Chapter Seventeen:
The figures rushed into the dark room attacking the still form on the bed. Grabbing him one forcefully held him down, restraining the body fighting for release while the other covered his face with a black hood, turned him to his stomach and tied his hands behind him. Violently jerking him to his feet they ignored the painful moan the movement extracted from him as they ushered him to the rented car waiting.
They drove into the desert Mike demanding to know what was going on, but no one in the vehicle had the stomach to answer him. "Here." Max said directing Kyle to pull off the road. "Drive for another twenty minutes."
Kyle obeyed without question as he glanced in the rear view mirror into the back seat where Max and Michael had Mike sandwiched in, each holding onto an arm as Mike fought to get away. He watched as Michael slammed his fist into the side of Mike's head then leaned over and said something to Mike that he couldn't hear. Swallowing hard Kyle turned his eyes back to the road his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
As they pulled to a stop the others jumped out of the car pulling Mike with them, but he couldn't make himself move as he watched Max forcefully push Mike to the ground. They circled him, moving around him slowly as they stared down at him kneeling in front of them, their bodies heaving from the effort it took to keep their anger in control. Taking a deep breath Kyle made himself leave the car standing back as he watched the scene before him.
"What's going on here?" Mike demanded turning his head to the sound of their movements. "If your looking for my wallet, I'm afraid you left it back in my room."
"Shout up." Michael yelled his hands balled into fists at his side as he struggled to control the negative emotions fighting for dominance.
"Look I think you have the wrong man here…I.." His body hit the ground hard, pushing the air forcefully from his lungs when Michael's foot connected with his back.
"I said to shout up." Michael barked glaring down at him.
"Why her?" Max demanded grabbing the back of Mike's head and yanking it up. "Why her?"
"I don't know what your talking about…you got the wrong man." Mike tried to reason with them his heart racing. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You hurt her." Her voice echoed in the silences that had settled around them. "I heard you…I heard you hurt her." Isabel yelled her tears running down her face. "She did nothing wrong and you hurt her." Kneeling in front of him she yelled "I heard you…I heard you…Oh God…I heard you." Her anger, her guilt raced through her so suddenly that she hadn't realized what she'd done until she saw Mike's body fly through the air, hitting the ground forcefully a few feet away. "I heard you…you bastard." She screamed blinded by the tears pooling in her eyes.
"Oh…my God." Kyle whispered as he watched Mike hit the ground. Everything in him wanted to leave at that moment. To turn his back on the strangers in front of him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the tears running down Isabel's face, couldn't walk away from her as he watched her body shake with the emotions rushing inside her. Taking a deep breath he made his way to her resting a hand on her shoulder. When she stood up and turned toward him he pulled her into his arms and she willingly went to him, slinging to him as she cried. 'I heard him…I heard him…" She kept repeating as he held her. He looked over at Michael and Max making their way to Mike who was struggling to his feet before he turned and walked Isabel back to the car.
"She's okay…Isabel…she's okay." He tried to reassure her.
Opening the front passenger door he helped her into the car. She leaned back into the seat closing her eyes, "It's all my fault." She whispered.
"No…no Isabel." Kyle said drawing a hand through her hair and then down the side of her face. "It's not."
"You don't understand, Kyle…I stop…"
"Yea…well I know all that and It's still not your fault." He said as he continued to caress her face. "He started this long before Liz met you." He tried to make her understand. "Long before any of us knew her."
Isabel laughed, the sound humorless and hollow. "Yea." When Kyle started to get up she grabbed his arm stopping him as she turned to face him. "Thank you."
He forced a smile to his face. "Yea…well…I'm starting to understand why I'm here." He said getting to his feet and turning away. He took a few steps before he stopped and turned back to her. He looked at her for a few second, watched her cover her face with her hands. "Your welcome." He said before turning and making his way back to Max and Michael.
"Okay…okay I can't take it anymore." Maria whined as she stood at Liz's bedroom door.
Turning from the book she was reading Liz shook her head smiling. "Hey…what are you doing here?" She asked as Maria stood by her bed.
"I'm dieing here, Liz….absolutely dieing. I mean it's been like what…ages since we've had a girl's night. Save me…please save me." She cried throwing herself across Liz's bed.
Liz frowned a smile on her face. "Okay…what exactly am I saving you from?" She asked.
"Well let's see…there's Michael…Sean…Michael…my mom…Michael…did I fail to mention Michael?" She asked.
Laughing Liz sat up in bed. "No…I think you've covered Michael quit a few times actually."
"Believe me I can never cover Michael enough." She said taken a deep breath.
"Okay…that was way more information then I needed to hear." Liz drew her face into a mock frown, shaking her head.
"Ohhhhh…. girl get your head out of the gutter." Maria screeched rolling to her side on the bed to face Liz a smile on her face.
