THANK YOU! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ENJOY YOUR TURKEY:-)

Chapter 4

Kurdy and Jeremiah shared some of their rations with Lilly. She devoured the food like she hadn't eaten in days. Jeremiah watched her tare through hunks of bread like a ravenous animal. He smiled at Lilly as he laid his bread back down on a brownbag and handed the bag to the little girl. Lilly looked up at Jeremiah swallowing the mouthful of food down. She stopped and looked shamefully down at the ground. She drew her arms into herself and then sat them in her lap continuing to shrivel in near fear.

"You okay?" Jeremiah asked quietly.

"I-I'm sorry…" a tear slid down Lilly downcast face.

"Why pretty girl?" Kurdy asked softly.

"I… I ate… too much…" her brow furrowed as she quickly wiped the tears from her face.

Jeremiah and Kurdy both looked at each other dumbfounded at what she had just said. Jeremiah licked his lips as he shook his head.

"No… Lilly…" he reached out and cupped her chin in the palm of his hand. "You eat all you want. Kurdy and me… were done. You have ours. We'll get more later." Jeremiah shot Kurdy a look. The bigger man looked at the piece of bread in his hand and laid it down on the paper it was wrapped in.

"Yeah… I'm done. I don't want it to go to waste so you eat it." He handed her the paper wrapped morsels. He offered her a gentle smile as she slowly reached up and took the bread from her new friends.

--

It wasn't long before the small child was drifting off into sleep her head lying heavily on Kurdy's big chest. Kurdy looked nervously at Jeremiah who raised an eyebrow at the big man.

"You're a natural." Jeremiah whispered.

"What do we do next?" Kurdy whispered back while continuing to rub the sleeping girls boney back.

Jeremiah licked his lips as he glanced nervously around the wooded area. He hadn't thought about what to do if finding an abused little girl in the woods. He turned his gaze back down at the sleeping child. She looked peaceful. Her tiny hands clasped tightly together under her head resting comfortably on Kurdy's solid chest. Her little chest rose and fell with each breath. She slept like she had not slept in days. Jeremiah picked up the end of her scarf and flipped the dirty, rough material in his hands and then lay it back down. "Stay with her. I'm gonna scout ahead and see if I can find Smith." He answered in a low voice.

Jeremiah ran his hand over the little girl's fragile face. She was so young. His eyes lingered momentarily on the darkening bruise on her cheek. She yawned quietly and then opened her eyes slightly. She blinked and then slowly closed her eyes again. Her head shifted on Kurdy's chest and she was soon gently snoozing again.

"Jeremiah!" Kurdy tried his best to shout quietly. Jeremiah shot him a quick finger to his lips signaling for him to be quiet.

"What?" Jeremiah whispered loudly.

"Kurdy licked his lips and then spoke. "Watch yourself… I don't need to rescue you too."

Jeremiah raised his eyebrow and then turned quickly running back into the thicket of the woods.

--

He felt like his head was going to blow off his shoulders. It was sharp shooting pain that continued to radiate down the side of his face, across the temples on his forehead every time he opened his eyes. Whenever a word was spoken around him at any decibel it felt like something would explode and shoot out of his ears. He closed his eyes tightly as the pain intensified behind his eyes. He tried to take a deep breath but that cost him as well. He winced as he felt his ribs grate against the pressure of two different ropes cutting into his chest and stomach. He was cold, sore, and hungry. His stomach rumbled as he smelled the food only he thought he would be sick if he had to smell the unwanted parts of the venison continue to char over the fire pit.

"Hey Shorty." The harsh voice was accompanied by a vicious kick to his right knee.

"Ugggh!" Mr. Smith hissed through the gag shoved between his teeth.

"Ahhh… did that hurt?" Rex jibed.

Mr. Smith slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with Rex. It hurt to move only the few inches he had. His bloodshot crimson red eyes caught Rex's boiling hateful stare. He tried to burn his captor with his look but only made himself sicker through the smallest movement.

"Shit…" Rex squatted down in front of Mr. Smith lifting his chin higher to connect eyes. Mr. Smith tried to fight the large calloused hand squeezing tightly at his chin. He pulled the gag from Mr. Smith's lips. He patted him on the cheek with his free hand while continuing to gloat in front of him.

