Only You

Ch 5

I wasn't supposed to scream. But that's exactly what I did, on reflex and too shocking to not do it. When I heard the growing pitches of gunshots, and how those men cursed like it's no big deal, it came out like second nature.

Why were they shooting guns behind the buildings in the first place? Was I the only person out here that heard them? I shivered when one sound came after the shots. It sounded like someone was grunting in pain.

When the noises decreased, I tried calming myself down and opening my ears for anyone. Hearing none, I took a deep breath and count to ten backwards. My hands fiddled and shivered with my phone inside my clutch, hoping to dial 911 just in case something happened to me.

I heard a man's voice scream for mercy but instead of silence, the sound I feared resonated again. "They are shooting someone. Oh my god! I... I have to get out of here!"

Just as I ran to get away, someone grabbed the back of my dress and dragged me towards the end of the alley. I could not see his face at all. The man wore a mask but it didn't stop me from screaming to let me go.

The stranger didn't care though as he dragged me and suddenly, the sounds of gunshots died down abruptly. In a split second, I got thrown down like a rag doll, my open knees scraping the cold dirty ground.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Someone hollered, a sound of something cracked reached me and I can't help but flinch and shiver again.

Looking in front of me, I discreetly tried to look for something. But I don't see anyone on the ground, other than me, in agony or pain. Did I imagine it then? I had a few drinks but I know I'm not drunk. I swore I heard someone getting shot and the sound of body thudding hard.

"What? Did you bring this w***e here to negotiate with us? That's what you Animals are always good at," A few men laughed humorlessly. Their words got to me, making me duck my head and stare at nothing.

There was nothing but silence as I fear the only sound they could hear was my thumping heartbeats.

Someone held my arm suddenly and the grip he had was firm, I almost screamed again. Was his hand made of steel? "We don't know her," the voice called out as he pulled me up like some puppet. He moved me around as if to inspect some parchment, rough and harsh.

And that's when I look up, all of these men, wearing black clothing or something similar, wore masks. And there were a large number of them. All of them stared at me like puzzle pieces. Or was I? I couldn't tell, I can't see any face.

"What are you doing here and who sent you?" the guy shook me as if I was a mute doll. God, his grip was torturous and tight. "Talk woman! Who told you to spy on us!"

"Maybe she's mute?" one of them sneered behind him, making the rest follow.

As if I was something entertaining, a few more stepped closer. I shivered harder, all of them had guns at hand. The cold air around us was nothing compared to the fear in me, at this moment.

"No-no one sent me, please... please... I... I don't know how I got here. I beg you. I'm just a drunk woman lost," stupid if you asked me. Why would I open my mouth to say something like that? But hey, I needed to escape. Maybe I was drunk. Maybe. Or crazy. Or both.

"You don't seem lost. Why were you screaming? What did you hear?" The one on the opposite end asked, now that I look at it, the ones that held me and with him had leather jackets on, but the other end wore blazers.

What have I gotten myself into? Was this like a gangster rivalry or something? Crap! Good going Sofea Ahreum Ford! You just entered and signed your death certificate! For free!

"I he-heard gunshots... I was sc-scared. Pl-please spare me. Please,"

***

When I asked them to spare me, I didn’t mean it for them to tie me in the middle of them and continue their talk, negotiation, I don’t know. If I heard clearly, it was almost like they are bargaining on who should take me.

And I'm sure that wasn't the original plan, at all! Heck, where was the guy that asked for mercy for his life? What about those grunts that I heard minutes before they got me?

Now, the thing they are talking about could go in a few ways. One would be to deal with me personally, like their personal slut maybe? One could mean they’d kill me, no difference there. Both were bad for me up till now.

Then the other would be to… well, I don’t want to go there, it’s gruesome no matter how I try to picture it. And because of that one stupid thought, many other disturbing thoughts went through me, much scarier than a clean death.

“I see no reason for us to take her! It was obvious she followed one of you!” the one in the leather jacket said, pointing the gun in my direction a little longer before to the guys in the blazers.

One thing I don’t like, not only was the alley dark and dimly lit, but these men wore masks! I mean how can they see? I can’t even see their expressions at all! And I could have sworn I followed Ryan here! But why… why did none of these men sound like him?

"Please... Please spare me and let me go. I didn't hear anything or know anything. I swear-" but my pleading words were cut when one of the men slapped me. Did he just hit me with the gun?

"Shut it b***h! We don't care what you heard or not. You'll be dead once we figured out what to do with you," I bit the end of my lip from the pain, the copper taste of blood strong. These men had no mercy, even if I was a lady.

I tried to beg again but they didn't listen and I only received another harsh slap. Having my hands tied together and positioned like a doll in front of them, I can’t help but continue to shiver in fear. The dress I wore didn't help my situation either.

“Now that I look at her closely, she might be a good addition to our collection. What do you think boss?” the guy that slapped me now held my chin harshly, turning my face left and right. Again. As if to examine me.

“She is the exotic kind you men liked. I wouldn’t put it past you,” the men in blazers sniggered like it was the funniest thing but I don’t understand anything. The man dressed in a leather jacket and gloves didn’t let me go, instead, had a gun pointed at my head as he talks.

“She seems pure but also wild, what do you say Viper? Didn’t Cobra say Boar let one off the hook because the chick was a missed target? We got one right here, let’s just take her since these p*****s don’t want her,”

Was this how I would die? I just decided to shut them out and accept my fate. Will today be my last day? Maybe if it is, it’d be for the best. I wasn’t the happiest person living. But what about the people around me… would they be happy if they found out I’m no longer breathing? Missing?

I haven’t seen my brother in a long time, I missed him badly, missed his small family. I should have been nicer to my girlfriends even if they always tease and joke with me. I haven’t given my parents the deserving son-in-law they always dreamed of. And I wasn’t sure if I ever was a good daughter to them.

I seemed like a bubbly and lively person to them all, but was I really? Did I live my life to the fullest without regret? Am I going to accept this fate, if it truly comes down to it?

Just as more and more thoughts of regret fill me, the sudden sounds of sirens wailed crazily, making me froze. The men who were busy talking, too froze where they stood.

“What the f**k! The cops!?” the guys in blazers pointed their guns to the men in jackets. In an instant, as if ignoring the growing sounds, all of them had their guns pointed towards each other in defense. Frozen.

“Put your guns down! If you’re trying to double-cross us, we’ll shot you without haste!”

“We didn’t call them! Why would we!”

“If we go down, all of us will fall!”

“The f**k!”

Suddenly, the guy that still had his gun to my head, snatched my clutch and throw the insides of it out. “F**k! Her cell had been on speed dial! She called the cops!” and without warning, I was hit again.

Curses and profanities spread loud in the air, just as loud as the growing sounds of sirens. When are the cops going to get here? “I didn’t-” before I could finish, the guy didn’t hesitate as I saw him raise his gun.

The end of the barrel hit me square on the top of my head, making the part throb badly. My world was spinning from the impact, I thought they’d kill me there and then, but I saw him taking something from the pile of my belongings instead.

“Leave her! Unless you want to go with the cops!” one of the men from the jacket team said. The guys in blazers had fled after he yelled I speed-dialed 911.

“I’m not done with you yet! You’ll pay for tonight and for costing us our business!” the guy hit me again, and before anything, I fell.

Everything in my world turned black.