out what the plan was and who was going to do most of the work. Riley was in the centre for a reason and Eli was in his chains for a reason. Eli looked back toward Riley with shock and distrust and all Riley did was tilt her head. How could he have trusted her?

Riley was just beginning to panic. First she had been taken by Alison. Then she was taken by her father.
And then she was beat by his workers who he had beaten.
And now, all of his plans were going to go up in ruins.
And Eli was going to be the one with the gun.

Riley knew what her job had to be. She knocked hard on the door of the man's office and waited for it to open. The waiting room had paintings everywhere but Riley didn't care to admire them or even glance toward any of them. All she cared about was getting let out. When no one answered right away, she hit against the door harder. She turned around and noticed just how badly Eli was shaking and how hurt he looked as he glanced toward her. She squinted her eyes and moved her hands a bit before the woman holding onto Eli pushed him behind the couch. He let out a small cry as his body hit the floor. Riley fidgeted and nearly took a step toward him when the door flew open.

"Look who finally came to say happy birthday to me," the man said through gridded teeth. He clasped his hand over Riley's throat and squeezed. She began to struggle and grab at his hands with her own. She felt her face turn shades of blue and purple as the others began to crack their knuckles behind her. The man with the electric pads had been waiting to place the two big pads on the boss's neck, and when he succeeded doing that, he turned the electricity to full blast. He slowly let Riley go reluctantly and immediately she struggled for breath before she ran toward where Eli was. He looked betrayed and full of pain before Riley quickly peeled the tape off of his face. She was exhausted and she didn't want to explain much of anything to him.