"Ice Cream!" They don't said in unison, which brought on a fit of laughter.
"Girl we differently think alike." Maria said getting to her feet.
"Differently." Liz agreed as they headed to the bedroom door. "Where is Michael?" Liz asked when they passed through the threshold.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Maria said pushing the thought of Michael away immediately. 'Tonight is for Liz…only Liz.'
"Oh…my God…what the hell did she do to me?" He moaned pulling on the rope holding his hands together franticly. "What are you? What are you?" He cried crawling backwards away from the people he could hear approaching him. Scrimmaging on his hands and kneels Mike pushed himself to his feet, pain surging throughout him at the movement.
"How does it feel?" Max demanded his body heaving as he kicked Mike's feet from under him and stood glaring down at him.
"No…" Mike groaned, the pain railroading his body. "You have the wrong man." He whispered as his body hit the ground forcefully.
"How does it feel to know you have no power over what's happening to you?" Max demanded again, his body heaving with his anger, his pain.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry for what ever you think I did." Mike murmured kneeling, his head bowed toward the ground.
"What we think you did?" Michael roared wanting to give into the rage inside him. "God…" He felt the energy building, felt it demand release as he looked down at Mike. "You stole something from Liz she may never get back."
"Elizabeth…." Mike's head shot up. "What does this have to do with her?" He demanded, as he felt his anger run through him at the mention of her name. "Did she set this up? She's just like her father. I could see it even as a snot nose kid. Nothing , but trash."
Max felt everything in him explode as Mike's words fully sunk in. His chest heaving with his rage, head bowed, eyes raised, he stared at the bastard who's caused so much pain in the past few months.
He heard Mike laugh, the sound combined with his pain. "But I showed her…sure did." He said laughing through the cough that raked his body.
"You bastard." Max consumed by his rage roared just before his hands shot into the air.
"No!" Kyle yelled hitting Max's hand, flinching at the sound of the big boulder to their right exploding. He held on to Max's arms penning them to his side. "Max…don't do this…please don't do this." He demanded. "Damn it man, if you do your only letting him win. Can't you see that?"
Pulling out of Kyle's hold Max turned away, his body trembling. He glanced at Michael who was pacing watching him as if waiting for him to tell him what he wanted him to do.
"Michael…let's show this bastard exactly what happens to anyone who dare hurt one of our friends." Their eyes connected for a moment before they both rushed Mike.
"No…oh God…no…" Kyle yelled as he watched Max and Michael continually kick the body curled up on the ground not caring where their foot landed. Running to them he tried to pull Max off of him, but Max pushed him forcefully away sending him flying backward, causing him to hit the ground hard. He watched them continued there attack even after Mike's shouts of pain turned into a low moan and then was barely audible.
"How does it feel to be totally defenseless?" Max demanded as he forced himself to stop, his body shaking. "To know that your life is in my hands and there's nothing you can do about it?" Taken a deep breath he mutter, his voice tight and anger. "If you ever come near her again I swear I'll kill you. I swear it." He said turning and walking away. Kyle got to his feet staring at his retreating back and turned to watch Michael.
Michael took a few steps away, then suddenly stopped as he turned back to Mike who was groaning on the ground trying to turn around. Walking back to him he kicked him once more. "Incase you haven't got it." He said staring down at Mike. "If he doesn't kill you I will." Turning he walked away.
Kyle looked at the figure on the ground then up at the two men walking away. Going over to Mike he leaned down touching his pulse before getting to his feet and following Max and Michael.
When he reached the car they were both leaning on it taken deep breaths. "You guys hurt him really back. We can't leave him out here like this." He said running his hand through his hair as he looked around the dark desert.
"Get in the car." Michael demanded.
"Look…I know the bastard had it coming…I know, but we still can't leave him like this. Max…"
"Get in the car." Max yelled angrily staring at Kyle.
"Max…"
"Now!" Max roared feeling the rage inside his surface again. He watched as Kyle did what he said, then he took a deep breath and started back towards Mike.
"Max…what the hell do you think your doing?" Michael demanded grabbing his arm.
Pulling away he captured Michael's anger eyes with his. "That bastard deserve what he got, but Kyle's right. We can't leave him like this. His still Liz's uncle." He made himself force the words from his lips. "He's still her uncle." He said moving away from Michael.
He walked over to the still form on the ground his heart racing. Everything in him wanted to turn away and leave him here, no matter what happen to him. But he couldn't. For Liz's sake he wouldn't give into his instinct to just walk away. Touching the body he closed his eyes making a connection to him. He only healed what was life threatening, wanting the bastard to feel the pain he'd caused Liz to endure. Getting to his feet he looked once more at the monster below him and then he turned away. 'Never again.' He told himself. Never again will he let anyone hurt her to the extent that Mike had. 'Never again.' He vowed.
TBC
