From the Ash II: Broken

Chapter II: Alone I Break

My head smacked against something solid, jolting me awake. Yet when my eyes burst open, I saw nothing—darkness enveloped me like a shadowy cocoon. I tried to move, only to realize my hands and feet were tied together in front of me. Trying to open my mouth was pointless too; something kept my lips sealed.

Duct tape.

The sensation of being in motion made it easy to decipher that I was in a vehicle. This assumption was further solidified by the distinct sound of tires squealing as the driver cut the wheel hard. My body slid across the space, once again slamming into something hard.

Yep, I was in a trunk.

I tested my restraints and cursed. I was effectively immobilized. Wiggling my fingers—the only thing I could really move—I felt around the trunk's interior for anything within my limited vicinity that could be useful, but found nothing. Whenever my body slid around, my fingers searched, but continuously came up empty. I was fucked, completely at the mercy of my captors.

On cue, voices rose above the engine.

"Ain't this some bullshit," said a male with a heavy Southern accent. "We just fucking left Haven and now that big goon Toro wants us to come back?"

"George, if Doc wants her brought back, we bring her back. Simple as that." This voice was also male, but with a slightly less thick accent than George's. "So, let's just get her back there and not piss off that crazy bastard. I like my skin attached to my body."

There was a scoff. "Fuck Doc. That fat bastard wouldn't be shit without Toro. Now that guy, he scares the piss out of me. You should be more worried about him, Walt."

"Toro scares you more than a guy who we've watched eat people alive?" Walt replied as if shocked by his friend's statement.

"Yep. It's always the quiet ones that you gotta worry about. Besides, don't act like we ain't eaten our fair share of people." He barked a laugh then coughed.

"Hey, at least the folks we ate were dead!"

They both roared with laughter.

I dug my nails into the floor of the trunk in fear and frustration, dragging them across the cold metal. Pain erupted in my fingertips as I thought about how I had landed myself in this situation.

What lovely hair you have...

The sight of Parker's severed head resting beside that freak, his eyeless gaze, lids frozen open with terror, had me ready to rush forward, wanting nothing more than to kill that abomination.

"Tsk-tsk, young lady," Doc said, flashing bloodstained fangs and wagging a finger at me. "You wouldn't want to go and do something silly now, would you? Think of what will happen to your friends. Your other friends, of course."

I had frozen at that.

Remembering the sight of Tony's jaw clenched in anger, kneeling on the floor as he held his hands over Vick's wound immediately abolished my rage. Vick had been as white as a sheet and in need of medical attention fast. At that point, I could only hope that Hobbs was alive and somewhere within Haven's walls, that someone would find him and he would save Vick's life. If I attacked, we all would've surely been killed. Like a deflated balloon fluttering back to earth, my foot sank back to the floor and my shoulders slumped in surrender.

"Wise decision."

Doc snapped his fingers, summoning a dozen men from the shadows, guns drawn on us. I had been unable to do anything but drop my beloved weapons and pray this wasn't how it all ended.