// Without Cause // Half-Chapter Five // Flight In The Dark //

Hello everyone! Due to some massive writers block for this specific chapter, I can only offer you a half of chapter five today. :( A lot went on this past week for our family, including the preparation for the kidding (birth) of baby goats on our little farm. It also snowed a lot a few days ago, and I put off writing so I could go build a snowman and let it go ;) But I've been a bit lazy as well... having marathons of Doctor Who and catching up on some sewing and crocheting. Anyway, hopefully by next week, the rest will be completed. Until then, here you go!

//Without Cause//

//Half-Chapter Five//

//Flight in the Dark//

*Kylie*

   As soon as the doors shut, the driver took off.  My head hurt and a ringing sound ran around in my ears. Ethan rolled to his back and sat up, peering over me. He tried to say something, but I couldn’t understand a word through the duct tape.

 My wrists ached as the thugs drug Ethan and I across the empty parking lot towards a small structure. I was so thirsty, hungry, and cold. Ethan constantly struggled with one of the guys, the burly man, but he had an iron grip on Ethan’s arm.

   We reached the building, which looked like an abandoned gas station run by drug dealers. Four old gas pumps stood out front, clearly not having been used for many years.
   The man loosened his grip on my arms and pulled me in front of him, like I was going to shield him from something. Another guy opened the gas station door and led us inside. Ethan made one last attempt to break free right as we were entering. He elbowed one guy in the stomach, grabbed his gun, and hit the other guy with the butt of the gun, knocking the guy off his feet. The thug who had me tightened his grip again, linking his left arm in between mine, which were still handcuffed, and pulled tight. I yelled out in pain, it felt like my arms were going to pop out. He pressed the gun to my neck with his right hand.

   “Oi! Knock it off, kid, or your sissy here gets hurt!” he spat in a British accent. Ethan looked back and forth between me and my captor. I shook my head a little, trying to send a signal for him to behave himself and do what the other guy had said. Ethan rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth, then set the gun on the ground and waited patiently while the other guys got up and grabbed hold of him again. The guy who had me chuckled. “Now, we’re going to do this my way, the easy way, or people will get hurt. While we wait for our ride to show up, you two pretties can go inside, yeah? And no games! Do as you’re told! If I catch you—“

   He was cut off by another voice, one sort of giddy with excitement mixed with sarcasm, coming from the doorway of the gas station. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Tsk, tsk, tsk! Be nice to our guests, Jefferson! We wouldn’t want them spoiled.” Jefferson, surprised, turned to face the other man, jerking his arm free of mine and letting me fall. Ethan lunged for me but was restrained by three other henchmen. I turned to look at the guy in the doorway, now walking towards me. He sounded American, but with a hint of something else. He had neatly combed dark hair, brown eyes, and wore a navy blue suit. He knelt on the ground next to me as I struggled to sit up.

   “Don’t you dare touch her!” Ethan growled from several feet away.

  The new guy gave a surprised/shocked look as he reached for my arm. “Hurt her? Oh, no, I merely came to help.”

   I jerked away. “I don’t need your help, creep!” getting to my feet proved easier than I thought it would be. I tried to back my way toward Ethan as the guy stood to his feet with a laugh.

   “Creep?” he scoffed. “Wow, you’re quick to judge. Just like your old Pops.” He gave a glaring smirk, and ordered Jefferson to keep a hold of me. Ethan was seething, his breath shooting out in a short, quick motion through clenched teeth.

  Creep waved his hand toward the gas station building, and his henchmen shoved us in. The interior had been stripped of everything, leaving it dirty, cold, and gloomy. Creep spoke on a mobile phone for a minute, then entered the building with us. He excused the others, leaving him, Ethan, and I the only ones left. Creep leaned against the wall, zoning out and staring at the wall opposite him.

   My eyes shifted back and forth between Ethan and Creep. Ethan tried to smile, and send me a few reassuring looks, but, I was still a bit freaked out, and kept my lips pinched shut.

   The silence was really getting on my nerves, and so was the weird vacant stare of our captor. “So…” Ethan blew through his teeth. “You, uh, mind telling us what we’re doing here? Oh, and it might be nice if you could tell us what to call you, ‘cause the names I have in mind, probably aren’t titles you’d like.”

   Creep smiled wide and let out a laugh. “I guess a name would be quite nice, now wouldn’t it? Well sorry, I can’t tell you that just yet.” He finished with a cheesy grin, Ethan narrowed his eyes, and I sent Ethan a confused glance.

   Ethan continued to glare straight into Creep’s eyes, locking them into a staring contest. Creep eventually, while still staring, gave a creepy little smile, and did a creepy little laugh. “Call me Jim.”

    Ethan cleared his throat. “Alright, Jim, what are we doing here?” He finished with a blink, sending ‘Jim’ into hysterical laughter.

   “I win! That was fun! We should do it again sometime.” He got up, skipped to the door and pushed it open, sending a blast of cold air in. “Tootles!”

   I scowled after him, and Ethan kicked the wall in frustration. “That guy is really ticking me off.” He said in between kicks.

“I’m like, 1,001% sure that’s his goal.”

  Ethan turned to face me, stopping his kicking. “You’re not hurt, are you? The way that guy was pulling on your arms looked painful.”

   “Nah, I’m fine. But I’ll probably be sore later.”

    He smiled but had no time to reply, as the door was pushed open again and Jefferson stepped in. “Boss wants you out.” He raised his gun. “No games.”

   A faint thudding sound had started and begun to grow louder while we were inside, and now we could see the source: A black helicopter was coming into sight, Creep’s, er, Jim’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree while he smiled. “Ah! They have arrived! Come, come, out of the way.” He cooed to the thugs. “You wouldn’t want to be squished, those things weigh a lot.” He laughed hysterically as he pointed towards the copter.

   We all moved and stood next to the gas station as the noise got louder. Ethan and I were moved next to each other, and Ethan leaned my way as far as he could. “Don’t say anything. Don’t answer them, don’t ask any questions, just don’t.” He smiled and continued whispering while the others were occupied watching the helicopter. “I have a feeling Mum and Dad will get us out of here in no time.” Ethan was jerked back several feet away from me as the helicopter began to land. As the wind from the blades blasted my hair in a million directions, I couldn’t help but imagine what kind of horrible tangles I was going to have to attack later.

   When it landed, I tried to find some sort of name or serial number or anything on the copter, but there was nothing. The black frame looked seamless, and was so sleek, we could all see our own reflections as clear as a mirror. The windshield was tinted, giving the appearance that there wasn’t one. I have to admit, I was impressed. Apparently so was Ethan, who gaped at it with wide eyes.

   The blades never stopped turning, and my face hurt from the wind. Jim hunched his shoulders and jogged towards the copter. He stopped midway, turning and motioning for us to follow. The minions grabbed us again and shoved us in the direction of their boss, who opened the copter door by running his hand over part of the side. He pulled it open with a bow and the guy who had me, threw me in the pitch-black cockpit. Ethan was next, although it took all four thugs to wrestle him in. After they had done their job, they jogged back towards the gas station. Jim smoothed his hair and straitened his suit before jumping in and taking the passenger seat. “Buckle up!” he tried to yell over the noise, handing each of us a headset. I looked confusingly at Ethan, who shrugged and motion to buckle the seatbelt. Rather than refuse and make Jim angry, I buckled my belt, which was kind of confusing, and put the headset on. My ears were flooded with instant relief of the noise.

And that's it for now. Stay tuned for the remaining part of chapter five!

For the will of Cause,

Ammelia