Chapter 3 - Free

Mia sat off to the side as the five men talked among themselves, trying to gather a plan together. The sun was beginning to set and she wondered how they were going to get out of the state park at night time. This was the first moment of relief for her. She was finally out of that hell hole. What a weird feeling…to be free again. There were times when Mia never thought she would make it out of there alive. She was thrown in the world of confusion and pain. What pictures had she taken to be captured? She pressed her palm against the side of her throbbing head. Her normal and simple life was gone and now she didn't know what was going to happen next. Would the men keep coming after her? Will she have to be on the run for the rest of her life? Where was she going to end up?

Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks as she lightly ran her fingers over a cigarette burn that the men had given her. Their laughs echoed through her head and violent memories painted her mind like a coffee stain on white linen. Mia swallowed hard and tried to push out the memories.

Barney pulled himself away from the group once they decided what to do. He made his way to Mia as the rest of the team gathered their things. "We're going to hike the last three miles tonight. We need to get my plane off the coast. Caesar is going to carry you on his back. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible," he explained to her. "We'll figure out what's going on back in New Orleans."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "What's in New Orleans?"

"A tattoo parlor. It's a friend of mine. You'll be safe there." He glanced over his shoulder and saw all of them were ready to go. "I'll explain everything when I can, but we have to get you out of here first."

She nodded and got up from where she was sitting. Barney trailed behind her when they began walking towards the group. Her hand was on her side, holding it. It was easy for him to guess that her ribs may be broken. Part of him was curious about her days being captive. Hopefully there was a clue to where Pressman was going next and what evidences he was trying so hard to get rid of. The other part of him also worried about what they had done to her.

Once Mia settled herself on Caesar's back, she was asked to stay quiet since Barney was unsure if there were any of Pressman's men in the area. The only thing that could be heard was the nighttime wildlife, like crickets or loud cicadas, and their boots crunching through the brush. Their flashlights shined through the foggy air as the humidity made her clothes cling to her skin.

Mia forced herself to stay away during the couple hour walk. She felt like she would pass out any minute from exhaustion, but Mia forced herself to stay awake. She didn't pay any attention when they arrive at the plane. She could tell it was a very large plane, but that was the extent of it. It was too dark to see and their flashlights only lit up so much. Mia also didn't care that much. She just wanted to get out of here.

After the long hike, Caesar let Mia off his back and pointed to one of the seats that had straps connected to the wall of the plane. "Go ahead. Strap in," Caesar told her and she did what she was told in silence. The straps went over her head and clasped over the chest. Mia quickly began tightening them as the plane rumbled to life. Within five minutes they were in the air and cigar smoke filled the air. Barney was in the cockpit with Christmas.

Mia quietly listened to the men began to chat with each other as her eyes began to feel heavy. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, leaning her head back against the metal wall.

"How's she doing?" Barney asked, glancing away from the windshield. Christmas looked over his shoulder to see the young woman fast asleep. Her body was slightly turned so she could rest the side of her head against the wall.

"She's asleep," Christmas replied and brought his gaze back to the front of the plane.

"Figures," Barney muttered.

Both of them fell quiet for a moment. The only sounds to be heard were the engine's humming and quiet chatter in the back of the plane.

Christmas spoke up again after he opened a beer. "What do you think is on her camera?"

Barney shrugged. "Nothing good probably."

The bald British man rolled his eyes. "No, shit," he threw back at Barney. Again, they went silent for a minute or two. "How do we go about this? With the girl, I mean."

Barney took a drag of his cigar before replying. "I'm not sure. We don't usually deal with hostage. And we can't involve the police. There's obviously a rat in the local police force and we can't tip them off. She needs to stay hidden for now." He brought up his fingers up to the corners of both eyes and rubbed the sleep away. Just like Mia, Barney was exhausted and was ready to get some rest. "Tomorrow morning, we'll get back together and try to figure this out. I need some sleep."

Christmas agreed and finished off his beer. "Yeah. Let's get home."

A couple hours later, they arrived back home - just before midnight. They made good time considering the situation. Barney shook Mia's shoulder and her eyes squinted open. Her blue eyes were bloodshot and the color of her dark circles matched the bruises she wore. "We're here," he told her gently. She nodded once and fumbled with the straps. Unbuckling it, she slipped out. This was the first time Barney noticed how small she really was. Barney knew he wasn't the tallest guy, but he still towered over her by almost a foot. He held his hand out and she took it. As she stood, he felt her body tremble. Barney picked up the woman in his arms and went to carry her out. He knew she was at her physical limit when she began to shake and the daze look she had in her eyes.

There was no protest from Mia as she laid her head against his shoulder. Barney wasn't even sure if she would remember being carried in. Her breathing became slow again and he knew she was back asleep. Barney couldn't help but sneak glances at her bruised and burned body. Her hair still had blood in it too.

When he walked to Tool's tattoo shop, he was greeted by a confused expression. "What happened?" Tool asked and set down his pen onto his sketch pad.

"I'll explain in a minute. I need you bring me up to your loft. She needs somewhere to sleep," Barney said and Tool nodded. He followed Barney into the elevator. Christmas watched to the two of them disappear after Tool pressed the button to the second floor. He plopped into a nearby chair and began to take off his tactical gear with heavy arms.

Barney was right. It was probably best they all got a good night of rest before planning their next step in this shit storm.

Author's note: Sorry for a short chapter! The next chapter will be longer! Please let me know what you think so far about the story.

Thanks!

~FriedPeaches