The Hunters

Chapter Three: Hill

Veronika

My eyes opened and a bright light shined on my face causing me to squint. The world was a blur before they cleared and I saw a man sitting in front of me with a knife in his hands. "Hello love," the man said with a British accent. He stood up and walked towards me. There was a gag in my mouth to keep me from talking and I was chained to a chair.

I struggled against the straps that kept my hands from moving. "oh don't try to do that you'll only make things worse for yourself I don't want to torture you but big man says I have to so here goes" he said and then he dragged the blade across my arm. I grunted and bit down on the gag in my mouth as I watched the cut bleed.

The tall, thin, but strong man leaned over and looked at my face as it contorted with pain. I looked up at him with a dark look in my eyes "now that's more like it" the man said. He took the gag from my mouth. "Screw you," I spat with a grim look. "ooh a feisty one," the man said with a grin "the feisty ones are always my favorite to beat into submission so full of fight they never want to give up." "What's your name?" I asked looking down at the ground. "why would you want to know that?" the man said confused. "What is your name," I asked again looking up at him my eyes held a fire in them that told him I was not to be toyed with even though I was the one bound to a chair. "Alright usually I'm the one asking the questions but I'll answer your question, my name is Jack Hill," the man said "and your name is a pain" he slapped me and I felt heat move through the left side of my face.

I turned back and spat on the floor just barely missing Jack Hill's shoes which earned me a punch to the gut. "I just shined my shoes I don't need you messing that up," Jack said slapping me again. I wanted to double over in pain but I couldn't because of chains that bound me to the chair. Jack took the knife again and rammed it into my thigh making sure he missed any arteries or major veins. I yelled in a mix of pain and anger.

Another man walked in after I yelled Jack stepped aside at the man's request and I could only assume that he was the one who kidnapped me. When he spoke I was sure he was the one who kidnapped me because he had the same deep gravelly voice as the man in the cave. "So who do you work for," the man said leaning against the table that Jack had all his tools for torturing people laid out on. "I can't tell you that kind of bad for business," I said with a dark grin on my face. Jack slapped me and I started to laugh. "What's so funny," the man asked confused and annoyed. "What's so funny is what I'm going to do to you once I get out of here and I will get out of here trust me that is going to happen and then I'm going to come back and torture Jacky boy over here," I said gesturing to Jack with what little movement I could do with my hands "and then I'm going to slit your throat and watch the life leave your eyes." "Big talk for a little girl chained to a chair," the man said mockingly and the left Jack to carry on with his work. Jack walked over to a metal rod that had been left in a fire. He dug it out of the coals and walked back over to me. He moved the glowing red pipe close to my cheek and I felt the heat move over my face. I tried to move my face away but he kept it there for a while then jabbed my flank with the rod making me scream. I let my head hang as a breathed heavily through the pain that radiated throughout my left side. Jack laughed and then knocked me out.

I woke up a few hours later to find a man standing over me. I struggled against the restraints fighting to get away from the man. The world was a blur as I looked up at the man with dark eyes. "Stay away from me!" I yelled causing my kidnappers to barge into the room. The man that was standing over me was gone in an instant and my kidnappers never saw him. "Who were you yelling at," Jack said, "there's no one here." "It doesn't matter," Jacks boss said. "I'll say," Jack said with a slight laugh "seems to me like she's gone bloody mad." "Shut up Jack," Jacks boss said as they walked out of the room.

The man who was standing over me came out of hiding and approached me again. He held his hands out in front of him and hushed me before I yelled again. He undid my restraints and took Jacks knife out of my thigh which Jack had apparently left there after he knocked me out. The man was clad in all black and almost his entire face was covered except for his emerald eyes. "I'm so sorry Veronika," the man whispered. "Marco?" I said softly. "yeah it's me you just relax and leave the rest of this to me I'm getting you out of here" Marco whispered. He lifted me up out of the chair and carried me in his arms. I felt safe in Marcos' arms as he carried me to safety. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep as Marcos warmth mixed with my own.