In Need of Saving

Chapter 1

It's simple. Think of the situation you're in, thoroughly. After that, you seize every possible aspect that could happen in the split second between one thing and another. Next, pick the option with the best possible outcome. Pursue that decision and you won't go wrong. But most important...Make sure you and your partners make it out alive.

This was his life. Pinpointing every little detail before following along to detonate or save the important item. It was enjoyable for the most part.

He never expected to live like this...of course not. He was simple minded, going through the motions.

But simple can become complicated in less than a second.

He still remembers the day everything changed. It was raining, ironically enough. He'd forgotten his umbrella, so the best thing he could do was pull the collar of his trench coat around his jaw and pray he'd get home soon.

His prayers weren't heard.

He'd just gotten off of work and was tired. He'd worked extra and the smell of bread and coffee quietly wafted off of him.

The rain was relentless, beating down so hard he could barely hear himself think. His shoes hit puddles with every step, wetting his pant legs. Cars passed, obviously going over the limit to get home. He avoided the road, not wishing to get splashed by the speeding wheels.

The sidewalks were unoccupied. Lightning flashes in the sky, blinding him. It's quickly followed by an ear-splitting thunderclap.

He walks up to a trash strewn alley regrettably. It was a filthy, rodent-infested shortcut to his apartment. But it's better to get home quickly than to get hypothermia.

He shakes out his hair and hesitantly strides into the alley. He kicks soda cans and hamburger wrappings out of his path.

The man then looks behind him, stopping in his tracks. He almost swears he heard footsteps.

He's simply being paranoid, he resolves. Rolling his eyes, he walks on, quickening his pace.

He hears the footsteps again, but doesn't bother turning around. He knows this isn't his imagination. His heart beats faster as his speed increases. He's almost to the end of the alley. He's going to make it.

But fate is cruel, isn't it?

Just as he gets to the corner, four strong arms lash out at him. One pair grips his biceps and the other push a dirty cloth over his mouth and nose. He struggles, kicking his legs and screaming into the kerchief, but he knows it's no use. The sweet scent of the fabric is causing his eyes to flutter, his body weakening.

Blackness clouds his vision.

He had never seen the faces of his captors.

*(~)*(~)*(~)*(~)*

He moans in pain as his head hits a metal surface. He moves to rub the curly mass on his head when he realizes his hands are tied behind his back. He struggles to sit up. It's so dark it's as if he's looking into black ink. A strong smell of body odor and copper clouds his sense of smell, almost making him retch.

The van he seems to be in hits another bump, causing him to almost fall over again. Heat clings to him like a heavy blanket, causing him to perspire.

He pulls at the rough rope around his wrists, but to no avail.

"There's no point in struggling. Trust me." A voice declares somewhere off to his left.

He yelps fearfully, kicking backwards until his back hits a wall.

"Don't worry. I'm tied up too." The voice says again, with just as much hopelessness as the first time he spoke. "Who are you?" The voice commands.