Dreams Or How I Live My Life in Daydreams

Retribution

"Okay, tell me again what you saw?"

Nara sighed exasperatedly while the officer waited. "I told you," she said. "I saw someone grab Autumn from behind and put something over her mouth." Her chin quivered. "She fought back until she went... limp."

She paused, trying to keep her thoughts coherent. "I tried to go help her, but...," she directed her gaze towards Lisa a few inches away, talking to an officer in a low voice. "She stopped me and said I would make the situation worse." Her words were bitter and angry.

She reached under her glasses and swiped her eyes. "So, I did the only thing I could do. I dialed 911."

"There were multiple reports of a kidnapping in progress," the officer said, looking up from his notes, his hard gaze softening. Nara creased her lips.

She snapped a finger, remembering a crucial detail. "Oh yeah. The guy had a buzz cut," she said.

The officer added the description to his notes. "Anything else you remember?" he said.

Nara nodded. "He had a muscular build. Like a bodybuilder," she said. She thought of the last words she spoke to Autumn, words she regretted. She hugged herself, chilled by a gust of wind.

"Please be alright, Autumn," she whispered.

*********

Dante clapped after Maddox finished speaking. "Touching monologue isn't it?" he said. "I teared up a few times."

Bart chuckled.

"With Marc taken care of, we next focused our attention on the two of you. You know, kill three birds with one stone." Dante said squaring his shoulders as though proud of himself.

"Especially you," Bart interjected, eyeballing Autumn menacingly. She recoiled.

Maddox spoke to divert the troublemaker's attention away from the rattled girl. "How did you get the alcohol? You're a minor."

Dante shrugged. "I bought some from the liquor store with a fake id," he said. "Thing is, the clerk ringing me up barely looked at it."

His smile vanished, his face turning deadly serious.

"Not all pranks are funny. Isn't that right, Maddox? You got a big kick out of humiliating people for shits and giggles. How does it feel to be on the receiving end of humiliation?"

Maddox swallowed.

Autumn dropped her gaze to the floor.

"By the way, good job, Autumn," Dante said.

Autumn flinched at the sound of her name.

Dante pursed his lips, the delivery of his words having the desired effect on its recipients. "You reacted just the way I wanted you to. Getting Selby involved was a chef's kiss," he said imitating the popular meme.

Autumn cast a surreptitious glance at Maddox to gauge his reaction. His face remained stoic, though his hollow eyes hinted of his true emotion. She looked away, riddled with guilt. Damn you, Dante.

Maddox blew out a breath to keep his composure. He's baiting you. Don't give him the reaction he wants. Repeating the mantra to himself, he realized maintaining his stoic disposition was harder than he thought. He wanted to punch the smirk off Dante's face.

Sweat beads budding on his face, the air stifling, he struggled to loosen his hand from the zip ties, tearing flesh. He winced, the wound smarting. The pain and desire to save Autumn he used as fuel to break free. The ties loosened enough for him to slip a hand through. So far, so good.

He waited. The wheels in his mind spinning, a plan formulating. Before he could set it in motion, he needed Autumn to cover for him. He needed a distraction.

Dante moved to remove the gag on Autumn's mouth.

Bart stopped him. "Leave it on. She talks too damn much."

The two bickered.

Maddox stiffened, his eyes drawn to the handgun visible from the waistband of Bart's pants. This was worse than what he thought. He had to make his move soon. His and Autumn's lives depended on it.

He looked over at Autumn hoping to send her a silent message. To his relief, she was staring back at him. They shared a look.

"Enough already," Bart said, heaving an exasperated sigh. "Take the damn thing off if it will stop your yapping."

He turned glimpsing, from the corner of his eye, a subtle exchange between the former couple.  Were they plotting something? He eyed them suspiciously.

Dante removed the gag, dropping the soggy cloth to the floor with a plop. Autumn inhaled deeply then exhaled.

Bart approached them.

"You don't know how much I hated watching the two of you slobbering all over each other," he said, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "I thought I was going to get diabetes."

He continued his taunting.

"Watching your dad cry like a girl over that beat-up car was funny as hell."

He cocked an eyebrow. "How d'you like my handiwork?"

"It was you?" Autumn said as a statement and not a question.

"Damn right," he said, his chest pushed out.

Shaking his head ironically, Maddox snorted.

Knowing his next words would provoke a reaction, Bart quirked his lips an impish glint in his eyes. "Tell me, Maddox. Which is she? A screamer or a moaner?"

Maddox's face darkened.

A gasp escaping her lips, Autumn's eyes glossed over.

"Yeah, Maddox," Dante said, joining in on the fun. "I want to know what sounds she makes during sex. "You got to hear it. I want to hear it too."

Maddox clenched his teeth. "Damn you."

"Don't make that face," Dante said. "I mean you stole her away from me behind my back. Turnabout is fair play."

Maddox cursed at himself. All this shit that's happening to them is because he stupidly associated himself with Dante. Marc is brain-damaged. Autumn is in danger—all because of him. He vowed to get them out of this mess. Someway. Somehow.

Bart flashed a portentous gaze at the trembling girl. "I go first," he said. "I have a score to settle with her." He lapped his tongue in the air like a dog.

Maddox didn't mince his words. "You touch her, you're dead."

"Is that so?" the bully said, smirking. "What exactly can you do except...watch? He reached for his zipper.

Maddox lunged at him. Bart swung his fist. Maddox dodged it. He stumbled, his feet still bound, as he went for the gun in the boy's waistband. He seized it.

Before he could fire off a shot, the bully clenched Maddox's arm to wrest the gun away from him.  His tight was so firm, Maddox heard his bone crack.  Nevertheless, he wouldn't let go during the tug of war.

Watching the melee, Autumn jumped to her feet looking for a makeshift weapon. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Dante said. 

"Damn it," she muttered.

Struggling to get the upper hand, Bart, screaming a warrior cry, head-butted Maddox, the gun slipping from his grasp, sending him staggering backward colliding into Autumn, knocking them both to the floor.

Pop!

A gunshot went off.

Maddox slumped over Autumn motionless, blood trickling out his mouth.