Free - Jonah Marais

Chapter 3

Jordan

Waking up, I felt a sharp pain piercing through my head, resting behind my eyes. Not recognising where I was, I got up from the single bed pushed up against a solid wall, making my way over to the large door on the other side of the room. Banging on the door multiple times, I called out hoping that someone could hear me.

"Let me out of here! Someone fucking answer me!?" My plead for release escaping my lips as more of a question than a command. Still unsure of where I was, I glanced at my reddening hand as pain started to radiate from the side of it where it had been making contact with the door.

Giving up on my forlorn attempts to gain someone's attention, I turned my back to the door, pressing up against it as I inhaled an exasperated breath. Sliding to the ground, my back not leaving the door at any point, I noticed that my boots were missing. I blink once, twice and kept my eyes closed on the third blink, releasing the exasperated breath I had previously inhaled. Not having the care enough to do anything about my shoes, I leaned my head back, my eyes remaining shut as I felt a tear start to escape down my cheek.

Hearing footsteps through the door, my eyes shot open as I quickly moved away from the door wiping the tear from my cheek, refusing my own right to my emotions. The door swinging open, I immediately recognised the person who stood on the other side of it.

"Get the fuck up!" I did as I was told as I realise that the Red Skulls had taken me. Remembering the attack, as clear as day, I ran at the guy and swung my leg up in an attempt to contact his side in a forceful kick. His reaction timing was much more elevated when he was able to see and anticipate my attack.

Having enough time to respond, he grabbed my ankle, lifting it ever so slightly higher. Straight-faced, he watched as his unexpected action caused me to lose my balance and fall backwards with a strident force against the cold concrete ground.

"Don't even fucking try. You got lucky the first time." His words cold and bitter as they repeated through my mind. A slight shiver crawling down my spine, I looked up at him, my gaze an equally cold and bitter one to the tone used within the words he had spoken.

"What did you do to my dad?" My tone equally matching my gaze and his previous tone. To my surprise, he laughed at my comment. It was a bitter, short lived laugh but, it was a laugh.

"I didn't do anything to him. He was gone by the time I got there." His voice was still cold and slightly raised for some reason but, not quite as bitter as before. His eyes, something I never would have expected. His warm brown eyes were just that, they were warm. It was as if everything he was saying, his tone, it was all a lie. A cover.

"Just fucking tell me if he's ok!" I spat, trying to wiggle my foot free from his grasp. My attempts at freedom had so far been futile so, why was this going to be any different?

"He's fine... I think?" His words rolling off his tongue in the form of a question, only proving how uncertain he was of his own answer. With a repeat of his bitter, short laugh, his grasp tightened around my ankle before completely releasing.

"S... sorry to interrupt Mr Frantz- Marais." A girl, roughly around my age, came in with a bowl of soup and a glass of water. Placing the dishes down on the ground next to me, she bolted out the door before anything could be said, my 'thank you' only just being released from my lips before she was out of sight.

"Mr Marais huh?" I spat a blunt laugh, shorter than his, as I glared up at him. He seemed amused by the fact that I had never payed attention long enough to know his name. "How about, Mr Marais, you let me go?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes as I stood up innocently. "I said let me the fuck go!" I made a run for the open door behind him.

"Stop fucking trying! All you're doing is making shit worse for yourself!" His words were spoken with a dangerous tone, loud enough to be classed as yelling but, bitter enough to be an almost whisper in my ear. Of course, I hadn't considered his ability to see my actions again and he had caught me almost immediately.

"You really should be more careful Jordan. Things aren't going to be easy around here for you." This time his words truly were dangerously whispered into my ear. I wasn't sure if it was purely the tone or the threat within the words but, I felt an immediate shiver down my spine. Rolling my eyes, I slumped into his grip. I figured it was pointless trying to fight him anymore. Besides, he wouldn't get away with this much longer.

"What the fuck even is your name?" My tone of voice clearly bitter and over his shit already. "What do you want with me? This is one-hundred-percent against the truce by the way." My voice remaining at a calm level, the bitterness not faltering even in the slightest as I interrupted before he could answer the first question.

"I don't fucking care if this is against the truce, you guys were going to attack us anyways. As for what we want with you... Nothing. You're just leverage." In temporary defeat, I allowed him to drag me back to the bed before realising that I hadn't even received an answer to the first question of the two.

Continuing to glare at him, I reached down and grabbed the bowl of cooling soup before noticing that I wasn't wearing the necklace anymore.

"What the fuck did you do with my necklace?!" My question escaped my lips, still bitter in tone, with an almost growl. Pulling the necklace from his pocket, he dangled it in front of me, taunting me with the fact that it was in his possession. I begged him to give it back, my heart dropping that I was allowing myself to get that low already. I tried to tell him that it was my mother's but, he just stood there and laughed, continuing to dangle it in front of me.

"I can't give it to you. We need it for proof that we have you." He remained silent for a moment before continuing, "I can get you some clean clothes though." Placing the bowl back on the ground, I crossed my arms over my chest with a short, blunt 'fine' not wanting to remain in the clothes I was currently in with how cold the room was getting.

"My name is Jonah by the way." His words reverberating as he slammed the door shut behind him.