The Little Scout
Chapter Seventeen
Ben's POV
That night Ben, Jimmy, Tessa, Hal and Maggie were crouched beside an old shack. "When do we go in?" Jimmy asked Hal.
"On the count of three." Hal replied.
"One...two...three!" Tessa muttered and ran for it.
"Your girlfriend is so stupid." Hal told Ben. Ben shrugged and they all ran after her. The old shack was tiny and falling apart. They caught up with Tessa and Ben covered her mouth as she tried to scream.
"Their all stupid here, now shut up." Ben whispered.
Tessa nodded. They advanced to another little room. "Sophie." Tessa whispered into his hand.
"I know." He whispered back. She sat tied to a chair. Ben let go of Tessa and she ran into the room. Ben went after her, armed with his gun.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the boy who took my sister?" Ben recognised him. It was Davie. Next to him stood the girl who looked like Melisa, Jumbo had Tessa restrained against the wall.
"What are you doing here?" Ben asked him.
"I think Jumbo likes your little friend..."
"Let me go!" Tessa screamed.
"Why don't we do a swap? We'll take your little friends and you can keep Melisa."
"No. I take them both back and I keep Melisa. That's my deal."
"You silly boy, I have Melisa standing outside. I think you should keep better watch, she tends to...wander off." Melisa walked through the room and was grabbed by the girl.
"Let her go. Let all of them go or we'll blow you to bits." Jimmy shouted. The three of them advanced and stood beside Ben.
Davie laughed. "But we quite like Sophia."
"I don't really care. Let the girls go or you'll get some serious damage done to your skulls." Hal shouted.
Ben aimed his gun at Jumbo. "Let them go." He said calmly. Tessa squirmed a little, trying to get out of his grasp.
"C'mon, just one night...please, she's so pretty." Jumbo ran a finger against her cheek and Ben shot at him. It just skimmed his head.
"The next one won't miss." He promised. "You do that again and I will kill you."
"C'mon, Davie, I told you we should let them go. Give them the girls and let's go."
"Davie? That's your name?" Hal asked. "Look, we won't hurt you if you give us the girls."
"No."
"Their not worth it." The girl told him.
"Look, the only defence you have is big guy over there, you best just let them go." Maggie told them.
"How do you know that's all we have?"
"I'm not stupid, you'd all be showing it off."
"Fine, We'll go." Davie said. "Jumbo."
"I don't want to, I like her."
It all happened so fast. Tessa shifted when Jumbo was distracted and she had the upper hand. She kicked him and punched at his jaw. He clutched his jaw as she sent another kick. Maggie was busy beating up Davie. In all of the confusion, Ben scooped Melisa up into his arms while Jimmy untied Sophie. Hal helped Tessa but she seemed to be doing okay on her own. Then the boom of Mech feet shook the shack.
"We have to get out of here!" Ben shouted to everyone. He turned to the girl who looked like Melisa. "You're coming with us!" He took her arm and dragged her out of the shack; everyone else followed him, just as the Mech started firing. Melisa clutched onto his neck as he ran with her. "Melisa hang on!" He shouted, he turned around and shot at the Mech. Melisa slipped and screamed.
"Melisa!" Tessa screamed, she ran towards the child. Melisa lay on the floor, she wasn't breathing. "No!" Tears streamed down Tessa's face as she picked up her limp body. She ran with her back to camp.