A/N: I wrote this next chapter WEEKS before the Oscar 'Moon Knight' training videos came out. I briefly though about editing it to echo those hot moves from the video, but I decided they were a little much for a couple of guys in the jungle, so the chapter stands as it was originally written. If you haven't seen those videos, however, I recommend looking them up!
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Rey scooted back even more, trying to untangle her legs from her long broomstick skirt. Her back hit the trunk of a tree, and though she thought briefly about getting up to run, she felt almost paralyzed by the sight of the two men in front of her. They were circling each other, knives at the ready, and Rey sensed almost immediately that this confrontation wasn't a surprise to either man. She also sensed that it wouldn't be a simple tussle; this would be a fight to the death.
Rey watched in horrid fascination as the two men lunged at each other, knives flashing in the weak sunlight coming through the canopy of the trees. She winced as they slashed and parried and dodged each other's weapons. It seemed to her that the brute was doing more work, and her suspicions proved correct as she realized he was starting to breath hard, sweat dripping down his face. Dominguez, on the other hand, looked like he was out for a stroll. Though sweat dampened his face as well, it was a normal reaction to the heat and humidity of the surrounding jungle. He said something to the brute, but he spoke so softly that even if she had understood the language, she couldn't hear the words clearly. But the brute obviously did. He roared in anger and charged the smaller man, but Dominguez was ready, not only ducking aside at the last second, but grabbing the brute's arm, swinging the man off balance and bringing him back around to face him. With a suddenness that caused Rey to gasp, Dominguez' knife slid silently up and into the brute's body.
Eyes wide, the larger man became immobile, staring at Dominguez with shock. He groaned, and blood began dripping from his mouth. Dominguez, looking his advisory in the eye, shoved the knife in deeper and twisted it, then pushed the man backward, his face showing no emotion as the brute fell. Rey covered in mouth in horror as the man tried catching himself with one hand, the other coming up to cover the bloody wound just under his sternum. Blood continued to pour from his mouth, mixing with saliva, as he gasped for air. He turned his head to look at her, but his eyes were unseeing. It took only seconds for his ragged breathing to stop.
Rey took in a large gulp of air and she turned her focus on Dominguez. The man was breathing hard now, for the first time showing signs of exertion. He closed his eyes briefly and clenched his jaw, then he stepped forward, squatted down, and wiped his knife on the dead man's pant leg before putting it back into its sheath. He stood and slowly turned his head to look at her.
She shuddered and started to push herself up onto her feet, bracing off the tree at her back. While she knew this man has saved her from rape, did she dare trust him any more than the brute? Dominguez turned toward her, his eyes flashing. Rey looked off to the side, wondering if she should make a run for it. Could she make it back to the village? She was no slouch in the running department, but she was at a major disadvantage in her long skirt and sandals. He stalked toward her, jaw set and brow furrowed. She stayed put, instinct telling her to wait for her moment. He stopped in front of her, and she realized with a start that he wasn't much taller than her five-foot, seven-inch frame; he carried himself with such self-confidence he seemed bigger. They stood eye to eye for a while, staring at each other, and Rey realized she was holding her breath. She let it out in a rush and he raised his chin slightly, a small smile playing on his full lips.
Yelling from behind him, back toward the schoolhouse and the village, broke whatever spell he had placed on her. He turned his head, a frown taking over the smile, as he looked over his shoulder toward the shouting. He took a deep breath, then turned back to face her. She could swear his gaze looked apologetic. With a grimace, he grabbed her wrist and without any warning started dragging her toward the noise.
She was startled at first, but after a while her defenses kicked in again, and she began to resist. But he was just as strong as the brute, and he just kept tugging her along with him as he walked. Suddenly, she recognized one of the voices as Pedro's, the boy she had sent off running when the brute had grabbed her. She stopped struggling and found herself running a bit to keep up with Dominguez. She soon realized they were not heading toward the schoolhouse, but toward the road that went past it into the jungle. A truck sat on the road, its engine idling, and she watched as one of Dominguez' men pulled the driver from the cab while the other men starting piling into the back. The driver had his hands up, fear etched on his face. Dominguez yelled at his men demandingly. One responded quickly as Dominguez lead her around to the back of the truck. The young man that Sister Clara had been arguing with was in the bed of the truck holding on to the struggling Pedro.
From what Rey could gather, Pedro's screaming had alerted others in the village, including the Federal Police Dominguez' men had been hiding from, that there was trouble in the schoolhouse. The young man had managed to grab the child, and the rest of the men, not knowing where Dominguez and Teedo (the brute, Rey assumed) were, had run, bringing Pedro with them.
Without letting go of her wrist, Dominguez ran his other hand down over his face, bringing it up and around to rub the back of his neck. He sighed and looked at his men, then looked back toward the village, where more yelling could be heard. He muttered something Rey wished desperately she could understand, then focused on his men again. Using his hand to emphasize his orders, he began to direct them. Rey understood a bit, and knew he was demanding that Pedro be released, that she would be a better hostage as she was an American. For once, she agreed. Anything to get the boy away from these men. The man holding Pedro let him go. "Lárgate de aquí!" Dominguez told the boy.
Pedro looked at her, his eyes scared but questioning; the boy was worried about her. "Go!" she told him, nodding her approval and giving him a small smile. He shot off the back of the truck as if he had been fired from a gun, running like mad down the road to the village.
"Vámanos!" Dominguez shouted, and he shoved her toward the men standing in the bed of the truck. They grabbed her arms and hauled her into the vehicle with them, bringing her to the back by the cab. She watched as Dominguez ran toward the front passenger side of the truck and hopped in. Immediately, the truck roared and began accelerating down the road. Rey lost her balance but the two men holding her kept her upright, then they dragged her down with them as they sat in the bed of the truck.
She closed her eyes, praying Finn and Lando and the others were okay. And then she prayed that whatever these men had in store for her, she could endure it with as much grace and courage as possible.
She would need that grace and courage as she was now the captive of El Halcón himself.
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