Relentless (Book 3)

Chapter 21: Benjamin: The Sixth Day

If I thought that Smith looked huge when I was looking up at him in my cell, it was nothing compared to how massive he looked as he towered over Bethany. His shadow eclipsed her. God, if he gets ahold of her...

The second Jefferson started the timer, Smith lunged at Bethany. I gasped in alarm when he almost grabbed hold of her arm right away. She should be much faster than him, she is much smaller and therefore can move quicker. But she was so exhausted, so hungry, so beaten down, that she struggled immediately to get away from him. 

My stomach clenched as if a vice was being tightened around it. I really thought she might be able to survive these ten minutes, but if the beginning of this fight is any indicator, he's going to destroy her. The fight had barely begun and he had already almost gotten ahold of her. And that is before the fatigue of fighting set in.

Smith stalked toward her, his hands out and ready grab Bethany. He was purely on the offensive. He didn't think that Bethany was any threat to him at all. He wasn't worried about protecting himself. I could think of half a dozen ways I could have beaten him then and there because he was leaving himself wide open. If Bethany hadn't been being starved and tortured for days, she would've been able to take him with all of the training we had in the Outskirts. But it was way too risky in her current state. 

The way Bethany was looking at him, I could tell that she was thinking of all of the ways she could take him too. I could only hope that she would take into account her current state of mind and how weak her body was, and do as she promised me she would, evade him. 

Smith reached out for her again and she ducked down to get away from his massive hand. This went on for a few minutes, the clocked had very, very slowly trickled down, but she still had 7:48 left and I could tell she was already tiring. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly from the exertion. 

She was doing a good job of following my instructions. I was shouting at her, telling her where to go, letting her know when he was getting close. It was working out so far, but we still had a long way to go. She was using the restraint table as a barrier between her and the imposing guard in front of her.

Jefferson didn't order any of the other guards to come in and shut me up like he did when Bethany was helping me yesterday when I couldn't see. He probably just expected she would lose no matter how much help I gave her. 

I was painstakingly moving my eyes back and forth between Bethany and the clock. 6:29 left. She still wasn't even half way through. But she had managed to evade him thus far. He hadn't touched her once. But she wasn't going to be able to avoid him for much longer. He was clearly taking it easy on her so far. Toying with her like a cat does with a mouse. But he was beginning to get bored of the game and he was ready to get his paws on her.

5:56. He reached across the restraint table as Bethany was maneuvering away from him and grabbed her by the hair before yanking his arm backwards, flinging her onto the table. Pulling her hair? What a cheap shot. Her foot just narrowly missed the timer. 5:41. 

He held her by the hair and threw a punch into her spine. I cringed when she gasped in pain, feeling rage bubble up in my chest. If I could get my hands on him in the fight again, I wouldn't let him tap out. We'd fight until he was no longer conscious. 

He threw another punch into her back before he let go of her hair. Once he released her hair, she flipped on her back, her face contorted in anger. She kicked out at him, hard, her feet connected with his abdomen and he staggered backward, giving her just enough time get her feet back on the ground. 4:53.

But she didn't have enough time to put distance between herself and Smith. He threw a punch directed toward her face. Her eyes widened and she leaned back, just managing to evade his fist. But the momentum of throwing her weight backward caused her to stumble, and she fell backward onto her butt. Smith reached for her and she started crab crawling backward away from him. 3:59.