The Island's Captives

Chapter Fifteen: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

George Fawkes

Daniel and the golden-hair boy were in a stare off, having bruised and cut each other several times. Mr. Sunshine (I had a feeling that he was the Alexander Roman Rose talked about) had a deep slash on his upper arm from the dagger Daniel had used. Now the knife was somewhere hidden in the dark, since Alex had managed to grab it out of Daniel's hands and toss it away.

I watched the two, rather amused, from right beside the fiery house. I was then distracted by Pete's calls, and I saw him cautiously approaching the house. He didn't seem to see me. I knew I had to kidnap him; it was the plan after all. So, with an annoyed sigh, since kidnapping someone (or rather kidnapping this weakling) was as simple and bothering as taking out the trash. Pete didn't even see me till I was standing right next to him. He looked at me, shocked and frightened, as I gave him a grin. I then knocked him out.

"Pete!" I looked up and saw two tall boys coming out of the burning house. They were coughing, and looked tired and exhausted. I knelt down, picked up the unconscious Pete, and threw him over my back. One of the tall boys, one with blond hair, began to approach me, though he was still coughing and tired-looking. The other dark skinned boy was more interested in the fighting going on between Alex and Daniel and Wilson. Rather curious to see what the dark boy would do, I gave the blond-hair boy a swift kick to his knees, knocking him down.

The dark boy started off toward the brawl.

"Menelik!" Alex exclaimed.

Daniel looked up and, seeing the oncoming boy, shouted, "Alan, stop him!" Alan looked at the dark boy and was terrified. He was probably thinking about that one boy he killed.

"Alan!" Daniel repeated. Alan, finally, got in front of the dark boy Menelik, who stared at him, than just shoved him aside. Suddenly, and unexpectedly too, Alan lunged at Menelik, and the two fell down with a thud. Alan gave one punch to Menelik's chest. It was a terribly weak punch, and Menelik gave Alan a hard uppercut, knocking him right off.

What happens after that caught me off guard. I could see the pain in Alan's face at the initial impact of the hit, and for a couple moments he looked dizzy, as was expected. But then he seemed to calm down, and his eyes widened in some unknown revelation. He almost looked as though he was smiling, and there was something very uneasy about the look that actually unnerved me.

"Hit me, hit me again!" Alan actually begged Menelik, who looked down at him, bewildered. What kind of person wants to be hit? Does he have some plan I'm unaware of? I wondered. Or does he view this as deserved punishment for killing what's-has-name?

"Please, hit me!" Alan begged again. Menelik stepped around him, looking as though he wished to get away. I myself was disturbed by Alan's strange behavior. I decided I had seen enough of it.

"Retreat! Retreat!" I shouted, with Pete still over my shoulder. The blond- boy was still lying on his side, groaning. Daniel backed off away from Alex, and Wilson with him. A look passed between Alex and Daniel, one that I knew meant, "This isn't over."

"Come on Alan!" Wilson shouted as he and Daniel followed me down the hill toward the beach. I didn't need to turn around, I knew Alan left reluctantly. I left reluctantly as well, once I realized Rose wasn't with us. She was left in Carthage.