Participation II - Thirteen.
1 = first name
2 = last name
3 = salutation
At the sound of that voice I froze. It was a voice I knew only too well. I'd heard it often enough, usually in my dreams... my nightmares...
It was the man who had kidnapped me.
The Tracys had a name for him.
"The Hood."
This had stopped being a game. We'd been dragged back to reality.
Both Trixie and I turned slowly. I didn't recognise the face, but there was no mistaking that terrible, guttural voice. I remembered something else about him. Those eyes - those terrible glowing eyes that held an hypnotic power. I resolved that if I did nothing else, I would not look into those eyes.
I felt a cold sweat break out over my face. Despite my masks breathable nature it felt as though it was clinging clammily to my features.
"Raise your hands slowly." He ordered. He had an obscenely large gun pointed in our direction.
I complied, hoping desperately that my disguise would work and that he wouldn't recognise me as 3 1 2, that person that he had supposedly killed.
"Oh, dear." Trixie said breathlessly. "My heart... it's the shock... If I take my hands off my cane I'll fall, I know I shall..."
"Very well old woman. You may use your feeble support. But you!" the gun swung back in my direction. "Keep your hands up."
I raised them even higher. My thumb flicking out a stone on the ring that I wore.
"Good." He grinned evilly. "Is this what you are after?" He held up the camera.
I decided to give him the truth. Well at least part of it. "We saw you taking the photos of the International Rescue craft and thought that maybe you didn't realise that they don't like people doing that. We only wanted to tell you. I didn't realise it was a capital offence." I couldn't believe that I was speaking so clearly, so calmly.
"So public spirited" he said mockingly. "What a shame that it comes at such a terrible cost. What a shame you won't live to see what I shall achieve. I shall make great use of the photos in this camera. It holds great power. In fact the power to take over the world."
"Take over the world? But that's impossible. With just photos..." I gabbled, playing for time.
"Silence!" he roared. And then he laughed. That horrible evil laugh. The man on the floor groaned and the laughter died away. "Fool!" The Hood spat contemptuously. "He has failed me and there is only one reward to those who fail..." The gun swung from me to the poor unfortunate on the floor. He took a step forward in order to get a cleaner shot...
I was horrified. A man was about to be murdered in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do...
With a speed that surprised me, Trixie raised her cane's handle up to the Hood's eye level. Those large, horrible eyes received a large, horrible dose of pepper spray...
I backed away quickly to avoid getting any spray drift...
A shot rang out...
I felt a hot breeze brush my arm...
The Hood, screaming, clutching at his face in pain, tears streaming out of his eyes, backed into one of the fallen beams. As his large body leant against it, it splintered and gave way...
More beams started to fall. Dust and debris filled the air. Ominous creaking sounds increased in volume until they became a deafening roar...
I was dimly aware of Trixie yelling something at me about safety...
I looked up at the crumbling ceiling just in time to see an iron beam fall towards me...
1 = first name
2 = last name
3 = salutation
At the sound of that voice I froze. It was a voice I knew only too well. I'd heard it often enough, usually in my dreams... my nightmares...
It was the man who had kidnapped me.
The Tracys had a name for him.
"The Hood."
This had stopped being a game. We'd been dragged back to reality.
Both Trixie and I turned slowly. I didn't recognise the face, but there was no mistaking that terrible, guttural voice. I remembered something else about him. Those eyes - those terrible glowing eyes that held an hypnotic power. I resolved that if I did nothing else, I would not look into those eyes.
I felt a cold sweat break out over my face. Despite my masks breathable nature it felt as though it was clinging clammily to my features.
"Raise your hands slowly." He ordered. He had an obscenely large gun pointed in our direction.
I complied, hoping desperately that my disguise would work and that he wouldn't recognise me as 3 1 2, that person that he had supposedly killed.
"Oh, dear." Trixie said breathlessly. "My heart... it's the shock... If I take my hands off my cane I'll fall, I know I shall..."
"Very well old woman. You may use your feeble support. But you!" the gun swung back in my direction. "Keep your hands up."
I raised them even higher. My thumb flicking out a stone on the ring that I wore.
"Good." He grinned evilly. "Is this what you are after?" He held up the camera.
I decided to give him the truth. Well at least part of it. "We saw you taking the photos of the International Rescue craft and thought that maybe you didn't realise that they don't like people doing that. We only wanted to tell you. I didn't realise it was a capital offence." I couldn't believe that I was speaking so clearly, so calmly.
"So public spirited" he said mockingly. "What a shame that it comes at such a terrible cost. What a shame you won't live to see what I shall achieve. I shall make great use of the photos in this camera. It holds great power. In fact the power to take over the world."
"Take over the world? But that's impossible. With just photos..." I gabbled, playing for time.
"Silence!" he roared. And then he laughed. That horrible evil laugh. The man on the floor groaned and the laughter died away. "Fool!" The Hood spat contemptuously. "He has failed me and there is only one reward to those who fail..." The gun swung from me to the poor unfortunate on the floor. He took a step forward in order to get a cleaner shot...
I was horrified. A man was about to be murdered in front of my eyes and there was nothing I could do...
With a speed that surprised me, Trixie raised her cane's handle up to the Hood's eye level. Those large, horrible eyes received a large, horrible dose of pepper spray...
I backed away quickly to avoid getting any spray drift...
A shot rang out...
I felt a hot breeze brush my arm...
The Hood, screaming, clutching at his face in pain, tears streaming out of his eyes, backed into one of the fallen beams. As his large body leant against it, it splintered and gave way...
More beams started to fall. Dust and debris filled the air. Ominous creaking sounds increased in volume until they became a deafening roar...
I was dimly aware of Trixie yelling something at me about safety...
I looked up at the crumbling ceiling just in time to see an iron beam fall towards me...
