Wake Up ||ONC 2021|| GxG

15. Dad's Got a Gun

"And I was actually good at that?" Esme asked, watching Easton doubtfully.

"I bet you are, I've seen you do some pretty incredible stunts the last two days," Nevaeh pointed out.

"Trust me bird, I'd much rather it was me who was the better at hand-to-hand combat, but I could never land a hit on you. You turn into some sort of mutant living jello worm," Easton teased.

"That's an image," Esme laughed, scrunching up her nose. The other two laughed at her obvious disgust.

They'd be driving through the dark for a while now, dipping in and out of backroads. The further they drove the more relaxed Easton became. With his more relaxed disposition came a willingness to answer questions. Esme had been quick to take advantage of this and spouted out the first things that came to mind. They'd gone over just about everything that didn't matter, almost as if they were both avoiding the real questions.

"Not much further now," he said. The cars surrounding them had thinned to almost nothing. If it weren't for the occasional passing headlight, the trio could have imagined themselves to be alone in the world. The half-deserted road made the flashing lights stand out even more.

"What's going on?" Esme rested her chin on the seat behind Easton's shoulder for a better view. As far as she could see, there had been no accidents, no active construction, nothing she thought would warrant a roadblock.

"I don't know," he muttered as he slowed to a stop still a bit away. "But we're not going to find out. We'll double back and go around." He started to turn the car away, but they all flinched back when a car behind them flashed it's high beams at them. They turned the car longways across the road, blocking their way out.

"Easton?" Esme's voice shook, her hand tightening on his arm.

"What now?" Nevaeh fretted. She shrieked when her door was ripped open and a hand grabbed for her.

Esme tried to lunge at the intruding limb, but an arm wrapped around her waist, jerking her back and out of her seat. She hit the ground with an audible thud. Beside her, two more people wrestled Easton his knees. She caught his eye and nodded slightly. This was something they could get out of together, something she felt they'd worked through often enough.

Gravel grated at her bare feet as she pushed back into the man holding her and he grunted as they fell back together. That gave her the room she needed to roll off and push herself up. Esme reached out to pull him in where she could deliver a good punch.

A gunshot ripped through the night air, stilling them all. "You're going to stop that now." Esme looked up at the speaker and her jaw dropped.

"Dad?" she croaked.

Her father, or more accurately, the man who had been masquerading as her father, hand a hand clamped around Nevaeh's upped arm to hold her in place. The gun in his left hand wasn't pointed at her but the threat was still clear. "Call me what you like, but you're going to come with me." He nodded his head at the car behind him. "Get in."

Esme rose to her feet slowly, looking for a way out. No mater what scenario she ran through her head, someone on their side wound up dead. Her shoulders sagged as she let them push her into the car.

"Get rid of him," her father ordered, gesturing at Easton as he shoved Neveah in after Esme.

"No!" Esme jolted forward, clawing at the hands trying to restrain her. She watched Easton shove at the two men trying to pull him down. But he was worn out, injured and outnumbered. Esme strained, flailing her arms and digging her nails into anything she came in contact with.

Someone tried move a hand over her mouth to cut off her frantic screaming and her teeth clamped down. Blood dribbled down her chin, staining her neck a muted crimson. She was nearly out. The night air wafted her hair back as it came loose and feel around her face. Just a few more steps and she'd have the room to do some real damage.

Her head snapped forward and stars danced through the darkness that crowded her vision.