Chapter 58

Meyers circled me, his gun drawn and pointed at my father who had pulled a knife from his boot and was poised to fight.

Glancing at Keanu’s unconscious body propped against the wall of the cave, I prayed for him to wake up and save us. I could tell he was still alive because his chest was still moving but with his wounds, I didn’t know if he was going to survive.

“Come on old man!” Meyer’s eyes were wild with exhilaration.

Tanaka and Meyers circled around me, waiting for the other to strike first. As they moved to the front of me, Meyers pointed the gun directly at my father and simply said. “Ugh, I’m bored of this.” He fired two quick shots into my father’s stomach and laughed as he watched him clutch his stomach and fall to the ground.

“NO!!!” I screamed and reached for him. My father glanced once at me, smiled and then I watched as the light faded from his eyes.

“Hello freak.” Meyers smirked as he eyed me up and down. “Hmmm, gained a little weight I see.”

“Fuck you!” I spat reaching for a rock beside me. Finding one a little smaller than a baseball, I held it close to my side, waiting for the perfect moment to throw it at his face.

“Thank you for screaming earlier, by the way.” He sneered in my direction. “I never would have found you otherwise.”

Disgust poisoned me as I looked at his face and realized that the baby could be his. I didn’t want to think less of her but it was difficult as I looked into the eyes of my assailant. Memories of his body pressed to mine as I was shackled to the cot flooded back into my thoughts. Bile rose in my throat with the idea of his hands on me…of him inside me.

An overwhelmingly painful contraction suddenly took me by surprise and I cried out, clutching my belly with one hand and squeezing the rock hard with the other. An intense pressure unlike any I’d ever known seized my lower half.

I had to push.

“Move!” My grandmother, who had been crouched behind Meyers, stood up and pushed past him.

Gently, she checked the progression of my labor.

“It is time.” Her face was grave.

“Oh good, perfect timing.” Meyers began, “Junior’s coming right when Daddy gets here.” He sneered at me and waved his gun around as he chuckled.

“She might not be yours!!” I screamed from both anger and the burning sensation from in between my legs. Arching my back in agony, the sounds of my pained cries overtook his laughter.

I turned my head and glared at him. With two quick strides, he was by my side. Bending down onto one knee, he grabbed a fistful of my hair in one hand, pulled my head back and held the barrel of the gun under my chin. Leaning close to me, he kissed my ear and whispered. “And then again…it might be.”

Fury possessed me like a demon. Spitting into his eyes, I didn’t even care if he pulled the trigger. Recoiling and wiping his face, I took the opportunity to bring the rock that I’d been cradling in my hand to his head. Coming at him from the side, I smashed the rock as hard as I could into his temple.

Clumsily, he fell over onto the cave floor and dropped his gun. Stunned, he looked shocked as a stream of thick crimson ran down the side of his face. “You bitch!” He screeched as his hands flew at my neck.

Clawing at his face, I felt my esophagus crushing as he dug his thumbs into the soft groove of my neck and pressed with all his might. Still strangling me, he slammed my head up and down, smashing it against the rocky floor.

It was then I realized he might succeed in killing me.

My eyesight began darkening as my lungs burned for air. Hands falling to my sides, I gave up. I surrendered to the dulling beat of my heart and the slowing of blood through my veins.

I didn’t want to try anymore.

Staring up at Meyer’s maniacal expression, I was saddened that his would be the last face I would ever see. This moment, this violent and tragic moment would be the last I ever knew.

Just as my eyes were drawing to a close for the last time, I heard a single shot fire. I had just enough sense left to recognize the shock on his face as his life ended in one instant.

The pressure instantly released from my throat as he slumped over onto me. I gasped and fought for air to return to my lungs. Pushing his dead body off of me, I looked sharply to my right.

There, standing strong and proud with the gun in her hand...was my grandmother.