The walk to the junkyard was a torturous one. Night had fallen and the rain didn't let up. It was hard to see our footing and our feet felt heavy with the dirt under them turning into thick mud. Our clothes also felt like weights as we were soaked to the bone. There were no breaks on this trip either. We only stopped briefly as Billy fell to his knees at one point
His beaten body succumbing to the pain. He looked as if he would faint. While I was initially suspicious of him, I was sure he was just as much as a captive as me. Maybe worse. They kicked mud in his face as he kneeled over on the ground and they screamed at him. I started to help but they swatted me away. He finally got up and they pushed him nearly knocking him over again.
When we finally made it to the junkyard, I was both relieved and terrified. The rain had stopped but the doom and gloom of our situation remained. We approached the front gate and waited. A short stubby man with strange glasses and a lit torch eventually greeted us. Unlike his cohorts, his face was showing and he wore multiple layers of clothes. His grey hair made him appear older and his face seemed kinder.
“Ah. You found him?” the old man beamed. He then cackled and pointed at me. “And you found company too I see?”
“Yeah. Tell Ace we’re here.”
“Sure thing,” he nodded. He smiled at us and opened the gate. The large group then scattered amongst the heaps of trash leaving only Kitty, Jade, Hog, and another large man in a frightening sack-like mask.
"Well, this was fun but I gotta go," Jade grinned staring at us. She backed away towards the gate. "Tell me how it all goes..."
"Jade. It’s night and you're hurt still. Don't you need to...?" Kitty trailed off. Before she could finish her sentence, the mysterious woman was gone. She stared back at the gate and shook her head. "Damn her."
"You lucky she even came along. She'll be back," Hog huffed. He then pointed at us. "So what you going do with these assholes?"
"Well, it stopped raining at least. Sit them by the fire. The girl is to remain unharmed for now and Billy looks worse for wear so let him get some heat too."
"The girl, sure. Billy though?"
"Billy is none of your concern. Just do your job and pray Ace doesn't have your head on a pike for what you did."
"Oh, come on..."
"You heard me!"
"Fine," he grumbled. He grabbed the rope connecting us and yanked it forcing us to follow. The more we walk, the more he grumbled. "Stupid fucking bitch. She wouldn't get away with half the stuff she gets away with if she wasn't sleeping with that jerk. Fuck."
He then sighed looking past us. "Beast is that you?"
Both me and Billy followed his gaze. The scary sack-head man then appeared from behind a trash heap. He stared at us menacingly and grunted. Hog nodded. "Thought so. Don't be sneaking up on me like that, buddy," he smirked. "Actually, how about you take these two to the campfire area. I'll get some beers and meet you there."
Beast as they called him just nodded silently. He handed us over to him and the large frightening man pulled us along slowly. Every time I got close I felt lightheaded. The smell radiating from him was nauseating and he was filthy. Wet and filthy. His jeans alone looked to be covered in layers of brownish and greenish muck. I gagged several times as he dragged us along. Billy looked equally ill but I wasn't sure if it was due to his injuries or Beast, but I assumed both. He was disgusting. Maybe worse than a zombie.
Thankfully we reached our destination in a somewhat short distance. We came upon a roaring campfire with various members of the group sitting around it. I didn't recognize any of them without their mask. I peeped out a scrawny woman with shaggy brown hair, a young black guy, two white guys, and a scary-looking Asian guy with a long scar on his face. They grew silent as we walk by and glared at us but quickly went back to laughing and chatting amongst themselves.
Beast stopped and dropped the rope. I immediately held my breath as he got closer. He began to undo the ropes. I was tempted to run as he freed us but now was not the time. Not with the other members sitting around and definitely not with this guy. He grunted and pointed to what looked like a broken light post. Billy sat down obediently while I glared up at him. He pointed again more forcefully. Billy grabbed my pants and I looked down into his pleading eyes. He shook his head no. I took this as a silent warning. I frowned and slid down to the ground beside him. Beast then stoop down, placed our arms behind our back around the pole, and tied our hands together. I had long given up holding my breath and I nearly fainted as his putrid musty smell enfolded us now. I don't know how I made it through the assault to my sinuses but I made it. I watched him get up and stare down at us.
"Do you talk?" I asked eyeing him. "Do you always wear that stupid thing on your head?"
He hissed and stoop down to my eye level. His face was inches from mine. I could feel Billy staring at me again but I ignored him this time. If I truly was to remain unharmed, I could risk pushing a few buttons.
"P U. You stink. Take a bath or something."
He grunted blowing more nauseating fumes at me. The scary Asian guy laughed. He was standing nearby chomping on an apple. He shook his head.
"Aw, Beast. She just yanking your chain. Don't worry about her," he said with a slight Cantonese accent. He came closer and patted him on the back. "Be a good boy and go see if Ace needs help. I'll keep an eye on both of them while you're gone."
Beast nodded and rose up away from me. He then walked away silently in the direction of Ace I assumed. The Asian man then came over to us snickering to himself. He bit his apple and look down at me. "He doesn't like to be made front of, so I wouldn't do that if I was you. You might get your head crushed in."
I scowled at him. "Who are you?"
"Bones' the name. To you at least," he smirked. He then shrugged. "But you're a feisty one. Ace might like you. Play your cards right and he might take you under his wing."
He then reached out and touched Billy's head. He ruffled his hair. "As for Billy here, he's truly fucked. Ain't that right, Billy?"
Billy slumped over looking pitiful. He didn't bother to look up. He just sat there in silence now. His nose bleeding and face puffy on one side. He looked terrible.
"Leave him alone," I snarled.
Bones laughed and bit his apple again. He chewed it loudly. He burped and shook his head. "Just stating the facts. He's a dead man walking. You too if you're not careful."
He left us with that ominous warning and walked off disappearing amongst the junk piles. I let out a loud audible sigh and let my body relax a little. We weren't alone but the group amongst the campfire seemed to be occupied with each other now. They grew quiet almost whispering amongst themselves. I looked over at Billy who was still slumped over. He lifted up and coughed. Then he tried to speak. His voice, weak and hoarse.
"Audrey...I'm..I'm sorry."
"It's OK."
"I need to tell you something. It's about..."
As he tried to speak, I saw a group of people in the corner of my eye coming in our direction. Billy must have too as he stopped talking immediately and the little color he had drained from his face.
A man with a jester mask and blond hair stopped in front of us. Kitty and Beast flocked behind him. He ordered them to untie just me. To my relief, Kitty spared my nose and did this. I stood up and the jester masked man then held out his hand. I stared at it refusing and he pulled it back.
He then nodded and spoke. "Well, it's nice to meet you. You're Audrey, right? Most people call me, Ace. We have much to talk about."
He then turned around to his cohorts. "Beast bring Audrey to the truck. We're going to my quarters. Be gentle."
I backed away in horror but there was no use. The putrid man swiftly picked me up and slung me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes. I screamed and hit him with my fist but he didn't even flinch. He carried me away. I took one last glimpse at Billy. He was slumped over with Ace standing over him now. Hog suddenly appeared joining him by his side and some of the members from the campfire stood up joining the two. They surrounded him completely.
I reached out my hand wishing I could reach him somehow. Save him even but there was no use. I closed my eyes refusing to watch his demise. Bones had predicted it. He was good as dead.
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