Sorry about last chapter's crappiness… I just had no time to write and I needed to get that chapter up before I did this one… Obviously. Anywho… Here's the seventh chapter. I'll probably end up re-writing that chapter, anyway…

Ashley's eyes fluttered open delicately to the sight of three men looking at her curiously.

You can read, can't you?

"Look it's a book!" She exclaimed followed by a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing?" She asked the first one who had just written something on a page in a blank book.

With a sigh, Salazar answered her, "Just read the book… We're not allowed to say what we want, but the three of us can still write it." Ashley looked at him funny, then grabbed a pen out of her bra and wrote.

Okay, I'm not quite getting what's going on… Care to explain it?

Happily. Krauser, you know what was going on before she got here; we'll start with you, m'kay?

Whatever… All right, I kidnapped you because this fucking psycho cult priest dude (his name's Saddler) told me to. He's able to control us, which is why we can't just tell you this. And he can't control what we write, but I think we tricked him into thinking that he can.

Krauser, he's Saddler. He can't be tricked. He probably knows exactly what we're doing, but he's not viewing it as a threat because he knows that we're not dumb enough to rise up against him… Again.

Look Ashley, we're all doomed. We've learned to accept it by now, but you need to get out of here so no one else becomes like us.

Or like Luis… It's all my fault…

It is not your fault, Ramon… He told you that he was willing to take that risk…

But do you think he thought it was actually going to happen? Five hundred pesatas says no.

All right lovebirds, let's not talk about Luis. He was a great man… And a damn brave scientist… When he wasn't trying to feel up the ladies, anyway…

I don't know who this Luis guy is, but what happened to him?

Well, he's locked in a cupboard.

That's it? Why don't you just go and free him?

We'd like to, trust us we would, but we can't or else Saddler'll… Well, I don't know exactly; Ramon's the only one of us who's had it happen to him.

It's kinda hard to describe… It's like a never-ending torrent of white-hot pain. Eventually, Saddler will let you pass out, but it takes a while for that to happen because he still wants to get what he's after… I guess the short answer would be it hurts like a bitch.

So… This Saddler guy is, like, a sadist or something?

The three men looked up from the book, shrugged their shoulders, and said, "More or less."

"Oh…"

Back to writing… You've already been injected with the parasite, so we don't have much time.

Parasite? What parasite?

Las Plagas. Not important. Let's see… About five days, right? Two before she starts coughing up blood… and four before Saddler will be able to control her… But if we can find Luis's pills, we'll be able to gain another three days…

Didn't you have Luis's pills, Sal?

Don't call me Sal. Ever.

But it makes you sound so cute…

Yeah, I agree.

If you would like to keep both of your nuts I suggest calling me 'Ramon' or 'Salazar'. Not Sal. And Saddler took them away while I was out. He might be old, but he's not stupid. Remember?

Oh, yeah… That's right… You're the dumb ass of this operation!

Fellas… Let's just…

What did you just say to me, you fucking bastard?

You've got ears dontcha, Elf-boy?

You little –

You forget which one of us is little, Sal.

Salazar was a reasonably patient man. He could handle being called Sal. He could handle being called dumb. He could even handle the crack about his ears. But one thing he could not handle was being called little. A lesson Krauser was going to learn the hard way.

Something not many people know (nor bothered to find out) is that Salazar can actually hold his own in a fight. Unbelievable, ain't it folks? He was trained in the dying art of fencing. However, just because you know how to fence, it doesn't necessarily mean that you are so fucked up you feel you should carry a rapier around with you constantly. But we forget who I am speaking of. This is Salazar, people! Of course he carries a rapier around with him constantly! Who do you think he is, the pope?

But I ramble. The point is, he drew the thin weapon and pointed it at Krauser's chest, mumbling the phrase, "I'll show you who's little…"

"You want a fight, you just got one!" Krauser shouted drawing his Bowie knife from the sheath.

"Please," Mendez said, panic apparent on his face, "don't do this… Your fights aren't with eachother… Your fights are with Saddler." Oh no… Mendez thought as he realized what he said. If Saddler's letting me speak out against him… That means he's focusing on something else… He wants them to hurt eachother so they won't fight against him. Damn it! They're both so pig-headed… They won't stop until they get what they want…

While Mendez was silently musing, his two friends circled eachother, weapons drawn and ready for the slightest movement. Being the more impatient one, Salazar leapt forward thrusting his rapier at Krauser's neck. Krauser dodged by back-flipping out of the way and slashing with his knife. Several minutes later, the former friends were locked in a deadly dance with all manner of bloody cuts and gashes. Thus far, Krauser had the worst cut: a nasty looking gash on his face that he got by miscalculating where his knife would land. Salazar's wounds weren't that far behind Krauser's, though. Krauser had slashed across the palm of his left hand twice, creating an X shaped cut that looked almost like a target. (FORESHADOWING!)

Saddler chose to show himself at that point, flanked on either side by Vurdugo and Vurduga. As Saddler skulked into the room, Mendez noticed that Salazar and Krauser's eyes were glowing bright red. "Good show, gentlemen," Saddler mumbled releasing his hold on the pair. Their eyes returned to their normal colors as they gasped in obvious pain. "Sorry. I must have neglected to mention that as long as I control you, you won't feel pain, but as soon as I give you your freedom, you will." He gave a sadistic chuckle, as his highest ranking guards wailed in pain. They froze suddenly as Saddler regained his control. "Lock her in the church," Saddler sneered gesturing to Ashley. "As for you," he said turning to Mendez, "you would be well advised to respect me."

White-hot pain erupted through Mendez's gigantic form as he let off a blood-raising scream. Mendez collapsed lifelessly on the ground as the pain died down. "Pick him up," Saddler addressed the pair of inhuman bodyguards, "and bring him back to the village. We need to make sure that he is ready for any unexpected visitors."

Whoop! I'm writing well again! My muse has returned! I'm happy. Anyway… I will be back! (Hopefully soon XD) Just an FYI, this story has broken 10,000 words! And I'm not even done yet! How cool is that, eh? Anywho…

Till next time!