Dark Sky

29 - Confession

Chapter Twenty Nine

8 Hours Ago

Ryan's head jerked back violently as the clenched fist struck his right eye socket with shuddering force. Fresh blood streamed from his nose and mouth from the several blows that had preceded this one. He fought for a few seconds as the blackness of unconsciousness loomed over him and his brain felt like it was being bounces around inside of his head like a rubber ball. For a moment he actually wished the blackness would consume him, but each time Travis would allow enough time for him to return from the brink before the next strike.

He was pretty angry with himself. He had inadvertently saved Joe's life when he had dumped him at the side of the road and left him. Somewhere down that road he had taken a wrong turn and somehow managed to double back on himself, driving straight into Travis's convoy returning from their earlier ambush. He and Sophie had been quickly dragged from their battle damaged car and transported straight back to Travis's lair.

"You don't need to keep hitting me," Ryan spat through the blood. "I'll gladly tell you what I know about Joe."

Travis landed another blow directly into Ryan's forehead sending his world spinning again.

"Oh come on. It's no fun if you just talk." Travis sniggered. "Be a man and resist at least a little."

Ryan eyed Travis through his half closed swollen eyes and hoped he wasn't serious, not sure how much more he could endure. His brain felt like it was about to burst out of his head at any moment and he was sure that many more blows would kill him.

"Maybe if I angered you, you might make this more interesting." Travis suggested moving his face in close to Ryan. "What if I told you your female friend is next door keeping my men entertained as we speak."

"You piece of shit!" Ryan wriggled violently trying to free himself from the rope that was keeping him anchored to the chair.

"That's more like it." Travis giggled standing up and pacing around him. "Yes it's amazing what a girl will do when her life depends on it."

"I'll fucking kill you!" Ryan screamed dribbling thick blood down his chin. "Don't you touch her!"

His threats were met with another mind shattering punch to his jaw that sent his head swinging. A tooth that had just been relieved of its root flew through the air landing with a clatter and spinning under a wooden cabinet in the corner of the room. Ryan rocked in the chair, head hanging limply as he fought once more with the darkness.

"I will do as I please," Travis growled as he moved in close to Ryan again, his face only inches from his ear. "And when I'm done here I'm going to see your lady friend."

Travis's words echoed in Ryan's mind as the world around him drifted away. Every instinct within him told him to get up and fight, fight to protect Sophie from the horrors that she was about to face simply because she was female. But his brain's commands to get up went unanswered by his body and finally unconsciousness engulfed him and he thought no more.

"Fucking wimp!" Travis scowled pushing Ryan's limp body backwards tipping the chair over and his body hitting the ground with a thud. "Now I got to wait for you to wake up."

Grabbing Ryan's body he lifted him up, pulling him and the chair back upright, but his head still hung motionless as the dark red blood dribbled from Ryan's mouth. Travis turned away and walked defiantly to a table in the corner of the room picking up a bottle of water that was perched on the edge. Unscrewing the cap he turned back towards Ryan and proceeded to empty the contents over his head.

Ryan gasped suddenly as the cold fluid ran through his hair and down onto his face bringing him back to the world of the conscious. He spat and choked as he tasted the metallic in his mouth once again and remembered instantly why. He raised his head and tried to gaze at Travis but everything was fuzzy as he struggled to see through eyelids that barely opened. The blurry dark shadow towered over him and he waited for the next wave of punches to land upon him, but they never came.