"Why… don't you… just kill… me?" Mr. Smith asked between gasps and dry coughs.

Rex snorted and then released Mr. Smith's face by shoving his head back against the tree being used to anchor him in place. Smith closed his eyes tightly at the force of the impact. He gasped loudly at the continued sharp pain behind his eyes and in the back of his pounding head. His ear began to ring as Rex watched him closely. He had said something to him but Mr. Smith had been struggling to keep his eyes open past the continued hum in his ears and wasn't able to make out the words his captor was saying.

"… water?" Rex concluded snapping his fingers of his right hand.

A young woman ran forward to him carrying a cup in her hands. She quickly handed the cup over to Rex who lifted it to his own lips taking a sip. Mr. Smith watched the cup as Rex tilted it again to his own lips. He swallowed the cold, clear liquid and let out a sigh.

"Refreshing… you know that is probably the best I've ever had. Brisk, wet, cold… why water is so good for you. I think they said that our bodies are what… seventy-five percent water? I bet you're pretty thirsty?" Rex confirmed.

Mr. Smith stared blankly back at Rex. He held the glass firmly between his fingers. He tilted it back to his own lips. Smith licked his own parched lips and swallowed. IT was hard to swallow. His throat was ablaze. He felt like he had been eating sand from the dirty gag that had been in his mouth for so long. His tongue felt swollen as he tried to talk.

"Please…" Smith asked quietly.

"Sure… let me help you." Rex leaned forward and started to put the glass to Mr. Smith's cracked lips.

Mr. Smith felt the rigid edge of the plastic cup touch his parched lips the remnants of liquid sticking to the surface and then he stopped.

"Oh… crap. Look at this. I drank the last of it. How rude of me. Sorry." He took the gag hanging limply around Mr. Smith's neck and forcefully shoved it back into his captive's dry mouth. The trick brought about a round of laughter from behind Rex. Mr. Smith closed his eyes in shattered defeat. He bit down on the cold damp cloth in his mouth.

Why would anyone do that?

With these people the games and mistreatment never seemed to stop.

--

Jeremiah watched the scene the whole way through. He was behind a tree close enough that he could hear the laughter and name calling from the people as they tortured Mr. Smith for fun. He could hear the cough and groans as Mr. Smith struggled to stay conscious. His heart sank as he noted Smith's ripped flannel shirt and blood stained t-shit. Jeremiah watched and waited for the crowds to gather in their tents for food as the sky started to reach a late noon hour. He crept closer to the tree Mr. Smith was still attached to. He peaked around the large trunk and pulled a plastic bottle of water from his pocket. He had just filled it up at the river earlier that day. He shoved the bottle back into his packet before deciding he was getting Smith now. He crept closer and was soon squatting behind the tree that Smith was bound to. He then pulled his own knife from his pocket and slashed the two sets of ropes freeing Mr. Smith's upper body.

The badly beaten Smith let out a muffled gasp as he felt the constricting bonds release. He sank slowly towards Jeremiah who caught him before he could hit the ground completely. He gently set Mr. Smith up next to the tree and slowly moved to the other side giving Mr. Smith a "Shhh" as a sign to be quiet. He then gently pulled the cloth gag out of the others mouth. Mr. Smith blinked his eyes heavily as he nodded in acknowledgment. Jeremiah then circled back behind his friend and cut the ropes from his wrists. Mr. Smith then let out another heavy gasp as his he brought his hands shakily back to his front.

"Oh GOD…" Mr. Smith sighed heavily as Jeremiah started to pull him to his feet.

"You okay Smith?" He asked quietly.

"You… have no clue how… good this feels." Mr. Smith responded. He clinched his teeth together as his legs began to buckle and his head started to spin. He closed his eyes as the humming in his ears began to get louder. He fumbled for a grip at Jeremiah's jacket collar but his hands were too weak from lack of circulation to hang on.

"No… you can't pass out on me now." Jeremiah pleaded pulling Mr. Smith tightly into his own body. He patted the quickly failing Mr. Smith gently on his right cheek.

