Chapter 17: "Man down!"

⚠️Guys, the dates mentioned before each part doesn't indicate the timing of the scenes. These are dates of when I first wrote or had the idea of the scene. I see a few people getting confused. These are just interesting tidbits, but if it's a problem, I'll stop posting them🌼.

Anyways, comment as you read 🤗

April 13th 2019

Salma impulsively turned around to take a look at the approaching biker but found the reflection of her own scared eyes staring back at her. The windshield was tinted.

"You two," Toryal spoke to the stinking perverts on either side of her. "Be ready to take aim just in case."

Salma's pulse started pounding in her ears. The guards withdrew their weapons and loaded them. She was not sure who the rider was and if he was even pursuing them. Salma contemplated on the attacking the driver to stop him from luring the biker into a trap, when he suddenly stepped on the breaks and she lurched forward.

"It's cops up ahead!"

Salma pulled herself back just in time to realize what the driver had screamed about. Down the street, she could just make out the cop cars barricading the streets.

"Get rid of the guns! Uncuff her! Uncuff her!" Toryal yelled. While the two guards started searching for the keys, Toryal grabbed her by the neck and choked her.

"You better back up my story, or you'll be burying your brother's body, one piece a day for the rest of the year!"

Salma gasped for a breath as he let go. Her head was spinning. She tried to make sense of what he was trying to do. Her ears rang. There was some sort of an announcement going on. Salma took in deep breaths in an attempt to get her bearings back again.

"This is the police!" The amplified voice announced. "Do not resist, I repeat, do not resist and give up the hostage! This is the police --"

It was only then that Salma realized Toryal's panic. The cops had been alerted by someone. They knew she was being kidnapped and Toryal was going to use her word to claim otherwise.

I see . . .

Many things happened at the same time. The guard to her right grabbed her hands to uncuff her. Salma snatched her hands away, and elbowed him in the eye. Impulsively, she threw her still cuffed hands over the headrest of the passenger seat and around Toryal's neck, then she crossed her hands and pulled with all her might. Toryal choked. Salma was only mildly aware of the cops still shouting warnings, and the guards using brutal force to push her forth so that Toryal could have the breathing space. But Salma persisted in pushing her back into the seat, and her feet against the mats.

Just when she thought the guards would resort to breaking her arms, a baseball bat poked in as the window to her right smashed. The door was yanked opened and the guard dragged out. She saw the remaining guard pull out his gun. Salma bent her elbows, long enough to sag behind Toryal seat. Still choking him, she used her now free leg to aim a good kick at the guard. His head jerked and banged against the window. He barely got the time to collect himself when his side of the window smashed. A nasty crack of a bat knocking a skull, and he was dragged outside. The driver, getting confused by everything happening around him, stepped out to help his friend. Salma could hear the grunts and groans of the fight ensuing outside, but she was too focused on squeezing the life out of a certain beast to care.

Toryal reached behind blindly, trying to grab her arms. Salma made a rough yank downwards. Gurgling sounds escaped his lips as he struggled but Salma refused to let go.

"You'll curse my father." Salma struggled with her words, pushing down harder, blinded by tears and the searing pain that tore through the joints in her wrists, alike, "and threaten my brother's life, only if you can get past me!"

February 14, 2021

A manic laughed filled the small space inside the car. It took Salma a while to realize, through the searing pain in her wrists, that Toryal had responded to her threats with laughter.

"Such. . ." he began with much difficulty. ". . . a shame!"

Salma maintained her hold when she felt him struggling against the choke-hold. He was trying to give himself the breathing space.

"For you. . . to fight for a man's honor" he rasped. ". . . who has no worth for you . . ."

"Shut up!" Salma snapped, yanking at the chains to clamp his trap.

He laughed again. The audacity alone made chills run down Salma's spine.

"You -- You were born . . . to be a pawn, anyway." He struggled through gritted teeth. "Ours . . . or his -- At least, with us, you know . . . what you are!"

Angered by his words, Salma pulled harder at the chains. Her wrists burned. Even through the commotion outside, she heard his wince.

Good.

"What?" He croaked, wheezing now. "You really th-think -- your father bothers w--with your views . . . and choices?"

Salma felt like she would rip the bones in her wrists if she pulled any harder. The spy however, continued to talk.

"He -- he married you to--to a man you detest!"

Salma felt the tears blurring her vision. Somehow, she knew it had little to do with the cuffs cutting into the skin of her hands and more to do with what the hound was saying.

"That sh-should tell you y-your worth and pl-place --"

"My father --" Salma began angrily but was cut off.

"Just gave you an -- just an illusion of--of a choice," he croaked. "You're a pawn!"

Salma growled in anger, making sure to take it out on choking him harder.

"He's a pa--paid act-tor!" he wheezed.

"Nobody give a flying rat's arse!" Salma screamed, tasting her tears as they slid behind her niqab.

