Entrapment

Gamble

Isabella

Opening the door to my apartment, I was met but a very anxious and worried father. "Bell!" Running up to me, he embraced me in a hug with Jack squish in between us.

As much as he had hurt me and put our family in danger I love him. And I had miss this. His warm embraced as I too had returned the hug only for him to immediately pull back. "You're safe and home."

"Of course I am home."

Frantically running around, he pulled out a suitcase and began packing all my clothes as well as Jack's, "You and Jack have to leave."

"What! Why? And dad why are you packing our clothes?"

"Please," he continue to roam around the house looking for things to pack, "I know I haven't been the best father of late but please for once do as I say."

Setting Jack down I grabbed the bag from him, "What are you talking about?" I began to panic and worry. "Dad, you are scaring me."

Not once had he even stop once I had step foot into my apartment.

"No time for explanations and just do as you are told?" He scolded.

I have never seen him so frightened before. "Dad, what are you doing? What is it this time?"

"I had a good hand, I was dealt a good hand..." he muttered underneath his breath.

"Dad, what are you going on about?" Walking to the kitchen I started to prepare some breakfast for Jack.

"No time to eat you and Jack have to go now!" He grabbed the spoon out of my hand.

"No, not until you tell me why we have to move out so hurriedly."

"I..uh...Bell." His voice soften, "I was cheated and and..."

"Do not tell me you were gambling again?" I crossed my arms only for him to avoided my eyes. "Dad! How did you even get the money, I had cut you off."

"About that..." My dad fiddled with his fingers, then he began to mumble in a increasingly high rate that I didn't even get half of what he said.

"Slow down and tell me."

"Remember I had told you I met a guy who had introduce me to such vices."

"Okay?" I asked unsure of where this was going.

"It wasn't a coincidence."

"I don't understand...."

"I did something horrible." He sobbed.

"If it is money I will pay them back. I'll just have to work overtime." I grabbed the spoon back.

"No, it's not money that I had gambled with."

My eyes widen, if it is not money they want, then what, "What Dad? What did you gamble with if not money?" His eyes then focus on a playful Jack with a look of guilt. "Dad, you didn't." I gasped angrily.

"I'm sorry, I had a good hand, a full house and with nothing they said that I could clear all my debt if I gambled what they wanted and I was so sure to win." His voice going an octave higher.

"No...Tell me, I want to hear it from your mouth. Dad please tell me you didn't." I was now crying, my heart racing a mile a minute, my skin now crawling."

"I'm sorry, I..uh..I..." He hesitated.

"Tell me you stupid old man."

"They wanted Jack." The spoon I was now holding dropped onto the floor.

"But I swear I had a good hand and well..." As if on instant my hand made contact with his left cheek. Never in my life had a slapped him before even when we were at our lowest because of him.

"I hate you. How could you do this to me, to Jack?"

"Darling, I never meant for any of this to..."

"You gambled on our lives..."

"But I had a good hand." He repeated. I wanted to beat him with the spoon till he is black and blue.

"You are dead to me. I hate you, I hate you I hate..." My screaming stop when loud foot steps could be heard outside of the hall which seems to be rushed.

"They are here. Quick you have to leave get Jack and leave." Picking up Jack I slightly opened the door, my eyes widen when men had blocked both of the exits heading straight for my apartment.

Closing the door slowly, "They are here." I panicked with Jack in my arms. What am I going to do? Looking around an idea popped into my head.

Taking a CD player with ear phones and a blanket I opened the window, which lead to a fire escape. The ladder wasn't down so I had placed Jack on the metal rack, "Jack honey listen to mummy okay."

"Okay mummy."

"We are going to play a game. It is called be quiet as you can and do not make a sound and what ever you do do not lean against the railing. Lean on the wall okay." I made sure he leaned against the wall. "While we play you will listen to some music and what ever you do not call for me or show yourself through the window until I come get you, do you understand?" I carefully wrapped the blanket over him.

"Yes mummy."

"Now be a good boy and wait for me, I love you my Jack." I kissed his forehead as tears streamed down my face.

"I love you too mummy." He wrapped his little arms around me.

"Now what ever you do, wait for me okay. I will come back for you."

"You are not going to leave me are you?" He gazed up at me.

"No baby, mummy will never leave you."

Taking one last look at Jack I crawled back through the window and closed it but leaving just a little open.

"Dad..." I grabbed a kitchen knife when my door bursts open and several big men entered.

"You owe us old man." One of them growled.

"Where's the boy?" Another one glared while I stood there frightened. "Ah you must be Isabella. I have heard so much about you." The man smirked.

"Please you are trespassing, leave now and I won't call the cops." I held my cell phone which was now quivering in my hands.

"All we want is the boy and no one will get hurt."

"Over my fucking dead body." I paled once the words left me lips. I know I should've kept my mouth shut because the next thing I was now struggling free from their grasps.

"Let go of my daughter." Dad charged at the man only to be sucker punch.

"Dad!" My dad got right back up trying to fight his way through as I was now screaming. I'm sure by now the neighbors could hear our screams right. So the police should be on their way.

With the kitchen knife in my hand I had swung and was able to cut one of the man's arm.

To say he was angry was an understatement because the next thing I know I was flying, my head hit our mirror on the wall causing it to shattered all over me. Blood was now oozing down my face.

Laying face down probably in a pool of my own blood, everything was like in slow motion as I watch my father being stabbed in his stomach. "Dad.." I managed to say as my arms were stretching out for him trying to hold his hand like he would do many times when I was small.

Memories of him and me flash through my mind. The time we always had ice cream Tuesday or the time I was in a school play and he dropped everything to see my perform. The smile on my face who would say makes his day a very happy one.

A loud thud was heard when my dad fell, his eyes seeming to be drained of the life he held.

Suddenly I shrieked when one of the man had pulled me up by my hair, "I'm not going to ask again, where's the boy?"

I smiled bitterly at the men before me, "Fuck you!"