Mr. Smith laid his head heavily on Jeremiah's chest as he felt his strength starting to fade. He could hear Jeremiah's words but the humming in his ears and the pain in his chest coupled with the lack of food and water that day was becoming all together too much for him. The two sank to the ground as Mr. Smith began to shake from cold and exhaustion. An explosion of coughs came from his cracked lips.

"Shit Jeremiah… I thought you were gonna find him and come get me."

Kurdy's words and presence lit a fire under Jeremiah as the two quickly hauled the nearly unconscious Mr. Smith to his feet.

"Is the angel alright?" Lilly asked as Kurdy shoved the little girl ahead of the two of them.

"Yeah… the angel's just sleeping." Kurdy announced as he and Jeremiah dragged their friend along.

--

Mr. Smith could fell his feet hit the ground once in a while. He could feel the solid ground brush against the soles of his feet as he struggled to lift them and put them down. He felt like he was floating and his head wasn't having any part of that. He could feel his stomach start to churn and constrict. He fought for breath as he was pulled along by Jeremiah and Kurdy. The pain brought an agonizing groan from Smith and they all stopped as he Smith involuntarily doubled over and collapsed to the ground on his hands and knees.

There was nothing in his stomach to bring up. He shook and pushed, coughing and heaving through the motions of vomiting. He held his stomach through the violent pounding. Kurdy stood watch on Jeremiah kept a hold of Smith shoulders while he fought to bring up nothing. His body was soon satisfied with the fact that he was empty and not going to push anything out that it finally relented. Smith struggled to breathe through the pain in his sides only to collapse on his right side clutching his stomach.

Kurdy and Lilly rushed to his other side. Lilly stood next to Kurdy her brown eyes filled with tears as her angel struggled with agonizing torture brought on by the violent assault he had gone through to free her. Kurdy lifted Mr. Smith until his head lay in the pocket of his shoulder. Jeremiah sat on the other side holding the bottle of water in his hands.

"Open your eyes buddy." Kurdy pleaded wiping the beads of perspiration from his grimy forehead.

Mr. Smith let out a shallow cough as if responding to Kurdy's plea. He then slowly opened his eyes. He struggled to keep them open as he reached his shaky hand up to take hold of the precious bottle Jeremiah held in his hands. His fingers were drawn up as he instantly dropped the bottle. He let out a sudden hiss of pain as he released the bottle from his shaking fingers spilling the liquid all over him. Jeremiah quickly took the bottle in his own hands and helped tip the remaining contents to the wounded mans lips.

The first gulp resulted in an instant kickback. He nearly choked on the liquid spitting up and then back out. He was so thirsty that nobody had thought about him struggling with the liquid. He coughed and tried to sit up at the same time. Kurdy wrapped his forearm around his chest and held him close while Jeremiah laid a calming hand on his shoulder.

"S-Sorry…" Mr. Smith winced as a single tear gliding across his filthy discolored cheek.

"Shhhh… calm down Smith…" Jeremiah soothed as he helped him to take a second sip from the bottle. "Slow…"

Mr. Smith slowly drank from the bottle and then stopped when it was pulled from his lips. He closed his eyes as Lilly knelt down and gently laid her hand on his forehead. Mr. Smith slowly opened his eyes to the gentle soft handed touch.

"Lilly…" he whispered. A slow smile spread across her face. Her brown eyes sparkled as a tear ran down her cheek. With a shaking hand he reached up and gently wiped the tear from her cheek "You're… safe."

--

The almost mob sound of voices brought Jeremiah and Kurdy back to the realization that they needed to get to the Rover. They were a long ways from safety.

"We gotta move." Jeremiah announced.

"You think you can walk?" Kurdy asked pulling him to his feet not waiting for a response.

"Oh GOD…" Mr. Smith cried aloud as the pressure on his chest intensified. The simple act of pulling his arms around their shoulder elicited an anguished groan.

"Can you do this?" Jeremiah asked as Smith's head fell forward to his chest.

"Yeah…" he responded breathlessly.

"You sure?" Jeremiah asked cautiously as he wrapped his free hand around Mr. Smith's waist.

Mr. Smith swallowed hard as he answered.

Not really…

"Yeah…" he panted.

"Good…" Kurdy exploded as shots rang out from behind them.

"AHHHHH!"

Please read and review...