You Owe Me Two

Chapter 14 - Trapped and Caged

××Zypher××

I braced myself against the brick wall near the door and glanced around as the teleportation smoke dispersed. Not a soul was watching; everyone in town was captivated by the dancers or the music floating along the breeze.

I pushed at the handle, not surprised to feel that the door was locked. The man didn't look like he wanted to be followed. The only windows on the building were too high up, so I had to break in the old-fashioned way.

I slipped my smallest knife out of my jacket and began to fiddle with the lock. In no time, a satisfying click met my ears. No one spared me a glance as I opened the heavy door and pulled it shut behind me.

I swirled around to get my bearings as soon as I entered. Nothing grabbed my attention at first. Then I heard speaking down the hall. I raced to my right, keeping my steps silent as I moved swiftly down the corridor. I peeked into the room and spotted the man who had entered the building.

He wasn't alone. Two other men sat at a table next to him, a cold drink in hand. Both their faces red from intoxication. They wouldn't be hard to put down.

I drew my long blade and shoved the door open, altering all three to my presence. The two men at the table stumbled from their seats, spilling the contents of their glasses on themselves and the floor.

I surged forward and pushed my knife into the first one's stomach in a matter of seconds. Our eyes met and then he dropped, hitting the floor with a thump. The second man grabbed my arm but I twisted away, breaking his in the process and sending him to his knees.

My blade met his skull.

And finally, all that was left was my true target. A sword was pointed at my chest but the owners hand couldn't stop shaking. I smiled, easily seeing the unease on his face.

Our blades met when he wasn't ready and made it easy to knock the weapon away. With a few steps, my knife was pressed firmly against his neck. His hands frantically grabbed at the countertop behind him as I pushed him backwards, and I faintly scanned the area to ensure he wouldn't grab for anything.

"Where is she?" I barked, making sure he got a good glance at the sharp incisors I was sporting. I didn't have to explain the threat.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man gasped, the words falling from his lips in thick slurs.

"What is this place?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes when he shook his head. I pushed my knife even deeper into the soft skin of his neck.

"I won't ask again."

"A warehouse. That's all!" He said, a few tears sliding down his cheeks as the words escaped his trembling lips. He was lying through his teeth.

Blood dripped onto the floor with the next push, splashing to the concrete floor. The man seized up at the pain.

"A warehouse for exotic species. We're traders! Smugglers!" Fear shook him at every angle. The least I could do was save him from it. My knife broke the skin and stole his life.

I didn't wait to watch him fall and escaped into the next room through a slightly ajar door.

I felt like I was going in circles when all I could find was the same endless hallways and empty concrete rooms. White tables and chairs, empty boxes and cages, and absolutely no sign of Wild. I was getting nowhere.

A faint, familiar scream drifted down the hallway, freezing me in place. I made a mad dash to the left, throwing open a door, letting it crash into the wall in my wake. Another less faint scream led me the rest of the way and pushed me to move even faster.

I found my way into a large, open room. Boxes lined the walls and cages sat on tables but my eyes were drawn to the scene playing out in the left corner.

A horned man was pulling at Wild, trying to force her out of the cage as she held on for dear life. I could already see the bruises forming on her pale arms and even from this distance I could see each tear leave her eyes.

I saw red. A bright flash of pure unbridled rage.

My vision narrowed on the man and suddenly I was on him, throwing him to the ground and knocking him away from Wild. I ignored the man's angered cry and struggling and plunged my blade into his stomach.

His scream was a symphony.

I yanked my knife out and tossed it to the side, deciding to let him live so he could experience Wild's fear in the form of pain. My fist met his nose, crushing the bone under my fingers. I slammed my knuckles into his face over and over and over and over again.

The man from before was beyond unrecognizable. His features distorted in a sickening fashion and covered so thickly in blood it was hard to tell if there was any left in his veins.

A small, shaking hand rested on my shoulder and I paused with my bloodied fist midair. I turned my head and met Wild's watery, golden orbs.

I grabbed my knife off the blood soaked floor and stashed it away as I stood up. As soon as I was standing, Wild buried her face in my chest and locked her arms around my midsection. I walked us away from the area and let her hide away from the world for a few moments, trapping her in my arms in the process. I didn't want to let the fairy go ever again.

"Let's go," I mumbled into her hair, storing into my memory that I would need to remove the separated cuffs on her wrists as soon as I had a chance. I kept an arm firmly around her as I led her through the door I had entered through.

Wild stopped, forcing me to as well, when a rattling cage near the door caught her attention. As soon as the first whimper escaped from under the blanket covering it, she rushed over. My arms reached out to stop her, fearing what may be underneath but she waved me off.

She yanked the cover off the top in one movement, exposing the animals underneath to the light in the room. The three little creatures, appearing to be some sort of flying stingray, cowered away from our presence.

Wild and I glanced at each other at the same time.

"I'm not leaving without them, Zypher," Wild said sternly, crossing her arms defiantly. I didn't want to take animals along with us, but I could not imagine a scenario where she left them behind. They were trapped just like her.

I cracked the lock open, not bothering to pick it like I had done the first door. The wire door creaked noisily as I pulled it open.

Three colorful shapes streaked passed and behind me; Wild let out an oof. My eyes shot to her, relaxing as soon as I saw she was still on her feet. The stingrays had gathered on her shoulders, cuddling to her neck. It didn't look like they were going to let go anytime soon.

Neither was I.