Breaking Hearts Still Looks Pretty Cool

Part 26

  My blood was well into the process of running cold from the moment I heard Gerard's name. I could tell immediately that Matt was misguidedly going to try and use me to torture Gerard; I knew it wouldn't work, but just in case I made an internal vow to not let it work at any cost.

"Yes, I am on the bus...I'm looking at her right now, you're a lucky man, you know she's a gem... no I can't tell you where we are...you want to speak to your girl?"

My heart was thudding audibly, and I could feel the familiar feeling of blood rushing to my cheeks and flooding my face with blush. Even in the worst situation possible; when I was potentially looking death in the face, the very thought of being Gerard's 'girl' sent me into a girlish fluster. I berated myself for it, but soon gave up; it was nice in such a adverse situation to imagine the sweet pleasure of Gerard and I together.

"I have a better idea," Matt hissed into the phone and I glanced up, filled with terror for both myself and Annabelle, who had now slumped down next to me.

"You!" he pointed to the other three of his accomplices, who had been standing around in a lingering, threatening sort of way for a while, "It's time for what we originally planned,"

"Thank God we're actually doing something like the original plan," muttered the skinniest (aside from Matt), who I assumed was driving before.

I didn't know a lot, but one thing I was certain of: I didn't want to see this plan in action, and I didn't even want to know what it was.

Unfortunately, the three men did what they were told and advanced towards Annabelle and I in a way that evoked impending doom. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, gripped Annabelle's hand tighter than ever and pictured Gerard's beautiful face in my mind, his smile, his eyes filled with love the way they had always looked at me when we were together. That seemed so far away now, and I longed for those distant and idyllic days. I didn't have time to dwell on them for long though, because Annabelle's hand was being wrenched away from mine.

"NO!" I shouted, before slapping a hand to my already pounding forehead, realising what that would have sounded like to Gerard on his end of the phone.

"You can't separate us," I hissed. Annabelle had been so damaged physically that she was reduced to the state of a floppy doll, and she was easy for them to carry off.

"Don't hurt her!" I called, but my captors were as unresponsive as a brick wall.

Matt pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down on me, making me feel like I was being x rayed by his gaze; I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen his creepiness before. Looking back, it had always felt a little like that when he stared at me, but I never truly appreciated it...not until I was staring down the barrel of his gun.

"I'm not bothered about Annabelle, sweetheart," he said evenly and in a moderately loud voice, deliberately ensuring that Gerard would be able to hear, "you should worry about yourself more...you're the one I'm..." he took in my appearance with greedy, suddenly bulging eyes, "interested in,"

I gulped, and I heard a faint growl that I wasn't sure I imagined. Maybe it was on the other end of the phone. The thought that Gerard wanted me safe made me feel newly defiant.

"Come on, hurry up," he addressed his fellows now, his voice snapping and changing suddenly into a more brusque tone.

"Sorry," muttered the brawniest, and although I could only see his eyes, I could tell that he was perversely excited about what would happen next. I felt sick to the stomach.

He advanced towards me, and swiftly swept me over his shoulder, causing me to shriek.

"Visually stunning!" called Matt appreciatively, and I craned to see him holding up my phone, the camera lens on the back pointing directly at me. I felt nauseous to think that Gerard, and all of the others who would inevitably be looking over his shoulder, could see me in this way. I knew that they would worry, and the thought of them in pain was absolutely unbearable.

I didn't even have time to procrastinate any longer, before I was flying through the air uncontrollably, and then there was a splitting pain in my whole body as I hit the ground. I fixed my mouth shut and didn't dare to scream. I refused to show any pain whatsoever, I made my face a blank and emotionless mask. I was not going to hurt Gerard in any way.

"Oh dear," said Matt, sounding disappointed. I heard some jeers from the other collaborators as they all stood up and gathered around me. I was starting to feel like a Christian being fed to the lions in the coliseum.

"You have to show how you're really feeling sweetheart, otherwise Gerard will never come and save you!" Matt put on a sickly sweet voice, and leaned over, zooming in on my face. I winced, but did not cry, even though I was dying to.

"Not even one little tear?" Matt goaded

"No," I growled through my teeth, "not over anything you do,"

"That's unfortunate, I really don't want to hurt you more than necessary...but..."

He nodded, and I felt a strong grip attach itself to my wrist. I half-knew what was about to happen before it did.

The strongest, I assumed, was using both of his ham-like hands to bend my wrist the wrong way. It was going to break; I had never felt such intense pain before. I pursed my lips and gritted my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut, determined not to go back on the promise I had made to myself.

It was getting closer and closer to breaking point, and the hurt didn't stop building; a resounding snap reverberated around my ears, and I couldn't contain the shriek that went with the sheer agony that was burning in my newly snapped wrist. A solitary tear trailed my cheek, and the gate way was opened. I managed to keep my mouth tightly shut to prevent any further outburst of sound, but salty water was flooding my face.

"You're so strong," Matt's voice was mocking, "I bet Gerard is so proud of how brave you are," he sounded sarcastic this time, which made me clench my teeth together even tighter. I was going to break those too, if I wasn't careful.

"It looks like we're going to need more for effect," Matt told his accomplices, and they were happy to oblige, each of them descending on me with ferocity.

I couldn't even tell from which angle the different blows were coming from, or who might have dealt them. All I thought of was the people I loved, and that was what kept me from screaming.

"Leave her face!" Matt reminded them shrilly, "and don't kill her...yet,"

My blood ran cold yet again, and I heard a faint scream from where Annabelle was slumped.

"Wait!" everyone stopped what they were doing at that scream. It didn't even come from anyone in the room, it was from the voice on the other end of the phone line, my Gerard's voice. Despite its faintness, it sent shivers down my spine and made my heart flutter, I even felt the searing pain in my wrist, limbs and torso a little less.

"I can see out of the back window!" it was Gerard's voice again, and suddenly everyone in the room was hanging on to each word,

"I think I know where that is!" I couldn't quite recognise that voice, but I wondered if it might have been Bob's; it was too distant to tell.

"SHIT!" screamed Matt, immediately hanging up the phone, "they're going to come after us,"

"Oh well done Matt," said the brawniest acidly, "you had to go and get camera happy didn't you! Now nothing's going to plan!"

I fought to keep my eyes open, unsure of whether sleep or concussion was taking over me. Resisting proved impossible, and for what felt like the umpteenth time in centuries, I blacked out.