Taken

Chapter 11

RIKKI

September 9, 2013 12:00 p.m.

"Rikki, I hear footsteps. Put your phone away," whispered Adam.

Even though I knew there was no cell phone service where we were being held captive, I felt that I had to keep trying to get in contact with someone.

I hid my phone behind the table right before Troy and his dad surged into the room.

"Well, how have my little hostages enjoyed their morning off?" asked Jeff with fake sweetness.

"Actually it's been really boring since there's nothing to do in here," I replied, sounding uninterested as I looked down at my fingernails as if talking to Jeff was the most boring thing in the world.

Jeff walked up to me and was about to slap my face when Troy yelled, "Dad, no!"

Jeff turned around and walked back to his son. Jeff yelled, "Oh, so now you have feelings for the girl, huh? Well, get rid of those feelings or else I'll lock you in here with those two brats!"

"Locking Troy in here with us wouldn't be a punishment. For him, it'd be all too enjoyable. You see, your son has this thing for me that he's not willing to admit out loud," I said with a smirk directed at Troy.

"Wait a minute, how do you know Troy's name?" asked Jeff, sounding angry.

"I watch a lot of basketball," I replied.

"Oh, so you're a big fan of my son?" asked Jeff.

"No, I can't stand Troy at all, and I hate the Flames."

"That bitch is a Blair Castro fan," said Troy irritably, looking away from Jeff and me.

"Hey, watch your mouth, there are little ears in here," I scolded. "Besides, you're just jealous."

"Am not," retorted Troy as he looked back at me.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Not."

"Um, yeah you are."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"You guys are arguing like five-year-olds!" said Jeff angrily.

"You should've seen them this morning," Adam added with a laugh.

"Shut up," Troy and I said simultaneously.

"Ugh, I've had enough of this. Do you two idiots want something or not?" I said, sounding very annoyed.

"Well, I was going to give you your lunch, but since you've been such a brat, you're in for it. Get out here!" Jeff yelled at me.

I was scared, but I tried not to show it. Jeff led me out of the door of the bunkhouse, and once we were outside, he dug some rancid chicken out of his pants pocket and fed it to the giant dog.

So that's how you tame the dog, I thought to myself. You just have to give it some meat.

After Jeff fed the dog, he led me behind our bunkhouse to a raised wooden board table on the ground. The table looked well worn, like many kids had tried to escape its wrath.

"Get down on the table," he commanded. I did as he said since I was too scared to do anything else. After I was on the table face down, he reached under the table and bound my hands to the sides of the table with thick lengths of leather. There was no way I was going to get out of those leather straps unless someone let me out.

I couldn't see what Jeff was doing, but I heard two pairs of footsteps running from the bunkhouse. I knew they had to belong to Adam and Troy.

"Dad, don't touch her!" yelled Troy angrily. Jeff just ignored him.

I felt someone pull up my hoodie's sleeve on my left. I heard some shuffling and felt the same on my right. Jeff then moved onto my legs and pulled up my jean's legs on both legs. Jeff then grabbed the bottom of my hoodie and was about to expose a little bit of the bottom of my back when something happened.

"Dad, leave her alone, she doesn't deserve this!"

"Shut up, Troy, unless you want to get what she's getting, too." Then I could feel a slight breeze on my lower back. I heard Jeff pull something out from under the table.

"Dad, don't do this!" Troy pleaded.

"Shut up, Troy, or you're next! Get ready for this, princess," Jeff said evilly. I could tell he was smiling just by the cold way he said it.

I heard a snap and experienced the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. I stifled a scream, but just barely. I tried to look over at my burning left arm, but couldn't since my face was on the wooden board.

"Rikki!" Adam screamed.

I heard Jeff shuffle down to my left leg and I heard another snap. This time I couldn't hold in my scream. "Agh!" I cried out in pain.

Jeff kept going around my limbs until he had whipped them all five times. After the first round of whips, Adam started to cry. Troy started to cry about halfway through my second round. I started to cry after my third lash.

My whole body was burning. I had no strength left. I thought the whipping was over, but I didn't know that the worst was yet to come.

I heard a snap and my back exploded with pain. The snaps continued and pain shot again and again and again. After the tenth lash, I started to feel dizzy.

I barely heard Troy yell, "Stop!" and a body crash to the ground. I heard the whip snap one last time and Troy cry out in pain. Then I blacked out.