Witness

•CHAPTER 10•

So I sat there in odd silence. On the floor. As I waited for the cops or fire fighters or whoever to find me.

I finally decided to call my dad.

After tying many, many times, he finally picked up.

"Hey. So.. where are you?" I began without bothering to say hi.

"Kyle! I have a lot to catch up with you. I currently just got home. Can you come? I have a case tomorrow so now might be your only chance."

"What? Jeez slow down." I commanded and sighed. "No. I can't come."

The fact that I haven't been home since he was arrested, and he doesn't even care bothered me.

"Why? Are you okay?" Finally. He asked something about me.

"Not really." I said shakily as I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "I can't come home for a while. Believe me, I would if I could."

"Are you on drugs? Whatever it is I can help you." He said concerned.

"No. It's not drugs. I haven't been completely honest to you. I don't actually have a job."

I told my dad when I first started going to casinos that I got a job fixing cars.

"Kyle, I'm confused. Just come home!" He pleaded.

A firefighter appears at the door and began to break it open with a metal pole thing.

"Bye." And I quickly shoved my phone back into my pocket.

After a few more bangs, the door cracked open and three firefighters piled in.

I put my hands above my head.

"Alright. Come on. Time to go." They grabbed my by my arms tightly and shuttled be down the stairs.

But what awaited for me downstairs I was not expecting.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs and stumbled on the last step, the firemen keeping me from falling, George was there. Smiling.

At me.

"Thanks boys. He's mine." The firemen released me and went about their day.

"Please. Do explain." I said.

"I 'rescued' you." He said making air quotes with his fingers. "You didn't think I'd let you go this easily, did you?"

That's when I got a sinking feeling in my stomach about what was about to come.

"Come with me. And if you don't, my men will make sure you do."

Then I realized his two bodyguards had finished putting the girls into the van and were now watching me from the corners of the overcrowded lobby.

I had no choice but to follow him. What irony; help was in this very lobby-police and firemen- and I'm being taken hostage right in front of them.

I followed George outside his van. It was white with no windows and I couldn't even see the girls faces inside.

George dismissed his guards and they climbed into the van.

"Kyle, you seem like a great guy. And I didn't want to mess with you; especially since your dad is a lawyer."

"It's a bit too late for that." I smirked.

"Please, I'm begging you. Say you will back out. If you don't, I promise you'll regret it."

"You and I both know that nothing is gonna stop me."

"Fine. Suit yourself." He raises his gun and slammed it into my head.

I heard someone scream and when I hit the dirt, everything went black.

When I came to, everything was dark. I shook my head until my vision slowly came back.

At first it was spotty. Then, my sight cleared and I realized I was in George's van. His passenger seat. With him driving.

"Don't make any smart moves, Kyle." George said and that's when I realized his bodyguard was in the seat behind me, a gun pointed at my temple.

The remaining 8 seats were filled with girls and I spotted Ashley in the last row out of the corner of my eye.

My head was throbbing and I winced as I touched my eyebrow. My fingers came back filled with blood which began to drip into my eye.

I tried to grab for my phone but my wrists were strapped to the seat with leather belts. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break free.

By the time I had woken up, I was already out of town and in the middle of nowhere.

"Why take me? Why do you want me?" I asked.

"I knew you wouldn't stop trying. So, I had no choice but to take you with me. I have killed many people like you, Kyle. Be glad I didn't just shoot you."

George continued to drive until I was sure we left the state. The leather began to rub so much against my wrists that they stung. The blood in my eye added to that stinging feeling.

Then I froze when my phone began to ring. An idea popped into my head.

"George, let me get out my phone from my pocket. You can listen to everything. If I tell whoever is calling that I'm fine, no one will get suspicious. You can beat me or whatever if I say something different."

After thinking about it, George instructed his guards to let my left hand free and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket. Ricky was calling. Without hesitation, I answered the phone.

I remembered in a summer camp when I was young that Ricky and I made up this secret language. If we combine every other word into one sentence, we would get a secret message. Like: My Dad's dog will scratch your arm.

So the message would be: My dog scratch arm. We would know that one of us got seriously hurt my a dog scratch on our arm.

So that's what I'm gonna do.

"Kyle! Where are you? You never came back to the bar and the motel is swarming with police." Ricky began.

"I will need to help you later. I'm fine, don't worry."

Hopefully he got the message: I need help.

"You sure? Where are you? Come back."

Then a tear ran down my face and I was positive Ricky heard my voice shake. "I kinda cant right now. No need to help or call for anyone."

The message: I can't now. Need help call anyone.

The Ricky was quiet. George kept glancing at me to make sure I wasn't whispering anything.

"Damn it Kyle. Shit shit shit." He whispered so George couldn't hear. "Where are you?"

"Thirty seconds." George warned.

"I don't really know why. I just can't talk right now."

Don't know.

Then George took my phone.