"M-mark my w-words," Toryal continued. He probably knew he was getting to her. "O-once his p-part is over -- he would be plucked -- out of y-your way . . . and you w-wouldn't even sus--pect it!"

"None." Salma gritted her teeth. "Of your" she pushed her back into the cushion of her seat. "Damn!" Her feet rested on the back of Toryal's seat "Concern!" She pulled.

Gurlgling sounds escaped his throat as the spy splattered and gasped, finding it difficult to breathe.

The cuffs started digging deep cuts into Salma's wrists. She felt like her wrists would rip off but she refused to ease the pressure. She felt tugs in the opposite direction. Toryal was trying to break free. Salma pulled harder. Clenching her teeth, Salma would not to let go as gentler hands reached for her shoulders, trying to get her out of the car, pushing her away. The cops had started drawing in. Guns at the ready.

A gunshot made her jump out of her skin. Terrified, Salma had almost let go of Toryal when she realize it was not the cops, but the hound himself. He had now resorted to blindly shooting over his shoulder in an attempt to get rid of her. Salma's eyes were fixated on the gun peaking over the headrest when she saw a movement on the driver's seat.

"Drive!" Toryal rasped at the driver, who after quickly sitting behind the steering wheel had chosen to try to get Salma to loosen her grip instead of driving away. He had been switching between trying to knock her unconscious and yanking her to sit up, when Toryal's ragged groan stopped him. "Just -- drive!"

The driver quickly turned to the wheel and pulled the car in reverse. Just as the car skidded, Salma saw a flash of black, as the door to her left was yanked open and in jumped a hooded figure. He reached for Salma and pushed her behind Toryal's seat just as another gunshot split her eardrums. Lying in a heap behind his seat, Salma's hazy vision could barely make out the barrel of the gun slowly turn downwards. She was definitely done for it this time.

***

April 13th 2019

Zayn, together with the others had his hands raised in surrender, waiting for the cops to approach and arrest them. A loud bang fired the living daylights out of him. The cops scrambled to take cover. Another round deafened him. The driver raced into his car, deserting his unconscious friends. Not wasting an instant, Zayn jumped in after him. The exploding firing continued. From inside the car, Zayn realized as he saw the gun shooting at random. On instinct, he grabbed Salma and forced her down.

"Just drive!" A hoarse, ragged voice ordered.

Zayn's eyes went to and fro between the man getting choked and Salma lagging behind his seat. Before he could do anything, the engine roared to life, and he was thrown forward as the car reversed at breakneck speed.

As if time itself had slowed down, Zayn saw Toryal let the gun rotate around his index finger. Its intended target was frozen in place. She stared blankly at the gun. The beast was still going to try to pull the trigger despite the fact that he had gone completely purple in his face. As the barrel pointed downwards, instead of making Salma move, Zayn's hand shot up to push the gun away. Another deafening crack tore through the car. The driver saw Zayn's move. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he tried to fight Zayn with the other. Dodging the blow, Zayn snatch the gun out of Toryal's weak grasp and used its butt to knock the driver out.

The car skidded off a tangent as the driver received a heavy blow. Zayn barely had time to register what was happening when the car smashed into a nearby building. It came to an abrupt halt, jolting them off their seats. The gun flew out of his hands towards Toryal's feet. Zayn banged his head against the roof of the car, knocking the lights out of him.

With the forward lurch, the small breathing space was all Toryal needed. Having foreseen the opportunity, he had instantly used it to slip his fingers between the chains of the cuffs and his throat. While Zayn struggled in the back seat to clear his head, the unkillable monster gritted his teeth, pushing the chains away from his throat. Barely conscious anymore, Salma was only vaguely aware of her wrists getting pulled out of her arms.

Letting out an animal like growl, Toryal finally pushed the chains far enough to duck underneath them and free himself. Zayn turned to him as he let Salma's locked hands drop limp by the headrest. The spy picked up the gun at his feet then grappled with the door lock to get out. Fighting against his dizziness, Zayn hastened to follow after him. His knees gave way as he got out of the car. He held onto the roof and steadied himself. Then, he made his way to the monster, who was kneeling on the other side. The roar of the bike reached Zayn's ears. The two-wheeler skidded to a halt in front of the car and Sarah's hooded figure hastened to get off - a bat in hand. Zayn saw movement in his periphery.

"SNOB, WATCH OUT!"

The gunshot ripped the air just as Zayn dived to shove Sarah out of the way. A wince escaped his lips. His side burned as if set ablaze. He saw a vague image of Toryal with his gun pointed at them.

Then, he crumpled.

Author's Note:

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raj'oon💔. You'll be remembered Zayn Harris🌼; pest for Bees🐝, savior of Sarah💪, hot-favorite of Losties😭. You're in our hearts❤️. Not forgotten, not Lost😔.

The end.

Not🤣.

Anyways, spam the chapter and I may consider an early update😉. Vote, comment and Share. Also, visit my Patreon page to continue reading. I just posted chapter 29 there😏.

Remember me in your prayers🥰.

Lots of Love.

J.