Page 14

Jessikah

I’m so fucking sore. Like Tina said, every hour they come in.

If we are awake, they brutally assault us.

Sometimes together, sometime one over the other, but the other person always has something done to them.

The last time, Tina was forced to watch them take me.

Every time I made a noise, they would break a small bone in her body.

“Jess, I can’t feel my hands,” Tina says, tears falling down her cheeks. They dislocated my shoulder the last round, and it hurts to move. I use my other hand to pull her close. We snuggle together. Someone has to call the police, or someone to save us. Tina and I can’t take much more.

“Tina, when this is over, we will find a place that makes us whole again. It won’t be instant, and it will take a lot of work from multiple places to make us feel safe again,” I say my voice low,. closing my eyes and praying to whichever god will listen. I am praying for a savior.

Tina silently cries until we hear footsteps on the stairs. We squeeze our eyes shut and pray for someone come to save us, and come soon.

Just as the knob begins to turn, voices are heard downstairs. Startling both Tina and I. The person who was coming for us quickly leaves. Their footsteps fading away from the bedroom door.

“I know you are sore, but we need to find weapons to protect ourselves. They are distracted now, so they won’t hear us move. Find anything we can stick them with,” I say keeping my voice low, slowly rolling off the bed. Wincing when the dislocated shoulder is left unrestricted.

“How am I going to hold this?” Tina says, pointing to a broken piece of wood. Fuck, I didn’t think about that.

“I’ll grab the wood. When they come through the door, we will both throw ourselves at them and take them down.” She nods, and we stand close to the windows. If there is a way we can get this open, then maybe we can shimmy down the drain or something.

Shouts can be heard, and the bangs of guns going off. The smell of smoke fills my lungs and makes me start to cough. “They are burning your house down.” I look at Tina.

“Let it burn. The memories will never go away. I lost my husband, and they stole my dignity,” Tina says, as a bang comes outside the window behind us, causing us both to scream. I raise my piece of wood ready to take out anyone that comes through the window.

***

Lynx

It took three hours once we figured out what was going on in Tina's house. The old man across the street comes to join us, putting his wisdom—as he called it—in as were planning the hostile takeover.

“Make sure there are two on the back, two on each side and two in the front. The female should be the only one approaching the door, but she needs a backup plan if the mission goes fubar,” he states, pointing at places on the house where there is no windows, but are easily accessed if needed.

Skoden points to the windows in the front. “That’s the windows the lights flashed behind. We will need something to climb up to open those windows,” he states.

“I have a ladder. If you can keep those dirt bags occupied, little lady,” the old man looks at Liquid and she nods, “once we have the ladder up, then we will need to move lightning fast.”

“You guys, we don't have much time. There is chatter on the police radio about Tina's house. More neighbor’s are complaining. We have to move, now,” Slick informs us, making his way to set up out of sight.

Twirling my hand in the air. I see the man speaking with Liquid, who nods and then follows him across the street. Thank goodness the men in the house haven’t looked out the lower level windows.

“What the fuck?” Sue mumbles, watching as the older man, his gait heavily depending on his cane to keep him straight.

We followLiquid and the older man. Our bikes are down the block out of sight and we need to get this done while we still have the cover of darkness.

“Grandpa is going to use his car, circle around the block and pull up as if he is taking me home after a homeless stint,” Liquid smiles, giving us exactly how she is going to get in front of the house.

Raising my voice, “We get into position and stay out of sight. Remember, Liquid is our eyes, when she says go, we go.” They nods and we move as shadows taking our places.

The ride over was quick, but to me it felt like it took a week. My thoughts constantly on what the hell are they doing to Jessikah and Tina until I finally have to push the worry into a box in my head. My focus now has to be on the house and the scum inside.

With everyone in position, I look toward Liquid and the old man. Rasing two fingers to my eyes, the sign that we are positioned and watching.

Waiting for the old man to circle the block takes less than two minutes. Once he stops and Liquid jumps out, the old man continues down the block.

Liquid approaches the front door, knocks and then starts twirling her hair around her finger.

The door is opens and two men step out, surrounding her.

Their heads looking at everything but her.

A third steps forward and leans in, it looks like he is smelling her.

Knowing Liquid, she is fighting not to show her disgust.

Sue and Skoden are stationed at the corners, and as the two guys step behind Liquid they advance. Simultaneously as each brother grabs an ankle and pulls the men down so they land on their faces. Liquid pulls her side piece and aims it into the face of the man who smelled her.

“GO, GO, GO,” I shout into the coms, watching as Rough and Prince slap the ladder against the house to the window and begin to climb.