Favorite Crime- Bughead Story

Part 7

The light flooded back to Betty in segments, the first fuzzy almost like a broken tv from the olden days, the static fuzzy. The second was more of a sense of confusion, it warmed and blended together until finally it started bleeding through to the 4th stage where the light restored its purpose in the world.

Betty felt the pounding in the back of her head that throbbed where she had been knocked out. She went to raise a hand to her head, feeling the ponytail she had so precisely placed loose and matted with knots.

"Rise and shine." she could hear the clinking of metal together, and the along shuddering slice of a sharpening tool. She didn't know to take this as a threat, or to simply take it as a guy doing his job.

Her swimming thoughts seemed to clear. She could now feel the cool segment underneath her, her back aching like she had been sitting in a uncomfortable spot for too long. She could feel the death grip of ropes the confined her to a water pipe in the basement of somewhere.

Betty tried to stay calm, she could feel the rag now in between her teeth restraining her from screaming out for help. She could hear nothing but silence.

She began to pull like a madman at the ropes, trying everything and anything to loosen them just enough so she could slip out and catch the guard by surprise.

"I wouldn't bother," the raspy voice from the night before came striding over to Betty coming from somewhere in the distance. How long had he been watching her struggle, and the sickening part was; had he enjoyed it?

Betty glared at him, her bright green eyes full of rage. She didn't know which part she was the maddest at, everything she had decided.

"Cat got your tounge, oh right." the dark haired boy raised a hand and pulled out the rag from Bettys mouth with a force unparraled, she swore if she had bitten down he would've taken out half of her teeth with one pull.

"You don't know anything about survival and it shows." she pulled again, this time harder then the previous attempts. She groaned and struggled against the tight knots her wrists were in.

"Is that so, well you can go ahead have your go at it but Elizabeth I will warn you me and my crew are very inpatient people." he flicked open a pocket knife, she could see her reflection in the cool silver mettle. The expression on her face gave away her every thought.

"Now I'm going to ask you this, and only this one time; it would be unfortunate to have your blood spilled on this clean floor." he grabbed her hair in his fist from her ponytail. She could feel the force of his grasp push her head back making her neck strain. She could feel the hair pulling at her aching skull as she groaned.

"Why are your little gang of junkies in the southside." she felt the blade press against her skin. It was cold and sharp, the end pressing slightly into her neck not breaking the skin, but that doesn't mean it won't.

Betty let out a hysterical laugh, the fatigue and panic was eating at her and her brain, still fogged from the concussion she was sure she had.

"Is that what this is. Your calling my gang junkies when I'm the one tied down in a basement."

He eyed her, smirking at her boldness in a daring way. He was like a dog, waiting for the perfect moment to grab onto her; not letting go until she bled.

"We are nothing but efficient. What are your ghoulies doing huh dealing drugs to fucked up northsiders at teenage party's, sick." the knife was pressing farther and farther.

"Why don't you leave my gang alone." she spat at him. He laughed and bit the inside of his cheek looking over his shoulder at another one of the serpents. They were tall and more muscular than the dark haired boy was.

"I'll leave you alone once you get off my property, now you tell them or I'll write them a nice letter in your blood you hear me blondie." he let go of the hair he had wrapped around his fist as her head collided with the wall.

She could see him disappear into the shadows of the room, leaving a few parting words with the serpent standing near the door. "Make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"Like I have a choice." she murmured under her breath pulling at the ropes that bound her to the ground.

She didn't even know where she was, or who she was even taken by. Maybe that's what bothered her, or maybe it was the fact she felt like she had failed her people.

If only there was a way out of here.

She eyed the guy standing at the door, his serpent jacket had been torn at the sleeves revealing his muscles. It was supposed to be a threat to her but she wouldn't back down.

"If Im captured I might as well know why I'm here." Betty leaned her head back on the cement wall. She heaved a sigh feeling soreness in her body.

The serpent stayed quite for a moment. She began to think he had promised away his silence to him when he cleared his throat. "The boss told me not to reveal anything to the hostage." he looked down fixing the dark hair from his eyes.

Betty rolled her eyes and sighed. "The boss, yeah right so your "boss" told you not to even say his name." she could hear the sarcasm in her voice but she didn't care.

"Why, is he scared I'm going to do something. I'm going to be dead before I even make it out of this basement right?"

The guy seemed to shift uncomfortably. She was satisfied with his reaction so she continued to push. "Ofcourse he's scared, isent that what your gang does hide from their problems, atleast the ghoulies face them head on."

That seemed to break him. He shot up from his spot making his way over to Betty, now she felt small as he towered over her, his shadow casting down leaving her in the dark.

"Jughead your going to need to deal with your, client." he yelled choosing his last word carefully.

She smiled to herself biting her lip. "Jughead" she finally got it out of him.

"Yes go get jughead." She thought to herself.

She could hear the shifting of feet above her, more than one person was making their way down to the basement.

"What is it sweetpea," he pushed past him as he caught site of Betty who had a innocent look on her face; almost scared.

She could see the rage rise in his eyes as he made his way over to Betty. She felt confident before, but she coiled in his presence, his gaze making her melt with fear. She wanted to disappear into thin air so she didn't have to meet him eye to eye.

"So what, talking the ear off my men now." she felt him move closer to her crouching down. The edges of his leather jacket brushing her knee. She pushed them closer to her chest, feeling that one touch of him was poison enough.

"You better start talking Elizabeth." he flipped open his pocket knife again. "Because I was in a good mood before, but now I'm getting sick of this little game of yours, so you better strike a deal or meet a ending we both will regret."

Her eyes landed on Jugheads, his green cold eyes showed no hesitance or lies behind his words. Only darkness. She swam in them briefly as if her words had failed her.

Begging.

Sitting there she realized she didn't want to die, not yet. She had so much to do and she couldn't meet her end now. It wasn't her time.

A deal, he wanted a deal. This was the way out.

"I think I can make you a deal."