The Strays

Chapter Seventeen

My eyes locked with Colt's as he saw the predicament I was in, and I could see his anger, but before he was able to intervene, two guys grabbed him from behind.

I glowered at Reach. 

"Don't give me that look, sweetheart, I gave you a fair shot, but you insisted on doing this the hard way. I underestimated you, I'll admit that much, and the show you had your friends put on, it was clever, I really didn't think you would put up as much of a fight as you did. Who are you and who do you work for?"

"It's going to take a lot more than a knife to my throat to get me to tell you something like that."

"Who sent you here?" He persisted.

"Go. To. Hell. I'm not telling you shit." I spat in his face as he grabbed me by what little hair I had and dragged me to my feet.

I could see Colt continuing to struggle, while Ty and Leo had been cornered as well. I continued to clench my bo staff as I once again drove it into Reach's gut, only this time he was ready for it and blocked it adeptly with both hands, a rather predictable response. I knew I wasn't going to land that shot, but he was forced to let go of me when he defended himself, giving me the chance to take a few steps back and gain some distance.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you." Reach grinned as one of his friends grabbed me by the waist. I swiftly retaliated by slamming my fist into her face, before taking her by the arm and launching her over my shoulder. Colt had managed to finally get free, and I watched as he helped Ty take out four more of Reach's people. That split second I turned my head, I lost track of Reach, for a brief moment it looked like he'd retreated, but I soon saw how wrong I was as I noticed him creeping up on Leo. 

"LEO. BEHIND YOU." I screamed at the top of my lungs, but I was too late. Reach already had him in a chokehold, and I could see he was struggling to breathe. I looked over at Ty and Colt who had managed to get their hands on some weapons, watching as they threw them to the ground.

I glared at Reach who had a triumphant look on his face and stared him down, but I could tell he wasn't about to waiver, so I followed Colt's lead, tossing my staff to the floor, where it was seized by the girl who'd tried to grapple me. Reach eased his grip on Leo, and I watched as he choked on the sudden rush of air that he had literally been gasping for. As the girl who seized my staff pushed me over to Ty and Colt, I could see her lip, as well as the purple bruise that was starting to form under her eye. It made me smile, as did the sight of her broken nose, though I wasn’t sure why. Reach let Leo go, shoved him into us, Ty caught him and helped him back to his feet, quickly checking he was okay as I went to take another swing at Reach, only Colt intercepted me just in time to stop it. “We have to pick our battles, remember, we already lost this one, let it go before we lose anybody else.”

I didn’t step back, but I did take a deep breath as I confronted Reach. “What happens now?”

“You and your friends are going to join us on a nice little walk through the countryside, though I will need to take precautions, what with that temper of yours.” He smirked as he tightly seized my wrists, binding them with rope as the others were bound by his friends. 

“Game over, sweetheart.” 

“No, it isn’t, not by a long shot. Colt’s right about me needing to pick my battles, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to win. I’ll find a way out of this, I always do, when that time comes I recommend you watch your back, because when people hurt or threaten my friends, my family, I have a tendency to bear a grudge.”

“That’s cute, I’ll keep it in mind.” He took a piece of cloth from his pocket and stepped towards me, instinctively I ducked out of the way, moving backwards. “What do you think you’re doing with that thing?”