Sacred Oaths

EPISODE 23: TRAPPED.

SACRED_OATHS

Author: Samuel Frederick

Episode 23: TRAPPED.

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Darkness!

Darkness filled the environment as my eyes opened slowly. I had a feeling of numbness and weakness surging through my whole body, a blurry eyesight, and a throbbing headache to top it all off.

I tried to stand up, but my legs were stiff. They were strapped onto something, same as my hands too. I seemed to be in a sitting position with my hands and legs tied tightly, and with a gag in my mouth. My clothes also reeked of sweat—excess sweat.

I coughed loudly without ease until I felt a figure standing beside me. The figure advanced closer and flashed a torch to my face. I instantly looked away from the excess brightness penetrating my eyes.

“She’s awake.” The figure mumbled, now bringing the torch closer to me.

“Call Lady Tee.” I heard another familiar voice. “Fast.”

Immediately he said that, the lights came on, and I could see two hefty guys and a skinny one surrounding me. I remembered the skinny guy’s face in a flash; it was him, Big Tiny, the guy who had once threatened me with a gun.

“Hello!” He waved his hand with a crooked smile from the corner he stood, but I was too weak to speak. Moreover, I was gagged, adding to my misery and fear at the moment.

Shortly, the door of the room creaked open and a lady walked in. She was accompanied by a tall, macho man and a kid.

To say I was surprised would be a blatant understatement. I was shocked, baffled, perplexed! Why? Because of: one, Monica’s presence, and two, the kid who’d just accompanied her in was the same boy who’d stopped me along the way to help his sister from a gutter which he claimed that she was stuck in. I remembered offering to help him and then…

“Surprised?” The lady spoke all of a sudden, slicing through my thoughts. I transferred my gaze from the boy’s face to hers with flaming eyes.

“Remember me?” She asked, sitting on an empty plastic chair directly before me. I tried to speak but my voice came out muffled.

“Remove the gag from her mouth!” Monica ordered, and one of her men executed her command in no time. I felt fresh air and coughed loudly, repeatedly.

“You were saying?” She urged me on.

“I said, you again! You witch!” I spewed, anger vested in my voice. “Why won’t you just let me be?”

She laughed. “I’m glad you remember me. It’s good to see you again, Fifi.”

I would have punched her in the face if my hands weren’t tied. Honestly.

“What do you want from me this time, witch?” I spewed venomously.

Almost immediately, a heavy slap landed on my face.

“Mind how you talk to Lady Tee!” The macho guy barked behind me. I bowed my head to the ground, numbed by the strong impact of the slap I’d just received.

“Thank you.” Monica gave him a thumbs up and smiled again. “Now look here,” she ordered, but I paid no heed whatsoever to her.

“She said look here!” The guy behind me barked again, pulling my hair up so I could face her.

“Do you remember the first day we met, and what I told you?” Lady Tee asked, but I remained mute.

“Do you remember the last time we met?” She asked. Still, I said nothing.

“‘Tell your Senator to take his money and bundle himself to hell.ʼ” She quoted, smirking mischievously whilst rubbing her palms and locking her fingers. “Isn’t that what you told me?”

Again, I remained silent.

“Well,” she continued speaking, “today is your lucky day. I’m more than happy to inform you that the Senator himself is here today, so you can as well repeat that exact statement to his face.”

With a click of her fingers, the macho guy behind me rewrapped my mouth and after that, another guy opened the door and went out of the room. In what seemed to be a split second, he returned with a man and another armed guy behind that man.

The man in question was so short, pot-bellied, and looked like someone suffering from obesity. I was certain that he was the Senator in question, due to his proud gait, the way he looked and the way every man in the room hailed him.

Hurriedly, Lady Tee stood up for him to sit and she dusted the chair with her palm, and then he sat down comfortably, facing me.

The macho guy behind me lit a stick of cigarette and handed it to him. He took a deep drag and then puffed it to my face. I choked from the thick smoke.

“So it’s you.” The Senator simply said, with a deep voice, laughing slightly.

“Untie her!” He said next. The macho guy behind me loosened the ropes on my hands and legs, and then ungagged my mouth. For the first time since I regained consciousness, I felt comfortable. Yet, I wondered why I was let loose.

“I want us to reason like humans,” he said, after taking another long drag of the cigarette with an avid stare on me. Afterward, he threw it down and mashed it roughly under his feet.

“Like humans?” I repeated. He nodded.

“Like humans, yet you kidnapped me, tied me up and held me hostage here? What kind of human are you?”

With that, the guy behind me raised a hand to hit me, but the Senator gave him a sign to be calm.

“I gave you a chance, child. You had the chance, and you blew it up.” The Senator said, shrugging. “I offered you money. I gave you gifts, and I was willing to give even more, but… well, you had the guts to tell me to take my money and bundle myself to hell, isn’t it?”

I didn’t talk.

“Well, I am a man of patience, so I forgive you for that.” He said, and added, “But, it also depends on how well you cooperate with us henceforth.”

Hearing that, I already knew where he was heading even before he spoke.

“Nobody knows you are here, nobody knows where you are. Worst of it all, nobody would come to save or help you, unless you comply with us. Is that clear?”

I nodded sharply, eager to hear what he had to say next.

“I really don’t get how hard it is for someone like you, as smart as you are, to snitch up on those guys and supply me inside information concerning their plans for the election, while I pay you handsomely for it. And at the end of the day, if everything goes according to plan and I become Governor, we’d both part ways like nothing ever happened. It’s quite simple! I just don’t understand you!” He lamented bitterly, looking into my eyes. I stared back harder.

“If you do me this favor,” he continued, “I promise to establish you beyond your dreams—more than you could ever imagine. I have money in abundance.”

I laughed out loud.

“What’s funny about what I just said?” The Senator asked, confused.

“You know, it’s funny how you take so much pride in your wealth, Mr. Senator. You really think everything is about money, hmm?” I stated bluntly, spitting thick saliva at his face. “I’d rather die than help you in this corrupt quest! You bastard!”

Without a doubt, everyone present in the room marvelled at my confidence! I could see the big look of surprise on the Senator’s wrinkled face in particular.

The next thing I knew, a very much expected slap welcomed me heavily.

“How dare you?!” The Senator raved, staring fiercely at me with bloodshot eyes. “How dare you?!”

In the twinkling of an eye, another slap welcomed me again.

“I’ll make sure you regret this!” He said angrily whilst storming off, but then stopped halfway to the door, giving me one last glare as he yelled:

“Boys, deal with her mercilessly! Make her suffer like never before!”