Sorry, that it took me so long to write another chapter but hey! I have like five or six other stories that remain uncompleted. Hopefully, this new chapter lives up to expectations from the previous ones. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

“Move it!” the, supposedly, leader of the men barked.

The three of us were snapped into movement at the harsh command. Jace jumped from his chair and moved around the bar to come and plant himself firmly in front of the two of us. Haley warily stepped from her chair and gently touched my back. I took that as a signal to do the same. When I had, she arranged the rest of the blanket around me and then proceeded to place her arm comfortingly on my blanketed shoulders.

“This is a violation of the Declaration of Independence!” Haley blurted out with more force than I expected could come from such a delicate creature.

I glanced up at her in renewed awe. Her breath, now warm, washed across my flushed features from her flared nostrils. I had always heard that heavy breathing was a sign of stress. This situation could certainly do that.

It seemed, now, that Haley was in a staring competition with the men. Her eyes penetrated theirs like a spear and theirs defiantly held it.

I bumped Haley.

“Let’s just go. I don’t want anymore trouble,” I whispered weakly.

Haley did not tear her eyes from her competition as she replied allowed.

“We will go. But only if you don’t harass us,” she baited.

The men considered that card, and then threw it back.

“We’ll only harass if you don’t obey. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Immediately a sense of dread overcame me as I caught the glint of deceit that rang behind his mischievous pupils. These men could not be trusted.

Jace turned to pass wordless stares to either of us before motioning us to move forward. But that was not necessary for the men had already assumed the privilege of stalking forward themselves. I noticed with almost delight that their appearances game me an immediate flashback to my childhood obsession with the three stooges. Moe, Curly, and Larry, as I remembered. These three Russians could have passed that test of similarity with flying colors. Moe was, of course, the strong one that had been talking to Haley. Curly was the beefier one that now headed for Jace. And Larry was gangly, but had an overall expression of confusion.

I was startled out of my thoughts as “Larry” gripped my arm with force that could have made a grown man whimper, but I did more than that. It brought me to tears, and that made him laugh. His cackles echoed inside my head like a siren and seemed to set the pace of my heart like when hearing drum beats. All I could do was stare stupidly forward as he began speaking.

“Suck it up, kid!” he breathed menacingly into my ear, as though I would have any problem hearing his bass voice, “You’re with the army now.”

“No harassment, remember?” Haley was shrieking in pitches that could have passed for a dog whistle.

We both directed our attention to where Moe was viciously struggling with Haley. He had both his arms wrapped around her shoulders as she was turned away from him, but still kicked and lashed out with all the force her frail body could muster. Moe lifted and sent her flying limbs crashing into broken pottery pieces on the counter. She gave an unusually horrid shriek and went suddenly limp in his arms. He let her fall almost to the floor, but not quite. Softly, she began quaking in his arms and I could tell that she had begun to weep. And when I looked farther down, I saw the source of her tears. Implanted in the sole of her bare foot was a large chunk of pottery so thin it could have passed for glass. Blood now oozed out of the gash to wash over the piece. Showing no mercy, Moe bent down over her and yanked the chunk out of her flesh with the same ease one would use to pull a sticky note from the fridge. Haley released a heart-rending screech and burst into yet more tears.

“Haley! No!” Jace screamed and began to furiously fight against Curly in a futile attempt to reach his sister.

“Jace, stay!” she whimpered pathetically as Moe gruffly snatched her from the floor. He gripped either of her arms and forced Haley to walk in front of him. She limped with heaving efforts as his pace required much speed.

Larry shoved me forward, as well, and kept a secure hand on the upper part of my right arm. His fingernails dug into my skin and I felt the urge to turn and smack them from my flesh, but denied myself the privilege for all our sakes.

I could see that Jace and Curly, now before us, were still not cooperating with one another. Jace was constantly doing what I wish I could do right now. He would not allow Curly to touch him, and much less keep a firm hold on him the entire way.

As we moved outside, I could feel the crisp, night air rush into my swollen lungs and cool the tissues. I breathed it in gratefully and watched as the carbon dioxide formed clouds before my face as I strode on. But when I let my gaze drop, I had to stifle the urge to gag upon seeing deposits of Haley’s blood plopped here and there along my path.

Larry seemed to notice my train of thought.

“We warned you,” he whispered darkly.

I decided to ignore him and instead turned my attention to my surroundings. Jace’s house was a sore view from being shot at and bombarded several times now. And it wasn’t only his that lacked its normally amiable feel. Every house that came within view looked as though a tornado had claimed it. And, compared to these men and what was stored within their grasp, a tornado was looking very attractive.

“Keep moving!” Moe demanded from up ahead.

And even though I couldn’t make out what she said in reply, I could definitely hear how she said it. Her voice was quavering and pale, but still just as strong and defiant as ever. It was like Dolly Parton’s imitation of Mr. T.

“I said to move!” Moe’s voice rose to a crescendo that echoed throughout the neighborhood.

And then, there was no mistaking what happened next. A deafening crash broke the ill silence throughout the neighborhood to be replaced by an awful sob of utter torture.

“Haley!!” Jace screamed with such passion that my heart broke for both of them.

“Haley, no!” I cried myself and attempted to jolt forward. In quick response, Larry tightened his grip so much so that I could hear a cracking noise from within my arm. Warps of agony rapped through my arm over and over. Giving off a screech myself, I dropped to my knees and let the tears run.

“There,” Larry said in defiance, “Now you have a broken arm and a dead friend. Want to go for more, or shall you obey?”

“Shut up!” I shrieked between plagued breaths.

Larry squeezed his grip so hard that my entire arm went deathly numb and I heard a definite snap from within me.

“Stop!” Jace was crying, “We’ll obey! Please…” his voice softened to a quaking whisper and I knew he was sobbing now too, “Just stop.”

“Up!” snapped Larry and he grasped my shirt collar and jerked my to my feet.

I screamed as yet more pain shocked my fractured bone.

My broken arm hung limp at my side and he now held onto my other arm as he moved me forward. Sobs clutched at my throat when we passed the still body of Haley.

“Haley!” I lamented as we passed her.

I didn’t even really know her, but she had shown kindness to me and bravery when neither Jace nor I had any. Now, and this I could understand, Jace had lost a sister.

And then as I was gazing at her, I saw a movement so minute I was not sure that my eyes were just playing a game with me. But when I saw it again, I knew that it was for sure.

“Stop your griping!” Larry ordered and I forced myself to look ahead with but a quivering lip.

A tiny sense of hope entered my mind. Haley was alive.